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 information disclosure statement (IDS) was submitted on 08/03/2023. The submission is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
Drawings
The drawings are objected to under 37 CFR 1.83(a). The drawings must show every feature of the invention specified in the claims. Therefore, the following must be shown or the feature(s) canceled from the claim(s). No new matter should be entered.
“method of using a power device and a portable device for wireless charging of a battery of the portable device with a system” (claim 16) – The drawings do not depict a method.
The drawings are objected to as failing to comply with 37 CFR 1.84(p)(5) because they include the following labels not mentioned in the description:
“PTX100W” (Figs. 2, 4)
“Vtrigger listener” (Figs. 2, 4)
“Statemachine controlled listener” (Fig. 4)
The drawings are objected to under 37 CFR 1.83(a) because they are incomplete. 37 CFR 1.83(a) and 37 CFR 183(c) read as follows:
(a) The drawing in a nonprovisional application must show every feature of the invention specified in the claims. However, conventional features disclosed in the description and claims, where their detailed illustration is not essential for a proper understanding of the invention, should be illustrated in the drawing in the form of a graphical drawing symbol or a labeled representation (e.g., a labeled rectangular box). In addition, tables that are included in the specification and sequences that are included in sequence listings should not be duplicated in the drawings.
(c) Where the drawings in a nonprovisional application do not comply with the requirements of paragraphs (a) and (b) of this section, the examiner shall require such additional illustration within a time period of not less than two months from the date of the sending of a notice thereof. Such corrections are subject to the requirements of § 1.81(d).
The drawing Figs. 1 and 3 are objected to because the unlabeled rectangular boxes (items 13, 14, and 24) shown in the drawings should be provided with descriptive text labels. Although the boxes in the figures are numbered which allows a correlation to each box as one reads the specification, the numbers by themselves do not allow one to quickly ascertain the concept of the invention which is desirable during a later search of analogous art. The numbers should be complimented with words spelled out to facilitate future searches or redrawn in different shapes.
Corrected drawing sheets in compliance with 37 CFR 1.121(d) and/or amendment to the specification to add the reference character(s) in the description in compliance with 37 CFR 1.121(b) are required in reply to the Office action to avoid abandonment of the application. Any amended replacement drawing sheet should include all of the figures appearing on the immediate prior version of the sheet, even if only one figure is being amended. The figure or figure number of an amended drawing should not be labeled as “amended.” If a drawing figure is to be canceled, the appropriate figure must be removed from the replacement sheet, and where necessary, the remaining figures must be renumbered and appropriate changes made to the brief description of the several views of the drawings for consistency. Additional replacement sheets may be necessary to show the renumbering of the remaining figures. Each drawing sheet submitted after the filing date of an application must be labeled in the top margin as either “Replacement Sheet” or “New Sheet” pursuant to 37 CFR 1.121(d). If the changes are not accepted by the examiner, the applicant will be notified and informed of any required corrective action in the next Office action. The objection to the drawings will not be held in abeyance.
Claim Objections
Claims 10-15 and 17-18 are objected to because of the following informalities:
Claim 10, line 8 recites “charger IC”. The abbreviation “IC” should be defined in the claim language in its first usage.
Claim 10, line 30 and claim 14, line 2 each recite “the charge IC”, which should be revised to “the [[charge]] charger IC” for consistency with other claim language.
Claim 10, line 33 recites “a power adjustment information”, which should be revised to “[[a]] the power adjustment information” because this feature was introduced prior.
Claims 11-15 each recite “A system according to claim …”, which should be revised to “[[A]] The system according to claim …”.
Claim 12, lines 4-5 and claim 17, line 3 each recite “reaches a maximum temperature limit”, which should be revised to “[[a]] the maximum temperature limit” because this feature is introduced prior in independent claim 10.
Claim 14, lines 1-5 recite the following limitations which are duplicates from claim 10 and are thus suggested for removal: “the portable device is configured to provide a second charge current (IC) at the output pin of the charge IC to charge the battery for a second period of time (T2) as power source with the constant second charge current (IC) higher than the first charge current (IC) and to provide enough power for the ramp-up from the first charge current (le) to the second charge current (IC)”
Claims 17-18 each recite “A method according to claim 16”, which should be revised to “[[A]] The method according to claim 16”.
Appropriate correction is required.
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 10-18 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.
In claim 10, there is insufficient antecedent basis in the claim language for the following claim terms:
line 8: “the rectified antenna signal”
line 9: “the rectifier stage”
lines 13-14: “the constant first charge current (IC)”
lines 16-17: “the resonance frequency”
line 23: “the only portable device”
lines 27-28: “the voltage range of the technical specification”
line 31: “the constant second charge current (IC)”
lines 35-36: “the sensed temperature (TL)”
Claim 10, lines 8-9 recite “further comprises a charger IC including an input pin connected to the rectifier stage and an output pin connected to the battery”.
