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 .
This Office Action responses to the Application filed on 03/29/2023.
Information Disclosure Statement
Information Disclosure Statements (IDS) filed on 03/29/2023, 07/16/2024, and 09/25/2025 were considered.
Claims 1-20 are pending for examination.
Requirement for Information
Examiner requests under 37 CFR 1.105 the Applicant submit with the response to this Office Action (1) the legal status of any co-pending or related foreign patent application filed by the assignee or inventor(s) of this instant case and that is relevant to the prosecution of this case, and (2) the international search report, if any, of the copending or related foreign patent application. This request is necessary for the Examiner to consider possible foreign or non-patent literature that may be germane to patentability of the claimed invention.
Applicant is reminded replies to requirements for information must be complete and filed within the time period set including any extension. Failure to reply within the time period set will result in the abandonment of the application. MPEP § 704.12.
Examiner’s Note
In the case of amending the claimed invention, Applicant is respectfully requested to indicate the portion(s) of the specification which dictate(s) the structure relied on for proper interpretation and also to verify and ascertain the metes and bounds of the claimed invention.
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(s) 9 is/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 claim 9, line 5 recites “in an;” It is unclear in what the activity determination is in. For examination purpose, the limitation will be construed as “in an environment;”
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Apte et al., (US 10128660 B1); hereinafter Apte.
Regarding claim 1, Apte discloses a method for forming a wireless power grid in an environment (Fig. 1-26), the method comprising:
determining an activity to be performed by a set of data collection devices in the environment (Column 34, lines 8-25, each component has a specific set of data (e.g. thermostat collecting temperature to control HVAC));
obtaining geographic data regarding the environment (Column 19, lines 29-56) (Column 44, lines 48-56);
identifying natural power sources in the environment based on the geographic data (Column 9, lines 16-18) (Column 19, lines 29-38) (Column 44, lines 48-65) (Column 34, line 8-25) (Column 49, line 64 to Column 50 line 8);
deploying one or more power generation devices to one or more of the natural power sources in the environment (Column 8, lines 34-45) (Fig. 19, 1700);
deploying the set of data collection devices in the environment to perform the activity (Column 34, lines 8-25, each component has a specific set of data in a specific location (e.g. thermostat collecting temperature to control HVAC));
deploying a plurality of wireless power transmission devices (Fig. 10, Transmitters 1020) to the environment (Column 34, lines 8-25);
instructing the one or more power generation devices to collect power from the natural power sources and to wirelessly transmit power to one of the plurality of wireless power transmission devices (Column 8, lines 34-45) (Column 44, lines 48-65); and
instructing the one of the plurality of wireless power transmission devices to wirelessly transmit power to one of the set of data collection devices (Column 8, lines 34-45).
Regarding claim 2, Apte discloses the method of claim 1 above, Apte also discloses the method further comprising calculating a total power required by the set of data collection devices to complete the activity, wherein a number of the one or more power generation devices is determined based at least in part on the total power required (Column 14, lines 9-22) (Column 44, lines 48-65).
Regarding claim 3, Apte discloses the method of claim 1 above, Apte also discloses the one or more power generation devices include one or more of a hydroelectric power generation device, a solar power generation device (Column 49, line 64 to Column 50 line 8), and a wind power generation device.
Regarding claim 4, Apte discloses the method of claim 1 above, Apte also discloses the method further comprising:
identifying a deployment location of a first data collection device of the set of data collection devices in the environment (Column 8, lines 35-65);
identifying multiple wireless power transmission paths from each natural power source to the deployment location (Column 7, line 66 to Column 8 line 33);
calculating an estimated power transmission loss for each of the multiple wireless power transmission paths (Column 7, line 66 to Column 8 line 33); and
selecting a wireless power transmission path from the multiple wireless power transmission paths based at least in part on the estimated power transmission loss (Column 7, line 66 to Column 8 line 33) (Column 33, lines 17-6543) (Column 44, lines 48-65).
