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and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114.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 Date02/04/2026 has been entered.
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 1-4 and 6-19 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Ok (US20200059996) in view of Matsuo (20030155349).
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Fig. 2 of Ok
Regarding claim 1, Ok teaches
An induction heating device (Fig. 2) comprising:
a working coil (coil) disposed to correspond to a heating area;
an inverter (117) including a plurality of switching elements (S1, S2) and configured to provide current to the working coil;
a rectifier circuit (112) configured to rectify voltage from an external power source;
a smoothing circuit (113) configured to smooth the voltage from the rectifier circuit (112);
a drive circuit (140) configured to provide a switching signal to each of the switching elements ([0040] S1, S2);
a controller (130) configured to provide a control signal to the drive circuit for outputting the switching signal ([0040] basis of the control signals received from the control unit 130);
a single shunt resistor (R1) to connect between the smoothing circuit (113) and the inverter (117);
an input current sensing device (120) configured to sense an input current value (I1) of the inverter based on a current flowing through the single shunt resistor ([0037] sensor 120 may measure voltages and electric currents of both ends of the sensing resistance (R1)); and
a resonance current sensing device ([0059] 120 and 130) configured to sense a resonance current value (Ir) of the working coil (coil) based on the current flowing through the single shunt resistor ([0059] the sensor 120, performs both the input current sensing and resonance current sensing, measures magnitude of the secondary currents (I1), and delivers the measured value of the secondary currents (I1) to the control unit 130. Next, the control unit 130 may calculate resonance currents (Ir) using the received data of the secondary currents (I1)),
wherein the input current sensing device (120) comprises a first low-pass filter (124) configured output a signal having a preset first frequency or less ([0046] micom (or processor) 125 may receive signal values from which noise ingredients are removed from the RC filter 124; where it is understood filter 124 receives an output of a high pass filters 121, 122 so noise would be removed through a low pass filter),
and wherein the controller (130) is configured to determine the input current value (I1) based on the signal output from the first low-pass filter ([0045-0046, 0059]).
Ok is silent on wherein the resonance current sensing device comprises a second low-pass filter configured to output a signal having a preset second frequency or less, and to determine the resonance current value based on the signal output from the second low-pass filter.
Matsuo teaches wherein the resonance current sensing device (2120, 2122) comprises a second low-pass filter (2120) configured to output a signal having a preset second frequency or less ([0152]) and wherein the controller (CPU) is configured to determine the resonance current value based on the signal output from the second low-pass filter ([0152] detect a current which flows into the resonance circuit; filtering with a lower frequency).
Ok and Matsuo are considered to be analogous to the claimed invention because they are in the same field of induction devices. It would have been obvious for one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filling date of the claimed invention, to have modified Ok to incorporate the teachings of Matsuo to have a second low pass filter to determine resonance current based the second low pass filter in order to be able to achieve the power control without requiring a voltage detection circuit by reducing the amount of power consumed during operation (Matsuo [0029, 0154]).
Regarding claim 2, Ok and Matsuo teach the induction heating device of claim 1, and Ok teaches wherein the input current sensing device ([0059] the sensor 120, performs both the input current sensing and resonance current sensing) further comprises:
an offset voltage supply circuit (123);
a noise filter (124); and
a comparator (125) configured to output a digital value corresponding to magnitude of the current flowing through the single shunt resistor ([0046]).
Regarding claim 3, Ok and Matsuo teach the induction heating device of claim 2, and Ok teaches
wherein the first low-pass filter is a RF filter (124) that includes a resistor element having a predetermined resistance value and a capacitor element having a predetermined capacitance value ([0049] RC filter, understood to include a resistor and a capacitor).
Regarding claim 4 Ok and Matsuo teach the induction heating device of claim 2, and Ok teaches wherein the resonance current sensing device ([0059] the sensor 120, performs both the input current sensing and resonance current sensing) further comprises:
an offset voltage supply circuit (123);
a noise filter (124) and;
a comparator (125) configured to output a digital value corresponding to magnitude of the current flowing through the single shunt resistor ([0046]).
