DETAILED ACTION
Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status
The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claim 18 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being incomplete for omitting essential elements, such omission amounting to a gap between the elements. See MPEP § 2172.01. The omitted elements are: a first AC/DC converter.
The claim recites a second AC/DC converter. However, no first AC/DC converter is claimed. Since one cannot have a second without a first, the claim is rejected for omitting essential elements. This rejection may be overcome by changing the claim dependency of claim 18 from claim 15 to claim 17. For purposes of examination, the claim has been treated as such with the proposed amendment.
Claim 19 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being incomplete for omitting essential elements, such omission amounting to a gap between the elements. See MPEP § 2172.01. The omitted elements are: a first and second AC/DC converter.
The claim recites a third AC/DC converter. However, a first and second AC/DC converter are not claimed. Since one cannot have a third without a first and second, the claim is rejected for omitting essential elements. This rejection may be overcome by changing the claim dependency of claim 18 from claim 15 to claim 17, as well as changing the claim dependency of claim 19 from claim 15 to claim 18. For purposes of examination, the claim has been treated as such with the proposed amendment.
Claims 24-25 rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
Claim 24 recite the limitation "the second power supply connectors". There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim, thereby making the claim indefinite. This rejection may be overcome by changing the claim dependency of claim 24 from claim 15 to claim 20. For purposes of examination, the claim has been treated as such with the proposed amendment. Claim 25 is also rejected for the above reason by virtue of its claim dependency.
Claim 25 recite the limitation "the power" in the second to last line. The antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim is unclear, thereby making the claim indefinite.
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(s) 15, 27, and 29 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Heidinger (DE 10 2010 042 565 A1).
Regarding claim 15, Heidinger discloses a power supply system for a medical X-ray imaging device (fig. 1), comprising: a power connector (input of 21) configured to be connected to a power grid; a first power supply connector (UG1) connected to the power connector (fig. 1), wherein the first power supply connector is configured to be connected to a first-class electrical component (components using UG1; par. 39) of the medical X-ray imaging device; a battery module (3) connected to the power connector (fig. 1), wherein the battery module comprises a storage battery (32) and is configured to acquire electrical energy from the power grid via the power connector to charge the storage battery (par. 30); and a second power supply connector (UG) connected to the battery module (fig. 1), wherein the second power supply connector is configured to be connected to a second-class electrical component (components using UG; par. 39) of the medical X-ray imaging device, and wherein the battery module is configured to connect one or more of the power connector and the storage battery to the second power supply connector (fig. 1) in a switchable mode (par. 40).
Regarding claim 27, Heidinger discloses wherein: the first-class electrical component (par. 39: inverters, frequency converters, rectifiers) and the second-class electrical component (par. 38: x-ray tube) of the power supply system are defined according to a time for restarting, the restarting time of the first-class electrical component is necessarily less than a preset time threshold (since inverters, frequency converters, rectifiers can be restarted instantly), and the restarting time of the second-class electrical component is greater than or equal to the preset time threshold (since restarted x-ray tubes need time to get the anode up to rotational speed).
Regarding claim 29, Heidinger discloses wherein the second-class electrical component comprises one of an X-ray generator (10/12), a computer, a collimator, or a micro-control unit.
Claim(s) 15 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Yahata et al. (US 5226064; hereinafter Yahata).
Yahata discloses a power supply system for a medical X-ray imaging device, comprising: a power connector configured to be connected to a power grid; a first power supply connector connected to the power connector, wherein the first power supply connector is configured to be connected to a first-class electrical component of the medical X-ray imaging device; a battery module connected to the power connector, wherein the battery module comprises a storage battery and is configured to acquire electrical energy from the power grid via the power connector to charge the storage battery; and a second power supply connector connected to the battery module, wherein the second power supply connector is configured to be connected to a second-class electrical component of the medical X-ray imaging device, and wherein the battery module is configured to connect one or more of the power connector and the storage battery to the second power supply connector in a switchable mode (figs. 1 and 3).
Claim(s) 15 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Tanaka (JP 08-056939 A).
Tanaka discloses a power supply system for a medical X-ray imaging device, comprising: a power connector configured to be connected to a power grid; a first power supply connector connected to the power connector, wherein the first power supply connector is configured to be connected to a first-class electrical component of the medical X-ray imaging device; a battery module connected to the power connector, wherein the battery module comprises a storage battery and is configured to acquire electrical energy from the power grid via the power connector to charge the storage battery; and a second power supply connector connected to the battery module, wherein the second power supply connector is configured to be connected to a second-class electrical component of the medical X-ray imaging device, and wherein the battery module is configured to connect one or more of the power connector and the storage battery to the second power supply connector in a switchable mode (figs. 3 and 5).
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 103 which forms the basis for all obviousness rejections set forth in this Office action:
A patent for a claimed invention may not be obtained, notwithstanding that the claimed invention is not identically disclosed as set forth in section 102, if the differences between the claimed invention and the prior art are such that the claimed invention as a whole would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a person having ordinary skill in the art to which the claimed invention pertains. Patentability shall not be negated by the manner in which the invention was made.
Claim(s) 23 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Heidinger, Yahata, or Tanaka as applied to claim 15 above, and further in view of Nose et al. (US 2017/0000429; hereinafter Nose).
