UNITED STATES PATENT AND TRADEMARK OFFICE
`
`
`
`UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
`United States Patent and Trademark Office
`Address: COMMISSIONER FOR PATENTS
`PO. Box 1450
`Alexandria, Virginia 2231371450
`www.uspto.gov
`
`15/563,934
`
`10/02/2017
`
`Eiji IWAMI
`
`HOKUP0369WOUS
`
`2164
`
`MARK D. SARALINO (PAN)
`RENNER, OTTO, BOISSELLE & SKLAR, LLP
`1621 EUCLID AVENUE
`19TH FLOOR
`CLEVELAND, OH 44115
`
`LE~ THANG XUAN
`
`ART UNIT
`2867
`
`PAPER NUMBER
`
`NOTIFICATION DATE
`
`DELIVERY MODE
`
`01/23/2019
`
`ELECTRONIC
`
`Please find below and/or attached an Office communication concerning this application or proceeding.
`
`The time period for reply, if any, is set in the attached communication.
`
`Notice of the Office communication was sent electronically on above—indicated "Notification Date" to the
`
`following e—mail address(es):
`
`ipdoeket@rennerotto.eom
`
`PTOL-90A (Rev. 04/07)
`
`

`

`Off/09 A0170” Summary
`
`Application No.
`15/563,934
`Examiner
`THANG X LE
`
`Applicant(s)
`IWAMI et al.
`Art Unit
`2867
`
`AIA Status
`Yes
`
`- The MAILING DA TE of this communication appears on the cover sheet wit/7 the correspondence address -
`Period for Reply
`
`A SHORTENED STATUTORY PERIOD FOR REPLY IS SET TO EXPIRE g MONTHS FROM THE MAILING
`DATE OF THIS COMMUNICATION.
`Extensions of time may be available under the provisions of 37 CFR 1.136(a). In no event, however, may a reply be timely filed after SIX (6) MONTHS from the mailing
`date of this communication.
`|f NO period for reply is specified above, the maximum statutory period will apply and will expire SIX (6) MONTHS from the mailing date of this communication.
`-
`- Failure to reply within the set or extended period for reply will, by statute, cause the application to become ABANDONED (35 U.S.C. § 133).
`Any reply received by the Office later than three months after the mailing date of this communication, even if timely filed, may reduce any earned patent term
`adjustment. See 37 CFR 1.704(b).
`
`Status
`
`1). Responsive to communication(s) filed on 10/02/2017.
`[:1 A declaration(s)/affidavit(s) under 37 CFR 1.130(b) was/were filed on
`
`2a)D This action is FINAL.
`
`2b)
`
`This action is non-final.
`
`3)[:] An election was made by the applicant in response to a restriction requirement set forth during the interview on
`; the restriction requirement and election have been incorporated into this action.
`
`4)[:] Since this application is in condition for allowance except for formal matters, prosecution as to the merits is
`closed in accordance with the practice under Expat/7e Quay/e, 1935 CD. 11, 453 O.G. 213.
`
`Disposition of Claims*
`5)
`Claim(s)
`
`1—20 is/are pending in the application.
`
`5a) Of the above claim(s)
`
`is/are withdrawn from consideration.
`
`E] Claim(s)
`
`is/are allowed.
`
`Claim(s) fl is/are rejected.
`
`[:1 Claim(s) _ is/are objected to.
`
`) ) ) )
`
`6 7
`
`8
`
`
`
`are subject to restriction and/or election requirement
`[j Claim(s)
`9
`* If any claims have been determined aflowabte. you may be eligible to benefit from the Patent Prosecution Highway program at a
`
`participating intellectual property office for the corresponding application. For more information, please see
`
`http://www.uspto.gov/patents/init events/pph/index.jsp or send an inquiry to PPeredback@uspto.gov.
`
`Application Papers
`10)[:] The specification is objected to by the Examiner.
`
`11). The drawing(s) filed on 10/02/2017 is/are: a). accepted or b)[:] objected to by the Examiner.
`
`Applicant may not request that any objection to the drawing(s) be held in abeyance. See 37 CFR 1.85(a).
`Replacement drawing sheet(s) including the correction is required if the drawing(s) is objected to. See 37 CFR 1.121 (d).
`
`Priority under 35 U.S.C. § 119
`12). Acknowledgment is made of a claim for foreign priority under 35 U.S.C. § 119(a)-(d) or (f).
`Certified copies:
`
`a). All
`
`b)D Some”
`
`C)D None of the:
`
`1.. Certified copies of the priority documents have been received.
`
`2.[:] Certified copies of the priority documents have been received in Application No.
`
`3:] Copies of the certified copies of the priority documents have been received in this National Stage
`application from the International Bureau (PCT Rule 17.2(a)).
`
`** See the attached detailed Office action for a list of the certified copies not received.
`
`Attachment(s)
`
`1)
`
`Notice of References Cited (PTO-892)
`
`Information Disclosure Statement(s) (PTO/SB/08a and/or PTO/SB/08b)
`2)
`Paper No(s)/Mail Date_
`U.S. Patent and Trademark Office
`
`3) C] Interview Summary (PTO-413)
`Paper No(s)/Mail Date
`4) CI Other-
`
`PTOL-326 (Rev. 11-13)
`
`Office Action Summary
`
`Part of Paper No./Mai| Date 20190112
`
`

