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 .
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 03/30/2023 is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
Claim Objections
Claim 1-6 are objected to because of the following informalities:
In claim 1, line 12, insert “strip” behind the phrase “within said conductor”
In claim 6, line 27, insert “strip” behind the phrase “within said conductor”
In claim 2, line 5, delete “being magnetic” and replace with “being magnetic,”
The dependent claims are objected for the reason as claim 2 from which they depend.
Appropriate correction is required.
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 1-6 are 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.
Regarding claims 1 and 6, the phrase "open current" renders the claim indefinite because persons skilled in the art cannot determine the metes and bounds of the claimed limitation. The phrase “open current” could mean the electrical path is disconnected or open (open-circuit), creating a “gap” where current cannot flow. Further, claiming “transferring electricity…through an open current” is internally contradictory. For continued examination, the Office takes position to interpret the phrase as “wirelessly transfer current”. Appropriate correction is required.
Claims 1-6 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being incomplete for omitting essential elements, such omission amounting to a gap between the elements. See MPEP § 2172.01. The omitted elements are:
The claimed invention discloses a magnetized power source assembly includes an electricity transmitter, an electricity receiver, and a conductor strip. The electricity transmitter includes a transmitter coil, and the electricity receiver includes a receiver coil. The claimed invention further discloses the electricity transmitter is able to transfer electricity to the electricity receiver via the conductor strip. However, the claimed conductor strip does not include at least one receiving coil or any types of inductive receiving devices. If the conductor strip is merely a conducting material, the transmitter coil is not possible to transfer wireless power to the receiver coil (see reproduced figure below).
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The dependent claims are rejected for the reasons as the independent claim from which they depend.
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.
Claim(s) 1-6 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Metcalf et al. US 2010/0290215 (hereinafter Metcalf) in view of Byrne et al. US Pub 2015/0091389 (hereinafter Byrne).
Regarding claim 1, Metcalf teaches a magnetized power source assembly comprising:
an electricity transmitter (see fig. 32 below) being configured for transmitting electricity from a power source (see fig. 32);
an electricity receiver (fig. 32, element 220) being configured for receiving electricity from said electricity transmitter (¶ 0055; power receptor… for transferring power received by the power receptor to a laptop computer),
wherein said electricity receiver (fig. 32, element 220) is configured to provide electricity from said electricity transmitter to the electrical cable (¶ 0055 and fig. 32; a cable);
a conductor strip (see fig. 29, element 200) being couplable to said electricity transmitter (see fig. 32) and to said electricity receiver (see fig. 32, element 220),
said conductor strip (see fig. 29-31 and ¶ 0054) being configured for transferring electricity from said electricity transmitter to said electricity receiver through an open current (¶ 0054; it’s a wireless power source hanger 200, inductive coils can be provided inside enclosure) within said conductor when said electricity transmitter and said electricity receiver are electrically coupled thereto (see fig. 32 and ¶ 0055); and
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a mount being coupled to said conductor strip and being configured for mounting said conductor strip to a surface (see fig. 29-32 and ¶ 0054; hanger also includes an elongate hook 204 coupled to enclosure for supporting enclosure from track member).
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Metcalf fails to disclose said electricity receiver having an electrical receptacle thereon and being configured for receiving an outlet plug of an electrical cable.
Byrne further discloses a wireless electrical power system (¶ 0040 and fig. 1A-1C and 2A-2C) includes a wireless electrical power receiver 16 and an electrical power receptacle or outlet unit 18 (the electricity receiver). The electrical power receptacle or outlet unit 18 is able to receive an outlet plug of an electrical cable of the laptop computer as shown in fig. 2B.
It would have been obvious to one skilled in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Metcalf to incorporate with the teaching of Byrne by including the electrical power receptacle or outlet unit in the electricity receiver, because it would be advantageous to increase charging efficiency and reduce heat generation.
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Regarding claim 2, Metcalf teaches wherein said electricity transmitter (see fig. 1 and 32, element 22) comprises wherein a transmitter coil (¶ 0054; inductive coils) is configured for transmitting electricity (¶ 0055; for transferring power received by the power receptor to a load device), said housing having a first wall, a second wall, and a perimeter wall (see fig. 32; the transmitter casing includes at four walls), a power cord (see fig. 32) being electrically coupled to said transmitter coil (¶ 0054; inductive coils) and extending outwardly from said housing (see fig. 32), said power cord having a receptacle plug (see fig. 32) configured for inserting into an electrical receptacle (see fig. 32).
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Metcalf fails to disclose a housing enclosing a transmitter coil, said transmitter coil being positioned adjacent to said second wall within said housing, and said second wall being magnetic. However, Metcalf does disclose the inductive coils can be provided inside enclosure 202, and the enclosure 202 can have pads 42 on its surface and can include a magnetic source for retaining electronic device 30 next to pads 42 in ¶ 0054. Changing the location of the magnetic source and the inductive coils from the locations shown by Metcalf to a location in the housing as claimed, absent any criticality, is only considered to be an obvious modification of the Metcalf device that a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention would be able to provide using routine experimentation since the courts have held that there is no invention in shifting the position if the operation of the device would not be thereby modified. See In re Japikse, 86 USPQ 70 (CCPA 1950) and MPEP 2144.04 VI.
Regarding claim 3, Metcalf teaches wherein said electricity receiver comprises a casing (see fig. 32, element 220) enclosing a receiver coil (¶ 0055; power receptor or an inductive receiver), wherein said receiver coil is configured for receiving electricity (¶ 0055), said casing having a front wall, a back wall, and a boundary wall (see fig. 32), said receiver coil being positioned adjacent to said back wall within said casing, said back wall being magnetic (¶ 0055; magnetically, adhesively), said electrical receptacle being positioned on said front wall, said electrical receptacle being electrically coupled to said receiver coil (see fig. 32).