Regarding claim 5, Apte discloses the method of claim 1 above, Apte also discloses at least one of the multiple wireless power transmission paths include one of the plurality of wireless power transmission devices (Column 7 line 50 to Column 8 line 33).
Regarding claim 6, Apte discloses the method of claim 1 above, Apte also discloses the method further comprising creating a power generation grid for the environment based on the obtained geographic data (Column 7, line 66 to Column 8 line 33) (Column 33, lines 17-6543) (Column 44, lines 48-65), wherein the power generation grid based includes a location of each of the natural power sources and an estimated power generation capacity of the natural power sources (Column 7, line 66 to Column 8 line 33) (Column 33, lines 17-6543) (Column 44, lines 48-65).
Regarding claim 9, Apte discloses a computing system having a memory having computer readable instructions and one or more processors for executing the computer readable instructions, the computer readable instructions controlling the one or more processors to perform operations (Fig. 1-26) (Column 9, lines 21-35) (Column 17, lines 20-30) comprising:
determining an activity to be performed by a set of data collection devices in an (enviroment); (Column 34, lines 8-25, each component has a specific set of data (e.g. thermostat collecting temperature to control HVAC))
obtaining geographic data regarding the environment (Column 19, lines 29-56);
identifying natural power sources in the environment based on the geographic data (Column 9, lines 16-18) (Column 19, lines 29-38) (Column 44, lines 48-65) (Column 34, line 8-25) (Column 49, line 64 to Column 50 line 8);
deploying one or more power generation devices to one or more of the natural power sources in the environment (Column 8, lines 34-45) (Fig. 19, 1700);
deploying the set of data collection devices in the environment to perform the activity (Column 34, lines 8-25, each component has a specific set of data in a specific location (e.g. thermostat collecting temperature to control HVAC));
deploying a plurality of wireless power transmission devices (Fig. 10, Transmitters 1020) to the environment (Column 34, lines 8-25);
instructing the one or more power generation devices to collect power from the natural power sources and to wirelessly transmit power to one of the plurality of wireless power transmission devices (Column 8, lines 34-45); and
instructing the one of the plurality of wireless power transmission devices to wirelessly transmit power to one of the set of data collection devices (Column 8, lines 34-45).
Regarding claim 10, Apte discloses the computing system of claim 9 above, Apte also discloses the operations further comprise calculating a total power required by the set of data collection devices to complete the activity, wherein a number of the one or more power generation devices is determined based at least in part on the total power required (Column 14, lines 9-22) (Column 44, lines 48-65).
Regarding claim 11, Apte discloses the computing system of claim 9 above, Apte also discloses the one or more power generation devices include one or more of a hydroelectric power generation device, a solar power generation device (Column 49, line 64 to Column 50 line 8), and a wind power generation device.
Regarding claim 12, Apte discloses the computing system of claim 9 above, Apte also discloses the operations further comprise:
identifying a deployment location of a first data collection device of the set of data collection devices in the environment (Column 8, lines 35-65);
identifying multiple wireless power transmission paths from each natural power source to the deployment location (Column 7, line 66 to Column 8 line 33);
calculating an estimated power transmission loss for each of the multiple wireless power transmission paths (Column 7, line 66 to Column 8 line 33); and
selecting a wireless power transmission path from the multiple wireless power transmission paths based at least in part on the estimated power transmission loss (Column 7, line 66 to Column 8 line 33) (Column 33, lines 17-6543) (Column 44, lines 48-65).
Regarding claim 13, Apte discloses the computing system of claim 12 above, Apte also discloses at least one of the multiple wireless power transmission paths include one of the plurality of wireless power transmission devices (Column 7 line 50 to Column 8 line 33).
