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 § 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(s) 1, 5-6, 10 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Oman et al. US Pub 2015/0015193 (hereinafter Oman) in view of Widmer (US Pub 2015/0042168).
Regarding claim 1, Oman discloses a wireless charging and positioning device (Oman, Title and Abstract), adapted to a mobile vehicle (fig. 1, element 14), comprising:
an ultra-wideband transceiver (fig. 1, elements 22, 40, 42 and ¶¶ 0018, 0029) disposed at the mobile vehicle (¶¶ 0015-0016; vehicle), and
configured to transmit a pulse wave signal (¶ 0022; the controller 18 and the first UWBX 22 cooperate to transmit a request pulse 24) and receive a reflected signal
in response to the pulse wave signal (¶ 0024; transmit a reply pulse in response to the request pulse);
a receiver disposed at the mobile vehicle (¶ 0025; the prior art is silence about the receiver, but the prior art does disclose the vehicle is able to receive power from the wireless charging station16), and controlled to charging a battery of the mobile vehicle (¶¶ 0025, 0027; the system can only allow charging if a signal received by base UWBX 30 includes a proper vehicle identification…); and
a signal processor (fig. 1, elements 18, 20; a controller 18) connected (indirectly/directly connected to) to the ultra-wideband transceiver (22, 40, 42) and the receiver, and
configured to control the ultra-wideband transceiver to transmit the pulse wave signal (¶¶ 0022,0029; the controller and the first UWBX cooperate to transmit a request pulse) and obtain the reflected signal when the mobile vehicle locates in a designated area where a power supply device is disposed in, determine a distance between the mobile vehicle and the power supply device according to the reflected signal (¶ 0024; the controller 18 can be further configured to determine the distance between the first UWBX 2 and the base UWBX based on the first time interval between the request time and a first time that corresponds to when the reply pulse is received by the first UWBX 22), and
control the charging coil to receive power from the power supply device to charge the battery when the distance falls within a default range (¶ 0025; the system may not charge the vehicle batteries if the distance is greater than a distance threshold. The system is able to charge the vehicle batteries when the distance is within the distance threshold).
Oman fails to disclose the receiver includes a charging coil, and the charging coil is connected to the signal processor.
However, Widmer discloses the receiver includes a charging coil (fig. 3, element 316), and the charging coil is connected to (indirectly connected to) the signal processor (see fig. 3, element 344).
It would have been obvious to one skilled in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Oman to incorporate the teaching of Widmer by inductively transferring power to the vehicle as suggested by Widmer, because it would be advantageous to reduce bulky plug-in stations and further prolong the service life of the connector of the vehicle.
Regarding claims 5 and 10, Oman discloses wherein the mobile vehicle has an automatic pilot system, and the wireless charging and positioning device further comprises:
a gateway connected to (indirectly connected to) the signal processor, and
configured to receive designated time (¶¶ 0022, 0025, 0029; the request time marks the beginning of a first time interval (time) used to determine the distance 12 between the vehicle 14 and the wireless charging station [ the designated area]) and the designated area,
wherein the signal processor is further configured to be connected to the automatic pilot system (¶ 0031; fully-autonomous vehicle system), and
notify the automatic pilot system to move the mobile vehicle to the designated area at the designated time (¶ 0031; fully-autonomous positioning of the vehicle 14 over the wireless charging station).
Regarding claim 6, Oman discloses a wireless charging and positioning method, performed by a signal processor, comprising:
obtaining information associated with a location of a mobile vehicle (¶ 0033);
controlling an ultra-wideband transceiver to transmit a pulse wave signal (¶ 0022; the controller 18 and the first UWBX 22 cooperate to transmit a request pulse 24) and obtain a reflected signal when the location of the mobile vehicle is in a designated area where a power supply device is disposed in (¶ 0024; transmit a reply pulse in response to the request pulse);
determining a distance between the mobile vehicle and the power supply device according to the reflected signal (¶ 0024; the controller 18 can be further configured to determine the distance between the first UWBX 2 and the base UWBX based on the first time interval between the request time and a first time that corresponds to when the reply pulse is received by the first UWBX 22);
determining whether the distance falls within a default range; and controlling a receiver of the mobile vehicle (¶ 0025; the prior art is silence about the receiver, but the prior art does disclose the vehicle is able to receive power from the wireless charging station16) to receive power from the power supply device to charge a battery of the mobile vehicle (¶ 0025; the vehicle batteries) when the distance falls within a default range (¶ 0025; the system may not charge the vehicle batteries if the distance is greater than a distance threshold. The system is able to charge the vehicle batteries when the distance is within the distance threshold).
Oman fails to disclose the receiver includes a charging coil, and the charging coil is connected to the signal processor.
