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 Objections
In claim 9, at line 14: replace “the transmitter” with “the transmitter device” to correct an antecedent basis issue.
In claim 9, at line 15: replace “the transmitter antenna” with “the NFC-WC transmitter antenna” to correct an antecedent basis issue.
In claim 9, at line 16: replace “the receiver antenna” with “the NFC-WC receiver antenna” to correct an antecedent basis issue.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claims 2, 3, 10, 11, 18, and 19 rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
In claims 2, 3, 10, 11, 18, and 19, the term “about”, all occurrences, is a relative term that renders the scope of the claims indefinite. The specification does not clearly define a tolerance range or other objective boundary to determine the scope of “about”. Absent objective boundaries or guidance in the specification, a POSITA would not be able determine, with reasonable certainty, the metes and bounds of the claimed subject matter.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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 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)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claims 1, 5-7, 17, and 20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by US Pub. No. 2023/0036419 to Giffen et al. (“Giffen”).
As to independent claim 1 and similarly recited claim 17, a wireless power transfer system for charging a wearable communication device (Fig. 1: at least 115 and 110 form a wireless power transfer system for charging wireless headphones 115.) comprising: a headset (Fig. 1: 115) comprising: a headband at least one earcup (Fig. 2: 215/220.), and a receiver antenna configured to receive a power signal (Fig. 2: 210), wherein the receiver antenna is positioned proximate to or within the headband (Fig. 2: 205, 210); and a transmitter device (Fig. 3A/B: 110) comprising: a transmitter antenna configured to transmit the power signal to the receiver antenna (¶ 0031, Fig. 2: 117, Fig. 3A/B: 305), an input power source linked to the transmitter antenna (Fig. 3A/B: 315), and a transmitter housing (Fig. 1: 110 depicts external housing of transmitter.), wherein the transmitter antenna and the input power source are positioned proximate to or within the transmitter housing (Fig. 3A/B: 305 and 315 are within housing.); and a retention mechanism configured to retain the transmitter device proximate to, on or at least partially within the headband and position the transmitter antenna to transmit the power signal to the receiver antenna (BRI: Any structure configured to hold, support, align, or otherwise maintain the transmitter device in a position proximate to the headband such that the transmitter antenna is positioned to transmit a power signal to the receiver antenna. See Application Figs. 14-16. Top surface of wireless charger 110 supports and positions the headset such that transmitter 117 aligns with receiver coil 210 in headband 205. See Giffen’s Fig. 1. This constitutes a “retention mechanism” because it maintains the transmitter device proximate to the headband and positions the transmitter antenna relative to the receiver antenna.).
As to claim 5, the wireless power transfer system of claim 1 further comprising a wireless receiver system, wherein the receiver antenna is connected to the wireless receiver system (Fig. 2: 225, 245 are connected to 210).
As to claim 6, the wireless power transfer system of claim 5, wherein the wireless receiver system is positioned proximate to or within the headband (Fig. 2: 225 and 245 are positioned within the headband.).
As to claim 7 and similarly recited claim 20, the wireless power transfer system of claim 5, wherein the wireless receiver system is positioned proximate to or within the at least one earcup (Fig. 2: 225, 245 are adjacent 215.), and wherein the receiver antenna comprises a receiver coil (Fig. 2: 210 is a receiver coil) including extended ends connected to the wireless receiver system (Fig. 2: 210 connects to 225.).
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.
Claim 2 and similarly recited claim 18 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Giffen in view of NFC Wireless Charging (“NXP”).
Giffen does not expressly disclose the specific operating frequency of the inducive coupling between transmission coil 117 and receiver coil 210.
NXP discloses NFC wireless charging operates at an operating frequency of 13.56 MHz (Page 2).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to have implemented the wireless charging system of Giffen using the standardized NFC wireless charging architecture operating at approximately 13.56 MHz, as taught by NXP. Selecting the well-established NFC carrier frequency of approximately 13.56 MHz (i.e., within the claimed range of about 13.553 MHz to about 13.567 MHz) would have been a predictable use of a known operating parameter for a known wireless power technique.
