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 .
Drawings
The drawings are objected to because the various rectangular (or near-rectangular) boxes representing functional blocks or components in Figs. 2-8 (e.g., 100, 130 and 140 in Figs. 2-8), which are blank other than containing a reference numeral, should be provided with "descriptive legends", per 37 CFR 1.84(o), with the reference numeral placed outside the box/block in an appropriate manner. Corrected drawing sheets in compliance with 37 CFR 1.121(d) are required in reply to the Office action to avoid abandonment of the application. Any amended replacement drawing sheet should include all of the figures appearing on the immediate prior version of the sheet, even if only one figure is being amended. The figure or figure number of an amended drawing should not be labeled as “amended.” If a drawing figure is to be canceled, the appropriate figure must be removed from the replacement sheet, and where necessary, the remaining figures must be renumbered and appropriate changes made to the brief description of the several views of the drawings for consistency. Additional replacement sheets may be necessary to show the renumbering of the remaining figures. Each drawing sheet submitted after the filing date of an application must be labeled in the top margin as either “Replacement Sheet” or “New Sheet” pursuant to 37 CFR 1.121(d). If the changes are not accepted by the examiner, the applicant will be notified and informed of any required corrective action in the next Office action. The objection to the drawings will not be held in abeyance.
Claim Objections
Claims 6-7, 9-11, 14 and 20 are objected to because of the following informalities:
Regarding claim 6, remove ‘the’ at the end of line 1.
Regarding claim 7, use of the language ‘optionally’ renders the claim ambiguous, applicant should consider using the language ‘or’ to make the claim clearer.
Regarding claim 9, remove the erroneous coma on the last line at the end of the claim.
Regarding claim 10, ‘the power too’ should read ‘the power tool’ on line 4.
Regarding claim 11, remove the erroneous parenthesis character on line 5.
Regarding claim 14, remove the extra coma on line 4.
Regarding claim 20, ‘informaing’ should read ‘informing’ on line 1.
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.
Claims 1-19 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Zeiler (US Patent No. 20160088482).
In re claim 1, Zeiler teaches A method to restrict the use of a tool device (SEE paras [0083]-[0086]), the tool device being a battery pack (SEE Fig. 1, Battery 160), a power tool (SEE Fig. 1, Tool 105), or a charger of a power tool system (Para [0058]: “Although the tool 105 is depicted as a power drill, other types of tools and accessories may also be monitored by the tool monitoring system 100. For instance, the tool monitoring system 100 may monitor… battery chargers…”), the method comprising:
assigning the tool device to a first area (Para [0081]: “To set a geo-fence, the user selects one or more tools via the GUI 306 as described above, and touches the set geo-fence button 324. FIG. 6B illustrates a method 375 of implementing a geo-fence. In step 380, the geo-fence module 290 receives tool IDs that identify the tools for which the user desires to set geo-fence boundaries. For example, the user may highlight tools in the tool list 310 and touch the set geo-fence button 324 to select the tools for setting a geo-fence. In step 382, the geo-fence module 290 receives geo-fence boundaries for the selected tools.”) or to a first wireless network by an asset management system (Para [0128]: “The user may also control the fob 610 to selectively add nearby tools 605. For instance, a user can hold the fob 610 near a tool (e.g., within 6, 12, or 24 in.) and navigate the GUI to select an add-a-tool option. In this add-a-tool option, the fob 610 detects the tool 605 with the strongest signal, which indicates that the tool 605 is the nearest to the fob 610, and adds the tool 605 to the tool database 285. The tools 605 may output, in response to a fob 610 request, a tool identifier and other stored information (e.g., status information) for purposes of adding the information to the tool database 285. Further, the tool database 285 may be populated remotely by sending tool information from the remote monitoring station to the fob 610.”);
locating the tool device in the first area (Para [0079]: “Turning back to FIG. 5A, the user may also touch the locate button 322 to obtain just the position data of the selected tools. In these instances, the method 340 is performed, but only position data is gathered and transmitted by the tool 105, not the tool status and usage data. Once the position data is received, whether from the locate button 322 or obtain tool data button 320, the GUI 306 may indicate the location of the selected tools on a map and/or update the location characteristic of the tool list 310.”) or registering the tool device to the first wireless network (Para [0128]: “For the fob 610, the tool database 285 may be populated using one or more techniques. For instance, the fob 610 may include a graphical user interface (GUI) that enables a user to navigate (e.g., with navigation controls 660) to manually add, edit, and delete tools 605 and associated information of the tools database 285. Additionally, the user can control the fob 610 to perform a scan of the ISM network 616 to automatically populate the database 285 by broadcasting an identify request to the tools 605.”);
