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 .
Abstract
1. The abstract of the disclosure filed on 12/18/2024 is objected to because the abstract contains an improper format. A corrected abstract of the disclosure is required and must be presented on a separate sheet, apart from any other text. See MPEP § 608.01(b).
Applicant is reminded of the proper language and format for an abstract of the disclosure.
The abstract filed on should be in narrative form and generally limited to a single paragraph on a separate sheet within the range of 50 to 150 words in length. The abstract should describe the disclosure sufficiently to assist readers in deciding whether there is a need for consulting the full patent text for details.
The language should be clear and concise and should not repeat information given in the title. It should avoid using phrases which can be implied, such as, “The disclosure concerns,” “The disclosure defined by this invention,” “The disclosure describes,” etc. In addition, the form and legal phraseology often used in patent claims, such as “means” and “said,” should be avoided.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
In the event the determination of the status of the application as subject to AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103 (or as subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103) is incorrect, any correction of the statutory basis (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) for the rejection will not be considered a new ground of rejection if the prior art relied upon, and the rationale supporting the rejection, would be the same under either status.
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.
2. Claims 1-4 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102 (a)(1) as being anticipated by Berberich et al (USPN 2007/0159745).
Regarding claim 1, Berberich discloses an electronic device (see figures 3, 6) comprising:
a power supply (a battery coupled to an input 200, see par. 0091) configured to provide a load driving signal (a driving signal 100, outputted from a protection circuit 140, to a load 230, see figure 3) from an input signal (60, see figure 3);
a load (a load 230) powered by the load driving signal (100);
a first portion (such as a first portion input 200) different from the load and/or un-associating with a portion at the load side;
a thermal fuse (a thermal fuse 70 included in the protection circuit 140, see figures 3, 6) electrically coupled between the power supply (the battery) and the input signal (60) and thermally coupled to the first portion (200), the thermal fuse (70) being configured to be disconnected responsive to a temperature, at the first portion (200), exceeding a first temperature threshold and thereby electrically disconnect the input signal from the power supply (see par. 0058, 0062, 0070); and
a heat conversion component (80, 150) electrically coupled to the load (230) and thermally coupled to the thermal fuse (70), and configured to generate, at the thermal fuse, a temperature that disconnects the thermal fuse (70) responsive to a value of an electrical property (such as voltage, current, or temperature, see par. 0062, 0064, 0065) ) of the load driving signal exceeding a predetermined electrical value and thereby electrically disconnect the input signal (60) from the power supply, wherein said heat conversion component (80, 150) is different from the first portion (see par. 0058, 0062, 0070).
Regarding claim 2, Berberich discloses wherein the first portion (200) is adapted to be coupled to an external power source (the battery) that provides the input signal (60), the power supply (the battery) is adapted to connect to the first portion-(200) at an input and to provide the load driving signal (100) at an output, and the electrical property is a current through the load (see par. 0065).
Regarding claim 3, Berberich discloses wherein the heat conversion component (80, 150) comprises a resistive element (dependent resistance element 150, see par. 0062) connected electrically in series with the load (230), the resistive element being: configured to generate a heat responsive to the current flow through the resistance and the load (230); and thermally coupled to the thermal fuse (70) to provide the heat to the thermal fuse (70) thereby generate, at the thermal fuse (70), the temperature that disconnects the thermal fuse (70) (see par. 0058, 0062).
Regarding claim 4, Berberich discloses wherein the electrical property is a voltage across the load (230) (see par. 0063-0064).
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
In the event the determination of the status of the application as subject to AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103 (or as subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103) is incorrect, any correction of the statutory basis (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) for the rejection will not be considered a new ground of rejection if the prior art relied upon, and the rationale supporting the rejection, would be the same under either status.
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.
3. Claims 1, 6, 12, 13 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Xiong et al (USPN 2017/0105263) in view of Berberich et al (USPN 2007/0159745).
Regarding claim 1, Xiong discloses an electronic device (a LED tube lamp 1, see figure 1) comprising:
a power supply (an AC power supply 508, in figure 49a) configured to provide a load driving signal (a driving signal 521, 522, see figure 49e) from an input signal (501, 502);
a load (a LED module 530) powered by the load driving signal (521, 522);
a first portion (such as a first portion coupled to pins 501, 502) different from the load and/or un-associating with a portion at the load side;
a thermal fuse (a thermal fuse 947, 948, see figure 51D) electrically coupled between the power supply (508) and the input signal (501, 502) and thermally coupled to the first portion, the thermal fuse (947, 948) being configured to be disconnected responsive to a temperature, at the first portion, exceeding a first temperature threshold and thereby electrically disconnect the input signal from the power supply (see par. 0278).
Xiong does not explicitly disclose a heat conversion component as claimed.
