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 § 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.
Claims 1-9 and 11-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Walker (US 10,663,508) in view of Johnson (US 2017/0285084).
Regarding claim 1, Walker teaches a device comprising (see Fig. 1-3): a housing (see 101); a first switch positioned on the housing (see 121); a second switch positioned on the housing (see 121); a battery pack interface positioned on the housing (see 314); an outlet connector positioned on the housing (see 301), wherein the outlet connector includes a ground line (see 311), a first output line, and a second output line (see Col 3 line 22- Col 4 line 22); a flash circuit including a timer and an optocoupler electrically coupled to the ground line (see 123, 125 Col 4 line 65-line 17); a mode switch that selectively places the device in a steady mode or a flash mode (121, 152); a controller including a first relay electrically coupled to the first output line and the controller (see 152); and a second relay electrically coupled to the second output line and the controller; wherein the first output line is selectively energized in response to actuation of the first switch and wherein the second output line is selectively energized in response to actuation of the second switch (see Col 4 line32-47)
However Walker does not disclose a wireless communication module configured to receive a wireless signal; or in response to receiving the wireless signal; or in response to receiving the wireless signal.
Yet, Johnson in the same filed teaches a wireless communication module configured to receive a wireless signal; or in response to receiving the wireless signal; or in response to receiving the wireless signal.
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified Walker with the teachings of Johnson by having a wireless communication module configured to receive a wireless signal; or in response to receiving the wireless signal; or in response to receiving the wireless signal in order to in order to provide control form a distance.
Regarding claim 2, the combination teaches wherein the first output line is selectively energized by closing the first relay, and wherein closing the first relay is in response to actuation of the first switch or in response to receiving the wireless signal; and wherein the second output line is selectively energized by closing the second relay (see Col 4 line 32-46, Fig. 4-6; Walker), and wherein closing the second relay is in response to actuation of the second switch or in response to receiving the wireless signal (see para 0044-0045, Fig. 8; Johnson).
Regarding claim 3, the combination teaches comprising a power switch positioned on the housing and electrically coupled to the controller (see Col 3 line 36-46; Walker).
Regarding claim 4, the combination teaches 4,wherein the mode switch is positioned on the housing (see 121; Walker).
Regarding claim 5, the combination teaches, wherein the mode switch includes a mode relay electrically coupled to the ground line and the controller (see Fig. 6; Walker).
Regarding claim 6, the combination teaches, wherein the mode switch selectively places the device in the steady mode by closing the mode relay (see Fig. 6).
Regarding claim 7, the combination teaches, wherein closing the mode relay is in response to actuation of the mode switch or in response to receiving the wireless signal (see Fig. 6).
Regarding claim 8, the combination teaches, wherein the flash circuit operates at a frequency (see timer and Col 5 line 17; Walker).
Regarding claim 9, the combination teaches, wherein the frequency is adjustable by a user (see timer and Col 5 line 17; Walker).
Regarding claim 11, the combination teaches, further comprising a current sensor (see para 0043; Johnson).
Regarding claim 12, the combination teaches, wherein the housing includes a first surface, and wherein the battery pack interface, the mode switch, the first switch, and the second switch are positioned on the first surface; and wherein the housing includes a second surface, and wherein the outlet connector is positioned on the second surface (see Figs. 1-3; Walker).
Regarding claim 13, the combination teaches, wherein the device is hand-held (see Figs. 1-3; Walker).
Regarding claim 14, the combination teaches a system comprising: a device including a battery pack interface, an outlet connector with a ground line, a first output line, and a second output line, a plurality of switches, and a controller with a wireless communication module; a battery pack removably coupled to the battery pack interface; a user device in wireless communication with the wireless communication module; wherein the first output line and the second output line are individually energized in response to user input on either one of the plurality of switches or on the user device (please see the rejection of claim 1).
Regarding claim 15, the combination teaches further comprising a case with a handle; and wherein the device and the battery pack are positioned within the case (see Fig. 1; Walker).
Regarding claim 16, the combination teaches, wherein the user device is a remote control, a cell phone, a tablet, or a computer (see para 0053-0054; Johnson).
Regarding claim 17, the combination teaches, further comprising a powered object with a first light and a second light, wherein the first light is electrically coupled to the first output line and the ground line, and wherein the second light is electrically coupled to the second output line and the ground line (see Fig. 6; Walker).
Regarding claim 18, the combination teaches, wherein the powered object is a trailer, a light assembly, a hazard marker, a lighted sign, a mechanical sign, or accessory (see Fig. 5; Walker).
Regarding claim 19, the combination teaches, wherein the device further includes a flash circuit including a timer and an optocoupler electrically coupled to the ground line (see Fig. 6; Walker).
Regarding claim 20, the combination teaches, wherein the user device wirelessly sends an automated sequence of wireless signals to the wireless communication module in response to user input on the user device (see para 0053-0054; Johnson).
Claims 10 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Walker and Johnson (US 2017/0285084)
Regarding claim 10, the combination teaches the device of claim 1.
Yet, does not disclose further comprising a resettable circuit breaker.
However, Marshall in the same filed teaches further comprising a resettable circuit breaker (see para 0027).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified Walker and Johnson with the teachings of Marshall by having further comprising a resettable circuit breaker; in order to in order to provide protection that can be reset and still provide system protection.
Conclusion
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/ELIM ORTIZ/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2836