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 .
Continued Examination Under 37 CFR 1.114
A request for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, including the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e), was filed in this application after final rejection. Since this application is eligible for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114. Applicant's submission filed on 02/05/2026 has been entered.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claims 1, 3-8, 10-12, 15 and 16 have been considered but are moot because the new ground of rejection does not rely on any reference applied in the prior rejection of record for any teaching or matter specifically challenged in the argument.
The drawings objection made in the Office action dated 09/11/2025 is hereby withdrawn as a result of the cancellation of claim 13.
Drawings
The drawings received on 04/12/2022 are acceptable.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 02/06/2026 is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
Claim Objections
Claims 3, 8, 10 and 11, 12, 15 and 16 are objected to because of the following informalities:
Regarding claims 3, 8, 10 and 11, it appears “the transmitter coil” in line 2, respectively, should be --the wireless power transmitter coil--.
Regarding claim 12, it appears the double indentation of “a power converter…” of the last limitation should be only one indentation.
Claims 15 and 16 are objected to as being dependent on claim 12.
Appropriate correction is required.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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, 3-8, 11, 12, 15 and 16 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Zenkner (U.S. PG. Pub. No. 2020/0336011 A1) in view of Lee et al. (U.S. PG. Pub. No. 2019/0355500 A1).
With respect to claim 1, Zenkner teaches a wireless power transmitter assembly 5 and 18 (Fig. 1 and 9, 12 or 13) comprising:
a wireless power transmitter coil 5 wound around a ferromagnetic core 18, the ferromagnetic core comprising a ferrite,
wherein the ferromagnetic core has a U-shape,
wherein the wireless power transmitter coil is configured to generate magnetic flux in response to an alternating current (AC) signal being transmitted through the wireless power transmitter coil (paras. [0041], [0045] and [0064], [0067] or [0068]).
Zenkner does not expressly teach
the ferromagnetic core comprising a nanocrystalline material disposed on a ferrite,
wherein the ferromagnetic core is configured such that during a low current operation, the magnetic flux flows to the ferrite, and during a high current operation, the magnetic flux flows to the nanocrystalline material.
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Lee et al., hereinafter referred to as “Lee,” teaches a transmitter assembly (FIG. 3) comprising:
a ferromagnetic core 110 or 410and 420, the ferromagnetic core comprising a nanocrystalline material 420 disposed on a ferrite 410 (paras. [0068], [0075] and [0078]). The incorporation of the nanocrystalline material disposed on a ferrite as taught by Lee to the ferrite of Zenkner would result in “wherein the ferromagnetic core is configured such that during a low current operation, the magnetic flux flows to the ferrite, and during a high current operation, the magnetic flux flows to the nanocrystalline material” as claimed.
Therefore, it would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a person having ordinary skill in the art to have the nanocrystalline material on a ferrite ferromagnetic core as taught by Lee to the transmitter assembly of Zenkner to provide a transmitter assembly that is capable of receiving high power and which is compact and has excellent noise removal performance (para. [0010]).
With respect to claim 3, Zenkner in view of Lee teaches the wireless power transmitter assembly according to claim 1, wherein the transmitter coil is wound around a central portion of the ferromagnetic core having the U- shape (para. [0064], [0067] or [0068]).
With respect to claim 4, Zenkner in view of Lee teaches the wireless power transmitter assembly according to claim 1, wherein the ferrite is a MnZn ferrite (Lee, para. [0078]).
With respect to claim 5, Zenkner in view of Lee teaches the wireless power transmitter assembly according to claim 1, wherein the ferrite is a NiZn ferrite (Zenkner, para. [00660]).
With respect to claim 6, Zenkner in view of Lee teaches the wireless power transmitter assembly according to claim 1, wherein 60% to 90% of the thickness of the ferromagnetic core is ferrite and 10% to 40% of the thickness of the ferromagnetic core is a nanocrystalline material (by visual inspection) (Lee, paras. [0078] and [0162]).
With respect to claim 7, Zenkner teaches an inductive wireless power transfer assembly 1 (Fig. 1 and 9, 12 or 13) comprising:
a wireless power transmitter assembly 5 and 18 comprising a wireless power transmitter coil 5 wound around a ferromagnetic core 18, the ferromagnetic core comprising a ferrite,
wherein the ferromagnetic core has a U-shaped base,
wherein the wireless power transmitter coil is configured to generate magnetic flux in response to an alternating current (AC) signal being transmitted through the wireless power transmitter coil, and
a wireless power receiver assembly 8 and 20 comprising a wireless power receiver coil 8, wherein the wireless power transmitter coil is configured to be aligned with the wireless power receiver coil such that the magnetic flux generated by the wireless power transmitter coil induces an AC current in the wireless power receiver coil (paras. [0041], [0045], [0046] and [0064], [0067] or [0068]).
Zenkner does not expressly teach
the ferromagnetic core comprising a nanocrystalline material disposed on a ferrite,
wherein the ferromagnetic core is configured such that during a low current operation, the magnetic flux flows to the ferrite, and during a high current operation, the magnetic flux flows to the nanocrystalline material.