Regarding claim 4, Metcalf teaches wherein said conductor strip includes a front surface and a back surface (see fig. 29-31), said front surface being magnetic (¶ 0055), wherein said front surface is magnetically engageable with said back wall of said electricity receiver and with said second wall of said electricity transmitter (see fig. 32; the laptop computer is able to receive wireless power from the wireless power source hanger 200 and ¶¶ 0054-0055).
Regarding claim 5, Metcalf teaches wherein said mount comprises an adhesive layer positioned on said back surface of said conductor strip, said adhesive layer being a pressure sensitive adhesive (see fig. 32 and ¶ 0055; coupling portion can couple to enclosure adhesively).
Regarding claim 6, Metcalf teaches a magnetized power source assembly comprising:
an electricity transmitter (see fig. 32 below) being configured for transmitting electricity from a power source (see fig. 32),
said electricity transmitter (see fig. 1 and 32, element 22) comprises wherein a transmitter coil (¶ 0054; inductive coils) is configured for transmitting electricity (¶ 0055; for transferring power received by the power receptor to a load device), said housing having a first wall, a second wall, and a perimeter wall (see fig. 32; the transmitter casing includes at four walls), a power cord (see fig. 32) being electrically coupled to said transmitter coil (¶ 0054; inductive coils) and extending outwardly from said housing (see fig. 32), said power cord having a receptacle plug (see fig. 32) configured for inserting into an electrical receptacle (see fig. 32);
an electricity receiver (fig. 32, element 220) being configured for receiving electricity from said electricity transmitter (¶ 0055; power receptor… for transferring power received by the power receptor to a laptop computer),
wherein said electricity receiver (fig. 32, element 220) is configured to provide electricity from said electricity transmitter to the electrical cable (¶ 0055 and fig. 32; a cable);
wherein said electricity receiver comprises a casing (see fig. 32, element 220) enclosing a receiver coil (¶ 0055; power receptor or an inductive receiver), wherein said receiver coil is configured for receiving electricity (¶ 0055), said casing having a front wall, a back wall, and a boundary wall (see fig. 32), said receiver coil being positioned adjacent to said back wall within said casing, said back wall being magnetic (¶ 0055; magnetically, adhesively), said electrical receptacle being positioned on said front wall, said electrical receptacle being electrically coupled to said receiver coil (see fig. 32);
a conductor strip (see fig. 29, element 200) being couplable to said electricity transmitter (see fig. 32) and to said electricity receiver (see fig. 32, element 220),
said conductor strip (see fig. 29-31 and ¶ 0054) being configured for transferring electricity from said electricity transmitter to said electricity receiver through an open current (¶ 0054; it’s a wireless power source hanger 200, inductive coils can be provided inside enclosure) within said conductor when said electricity transmitter and said electricity receiver are electrically coupled thereto (see fig. 32 and ¶ 0055);
wherein said conductor strip includes a front surface and a back surface (see fig. 29-31), said front surface being magnetic (¶ 0055), wherein said front surface is magnetically engageable with said back wall of said electricity receiver and with said second wall of said electricity transmitter (see fig. 32; the laptop computer is able to receive wireless power from the wireless power source hanger 200 and ¶¶ 0054-0055);
a mount being coupled to said conductor strip and being configured for mounting said conductor strip to a surface (see fig. 29-32 and ¶ 0054; hanger also includes an elongate hook 204 coupled to enclosure for supporting enclosure from track member), wherein said mount comprises an adhesive layer positioned on said back surface of said conductor strip, said adhesive layer being a pressure sensitive adhesive (see fig. 32 and ¶ 0055; coupling portion can couple to enclosure adhesively).
Metcalf fails to disclose said electricity receiver having an electrical receptacle thereon and being configured for receiving an outlet plug of an electrical cable.
Byrne further discloses a wireless electrical power system (¶ 0040 and fig. 1A-1C and 2A-2C) includes a wireless electrical power receiver 16 and an electrical power receptacle or outlet unit 18 (the electricity receiver). The electrical power receptacle or outlet unit 18 is able to receive an outlet plug of an electrical cable of the laptop computer as shown in fig. 2B.
It would have been obvious to one skilled in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Metcalf to incorporate with the teaching of Byrne by including the electrical power receptacle or outlet unit in the electricity receiver, because it would be advantageous to increase charging efficiency and reduce heat generation.
Metcalf in view of Byrne fails to disclose a housing enclosing a transmitter coil, said transmitter coil being positioned adjacent to said second wall within said housing, and said second wall being magnetic. However, Metcalf in view of Byrne does disclose the inductive coils can be provided inside enclosure 202, and the enclosure 202 can have pads 42 on its surface and can include a magnetic source for retaining electronic device 30 next to pads 42 in ¶ 0054. Changing the location of the magnetic source and the inductive coils from the locations shown by Metcalf in view of Byrne to a location in the housing as claimed, absent any criticality, is only considered to be an obvious modification of the Metcalf in view of Byrne device that a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention would be able to provide using routine experimentation since the courts have held that there is no invention in shifting the position if the operation of the device would not be thereby modified. See In re Japikse, 86 USPQ 70 (CCPA 1950) and MPEP 2144.04 VI.
Conclusion
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/ZIXUAN ZHOU/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2859 01/07/2026