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 .
Priority
Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55.
Information Disclosure Statement
The IDS filed 6/30/23 has been considered and placed of record. The initialed copy is attached herewith.
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 11-13, 17 and 20-28 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.
Re claim 11, the specific location of the “inverter circuit” is unclear because, while Applicant defined the transmitter is inside the first housing and the inverter is outside the first housing, Applicant failed to define the location of the inverter (defined as “between the boost circuit and the transmitter” is insufficient). Therefore, it cannot be determined whether the inverter circuit is outside the first housing or inside the first housing.
Re claims 12, 13 and 17, they are indefinite for depending directly or indirectly on indefinite claims.
Re claim 20, the second occurrence of “a connector” on line 12 is unclear because “a connector” has been defined on line 3. The Examiner assumes the connectors are the same “connector 12.” And the specific location of the “inverter circuit” is unclear because, while Applicant defined the transmitter is inside the first housing and the inverter is outside the first housing, Applicant failed to define the location of the inverter (defined as “between the boost circuit and the transmitter” is insufficient). Therefore, it cannot be determined whether the inverter circuit is outside the first housing or inside the first housing.
Re claims 21-28, they are indefinite for depending directly or indirectly on indefinite claims.
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.
Claims 11-13, 16, 20-22 and 25 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by WO document WO2021082907A1 (see machine translation).
Re claim 11, the document discloses a wireless charger1000 for a wearable device 100 (fig 1) having, inter alia, a charging base 21, comprising a first housing 21 and a transmitting coil 213 disposed in the first housing 21 (fig 5), wherein the transmitting coil 213 is configured to convert electric energy of an alternating current voltage signal into electromagnetic energy for wireless transmission; a connector 22; a cable 23, wherein the charging base 21 is connected to the connector 22 through the cable 23 (fig 1); a boost circuit 2251 disposed outside the first housing (para 287 described boost circuit is in connector 22), wherein the boost circuit 2251 is configured to boost a direct current voltage signal input through the connector 22, to generate a boosted direct-current voltage signal (para 287); and an inverter circuit 2171, disposed between the boost circuit and the transmitting coil, wherein the inverter circuit 2171 is configured to convert the boosted direct-current voltage signal into the alternating current voltage signal, and transmit the alternating current voltage signal to the transmitting coil 213 (para 381: boost circuit 2251 adjusts low-voltage dc power output… then transmit to the wireless charging transmitter control chip 2171 through cable 23. The wireless charging transmitter control chip 2171 converts low-voltage dc power into ac power, so that the voltage of the ac power on the transmitter coil 213 changes). See figs 1-2 and 5.
Re claim 12, the document further discloses the connector 22 comprises a connector interface and a second housing, and a part or all of the connector interface is disposed in the second housing (fig 1).
Re claim 13, the document further discloses the boost circuit 2251 is disposed in the second housing 22, and the boost circuit is electrically connected to the connector interface (inherent feature for circuit to be complete). See figure 28.
Re claim 16, the document further discloses the inverter circuit 2171 is disposed in the first housing 21 (fig 28).
Re claim 20, the document discloses a wireless charging system 1000, having an electronic device 100; and a wireless charger configured to be connected to a direct current power supply 300 by using a connector 22 (end of para 175), and configured to convert electric energy of the direct current power supply into an electromagnetic wave; and wherein the electronic device 100 is configured to receive the electromagnetic wave and is charged by using energy of the electromagnetic wave; and wherein the wireless charger 1000 comprises: a charging base 21, comprising a first housing 21 and a transmitting coil 213 disposed in the first housing 21, wherein the transmitting coil 213 is configured to convert electric energy of an alternating current voltage signal into the electromagnetic wave; a connector 22; a cable 23, wherein the charging base 21 is connected to the connector 22 through the cable 23; a boost circuit 2251 disposed outside the first housing (para 287 described boost circuit is in connector 22), wherein the boost circuit 2251 is configured to boost a direct current voltage signal input through the connector 22 (para 287), to generate a boosted direct-current voltage signal; and an inverter circuit 2171, disposed between the boost circuit and the transmitting coil, wherein the inverter circuit 2171 is configured to convert the boosted direct-current voltage signal into an alternating current voltage signal, and transmit the alternating current voltage signal to the transmitting coil 213 (para 381: boost circuit 2251 adjusts low-voltage dc power output… then transmit to the wireless charging transmitter control chip 2171 through cable 23. The wireless charging transmitter control chip 2171 converts low-voltage dc power into ac power, so that the voltage of the ac power on the transmitter coil 213 changes). See figs 1-2 and 5.
Re claim 21, the document further discloses the connector 22 comprises a connector interface and a second housing, and a part or all of the connector interface is disposed in the second housing (fig 1).