determining whether the tool device is in the first area (Para [0079]: “The location characteristic of the tool list 310 indicates whether a tool is within a geo-fence (“on site”), in a warning area of the geo-fence (“warning”), or outside of the geo-fence (“off site”).”) or connected to or connectable to the first wireless network (SEE Para [0077] and para [0180]: “FIG. 24 illustrates the tether method 922 from a perspective of the battery 902. In step 940, the battery 902 determines whether a handshake has been initiated by the tool 900. If a handshake has not been initiated, the battery controller 907 proceeds to step 942 to determine whether (a) a communication from the fob 610 is being received that includes a security code and (b) if so, whether the received security code is the security code 916a, i.e., whether the received security code matches the security code 916b stored in the battery 900. If the fob 610 communication included the security code 916a, the battery 902 marks the security code 916b as valid in step 944. Additionally, the battery 902 sets a timer in step 946. The timer will indicate how often the security code is to be provided to the tool 900 before a lock-out or limp mode is activated. The time period of the timer is variable depending on a particular implementation. For example, in some instances, the timer is set to a short duration, such as one or five minutes, while in other instances, a longer timer is set, such as 12 or 24 hours. Other time periods for the timer may also be selected. The timer begins counting down (or up) after being set in step 946, and the battery controller 907 returns to step 940.”); and
disabling or limiting the operation of the tool device if the result of the determining is that the tool device is:
not in the first area (Para [0083]: “In step 410, the geo-fence module 290 determines whether to take actions (i.e., security actions) in response to the determination of step 405. For example, as shown in FIG. 5B, tool 105a is within the boundary 397 (on site), and tool 105b is outside of boundary 397 (off site). For a tool determined to be off site, such as tool 105b, the geo-fence module 290 may automatically send a lock signal to the tool 105b (e.g., via the cellular network antenna 115 or wireless router 130). In response, the tool 105b disables itself to prevent further use of the tool 105b until the tool 105b is unlocked, either manually via lock/unlock button 326 or upon the tool 105b returning within the set boundary. To disable the tool 105b, the tool controller 145 may disconnect the battery 160 from the motor 165 by opening or closing one or more particular relays or switches (e.g., MOSFETs) as appropriate, or by taking another disabling action.” and SEE paras [0084]-[0086]) or
not connected to or not connectable to the first wireless network (Para [0086]: “In some embodiments, the security action is delayed for a particular period of time. For instance, the security action may be delayed for a particular period of time (e.g., a few minutes, hours, days, etc.), or until a particular action (e.g., removing the battery, inserting a new battery, releasing or depressing the trigger, etc.). Accordingly, if the tool 105 returns within a boundary before the delayed security action is enacted, the security action is cancelled. This delayed action prevents the tool 105 from being locked-out, put in limp mode, etc., momentarily based on wireless outages or temporary movements outside of a geo-fence.” and SEE para [0180]).
In re claim 2, Zeiler teaches wherein the first wireless network is a network created by a first mobile network device (Para [0112]: “Additionally, the ISM network may be configured as a mesh network implementing a store and forward protocol. Thus, the other tools 605 and fobs 610 may serve as bridges to the gateway 615, effectively increasing the maximum communication range between tools 605, fobs 610, and gateways 615. An example of a message communicated via the store-and-forward protocol is described below with respect to FIG. 11A.”).
In re claim 3, Zeiler teaches wherein the first wireless network is a network created by a first stationary network device (Para [0068]: “In addition to, or as an alternative to, the controller 220 outputting the tool data via the cellular unit 205, the controller 220 may also output the tool data via the WLAN unit 210… In some embodiments, the wireless router 130 facilitates wireless communication according to IEEE 802.11 protocols, also referred to as Wi-Fi®. In some instances, the wireless router 130 may be a type of wireless access point (WAP) device other than a router, such as a hub.”).
