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 .
Examiner’s Comments
This office action is in response to the application filed on 12/3/2025.
Claims 1-20 are pending.
Priority
Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR
1.55.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 12/3/2025 is in
compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
In the event the determination of the status of the application as subject to
AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103 (or as subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103) is incorrect, any correction of the statutory basis (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) for the rejection will not be considered a new ground of rejection if the prior art relied upon, and the rationale supporting the rejection, would be the same under either status.
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 1-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being
anticipated by Shinto et al. (US 20230173650) hereinafter (Shinto).
With regard to claim 1, Shinto discloses a power tool (1 fig.1) having a handle portion (12) gripped by a worker, and configured to process a workpiece with a tip tool (35). the power tool comprising: a motor (20) configured to drive-the tip tool (35); a drive operation portion (6a) configured to instruct starting or stopping of the motor by an operation of a worker; a mode switching portion (60) configured to select one control mode from among a plurality of control modes having different motor drive-characteristics by an operation of a worker; and a control portion (70) configured to control driving of the motor based on the control mode (he control mode [0056]) selected when starting of the motor is instructed by the drive operation portion, wherein the control mode is configured to switch sequentially each time the mode switching portion is operated, and control modes usable by an operation of the mode switching portion are selectable by wireless communication with an external device, and a number of usable control modes (see fiog.4) is capable of being reduced relative to a number at factory default.
With regard to claim 2, Shinto discloses a power tool (1 fig.1), wherein the number of usable control modes is (61 fig.4) capable of being reduced by two or more relative to a number at factory default.
With regard to claim 3, Shinto discloses a power tool (1 fig.1), wherein the mode switching portion (60; [0042]) is configured to enable a first selection operation for selecting one control mode from among a first number of control modes by an operation of a worker, and the control portion is configured to when a second selection operation for selecting as a usable control mode a second number of control modes smaller than the first number from among the first number of control modes is executed by the external device as control modes selectable by the first selection operation, limit control modes selectable by the first selection operation to the second number of control modes (see fig.4).
With regard to claim 4, Shinto discloses a power tool (1 fig.1), comprising a plurality of display portions (see figs.3 & 4) corresponding to each of the first number of control modes, wherein the control portion is configured to enable display of only display portions corresponding to the control modes limited from among the plurality of display portions.
With regard to claim 5, Shinto discloses a power tool (1 fig.1), wherein the control portion (61) is configured to enable selection of usage availability of two or more control modes from among the first number of control modes when a third selection operation for selecting as a unusable control mode a third number of control modes smaller than the first number from among the first number of control modes as control modes non-selectable by the first selection operation, or the second selection operation, is executed by the external device (see fig.2).
With regard to claim 6, Shinto discloses a power tool (1 fig.1), wherein the first number of control modes (61) comprises a first control mode, a second control mode, and a third control mode (see fig.4), and at least the second control mode is configured to be selectable by the second selection operation, and the control portion is configured to: when the first control mode, the second control mode, and the third control mode are selected by the second selection operation, switch display portions corresponding to each control mode among the plurality of display portions in order of the first control mode, the second control mode, and the third control mode in response to the first selection operation to display a control mode selected by the first selection operation; and when the first control mode and the third control mode are selected by the second selection operation and the second control mode is selected by the third selection operation, switch display portions corresponding to each control mode among the plurality of display portions in order of the first control mode and the third control mode in response to the first selection operation (see fig.3) to display a control mode (fig.4) selected by the first selection operation (see also [0042]).
With regard to claim 7, Shinto discloses a power tool (1 fig.1), wherein the first number of control modes include any of: a plurality of control modes (see fig.4) that differ from each other in a rotation speed of the motor in a no-load state where no external load is applied to the motor (20); a plurality of control modes(fig.4) that change a drive mode of the motor during a single motor drive operation on the drive operation portion (6a); and a variable control mode that changes a drive mode of the motor during a single motor drive operation on the drive operation portion, and a fixed control mode that does not change a drive mode of the motor during a single motor drive operation on the drive operation portion ([0042]).
With regard to claim 8, Shinto discloses a power tool (1 fig.1), comprising a notification portion configured to notify a user when the first selection operation is executed in a case where only one control mode is selected by the second selection operation (see fig.4).
