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 .
Response to Amendment
Receipt is acknowledged of applicant’s preliminary amendment filed on 8/14/25. Claims 1-13, 15-18, 20, and 24 amended. Claims 14, 19, 21-23 canceled. Claim 26 newly added. Claims 1-13, 15-18, 20, 24 and 26 are pending and an action on the merits is as follows.
Specification
The abstract of the disclosure is objected to because inclusion of legal phraseology and undue length. A corrected abstract of the disclosure is required and must be presented on a separate sheet, apart from any other text. See MPEP § 608.01(b).
Applicant is reminded of the proper content of an abstract of the disclosure.
A patent abstract is a concise statement of the technical disclosure of the patent and should include that which is new in the art to which the invention pertains. The abstract should not refer to purported merits or speculative applications of the invention and should not compare the invention with the prior art.
If the patent is of a basic nature, the entire technical disclosure may be new in the art, and the abstract should be directed to the entire disclosure. If the patent is in the nature of an improvement in an old apparatus, process, product, or composition, the abstract should include the technical disclosure of the improvement. The abstract should also mention by way of example any preferred modifications or alternatives.
Where applicable, the abstract should include the following: (1) if a machine or apparatus, its organization and operation; (2) if an article, its method of making; (3) if a chemical compound, its identity and use; (4) if a mixture, its ingredients; (5) if a process, the steps.
Extensive mechanical and design details of an apparatus should not be included in the abstract. The abstract should be in narrative form and generally limited to a single paragraph within the range of 50 to 150 words in length.
See MPEP § 608.01(b) for guidelines for the preparation of patent abstracts.
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) 1-4, 10-11 and 18 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102a1/a2 as being anticipated by Haimovich et al. US Patent No. 6, 394, 150.
Re Claim 1, Haimovich discloses a battery module configured to be releasably connected to a main module such that when connected the battery module and the main module together form an RFID reader attachable to a fuel dispensing nozzle, the battery module
a first antenna configured to send and receive signals to an RFID tag (Column 6, lines 10-23);
a battery control circuitry electrically connected to the first antenna (Column 6 lines 10-23; fig. 3B); a battery cell electrically connected to the battery control circuitry and configured to provide power for operation of the RFID reader (Column 5 lines 55-57);
a first electrical connector which is connected to the battery control circuitry
and a battery case accommodating the battery control circuitry , the battery cell and the first electrical connector (Column 6 lines 10-23; fig. 3B).
Re Claim 2, Haimovich discloses the battery module according to claim 1, wherein the first antenna resides inside of the battery case (Column 5 lines 63-column 6 line 9; fig. 3A).
Re Claim 3, Haimovich discloses the battery module according to claim 1, wherein the first antenna resides external to the battery case (Column 6 lines 10-23; fig. 3B).
Re Claim 4, Haimovich discloses the battery module according to claim 1, wherein the first electrical connector and the second electrical connector form a pin connection comprising a pin and a pin receptacle , and the first electrical connector either comprises the pin or the pin receptacles (Column 6 lines 10-23; fig. 3B).
Re Claim 10, Haimovich discloses a main module configured to be releasably connected to the battery module according to claim 1 such that when connected the main module and the battery module together form an RFID reader attachable to the fuel dispensing nozzle, the main module comprising:
a second antenna configured to send and receive signals to a controller of a fuel management system (Column 6, lines 10-23);
a main control circuitry electrically connected to the second antenna, the second electrical connector which is connected to the main control circuitry and is connectable to the first electrical connector of the battery module when the battery module is connected to the main module to form the RFID reader(Column 6, lines 10-23; Fig. 3B); and a main case accommodating the second antenna, the main control circuitry and the second electrical connector (Column 6, lines 10-23; Fig. 3B).
Re Claim 11, Haimovich discloses the main module according to claim 10, wherein the first electrical connector and the second electrical connector form a pin connection comprising a pin and a pin receptacle, and the second electrical connector either comprises the pin or the pin receptacle (Column 6 lines 10-23; fig. 3B).
