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 .
Continued Examination Under 37 CFR 1.114
A request for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, including the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e), was filed in this application after final rejection. Since this application is eligible for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114. Applicant's submission filed on 03/11/2026 has been entered.
Response to Amendment
The amendment on 03/11/2026 has been entered. No claims have been added or cancelled. Therefore, claims 1-10 remain pending in this application.
Specification
The amendment filed on 03/11/2026 is objected to under 35 U.S.C. 132(a) because it introduces new matter into the disclosure. 35 U.S.C. 132(a) states that no amendment shall introduce new matter into the disclosure of the invention. The added material which is not supported by the original disclosure is as follows: In ¶ 38, the microprocessor is further configured to execute a battery conditioning cycle
64, the battery conditioning cycle comprising: monitoring at least one internal battery
parameter 66 via the control unit to detect a state requiring maintenance 68, automatically transitioning the charging device from a standard charging state to a conditioning state 72 responsive to the detection 72, applying a specific maintenance sequence of electrical signals 74 to the at least one battery to perform a health recovery of the battery 76, and returning the charging device to the standard charging state 78 upon completion of the battery conditioning cycle.
Applicant is required to cancel the new matter in the reply to this Office Action.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of the first paragraph of 35 U.S.C. 112(a):
(a) IN GENERAL.—The specification shall contain a written description of the invention, and of the manner and process of making and using it, in such full, clear, concise, and exact terms as to enable any person skilled in the art to which it pertains, or with which it is most nearly connected, to make and use the same, and shall set forth the best mode contemplated by the inventor or joint inventor of carrying out the invention.
The following is a quotation of the first paragraph of pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112:
The specification shall contain a written description of the invention, and of the manner and process of making and using it, in such full, clear, concise, and exact terms as to enable any person skilled in the art to which it pertains, or with which it is most nearly connected, to make and use the same, and shall set forth the best mode contemplated by the inventor of carrying out his invention.
Claims 1-10 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(a) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), first paragraph, as failing to comply with the written description requirement. The claim(s) contains subject matter which was not described in the specification in such a way as to reasonably convey to one skilled in the relevant art that the inventor or a joint inventor, or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the inventor(s), at the time the application was filed, had possession of the claimed invention.
In claim 1, lines 49-51 and claim 2, lines 52-53 states: “monitoring at least one internal battery parameter via the control unit to detect a state requiring maintenance”. While the specification provides disclosure for “by integrating this advanced monitoring and analytical feature, the charging device 10 significantly improves the user experience and optimizes battery maintenance” in ¶ 38 (filed on 01/15/2025). It does not provide disclosure for detecting a state requiring maintenance, the charging device is not capable of detecting the state requiring maintenance. This language is not supported by the original disclosure and therefore constitutes new matter.
In claim 1, lines 51-52 and claim 2, lines 54-55 states: “automatically transitioning the charging device from a standard charging state to a conditioning state responsive to the detection”. While the specification provides disclosure for “…well know charging levels and methods including direct current (DC) fast charging, alternating current (AC) Level 1 up to 1.92 Kilowatts (KW), AC Level 2 up to 19.2 KW, DC Level 1 up to 48 KW, DC level 2 up to 400 KW and similar adjustable charging levels that would be applicable to the rechargeable battery 52…” in ¶ 31. It does not provide disclosure for “automatically transitioning the charging device from a standard charging state to a conditioning state”, the original disclosure only teaches the charging device 10 can be used to recharge various types of rechargeable batteries by adjusting charging levels. This language is not supported by the original disclosure and therefore constitutes new matter.
In claim 1, lines 53-54, states: “applying a specific maintenance sequence of electrical signals to the at least one battery to perform a health recovery of the battery, and returning the charging device to the standard charging state upon completion of the battery conditioning cycle” While the specification provides disclosure for “…well know charging levels and methods including direct current (DC) fast charging, alternating current (AC) Level 1 up to 1.92 Kilowatts (KW), AC Level 2 up to 19.2 KW, DC Level 1 up to 48 KW, DC level 2 up to 400 KW and similar adjustable charging levels that would be applicable to the rechargeable battery 52…” in ¶ 31. It does not provide disclosure for “applying a specific maintenance sequence of electrical signals to the at least one battery to perform a health recovery of the battery”. The original disclosure only teaches the charging device 10 can be used to recharge various types of rechargeable batteries by adjusting charging levels, it has nothing to do with conditioning the battery or recovering its state of health. This language is not supported by the original disclosure and therefore constitutes new matter. (See also 37 C.F.R. 1121(f), MPEP 608.04, 706.03(o)).
