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 .
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.
(a)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claim(s) 1-3 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102 as being anticipated by Tsuruga (2025/0145161).
As to Claim 1, Tsuruga discloses An electronic controller comprising:
a first power supply (30) which is supplied with electrical power from a power source and works to achieve or stop supply of electrical power in response to on- or off-operation of a power supply switch (20), (see [0017]-[0018]);
a multi-function power supply (10/13) to which electrical power is (inherently) delivered from the first power supply when the power supply switch is turned on; and
a controller (40) to which electrical power is delivered from the multi-function power supply and which works to perform a reprogramming task (see [0020]),
wherein the multi-function power supply (10) works to keep the first power supply (30) delivering electrical power to the multi-function power supply (40) in response to the power supply switch being turned on, (see [0018]: “The vehicle power source unit 30 is configured to perform operations related to controlling the on/off state of the vehicle power source, based on control (instructions) from the vehicle control device 10.”) thereby (inherently) enabling the first power supply to continue to deliver electrical power to the controller through the multi-function power supply when the power supply switch is changed from an on-state to an off-state, and the controller is required to perform the reprogramming task. See Fig 1. Note that claim 1 is directed toward an apparatus patentably defined by its structure. The examiner suggests reciting structure configured to perform the functions thereby ensuring the functional details are given patentable weight.
As to claim 2, Tsuruga discloses the electronic controller as set forth in claim 1 wherein when the reprogramming task is completed in the controller, the multi-function power supply keeps the first power supply delivering electrical power thereto (at least for period of time, based on S201).
Further to claim 2, and claim 3, the claims are generally narrative but structurally identical to claim 1 and thus are inherently taught by Tsuruga.
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. As above, The examiner suggests reciting structure configured to perform the functions thereby ensuring the functional details are given patentable weight.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Goto (2022/0326934) provides for software updating.
Park et al. (12155255) provide for the detection of a malfunction (col 5 lines 20-40).
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to LESTER KINCAID whose telephone number is (571)272-7922. The examiner can normally be reached M-Th: 7-5.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Yuwen Pan can be reached at 571-272-7855. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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LESTER G. KINCAID
Primary Patent Examiner
Art Unit 2649
/LESTER G KINCAID/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2649