In re claim 4, Zeiler teaches wherein the tool device is registered and wherein the registering to the first wireless network comprises:
the tool device iteratively sending first beacons,
the first mobile or stationary network device scanning for the first beacons (Para [0180]: “FIG. 24 illustrates the tether method 922 from a perspective of the battery 902. In step 940, the battery 902 determines whether a handshake has been initiated by the tool 900. If a handshake has not been initiated, the battery controller 907 proceeds to step 942 to determine whether (a) a communication from the fob 610 is being received that includes a security code and (b) if so, whether the received security code is the security code 916a, i.e., whether the received security code matches the security code 916b stored in the battery 900.”),
when the first mobile or stationary network device receives one or more of the first beacons from the tool device, the first mobile or stationary network device deriving
- from the first beacon or
- from a communication, established upon receiving the first beacon, between the first mobile or stationary network device and the tool device,
tool device information of the tool device (Para [0128]: “For the fob 610, the tool database 285 may be populated using one or more techniques. For instance, the fob 610 may include a graphical user interface (GUI) that enables a user to navigate (e.g., with navigation controls 660) to manually add, edit, and delete tools 605 and associated information of the tools database 285. Additionally, the user can control the fob 610 to perform a scan of the ISM network 616 to automatically populate the database 285 by broadcasting an identify request to the tools 605.”),
the first mobile or stationary network device communicating the tool device information to the asset management system (Para [0128]: “The tools 605 may output, in response to a fob 610 request, a tool identifier and other stored information (e.g., status information) for purposes of adding the information to the tool database 285. Further, the tool database 285 may be populated remotely by sending tool information from the remote monitoring station to the fob 610.”),
the asset management system deciding with the tool device information whether the tool device is assigned to the first wireless network (Para [0181]: “For example, a light on the battery 902 or tool 900 may be illuminated after the security code is marked invalid in step 950 to inform the user that he or she should bring the tool within an acceptable range of the fob 610 or ISM network 616 to receive the security code 916 before the timer expires. In some instances, the timer may be reset at the time that the security code 916 is marked invalid to ensure a minimum time period before a lock-out or limp mode is enacted.”),
the asset management system or, upon an approval from the asset management system, the first mobile or stationary network device creating credentials on the first mobile or stationary network device and on the tool device for wireless pairing, if the asset management system has decided that the tool device is assigned to the first wireless network (Para [0182]: “If the code is determined to be valid in step 952, the security code 916b is transmitted to the tool 900 in step 954. In turn, the tool 900 will operate in a normal mode, as described with respect to method 920 of FIG. 23.” and para [0184]: “The fob 610 may be configured to communicate the security code 916a to the battery 902 periodically to ensure that the timer does not elapse, except when the fob 610 is out of communication range of the battery 902. Thus, in effect, the fob 610 acts as a wireless tether that, if not within communication range of the battery 902, prevents the tool 900 from normal operation. In some embodiments, the fob 610 must be able to directly communicate the security code 916a to the battery 902 to enable normal operation of the tool 900.”).
In re claim 5, Zeiler teaches wherein the tool device is registered and wherein the registering to the first wireless network comprises:
the first mobile or stationary network device obtaining information on all tool devices assigned to the first wireless network from an asset management system,
the tool device iteratively sending first beacons,
the first mobile or stationary network device scanning for first beacons (Para [0128]: “For the fob 610, the tool database 285 may be populated using one or more techniques. For instance, the fob 610 may include a graphical user interface (GUI) that enables a user to navigate (e.g., with navigation controls 660) to manually add, edit, and delete tools 605 and associated information of the tools database 285. Additionally, the user can control the fob 610 to perform a scan of the ISM network 616 to automatically populate the database 285 by broadcasting an identify request to the tools 605.”),
when the first mobile or stationary network device receives one or more first beacons from the tool device (Para [0128]: “The tools 605 may output, in response to a fob 610 request, a tool identifier and other stored information (e.g., status information) for purposes of adding the information to the tool database 285. Further, the tool database 285 may be populated remotely by sending tool information from the remote monitoring station to the fob 610.”), the first mobile or stationary network device deriving
- from the first beacon or
- from a communication, established upon receiving the first beacon, between the first mobile or stationary network device and the tool device,
the first mobile or stationary network deciding with the obtained information on all tool devices assigned to the first wireless network (SEE para [0076]) and the tool device information whether the tool device is assigned to the first wireless network (Para [0181]: “For example, a light on the battery 902 or tool 900 may be illuminated after the security code is marked invalid in step 950 to inform the user that he or she should bring the tool within an acceptable range of the fob 610 or ISM network 616 to receive the security code 916 before the timer expires. In some instances, the timer may be reset at the time that the security code 916 is marked invalid to ensure a minimum time period before a lock-out or limp mode is enacted.”),
the first mobile or stationary network device creating credentials on the first mobile or stationary network device and on the tool device for wireless pairing, if it has decided that the tool device is assigned to the first wireless network (Para [0182]: “If the code is determined to be valid in step 952, the security code 916b is transmitted to the tool 900 in step 954. In turn, the tool 900 will operate in a normal mode, as described with respect to method 920 of FIG. 23.” and para [0184]: “The fob 610 may be configured to communicate the security code 916a to the battery 902 periodically to ensure that the timer does not elapse, except when the fob 610 is out of communication range of the battery 902. Thus, in effect, the fob 610 acts as a wireless tether that, if not within communication range of the battery 902, prevents the tool 900 from normal operation. In some embodiments, the fob 610 must be able to directly communicate the security code 916a to the battery 902 to enable normal operation of the tool 900.”).
