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 .
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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 35 U.S.C. 103 which forms the basis for all obviousness rejections set forth in this Office action:
A patent for a claimed invention may not be obtained, notwithstanding that the claimed invention is not identically disclosed as set forth in section 102, if the differences between the claimed invention and the prior art are such that the claimed invention as a whole would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a person having ordinary skill in the art to which the claimed invention pertains. Patentability shall not be negated by the manner in which the invention was made.
The factual inquiries for establishing a background for determining obviousness under 35 U.S.C. 103 are summarized as follows:
1. Determining the scope and contents of the prior art.
2. Ascertaining the differences between the prior art and the claims at issue.
3. Resolving the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art.
4. Considering objective evidence present in the application indicating obviousness or nonobviousness.
Claims 1-5, 7-10, 13, 17 and 19 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kimura (JP2012178241) in view of Miller (US9510398) and further in view of Baba (JP2005203273) with citations made to attached machine translations.
Regarding claim 1, Kimura teaches an induction heating type cooktop comprising: an upper plate (16) coupled to a top of a case (3), the upper plate (16) being configured to support a target object (35); a thin film (36) disposed on at least one of a top of the upper plate or a bottom of the upper plate ([0018] thin film 36 on bottom of plate 16); a working coil (8) provided in the case (upper plate 16 covers induction heating coil)) and configured to inductively heat at least one of the target object or the thin film (induction heating coil 8 to heat cooking utensil 35), wherein the thin film (36) is positioned between the working coil (8) and the target object (35); a first temperature sensor (39 a or 39b) configured to measure a temperature of the thin film ([0021] temperature sensors detect temperature of lower surface of top plate 16, being the thin film 36 as shown in Fig. 6); a second temperature sensor (32) configured to measure a temperature of the upper plate ([0018-0022] an infrared sensor 32 detecting infrared rays radiated from a top plate 16 ); and a controller (41) configured to: control the working coil to heat the target object based on a target output ([0023] corresponding heating control is performed), and control an output of the working coil based on the measured temperature of the thin film and the measured temperature of the upper plate ([0068] based on temperature from infrared sensor 32, being the temperature of the top plate, and the temperature sensors 39, being the temperature of the thin film, heating output is controlled by controller device 41),
Kimura is silent on wherein a thickness of the thin film is less than a skin depth of the thin film; the thin film is configured to: allow a magnetic field from the working coil to pass through the thin film to inductively heat the target object with the target object being a magnetic material and positioned on the upper plate, and receive an eddy current induced by the magnetic field to heat the object with the target object being a non-magnetic material and positioned on the upper plate.
Miller teaches the thin film (504) is configured to:
allow a magnetic field from the working coil to pass through the thin film to inductively heat the target object with the target object being a magnetic material and positioned on the upper plate (Col. 1 lines 5-20 based on a magnetic field generates heat in the container or vessel via eddy currents and the container provides heat to contents positioned in the container via thermal conduction, induction heating apparatus understood to be able to operate by directly heating the magnetic object),
and receive an eddy current induced by the magnetic field to heat the object with the target object being a non-magnetic material and positioned on the upper plate (Col. 6 lines 45-67 the container 510 composed of non-ferrous materials; inductor 508 provides a magnetic field (e.g., the magnetic field 210 of FIG. 2) that generates eddy currents (e.g., the eddy currents 212 of FIG. 2).
Kimura and Miller are considered to be analogous to the claimed invention because they are in the same field of induction heating devices. It would have been obvious to have modified Kimura to incorporate the teachings of Miller to have the thin film be heated by an eddy current from a working coil based on the target object being a non-magnetic object and to transmit the magnetic field to the target heating object based on the target heating object being a magnetic object to be able to heat object made out of both non-magnetic and magnetic materials using a singular cooktop such that a wide variety of cooking objects may be used with an induction stove (Miller Col. 1 lines 5- 20).
Kimura and Miller are silent on wherein a thickness of the thin film is less than a skin depth of the thin film.
