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and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114.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 12/22/2025 has been entered.
Response to Amendment
Claims 1-14 remain pending in the application. Applicant’s amendments to the Claims have overcome every claim objection and 112 rejection previously set forth in the Final Office Action mailed 10/22/2025.
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed 12/22/2025 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive.
Applicant submits on pages 7-9 of Remarks submitted 12/22/2025 that Partovi does not teach “a wireless power receiver configured to generate an electrical output … wherein [a] processor configures the electrical output of the wireless power receiver … such that an output voltage and an output current of the electrical output are updated in coordination with a predetermined charging profile, and the electrical output is provided directly from the wireless power receiver to the battery protection circuitry," as recited in amended independent claim 1.
The applicant points to Partovi ¶[98] that during charging, the output of the wireless power receiver (Vout) is input to a charger IC, and that a large voltage drop (up to 2 volts or more) can occur across the charger IC.
The examiner submits that even though there may be a voltage drop across the charger IC, voltage and current are still being controlled with the purpose to achieve a desired charging profile to charge the battery as depicted in Partovi Fig. 8 (shown below). This, in addition to the Receiver Coil, Micro Controller, Battery Protection Circuit, and Battery Cell from Fig. 6 and description from ¶[91-92] of Partovi effectively covers the limitation in claim 1, “a wireless power receiver configured to generate an electrical output … wherein [a] processor configures the electrical output of the wireless power receiver … such that an output voltage and an output current of the electrical output are updated in coordination with a predetermined charging profile, and the electrical output is provided directly from the wireless power receiver to the battery protection circuitry."
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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 1-4, 6-11, 14-16, and 19-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Partovi (US 20130093390 A1).
Regarding independent claim 1, Partovi teaches a battery pack (Fig. 6 and ¶0089: battery pack) comprising:
a wireless power receiver (Fig. 6: receiver coil) configured to generate an electrical output (¶[64. 70]: receiver is used to charge a battery);
a battery (Fig. 6: battery) electrically connected to the wireless power receiver through associated battery protection circuitry (¶[59, esp. 96, 263]: charge is entering battery directly through onboard wireless power receiver and circuitry); and
a processor (Fig. 6: Micro Controller) electrically connected to the wireless power receiver;
wherein the processor configures the electrical output of the wireless power receiver, based at least in part on a charge level of the battery, such that an output voltage and an output current of the electrical output are updated in coordination with a predetermined charging profile, and the electrical output is provided directly from the wireless power receiver to the battery protection circuitry (Fig. 8 and ¶0092: Multiple stages of battery charging are implemented with the wireless power charger and receiver microcontrollers monitoring the battery cell voltage, current, etc. and working in tandem and to provide appropriate voltage, current, etc. for safe charging for any type of battery.).
Regarding claim 2, Partovi teaches the battery pack of Claim 1, further comprising a housing, wherein the housing encloses the battery, the processor, and the wireless power receiver (Fig. 6 and ¶0089: battery pack housing contains the battery, microcontroller, and receiver coil).
Regarding claim 3, Partovi teaches the battery pack of Claim 1, wherein the predetermined charging profile is selected based on a chemical composition of the battery (Fig. 8 and ¶0091: a typical charge cycle 180 for a Lithium Ion battery).
Regarding claim 4, Partovi teaches the battery pack of Claim 1, wherein the predetermined charging profile comprises at least a constant current stage (Fig. 8 and ¶0092: Stage 1) and a constant voltage stage (Stage 2).
Regarding claim 6, Partovi teaches the battery pack of Claim 1, wherein an operating power is supplied to the processor that is not regulated by a low-dropout voltage regulator (Partovi does not use a low-dropout voltage regulator).
Regarding claim 7, Partovi teaches the battery pack of Claim 6, wherein the operating power supplied to the processor is supplied by the battery (The microprocessor being powered by the battery falls within the scope of Partovi).
Regarding claim 8, Partovi teaches the battery pack of Claim 1, wherein the processor transmits control messages to the wireless power receiver to regulate the output voltage and the output current supplied by the wireless power receiver to the battery (¶0076: a microcontroller unit makes appropriate adjustments to the charger coil drive circuitry to achieve the desired output voltage).
Regarding independent claim 9, Partovi teaches a computer program product for controlling battery charging, the computer program product comprising at least one non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having computer-readable program code portions stored therein (¶0302), the computer-readable program code portions comprising an executable portion configured to:
receive, at a processor (Fig. 6: Micro Controller), a charge value corresponding to a charge level of a battery (Fig. 6: battery) (¶0092: battery voltage and current are monitored by microcontroller);
determine a charge state according to a predetermined charging profile, corresponding to the charge value (¶0092 and Fig. 8: according to the voltage of the cell and the charging profile, a current is supplied);
determine an output voltage and an output current based at least in part on the charge value and the predetermined charging profile (¶0092 and Fig. 8); and
configure an electrical output of a wireless power receiver, to produce power according to the determined output voltage and the determined output current (¶0092 and Fig. 8), wherein the electrical output of the wireless power receiver is directly supplied from the wireless power receiver to the battery protection circuitry associated with the battery (¶[59, esp. 96, 263]: charge is entering battery directly through onboard wireless power receiver and circuitry).
Regarding claim 10, Partovi teaches the computer program product of Claim 9, wherein the battery comprises a housing, wherein the housing encloses the battery, the processor, and the wireless power receiver (Fig. 6 and ¶0089: battery pack housing contains the battery, microcontroller, microcontroller and receiver coil).
Regarding claim 11, Partovi teaches the computer program product of Claim 9, wherein the predetermined charging profile comprises at least a constant current stage (Fig. 8 and ¶0092: Stage 1) and a constant voltage stage (Stage 2).