In re claim 6, Zeiler teaches wherein the
- a network device creating the first wireless network is a first mobile network device communicates with an asset management system via cellular connectivity, or
- the network device is a first stationary network device and communicates with the asset management system via a second mobile network device connected to the first stationary network device, and communicates via cellular connectivity to the asset management system (Para [0109]: “The system 600 includes tools 605, a key fob 610, and a gateway 615, along with the satellite 110, the cellular network antenna 115, the smart phone 120, the Internet 125, the personal computer 135, and the tool monitoring server 140 described above with respect to FIG. 1. The tool monitoring system 600 enables a user to monitor status, usage, and position information of the tool 105 remotely via, for example, the smart phone 120 or computer 135. The tool monitoring system 600 further enables a user to communicate with the tools 605 via the key fob 610.”).
In re claim 7, Zeiler teaches wherein the determining step comprises:
- establishing a persistent connection between the tool device and the first wireless network (Para [0062]: “The tracking unit 150 of tool 105 includes one or more antennas 185 for communication with the satellite 110, cellular network antenna 115, wireless router 130, and/or other wireless communication networks and devices. Turning to FIG. 2, the antennas 185 include a cellular antenna 190, a WLAN antenna 195, and a global positioning system (GPS) antenna 200, which are associated with a cellular unit 205, WLAN unit 210, and GPS unit 215, respectively… In some embodiments, other antennas may be included in addition to or in place of the antennas 185 to enable other types of wireless communication (e.g., Bluetooth™, radio frequency identification (RFID), satellite phone, etc.)… Accordingly, the WLAN and cellular communications described below that occur between the tool 105 and remote devices (e.g., smart phone 120, PC 135, and tool monitoring server 140) may also be carried out by way of the other types of wireless and wired communication interfaces.” and para [0067]: “In operation, the tracking unit 150 receives global positioning satellite (GPS) signals via the GPS antenna 200 from satellite 110. The GPS signals are transmitted from the GPS antenna 200 to the GPS unit 215. The GPS unit 215 interprets the GPS signals to determine a position of the tracking unit 150. The determined position is output by the GPS unit 215 to the controller 220 as position data. The controller 220 also obtains tool status and usage data (whether from memory 225 or tool controller 145) which, in combination with the position data, is collectively referred to as “tool data.” The controller 220 then outputs the tool data to the cellular unit 205. The cellular unit 205, via the cellular antenna 190, is operable to convert the position data to an appropriate format and transmit the position data to a remote cellular device, such as smart phone 120, via the cellular network antenna 115. In some instances, the remote cellular device is a base station (not shown) that converts the cellular transmission to another communication protocol, such as an Internet-compatible protocol, WLAN, Bluetooth, etc., for transmission to a remote monitoring device (e.g., smart phone 120, PC 135, or server 140).”) and
- determining by the tool device or a first mobile or stationary network device that the tool device is not connected or connectable to the first wireless network, when the connection breaks and, optionally, cannot be reestablished within a predefined first time period (Para [0086]: “In some embodiments, the security action is delayed for a particular period of time. For instance, the security action may be delayed for a particular period of time (e.g., a few minutes, hours, days, etc.), or until a particular action (e.g., removing the battery, inserting a new battery, releasing or depressing the trigger, etc.). Accordingly, if the tool 105 returns within a boundary before the delayed security action is enacted, the security action is cancelled. This delayed action prevents the tool 105 from being locked-out, put in limp mode, etc., momentarily based on wireless outages or temporary movements outside of a geo-fence.” and SEE para [0180]),
or
- sending second beacons by the tool device
- scanning for the second beacons with the first mobile or stationary network device (Para [0180]: “FIG. 24 illustrates the tether method 922 from a perspective of the battery 902. In step 940, the battery 902 determines whether a handshake has been initiated by the tool 900. If a handshake has not been initiated, the battery controller 907 proceeds to step 942 to determine whether (a) a communication from the fob 610 is being received that includes a security code and (b) if so, whether the received security code is the security code 916a, i.e., whether the received security code matches the security code 916b stored in the battery 900.”),
- determining by the first mobile or stationary network device whether the tool device is connectable based on the results of the scanning for the second beacon, the determining including determining that the tool device is not connectable, when no second beacon is detected within a predefined second time period (Para [0086]: “In some embodiments, the security action is delayed for a particular period of time. For instance, the security action may be delayed for a particular period of time (e.g., a few minutes, hours, days, etc.), or until a particular action (e.g., removing the battery, inserting a new battery, releasing or depressing the trigger, etc.). Accordingly, if the tool 105 returns within a boundary before the delayed security action is enacted, the security action is cancelled. This delayed action prevents the tool 105 from being locked-out, put in limp mode, etc., momentarily based on wireless outages or temporary movements outside of a geo-fence.” and SEE para [0180]),