Regarding claim 6, Ok and Matsuo teach the induction heating device of claim 1, and Ok teaches
wherein the controller (130) is configured to determine an average value of the current values output from the input current sensing device (120) as the input current value of the inverter (117) ([0052-0053] controller 130 receives a singular current value from sensor 120 and determines the input current value based on that one value, being understood as an "average" of the single value received).
Regarding claim 7, Ok and Matsuo teach the induction heating device of claim 1, and Ok teaches
wherein the controller is configured to determine the current value output from the resonance current sensing device as the resonance current value of the working coil ([0059] on the basis of the calculated resonance currents, may calculate an output of the heating coil (Coil)).
Regarding claim 8, Ok and Matsuo teach the induction heating device of claim 1, and Ok teaches
wherein the input current sensing device and the resonance current sensing device are configured to sense current signals having different frequencies ([0056-0057] frequencies of the secondary currents (I1) are two times as much as frequencies of the resonance currents (Ir), I1 being sensed input current).
Regarding claim 9, Ok and Matsuo teach the induction heating device of claim 1, and Ok teaches
wherein the current values output from the input current sensing device and the resonance current sensing device are positive values ([0053-0058] RMS values, being understood to be always positive).
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Fig. 10 of Ok
Regarding claim 10, Ok teaches an induction heating device (Fig. 10) comprising:
a first working coil (Coil 1) disposed to correspond to a first heating area;
a second working coil (Coil 2) disposed to correspond to a second heating area;
a first inverter (217) having a first plurality of switching elements (S1, S2) and a second inverter (218) having a second plurality of switching elements (S3, S4),
the first inverter (217) configured to provide current for driving the first working coil (Coil 1) and the second inverter (218) configured to provide current for driving the second working coil (Coil 2);
a drive circuit (140) configured to provide a switching signal to each of the switching elements ([0066]);
a controller (130) configured to provide a control signal to the drive circuit for outputting the switching signal ([0040, 0066] basis of the control signals received from the control unit 130; the sensor, the control unit, and the switch driving unit operate in a way substantially the same as the sensor 120, the control unit 130, and the switch driving unit 140 that are described above with reference to FIG. 2.);
a first single shunt resistor (R1) to connect to the first inverter (217);
a second single shunt (R2) resistor to connect to the second inverter (218);
a first input current sensing device (120) configured to sense an input current value (I1) of the first inverter based on a current flowing through the first single shunt resistor ([0072] sensor may measure electric currents (I1) flowing through the first single sensing resistance (R1));
a second input current sensing device (120) configured to sense an input current value (I1) of the second inverter based on a current flowing through the second shunt resistor ([0072] sensor may measure electric currents (I2) flowing through the second sensing resistance (R2); [0066] the sensor operates in a way substantially the same as the sensor 120 described above with reference to FIG. 2, understood to have an equivalent sensor for the second driving unit 216 as would follow from the embodiment of Fig. 2);
a first resonance current sensing device (120) configured to sense a resonance current value (Ir) of the first working coil based on the current flowing through the first shunt resistor ([0059, 0066] the sensor 120, performs both the input current sensing and resonance current sensing, measures magnitude of the secondary currents (I1), and delivers the measured value of the secondary currents (I1) to the control unit 130. Next, the control unit 130 may calculate resonance currents (Ir) using the received data of the secondary currents (I1)) ; and
a second resonance current sensing device (120) configured to sense a resonance current value (Ir) of the second working coil based on the current flowing through the second shunt resistor ([0059] the sensor 120, performs both the input current sensing and resonance current sensing, measures magnitude of the secondary currents (I1), and delivers the measured value of the secondary currents (I1) to the control unit 130. Next, the control unit 130 may calculate resonance currents (Ir) using the received data of the secondary currents (I1); [0066] the sensor operates in a way substantially the same as the sensor 120 described above with reference to FIG. 2, understood to have an equivalent sensor for the second driving unit 216 as would follow from the embodiment of Fig. 2),
wherein the first input current sensing device (120) comprises a first low-pass filter (124) configured output a signal having a preset first frequency or less ([0046] micom (or processor) 125 may receive signal values from which noise ingredients are removed from the RC filter 124; where it is understood filter 124 receives an output of a high pass filters 121, 122 so noise would be removed through a low pass filter),
and wherein the controller (130) is configured to determine the input current value based on the signal output from the first low-pass filter ([0045-0046, 0059] Il).
