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 .
Response to Amendment
The Amendment filed 12/29/2025 has been entered. Claims 1-6, 8-13, 15-20 remain pending in the application along with added new claims 23-24, and claims 7, 14, and 21-22 have been canceled. Applicant’s amendments to the Claims have overcome every claim objection and 103 rejection previously set forth in the Non-Final Office Action mailed 11/19/2025. The examiner notes that the term charging refers to the activation of RFID tags and not the charging of batteries possibly present on the electronic devise. The new grounds of rejection presented below are necessitated by the amendments. Accordingly, this Office Action is made Final.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claim(s) 1-6, 8-13, 15-20, and 23-24 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.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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.
Claims 1-6, 8-13, 15-20, and 23-24 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Goodchild (US 20220051065 A1, published 2022-02-17), as evidenced by
Stack Exchange – Electrical Engineering (“Passive RFID Tag: Unique Identifiers” < https://electronics.stackexchange.com/questions/16353/passive-rfid-tag-unique-identifiers > Posted online July 5, 2011) and
SpotSee (Blog “5 Ingenious Uses of Passive RFID Tags” < https://spotsee.io/blog/passive-rfid-tags-find-innovative-use/?srsltid=AfmBOorTrj5tO2vZtPSEMPvWokXZjitnUXuGw9jrql6xV1VKUVc1H_p5 > Posted online September 25, 2020).
Regarding independent claim 1, Goodchild discloses an apparatus (Figs. 1, 4: charging cell 100), comprising:
a processor (Figs. 4: processing circuit 404); and
a memory (Fig. 4 and ¶[41]: active RFID tag typically includes a memory that can provide detailed information beyond the serial number stored by a passive RFID tag 412.) configured to store code executable by the processor to:
broadcast a passive tag device charging signal (¶[38-40] and Fig. 4: broadcasted signal from RFID reader 402 is received by passive RFID tag 412 to wake and provide a response code) to a plurality of tag devices associated with a plurality of peripheral devices to simultaneously charge each said passive device in the plurality of passive tag devices (Fig. 7 and ¶[24]: multiple tag devices simultaneously charged), wherein each said tag device in the plurality of tag devices is coupled to a different respective peripheral device in the plurality of peripheral devices (Fig. 11 and ¶[65]: The examiner interprets mobile device 1100 and wireless charger 1106 as peripheral devices to each other, wherein each mobile device couples to a different respective RFID tag 1104),
receive a tag device response signal from each said passive tag device in the plurality of tag devices responsive to the tag device charging signal charging each said respective tag device in the plurality of tag devices (¶[38-40]: signals are exchanged between RFID reader 402 and passive RFID tag 412), wherein:
the tag device response signal received from each said respective tag device includes first information data about the respective peripheral device with which it is coupled (Fig. 4 and ¶[38-40]: unique identifiers corresponding to a device is inherent in a radio frequency identification (RFID) system, which the examiner interprets as unique information data of the devices. See Stack Exchange and SpotSee), and
the first configuration data describes one or more first characteristics of the respective peripheral device to which a respective passive tag is coupled (Fig. 4 and ¶[38-40]: See above), and
determine whether each said respective peripheral device and the apparatus are compatible with each other based on the one or more first characteristics described in the first configuration data including one or more second characteristics of the apparatus (Fig. 4: compatibility in the broadest interpretation includes the compatibility of the RFID reader 402 and passive RFID tag 412 to exchange data with each other), wherein,
each said passive tag device comprises a Bluetooth passive tag device or a radio frequency (RFID) passive tag device, and the passive tag device charging signal is configured to simultaneously charge each Bluetooth passive tag device or each RFID passive tag device (Fig. 4 and ¶[38-40]: passive RFID tag 412 communicating with reader 402 through the exchange of RFID passive tag signals).
Regarding claim 2, Goodchild discloses the apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to compare the first configuration data of each said respective peripheral device and the second configuration data for the apparatus to determine a match (¶[65]: the examiner interprets the wireless charger detecting a cellular telephone, a smartphone, a multimedia device, etc., as being enabled to match configuration data in order to identify the mobile device as is a common use of RFID technology).
Regarding claim 3, Goodchild discloses the apparatus of claim 2, wherein the processor is further configured to:
determine compatibility of the apparatus and each said respective peripheral device based on the match; and
identify each said peripheral device that matches the apparatus as a compatible device (Fig. 4 and ¶[38-40]: compatibility in the broadest interpretation includes the compatibility of the RFID reader 402 and passive RFID tag 412 to exchange data with each other).
