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 .
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statements (IDS) submitted on 31 July 2023, 5 September 2023 and 28 February 2025 are in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statements are being considered by the examiner.
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 14 is 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.
Claim 14 recites the limitation "the track rail" in lines 2-3. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim. Please correct the first instance to read “a track rail.”
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.
Claims 8-9 and 13 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over US 2021/0083518 by Stingu et al. (Stingu hereinafter) in view of US 2017/0201130 by Park.
Regarding claim 8, Stingu discloses a power receiving device comprising: a power receiving unit [see at least Abstract; Figure 2A] configured to receive power in a contactless manner [see at least Abstract]; a step-up/step-down chopper [see at least Figure 2A, (214); paragraph 0039, “such as a buck-boost, buck or flyback converters”] connected to the power receiving unit [see at least Figure 2A, (202)] and configured to control and supply power supplied from the power receiving unit to a load [see at least paragraph 0044; Figure 2A, (228)]; an auxiliary power supply [see at least Figure 2A, (218] connected to the step-up/step-down chopper and configured to supply power to the load via the step-up/step-down chopper [see at least paragraph 0026, “continue to provide uninterrupted power to load 228, e.g., via LDO 226, by, e.g. boost converter 214 using the charge stored in storage capacitor 218”]; and a bypass section configured to allow the power receiving section to bypass the step- up/step-down chopper to supply power to the auxiliary power supply [see at least paragraph 0067; paragraph 0073, “boost converter 214 transitions into bypass mode (as shown by curve 804) and capacitor 218 is recharged”], wherein the bypass section allows the power receiving section to supply power to the auxiliary power supply via the bypass section [see at least paragraph 0067; paragraph 0073, “boost converter 214 transitions into bypass mode (as shown by curve 804) and capacitor 218 is recharged”].
Stingu fails to disclose from a power supply configured to supply power at a constant current value and when a voltage of the auxiliary power supply is equal to or less than a first predetermined value. However, Park discloses a wireless power system [see at least Abstract] which can supply a constant current [see at least paragraph 0077] within a wireless power transmitter [see at least Figure 1, (10)] which can switch to bypass an auxiliary energy storage device (capacitor) when the capacitor voltage is less than a threshold voltage [see at least paragraph 0094].
It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the Applicant's invention to modify the system of Stingu to include a constant current supply and bypass of a capacitor when its voltage is lower than a threshold, as disclosed by Park, in order to limit current through the system which protects sensitive components and to bypass a capacitor which has low voltage to enable a stable power supply to the load while charging the capacitor for later use. Thus, ensuring the stability of the system and preventing damage to components.
Regarding claim 9, Stingu in view of Park teaches the power receiving device according to claim 8.
Stingu discloses wherein the bypass section includes a switching section configured to switch on and off of supply of power from the power receiving section to the auxiliary power supply via the bypass section [see at least paragraph 0067; the various switch configurations are disclosed].
Park discloses the switching section turns on to allow the power receiving section to supply power from the power receiving section to the auxiliary power supply via the bypass section when a predetermined condition is satisfied, and turns off to allow the power receiving section to stop the supply of the power to the auxiliary power supply via the bypass section when the predetermined condition is not satisfied, and the predetermined condition includes a case where the voltage of the auxiliary power supply is equal to or less than the first predetermined value [see at least paragraph 0094, the predetermined voltage value of the capacitor (auxiliary power supply) 109 is used].
Regarding claim 13, Stingu in view of Park teaches a contactless power feeding system comprising: the power receiving device according to claim 8.
Park discloses and a power transmission device [see at least Figure 1, (10)] configured to transmit power at a constant current value to the power receiving device [see at least paragraph 0077].
Claims 10 and 12 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over US 2021/0083518 by Stingu et al. (Stingu hereinafter) in view of US 2017/0201130 by Park in further view of US 8,013,587 by Saeki et al. (Saeki hereinafter).
Regarding claim 10, Stingu in view of Park teaches the power receiving device according to claim 9.