Re claim 22, the document further discloses the boost circuit 2251 is disposed in the second housing 22, and the boost circuit is electrically connected to the connector interface (inherent feature for circuit to be complete). See figure 28.
Re claim 25, the document further discloses the inverter circuit 2171 is disposed in the first housing 21 (fig 28).
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.
Claims 14, 15, 17-19, 23, 24 and 26-28 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over WO document WO2021082907A1 (see machine translation).
Re claim 14, the document does not disclose the inverter is housed in a second housing. It would have been well within the skill of one versed in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to have disposed the inverter in the second housing for the purpose of easy replacement without having to replace the entire device as a cost-effective saving method and since it has been held that rearranging parts of an invention involves only routine skill in the art.
Re claims 15 and 17, the document does not disclose a third housing disposed between the first housing and the second housing, wherein the first housing is connected to the third housing through the cable, the second housing is connected to the third housing through the cable, and the inverter circuit (claim 15) or the boost circuit (claim 17) is disposed in the third housing. It would have been well within the skill of one versed in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to have components disposed in separate housing (i.e. first, second and third housing) and to dispose the inverter/boost circuit in the third housing for the purpose of individualizing each component in its own housing in the event of having to replace a component (i.e. the entire device does not need to be replaced as a cost-effective saving) and since it has been held that rearranging parts of an invention involves only routine skill in the art.
Re claim 18, the document further discloses the inverter circuit 2171 is disposed in the first housing 21, or the inverter circuit is disposed in the third housing.
Re claim 19, the document does not disclose a fourth housing disposed between the third housing and the first housing, wherein the third housing is connected to the fourth housing through the cable, the fourth housing is connected to the first housing through the cable, and the inverter circuit is disposed in the fourth housing. It would have been well within the skill of one versed in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to have components disposed in separate housing (i.e. first, second, third and fourth housing) and to dispose the inverter in the fourth housing for the purpose of individualizing each component in its own housing in the event of having to replace a component (i.e. the entire device does not need to be replaced as a cost-effective saving) and since it has been held that rearranging parts of an invention involves only routine skill in the art.
Re claim 23, the document does not disclose the inverter is housed in a second housing. It would have been well within the skill of one versed in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to have disposed the inverter in the second housing for the purpose of easy replacement without having to replace the entire device as a cost-effective saving method and since it has been held that rearranging parts of an invention involves only routine skill in the art.
Re claims 24 and 26, the document does not disclose a third housing disposed between the first housing and the second housing, wherein the first housing is connected to the third housing through the cable, the second housing is connected to the third housing through the cable, and the inverter circuit (claim 24) or the boost circuit (claim 26) is disposed in the third housing. It would have been well within the skill of one versed in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to have components disposed in separate housing (i.e. first, second and third housing) and to dispose the inverter/boost circuit in the third housing for the purpose of individualizing each component in its own housing in the event of having to replace a component (i.e. the entire device does not need to be replaced as a cost-effective saving) and since it has been held that rearranging parts of an invention involves only routine skill in the art.
Re claim 27, the document further discloses the inverter circuit 2171 is disposed in the first housing 21, or the inverter circuit is disposed in the third housing.
Re claim 28, the document does not disclose a fourth housing disposed between the third housing and the first housing, wherein the third housing is connected to the fourth housing through the cable, the fourth housing is connected to the first housing through the cable, and the inverter circuit is disposed in the fourth housing. It would have been well within the skill of one versed in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to have components disposed in separate housing (i.e. first, second, third and fourth housing) and to dispose the inverter in the fourth housing for the purpose of individualizing each component in its own housing in the event of having to replace a component (i.e. the entire device does not need to be replaced as a cost-effective saving) and since it has been held that rearranging parts of an invention involves only routine skill in the art.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Art of record listed on PTO-892 exemplified wireless charging a mobile device via connector/cable.
Any inquiry concerning this communication should be directed to the Examiner at the below-listed number. The Examiner can normally be reached on Mon-Thu from 7:00am-5:00pm.
The Examiner’s SPE is Taelor Kim and he can be reached at 571.270.7166. The fax number for the organization where this application is assigned is 571.273.8300.
Information regarding the status of an application may be obtained from the Patent Application Information Retrieval (PAIR) system. Status information for published applications may be obtained from either Private PAIR or Public PAIR. Status information for unpublished applications is available through Private PAIR only. For more information about the PAIR system, see http://pair-direct.uspto.gov. Should you have questions on access to the Private PAIR system, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866.217.9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative or access to the automated information system, call 800.786.9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571.272.1000.
/EDWARD TSO/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2859 571.272.2087