Regarding claim 4, Goodchild discloses the apparatus of claim 3, wherein the processor (Fig. 11: controller 1112) configured to transmit an actuation signal to each compatible device (¶0069: the controller 1112 causes its RFID radio 1116 to transmit an RFID interrogation signal 1122); and
the actuation signal is configured to trigger each said compatible device to activate a respective visual cue on each said compatible device (Fig. 12 and ¶[29, 64, esp. 70]: after controller 1112 detects response signal 1124 and causes the controller to decline the charging of the mobile device 1100, a display error message is shown on device. The examiner interprets the absence of a display error as a visual cue that the charger and device are compatible).
Regarding claim 5, Goodchild discloses the apparatus of claim 2, wherein the processor is further configured to: identify each said peripheral device that matches the apparatus as a compatible device (Fig. 4 and ¶[38-40]: compatibility in the broadest interpretation includes the compatibility of the RFID reader 402 and passive RFID tag 412 to exchange data with each other); and
determine a degree of compatibility between the apparatus and each said respective peripheral device that matches the apparatus (Fig. 12 and ¶[29, 64, esp. 70]: When controller 1112 detects response signal 1124 and causes the controller to decline the charging of the mobile device 1100, a display error message is shown on device, indicating a 0% degree of compatibility. The examiner interprets the absence of a display error as a 100% degree of compatibility between the charger and device).
Regarding claim 6, Goodchild discloses the apparatus of claim 5, wherein:
the processor (Fig. 11: controller 1112) is further configured to transmit an actuation signal to each said compatible device (Figs. 9 and 10: wireless chargers 802 and electronic devices 852); and
the actuation signal is configured to trigger different compatible devices to activate different visual cues on each said different compatible device based on the degree of compatibility between the apparatus and each respective peripheral device that matches the apparatus (The examiner interprets the display on the device as applicable for use by each wireless charger 802 and electronic device 852, where the absence of an error display infers a 100% degree of compatibility, and an error display infers 0% degree of compatibility).
Regarding independent claim 8, Goodchild discloses a method, comprising:
broadcasting, by a processor of an apparatus, a passive tag device charging signal (¶[38-40] and Fig. 4: broadcasted signal from RFID reader 402 is received by passive RFID tag 412 to wake and provide a response code) to a plurality of tag devices associated with a plurality of peripheral devices to simultaneously charge each said passive device in the plurality of passive tag devices (Fig. 7 and ¶[24]: multiple tag devices simultaneously charged), wherein each said passive tag device in the plurality of tag devices is coupled to a different respective peripheral device in the plurality of peripheral devices (Fig. 11 and ¶[65]: The examiner interprets mobile device 1100 and wireless charger 1106 as peripheral devices to each other, wherein each mobile device couples to a different respective RFID tag 1104); and
receiving a tag response signal from each said passive tag device in the plurality of tag devices responsive to the tag device charging signal charging each said respective tag device in the plurality of tag devices (¶[38-40]: signals are exchanged between RFID reader 402 and passive RFID tag 412), wherein:
the tag device response signal received from each said respective tag device includes first information data about the respective peripheral device with which it is coupled (Fig. 4 and ¶[38-40]: unique identifiers corresponding to a device is inherent in a radio frequency identification (RFID) system, which the examiner interprets as unique information data of the devices. See Stack Exchange and SpotSee), and
the first information data describes one or more first characteristics of the respective peripheral device to which a respective passive tag is coupled (Fig. 4 and ¶[38-40]: See above), and
determining whether each said respective peripheral device and the apparatus are compatible with each other based on the one or more first characteristics described in the first information data received from each said respective passive tag device matching second information data describing one or more second characteristics of the apparatus (Fig. 4: compatibility in the broadest interpretation includes the compatibility of the RFID reader 402 and passive RFID tag 412 to exchange data with each other), wherein:
each said passive tag device comprises a Bluetooth passive tag device or a radio frequency (RFID) passive tag device, and the passive tag device charging signal is configured to simultaneously charge each Bluetooth passive tag device or each RFID passive tag device (Fig. 4 and ¶[38-40]: passive RFID tag 412 communicating with reader 402 through the exchange of RFID passive tag signals).
Regarding claim 9, Goodchild discloses the method of claim 8, further comprising comparing the first configuration data of each said respective peripheral device and the second configuration data for the apparatus to determine a match (¶[65]: the examiner interprets the wireless charger detecting a cellular telephone, a smartphone, a multimedia device, etc., as being enabled to match configuration data in order to identify the mobile device as is a common use of RFID technology).