Claim 3 and similarly recited claim 19 rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Giffen in view of NXP.
Giffen does not expressly disclose the specific output power level of the transmission coil 117.
NXP discloses NFC-based wireless charging operates at 13.56 MHz and is capable of delivery wireless power in a range characterized as “High frequency, Low Power 0-1W (3W)” (Page 4). This disclosure establishes that NFC wireless charging system were capable of delivering power levels exceeding 1W (i.e., up to approximately 3W) prior to the effective filing date.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill to configure the transmitter of Giffen to deliver an output power greater than about 1W within the known and supported NFC wireless charging ranged disclosed by NXP. Increasing transmitter output power within a known operational range in order to reduce charging time or accommodate larger battery capacities in headphones represents a predictable optimization of a known parameter.
Claim 4 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Giffen in view of US Pub. No. 2017/0033567 to Adamisin (“Adamisin”).
Giffen does not expressly disclose the retention mechanism includes a magnetic connection, mechanical connection, or pocket structure that removably retains the transmitter housing relative to the headband.
Giffen, however, expressly teaches efficient charging is achieved when the charging coil matches the geometry of the receiver coil and maintains proper alignment (¶ 0038). Giffen further discloses a semi-rigid substrate that bends under the weight of a curved device and resumes its shape when removed (¶ 0038-0039), demonstrating that coil proximity and positional conformity are important design considerations in wireless charging systems.
A POSITA would have recognized maintaining consistent alignment between transmitter and receiver coils improves charging efficiency and reliability.
Adamisin teaches magnetic or mechanical attachment mechanisms may be used to retain and align a transmitter housing relative to a wearable structure (¶ 0042).
It would have been obvious to POSITA to incorporate Adamisin’s magnetic or mechanical retention mechanism into Giffen’s charging system in order to further stabilize alignment between the transmission coil and the headband mounted receiver coil, thereby predictably improving charging efficiency.
Claim 8 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Giffen in view of Adamisin.
Giffen discloses the wireless charger comprises an input power supply (Fig. 3A/B: 315) that receives power from the information handling system via a cable (¶ 0032, 0049). Giffen, however, does not expressly disclose the input power supply 315 comprises a battery.
Adamisin discloses a wearable external power apparatus including a housing containing an inductive coil and a battery disposed within the housing, wherein the battery supplies power to the inductive transmitter coil. Adamisin teaches the power apparatus is self-contained and includes its own battery as an input power source for wireless power transmission (¶ 0004, 0005, 0040-0042).
It would have been obvious to POSITA to modify Giffen’s transmitter device to include a battery as the input power source, as taught by Adamisin, instead of or in addition to receiving power via a cable from the host system. Incorporating a battery into the transmitter housing enables portable, self-contained operation of the wireless power transmitter. Substituting a battery for a wired power input represents a predictable design variation involving the use of known alternative power source for a known wireless transmitter structure.
Independent claim 9 and dependent claims 10, 11, and 13-15 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Giffen in view NPX.
Claim 9 is substantially similar to claims 1 and 17, and Giffen’s teachings mapped above are applied to Claim 9’s similarly recited limitations. Where claim 9 differs is simply the requirement that the wireless power transfer system is an NFC-WC system having NFC-WC transmitter and receiver antenna.
Giffen does not explicitly disclose the inductive charging system operates using NFC wireless charging architecture or NFC components.
NXP, however, discloses NFC-WLC system that operate using inductive coupling at 13.56 MHz and include an NFC transmitter and receiver antennas for wireless power transfer (Page 2, 10, 12.). NXP teaches that NF wireless charging is based on inductive coupling and is suitable for small consumer electronic devices (Page 7.).
It would have been obvious to a POSITA to implement the inductive wireless charging system of Giffen using the NFC-WC architecture taught by NXP. Both references rely on near-field inductive coupling between a transmitter and receiver coil. Substituting a known NFC based inductive charging implementation for Giffen’s inductive charging implementation represents the use of a known wireless power transfer standard for its intended purpose and constitutes a predictable design choice. The modification would not alter the fundamental operation of Giffen’s system, but would merely adopt a standardized NFC based wireless charging protocol and associated components.