Lee teaches an inductive wireless power transfer assembly (FIG. 3) comprising:
a ferromagnetic core 110 or 410and 420, the ferromagnetic core comprising a nanocrystalline material 420 disposed on a ferrite 410 (paras. [0068], [0075] and [0078]). The incorporation of the nanocrystalline material disposed on a ferrite as taught by Lee to the ferrite of Zenkner would result in “wherein the ferromagnetic core is configured such that during a low current operation, the magnetic flux flows to the ferrite, and during a high current operation, the magnetic flux flows to the nanocrystalline material” as claimed.
Therefore, it would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a person having ordinary skill in the art to have the nanocrystalline material on a ferrite ferromagnetic core as taught by Lee to the inductive wireless power transfer assembly of Zenkner to provide a transmitter assembly that is capable of receiving high power and which is compact and has excellent noise removal performance (para. [0010]).
With respect to claim 8, Zenkner in view of Lee teaches the inductive wireless power transfer assembly according to claim 7, wherein the transmitter assembly is disposed in a primary electronic device 2 and the receiver assembly is disposed in a receiving device 3 (Zenkner, paras. [0045] and [0046]).
With respect to claim 11, Zenkner in view of Lee teaches the inductive wireless power transfer assembly according to claim 7, wherein the transmitter coil is wound around a central portion of the ferromagnetic core having the U-shape (Zenkner, para. [0064], [0067] or [0068]).
With respect to claim 12, Zenkner teaches an electronic device (Fig. 1 and 9, 12 or 13) comprising:
a primary electronic device 2 comprising a wireless power transmitter assembly 5 and 18, the wireless power transmitter assembly comprising a wireless power transmitter coil 5 wound around a ferromagnetic core 18, the ferromagnetic core comprising a ferrite,
wherein the ferromagnetic core has a U-shape,
wherein the wireless power transmitter coil is configured to generate magnetic flux in response to an alternating current (AC) signal being transmitted through the wireless power transmitter coil, and
a peripheral electronic device 3 comprising a wireless power receiver coil 8, wherein the magnetic flux generated by the wireless power transmitter coil induces an AC current in the wireless power receiver coil, and
a power converter 13 and or 14 configured to convert the AC current induced in the wireless power receiver coil into direct current (DC) power (paras. [0041], [0045]-[0047] and [0064], [0067] or [0068]).
Zenkner does not expressly teach
the ferromagnetic core comprising a nanocrystalline material disposed on a ferrite,
wherein the ferromagnetic core is configured such that during a low current operation, the magnetic flux flows to the ferrite, and during a high current operation, the magnetic flux flows to the nanocrystalline material.
Lee teaches an electronic device (FIG. 3) comprising:
a ferromagnetic core 110 or 410and 420, the ferromagnetic core comprising a nanocrystalline material 420 disposed on a ferrite 410 (paras. [0068], [0075] and [0078]). The incorporation of the nanocrystalline material disposed on a ferrite as taught by Lee to the ferrite of Zenkner would result in “wherein the ferromagnetic core is configured such that during a low current operation, the magnetic flux flows to the ferrite, and during a high current operation, the magnetic flux flows to the nanocrystalline material” as claimed.
Therefore, it would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a person having ordinary skill in the art to have the nanocrystalline material on a ferrite ferromagnetic core as taught by Lee to the an electronic device of Zenkner to provide a transmitter assembly that is capable of receiving high power and which is compact and has excellent noise removal performance (para. [0010]).
With respect to claim 15, Zenkner in view of Lee teaches the electronic device of claim 12, wherein the wireless power transmitter coil is wound around a central portion of the ferromagnetic core having the U-shape U-shaped base (Zenkner, para. [0064], [0067] or [0068]).
With respect to claim 16, Zenkner in view of Lee teaches the electronic device of claim 12, wherein the ferrite is a MnZn ferrite or a NiZn ferrite (Zenkner, para. [0060]), Lee, para. [0048]).
Claim 10 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Zenkner in view of Lee, as applied to claim 7 above, and further in view of Wang et al. (U.S. PG. Pub. No. 2020/0081492 A1).
With respect to claim 10, Zenkner in view of Lee teaches the inductive power transfer assembly according to claim 7. Zenkner in view of Lee does not expressly teach the transmitter assembly is an electronic device having a width of less than 0.75 cm.
Wang et al., hereinafter referred to as “Wang,” teaches an inductive power transfer assembly 10 (FIG. 8), wherein the transmitter assembly 20 is an electronic device having a width of less than 0.75 cm (paras. [0029] and [0040]). It would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a person having ordinary skill in the art to have the electronic width as taught by Wang to the inductive power transfer assembly of Zenkner in view of Lee to provide the required dimension of the transmitter assembly to meet design requirements.
Conclusion
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/MANG TIN BIK LIAN/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2837
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