Regarding claim 10, Goodchild discloses the method of claim 9, further comprising:
determining compatibility of the apparatus and each said respective peripheral device based on the match; and
identify each peripheral device that matches the apparatus as a compatible device (Fig. 4 and ¶[38-40]: compatibility in the broadest interpretation includes the compatibility of the RFID reader 402 and passive RFID tag 412 to exchange data with each other).
Regarding claim 11, Goodchild discloses the method of claim 10, further comprising:
transmitting an actuation signal to each compatible device (¶0069: the controller 1112 causes its RFID radio 1116 to transmit an RFID interrogation signal 1122),
wherein the actuation signal is configured to trigger each said compatible device to activate a respective visual cue on each said compatible device (Fig. 12 and ¶[29, 64, esp. 70]: after controller 1112 detects response signal 1124 and causes the controller to decline the charging of the mobile device 1100, a display error message is shown on device. The examiner interprets the absence of a display error as a visual cue that the charger and device are compatible).
Regarding claim 12, Goodchild discloses the method of claim 9, further comprising: identifying each said peripheral device that matches the apparatus as a compatible device (Fig. 4 and ¶[38-40]: compatibility in the broadest interpretation includes the compatibility of the RFID reader 402 and passive RFID tag 412 to exchange data with each other); and
determining a degree of compatibility between the apparatus and each said respective peripheral device that matches the apparatus (Fig. 12 and ¶[29, 64, esp. 70]: When controller 1112 detects response signal 1124 and causes the controller to decline the charging of the mobile device 1100, a display error message is shown on device, indicating a 0% degree of compatibility. The examiner interprets the absence of a display error as a 100% degree of compatibility between the charger and device).
Regarding claim 13, Goodchild discloses the method of claim 12, further comprising:
transmitting an actuation signal to each said compatible device (Figs. 9 and 10: wireless chargers 802 and electronic devices 852),
wherein the actuation signal is configured to trigger different compatible devices to activate different visual cues on each said different compatible device based on the degree of compatibility between the apparatus and each respective peripheral device that matches the apparatus (The examiner interprets the display on the device as applicable for use by each wireless charger 802 and electronic device 852, where the absence of an error display infers a 100% degree of compatibility, and an error display infers 0% degree of compatibility).
Regarding independent claim 15, Goodchild discloses a computer program product comprising a computer-readable storage device including code embodied therewith (Fig. 4: processing circuit 404), the code executable by a processor (Figs. 4 and ¶[41]: Active RFID tag typically includes a memory that can provide detailed information beyond the serial number stored by a passive RFID tag 412) to cause the processor to:
broadcast passive tag device charging signal from an apparatus to a plurality of tag devices associated with a plurality of peripheral devices (¶[38-40] and Fig. 4: broadcasted signal from RFID reader 402 is received by passive RFID tag 412 to wake and provide a response code), wherein each said tag device in the plurality of tag devices is associated with a different respective peripheral device in the plurality of peripheral devices to simultaneously charge each said passive tag device in the plurality of passive tag devices (Fig. 7 and ¶[24]: multiple tag devices simultaneously charged), and wherein each said passive tag device in the plurality of passive tag devices is coupled to a different respective peripheral device in the plurality of peripheral devices (Fig. 11 and ¶[65]: The examiner interprets mobile device 1100 and wireless charger 1106 as peripheral devices to each other, wherein each mobile device couples to a different respective RFID tag 1104);
receive a tag device response signal from each said passive tag device in the plurality of tag devices responsive to the tag device charging signal charging each said respective tag device in the plurality of tag devices (¶[38-40]: signals are exchanged between RFID reader 402 and passive RFID tag 412), wherein the tag device response signal received from each said respective tag device includes first information data about the respective peripheral device with which it is coupled (Fig. 4 and ¶[38-40]: unique identifiers corresponding to a device is inherent in a radio frequency identification (RFID) system, which the examiner interprets as unique information data of the devices. See Stack Exchange and SpotSee), and
the first information data describes one or more first characteristics of the respective peripheral device to which a respective tag is coupled (Fig. 4 and ¶[38-40]: See above), and
determine whether each said respective peripheral device associated with each said respective tag device and the apparatus are compatible with each other based on the one or more first characteristics described in the first information data received from each said respective passive tag device matching second information data describing one or more second characteristics of the apparatus (Fig. 4: compatibility in the broadest interpretation includes the compatibility of the RFID reader 402 and passive RFID tag 412 to exchange data with each other), wherein:
each said passive tag device comprises a Bluetooth passive tag device or a radio frequency (RFID) passive tag device, and the passive tag device charging signal is configured to simultaneously charge each Bluetooth passive tag device or each RFID passive tag device (Fig. 4 and ¶[38-40]: passive RFID tag 412 communicating with reader 402 through the exchange of RFID passive tag signals).