However, Widmer discloses the receiver includes a charging coil (fig. 3, element 316), and the charging coil is connected to (indirectly connected to) the signal processor (see fig. 3, element 344).
It would have been obvious to one skilled in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Oman to incorporate the teaching of Widmer by inductively transferring power to the vehicle as suggested by Widmer, because it would be advantageous to reduce bulky plug-in stations and further prolong the service life of the connector of the vehicle.
Claim(s) 2, 7 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Oman in view of Widmer as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of Amano et al. US Pub 2010/0123452 (hereinafter Amano).
Regarding claims 2 and 7, Oman discloses wherein the mobile vehicle has an automatic pilot system (¶ 0031; fully-autonomous positioning), wherein the signal processor (fig. 1, elements 18, 20) is further configured to be connected to the automatic pilot system (see ¶ 0033).
Oman in view of Widmer fails to disclose the wireless charging and positioning device further comprises: a battery management system connected to the signal processor, and configured to be connected to the battery of the mobile vehicle and measure the battery to generate a charging efficiency; wherein the signal processor is further configured to receive the charging efficiency from the battery management system, determine whether the charging efficiency satisfies a default efficiency, and
notify the automatic pilot system to adjust a direction or position of a vehicle body of the mobile vehicle when the charging efficiency does not satisfy the default efficiency.
However, Amano further discloses the wireless charging and positioning device further comprises:
a battery management system connected to the signal processor, and configured to be connected to the battery of the mobile vehicle (¶ 0032; the charge control unit) and measure the battery to generate a charging efficiency (¶ 0055; able to obtain the power supply efficiency);
wherein the signal processor is further configured to receive the charging efficiency from the battery management system, determine whether the charging efficiency satisfies a default efficiency (¶ 0055; the obtained power supply efficiency is compared with a predetermined threshold), and notify the automatic pilot system to adjust a direction or position of a vehicle body of the mobile vehicle when the charging efficiency does not satisfy the default efficiency (¶ 0055, drive control means of the vehicle can minutely adjust the position of the vehicle automatically when the obtained power supply efficiency has not reached the predetermined threshold).
It would have been obvious to one skilled in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Oman in view of Widmer to incorporate the teaching of Amano by adjusting the position of the vehicle to reach the predetermined power supply efficiency, because it would be advantageous to reduce the unnecessary heat waste and maximize the power supply efficiency.
Claim(s) 3-4, 8-9 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Oman in view of Widmer as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of Widmer et al. US Pub 2018/0198323 (hereinafter Widmer323).
Regarding claims 3 and 8, Oman in view of Widmer fails to disclose the wireless charging and positioning device further comprising:
a battery management system connected to the signal processor, and
configured to be connected to the charging coil and measure the charging coil to generate an inductance value;
wherein the signal processor is further configured to control the charging coil to stop receiving the power when the inductance value falls within a foreign object detection range.
However, Widmer323 discloses the wireless charging and positioning device further comprising:
a battery management system (¶¶ 0043,0053) connected to (indirectly connected to) the signal processor (¶ 0053; an EV controller 344), and
configured to be connected to the charging coil (fig. 3, element 316) and measure the charging coil to generate an inductance value (¶ 0006 and claim 23; by measuring an inductance of the electrically conductive wire);
wherein the signal processor is further configured to control the charging coil to stop receiving the power when the inductance value falls within a foreign object detection range (¶¶ 0006, 0063; once the presence of a foreign object is detected, the wireless power transfer system can go into turn off mode).
It would have been obvious to one skilled in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Oman in view of Widmer to incorporate the teaching of Widmer323 by turning off the wireless power transfer system once the presence of a foreign object is detected, because it would be advantageous to protect the wireless charging system from fire hazard and further improve charging efficiency.
Regarding claims 4 and 9, Oman in view of Widmer fails to discloses the wireless charging and positioning device further comprising:
a gateway connected to the signal processor,
wherein the signal processor is further configured to output a notification through the gateway when the inductance value falls within the foreign object detection range.
However, Widmer323 discloses the wireless charging and positioning device further comprising:
a gateway (the controller is able to generate an alert [e.g., audible, visual, etc]) connected to the signal processor (part of the controller),
wherein the signal processor is further configured to output a notification through the gateway when the inductance value falls within the foreign object detection range (¶¶ 0063, 0081 and claim 19).
It would have been obvious to one skilled in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Oman in view of Widmer to incorporate the teaching of Widmer323 by issuing alerts prompting a user to remove the foreign object, because it would be advantageous to protect the wireless charging system from fire hazard and further improve charging efficiency.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ZIXUAN ZHOU whose telephone number is (571)272-6739. The examiner can normally be reached 9:00 am to 5:00 pm.
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/ZIXUAN ZHOU/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2859 11/19/2025