Ok is silent on wherein the second input current sensing device comprises a first low-pass filter configured output a signal having a preset first frequency or less,
wherein the first resonance current sensing device comprises a second low-pass filter configured to output a signal having a preset second frequency or less,
wherein the second resonance current sensing device comprises a second low-pass filter configured to output a signal having a preset second frequency or less,
wherein the controller is configured to determine the input current value of the second inverter based on the signal output from the first low-pass filter of the second input current sensing device,
and wherein the controller is configured to determine the resonance current value of the first working coil based on the signal output from the second low-pass filter of the first resonance current sensing device and to determine the resonance current value of the second working coil based on the signal output from the second low-pass filter of the second resonance current sensing device.
Matsuo teaches wherein the first resonance current sensing device (2120, 2122) comprises a second low-pass filter (2120) configured to output a signal having a preset second frequency or less ([0152] detect a current which flows into the resonance circuit; filtering with a lower frequency)
and wherein the controller (2121) to determine the resonance current value based on the signal output from the second low-pass filter (2120 [0152]).
Ok and Matsuo do not teach wherein the second input current sensing device comprises a first low-pass filter configured output a signal having a preset first frequency or less, wherein the second resonance current sensing device comprises a second low-pass filter configured to output a signal having a preset second frequency or less, wherein the controller is configured to determine the input current value of the second inverter based on the signal output from the first low-pass filter of the second input current sensing device, and wherein the controller is configured to determine the resonance current value of the second working coil based on the signal output from the second low-pass filter of the second resonance current sensing device.
However, applicant has not stated the having the second input current sensing device and second resonance current sensing device respectively having a low pass filter provide any unexpected or synergetic result that is different the results of having the first input current sensing device and first resonance current sensing device respectively having a low pass filter. Additionally applicant spec. [0078], applicant describes that “the second input current sensing circuit 33, the first resonance current sensing circuit 32, and the second resonance current sensing circuit 34 shown in FIG. 6 may have the same circuits as the first input current sensing circuit 31 shown in FIG. 7 .” It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the effective filing date of the invention to have a second input current sensing circuit, and a second resonance current sensing circuit, since it has been held that mere duplication of the essential working parts of a device involves only routine skill in the art (MPEP 2144.04).
Regarding claim 11, Ok and Matsuo teach the induction heating device of claim 10, and Ok teaches further comprising:
a rectifier circuit (112) configured to rectify voltage from an external power source;
a smoothing circuit (113) configured to smooth the voltage from the rectifier circuit (112).
Regarding claim 12, Ok and Matsuo teach the induction heating device of claim 11, and Ok teaches wherein the first single shunt resistor (R1) to connect between the smoothing circuit (213) and the first inverter (217), and the second single shunt resistor (R2) to connect between the smoothing circuit (213) and the second inverter (218).
Regarding claim 13, Ok and Matsuo teach the induction heating device of claim 10, and Ok teaches
wherein the first input current sensing device or the second input current sensing device (120) comprises:
an offset voltage supply circuit (123);
a noise filter (124) and;
a comparator (125) configured to output a digital value corresponding to magnitude of the current flowing through the shunt resistor ([0046]).