Heidinger, Yahata, or Tanaka discloses claim 15.
However, Heidinger, Yahata, or Tanaka fails to disclose wherein the battery module further comprises a battery management system configured to detect a residual electric quantity of the storage battery and to transmit an electric quantity signal, and further comprising: a prompt module connected to the battery management system and configured to display patterns or make a sound according to the electric quantity signal.
Nose teaches wherein the battery module further comprises a battery management system configured to detect a residual electric quantity of the storage battery and to transmit an electric quantity signal, and further comprising: a prompt module connected to the battery management system and configured to display patterns or make a sound according to the electric quantity signal (par. 28).
It would have been obvious, to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention, to modify Heidinger, Yahata, or Tanaka with the teaching of Nose, since one would have been motivated to make such a modification for providing a warning that issues may arise (Nose: pars. 6-7 and 28).
Furthermore, since the Examiner finds that the prior art (i.e., Heidinger, Yahata, or Tanaka) contained a “base” upon which the claimed invention can be seen as an “improvement”, and since the Examiner finds that the prior art (i.e., Nose) contained a “comparable” system that has been improved as recited in the claimed invention, the Examiner thus finds that one of ordinary skill in the art could have applied the known “improvement” technique to the “base” and the results would have been predictable to one of ordinary skill in the art. Therefore, such a claimed combination would have been obvious.
Claim(s) 26 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Heidinger, Yahata, or Tanaka as applied to claim 15 above, and further in view of Bhatt et al. (US 2013/0343102; hereinafter Bhatt).
Heidinger, Yahata, or Tanaka discloses claim 15.
However, Heidinger, Yahata, or Tanaka fails to disclose an AC/AC converter connected between the power connector everything else.
Bhatt teaches an AC/AC converter (title) connected between the power connector (for 1) and everything else (with C).
It would have been obvious, to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention, to modify Heidinger, Yahata, or Tanaka with the teaching of Bhatt, since one would have been motivated to make such a modification for more easily obtaining the needed voltage output (Bhatt: par. 2).
Furthermore, since the Examiner finds that the prior art (i.e., Heidinger, Yahata, or Tanaka) contained a “base” upon which the claimed invention can be seen as an “improvement”, and since the Examiner finds that the prior art (i.e., Bhatt) contained a “comparable” system that has been improved as recited in the claimed invention, the Examiner thus finds that one of ordinary skill in the art could have applied the known “improvement” technique to the “base” and the results would have been predictable to one of ordinary skill in the art. Therefore, such a claimed combination would have been obvious.
Claim(s) 28 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Heidinger, Yahata, or Tanaka as applied to claim 15 above, and further in view of Wagner et al. (US 2019/0044336; hereinafter Wagner).
Heidinger, Yahata, or Tanaka discloses claim 15.
However, Heidinger, Yahata, or Tanaka fails to disclose wherein the medical X-ray imaging device comprises a movable C-shaped arm X-ray machine.
Wagner teaches wherein the medical X-ray imaging device comprises a movable C-shaped arm X-ray machine (par. 150).
It would have been obvious, to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention, to modify Heidinger, Yahata, or Tanaka with the teaching of Wagner, since these devices were art-recognized equivalents at the time the invention was made, which one of ordinary skill in the art would have found obvious to substitute (Wagner: par. 150). One would have been motivated to make such a modification for more mobility (Wagner: fig. 1).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 16-17 and 20-22 objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims. Claims 18-19 and 24-25 would be allowable if amended, as proposed above, to overcome the rejection(s) under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), 2nd paragraph, set forth in this Office action and to include all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter.
Regarding claim 16 and its dependent claim(s), if any, the prior art (e.g., Heidinger) discloses a power supply system for a medical X-ray imaging device (fig. 1), comprising: a power connector (input of 21) configured to be connected to a power grid; a first power supply connector (UG1) connected to the power connector (fig. 1), wherein the first power supply connector is configured to be connected to a first-class electrical component (components using UG1; par. 39) of the medical X-ray imaging device; a battery module (3) connected to the power connector (fig. 1), wherein the battery module comprises a storage battery (32) and is configured to acquire electrical energy from the power grid via the power connector to charge the storage battery (par. 30); and a second power supply connector (UG) connected to the battery module (fig. 1), wherein the second power supply connector is configured to be connected to a second-class electrical component (components using UG; par. 39) of the medical X-ray imaging device, and wherein the battery module is configured to connect one or more of the power connector and the storage battery to the second power supply connector (fig. 1) in a switchable mode (par. 40).
However, the prior art fails to disclose or fairly suggest a power supply system for a medical X-ray imaging device, including: wherein: the battery module comprises a first switch that is controlled via the power connector, a contact end of the first switch is connected to the power connector, the storage battery, and to the second power supply connector, the first switch is configured to connect the power connector to the second power supply connector for the power connector being in a power-on state, and to connect the storage battery to the second power supply connector for the power connector being in a power-off state, in combination with all of the other recitations in the claim.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Chih-Cheng Kao whose telephone number is (571)272-2492. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 9-5.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, David Makiya can be reached at (571) 272-2273. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/Chih-Cheng Kao/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2884
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