ETAILED ACTION
This non-final Office action is in response to Applicant’s patent application filed on 5/13/2025. An action on the merits follows.
Claims 1-20 are pending in the application.
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 .
Priority
Acknowledgment is made of applicant's claim for foreign priority based on an application filed in People’s Republic of China on 6/2/2023 and 7/6/2023. It is noted, however, that applicant has not filed a certified copy of the CN202310650856.2 and CN202310827744.X application as required by 37 CFR 1.55.
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 1-19 are 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 pre-AIA the applicant regards as the invention.
Regarding claim 1, the limitation “a power supply management device comprising a power supply and configured to supply power to at least the electric motor” is vague and unclear because it is unclear if the power supply is configured to supply power to the motor or if the power supply management device is configured to supply power to the motor. In order to prosecute the application, Examiner is interpreting the above limitation as “a power supply management device comprising a power supply configured to supply power to at least the electric motor”.
Regarding claim 1, the limitation “output a first enable signal when receiving any function signal and output a third enable signal to the driving device” is vague and unclear because a third enable signal implies there is a second enable signal. However, the claim does not recite a second enable signal. In order to prosecute the application, Examiner is interpreting the third enable signal as another enable signal or a different enable signal.
Regarding claim 4, the limitation “a third preset duration” is vague and unclear because the third preset duration implies there is a first and second preset duration; however, there is no first or second preset duration.
Regarding claim 4, the limitation “a fourth preset duration” is vague and unclear because the fourth preset duration implies there is a first and second preset duration; however, there is no first or second preset duration.
Regarding claim 6, the limitation “a power supply management device comprising a power supply and configured to supply power to at least the electric motor” is vague and unclear because it is unclear if the power supply is configured to supply power to the motor or if the power supply management device is configured to supply power to the motor. In order to prosecute the application, Examiner is interpreting the above limitation as “a power supply management device comprising a power supply configured to supply power to at least the electric motor”.
Claims 2-19 are rejected for depending on a rejected claim.
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.
Claims 1, 6-8 and 17-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102 (a)(2) as being anticipated by USPGP# 20230415315 of Li et al. (henceforth Li).
Regarding claim 1, Li teaches
A power tool (300), comprising:
an electric motor (18);
a power supply management device (380, 26) comprising a power supply (380) and configured to supply power to at least the electric motor (para 0040);
a driving device (38) configured to drive the electric motor to operate to implement a main function of the power tool (nailing);
an operating device (39, 322, 40, 42) configured to be operated by a user to output a main function signal corresponding to the main function (para 0053, trigger press of 22) and at least one auxiliary function signal corresponding to each of at least one auxiliary function to the power supply management device (para 0053, detect if nose is pressed using sensor 40, 42), wherein the power supply management device is further configured to output a first enable signal (para 0049 and 0053, the nose is depressed and display this info) when receiving any function signal and output a third enable signal (para 0053, “first control signal”) to the driving device when receiving the main function signal (para 0053); and
a first controller (28) connected to the power supply management device and configured to output a first drive signal (para 0053, “second control signal”) to the driving device when receiving at least the first enable signal, wherein the driving device is further configured to drive the electric motor to operate when receiving the third enable signal and the first drive signal (para 0053).
Regarding claim 6, Li teaches
A power tool (300), comprising:
an electric motor (18);
a power supply management device (380) comprising a power supply (380) and configured to supply power to at least the electric motor (para 0040);
a driving device (38) configured to drive the electric motor to operate;
an operating device (39, 322, 40, 42) configured to be operated by a user to switch on and off states of the power tool and output a corresponding on signal or off signal (para 0053);
a first controller (26) connected to the operating device and the driving device and configured to output a drive signal to the driving device when receiving the on signal (para 0053); and
a second controller (28) connected to the operating device and the driving device and configured to output a drive enable signal to the driving device when receiving the on signal (para 0053-0057);
wherein the driving device is further configured to drive the electric motor to operate when receiving the drive signal and the drive enable signal (para 0053, 0060).
