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 .
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)(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, 16 and 18 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by HERRMANN et al. (US 2016/0181825 A1, hereinafter HERRMANN).
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Regarding claim 1, HERRMANN discloses an electronic device comprising:
a rectifier circuit (See Fig.1, Item#200, discloses a secondary side comprising a rectifier circuit comprising coils 211+212+diodes 221-224+capacitors 231-233) comprising:
a first reception coil (See Fig.1, Item#211);
a second reception coil (See Fig.1, Item#212);
a first diode connected in a forward direction from a first end of the first reception coil and to a second end of the first reception coil (See Figs.1 and 2, Item#222, current path #261 and Par.39, disclose a diode 222 connected in the forward direction to coil 211, the current passes from the coil through the diode 222, capacitor 231 and back to the other end of the coil 211); and
a second diode connected in a forward direction from a first end of the second reception coil and to a second end of the second reception coil (See Figs.1 and 3, Item#223, current path 264 and Par.40, disclose current through the second secondary winding 212 is propagating from second winding output 216 via current path 264 through capacitor 232 to the negative output 252 and through rectifier 223 to the first winding output 215); and
a first capacitor (See Fig.1, Item#233),
wherein an input end of the first diode is connected to an output end of the second diode through the first capacitor (See Fig.1, discloses the output of diode 222 is connected to the input of diode 223 via capacitor 233).
Regarding claim 2, HERRMANN discloses the electronic device of claim 1 as discussed above, wherein the first reception coil and the second reception coil are disposed on a first plane and spaced apart from each other by a first distance (See Fig.2, Items#211 and 212, there is no disclosure that the coils are placed on different planes and the coils are charged using a single transmitting coil 110 making it implicit that the receiving coils are placed on the same plane in order to achieve alignment with the transmitting coil), and wherein the first reception coil and the second reception coil are connected in parallel (See Fig.1,and Par.14 disclose the coils 211 and 212 are connected in parallel).
Regarding claim 16, HERRMANN discloses the electronic device of claim 1 as discussed above, wherein the first reception coil and the second reception coil have a same number of turns (See Par.12, discloses the secondary coils have the same number of turns).
Regarding claim 18, HERRMANN discloses the electronic device of claim 1 as discussed above, further comprising a single transmission coil coupled with each of the first reception coil and the second reception coil (See Fig.1, Item#110).
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.
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.
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) 14-15 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over HERRMANN.
Regarding claims 14 and 15, HERRMANN discloses the electronic device of claim 1 as discussed above, However, HERRMANN does not disclose wherein the first reception coil is disposed in parallel to the second reception coil, and wherein the first reception coil and the second reception coil are disposed on different planes, respectively or wherein the second reception coil is arranged in a center area of the first reception coil, and wherein the first reception coil and the second reception coil are arranged on a first plane.
However, the examiner argues that it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the before the effective filing date of the invention to try different configurations from a finite set of choices (same plane coils, different plane coils, concentric) for the benefit of determining the best wireless power transfer efficiency between the transmitting and the receiving sides.
Claim(s) 3-4 and 13is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over HERRMANN in view of HARADA et al. (US 2005/0226008 A1, hereinafter HARADA).
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Regarding claim 3, HERRMANN discloses the electronic device of claim 2 as discussed above, further comprising a first transmission coil (See Fig.1, Item#110).
However, HERRMANN does not disclose, further comprising:
a second transmission coil connected in series with the first transmission coil,
wherein the first transmission coil is coupled to the first reception coil, and the second transmission coil is coupled to the second reception coil.
HERADA discloses a converter comprising a first transmission coil (See Fig.6, discloses top transmitting coil connected to capacitor Cia),
a second transmission coil (See Fig.6, discloses bottom transmitting coil connected to capacitor Cib) connected in series with the first transmission coil (See Fig.6, discloses the top transmitting coil and the bottom transmitting coil are connected in series),
wherein the first transmission coil is coupled to the first reception coil (See Fig.6, discloses top coil is coupled to top receiving coil Trsa), and the second transmission coil is coupled to the second reception coil (See Fig.6, discloses bottom transmitting coil is coupled to bottom receiving coil Trsb).