- optionally, informing the tool iteratively that it is connectable to the first wireless network by establishing a connection of the tool device and the first wireless network,
or
- sending third beacons by the first mobile or stationary network device,
- scanning for the third beacons with the tool device (SEE FIG. 24),
- determining by the tool device whether it is connectable with the first mobile or stationary network device based on the scanning for the third beacons, and determining that the tool device is not connectable when no third beacon is detected within a predefined third time period (Para [0086]: “In some embodiments, the security action is delayed for a particular period of time. For instance, the security action may be delayed for a particular period of time (e.g., a few minutes, hours, days, etc.), or until a particular action (e.g., removing the battery, inserting a new battery, releasing or depressing the trigger, etc.). Accordingly, if the tool 105 returns within a boundary before the delayed security action is enacted, the security action is cancelled. This delayed action prevents the tool 105 from being locked-out, put in limp mode, etc., momentarily based on wireless outages or temporary movements outside of a geo-fence.” and SEE para [0180]).
In re claim 8, Zeiler teaches wherein disabling or limiting the operation of the tool device is done by the tool device
- when the tool device has determined that it is not connected to or not connectable to the first wireless network or
- after a residual time period, operating time period, or number of operating actions, which is stored on the tool device, after the tool device has determined that it is not connected to and/or not connectable to the first wireless network (Para [0086]: “In some embodiments, the security action is delayed for a particular period of time. For instance, the security action may be delayed for a particular period of time (e.g., a few minutes, hours, days, etc.), or until a particular action (e.g., removing the battery, inserting a new battery, releasing or depressing the trigger, etc.). Accordingly, if the tool 105 returns within a boundary before the delayed security action is enacted, the security action is cancelled. This delayed action prevents the tool 105 from being locked-out, put in limp mode, etc., momentarily based on wireless outages or temporary movements outside of a geo-fence.” and SEE para [0180]).
In re claim 9, Zeiler teaches further comprising:
- sending a result from determining whether the tool device is connected to or connectable to the first wireless network to the asset management system,
- sending a command to disable or limit the operation to the tool device by the asset management system
-by cellular connectivity if the tool device is equipped with cellular connectivity,
-via a first charger equipped with cellular connectivity, to the tool device if the tool device is a battery pack being charged on the first charger,
-via a first charger equipped with cellular connectivity, and via a first battery pack charged on the first charger and is supplying the tool device with power if the tool device is a power tool, or
-via a second wireless network connected to the asset management system,.(Para [0179]: “During or after the handshake, in step 930, the tool 900 determines (a) whether a security code has been provided to the tool 900 by the battery 902 and (b) if so, whether the security code provided was the security code 916b, i.e., whether the security code provided matches the security code 916c stored in the tool 900. If security code 916b has been provided, the tool 900 proceeds to normal operation in step 932 until the trigger is released. The released trigger is detected in step 934, and the tool controller 145 returns to step 926. If, in step 930, the tool 900 determines that no security code or the incorrect security code was provided by the battery 902, the tool controller 145 places the tool 900 into a lock-out or limp mode. As previously described, in a lock-out mode, the tool 900 is prevented from operating. For instance, the tool controller 145 does not provide motor drive control signals, or the battery 902 is kept disconnected from the motor 165. In the limp mode, the tool 900 is able to operable, but the tool 900 has reduced performance capabilities. In addition, in step 936, the tool 900 and/or battery 902 may emit an audible (e.g., alarm or message), visual, or tactile signal to a user of the tool 900 that the handshake failed because of the mis-matched security codes 916b and 916c. The tool 900 remains in the lock-out or limp mode until the trigger is released, as detected in step 934. Thereafter, the tool controller 145 returns to step 926.”)
In re claim 10, Zeiler teaches wherein the tool device is a power tool
- not equipped with wireless connectivity,
- equipped with wired connectivity for communication with a battery pack connected to the power too, and
- the power tool communicates with the first wireless network through the battery pack (Para [0174]: “FIG. 22 illustrates a tool 900 coupled to an ISM battery 902. The tool 900 is able to communicate over the ISM network 616 via a connection to the ISM battery 902. In contrast to the tool 605, the tracking and wireless communication capabilities have been moved from the tool to the ISM battery 902.”).