Regarding claim 7, as shown in claim 6, Li teaches
wherein the first controller is further configured to stop outputting the drive signal to the driving device when receiving the off signal (para 0033, 0043, 0053).
Regarding claim 8, as shown in claim 6, Li teaches
wherein the power supply management device is connected to the first controller (see fig. 4), and the power supply management device is further configured to output a first enable signal (power on the device, para 0033, 0053) to the first controller when receiving the on signal.
Regarding claim 17, as shown in claim 6, Li teaches
wherein the driving device is not capable of driving the electric motor to operate when the driving device receives only the drive signal but does not receive the drive enable signal (para 0060).
Regarding claim 18, as shown in claim 6, Li teaches
wherein the driving device is not capable of driving the electric motor to operate when the driving device receives only the drive enable signal but does not receive the drive signal (para 0060).
Regarding claim 19, as shown in claim 6, Li teaches
wherein the power tool is a nail gun (para 0022).
Regarding claim 20, Li teaches
A control method for a power tool (300) having
an operating device (39, 322, 40, 42),
a first controller (26),
a second controller (28),
a driving device (38), and
an electric motor (18),
comprising:
when the power tool is switched to an on state, outputting, by the operating device, an on signal to the first controller and the second controller (para 0033, 0043, 0053);
when receiving the on signal, outputting, by the first controller, a drive signal to the driving device (para 0053);
when receiving the on signal, outputting, by the second controller, a drive enable signal to the driving device (para 0053); and
when receiving the drive signal and the drive enable signal, driving, by the driving device, the electric motor to operate (para 0053-0057 and 0060).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 2-5 and 9-16 would be allowable if rewritten to overcome the rejection(s) under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), 2nd paragraph, set forth in this Office action and to include all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
Regarding claim 2, the prior art of record, in combination with other limitations of the claim, is silent on “the first controller is further configured to output the first drive signal to the driver circuit and output a second drive signal to the drive signal generation circuit when receiving at least the first enable signal; the drive signal generation circuit is configured to output a voltage-boosted second drive signal to the driver circuit when receiving the third enable signal and the second drive signal”. Li does not teach the first controller outputs a second drive signal to the drive signal generation circuit nor drive signal generation circuit is configured to output a voltage-boosted second drive signal in order to drive the electric motor. Furthermore, it would not have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to add/modify such a configuration without hindsight. Therefore, the prior art, taken alone or in combination, fails to read on the present claims.
Regarding claim 3, the prior art of record, in combination with other limitations of the claim, is silent on power supply management device in combination with a first controller and a second controller including their respective claimed functions. Li teaches two controllers for independently verifying the state of the safety components but does not teach additional power supply management device for providing drive and/enable signals. Furthermore, it would not have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to add/modify such a configuration without hindsight. Therefore, the prior art, taken alone or in combination, fails to read on the present claims.
Regarding claim 9, the prior art of record, in combination with other limitations of the claim, is silent on “the first controller is further configured to output a first power-off signal to the power supply management device after waiting for a first preset duration upon receiving the off signal; and the power supply management device is further configured to stop outputting the first enable signal to the first controller when receiving the first power-off signal”. Li does not teach the first controller sends a power off signal after waiting for a preset duration. Furthermore, it would not have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to add/modify such a configuration without hindsight. Therefore, the prior art, taken alone or in combination, fails to read on the present claims.
Regarding claim 10, the prior art of record, in combination with other limitations of the claim, is silent on “the first controller is further configured to output a keeping signal to the power supply management device when receiving the on signal”. Li does not teach the first controller sends a keeping signal to the power supply management device. Furthermore, it would not have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to add/modify such a configuration without hindsight. Therefore, the prior art, taken alone or in combination, fails to read on the present claims.
Claims 4-5 and 11-16 are allowed for depending on one of the above allowed claims
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to MOBEEN AHMED whose telephone number is (571) 272-0356. The examiner can normally be reached on M-F (8:30 am to 5 pm).
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Anna Kinsaul can be reached on 571-270-1926. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/M. A./
Examiner, Art Unit 3731
/VERONICA MARTIN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3731