Baba teaches wherein a thickness of the thin film (20b) is less than a skin depth of the thin film ([0068] thickness of a metal layer being smaller than the skin depth)
Kimura, Miller, and Baba are considered to be analogous to the claimed invention because they are in the same field of induction heating devices. It would have been obvious to have modified Kimura and Miller to incorporate the teachings of Baba to have a thin film that has a thickness less than a skin depth of the film such that a non-magnetic metal thin layer may be used for heating instead of a thicker magnetic material, that are conventionally used, as it is desirable to use a thinner heating layer given that thinner layers have higher versatility and a lower cost (Baba [0013, 0023-0026]).
Regarding claim 2, Kimura, Miller, and Baba teach the induction heating type cooktop of claim 1, and Kimura teaches wherein the first temperature sensor (39a or 39b) is configured to measure a temperature of a portion of the thin film overlapping the upper plate (Fig. 6 [0021] temperature sensors detect temperature of lower surface of top plate 16, being the thin film 36 as shown in Fig. 6), and wherein the second temperature sensor (32) is configured to measure a temperature of a portion of the upper plate not overlapping the thin film ([0018] the thin film 36 is not formed on the inside of the portion where the opening 34, where infrared sensor 32 is placed).
Regarding claim 3, Kimura, Miller, and Baba teach the induction heating type cooktop of claim 2, and Kimura teaches wherein the thin film (36) includes a hole in a central portion (Fig. 6 opening 34), and wherein the second temperature sensor (32) is configured to measure the temperature of the upper plate through the hole based on the thin film being disposed on the bottom of the upper plate ([0018] the thin film 36 is not formed on the inside of the portion where the opening 34, where infrared sensor 32 is placed to detect temperature of the op plate 16).
Regarding claim 4, Kimura, Miller, and Baba teach the induction heating type cooktop of claim 3, and Kimura teaches wherein the hole has a predetermined radius ([0018] opening 34 having a radius determined by transmission window 37 formed within the opening).
Regarding claim 5, Kimura, Miller, and Baba teach the induction heating type cooktop of claim 2, and Kimura teaches wherein the portion of the upper plate (38) measured by the second temperature sensor (32) is spaced apart above a predetermined distance from a boundary (Fig. 6 transmission window 37 taken to be a boundary) of the overlapping portion between the thin film and the upper plate (portion of upper plate 38 is above transmission window 37).
Regarding claim 7, Kimura, Miller, and Baba teach the induction heating type cooktop of claim 1, and Kimura teaches wherein the first temperature sensor (39a, 39b) is configured to measure temperatures of a plurality of portions of the thin film ([0021] Fig. 6 temperature sensors 39a and 39b disposed at different portions of thin film 36).
Regarding claim 8, Kimura, Miller, and Baba teach the induction heating type cooktop of claim 1, and Kimura teaches wherein the controller (41) is configured to determine whether to maintain the output of the working coil to be the target output or reduce the output based on at least one of the measured temperature of the thin film or the measured temperature of the upper plate ([0067] temperature maintained after temperature detection from infrared sensor 32).
Regarding claim 9, Kimura, Miller, and Baba teach the induction heating type cooktop of claim 8, and Kimura teaches wherein the controller is configured to determine whether to maintain the output of the working coil to be the target output or reduce the output ([0040] heating power P outputted is reduced) based on whether the measured temperature of the thin film is higher than or equal to a first threshold temperature ([0040] Fig. 2 when TPU, the temperature of 39a and 39b, reaches desired temperature labeled as a data series, taken to be a threshold, the thermal power output P is reduced).
Regarding claim 10, Kimura, Miller, and Baba teach the induction heating type cooktop of claim 8, and Kimura teaches wherein the controller is configured to determine whether to maintain the output of the working coil to be the target output or reduce the output ([0067] temperature maintained when an appropriate temperature is reached) based on whether the measured temperature of the upper plate ([0067] based on temperature detection output of infrared 32, measuring the top plate 116) is higher than or equal to a second threshold temperature ([0067] appropriate temperature being reached, taken to be equivalent a threshold temperature).
