DETAILED ACTION
Election/Restrictions
Applicant’s election without traverse of claims 1-11 and 15 in the reply filed on 3/2/2026 is acknowledged. Thus, claims 12-14 are withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b) as being drawn to a nonelected invention, there being no allowable generic or linking claim.
Claim Objections
Claims 1-11 and 15 are objected to because of the following informalities:
Throughout the claim set, there are various numbers and codes within paratheses, for clarity purposes, these should be removed from the claims.
Appropriate correction is required.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
The following is a quotation of the appropriate paragraphs of 35 U.S.C. 102 that form the basis for the rejections under this section made in this Office action:
A person shall be entitled to a patent unless –
(a)(1) the claimed invention was patented, described in a printed publication, or in public use, on sale, or otherwise available to the public before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claim 15 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Jones 9,353,757.
Jones discloses, regarding claim 15, a method of controlling a pump 10 comprising a pump drive motor 16, a pump type identifier (RFID tag) and a pump speed rating identifier 80; wherein the method comprises: communicating with the pump type identifier (RFID tag) to determine a pump type (see col. 16, lines 12-16, and lines 55-60); communicating with the pump speed rating identifier 80 to determine a pump speed rating (see col. 16, lines 60-67); cross-checking the determined pump type and the determined pump speed rating; and inhibiting operation of the pump in dependence on identification of a mismatch between the determined pump type and the determined pump speed rating (this is clearly the case (see col. 16, line 62 to col. 7, line 4).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 1-11 are allowable, but applicant's reply must either comply with all formal requirements or specifically traverse each requirement not complied with. See 37 CFR 1.111(b) and MPEP § 707.07(a).
Regarding claim 1, it is noted by the examiner, and stated here for the record of prosecution, that the aspect of the instant invention determined to be novel and patentably distinct from the prior art is a cross-check circuit for receiving the pump type identification signal and the pump speed rating identification signal and identifying a mismatch between the identified pump type and the identified pump speed rating; wherein the cross-check circuit is configured to output a mismatch signal to inhibit operation of the pump in dependence on identification of the mismatch. These limitations, in combination with a the pump type identifier for identifying a pump type, and the pump speed rating identifier for identifying a pump speed rating, wherein the pump control unit comprises: at least one controller configured to control an inverter for powering the pump drive motor, a pump type identification circuit configured to communicate with the pump type identifier to identify the pump type, the pump type identification circuit being configured to output a pump type identification signal for identifying the pump type, a pump speed rating identification circuit configured to communicate with the pump speed rating identifier to identify the pump speed rating, the pump speed rating identification circuit being configured to output a pump speed rating identification signal for identifying the pump speed rating, make the claim read over the prior art. The sum of these limitations is not disclosed by the prior art and it would not be obvious to combine references in an effort to meet all of the claimed elements.
Any comments considered necessary by applicant must be submitted no later than the payment of the issue fee and, to avoid processing delays, should preferably accompany the issue fee. Such submissions should be clearly labeled “Comments on Statement of Reasons for Allowance.”
Conclusion
The prior art made of record in the attached form 892 and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Peter J Bertheaud whose telephone number is (571)272-3476. The examiner can normally be reached 9am - 5pm M-F.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Mark Laurenzi can be reached at 5712707878. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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PJB
/PETER J BERTHEAUD/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3746
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