Regarding claim 14, Ok and Matsuo teach the induction heating device of claim 10, and Ok teaches wherein the first resonance current sensing device or the second resonance current sensing device (120) comprises:
an offset voltage supply circuit (123);
a noise filter (124) and;
a comparator (125) configured to output a digital value corresponding to magnitude of the current flowing through the shunt resistor ([0046]).
Regarding claim 15, Ok and Matsuo teaches the induction heating device of claim 10, and Ok teaches
wherein the controller (130) is configured to determine an average value of the current values output from the first input current sensing device as the input current value of the first inverter ([0052-0053] controller 130 receives a singular current value from sensor 120 and determines the input current value based on that one value, being understood as an "average" of the single value received) and to determine an average value of the current values output from the second input current sensing device as the input current value of the second inverter ([0066] the sensor, the control unit, and the switch driving unit operate in a way substantially the same as the sensor 120, the control unit 130, and the switch driving unit 140 that are described above with reference to FIG. 2., taken to be applicable in the same way to the second inverter).
Regarding claim 16, Ok and Matsuo teach the induction heating device of claim 10, and Ok teaches wherein the controller (130) is configured to determine the current value output from the first resonance current sensing device as the resonance current value of the first working coil and to determine the current value output from the second resonance current sensing device as the resonance current value of the second working coil ([0059] on the basis of the calculated resonance currents, may calculate an output of the heating coil (Coil); the sensor, the control unit, and the switch driving unit operate in a way substantially the same as the sensor 120, the control unit 130, and the switch driving unit 140 that are described above with reference to FIG. 2., taken to be applicable in the same way to first and second coils).
Regarding claim 17, Ok teaches an induction heating device (Fig. 2) comprising:
a working coil (coil) disposed to correspond to a heating area;
an inverter (117) including a plurality of switching elements (S1,S2) and configured to provide current to the working coil (Coil);
a rectifier circuit (112);
a smoothing circuit (113);
a drive circuit (140) configured to provide a switching signal to each of the switching elements ([0040] S1, S2);
a controller (130) configured to provide a control signal to the drive circuit for outputting the switching signal ([0040] basis of the control signals received from the control unit 130);
a single shunt resistor (R1) to connect between the smoothing circuit (113) and the inverter (117);
an input current sensing device (120) configured to sense an input current value (I1) of the inverter based on the single shunt resistor ([0037] sensor 120 may measure voltages and electric currents of both ends of the sensing resistance (R1)); and
a resonance current sensing device configured to sense a resonance current value (Ir) of the working coil based on the single shunt resistor ([0059] the sensor 120, performs both the input current sensing and resonance current sensing, measures magnitude of the secondary currents (I1), and delivers the measured value of the secondary currents (I1) to the control unit 130. Next, the control unit 130 may calculate resonance currents (Ir) using the received data of the secondary currents (I1)),
wherein the input current sensing device (120) comprises a first low-pass filter (124) configured output a signal having a preset first frequency or less ([0046] micom (or processor) 125 may receive signal values from which noise ingredients are removed from the RC filter 124; where it is understood filter 124 receives an output of a high pass filters 121, 122 so noise would be removed through a low pass filter),
and wherein the controller (130) is configured to determine the input current value based on the signal output from the first low-pass filter ([0045-0046, 0059] Il).
Ok is silent on wherein the resonance current sensing device comprises a second low-pass filter configured to output a signal having a preset second frequency or less, and to determine the resonance current value based on the signal output from the second low-pass filter.
Matsuo teaches wherein the resonance current sensing device (2120, 2122) comprises a second low-pass filter (2120) configured to output a signal having a preset second frequency or less ([0152]) and wherein the controller (CPU) is configured to determine the resonance current value based on the signal output from the second low-pass filter ([0152] detect a current which flows into the resonance circuit; filtering with a lower frequency).
It would have been obvious for one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filling date of the claimed invention, to have modified Ok to incorporate the teachings of Matsuo to have a second low pass filter to determine resonance current based the second low pass filter in order to be able to achieve the power control without requiring a voltage detection circuit by reducing the amount of power consumed during operation (Matsuo [0029, 0154]).