Regarding claim 13, Kimura, Miller, and Baba the induction heating type cooktop of claim 8, and Kimura wherein the controller is configured to suspend an operation of the working coil ([0040] heating power output P reduced to 0kW, taken to be suspending operation) based on the temperature of the thin film being higher than or equal to a predetermined first threshold temperature or the temperature of the upper plate being higher than or equal to a predetermined second threshold temperature ([0040] Fig. 2 when TPU, the temperature of 39a and 39b, reaches desired temperature labeled as a data series, taken to be a threshold, the thermal power output P is reduced).
Regarding claim 17, Kimura teaches a method of controlling an output of a working coil (8) to heat a target object (35), the method comprising: inductively heating at least one of the target object or a thin film (induction heating coil 8 to heat cooking utensil 35), the thin film (36) to be positioned between the working coil (8) and the target object (35), receiving, from a first temperature sensor (39a or 39b), a measured temperature of a thin film disposed on at least one of a top of an upper plate or a bottom of the upper plate ([0021] temperature sensors detect temperature of lower surface of top plate 16, being the thin film 36 as shown in Fig. 6), the upper plate (16) couples to a top of a case (3) and configured to support the object (35); receiving, from a second temperature sensor (32), a measured temperature of the upper plate ([0018-0022] an infrared sensor 32 detecting infrared rays radiated from a top plate 16, the upper plate holding the target object (35),
Kimura is silent on wherein a thickness of the thin film is less than a skin depth of the thin film allow a magnetic field from the working coil to pass through the thin film to inductively heat the target object with the target object being a magnetic material and positioned on the upper plate, and receive an eddy current induced by the magnetic field to heat the object with the target object being a non-magnetic material and positioned on the upper plate.
Miller teaches the thin film (504) is configured to:
allow a magnetic field from the working coil to pass through the thin film to inductively heat the target object with the target object being a magnetic material and positioned on the upper plate (Col. 1 lines 5-20 based on a magnetic field generates heat in the container or vessel via eddy currents and the container provides heat to contents positioned in the container via thermal conduction, induction heating apparatus understood to be able to operate by directly heating the magnetic object),
and receive an eddy current induced by the magnetic field to heat the object with the target object being a non-magnetic material and positioned on the upper plate (Col. 6 lines 45-67 the container 510 composed of non-ferrous materials; inductor 508 provides a magnetic field (e.g., the magnetic field 210 of FIG. 2) that generates eddy currents (e.g., the eddy currents 212 of FIG. 2).
It would have been obvious to have modified Kimura to incorporate the teachings of Miller to have the thin film be heated by an eddy current from a working coil based on the target object being a non-magnetic object and to transmit the magnetic field to the target heating object based on the target heating object being a magnetic object to be able to heat object made out of both non-magnetic and magnetic materials using a singular cooktop such that a wide variety of cooking objects may be used with an induction stove (Miller Col. 1 lines 5- 20).
Kimura and Miller are silent on wherein a thickness of the thin film is less than a skin depth of the thin film.
Baba teaches wherein a thickness of the thin film (20b) is less than a skin depth of the thin film ([0068] thickness of a metal layer being smaller than the skin depth)
It would have been obvious to have modified Kimura and Miller to incorporate the teachings of Baba to have a thin film that has a thickness less than a skin depth of the film such that a non-magnetic metal thin layer may be used for heating instead of a thicker magnetic material, that are conventionally used, as it is desirable to use a thinner heating layer given that thinner layers have higher versatility and a lower cost (Baba [0013, 0023-0026]).
Regarding claim 19, Kimura, Miller, and Baba teach the method of claim 17, and Kimura teaches further comprising: suspending an operation of the working coil ([0040] heating power output P reduced to 0kW, taken to be suspending operation) based on the measured temperature of the thin film being higher than or equal to a predetermined first threshold temperature or the measured temperature of the upper plate being higher than or equal to a predetermined second threshold temperature ([0040] Fig. 2 when TPU, the temperature of 39a and 39b, reaches desired temperature labeled as a data series, taken to be a threshold, the thermal power output P is reduced).