In re claim 11, Zeiler teaches wherein
- a location determining module of the tool device locates the tool device (Para [0079]: “Turning back to FIG. 5A, the user may also touch the locate button 322 to obtain just the position data of the selected tools. In these instances, the method 340 is performed, but only position data is gathered and transmitted by the tool 105, not the tool status and usage data. Once the position data is received, whether from the locate button 322 or obtain tool data button 320, the GUI 306 may indicate the location of the selected tools on a map and/or update the location characteristic of the tool list 310. The location characteristic of the tool list 310 indicates whether a tool is within a geo-fence (“on site”), in a warning area of the geo-fence (“warning”), or outside of the geo-fence (“off site”). If the user touches the map button 328, the GUI 306 displays a mapping of the selected tools based on the obtained position data. For example, as shown in FIG. 5B, the GUI 306 is displaying a map 370 including tools 105a and 105b based on their associated position data. The tool monitoring module 270 may automatically update the map 370 by periodically requesting position data from the tools 105a and 105b. The user may specify the updating period to be short to provide a real-time map, or to be longer to conserve battery power and reduce data transmission rates.”),
- the tool device sends iteratively location updates via cellular connectivity to the asset management system (Para [0067]: “In operation, the tracking unit 150 receives global positioning satellite (GPS) signals via the GPS antenna 200 from satellite 110. The GPS signals are transmitted from the GPS antenna 200 to the GPS unit 215. The GPS unit 215 interprets the GPS signals to determine a position of the tracking unit 150. The determined position is output by the GPS unit 215 to the controller 220 as position data. The controller 220 also obtains tool status and usage data (whether from memory 225 or tool controller 145) which, in combination with the position data, is collectively referred to as “tool data.” The controller 220 then outputs the tool data to the cellular unit 205. The cellular unit 205, via the cellular antenna 190, is operable to convert the position data to an appropriate format and transmit the position data to a remote cellular device, such as smart phone 120, via the cellular network antenna 115. In some instances, the remote cellular device is a base station (not shown) that converts the cellular transmission to another communication protocol, such as an Internet-compatible protocol, WLAN, Bluetooth, etc., for transmission to a remote monitoring device (e.g., smart phone 120, PC 135, or server 140). The cellular unit 205 may transmit the position data to the cellular network antenna 115 in a format compatible with an analog cellular network, a digital cellular network (e.g., Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM), Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA), High-Speed Downlink Packet Access (HSDPA), Short Message Service (SMS)), as well as other cellular network protocols.”), and
- the asset management system determines whether the tool device (is in the first area based on the location updates (Para [0083]: “In step 410, the geo-fence module 290 determines whether to take actions (i.e., security actions) in response to the determination of step 405. For example, as shown in FIG. 5B, tool 105a is within the boundary 397 (on site), and tool 105b is outside of boundary 397 (off site). For a tool determined to be off site, such as tool 105b, the geo-fence module 290 may automatically send a lock signal to the tool 105b (e.g., via the cellular network antenna 115 or wireless router 130).”).
In re claim 12, Zeiler teaches wherein
- a tag, attached to the tool device, sends beacons (Para [0062]: “In some embodiments, other antennas may be included in addition to or in place of the antennas 185 to enable other types of wireless communication (e.g., Bluetooth™, radio frequency identification (RFID), satellite phone, etc.)… Accordingly, the WLAN and cellular communications described below that occur between the tool 105 and remote devices (e.g., smart phone 120, PC 135, and tool monitoring server 140) may also be carried out by way of the other types of wireless and wired communication interfaces.”),
- a second gateway with cellular connectivity and positioning technology scans the beacons and locates the tool device (Para [0113]: “In some embodiments, one or more gateways 615 are positioned at a construction site to enable communications between the ISM network 616 and a cellular network 617. The gateway 615 serves as an intermediary communication device allowing the tools 605 of the ISM network 616 to communicate with remote monitoring devices (e.g., smart phone 120, PC 135, and tool monitoring server 140) via the cellular network antenna 115. Accordingly, potentially expensive and higher power consuming cellular communication circuitry is limited to the gateway 615, rather than being within each tool 605, resulting in an overall reduction in system costs and extended battery life of the tools 605.” and para [0117]: “The tool 605 further includes a tracking unit 620, rather than the tracking unit 150 of the tool 105. The tracking unit 620 is similar to the tracking unit 150, but includes an alternate wireless communication arrangement. The tracking unit 620 includes an ISM antenna 625 for communication with the fob 610, gateway 615, and/or other tools 605. The ISM antenna 625 is associated with an ISM unit 630, which facilitates wireless transmissions via the ISM antenna 625.”)
