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 .
Election/Restrictions
Applicant's election with traverse of claims 1-8 in the reply filed on 12/18/2025 is acknowledged. The traversal is on the ground(s) that it should be no undue burden on the Examiner to consider all claims in the single application. This is not found persuasive because claims 1-8 is drawn in Fig. 1 the embodiment of which is classified in H02J7/00714 and claims 9-19 is drawn to a different embodiment as shown in Fig. 4 classified in H02K47/02 thereby requiring significant burden on the Examiner to consider all claims in a single application.
The requirement is still deemed proper and is therefore made FINAL.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
(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) 1-2, 5-8 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by CN 106992565 (Wang).
Regarding claim 1, Wang teaches a constant-current discharge device (Fig. 3-3 shows implementation of constant-current discharge of the constant-current discharge device 1 of the storage battery) [0035], comprising: a discharge voltage detection circuit, connected between a positive terminal and a negative terminal of a DC voltage (control circuit determines the voltage level of the storage battery) [0035], and configured to receive the DC voltage (control circuit 11 configured to receive the DC voltage) [0035], a voltage level adjustment circuit, connected to the discharge voltage detection circuit (control circuit 11 has voltage level adjusted) [0035, 0040], and the voltage level adjustment circuit configured to provide a supply voltage and decide a discharge current (control circuit 11 determined voltage level and discharge current) [0035], a constant-current drive circuit, connected to the discharge voltage detection circuit and the voltage level adjustment circuit (drive circuit to determine the discharge signal) [0024, 0058], and the constant-current drive circuit configured to provide a drive voltage, and a constant-current circuit, connected to the voltage level adjustment circuit and the constant-current drive circuit [0035, 0039], and the constant-current circuit supplied power by the supply voltage and driven by the drive voltage [0035, 0039-40], wherein when the DC voltage is less than a voltage threshold, the constant-current circuit is configured to perform a constant-current discharge according to the discharge current (when the discharge current is far from the set current, the output voltage of the fan power supply is changed to attain constant current discharge of the storage battery i.e. constant current discharge is being performed) [0035, 0040, 0042].
Regarding claim 2, Wang teaches wherein when the DC voltage is greater than or equal to the voltage threshold, the constant-current circuit is configured to disable performing the constant-current discharge (when the discharge current is close to the set current, the output voltage of the fan power supply is not changed anymore, at this time the discharge current is dynamically stable i.e. constant current discharge is being performed) [0035, 0059].
Regarding claim 5, Wang teaches wherein the voltage level adjustment circuit comprises: a first resistor loop, comprising at least one resistor, and connected between the discharge voltage detection circuit and the constant-current circuit, and the first resistor loop configured to receive the DC voltage, adjust the supply voltage, and decide the discharge current (PTC resistor loop comprising PTC resistor and connected between the discharge voltage detection and constant current circuit configured to adjust the supply voltage and device discharge current) [0035, 0050].
Regarding claim 6, Wang teaches wherein the constant-current drive circuit comprises: a second resistor loop, comprising at least one resistor, and configured to provide the drive voltage of driving the constant-current circuit (a second protection unit formed of second PTC resistor loop) [0054].
Regarding claim 7, Wang teaches wherein the constant-current drive circuit further comprises: a second protection unit, connected to the second resistor loop, and the second protection unit configured to protect the constant-current circuit (a second protection unit formed of second PTC resistor loop) [0054].
Regarding claim 8, Wang teaches wherein the constant-current circuit comprises: a second switch, connected to the voltage level adjustment circuit, and the second switch configured to receive the supply voltage, and a third switch, connected to the second switch, wherein when the second switch is turned on, the third switch is configured to provide a discharge path so that the discharge current flows through the discharge path to perform the constant-current discharge (Fig. 7 shows second switch configured to receive the supply voltage and a third switch connected to the second switch configured to provide a discharge path) [0052-53].
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) 3 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over CN 106992565 (Wang) in view of US 2023/0124976 (Feng).
Regarding claim 3, Wang teaches wherein the discharge voltage detection circuit comprises: a voltage-regulating unit, configured to receive the DC voltage and provide a regulated voltage [0035, 0042].
Wang does not teach a voltage-dividing unit, connected to the voltage-regulating unit, and the voltage-dividing unit configured to receive the regulated voltage and divide the regulated voltage to provide a divided voltage, and a first switch, connected to the voltage-dividing unit, and the first switch configured to receive the divided voltage and control the turning on and turning off of the first switch.
However, Feng teaches a voltage-dividing unit (Fig. 3 shows bleeder circuit 202), connected to the voltage-regulating unit (Fig. 3 shows controller 30 i.e. MCU), and the voltage-dividing unit configured to receive the regulated voltage and divide the regulated voltage to provide a divided voltage [0089], and a first switch, connected to the voltage-dividing unit (Fig. 3 shows first switch 1011), and the first switch configured to receive the divided voltage and control the turning on and turning off of the first switch (Fig. 3 shows first switch 1011 connected to receive divided voltage and control turning on and off of the switch 1011) [0075, 0079].
It would have been obvious to one with ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have a voltage-dividing unit, connected to the voltage-regulating unit, and the voltage-dividing unit configured to receive the regulated voltage and divide the regulated voltage to provide a divided voltage, and a first switch, connected to the voltage-dividing unit, and the first switch configured to receive the divided voltage and control the turning on and turning off of the first switch as taught by Feng in order to protect the circuitry from electrical damages due to over-voltage.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claim 4 is 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
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to SWARNA N CHOWDHURI whose telephone number is (571)431-0696. The examiner can normally be reached Mon-Fri 8am-5pm.
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SWARNA N. CHOWDHURI
Examiner
Art Unit 2836
/S.N.C/Examiner, Art Unit 2836
/REXFORD N BARNIE/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2836
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