Claim 6 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kimura (JP2012178241), Miller (US9510398), and Baba (JP2005203273) as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of Fujita (JP2002056959) with citations made to attached machine translations.
Regarding claim 6, Kimura, Miller, and Baba teach the induction heating type cooktop of claim 1, but are silent on wherein the first temperature sensor is configured to measure the temperature of the thin film using a thermocouple.
However, Fujita teaches wherein the first temperature sensor is configured to measure the temperature of the thin film using a thermocouple ([0011-0014] temperature detection 17 means being a thermocouple to detect temperature of the electric conductor 16, taken to be the thin film).
Kimura, Miller, Baba, and Fujita are considered to be analogous to the claimed invention because they are in the same field of induction cooking devices. It would have been obvious to have modified Kimura and Baba to incorporate the teachings of Fujita to have the first temperature sensor be a thermocouple in order to enhance temperature detection accuracy (Fujita [0013]).
Claims 11-12, 18 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kimura (JP2012178241), Miller (US9510398), and Baba (JP2005203273) as applied to claims 1 and 17 above, and further in view of Wilkins (US7105781).
Regarding claims 11, Kimura, Miller, and Baba teach the induction heating type cooktop of claim 8, and Kimura teaches wherein the controller is configured to determine whether to maintain an output of the working coil to be the target output or reduce the output based ([0040] heating power output P reduced to 0kW, taken to be suspending operation) on whether the measured temperature of the thin film is higher than or equal to a first threshold temperature ([0040] Fig. 2 when TPU, the temperature of 39a and 39b, reaches desired temperature labeled as a data series, taken to be a threshold, the thermal power output P is reduced) and whether the measured temperature of the upper plate is higher than or equal to a second threshold temperature ([0038-0040] Fig. 2 when Vto, the outputted voltage from infrared sensor 32, based on temperature detected by sensor 32, reaches desired voltage for an associated data series, taken to be a threshold, the thermal power output P is reduced, example given in [0038], when TPU reaches 150C and Vto reaches 140 mV, power is decreased), but is silent on wherein the first threshold temperature is higher than the second threshold temperature.
However, Wilkins teaches wherein the first threshold temperature is higher than the second threshold temperature (Col. 7 lines 45-50 temperature sensed by the first temperature-responsive device 24, taken to be the equivalent of a sensing the temperature of the film, is above 100 degrees Celsius; the temperature sensed by the second temperature responsive device 26, taken to be the equivalent of sensing the temperature of the upper plate, is above 50 degrees Celsius).
Kimura, Miller, Baba, and Wilkins are considered to be analogous to the claimed invention because they are in the same field of induction cooking devices. It would have been obvious to have modified Kimura and Baba to incorporate the teachings of Wilkins to maintain or reduce the output when the upper plate temperature is greater than or equal to a threshold temperature, where the first temperature is higher than the second in order to prevent boil-dry events from occurring, when a food product sticks to a cooking utensils, through a rise of a temperature that can be detected through the cooking surface (Wilkins Col. 1 lines 45-50).
Regarding claim 12, Kimura, Miller, Baba, and Wilkins teach the induction heating type cooktop of claim 11, and Kimura teaches wherein the controller is configured to determine whether to maintain an output of the working coil to be the target output or reduce the output ([0038-0040] thermal power P reduced) based on the first threshold temperature ([0032-0040] desired TPU temperature) and the second threshold temperature ([0032-0040] desired Vto value based on temperature detected by sensor 32), and wherein each of the first threshold temperature and the second threshold temperature includes at least one threshold temperature ([0038] when TPU reaches 150C and Vto reaches 140 mV, power is decreased).
