DETAILED ACTION
Claims 25 – 39 are new.
Claims 1 – 24 are cancelled.
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 .
Priority
Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 10/28/2024 is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
Claim Objections
Claim 37 is objected to because of the following informalities: the term “third circuit board” in the second line of the claims should be changed to “third circuit boards”. Appropriate correction is required.
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.
Claims 25 – 39 are 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 25 - 39 recites the limitation "a plurality of second controllers" in the 7th line of the claim. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim. Later in the claim it is described that there are “the plurality of second connectors”. The examiner recommends amending the claims’ “second controllers” into “second connectors”.
Claims 25 further describes “a plurality of third circuit boards, respectively having a plurality of second connectors (formerly controllers as explained above) and a plurality of first resistors, the plurality of first resistors respectively coupled to the plurality of second connectors”. The way the claim describes the plurality of third circuit boards respectively having a plurality of second connectors and a plurality of first resistors makes the claim confusing as to whether each third circuit board has one second connector and one first resistor, or if the third circuit boards each have a plurality of second connectors and a plurality of resistors. Paragraph [0011] of applicant’s specification seems to make it clear that each third circuity board has one resistor and one connector CNT31 and one resistor R1.
Claim 25 further describes “the plurality of second connectors respectively detachably coupled to the plurality of first connectors, and the plurality of third circuit boards respectively coupled to the plurality of input terminals of the controller”. Paragraph [0011] of applicant’s specification explains that each of the third circuit boards is coupled between the first circuit boards and the second circuit board in a detachable coupling manner. The claims don’t make it clear that the third circuit boards are coupled detachably from the input terminals of the controller on the second circuit board. Claim 25 does not describe the type of coupling used to connect the third circuit board to the input terminals of the controller, however claim 37 explains that the second circuit board is connected to the third circuit boards respectively with a plurality of cables.
Dependent claims 26 – 39 fail to cure all of the deficiencies set forth above regarding the rejection of the independent claim and are rejected for at least the reasons set forth above.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. McCormack et al (US 6,535,983) teaches the use of Zener diodes in the detecting of a connection condition of a device detecting the voltage. Seymour (US 2003/0141875) teaches techniques for testing connections between devices in a server system based on unique resistor values. McGee et al (US 2013/0107409) teaches measuring the difference in voltage potential between ground points using constant or dynamic resistances in the connections. Oliver et al (US 2015/0079579) teaches for techniques in detecting whether components have been placed into an electronic system at the right connection points based on voltage and resistance. Tesch et al (US 2024/0072554) teaches the use of voltage and resistors to bring a detection signal line to a logic low voltage to indicate the detection of an insertion of a device into the terminal.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ZACHARY K HUSON whose telephone number is (571)270-3430. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Friday 7:00 - 3:30 EST.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Idriss Alrobaye can be reached at (571) 270-1023. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/ZACHARY K HUSON/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2181
Prosecution Insights