The dependent claims are rejected for the reasons as the independent claim from which they depend.
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.
Claim(s) 1-6, 8-10 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Reade et al. US Pub 2012/0025766 (hereinafter Reade) in view of Imperial (US Pub 2017/0047770) and in view of Noble, Jr. et al. US Patent 9,520,732 (hereinafter Noble) and further in view of Clarke et al. US Pub 2017/0331162 (hereinafter Clarke).
Regarding claims 1 and 2, Reade discloses an improved charging device with Smart Internet of things (IoT) (¶¶ 0093, 0094) connected features for sequentially providing alternating current to an external device (claim 15; a general power outlet for AC output to power household devices), the charging device further comprising,
a fully enclosed and portable housing assembly (see fig. 7 and ¶ 0001) having a user-serviceable modular internal architecture (¶ 0076 and claim 16; the battery can be placed so as to be disposed within a hollow chamber 23 for storage within the base shell) comprising a charger (¶ 0099; switch mode power supply 90), at least one battery (¶ 0076), and at least one inverter (¶ 0091; inverter);
a removable cover (the term “removable” does not structurally distinguish the claimed invention from the prior art. Furthermore, in a broad sense, any structure may be considered to be “removable”, if so desired as long as the structure may be removed by any means, if so desired) with mating threads (see reproduced figure below) that are associated to the lock fit edge of a base (see fig. 3 and 4) to form a watertight barrier (¶ 0091);
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electrical connection means (charging cable and charging connector) for connecting the housing to an external electrical circuit (from AC mains);
a front side having at least one charging port (¶ 0099 and fig. 10, element 81) electrically connected to at least one inverter (¶ 0099 and fig. 10, element 83) for supplying the alternating current to the external device (claim 15; AC output to power household devices),
a left outer surface (see fig. 3-4), a right outer surface (see fig. 3-4), a lock fit top edge (see fig. 3-4), and an integrated liquid crystal display touch screen (¶ 0057) in wired and wireless communication with a mobile communication device (¶¶ 0093-0094; user input buttons 42 and display 41), and
an interior space (fig. 4) for removably housing electrical connections (positive and negative terminals of the battery 14) therein for connection to a charging system (fig. 3, it includes electrical access ports and ¶ 0079)
wherein at least one smart battery charger (comprises a switch mode power supply) configured to monitor voltage (¶ 0042; the system of Reade is able to display battery voltage) and current levels of a connected battery (¶ 0042) and the connected battery being connected to the inverter (fig. 10 and ¶ 0091; control devices provided include an inverter and a battery charging unit. The inverter can be removably mounted in the battery box) for converting the direct current power into alternating current power for intermittent charging of the external device (claim 15);
wherein the removable cover is provided with a mechanically coupled transport mechanism for selective removal (the term “removal” does not structurally distinguish the claimed invention from the prior art. Furthermore, in a broad sense, any structure may be considered to be “removal/removable”, if so desired as long as the structure may be removed by any means, if so desired) of the cover from the housing and for transporting the housing (¶ 0085 and fig. 4, elements 51 and 52) and
wherein the transport mechanism extends from the left outer surface to the right outer surface of the front side of the housing assembly (element 51 to element 52) and extends to a height and in a direction above the front side thereof (see fig. 4; when the elements 51, 52 are in the open position);
the front side of the charging device having a control unit including a microprocessor (¶¶ 0093-0095; a processor) having a memory device (¶ 0095; a memory) coupled to the microprocessor,
the microprocessor storing instructions adapted to be executed by the microprocessor (¶ 0095), the microprocessor establishing communication among the charging device (¶ 0093-0094; enable processing, data transfer and in some cases web browsing), the integrated liquid crystal display touch screen (¶¶ 0094-0095; to display the battery condition), and a mobile communication device (laptop or hand-held PC);
the microprocessor storing the instructions to execute an analytical monitoring loop (¶ 0159) of battery performance metrics including voltage (¶¶ 0116-0117), current flow (¶¶ 0139, 0152), and temperature (¶ 0160);
