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 .
Application Status
This action is responsive to the claims filed 17 June 2025.
Claims 1-13 and 15-21 are currently pending and being examined.
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 15-21 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.
Claims 15-21 line 1 recites “The apparatus of claim 12”, which is unclear because claim 12 is a power tool and claim 13 is the apparatus. Therefore, it is unclear if claims 15-21 should be drawn to the apparatus or the power tool.
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.
Claim(s) 1-13 and 15-21 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by DE202015006182, hereinafter DE ‘182, reference made to the Espacenet translation provided with this office action.
DE ‘182 teaches:
Claims 1, 11, and 13: A method for controlling motor speed of a power tool (¶[0136]; fig. 5), a power tool (1-fig.1; ¶[0039]) comprising a controller (32-fig.4) connected to a current sensor (37-fig.4), a speed sensor (36-fig.4; ¶[0074]) and a power switching network (fig.4) for driving a motor (31-fig.4), and an apparatus (1-fig.1; ¶[0039]) comprising at least one controller (32-fig.4) and at least one memory storing instruction that (¶[0075]), when executed by the at least one controller (32-fig.4), cause the apparatus to perform at least (¶[0082]-[0104]), comprising:
- measuring at least one current value of current output (37-fig.4) from a power switching network connected to a motor of the power tool (¶[0079]);
- measuring a speed of the motor (36-fig.4; ¶[0074]); and
if the measured at least one current value has met a first speed dependent current limit setting (IdA, IuA-fig.6), determining a second speed dependent current limit setting (IdB,IuB-fig.6; ¶[0082]-[0098]); and
- controlling the power switching network to drive the motor at a target speed corresponding to the second speed dependent current limit setting or the second speed dependent power limit setting (¶[0082]-[0104]); wherein each of the first speed dependent current limit setting and the second speed dependent current limit setting comprise a range of current values between a higher current limit and a lower current limit, and the second speed dependent current limit setting is determined based on the measured at least one current value and whether the lower current limit or higher current limit has been met (IdA, IuA-fig.6 and IdB, IuB-fig.6; ¶[0082]-[0104]).
Claims 2 and 15: The method and apparatus according to claim 1, comprising:
- determining the first speed dependent current limit setting or the first speed dependent power limit setting based on the measured speed of the motor (IdA, IuA-fig.6; at least ¶[0080]-[0081]); and
- using the second speed dependent current limit setting or the second speed dependent power limit setting for monitoring current output by the power switching network (IdB, IuB-fig.6; ¶[0080]-[0081]).
Claim 3: The method according to claim 1, comprising:
- increasing the target speed of the motor if the measured at least one current value has met the first speed dependent current limit setting (¶[0083]-[0104]; fig.5); or
- increasing the target speed of the motor if the determined power has met the first speed dependent power limit setting (¶[0083]-[0104]; fig.5).
Claim 4: The method according to claim 1, comprising:
- decreasing the target speed of the motor if the measured at least one current value does not meet the first speed dependent current limit setting (¶[0083]-[0104]; fig.5); or
- decreasing the target speed of the motor if the determined power does not meet the first speed dependent power limit setting (¶[0083]-[0104]; fig.5).
Claims 5 and 16: The method and apparatus according to claim 1, comprising:
- maintaining the target speed above an idle speed, when the motor is loaded (¶[0005]-[0006];[0019]).
Claims 6 and 17: The method and apparatus according to claim 1, comprising:
- controlling the power switching network to drive the motor at an idle speed if the measured at least one current value has not met a threshold value for the current (¶[0083]-[0104]; fig.5); and
- controlling the power switching network to drive the motor based on the first speed dependent current limit setting, if the measured at least one current value has met the threshold value for the current (¶[0083]-[0104]; fig.5); or
- controlling the power switching network to drive the motor based on the first speed dependent power limit setting, if the determined power has met a threshold value for the power (¶[0083]-[0104]; fig.5).
Claims 7 and 18: The method and apparatus according to claim 1, comprising:
- determining a user speed setting based on user input (22-fig.3; ¶[0064]); and
- maintaining the target speed, if the measured speed of the motor has reached the user speed setting (¶[0064],[0071]-[0073]).
Claims 8 and 19: The method and apparatus according to claim 1, comprising:
- selecting a motor speed control mode to be a mode based on speed dependent current limit settings from at least two motor speed control modes for the motor based on a user input received via an operating panel of the power tool or a user input over a wireless connection (¶[0064],[0071]-[0073]); or
- selecting a motor speed control mode to be a mode based on speed dependent power limit settings from at least two motor speed control modes for the motor based on a user input received via an operating panel of the power tool a user input over a wireless connection (¶[0064],[0071]-[0073]).
Claims 9 and 20: The method and apparatus according to claim 1, comprising:
- selecting the second speed dependent current limit setting from more than one speed dependent current limit settings based on a comparison of distances between a range of current values of the second speed dependent current limit settings and the measured at least one current value (¶[0064],[0071]-[0073]).
Claims 10 and 21: The method and apparatus according to claim 1,
wherein the first speed dependent current limit setting and the second speed dependent current limit setting follow a curve and a slope of the curve is decreasing, with increasing speed of the motor (¶[0083]-[0104]; fig.5).
Claim 12: The power tool according to claim 11, wherein the power tool is a circular saw (¶[0040]).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to KATIE L GERTH whose telephone number is (303)297-4602. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Thursday 9am-4pm (CT).
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/KATIE L GERTH/Examiner, Art Unit 3731
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