- the second gateway sends iteratively location updates via cellular connectivity to the asset management system, and
- the asset management system determines whether the tool device is in the first area based on the location updates (Para [0138]: “In some instances, tools 605 may be assigned multiple geo-fences to define a permitted area, a warning area, and an alarm and lock-out area, as described above with respect to FIG. 5D. In some instances, multiple devices in the system 600 cooperate to triangulate the location of a particular tool 605 using, for instance, strength-of-signal determinations made by the multiple fobs 610, the gateway 615, and other tools 605.”).
In re claim 13, Zeiler teaches wherein the location determining module or a second gateway uses data comprising global positioning system data, cellular network data, or data from wireless networks according to IEEE 802.11-Standard for locating (Para [0062]: “The tracking unit 150 of tool 105 includes one or more antennas 185 for communication with the satellite 110, cellular network antenna 115, wireless router 130, and/or other wireless communication networks and devices. Turning to FIG. 2, the antennas 185 include a cellular antenna 190, a WLAN antenna 195, and a global positioning system (GPS) antenna 200, which are associated with a cellular unit 205, WLAN unit 210, and GPS unit 215, respectively. In some embodiments, the WLAN antenna 195 and WLAN unit 210 facilitate wireless communication according to IEEE 802.11 protocols, also referred to as Wi-Fi®.”).
In re claim 14, Zeiler teaches A power tool ecosystem comprising:
an asset management system (Abstract: “A method and system for wirelessly tracking power tools and related devices to aid with inventory management and to help minimize, prevent, and recover misplaced or stolen tools throughout the job site.”);
-a power tool system comprising as tool devices
-a plurality of power tools (SEE Figs. 10-11 and 20, tools 605),,
-a plurality of battery packs (SEE Figs. 10-11 and 20, tools 605 with battery attached),
-a plurality of chargers (SEE Figs. 16C-E, illustrating a multi-bay battery charger 770a);
further comprising
- a stationary (Para [0068]: “In addition to, or as an alternative to, the controller 220 outputting the tool data via the cellular unit 205, the controller 220 may also output the tool data via the WLAN unit 210… In some embodiments, the wireless router 130 facilitates wireless communication according to IEEE 802.11 protocols, also referred to as Wi-Fi®. In some instances, the wireless router 130 may be a type of wireless access point (WAP) device other than a router, such as a hub.”) or a mobile network device (Para [0112]: “Additionally, the ISM network may be configured as a mesh network implementing a store and forward protocol. Thus, the other tools 605 and fobs 610 may serve as bridges to the gateway 615, effectively increasing the maximum communication range between tools 605, fobs 610, and gateways 615. An example of a message communicated via the store-and-forward protocol is described below with respect to FIG. 11A.”), or
- a location determining module in one or more of the tool devices (Para [0067]: “In operation, the tracking unit 150 receives global positioning satellite (GPS) signals via the GPS antenna 200 from satellite 110. The GPS signals are transmitted from the GPS antenna 200 to the GPS unit 215. The GPS unit 215 interprets the GPS signals to determine a position of the tracking unit 150. The determined position is output by the GPS unit 215 to the controller 220 as position data.”) or
- tags, sending beacons, attached to one or more of the tool devices (Para [0062]: “In some embodiments, other antennas may be included in addition to or in place of the antennas 185 to enable other types of wireless communication (e.g., Bluetooth™, radio frequency identification (RFID), satellite phone, etc.)… Accordingly, the WLAN and cellular communications described below that occur between the tool 105 and remote devices (e.g., smart phone 120, PC 135, and tool monitoring server 140) may also be carried out by way of the other types of wireless and wired communication interfaces.”) and
- a gateway with cellular connectivity and positioning technology (Para [0017]: “The gateway device of the tool tracking system includes a mesh network communications module, a cellular communications module, and a translation controller. The mesh network communications module communicates with the fob device and the monitored tool over the mesh wireless network. The cellular communications module communicates with a remote monitoring device over a cellular network. The translation controller (a) receives incoming mesh network messages from the mesh network communications module, translates the incoming mesh network messages to outgoing cellular messages, and outputs the outgoing cellular messages via the cellular communications module, and (b) receives incoming cellular messages from the cellular communications module, translates the incoming cellular messages to outgoing mesh network messages, and outputs the outgoing mesh network messages via the mesh network communications module.” and para [0138]: “In some instances, multiple devices in the system 600 cooperate to triangulate the location of a particular tool 605 using, for instance, strength-of-signal determinations made by the multiple fobs 610, the gateway 615, and other tools 605.”), the power tool ecosystem configured for the method to restrict the use of a tool device as recited in claim 1 (Rejected for the same reasons as claim 1).
