DETAILED ACTION
This is a first action on the merits, in response to the claims received 1/2/2023. Claims 1-15 are pending for prosecution below.
Priority
Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS)(s) file on has been considered by the examiner. An initialed copy is attached herewith.
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) 1-4,6-8,10-15 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Mantler, (Mantler), (USPATNO.10,072,947).
As for claim 1, Mantler discloses and shows in Figs. 1- 5 in wireless power transmitting apparatus for wirelessly supplying power to at least one electronic device, the wireless power transmitting apparatus comprising: at least one sensor (via position sensors); a short-distance communication module; a power transmission circuit; and a processor, wherein the processor is configured to control the wireless power transmitting apparatus to be wirelessly connected to the at least one electronic device through the short-distance communication module and control the power transmission circuit to transmit power to the at least one electronic device, and based on location information of the at least one electronic device obtained through the at least one sensor and charging state monitoring information (via charging efficiency) of the at least one electronic device obtained through the short-distance communication module, control to output the location information of the at least one electronic device and information about a state of charge of the at least one electronic device to at least one of a first display included in the wireless power transmitting apparatus or a second display included in one of the at least one electronic device (col.4, lines 7-13, col.6, line 55– col.7, line 3,col.9, lines 7-21, 29-cols.10, line 21,col.11, lines 11-22,col.12, lines 12-22)
As for claim 2, Mantler discloses and shows in Figs. 1- 5 the charging state monitoring information comprises at least one of voltage information, current information, a state of charge (SOC), or a state of health (SOH) of the at least one electronic device.
As for claim 3, Mantler discloses and shows in Figs. 1- 5 the information about the state of charge of the at least one electronic device comprises at least one of the amount of charge of a battery included in the at least one electronic device, information on whether or not the at least one electronic device is being charged, or charging efficiency of the at least one electronic device.
As for claim 4, Mantler discloses and shows in Figs. 1- 5 the at least one sensor comprises a phased array coil (via the receiving coil) or an ultra-wideband (UWB) module
As for claim 6, Mantler discloses and shows in Figs. 1- 5 the first display included in the wireless power transmitting apparatus comprises a display panel which is at least partially exposed to an outside of a housing of the wireless power transmitting apparatus, and wherein the processor is configured to control the first display to output information about the state of charge of the at least one electronic device on an area corresponding to the location of the at least one electronic device disposed around the wireless power transmitting apparatus
As for claim 7, Mantler discloses and shows in Figs. 1- 5 the first display
comprises a first area located in a center of the first display and a second area surrounding a periphery of the first area, wherein the first display is disposed on an upper surface of the housing of the wireless power transmitting apparatus, and
wherein the processor is configured to obtain location information of a user through the
at least one sensor and, based on the location information of the user, arrange an object for displaying information about the state of charge of the at least one electronic device.
As for claim 8, Mantler discloses first display included in the wireless power transmitting apparatus comprises a light-emitting element (ref’s OLED) configured to emit light to an outside of a housing of the wireless power transmitting apparatus, and wherein the processor is configured to control the first display to emit light corresponding to the state of charge of the at least one electronic device through the light- emitting element provided on an area corresponding to the location of the at least one electronic device disposed around the wireless power transmitting apparatus (col.14,lines 41-57).
As for claim 10, Mantler discloses and shows in Figs. 1- 5 the processor is configured to transmit and receive the location information of the at least one electronic device disposed around the wireless power transmitting apparatus
and information about the state of charge of the at least one electronic device to and from the at least one electronic device using the short-distance communication module to cause the second display output, through a processor included in the one of the at least one electronic device, the location information of the at least one electronic device disposed around the wireless power transmitting apparatus and the information about the state of charge of the at least one electronic device
As for claim 11, Mantler discloses first display included in the wireless power transmitting apparatus comprises a light-emitting element configured to emit light toward a ground, and wherein the processor is configured to control to output information about power state and the state of charge of the at least one electronic device using the light emitted toward the
ground.
As for claim 12, Mantler discloses processor is configured to control to adjust at least one of a brightness, a color, and a size of light-emitting area of the light-emitting element in response to a change in a distance between the at least one electronic device and the wireless power transmitting apparatus using the location information of the at least one electronic device
As for claim 13, Mantler discloses processor is configured to control the light-emitting element to output light in different colors depending on the information about the state of charge of the at least one electronic device which is one of a during-charging state, a charging completion state, or a charging-impossible state, wherein the processor is configured to control to adjust a size of light-emitting area of the light-emitting element in response to an amount of power charged in the at le ast one
electronic device (via OLED), or wherein the processor is configured to control to adjust illuminance of the light-emitting element in response to the amount of power charged in the at least one electronic device
As for claim 14, Mantler discloses and shows in Figs. 1- 5 a case where the at least one electronic device includes a plurality of electronic devices and the plurality of electronic devices are disposed around the wireless power transmitting apparatus, the processor is configured to control the power transmission circuit to transmit the power according to a charging priority assigned to at least one electronic device among the plurality of electronic devices or a charging priority set by a user interaction.
As for claim 15, Mantler discloses user interaction comprises a user gesture input and a user's voice input (col.7, lines 13-20, col.15, lines 35-43).
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) 9 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Mantler in combination with TOYA et al, (TOYA), (USNO.2010/0270970) .
As for claim 9, Mantler discloses all limitations, but differs from the claimed invention because he does not explicitly disclose a light-emitting element is provided in plurality, and the plurality of light-emitting elements are consecutively arranged along a circumference of the housing, and wherein the processor is configured to control some light-emitting elements disposed on an area corresponding to the location of the at least one electronic device disposed around the wireless power transmitting apparatus, among the plurality of light-emitting elements, to emit light.
TOYA discloses and shows in Figs. 5&6 a light-emitting element is provided in plurality, and the plurality of light-emitting elements are consecutively arranged along a circumference of the housing, and wherein the processor is configured to control some light-emitting elements disposed on an area corresponding to the location of the at least one electronic device disposed around the wireless power transmitting apparatus, among the plurality of light-emitting elements, to emit light (par.[0068])
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of the invention was made to have modified the teachings of Mantler by using a light-emitting element is provided in plurality, and the plurality of light-emitting elements are consecutively arranged along a circumference of the housing, and wherein the processor is configured to control some light-emitting elements disposed on an area corresponding to the location of the at least one electronic device disposed around the wireless power transmitting apparatus, among the plurality of light-emitting elements, to emit light for advantages such as providing the user with visual confirmation of element movement (par.[0068]), as taught by TOYA.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claim 5 is 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.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter: power transmission circuit comprises a first resonator comprising at least one coil and at least one capacitor and a second resonator comprising at least one coil and at least one capacitor, wherein the second resonator is disposed in a direction perpendicular to the first resonator, and wherein the wireless power transmitting apparatus further comprises: a housing forming a space in which the at least one sensor, the short-distance communication module, the power transmission circuit, and the processor are disposed; a first resonator housing disposed in a horizontal direction with respect to the
housing and surrounding the first resonator; and a second resonator housing disposed in a vertical direction with respect to the housing and surrounding the second resonator, in combination with the remaining limitations of independent claims
Contact Information
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ARUN C WILLIAMS whose telephone number is (571)272-9765. The examiner can normally be reached on M-F 9 a.m. - 6 p.m..
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Julian Huffman can be reached on 571-272-2147. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/ARUN C WILLIAMS/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2859