`

`Application/Control Number: 15/563,934
`Art Unit: 2867
`
`Page 2
`
`DETAILED ACTION
`
`The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first
`
`inventor to file provisions of the AIA.
`
`Information Disclosure Statement
`
`1.
`
`The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 10/02/2017 and 6/07/2018 are in
`
`compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. According, the information disclosure statement
`
`is being considered by the Examiner.
`
`Claim Rejections - 35 US C § 112
`
`2.
`
`The following is a quotation of 35 USC. 112(b):
`(b) CONCLUSION.7The 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 USC. 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.
`
`3.
`
`Claims l—20 are rejected under 35 USC. 112(b) or 35 USC. 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 limitations of“. . .allow an AC current to flow through”, “turn the
`
`two contact elements on”, “turn the two contact elements 017” and “turn the contact elements ofi‘
`
`in ale-energized condition” are vague and not clear, without a commonly recognizable technical
`
`meaning. For clarification purposes, the recitation of claim should be amended as following:
`
`Claim 1: A shutoff device being connected to an AC power supply through a first power
`
`cable: the shutoff device configured to be connected to an electric drive vehicle through a second
`
`

`

`Application/Control Number: 15/563,934
`Art Unit: 2867
`
`Page 3
`
`power cable, wherein the first power cable is electrically connected to the second power cable
`
`through two conductors, the shutoff device comprising:
`
`a magnetic core that is electromagnetically coupled to th_e two conductors that allow [an]
`
`th_e AC current to flow through,
`
`a winding that is wrapped around the magnetic core, .......
`
`a discrimination controller that is configured to:
`
`not provide the two contact elements with a change disable signal to turn the two
`
`contact elements on when the DC component level detected with the DC component detector is
`
`less than or equal to a threshold;
`
`provide the two contact elements with the change disable signal to turn the two
`
`contact elements off when the DC component level detected with the DC component detector is
`
`greater than the threshold; and
`
`provide the two contact elements with the change disable signal to turn the two
`
`contact elements off in de—energized condition when the electric drive vehicle is disconnected
`
`from the AC power supply.
`
`Claim 2-20 are also rejected as it inherits the deficiencies in claim 1.
`
`Examiner Notes
`
`4.
`
`Examiner cites particular paragraphs, columns and line numbers in the references as
`
`applied to the claims below for the convenience of the applicant. Although the specified citations
`
`are representative of the teachings in the art and are applied to the specific limitations within the
`
`individual claim, other passages and figures may apply as well. It is respectfully requested that,
`
`in preparing responses, the applicant fully consider the references in entirety as potentially
`
`

`

`Application/Control Number: 15/563,934
`Art Unit: 2867
`
`Page 4
`
`teaching all or part of the claimed invention, as well as the context of the passage as taught by
`
`the prior art or disclosed by the examiner.
`
`Claim Rejections - 35 US C § 102
`
`5.
`
`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)(l) 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 l22(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.
`
`6.
`
`Claim 1-3 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Yasuhiro et
`
`al. (JP2013-038047 cited from IDS with English translation; hereinafter “Yasuhir0”).
`
`Regarding claim 1, Yasuhiro discloses a shutoff device (a circuit breaker system as
`
`shown in Fig. 1), comprising
`
`a magnetic core (12b) that is electromagnetically coupled to two conductors (U and V
`
`conductors) that allow an AC current to flow through, a winding (12a) that is wrapped around
`
`the magnetic core (12b), an exciter (13 in Figs. 2, 5 and paragraph [0018]) that is configured to
`
`supply the winding with an excitation current that is an alternating current, a current detector (13
`
`and 14) that is configured to detect a current flowing through the winding, a DC component
`
`detector (26) that is configured to detect a DC component level from the current detected with
`
`the current detector, two contact elements (1) that are respectively disposed along the two
`
`conductors, and a discrimination controller (10, ll and 27) that is configured to: turn the two
`
`contact elements on when the DC component level detected with the DC component detector is
`
`