HERRMANN and HERADA are analogous art since they both deal with wireless power transfer.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to modify the invention disclosed by HERRMANN with the teachings of HERADA by adding a second transmission coil in series with the first transmission coil such that the first transmission coil is coupled to the first reception coil and the second transmission coil is coupled to the second reception coil for the benefit of reducing the charging time by transmitting power via two transmission coils.
Regarding claim 4, HERRMANN and HERADA disclose the electronic device of claim 3 as discussed above, wherein the first transmission coil and the second transmission coil are disposed on a second plane (See HERADA, Fig.6, the examiner interprets the first and transmitting coils to be placed on a plane parallel to the plane of the first and second reception coils), and
wherein the first transmission coil and the second transmission coil are spaced apart by a second distance (See HERADA, Fig.6, discloses a gap between the top transmission coil and the bottom transmission coil).
Regarding claim 13, HERRMANN and HERADA disclose the electronic device of claim 4 as discussed above, wherein the first plane is spaced apart from the second plane by a fifth distance, and wherein the first plane is disposed in parallel to the second plane (See HERADA, Fig.6, discloses the transmitting coils and the receiving coils are placed in parallel spaced apart planes. HERRMANN, Fig.1, also discloses transmitting coil 110 is in a parallel and spaced apart plane to the plane of receiving coils 211 and 212).
Claim(s) 5, 10 and 17 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over HERRMANN in view of HARADA and in further view of JEONG et al. (US 2016/0308395 A1, hereinafter JEONG).
Regarding claim 5, HERRMANN and HERADA disclose the electronic device of claim 3 as discussed above, However, HERRMANN and HERADA do not explicitly disclose wherein each of the first reception coil and the second reception coil is circular.
JEONG discloses an electronic device comprising a first reception coil and a second reception coil, wherein each of the first reception coil and the second reception coil is circular (See Fig.14, Items L23 and L13).
HERRMANN, HERADA and JEONG are analogous art since they all deal with wireless power transfer.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to modify the invention disclosed by HERRMANN and HERADA with the teachings of JEONG by using circular coils for the benefit of providing a wireless power receiving system which provides magnetic field uniformity and higher coupling efficiency as compared to other coil shapes.
Regarding claim 17, HERRMANN, HERADA and JEONG disclose the electronic device of claim 5 as discussed above, However, HERRMANN, HERADA and JEONG do not explicitly wherein each of the first transmission coil and the second transmission coil is circular.
JEONG discloses an electronic device comprising a first reception coil and a second reception coil, wherein each of the first reception coil and the second reception coil is circular (See Fig.14, Items L23 and L13. The examiner explains that matching the shapes of the wireless transmission coils and the wireless power receiving coils provides the highest efficiency).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to modify the invention disclosed by HERRMANN and HERADA with the teachings of JEONG by using circular transmission coils for the benefit of increasing the wireless power transfer efficiency by matching the shape of the transmitting coils and the receiving coils.
Regarding claim 10, HERRMANN and HERADA disclose the electronic device of claim 1 as discussed above, further comprising a load,
wherein the rectifier circuit is connected to the load (See HERADA, Fig.1, Item labeled as “R”).
However, HERRMANN and HERADA do not disclose wherein the load comprises a battery.
JEONG discloses an electronic device comprising a rectifier circuit connected to a battery (See Fig.3, Item#20).
HERRMANN, HERADA and JEONG are analogous art since they all deal with wireless power transfer.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to modify the invention disclosed by HERRMANN and HERADA with the teachings of JEONG by connecting the rectifier to a battery for the benefit of providing a rechargeable energy storage device which can be charged and continue to provide power to the load even in the case of power source interruption.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 6-9 and 11-12 are objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims. Regarding claim 6, the prior art does not disclose “wherein the rectifier circuit further comprises: a third reception coil; and a fourth reception coil, wherein the third reception coil and the fourth reception coil are disposed on the first plane, wherein the third reception coil is spaced apart from the first reception coil by a third distance, wherein the fourth reception coil is spaced apart from the second reception coil by the third distance, and wherein the first reception coil, the second reception coil, the third reception coil, and the fourth reception coil are connected in parallel.”
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to AHMED H OMAR whose telephone number is (571)270-7165. The examiner can normally be reached 10:00 am -7:00 PM EST.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Drew Dunn can be reached at 571-272-2312. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/AHMED H OMAR/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2859