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 § 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.
Claim(s) 1, 2, 10 and 11 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by YU et al. CN 109787373 [submitted in the search report document NPL dated 8/31/2022. Refer to uploaded machine translation document FOR].
Regarding claim 1, YU et al. discloses an electronic communication device [as seen in drawing 1, reproduced below], comprising:
a coil antenna [magnetic coupling resonance coil 1] with a first end connection [bottom of magnetic coupling resonance coil 1], a second end connection [top of magnetic coupling resonance coil 1], and a mid-connection [left-side connection of communication coil L; page 4, under Specific Embodiment, 5th para. and 6th para., “The magnetic coupling resonance coil 1 is equipped with centre tap …”];
a communication circuit [optocoupler 4 + telecommunication circuit 5], which is connected between the first end connection [bottom of magnetic coupling resonance coil 1] and the mid-connection [connected at upper node of D1-C2], and is configured to communicate with another communication device via the coil antenna [page 3 para. 10 “In communication process …”]; and
an energy generation circuit [compensation network circuit 2 + rectification circuit 3], which is connected between the first end connection [bottom of magnetic coupling resonance coil 1] and the second end connection [top of magnetic coupling resonance coil 1], and is configured to receive energy via the coil antenna [compensation network circuit 2 and rectification circuit 3 receive energy from magnetic coupling resonance coil 1] and to supply at least one component [page 4, under Specific Embodiment, 3rd para., “other power circuits”] of the electronic communication device with the received energy [page 4, under Specific Embodiment, 2nd para. and 3rd para. “The top and bottom of the magnetic coupling …”].
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Regarding claim 2, YU discloses the electronic communication device of claim 1, wherein the communication circuit is a near-field communication circuit [page 2, Summary of Invention, 1st para.].
Regarding claim 10, YU discloses the electronic communication device of claim 1, wherein the coil antenna [magnetic coupling resonance coil 1] comprises at least one turn [two depicted] between the first end connection [bottom of 1] and the mid-connection [left-side of communication coil L] and at least one turn between the mid-connection and the second end connection [top of 1; as seen in drawing 1].
Regarding claim 11 (New), Yu discloses the electronic communication device of claim 1, wherein the communication circuit [optocoupler 4 + telecommunication circuit 5] is connected in parallel with a section of the coil antenna between the first end connection and the mid-connection [optocoupler 4 is connected to the upper node of D1-C2 and telecommunication circuit 5 is connected to the same node by virtue of its connection to the node above R2. Thus 4+5 are seen to be “connected in parallel” in a sufficiently similar way as applicant’s drawing is presented in Fig. 3].
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.
This application currently names joint inventors. In considering patentability of the claims the examiner presumes that the subject matter of the various claims was commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the claimed invention(s) absent any evidence to the contrary. Applicant is advised of the obligation under 37 CFR 1.56 to point out the inventor and effective filing dates of each claim that was not commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the later invention in order for the examiner to consider the applicability of 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(2)(C) for any potential 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) prior art against the later invention.
Claim(s) 3 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over YU et al. CN 109787373 [submitted in the search report document NPL dated 8/31/2022. Refer to uploaded machine translation document FOR] as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of Hirobe et al. US 20180174747.
Regarding claim 3, YU discloses the electronic communication device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the communication circuit is a near-field communication circuit [page 2, Summary of Invention, 1st para.]; but is silent regarding: to enable cashless payments.
YU and Hirobe are analogous devices with coils that use NFC communications.
Hirobe discloses: that NFC is used to enable cashless payments [par. 0002, abstract]. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of the filing to utilize NFC for cashless payments, as disclosed by Hirobe, for the intrinsic benefit of offering the convenience of touchless payments to YU’s users.
Claim(s) 4-9 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over YU et al. CN 109787373 [submitted in the search report document NPL dated 8/31/2022. Refer to uploaded machine translation document FOR] as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of Partovi US 20190097447.
Regarding claim 4, YI discloses the electronic communication device of claim 1, but does not disclose: further comprising: a battery, wherein the energy generation circuit is configured to charge the battery using energy received via the coil antenna.
Partovi discloses: further comprising: a battery [Figs. 1 and 2 (see reproduced below), load], wherein the energy generation circuit [matching circuit C2 + bridge rectifier] is configured to charge the battery using energy received via the coil antenna [coil L2, pars. 0090, 0015-0016, as seen in Fig. 2].