Re Claim 18, Haimovich discloses a modular RFID reader of a fuel management system configured to be attached to a fuel dispensing nozzle, the modular RFID reader comprising:
multiple battery modules (Column 2, lines 33-36;
a main module(Column 6, lines 10-23); a connecting means configured to releasably connect one of the multiple battery modules with the main module (Column 6 lines 10-23; fig. 3B);
wherein each battery module comprises:
a first antenna configured to send and receive signals to an RFID tag (Column 6, lines 10-23; Fig. 3B), a battery control circuitry electrically connected to the first antenna (Column 6, lines 10-23; Fig. 3B; a battery cell electrically connected to the battery control circuitry (Column 5, lines 55-57); a first electrical connector which is connected to the battery control circuitry and is connectable to a second electrical connector on the main module when the battery module is connected to the main module (Column 6, lines 10-23; Fig. 3B); and a battery case accommodating the battery control circuitry, the battery cell and the first electrical connector (Column 6, lines 10-23; Fig. 3B); wherein the main module comprises: a second antenna configured to send and receive signals to a controller of the fuel management system; a main control circuitry electrically connected to the second antenna; the second electrical connector, which is connected to the main control circuitry (Column 6, lines 10-23; Fig. 3B);and a main case accommodating the second antenna, the main control circuitry and the second electrical connector (Column 6, lines 10-23; Fig. 3B) and wherein each of the multiple battery modules is individually connectable to the main module to form an RFID reader.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 5-9, 12, 13, 15-17, 20, 24, and 26 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 in Re Claim 5: none of the cited prior art of record , discloses , teach or fairly suggest at least a magnetic reed switch being configured to energize the battery control circuitry and the first electrical connector..
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter in Re Claim 7 none of the cited prior art of record , discloses , teach or fairly suggest at least a push button configured to energize the battery control circuitry (13) and the first electrical connector
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter in Re Claim 8, none of the cited prior art of record , discloses , teach or fairly suggest at least a wherein the battery case comprises a fuel dispensing nozzle through hole , the fuel dispensing nozzle through hole having such dimensions that the fuel dispensing nozzle (50) is insertable therethrough.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter in Re Claim 9, none of the cited prior art of record , discloses , teach or fairly suggest at least wherein the first fuel dispensing nozzle through hole (16) has a circular cylindrical shape with a diameter in the range of 10 mm to 32 mm, preferably in the range of 21 mm to 31 mm.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter in in Re Claim 12, none of the cited prior art of record discloses, teach or fairly suggest at least (wherein the second electrical connector comprises seven pins arranged in linear fashion, of which: six pins carry power and data signals and are spaced equally apart from each other; and[a seventh pin is a ground connection and is spatially isolated from the six pins so that spacing from that seventh pin to a closest of the other six pins is twice that of a spacing between the six pins.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter in Re Claim 13, none of the cited prior art of record discloses, teach or fairly suggest at least The main module further comprising a third antenna (31), the third antenna supporting Bluetooth operation.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter in Re Claim 15, none of the cited prior art of record discloses, teach or fairly suggest at least The main module according to claim 10, wherein the main case comprises a fuel dispensing nozzle through hole, the fuel dispensing nozzle through hole having such dimensions that the fuel dispensing nozzle is insertable therethrough.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter in Re Claim 16 none of the cited prior art of record discloses, teach or fairly suggest at least, wherein the second fuel dispensing nozzle through hole has a circular cylindrical shape with a diameter in the range of 10 mm to 32 mm.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter in Re 17, none of the cited prior art of record discloses, teach or fairly suggest at least The main module according to claim 10 further comprising a distance element (29) configured to be positioned between the main module (20) and the fuel dispensing nozzle (50) to provide a secure connection between these components.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter in Re-claim 20, none of the cited prior art of record discloses, teach or fairly suggest at least further comprising a gasket configured to seal a connection between the one of the multiple battery modules and the main module.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter in Re-claim 24, none of the cited prior art of record discloses, teach or fairly suggest at least wherein the multiple battery modules are different from each other, in the at least one of shape of the battery case , the type of first antenna the type of the battery cell or the functionality of the battery control circuitry .
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter in Re-claim 26, none of the cited prior art of record discloses, teach or fairly suggest at least wherein seven pins are provided on the first electrical connector and the second electrical connector comprises seven pin receptacles that are formed and arranged complementary to the seven pins on the first electrical connector.
Conclusion
The following reference is cited but not relied upon:
Fehr et al. discloses An apparatus comprises a passive RFID tag designed to provide information identifying at least one fuel compatible with a vehicle.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to SONJI N JOHNSON whose telephone number is (571)270-5266. The examiner can normally be reached 9am-9pm.
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SONJI N. JOHNSON
Examiner
Art Unit 2876
/SONJI N JOHNSON/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2876
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