`

`Application/Control Number: 15/563,934
`Art Unit: 2867
`
`Page 5
`
`less than or equal to a threshold; turn the two contact elements off when the DC component level
`
`detected with the DC component detector is greater than the threshold; and turn the two contact
`
`elements off in de—energized condition (see paragraphs [0015, 0018, 0022, 0026]).
`
`Regarding claim 2, Yasuhiro discloses the shutoff device of claim 1, further comprising a
`
`storage device that is configured to store, as an offset value, the DC component level detected
`
`with the DC component detector when the two contact elements are off, wherein the
`
`discrimination controller is configured to judge that the DC component level detected with the
`
`DC component detector is greater than the threshold, when a value obtained by subtracting the
`
`offset value from the DC component level detected with the DC component detector is greater
`
`than the threshold (see paragraphs [0011, 0015—0018, 0022, 0026]).
`
`Regarding claim 3, Yasuhiro discloses the shutoff device of claim 1, further comprising a
`
`storage device that is configured to store, as an offset value, the DC component level detected
`
`with the DC component detector when the two contact elements are off, wherein the
`
`discrimination controller is configured to increase the threshold with an increase in the offset
`
`value (see paragraphs [0011, 0015—0018, 0022, 0026]).
`
`7.
`
`Claim 1-3 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by DiSalvo et
`
`al. (US. Pub. 2006/0187594; hereinafter “DiSalv0”).
`
`Regarding claim 1, DiSalvo discloses a shutoff device (a ground fault circuit interrupter
`
`as shown in Fig. 2), comprising
`
`a magnetic core (Tl) that is electromagnetically coupled to two conductors (216 and 218
`
`conductors) that allow an AC current to flow through, a winding (206) that is wrapped around
`
`the magnetic core (Tl), an exciter (208) that is configured to supply the winding with an
`
`excitation current that is an alternating current, a current detector (Rl—R4) that is configured to
`
`

`

`Application/Control Number: 15/563,934
`Art Unit: 2867
`
`Page 6
`
`detect a current flowing through the winding, a DC component detector (Ul) that is configured
`
`to detect a DC component level from the current detected with the current detector, two contact
`
`elements (220a—b) that are respectively disposed along the two conductors, and a discrimination
`
`controller (210, 222) that is configured to: turn the two contact elements on when the DC
`
`component level detected with the DC component detector is less than or equal to a threshold;
`
`turn the two contact elements off when the DC component level detected with the DC
`
`component detector is greater than the threshold; and turn the two contact elements off in de—
`
`energized condition (see paragraphs [2l—27]).
`
`Regarding claim 2, Yasuhiro discloses the shutoff device of claim 1, further comprising a
`
`storage device that is configured to store, as an offset value, the DC component level detected
`
`with the DC component detector when the two contact elements are off, wherein the
`
`discrimination controller is configured to judge that the DC component level detected with the
`
`DC component detector is greater than the threshold, when a value obtained by subtracting the
`
`offset value from the DC component level detected with the DC component detector is greater
`
`than the threshold (see paragraphs [2l—27]).
`
`Regarding claim 3, Yasuhiro discloses the shutoff device of claim 1, further comprising a
`
`storage device that is configured to store, as an offset value, the DC component level detected
`
`with the DC component detector when the two contact elements are off, wherein the
`
`discrimination controller is configured to increase the threshold with an increase in the offset
`
`value (see paragraphs [2l—27]).
`
`

`

`Application/Control Number: 15/563,934
`Art Unit: 2867
`
`Page 7
`
`Allowable Subject Matter
`
`8.
`
`The prior art of record found as a result of the search, does not teach alone or in
`
`combination all of the elements recited in Claims 4, 5 and 8. Therefore, no prior art rejection for
`
`claim Claims 4—20 is presented in this action. However, Claims 4—20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C
`
`l l2(b).
`
`Prior Art of Record
`
`9.
`
`The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's
`
`disclosure.
`
`Nichols et al. (US Pat. No. 4685022) discloses a ground fault circuit interrupter capable
`
`of deriving energy from ground fault current in order to achieve circuit interruption in the
`
`presence of a reduced supply voltage... (see specification for more details).
`
`Tanka et al. (US Pat. No. 4280162) discloses a device for sensing current flow in an
`
`electric conductor employs a ferromagnetic core coupled to the conductor and a control Winding
`
`on the core for applying a periodic magnetic flux to a part of the core of a magnitude to vary the
`
`core permeability, preferably driving a part of the core in and out of saturation. .
`
`. (see
`
`specification for more details).
`
`Conclusion
`
`9.
`
`Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner
`
`should be directed to THANG XUAN LE Whose telephone number is (571)272—9349. The
`
`examiner can normally be reached on M—F 9 AM—6 PM.
`
`