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 § 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.
Claim 8 recites the limitation "the venue". There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
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.
Claims 1, 2, 4-7, 10, 12-14, 17, 19, and 20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Taketomi et al. (US 2020/0111945).
With respect to claim 1, Taketomi et al. discloses a piezoelectric energy generator (Fig 1), comprising: a resilient tile (items 2A-2D, paragraph 35) comprising a main body portion having a height, width, and depth (Fig 1), wherein the main body portion is compressible (Fig 1, paragraph 25); and one or more piezoelectric transducers (items 11) positioned within the main body portion of the tile such that the transducers flex and generate electricity when a corresponding portion of the main body portion is compressed by an external force (Fig 1, paragraph 25), wherein the one or more piezoelectric transducers are electrically interconnected such that electricity generated by any one of the one or more piezoelectric transducers is propagated to an electrical output of the tile (Paragraph 25).
With respect to claim 2, Taketomi et al. discloses the piezoelectric energy generator of claim 1, wherein the one or more piezoelectric transducers comprises a plurality of piezoelectric transducers (Fig 1, items 11).
With respect to claim 4, Taketomi et al. discloses the piezoelectric energy generator of claim 1, further comprising an electrical output in communication with the one or more piezoelectric transducers and operable to propagate generated electrical power from the tile (Fig 1, paragraph 25).
With respect to claim 5, Taketomi et al. discloses the piezoelectric energy generator of claim 4, further comprising an electrical input operable to receive an electrical output from an adjacent tile (Figs 1 and 4B).
With respect to claim 6, Taketomi et al. discloses the piezoelectric energy generator of claim 1, wherein the main body portion of the tile is configured to attach to a main body portion of a second adjacent tile (Fig 1).
With respect to claim 7, Taketomi et al. discloses the piezoelectric energy generator of claim 1, further comprising: control and conditioning circuitry operable to receive electrical energy from an electrical output of the tile and to distribute the electrical energy to electrical devices (Fig 4B).
With respect to claim 10, Taketomi et al. discloses a piezoelectric energy generator (Fig 1), comprising: a plurality of resilient tiles (items 2A-2D), each having a compressible main body portion (Fig 1, paragraph 25); wherein each of the plurality of resilient tiles comprises a plurality of piezoelectric transducers (items 11) positioned within the corresponding main body portion tile such that the piezoelectric transducers flex and generate electricity when a corresponding portion of the main body portion is compressed by an external force (Fig 1, paragraph 25); and wherein the plurality of piezoelectric transducers within each tile are electrically interconnected and wherein an electrical output of each of the plurality of resilient tiles is connected to a transmission line for propagating generated electricity to control and conditioning circuitry (Figs 1 and 4B).
With respect to claim 12, Taketomi et al. discloses the piezoelectric energy generator of claim 10, wherein each of the plurality of tiles comprises an electrical input operable to receive an electrical output from an adjacent tile (Figs 1 and 4B).
With respect to claim 13, Taketomi et al. discloses the piezoelectric energy generator of claim 1, wherein the main body portion of each tile is configured to attach to a main body portion of an adjacent tile (Fig 1).
With respect to claim 14, Taketomi et al. discloses the piezoelectric energy generator of claim 10, wherein the control and conditioning circuitry is operable to distribute electrical energy to electrical devices within a venue (Figs 1 and 4B).
With respect to claim 17, Taketomi et al. discloses a piezoelectric energy generator (Fig 1), comprising: a plurality of tiles (items 2A-2D), each comprising a plurality of piezoelectric transducers (items 11) positioned within a main body of the corresponding tile such that the piezoelectric transducers flex and generate electricity when a corresponding portion of the main body portion is compressed by an external force (Fig 1, paragraph 25); and wherein the plurality of piezoelectric transducers within each tile are electrically interconnected and wherein an electrical output of each of the plurality of resilient tiles is connected to a transmission line for propagating generated electricity to control and conditioning circuitry (Figs 1 and 4B).
With respect to claim 19, Taketomi et al. discloses the piezoelectric energy generator of claim 10, wherein each of the plurality of tiles comprises an electrical input operable to receive an electrical output from an adjacent tile (Figs 1 and 4B).
With respect to claim 20, Taketomi et al. discloses the piezoelectric energy generator of claim 17, further comprising: control and conditioning circuitry operable to receive electrical energy from an electrical output of the plurality of tiles and to distribute the electrical energy to electrical devices (Fig 4B).
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.