Regarding claim 14, Apte discloses the computing system of claim 9 above, Apte also discloses the operations further comprise creating a power generation grid for the environment based on the obtained geographic data (Column 7, line 66 to Column 8 line 33) (Column 33, lines 17-6543) (Column 44, lines 48-65), wherein the power generation grid based includes a location of each of the natural power sources and an estimated power generation capacity of the natural power sources (Column 7, line 66 to Column 8 line 33) (Column 33, lines 17-6543) (Column 44, lines 48-65).
Regarding claim 17, Apte discloses a computer program product comprising a computer readable storage medium having program instructions embodied therewith, the program instructions executable by a processor to cause the processor to perform operations (Fig. 1-26) (Column 9, lines 21-35) (Column 17, lines 20-30) comprising:
determining an activity to be performed by a set of data collection devices in an environment (Column 34, lines 8-25, each component has a specific set of data (e.g. thermostat collecting temperature to control HVAC));
obtaining geographic data regarding the environment (Column 19, lines 29-56);
identifying natural power sources in the environment based on the geographic data (Column 9, lines 16-18) (Column 19, lines 29-38) (Column 44, lines 48-65) (Column 34, line 8-25) (Column 49, line 64 to Column 50 line 8);
deploying one or more power generation devices to one or more of the natural power sources in the environment (Column 8, lines 34-45) (Fig. 19, 1700);
deploying the set of data collection devices in the environment to perform the activity (Column 34, lines 8-25, each component has a specific set of data in a specific location (e.g. thermostat collecting temperature to control HVAC));
deploying a plurality of wireless power transmission devices (Fig. 10, Transmitters 1020) to the environment (Column 34, lines 8-25);
instructing the one or more power generation devices to collect power from the natural power sources and to wirelessly transmit power to one of the plurality of wireless power transmission devices (Column 8, lines 34-45); and
instructing the one of the plurality of wireless power transmission devices to wirelessly transmit power to one of the set of data collection devices (Column 8, lines 34-45).
Regarding claim 18, Apte discloses the computer program product of claim 17, Apte also discloses the operations further comprise calculating a total power required by the set of data collection devices to complete the activity, wherein a number of the one or more power generation devices is determined based at least in part on the total power required (Column 14, lines 9-22) (Column 44, lines 48-65).
Regarding claim 19, Apte discloses the computer program product of claim 17, Apte also discloses the one or more power generation devices include one or more of a hydroelectric power generation device, a solar power generation device (Column 49, line 64 to Column 50 line 8), and a wind power generation device.
Regarding claim 20, Apte discloses the computer program product of claim 17, Apte also discloses the operations further comprise:
identifying a deployment location of a first data collection device of the set of data collection devices in the environment (Column 8, lines 35-65);
identifying multiple wireless power transmission paths from each natural power source to the deployment location (Column 7, line 66 to Column 8 line 33);
calculating an estimated power transmission loss for each of the multiple wireless power transmission paths (Column 7, line 66 to Column 8 line 33); and
selecting a wireless power transmission path from the multiple wireless power transmission paths based at least in part on the estimated power transmission loss (Column 7, line 66 to Column 8 line 33) (Column 33, lines 17-6543) (Column 44, lines 48-65).
Claims 7-8 and 15-16 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.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter:
Regarding claims 7 and 15, the prior art made of record and considered pertinent to the applicant's disclosure, taken individually or in combination, does not teach the claimed invention having the following limitations “the operations further comprise creating an energy loss grid for the environment based on the obtained geographic data, wherein the energy loss grid includes a matrix of cells that represent portions of the environment and wherein the energy loss grid includes an estimated power transmission loss between cells”, in combination with the remaining claimed limitations.
Regarding dependent claims 8 and 16, the claims are objected due to their dependencies to claims 7 and 15 above.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to THAI H TRAN whose telephone number is (571)270-0668. The examiner can normally be reached M - F 8:30 - 5:00.
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/THAI H TRAN/Examiner, Art Unit 2836
/REXFORD N BARNIE/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2836
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