As to claim 10, the NFC-WC system of claim 9, wherein the NFC-WC receiver antenna couples at an operating frequency in a range of about 13.553 MHz to about 13.567 MHz (NXP: Page 2.).
As to claim 11, the NFC-WC system of claim 9, wherein an output power of the NFC-WC transmitter antenna is greater than about 1 Watt (NXP: Page 4.).
As to claim 13, the wireless power transfer system of claim 1 further comprising a wireless receiver system, wherein the receiver antenna is connected to the wireless receiver system (Giffen: Fig. 2: 225, 245 are connected to 210).
As to claim 14, the wireless power transfer system of claim 5, wherein the wireless receiver system is positioned proximate to or within the headband (Giffen: Fig. 2: 225 and 245 are positioned within the headband.).
As to claim 15, the wireless power transfer system of claim 5, wherein the wireless receiver system is positioned proximate to or within the at least one earcup (Giffen: Fig. 2: 225, 245 are adjacent 215.), and wherein the receiver antenna comprises a receiver coil (Fig. 2: 210 is a receiver coil) including extended ends connected to the wireless receiver system (Fig. 2: 210 connects to 225.).
Claim 12 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Giffen in view of NXP and in further view of Adamisin.
Giffen does not expressly disclose the retention mechanism includes a magnetic connection, mechanical connection, or pocket structure that removably retains the transmitter housing relative to the headband.
Giffen, however, expressly teaches efficient charging is achieved when the charging coil matches the geometry of the receiver coil and maintains proper alignment (¶ 0038). Giffen further discloses a semi-rigid substrate that bends under the weight of a curved device and resumes its shape when removed (¶ 0038-0039), demonstrating that coil proximity and positional conformity are important design considerations in wireless charging systems.
A POSITA would have recognized maintaining consistent alignment between transmitter and receiver coils improves charging efficiency and reliability.
Adamisin teaches magnetic or mechanical attachment mechanisms may be used to retain and align a transmitter housing relative to a wearable structure (¶ 0042).
It would have been obvious to POSITA to incorporate Adamisin’s magnetic or mechanical retention mechanism into the charging system taught by the combination of Giffen and NXP in order to further stabilize alignment between the transmission coil and the headband mounted receiver coil, thereby predictably improving charging efficiency.
Claim 16 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Giffen in view of NXP and in further view of Adamisin.
Giffen discloses the wireless charger comprises an input power supply (Fig. 3A/B: 315) that receives power from the information handling system via a cable (¶ 0032, 0049). Giffen, however, does not expressly disclose the input power supply 315 comprises a battery.
Adamisin discloses a wearable external power apparatus including a housing containing an inductive coil and a battery disposed within the housing, wherein the battery supplies power to the inductive transmitter coil. Adamisin teaches the power apparatus is self-contained and includes its own battery as an input power source for wireless power transmission (¶ 0004, 0005, 0040-0042).
It would have been obvious to POSITA to modify Giffen’s transmitter device to include a battery as the input power source, as taught by Adamisin, instead of or in addition to receiving power via a cable from the host system. Incorporating a battery into the transmitter housing enables portable, self-contained operation of the wireless power transmitter. Substituting a battery for a wired power input represents a predictable design variation involving the use of known alternative power source for a known wireless transmitter structure.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Examiner SURESH MEMULA whose telephone number is (571)272-8046, and any inquiry for a formal Applicant initiated interview must be requested via a PTOL-413A form and faxed to the Examiner's personal fax phone number: (571) 273-8046. Furthermore, Applicant is invited to contact the Examiner via email (suresh.memula@uspto.gov) on the condition the communication is pursuant to and in accordance with MPEP §502.03 and §713.01. The Examiner can normally be reached Monday-Thursday: 9am-6pm. If attempts to reach the Examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the Examiner’s supervisor, Jack Chiang, can be reached on 571-272-7483. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned (i.e., central fax phone number) is 571-273-8300.
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/SURESH MEMULA/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2851