Regarding claim 18, Ok and Matsuo teach the induction heating device of claim 17, and Ok teaches wherein the input current sensing device (120) is configured to sense the input current value (I1) of the inverter based on a current (I1) flowing through the single shunt resistor ([0037] sensor 120 may measure voltages and electric currents of both ends of the sensing resistance (R1)).
Regarding claim 19, Ok and Matsuo teach the induction heating device of claim 17, and Ok teaches wherein the resonance current sensing device is configured to sense the resonance current value (Ir) of the working coil based on the current (I1) flowing through the single shunt resistor ([0059] the sensor 120, performs both the input current sensing and resonance current sensing, measures magnitude of the secondary currents (I1), and delivers the measured value of the secondary currents (I1) to the control unit 130. Next, the control unit 130 may calculate resonance currents (Ir) using the received data of the secondary currents (I1)).
Claim 5 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Ok (US20200059996) in view of Matsuo (20030155349) and further in view of Seki (US20160274152A1).
Regarding claim 5, Ok and Matsuo teach the induction heating device of claim 4, and Ok is silent on wherein the second low-pass filter is a RF filter that includes a resistor element having a predetermined resistance value and a capacitor element having a predetermined capacitance value.
Matsuo teaches the second low-pass filter (2120).
It would have been obvious for one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filling date of the claimed invention, to have modified Ok to incorporate the teachings of Matsuo to have a second low pass filter to determine resonance current based the second low pass filter in order to be able to achieve the power control without requiring a voltage detection circuit by reducing the amount of power consumed during operation (Matsuo [0029, 0154]).
Ok and Matsuo are silent on includes a resistor element having a predetermined resistance value and a capacitor element having a predetermined capacitance value.
Seki teaches a filter includes a resistor element (451) having a predetermined resistance value and a capacitor element (452) having a predetermined capacitance value ([0069-0070]).
Ok, Matsuo, and Seki are considered to be analogous to the claimed invention because they are in the same field of induction devices. It would have been obvious for one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filling date of the claimed invention, to have modified Ok and Matsuo to incorporate the teachings of Seki to have a filter be comprises of a resistor and capacitor in order to be able to set the frequency of the single that is received after being passed through the filter through the setting of both the resistance and capacitance of the filter (Seki [0070]).
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed 02/04/2026 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive.
Regarding applicant's arguments, on Pgs. 14-15, that "Ok explicitly discusses using two separate resistors, including sensing an Input Current Iᵢₙ using a first sensing resistor Ra disposed between the rectifier circuit 112 and the smoothing capacitor 113 (see paragraphs 0054-0055), and sensing a resonance current I₁ using a second sensing resistor R₁ positioned between smoothing capacitor 113 and inverter 117 (see paragraph 0059). Thus, OK et al. teaches a configuration that does not determine the input current value Iin using a single sensing resistor R₁." However, applicant is equating "Iin" of Ok as input current rather than "I1" which is taken to be the input current. "Iin" of Ok, although called "input current" in Ok, is not understood to be defined as the input current in the claims, where applicant describes the input current being "an input current value of the inverter" where the inverter is taken to be "including a plurality of switching elements and configured to provide current to the working coil." In view of the language of applicant's claim, the understanding is that Ok's input current is I1, as shown in Fig. 2, which comes from the portion of Ok that includes the switches S1 and S2, taken to be the inverter, that supplies power to the coil. Iin of Ok is measuring current from the power supply unit 111. As such, it is understood that I1, the input current as defined in applicant's claim, which is determined using the singular resistor R1 rather than both R1 and Ra as applicant presents in the arguments.
Regarding applicant’s arguments that Ok does not teach the amended limitation, a new ground of rejection is made in view of Ok and newly cited reference Matsuo.
Conclusion
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/ABIGAIL H RHUE/Examiner, Art Unit 3761 8/21/2026
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