Regarding independent claim 14, Partovi teaches a method for controlling battery charging in a wireless battery pack (Fig. 6: battery pack), the method comprising:
receiving, at a processor (Fig. 6: Micro Controller), a charge value corresponding to a charge level of a battery (Fig. 6: battery) (¶0092: battery voltage and current are monitored by microcontroller);
determining a charge state according to a predetermined charging profile, corresponding to the charge value (¶0092 and Fig. 8: according to the voltage of the cell and the charging profile, a current is supplied);
determining an output voltage and an output current based at least in part on the charge value and the predetermined charging profile (¶0092 and Fig. 8); and
configuring an electrical output of a wireless power receiver, to produce power according to the determined output voltage and the determined output current (¶0092 and Fig. 8), wherein the electrical output of the wireless power receiver is directly supplied from the wireless power receiver to battery protection circuitry associated with the battery (¶[59, esp. 96, 263]: charge is entering battery directly through onboard wireless power receiver and circuitry).
Regarding claim 15, Partovi teaches the method of Claim 14, wherein the battery comprises a housing, wherein the housing encloses the battery, the processor, and the wireless power receiver (Fig. 6 and ¶0089: battery pack housing contains the battery, microcontroller, microcontroller and receiver coil).
Regarding claim 16, Partovi teaches the method of Claim 14, wherein the predetermined charging profile comprises at least a constant current stage (Fig. 8 and ¶0092: Stage 1) and a constant voltage stage (Stage 2).
Regarding claim 19, Partovi teaches the method of Claim 14, wherein an operating power is supplied to the processor that is not regulated by a low-dropout voltage regulator (Partovi does not use a low-dropout voltage regulator).
Regarding claim 20, Partovi teaches the method of Claim 19, wherein the operating power supplied to the processor is provided by the battery (The microprocessor being powered by the battery falls within the scope of Partovi).
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.
Claims 5, 12-13, and 17-18 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Partovi in view of the Van Der Velden et al. (US 20080315845 A1, published 2008-12-25), hereinafter referred to as Velden.
Regarding claim 5, Partovi teaches the battery pack of Claim 4.
Partovi does not explicitly teach wherein the constant current stage comprises at least a first constant current stage and a second constant current stage, wherein a first current supplied to the battery in the first constant current stage is less than a second current supplied to the battery in the second constant current stage.
Velden teaches a constant current stage comprising a first constant current stage (Fig. 1b and ¶0006: preconditioning phase (phase I) with precharging current II) and a second constant current stage (current regulation phase (phase II) with constant regulation current III), wherein a first current supplied to the battery in the first constant current stage is less than a second current supplied to the battery in the second constant current stage (Fig. 1b: II is less than III).
Partovi and Velden both teach a charging profile for a battery. It would have been obvious for a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the instant application to incorporate the charging profile in Velden into the charging profile in Partovi to improve the charging efficiency of the battery and help extend battery lifespan.
Regarding claim 12, Partovi teaches the computer program product of Claim 11.
Partovi does not explicitly teach wherein the constant current stage comprises at least a first constant current stage and a second constant current stage, wherein a first current supplied to the battery in the first constant current stage is less than a second current supplied to the battery in the second constant current stage.
Velden teaches a constant current stage comprising a first constant current stage (Fig. 1b and ¶0006: preconditioning phase (phase I) with precharging current II) and a second constant current stage (current regulation phase (phase II) with constant regulation current III), wherein a first current supplied to the battery in the first constant current stage is less than a second current supplied to the battery in the second constant current stage (Fig. 1b: II is less than III).
Partovi and Velden both teach a charging profile for a battery. It would have been obvious for a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the instant application to incorporate the charging profile in Velden into the charging profile in Partovi to improve the charging efficiency of the battery and help extend battery lifespan.
Regarding claim 13, Partovi in view of Velden teaches the computer program product of Claim 12, wherein the constant voltage stage comprises reducing the output current of the wireless power receiver to maintain a constant output voltage (Partovi - Fig. 8, stage 2 ; Velden Fig. 1b, phase II: voltage is maintained while current is decreased).
Regarding claim 17, Partovi teaches the method of Claim 16.
Partovi does not explicitly teach wherein the constant current stage comprises at least a first constant current stage and a second constant current stage, wherein a first current supplied to the battery in the first constant current stage is less than a second current supplied to the battery in the second constant current stage.
Velden teaches a constant current stage comprising a first constant current stage (Fig. 1b and ¶0006: preconditioning phase (phase I) with precharging current II) and a second constant current stage (current regulation phase (phase II) with constant regulation current III), wherein a first current supplied to the battery in the first constant current stage is less than a second current supplied to the battery in the second constant current stage (Fig. 1b: II is less than III).
Partovi and Velden both teach a charging profile for a battery. It would have been obvious for a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the instant application to incorporate the charging profile in Velden into the charging profile in Partovi to improve the charging efficiency of the battery and help extend battery lifespan.
Regarding claim 18, Partovi in view of Velden teaches the method of Claim 17, wherein the constant voltage stage comprises reducing the output current of the wireless power receiver to maintain a constant output voltage (Partovi - Fig. 8, stage 2 ; Velden Fig. 1b, phase II: voltage is maintained while current is decreased).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Kari et al. (EP 2773009 A1, published 2014-09-03) teaches a wirelessly charged battery pack (Fig. 1).
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Ryu-Sung P. Weinmann whose telephone number is (703)756-5964. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 9am-5pm ET.
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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 21, 2026
/JULIAN D HUFFMAN/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2859