one or more custom-programmed software and databases, wherein the one or more custom-programmed software and databases are stored in the memory device and are configured to be executed by the microprocessor (¶¶ 0093-0095),
the one or more custom-programmed software and databases include the microprocessor having multiple inputs for receiving encoded touch signals including at least a first and a second encoded touch signal (¶¶ 0102, 0110 and claim 11);
the first encoded touch signal being stored in the memory unit, the first encoded touch signal (¶¶ 0093, 0098-0099, 0109, 0123) being associated with the start and the end of at least one charging advancement sequence (¶ 0138; the start and the end of at least one charging advancement sequence. For example, 15 minutes) and wherein the control unit is configured to advance the charging of the battery in accordance with the at least one charging advancement sequence (¶ 0138; during charging, the processor is caused by the software, at selected time intervals, preferably 15 minutes, to stop charging the battery and rest the battery for a rest period);
wherein the microprocessor is further configured to execute a battery conditioning cycle (fig. 8 and ¶¶ 0093, 0131-0133),
the second encoded signal being stored in the memory unit, the second encoded touch signal (¶¶ 0093, 0098-0099, 0109, 0123, 0154) being associated with the start and the end of providing alternating current to an external device (¶ 0158; number of hours at the present discharge rate remaining before the battery is fully discharged),
wherein the inverter provides alternating current to an external device and wherein the microprocessor is configured to advance the provision of alternating current to the external device (claim 15) in accordance with the second encoding signal (¶¶ 0042, 0139, 0152, 0154; battery discharge current),
the LCD touch screen having a user interface for monitoring at least a first, a second, and third monitoring indicating the established supply of direct current (¶ 0042; battery charging current), battery life (condition of the battery), and the power status of the inverter (based on battery discharge current),
the front side having a switching circuit for the inverter for converting the direct current power into alternating current power for intermittent charging of the external device, the controllable switching circuit for the inverter being responsive to the touch encoded signals (claim 15 and ¶ 0099; a switch mode power supply).
Reade fails to disclose the connected battery (first battery) is simultaneously connected to at least one battery with stored direct current power (second battery).
Reade fails to disclose the connected battery (first battery) is simultaneously connected to at least one battery with stored direct current power (second battery).
Imperial further discloses the connected battery (fig. 3, element 26) is simultaneously connected to at least one battery (fig. 3, element 26) with stored direct current power, the housing includes a charger (fig. 3, element 14; vertically), at least one battery (fig. 3, element 14; vertically), and at least one inverter (fig. 3, element 28; not shown) vertically arranged within the housing assembly.
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It would have been obvious to one skilled in the art before the effective filing date of claimed invention to modify Reade to incorporate with the teaching of Imperial by using multiple batteries in a battery pack instead of single battery and being vertically arranged within the housing, because it would be advantageous to scale the voltage and capacity to meet specific requirements and optimize space utilization.
Although Reade in view of Imperial does not expressly disclose the inverter is vertically arranged within the housing, one skilled in the art would recognize that modify the arrangement of component so that the inverter is vertically arranged within the housing would have been an obvious modification to achieve a compact internal layout, which is a well-known design consideration for portable power unit.
Reade in view of Imperial fails to disclose the LCD touch screen having a user interface for monitoring with a specified wireless signal range in communication with at least one computer system of a remote device.
Noble further discloses the LCD screen having a user interface for monitoring with a specified wireless signal range in communication with at least one computer system of a remote device (see fig. 6-7 below).
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It would have been obvious to one skilled in the art before the effective filing date of claimed invention to modify Reade in combination of Imperial to incorporate with the teaching of Noble by display the specified wireless signal range in communication as suggested by Noble, because it would be advantageous to diagnose connectivity issues and further reduce battery usage due to poor connectivity.