With regard to claim 9, Shinto discloses a power tool (1 fig.1) having a handle portion (12) gripped by a worker, and configured to process a workpiece with a tip tool (35), the power tool comprising: a motor (20) configured to drive the tip tool (35); a drive operation portion (6a) configured to instruct starting or stopping of the motor by an operation of a worker; a mode switching portion (61) configured to enable a first selection operation for selecting one control mode from among a first number of control modes having different motor drive characteristics including a control mode (work machine having multiple drive modes Abstract) that automatically change a drive mode of the motor during a single motor drive operation on the drive operation portion (6a) by an operation of a worker, the first number is a number at factory default or a total number; a control portion configured to control driving of the motor based on the one control mode selected by the first selection operation when starting of the motor is instructed by the drive operation portion; wherein the control mode is configured to switch sequentially each time the mode switching portion is operated, and wherein the control portion is configured to, when a second selection operation for selecting a second number of control modes smaller than the first number from among the first number of control modes by a control mode (61) usage availability selection button (fig.4) is executed as control modes selectable by the first selection operation, limit control modes selectable by the first selection operation to the second number of control modes ([0042]).
With regard to claim 10, Shinto discloses a power tool (1 fig.1) having a handle portion (12) gripped by a worker, and configured to process a workpiece with a tip tool (35) the power tool comprising: a motor (20) configured to drive the tip tool; a drive operation portion (6a) configured to instruct starting or stopping of the motor by an operation of a worker; a mode switching portion configured to enable a first selection operation for selecting one control mode from among a first number of control modes (61 figs.3 & 4) having different motor drive characteristics including a control mode that automatically change a drive mode of the motor during a single motor drive operation on the drive operation portion by an operation of a worker, the first number is a number at factory default or a total number; a plurality of display portions (see fig.4) corresponding to each of the first number of control modes; and a control portion configured to control driving of the motor based on the one control mode selected by the first selection operation when starting of the motor (20) is instructed by the drive operation portion (6a); wherein the control mode (61) is configured to switch sequentially each time the mode switching operated, and wherein the control portion is configured to, when a second selection operation for selecting a second number of control modes smaller than the first number from among the first number of control modes by a control mode usage availability selection button (see fig.4) is executed as control modes selectable by the first selection operation, enable selection of only the second number of control modes by the first selection operation, and enable display of only display portions corresponding to control modes (61see fig.4) selected by the second selection operation (fig.4).
With regard to claim 11, Shinto discloses a power tool (1 fig.1), wherein the second selection operation is configured to be executable by an external device (see fig.2) or a button provided on the power tool.
With regard to claim 12, Shinto discloses a power tool (1 fig.1), wherein the plurality of display portions (as seen in fig.4) are configured to correspond to a plurality of control modes among the first number of control modes by changing a display method.
With regard to claim 13, Shinto discloses a power tool (1 fig.1), wherein a number of control modes (see fig. 4) selected by the second selection operation among the first number of control modes (61) is made smaller than a number of the plurality of display portions (see fig. 4).
With regard to claim 14, Shinto discloses a power tool (1 fig.1), wherein an order of control modes (as seen in fig 61) selected in response to the first selection operation is configured to be arbitrarily changeable by an external device (external device as seen in fig.2).
With regard to claim 15, Shinto discloses a power tool (1 fig.1), wherein the second number selected by the second selection operation among the first number of control modes (61 fig.4) is made smaller than a number of control modes selectable in a factory default state.
With regard to claim 16, Shinto discloses a power tool (1 fig.1), wherein the different motor drive characteristics ([0008; 0009; 0010; 0042; 0045]) are at least one of a motor rotation speed when a pull amount of the drive operation portion is maximum, a manner in which the motor rotation speed increases according to the pull amount of the drive operation portion, and a motor rotation speed under load.
With regard to claim 17, Shinto discloses a power tool (1 fig.1), wherein an order of control modes (61) selected in response to the first selection operation is configured to be arbitrarily changeable by an external device (see fig.2).
With regard to claim 18, Shinto discloses a power tool (1 fig.1), wherein the second number selected by the second selection operation among the first number of control modes (61 fig.4) is made smaller than a number of control modes selectable in a factory default state.
With regard to claim 19, Shinto discloses a power tool (1 fig.1), wherein an order of control modes (61) selected in response to the first selection operation is configured to be arbitrarily changeable by an external device (fig.2).
With regard to claim 20, Shinto discloses a power tool (1 fig.1), wherein the second number selected by the second selection operation among the first number of control modes (fig.4) is made smaller than a number of control modes selectable in a factory default state.
Conclusion
Refer to attachment for notice of references cited and recommended for
consideration based on their disclosure of limitations of the claimed invention.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to NATHANIEL C. CHUKWURAH whose telephone number is (571)272-4457. The examiner can normally be reached M-F & T-F 7-4:30 IFP.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Anna Kinsaul can be reached at 571-260-1926. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/NATHANIEL C CHUKWURAH/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3731
8/11/2026
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