Claims 3, 11, and 18 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Taketomi et al. in view of Goodemote et al. (US 2013/0069488).
With respect to claim 3, Taketomi et al. discloses the piezoelectric energy generator of claim 1, wherein the one or more piezoelectric transducers are embedded within the main body portion (Fig 1).
Taketomi et al. does not disclose that the main body portion of the tile is waterproof.
Goodemote et al. teaches a piezoelectric energy generator in which the main body portion of the tile is waterproof (Paragraph 30).
Before the effective filing, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to combine the waterproofing of Goodemote et al. with the piezoelectric energy generator of Taketomi et al. for the benefit of preventing water from damaging the device (Paragraph 30 of Goodemote et al.).
With respect to claim 11, Taketomi et al. discloses the piezoelectric energy generator of claim 10, wherein the corresponding plurality of piezoelectric transducers are embedded within the main body portion (Fig 1).
Taketomi et al. does not disclose that the main body portion of each of the plurality of tiles is waterproof.
Goodemote et al. teaches a piezoelectric energy generator in which the main body portion of each of the plurality of tiles is waterproof (Paragraph 30).
Before the effective filing, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to combine the waterproofing of Goodemote et al. with the piezoelectric energy generator of Taketomi et al. for the benefit of preventing water from damaging the device (Paragraph 30 of Goodemote et al.).
With respect to claim 18, Taketomi et al. discloses the piezoelectric energy generator of claim 17, wherein the corresponding plurality of piezoelectric transducers are embedded within the main body portion (Fig 1).
Taketomi et al. does not disclose that a main body portion of each of the plurality of tiles is waterproof.
Goodemote et al. teaches a piezoelectric energy generator in which a main body portion of each of the plurality of tiles is waterproof (Paragraph 30).
Before the effective filing, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to combine the waterproofing of Goodemote et al. with the piezoelectric energy generator of Taketomi et al. for the benefit of preventing water from damaging the device (Paragraph 30 of Goodemote et al.).
Claims 8, 9, 15, 16 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Taketomi et al. in view of Mullen (US 2005/0258717).
With respect to claim 8, Taketomi et al. discloses the piezoelectric energy generator of claim 7.
Taketomi et al. does not disclose that the electrical devices comprise: devices within the venue, energy storage devices, an external power grid, and combinations thereof.
Mullen teaches a piezoelectric energy generator in which the electrical devices comprise: devices within the venue, energy storage devices, an external power grid, and combinations thereof (Fig 8).
Before the effective filing, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to combine the energy storage and distribution of Mullen with the piezoelectric energy generator of Taketomi et al. for the benefit of providing the ability to power multiple structures/venues as well as providing the ability to store energy for later use (Paragraph 56 of Mullen).
With respect to claim 9, the combination of Taketomi et al. and Mullen discloses the piezoelectric energy generator of claim 8. Mullen discloses that the energy storage devices comprise supercapacitors, batteries, banks of supercapacitors, banks of batteries, and combinations thereof (Paragraph 65).
With respect to claim 15, Taketomi et al. discloses the piezoelectric energy generator of claim 14.
Taketomi et al. does not disclose that the electrical devices within a venue comprise: lighting devices, display devices, energy storage devices, an external power grid, and combinations thereof.
Mullen teaches a piezoelectric energy generator in which the electrical devices within a venue comprise: lighting devices, display devices, energy storage devices, an external power grid, and combinations thereof (Fig 8).
Before the effective filing, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to combine the energy storage and distribution of Mullen with the piezoelectric energy generator of Taketomi et al. for the benefit of providing the ability to power multiple structures/venues as well as providing the ability to store energy for later use (Paragraph 56 of Mullen).
With respect to claim 16, the combination of Taketomi et al. and Mullen discloses the piezoelectric energy generator of claim 15. Mullen discloses that the energy storage devices comprise supercapacitors, batteries, banks of supercapacitors, banks of batteries, and combinations thereof (Paragraph 65).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Derek John Rosenau whose telephone number is (571)272-8932. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Thursday 7 am to 5:30 pm Central Time.
Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Dedei Hammond can be reached at (571) 270-7938. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
Information regarding the status of published or unpublished applications may be obtained from Patent Center. Unpublished application information in Patent Center is available to registered users. To file and manage patent submissions in Patent Center, visit: https://patentcenter.uspto.gov. Visit https://www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/patent-center for more information about Patent Center and https://www.uspto.gov/patents/docx for information about filing in DOCX format. For additional questions, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000.
/DEREK J ROSENAU/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2837