Firstly, this language is indefinite as to whether “further comprises” is intended to modify “the portable device” or “said charge stage” (interpretation for examination).
Secondly, this language is indefinite as to whether “and an output pin connected to the battery” is intended to be part of the limitation “said charge stage … further comprises …” (meaning the output pin is a feature of “said charge stage”) or part of the limitation “a charger IC including …” (meaning the output pin is a feature of the “charger IC”, as interpreted for examination).
Claim 10, lines 10-12 are indefinite as to which feature is intended to be modified by the language “to rectify an antenna signal”. One may interpret this language modifies “the antenna of the portable device”. Alternatively, as interpreted for examination, this language may modify “the rectifier stage”.
Claim 10, line 21 recites “wherein the system comprises only one portable device”. This language is indefinite as to whether the “only one portable device” is the same (interpretation for examination) or different from the “portable device” introduced prior in claim 10, line 2.
Claim 10, lines 34-35 recite “to substantially at the same time detune the antenna”.
Firstly, “substantially” is a relative term which renders the claim indefinite. The term “substantially” is not defined by the claim, the specification does not provide a standard for ascertaining the requisite degree, and one of ordinary skill in the art would not be reasonably apprised of the scope of the invention. Thus, the claim is indefinite as to how simultaneously the “detune the antenna” is performed.
Secondly, there is insufficient antecedent basis in the claim language for the term “the same time”. The claim is indefinite as to which action is performed at “the same time” as another “detune the antenna. For examination purposes, it is interpreted that “send a power adjustment information” is performed at the same time as “detune the antenna”.
Thirdly, this language is indefinite as to which antenna is being referred to. Two different antennas are introduced prior in claim 10. For examination purposes, it is interpreted this is referring to the antenna of the portable device.
Claim 11, lines 2 and 5 each recite “the resonance frequency of the antenna”. This language is indefinite as to which antenna is being referred to.
Claim 15, lines 2-3 recite “the other components of the power device”. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this term in the claim language.
Claim 16, lines 1-2 recite “A method of using a power device and a portable device and a portable device for wireless charging of a battery of the portable device with a system according to claim 10”. This language is indefinite as to whether a new “power device”, “portable device”, and “battery” are being introduced in addition to those introduced prior in claim 10. Further, claim 10 requires the “power device” and the “portable device” to be part of the claimed “system”. However, claim 16’s preamble seems to suggest these are separate from the system. For examination purposes, it is interpreted that claim 16 intends to be “a method of using the system according to claim 10”, without introducing new features in the preamble.
Claims 12-14 & 16-18 are further rejected for their dependency on other rejected claims.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 10-18 would be allowable if rewritten to overcome objections and the rejection(s) under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), 2nd paragraph, set forth in this Office action.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter:
Regarding Claim 10, though the prior art (see detailed claim item mapping included infra) teaches a system including a power device that wirelessly transmits power to charge a portable device’s battery, wherein the power device is configured to adjust the power of the transmitted magnetic field based on power adjustment information from the portable device, and wherein the portable device includes a detuning stage, rectifier stage, and charger IC that generate the power adjustment information to maintain the rectifier’s output voltage at a specified level and provide a first charge current for a first time period, then a ramp-up period, and then a second charge current for a second time period, and that the charge stage is configured to send a power adjustment information to the power device to increase the power of the magnetic field, it fails to each the inclusion of and the combination with “to substantially at the same time detune the antenna for a ramp-up period of time (TR) to avoid that the sensed temperature (TL) reaches a maximum temperature limit”.
Claim 11-18 would be allowable due to their dependency on Claim 10.
Related Art
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Sone (US 2015/0008755 A1) teaches a system (20-29; Figs. 1-5, 7, 9-14) including a power device (1, 3) that wirelessly transmits power (¶ [89, 98]) to charge a portable device’s (2, 4-12) battery, wherein the power device is configured to adjust the power of the transmitted magnetic field based on power adjustment information (¶ [96]) from the portable device, and wherein the portable device includes a detuning stage (130, 130A-E; ¶ [143, 148]), rectifier stage (133; ¶ [102]), and charger IC (140; ¶ [106]) that generate the power adjustment information to maintain the rectifier’s output voltage within the voltage range of the charger IC’s technical specification (¶ [117]).
Endo (US 2014/0239889 A1) teaches (Figs. 7-8) a similar system wherein the charger IC is configured to provide a first charge current (“preliminary charging current”) for a first time period, then a ramp-up period, and then a second charge current (“constant current charging current”) for a second time period, and that the charge stage is configured to send a power adjustment information (“control signal”; ¶ [114, 118-124, 143, 149-151, 157]) to the power device to increase the power of the magnetic field (¶ [122, 150]) for the ramp-up period.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Daniel P McFarland whose telephone number is (571)272-5952. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday, 7:30 AM - 4:00 PM Eastern.
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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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/DANIEL P MCFARLAND/ Examiner, Art Unit 2859
/DREW A DUNN/ Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2859
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