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YU and Partovi are analogous devices with coils that use NFC communications. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of the filling to utilize a bridge rectifier with matching circuit C2, regulator and battery, as taught by Partovi, for the benefit of utilizing YU’s onboard energy harvesting to provide a constant and regulated power supply power to YU’s loads [e.g. telecommunication circuit 5, at VCC].
Regarding claim 5, Partovi discloses wherein the battery is a lithium-polymer battery [par. 0116].
Regarding claim 6, YU discloses the electronic communication device of claim 1, but is silent regarding: wherein the energy generation circuit is connected in series with the at least one component between the first end connection and the second end connection.
Partovi discloses: wherein the energy generation circuit [Fig. 2, bridge rectifier with matching circuit C2] is connected in series with the at least one component [C2] between the first end connection and the second end connection [top and bottom of coil L2, par. 0090].
YU and Partovi are analogous devices with coils that use NFC communications. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of the filling to utilize a bridge rectifier with matching circuit C2, regulator and battery, as taught by Partovi, for the benefit of utilizing YU’s onboard energy harvesting to provide a constant and regulated power supply power to YU’s loads [e.g. telecommunication circuit 5, at VCC].
Regarding claim 7, YU discloses the electronic communication device of claim 1, but is silent regarding: wherein the energy generation circuit comprises a limitation circuit which is configured to limit voltage between the first end connection and the second end connection.
Partovi discloses: wherein the energy generation circuit comprises a limitation circuit [Fig. 2, the two left-side diodes of the bridge rectifier] which is configured to limit voltage between the first end connection [top of coil L2] and the second end connection [bottom of coil L2. Par. 0090 inherent function of diodes].
YU and Partovi are analogous devices with coils that use NFC communications. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of the filling to utilize a bridge rectifier with matching circuit C2, regulator and battery, as taught by Partovi, for the benefit of utilizing YU’s onboard energy harvesting to provide a constant and regulated power supply power to YU’s loads [e.g. telecommunication circuit 5, at VCC].
Regarding claim 8, the combination of YU and Partovi disclose the electronic communication device of claim 7, wherein the mid-connection [YU, connected at upper node of D1-C2] and the limitation circuit [Partovi, Fig. 2, the two left-side diodes of the bridge rectifier] are arranged to limit voltage between the first end connection and the second end connection [top and bottom of the coil. Par. 0090 limiting is an inherent function of rectifier diodes] in such a way that voltage between the first end connection and the mid-connection [YU, the node at D1-C2] is limited to a maximum voltage supported by the communication circuit [voltage VCC to telecommunication circuit 5 will be limited by YU’s diode D1 (drawing 1) and Partovi’s regulator switch (Fig. 2) which supplies power to the loads. Pars. 0015-0016].
Regarding claim 9, YU discloses the electronic communication device of claim 1, but is silent regarding: further comprising: a chip which implements the communication circuit and the energy generation circuit.
Partovi discloses: further comprising: a chip which implements the communication circuit and the energy generation circuit [Partovi, par. 0080].
YU and Partovi are analogous devices with coils that use NFC communications. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of the filling to utilize a chipset for the receiver, as taught by Partovi, for the benefits of ease of manufacturing and low power consumption due to miniaturized components.
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed 1/15/2026 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive.
Applicant argues, “Yu's Figure 1 and its description clearly show that the circuit is designed exclusively for receiving information through the communication coil L, not for communicating via the main coil antenna.”
Examiner respectfully disagrees, and notes that “receiving information” is not recited in claim 1; the language only requires “configured to communicate”. In Yu’s drawing 1, an ON signal is effectively communicated by optocoupler 4, directed from the coil to telecommunication circuit 5. Thus, both optocoupler 4 combined with telecommunication circuit 5 is seen to read on the recited “communication circuit” in a broad and reasonable manner.
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.
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
US 10863467 discloses a communication device having an antenna resonant circuit, an antenna driver which is configured to feed a carrier wave to the antenna resonant circuit, and a controller which is configured to detect that a synchronization period is imminent and is configured to control the antenna driver in such a way that the antenna driver feeds the inverted carrier wave to the antenna resonant circuit.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to RICHARD V MURALIDAR whose telephone number is (571)272-8933. The examiner can normally be reached M - W 9:30 am to 6:30 PM.
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RICHARD V. MURALIDAR
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 2859
/RICHARD V MURALIDAR/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2859
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