Computer program product claim 15 is rejected for the same reasons as method claim 1 and system claim 14 for having similar limitations and being similar in scope.
In re claim 16, Zeiler teaches wherein the first mobile network device is a smartphone, a laptop, or a tablet (Para [0115]: “FIG. 11B illustrates a medium-scale implementation, in which the fob 610 is directly coupled to, or otherwise in local communication with, a local computing device 618 (e.g., a laptop, tablet, or smart phone). The local computing device 618 generally executes more powerful software and has more powerful processing hardware than the fob 610. In addition to providing the functions of the fob 610, the local computing device 618 provides a more robust graphical user interface and additional features for interacting with the tools 605 (e.g., larger tool database, more configurable tool monitoring options, etc.). The fob 610 then facilitates the communication between the tools 605 and the local computing device 618. In other embodiments, the local computing device 618 includes integrated ISM communications circuitry and is not coupled to the fob 610 for communicating with the ISM network 616.”).
In re claim 17, Zeiler teaches wherein the first stationary network device is a first gateway or set up as a mesh network (Para [0017]: “The gateway device of the tool tracking system includes a mesh network communications module, a cellular communications module, and a translation controller. The mesh network communications module communicates with the fob device and the monitored tool over the mesh wireless network. The cellular communications module communicates with a remote monitoring device over a cellular network. The translation controller (a) receives incoming mesh network messages from the mesh network communications module, translates the incoming mesh network messages to outgoing cellular messages, and outputs the outgoing cellular messages via the cellular communications module, and (b) receives incoming cellular messages from the cellular communications module, translates the incoming cellular messages to outgoing mesh network messages, and outputs the outgoing mesh network messages via the mesh network communications module.”).
In re claim 18, Zeiler teaches wherein the first, second and third predetermined time periods are 1 minute (Para [0180]: “FIG. 24 illustrates the tether method 922 from a perspective of the battery 902… The timer will indicate how often the security code is to be provided to the tool 900 before a lock-out or limp mode is activated. The time period of the timer is variable depending on a particular implementation. For example, in some instances, the timer is set to a short duration, such as one or five minutes…”).
In re claim 19, Zeiler teaches wherein the persistent connection is a Bluetooth connection (Para [0062]: “The tracking unit 150 of tool 105 includes one or more antennas 185 for communication with the satellite 110, cellular network antenna 115, wireless router 130, and/or other wireless communication networks and devices. Turning to FIG. 2, the antennas 185 include a cellular antenna 190, a WLAN antenna 195, and a global positioning system (GPS) antenna 200, which are associated with a cellular unit 205, WLAN unit 210, and GPS unit 215, respectively… In some embodiments, other antennas may be included in addition to or in place of the antennas 185 to enable other types of wireless communication (e.g., Bluetooth™, radio frequency identification (RFID), satellite phone, etc.)… Accordingly, the WLAN and cellular communications described below that occur between the tool 105 and remote devices (e.g., smart phone 120, PC 135, and tool monitoring server 140) may also be carried out by way of the other types of wireless and wired communication interfaces.”).
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 20 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Zeiler (US Patent No. 20160088482), in view of NIZAMUDDEEN (US Patent No. 20250356700 A1).
In re claim 20, Zeiler teaches all of the limiations of claim 7 stated above but fails to teach wherein the iteratively informaing is via a temporary Bluetooth connection.
However, NIZAMUDDEEN teaches wherein the iteratively informaing is via a temporary Bluetooth connection (Para [0058]: “Following this request, the owner of the mobile device will head for the vicinity of the autonomous vehicle 2 with the mobile device 4. If this is the case, i.e. when the mobile device 4 is in the close range, in the vicinity of the autonomous vehicle 2 a wireless local connection 7 is established between the mobile device 4 and the autonomous vehicle 2 in an action B2, for example by establishing a temporary Wi-Fi or Bluetooth connection. This establishment of a connection substantially corresponds to step A6 as shown in FIG. 1.”).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing gate of the claimed invention to have modified Zeiler to incorporate the teachings of NIZAMUDDEEN to provide wherein the iteratively informaing is via a temporary Bluetooth connection with the WIRELESS TRACKING OF POWER TOOLS AND RELATED DEVICES of Zeiler. Doing so enables in the regions in which no complete network coverage by a radio network exists, a mobile device is used for bridging and for the transport of the required data, as recognized by NIZAMUDDEEN (Para [0018]).
Conclusion
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/JAMES E MUNION/Examiner, Art Unit 2688 02/18/2026