Berberich discloses an electronic device (see figures 3, 6) comprising: a heat conversion component (80, 150) electrically coupled to the load (230) and thermally coupled to the thermal fuse (70), and configured to generate, at the thermal fuse, a temperature that disconnects the thermal fuse (70) responsive to a value of an electrical property (such as voltage, current, or temperature, see par. 0062, 0064, 0065) ) of the load driving signal exceeding a predetermined electrical value and thereby electrically disconnect the input signal (60) from the power supply, wherein said heat conversion component (80, 150) is different from the first portion (see par. 0058, 0062, 0070).
It 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 to have modified the electronic device of Xiong to incorporate a heat conversion component that associates with the thermal fuse as disclosed by Berberich in order to ensure an overvoltage limited and cut-off a power due to an overcurrent event so that avoiding further damage in a system.
Regarding claim 6, Xiong discloses wherein the first portion (the first portion coupled to input pins 501, 502) comprises an input interface (810)(see figure 50c) configured to receive the input signal from the external power source (508), wherein: the thermal fuse (947, 948) is electrically coupled between the power supply (508) and the input interface (810); and the input interface and/or the first portion and thermal fuse (947, 948) are thermally coupled, such that a temperature, at the input interface, exceeding the first temperature threshold disconnects the thermal fuse (947, 948), wherein said first portion is suspectable to be heated by the external power source (508, see par. 0278) or is capable of heating the external power source.
Regarding claim 12, Xiong wherein the input interface (810) comprises: a first interface node for connection to a first node (819) of the power supply; and a second interface node for connection to a second node (512) of the power supply (see figure 50d).
Regarding claim 13, Xiong discloses wherein the thermal fuse (947, 948) is coupled between the first interface node and the power supply (see figures 50c, 51d).
4. Claims 7-10 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Xiong et al (USPN 2017/0105263) in view of Berberich et al (USPN 2007/0159745), further in view of the admitted prior (WO2016000885 A1, hereinafter APA).
Regarding claims 7, 8, Xiong and Berberich disclose the electronic device (1) is a tubular LED lamp (2) comprising an end cap (3, see figures 1a, 2), holding the first portion (the first portion 501, 502) and thermally connected to the input interface (see figure 3); the load (the LED module 2) comprises one or more LEDs; the input interface extends through the end cap (3) and is adapted to contact the external power source (508) at a position external to the end cap (3); and the thermal fuse (947, 948) is placed internally in the end cap (3) such that a temperature of the input interface, but do not disclose the temperature threshold heats up the cap and at least one pin as claimed.
APA discloses a tubular LED lamp comprises a thermal fuse in an end cap that exceeds the first temperature threshold heats the end cap which in turn heats the thermal fuse so as to disconnect the thermal fuse caused by an arcing between a pin in the end cap and the external power source due to a poor contact with the external power source (see the admitted prior in the specification).
It 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 to have modified the LED tube lamp of Xiong and Berberich to incorporate an end cap structure as disclosed by APA in order to prevent an arcing event due to a poor contact between the external power source and the LED lamp.
Regarding claim 9, Xiong discloses an electronic ballast (1510), wherein the power supply (508) connects the at least one pin (501) of the input interface to the load (2) without performing active power conversion (see figure 58a).
Regarding claim 10, Xiong discloses wherein the power supply comprises a rectifying arrangement (510) for rectifying the input signal to produce the load driving signal (521, 522, see figure 58a).
5. Claim 15 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Berberich et al (USPN 2007/0159745) in view of Satou (USPN 2016/0027603)
Regarding claim 15, Berberich discloses wherein the heat conversion component (80, 150) is thermally coupled to the thermal fuse (70), but does not explicitly disclose using thermal glue or thermal adhesive as claimed.
Satou discloses a thermal protection device (see figure 1-2) comprises a heat conversion component (15) is thermally coupled to a thermal fuse (13) using thermal adhesive (see par. 0015).
It 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 to have modified the heat conversion component and the thermal fuse of Berberich to incorporate an adhesive as disclosed by Satou in order to prevents accidental short circuits between them as a result increasing a safety operation.
6. Claim 5 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Berberich et al (USPN 2007/0159745) in view of Zhou et al (USPN 2023/0062239).
Regarding claim 5, Berberich discloses all limitations of claim 1 as discussed above, but does not explicitly disclose the electrical property as claimed.
Zhou discloses a thermal protection device for a LED device comprises a thermal sensing circuit (21) configured to regulate a power consumed of the LED circuit based a sensing temperature (see par. 0034-0035).
It 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 to have modified the electrical property of Berberich to incorporate an electrical property that including a power consumed of the LED device as disclosed by Zhou in order to prevents a LED device being damage due to an overheating condition.
Allowable Subject Matter
7. Claims 11, 14 are 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.
Conclusion
8. Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to DANNY NGUYEN whose telephone number is (571)272-2054. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 8:00AM-4:30PM.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Monica Lewis can be reached at 571-271-1838. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/DANNY NGUYEN/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2838
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