Regarding claim 18, Kimura, Miller, and Baba teach the method of claim 17, and Kimura teaches wherein the controller is configured to determine whether to maintain an output of the working coil to be the target output or reduce the output based ([0040] heating power output P reduced to 0kW, taken to be suspending operation) on whether the measured temperature of the thin film is higher than or equal to a first threshold temperature ([0040] Fig. 2 when TPU, the temperature of 39a and 39b, reaches desired temperature labeled as a data series, taken to be a threshold, the thermal power output P is reduced) and whether the measured temperature of the upper plate is higher than or equal to a second threshold temperature ([0038-0040] Fig. 2 when Vto, the outputted voltage from infrared sensor 32, based on temperature detected by sensor 32, reaches desired voltage for an associated data series, taken to be a threshold, the thermal power output P is reduced, example given in [0038], when TPU reaches 150C and Vto reaches 140 mV, power is decreased), but is silent on wherein the first threshold temperature is higher than the second threshold temperature.
However, Wilkins teaches wherein the first threshold temperature is higher than the second threshold temperature (Col. 7 lines 45-50 temperature sensed by the first temperature-responsive device 24, taken to be the equivalent of a sensing the temperature of the film, is above 100 degrees Celsius; the temperature sensed by the second temperature responsive device 26, taken to be the equivalent of sensing the temperature of the upper plate, is above 50 degrees Celsius).
Kimura, Miller, Baba, and Wilkins are considered to be analogous to the claimed invention because they are in the same field of induction cooking devices. It would have been obvious to have modified Kimura and Baba to incorporate the teachings of Wilkins to maintain or reduce the output when the upper plate temperature is greater than or equal to a threshold temperature, where the first temperature is higher than the second in order to prevent boil-dry events from occurring, when a food product sticks to a cooking utensils, through a rise of a temperature that can be detected through the cooking surface (Wilkins Col. 1 lines 45-50).
Claims 14-15 and 20 rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kimura (JP2012178241), Miller (US9510398), and Baba (JP2005203273) as applied to claims 1 and 17 above, and further in view of Tominaga (US 8729434).
Regarding claim 14, Kimura, Miller, and Baba teach the induction heating type cooktop of claim 8, but are silent on wherein the controller is configured to suspend an operation of the working coil or maintain the output to be the target output based on whether the measured temperature of the thin film is lower than the measured temperature of the upper plate.
However, Tominaga teaches wherein the controller is configured to suspend an operation of the working coil or maintain the output to be the target output (Col. 6 lines 25-42 power supply to heating coil 2 is stopped) based on whether the measured temperature of the thin film (Col. 6 lines 25-42 temperature sensor 7 detects a is about 180 C) is lower than the measured temperature of the upper plate (Col. 6 lines 25-42 temperature of infrared sensor 6 is between about 290 and 330C).
Kimura, Miller, Baba, and Tominaga are considered to be analogous to the claimed invention because they are in the same field of induction cooking devices. It would have been obvious to have modified Kimura, Miller, and Baba to incorporate the teachings of Tominaga to maintain or reduce the output based on the temperature of the thin film being lower than the upper plate in order to allow cooking to be carried with high heating power, which is suitable to stir frying food even if the temperature detection at a bottom of a plate, taken to be the equivalent position of the thin film temperature detected at Kimura, varies based around the shape of the bottom of the pan. In this situation it is desirable for heating not to be stopped or suppressed based on the detection result of the one temperature sensor (Col. 10 lines 15-33).
Regarding claims 15, Kimura, Miller, Baba, and Tominaga teach the induction heating type cooktop of claim 14, but Kimura, Miller, and Baba are silent on wherein the controller is configured to: maintain the output for a predetermined time in response to a determination that the measured temperature of the thin film is lower than the temperature of the upper plate; and suspend the operation of the working coil in response to a determination that a temperature of the thin film is lower than a temperature of the upper plate after the predetermined time elapses.
