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 .
Double Patenting
The nonstatutory double patenting rejection is based on a judicially created doctrine grounded in public policy (a policy reflected in the statute) so as to prevent the unjustified or improper timewise extension of the “right to exclude” granted by a patent and to prevent possible harassment by multiple assignees. A nonstatutory double patenting rejection is appropriate where the conflicting claims are not identical, but at least one examined application claim is not patentably distinct from the reference claim(s) because the examined application claim is either anticipated by, or would have been obvious over, the reference claim(s). See, e.g., In re Berg, 140 F.3d 1428, 46 USPQ2d 1226 (Fed. Cir. 1998); In re Goodman, 11 F.3d 1046, 29 USPQ2d 2010 (Fed. Cir. 1993); In re Longi, 759 F.2d 887, 225 USPQ 645 (Fed. Cir. 1985); In re Van Ornum, 686 F.2d 937, 214 USPQ 761 (CCPA 1982); In re Vogel, 422 F.2d 438, 164 USPQ 619 (CCPA 1970); In re Thorington, 418 F.2d 528, 163 USPQ 644 (CCPA 1969).
A timely filed terminal disclaimer in compliance with 37 CFR 1.321(c) or 1.321(d) may be used to overcome an actual or provisional rejection based on nonstatutory double patenting provided the reference application or patent either is shown to be commonly owned with the examined application, or claims an invention made as a result of activities undertaken within the scope of a joint research agreement. See MPEP § 717.02 for applications subject to examination under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA as explained in MPEP § 2159. See MPEP § 2146 et seq. for applications not subject to examination under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA . A terminal disclaimer must be signed in compliance with 37 CFR 1.321(b).
The filing of a terminal disclaimer by itself is not a complete reply to a nonstatutory double patenting (NSDP) rejection. A complete reply requires that the terminal disclaimer be accompanied by a reply requesting reconsideration of the prior Office action. Even where the NSDP rejection is provisional the reply must be complete. See MPEP § 804, subsection I.B.1. For a reply to a non-final Office action, see 37 CFR 1.111(a). For a reply to final Office action, see 37 CFR 1.113(c). A request for reconsideration while not provided for in 37 CFR 1.113(c) may be filed after final for consideration. See MPEP §§ 706.07(e) and 714.13.
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Claims 1-3 and 14 are rejected on the ground of nonstatutory double patenting as being unpatentable over claims 1, 14 and 18 of U.S. Patent No. 9,966,675. Although the claims at issue are not identical, they are not patentably distinct from each other because differences between the two sets of claims are only minor variations in recited scope and/or the distribution of features between the independent and dependent claims that are not seen to involve any inventive step when the abilities of persons of ordinary skill are taken into full consideration.
Instant claim 1 recites: An electronic power distributor arrangement for a vehicle on-board network, comprising: at least one load path emanating from an on-board battery, which splits into at least one or more load channels to each of which electrical consumers are connected, each of the at least one or more load channels subdivided into a conductor path applied onto a circuit board and a supply line connected thereto via a plug unit not applied onto the circuit board, leading to the respective one of the electrical consumers, wherein the at least one load path includes a switch unit that switches off the at least one load path in a thermal overload of one of the supply lines and the switch unit is a transistor switch applied onto the circuit board; and an evaluation device associated with the switch unit configured to determine a thermal overload of one of the supply lines based on conductor path temperatures of each of the conductor paths.
Claim 1 of the patent recites: A power distributor for a vehicle, comprising: a first printed circuit board configured to diagnose and control a power supply of a first plurality of electrical loads connected to the power distributor, the first printed circuit board including a switch part; a first bus bar including a first plurality of first plug contact parts, the first bus bar disposed separately from the first printed circuit board; and a first plurality of second plug contact parts disposed on the first printed circuit board; wherein: the switch part is configured to collectively control the power supply of one or more of the first plurality of electrical loads via the first bus bar; the first plug contact parts of the first bus bar together with the second plug contact parts of the first printed circuit board form at least one first plug contact pair; and at least one of the first plurality of electrical loads connected to one of the second plug contact parts of the first printed circuit board is supplied via the at least one first plug contact pair; and a second printed circuit board configured to control a power supply of a second plurality of electrical loads, the second printed circuit board including a plurality of electronic fuses; a second bus bar including a second plurality of first plug contact parts, the second bus bar disposed separately from the second printed circuit board; and wherein: the first plug contact parts of the second bus bar together with the further second plug contact part of the second printed circuit board form at least one second plug contact pair.
Claim 1 of the patent recites: A power distributor for a vehicle, comprising: a first printed circuit board configured to diagnose and control a power supply of a first plurality of electrical loads connected to the power distributor, the first printed circuit board including a switch part; a first bus bar including a first plurality of first plug contact parts, the first bus bar disposed separately from the first printed circuit board; and a first plurality of second plug contact parts disposed on the first printed circuit board; wherein: the switch part is configured to collectively control the power supply of one or more of the first plurality of electrical loads via the first bus bar; the first plug contact parts of the first bus bar together with the second plug contact parts of the first printed circuit board form at least one first plug contact pair; and at least one of the first plurality of electrical loads connected to one of the second plug contact parts of the first printed circuit board is supplied via the at least one first plug contact pair; and a second printed circuit board configured to control a power supply of a second plurality of electrical loads, the second printed circuit board including a plurality of electronic fuses; a second bus bar including a second plurality of first plug contact parts, the second bus bar disposed separately from the second printed circuit board; and wherein: the first plug contact parts of the second bus bar together with the further second plug contact part of the second printed circuit board form at least one second plug contact pair.
Dependent claim 14 of the patent then recites: The power distributor according to claim 1, wherein the second printed circuit board includes a control unit configured for switch control and data communication within the vehicle, the control unit further configured to: monitor the power supply of the second plurality of electrical loads; and shut off the power supply to the second plurality of electrical loads when a fault occurs in the at least one second plug contact pair.
Dependent claim 18 of the patent then adds temperature sensing design considerations by reciting: The power distributor according to claim 14, further comprising: a temperature monitoring device configured to shut off the switch part via the control unit of the plurality of electronic fuses when a threshold temperature is exceeded.
With regard to instant dependent claims 2 and 3, sensors configured to detect each conductor temperature is not an inventive step beyond the abilities of persons of ordinary skill because the use of a multitude of sensors to address variations in load demands and cooling or heating dynamics in circuits having several current paths is well known in the art to facilitate a more rapid and more accurate protection circuit response, with cost being a known limiting consideration.
Dependent instant claim 14 is addressed by the recited vehicle considerations in patent claim 1.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 4-13 are 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.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter: Instant claim 4 recites: The electronic power distributor arrangement of Claim 1, wherein the evaluation device includes a calculation component that is configured to calculate temperatures of each of the supply lines based on each of the conductor path temperatures, which is a feature not taught or fairly suggested by the prior art of record.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to STEPHEN W JACKSON whose telephone number is (571)272-2051. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 6:30-3:00.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Monica Lewis can be reached at 571-272-1838. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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SWJackson
September 4, 2026
/STEPHEN W JACKSON/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2838
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