Regarding claim 16, Goodchild discloses the computer program product of claim 15, wherein the executable code further causes the processor to compare the first configuration data of each said respective peripheral device and the second configuration data for the apparatus to determine a match (¶[65]: the examiner interprets the wireless charger detecting a cellular telephone, a smartphone, a multimedia device, etc., as being enabled to match configuration data in order to identify the mobile device as is a common use of RFID technology).
Regarding claim 17, Goodchild discloses the computer program product of claim 16, wherein the executable code further causes the processor to:
determine compatibility of the apparatus and each said respective peripheral based on the match; and
identify each said peripheral device that matches the apparatus as a compatible device (Fig. 4 and ¶[38-40]: compatibility in the broadest interpretation includes the compatibility of the RFID reader 402 and passive RFID tag 412 to exchange data with each other).
Regarding claim 18, Goodchild discloses the computer program product of claim 17, wherein the executable code the processor (Fig. 11: controller 1112) to transmit an actuation signal to each said compatible device (¶0069: the controller 1112 causes its RFID radio 1116 to transmit an RFID interrogation signal 1122); and
the actuation signal is configured to trigger each said compatible device to activate a respective visual cue on each said compatible device (Fig. 12 and ¶[29, 64, esp. 70]: after controller 1112 detects response signal 1124 and causes the controller to decline the charging of the mobile device 1100, a display error message is shown on device. The examiner interprets the absence of a display error as a visual cue that the charger and device are compatible).
Regarding claim 19, Goodchild discloses the computer program product of claim 16, wherein the executable code further causes the processor is to: identify each said peripheral device that matches the apparatus as a compatible device (Fig. 4 and ¶[38-40]: compatibility in the broadest interpretation includes the compatibility of the RFID reader 402 and passive RFID tag 412 to exchange data with each other); and
determine a degree of compatibility between the apparatus and each said respective peripheral device that matches the apparatus (Fig. 12 and ¶[29, 64, esp. 70]: When controller 1112 detects response signal 1124 and causes the controller to decline the charging of the mobile device 1100, a display error message is shown on device, indicating a 0% degree of compatibility. The examiner interprets the absence of a display error as a 100% degree of compatibility between the charger and device).
Regarding claim 20, Goodchild discloses the computer program product of claim 19, wherein:
the executable code further causes the processor (Fig. 11: controller 1112) to transmit an actuation signal to each said compatible device (Figs. 9 and 10: wireless chargers 802 and electronic devices 852); and
the actuation signal is configured to trigger different compatible devices to activate different visual cues on each said different compatible device based on the degree of compatibility between the apparatus and each respective peripheral device that matches the apparatus (The examiner interprets the display on the device as applicable for use by each wireless charger 802 and electronic device 852, where the absence of an error display infers a 100% degree of compatibility, and an error display infers 0% degree of compatibility).
Regarding claim 23, Goodchild discloses the apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to: transmit an indicator actuation signal to an indicator on each said peripheral device that is compatible with the apparatus in response to determining that each said peripheral device and the apparatus are compatible with each other (Fig. 4 and ¶[38-40]: passive RFID tag 412 communicating with reader 402 through the exchange of RFID passive tag signals).
Regarding claim 24, Goodchild discloses the method of claim 8, further comprising: transmitting an indicator actuation signal to an indicator on each said peripheral device that is compatible with the apparatus in response to determining that each said peripheral device and the apparatus are compatible with each other (Fig. 4 and ¶[38-40]: passive RFID tag 412 communicating with reader 402 through the exchange of RFID passive tag signals).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Below are prior art involved with simultaneous charging of RFID passive tags.
Maguire (US 20130181517 A1)
Morris (US 20150177330 A1)
Ozaki et al. (US 20100222010 A1)
Beasley et al. (US 20070072474 A1)
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.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Ryu-Sung Peter Weinmann whose telephone number is (703)756-5964. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 9am-5pm ET.
Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Julian Huffman, can be reached at (571) 272-2147. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is (571) 273-8300.
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/Ryu-Sung P. Weinmann/Examiner, Art Unit 2859 February 17, 2026
/JULIAN D HUFFMAN/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2859