Tominaga teaches wherein the controller is configured to: maintain the output for a predetermined time in response to a determination that the measured temperature of the thin film is lower (Col. 6 lines 25-42 temperature sensor 7 detects a is about 180 C) than the temperature of the upper plate (Col. 6 lines 25-42 temperature of infrared sensor 6 is between about 290 and 330C); and suspend the operation of the working coil in response to a determination that a temperature of the thin film is lower than a temperature of the upper plate after the predetermined time elapses (Col. 14 lines 5-15 heating coil stopped at time t6, where control temperature of temperature sensor is less than infrared sensor).
It would have been obvious to have modified Kimura, Miller, and Baba to incorporate the teachings of Tominaga to maintain the output based on the temperature of the thin film being lower than the upper plate for a predetermined time and then suspend the operation as it is desirable for heating not to be stopped or suppressed based on the detection result of the one temperature sensor (Tominaga Col. 10 lines 15-33).
Regarding claim 20, Kimura, Miller, and Baba teach the method of claim 17, but are silent on wherein the controller is configured to suspend an operation of the working coil or maintain the output to be the target output based on whether the measured temperature of the thin film is lower than the measured temperature of the upper plate.
However, Tominaga teaches wherein the controller is configured to suspend an operation of the working coil or maintain the output to be the target output (Col. 6 lines 25-42 power supply to heating coil 2 is stopped) based on whether the measured temperature of the thin film (Col. 6 lines 25-42 temperature sensor 7 detects a is about 180 C) is lower than the measured temperature of the upper plate (Col. 6 lines 25-42 temperature of infrared sensor 6 is between about 290 and 330C).
It would have been obvious to have modified Kimura, Miller, and Baba to incorporate the teachings of Tominaga to maintain or reduce the output based on the temperature of the thin film being lower than the upper plate in order to allow cooking to be carried with high heating power, which is suitable to stir frying food even if the temperature detection at a bottom of a plate, taken to be the equivalent position of the thin film temperature detected at Kimura, varies based around the shape of the bottom of the pan. In this situation it is desirable for heating not to be stopped or suppressed based on the detection result of the one temperature sensor (Col. 10 lines 15-33).
Terminal Disclaimer
The terminal disclaimer filed on 11/19/2025 disclaiming the terminal portion of any patent granted on this application which would extend beyond the expiration date of Patent No. 12022596 has been reviewed and is accepted. The terminal disclaimer has been recorded.
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed 11/19/2025 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive.
Applicant’s argument towards Kimura and Miller on Pg. 2 of the Remarks, where applicant argues that Miller does not describe or suggest “heating both magnetic and non-magnetic target object based on the thin film” and “miller does not describe or suggest that ‘the thin film is configured to: allow a magnetic field from the working coil to pass through the thin film... with the target object being a magnetic material and positioned on the upper plate.” However, it is understood that in order to heat a magnetic cooking object and affect induction cooking, a magnetic field would be passed through a thin film, in either Miller or Baba, by the nature of magnetic fields. Where in at least Kimura, a magnetic field passes through film 36, in order to inductively heat the cooking utensil 35, and in combination with the teachings of Miller, which teaches having the thin film that is heated through the use of a magnetic field, where if the heated object is non-magnetic, the eddy currents directly heat the non-magnetic field. In the case of a magnetic object being placed on the thin film as modifying the primary reference Kimura, it would have been understood that at least in part, the magnetic field would pass through the thin film to inductively heat the magnetic object.
Regarding applicant’s argument that it would not have been obvious to modify Kimura and Miller with the teachings of Baba which teaches the skin depth of the thin film, given that “the objectives [of the thin film of Kimura-Miller and Baba] bear no similarity,” the motivation found in Baba in [0013, 0023-0026], of achieving a thinner heating layer, for higher versatility and lower costs, would be understood to be applicable to both “objectives” applicant argues of the Kimura-Miller combination. Even thought the exact scope of the thin film in both Baba and the Kimura-Miller combination do not exactly overlap, given the thin films are directed towards heat, it is understood that there is motivation to combine Baba with the Kimura-Miller combination.
Conclusion
THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
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/ABIGAIL H RHUE/Examiner, Art Unit 3761 3/3/2026
/VY T NGUYEN/Examiner, Art Unit 3761