Reade in combination of Imperial and Noble fails to disclose the battery conditioning cycle comprising: monitoring at least one internal battery parameter via the control unit to detect a state requiring maintenance, automatically transitioning the charging device from a standard charging state to a conditioning state responsive to the detection, applying a specific maintenance sequence of electrical signals to the at least one battery to perform a health recovery of the battery, and returning the charging device to the standard charging state upon completion of the battery conditioning cycle; wherein the charger advances to charging of the battery to at least 120 volts.
However, Clarke further discloses a battery state detection system includes a battery conditioning cycle comprising: monitoring at least one internal battery parameter via the control unit to detect a state requiring maintenance (¶ 0117, 0140-0143; by checking for a predetermined measurement), automatically transitioning the charging device from a standard charging state to a conditioning state responsive to the detection, applying a specific maintenance sequence of electrical signals to the at least one battery to perform a health recovery of the battery (¶¶ 0121-0122, 0150, 0151, 0174, 0175, 0177), and returning the charging device to the standard charging state upon completion of the battery conditioning cycle (see fig. 5, steps 512, and 514 and ¶¶ 0175-0177); wherein the charger advances to charging of the battery to at least 120 volts (¶ 0092).
It would have been obvious to one skilled in the art before the effective filing date of claimed invention to modify Reade in combination of Imperial and Noble to incorporate with the teaching of Clarke by conditioning the battery when the state of health of the battery is low, because it would be advantageous to prolong the service life of the battery pack and increase total capacity.
Regarding claim 3, Reade discloses wherein the charger of the charging device is configured to analyze battery performance data in response to the start and the end of providing AC current to the external device (¶¶ 0040, 0042 and claim 15; measuring charging and/or discharging parameter at selected time intervals).
Regarding claim 4, Reade discloses wherein the LCD touch screen of the housing assembly is a touch screen recognizing the touch of a finger (¶¶ 0025, 0043, 0080).
Regarding claim 5, Reade discloses wherein the icons of the LCD touch screen represent a status of the charging device (Fig. 8 and 9).
Regarding claim 6, Reade discloses wherein the mobile communication device of the charging device is a mobile device (¶ 0094; laptop or hand-held PC).
Regarding claim 8, Reade discloses wherein the battery of the charging device is a scaled battery (¶ 0079).
Regarding claim 9, Reade discloses wherein the charger, battery, and inverter of the charging device are vertically arranged (see fig. 1-3) and removably (the term “removable” does not structurally distinguish the claimed invention from the prior art. Furthermore, in a broad sense, any structure may be considered to be “removable”, if so desired as long as the structure may be removed by any means, if so desired) placed in the interior space of the housing assembly.
Regarding claim 10, Reade discloses wherein the removable cap of the housing assembly seals the housing during use to form a watertight seal that prevents exposure and movement of the charger, battery, and inverter (¶¶ 0015, 0077, 0088, 0091 and claims 6 and 10).
Claim(s) 7 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Reade in combination of Imperial, Noble and Clarke as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of Bonilla et al. US Pub 2023/0058686 (hereinafter Bonilla).
Regarding claim 7, Reade in combination of Imperial, Noble and Clarke fails to teach wherein the mobile communication device of the charging device provides the touch activation command from a remote location away from the charging device.
However, Bonilla discloses wherein the mobile communication device of the charging device provides the touch activation command from a remote location away from the charging device (¶¶ 0026, 0029; via the user interface on the display 212, a wireless electronic command from a remote device via the transceiver 208, and/or the I/O interface of the central charging station 105).
It would have been obvious to one skilled in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Reade in combination of Imperial, Noble and Clarke to incorporate with the teaching of Bonilla by including a wireless transceiver in the system, because it would be advantageous to manage charging sessions from different location and reduce energy costs.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments, see pages 5-7, filed 03/11/2026, with respect to the rejection(s) of claim(s) 1-10 under 35 USC § 103 have been fully considered and are persuasive. Therefore, the rejection has been withdrawn. However, upon further consideration, a new ground(s) of rejection is made in view of Clarke.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ZIXUAN ZHOU whose telephone number is (571)272-6739. The examiner can normally be reached 9:00 am to 5:00 pm.
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/ZIXUAN ZHOU/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2859 03/13/2026