Park discloses the switching section turns on when the voltage of the auxiliary power supply is equal to or less than the first predetermined value [see at least paragraph 0094].
Stingu discloses monitoring voltage into the chopper circuit and functioning based on a predetermined threshold [see at least paragraph 0037], but Stingu in view of Park fails to explicitly teach wherein the predetermined condition includes when the input voltage of the step-up/step-down chopper is equal to or less than the second predetermined value, and the input voltage of the step-up/step-down chopper is equal to or less than the second predetermined value. However, Saeki discloses a DC/DC power supply with a bypass circuit [see at least Abstract] which bypasses a DC/DC converter [see at least Figure 1, (1)] by way of the bypass circuit [see at least Figure 1, (2)] depending on the input voltage to the DC/DC converter [see at least column 5, lines 31-56].
It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the Applicant's invention to modify the system of Stingu in view of Park to include the DC/DC converter input voltage monitoring and switching, as disclosed by Saeki, as a monitor to determine if the input voltage into the DC/DC converter is too low to properly operate. Thus, preventing damage to the DC/DC converter.
Regarding claim 12, Stingu in view of Park teaches the power receiving device according to claim 8.
Stingu in view of Park fails to teach wherein the bypass section is a circuit including a comparator. However, Saeki discloses a DC/DC power supply with a bypass circuit [see at least Abstract] which uses comparators for determining voltage differences to operate the bypass circuit [see at least column 4, lines 20-54].
It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the Applicant's invention to modify the system of Stingu in view of Park to include the comparator, as disclosed by Saeki, to determine how a voltage compares to a predetermined voltage as used by the system. Thus, allowing the system to operate as intended.
Claim 11 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over US 2021/0083518 by Stingu et al. (Stingu hereinafter) in view of US 2017/0201130 by Park in further view of US 8,013,587 by Saeki et al. (Saeki hereinafter) and US 2013/0193941 by DeFazio.
Regarding claim 11, Stingu in view of Park in further view of Saeki teaches the power receiving device according to claim 10.
Park discloses when the voltage of the auxiliary power supply is equal to or less than the first predetermined value [see at least paragraph 0094].
Saeki discloses the input voltage of the step-up/step-down chopper is equal to or less than the second predetermined value [see at least column 5, lines 31-56].
Stingu in view of Park in further view of Saeki fails to teach wherein the predetermined condition includes when the output voltage of the step-up/step-down chopper is equal to or more than a third predetermined value, and the switching section turns on, and the output voltage of the step- up/step-down chopper is equal to or more than the third predetermined value. However, DeFazio discloses bypass control in a DC/DC converter [see at least Abstract] which operates a bypass control based on an output voltage of the DC/DC converter [see at least paragraph 0023 and paragraph 0148].
It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the Applicant's invention to modify the system of Stingu in view of Park in further view of Saeki DC/DC converter output voltage monitoring and switching, as disclosed by DeFazio, to prevent overvoltage/undervoltage conditions. Thus, preventing damage to components and to the load.
Claim 14 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over US 2021/0083518 by Stingu et al. (Stingu hereinafter) in view of US 2017/0201130 by Park in further view of US 8,519,570 by Koumoto.
Regarding claim 14, Stingu in view of Park teaches the contactless power feeding system according to claim 13.
Stingu in view of Park fails to teach wherein the power transmission device has a feeder provided along the track rail, and the power receiving device is provided to a traveling vehicle traveling on the track rail. However, Koumoto discloses a contactless power system [see at least Abstract] for a traveling vehicle [see at least Figures 1 and 3, (5)] with a power receiving section [see at least Figure 3, (23)] which follows a rail [see at least Figure 1 and 3, (3)] comprising a feeder [see at least Figure 3, (17); column 5, lines 5-18].
It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the Applicant's invention to modify the system of Stingu in view of Park to include the traveling vehicle, rail and contactless power transfer, as disclosed by Koumoto, in order to eliminate cables for powering the moving vehicle. Thus, allowing for greater freedom of movement without possibly damaging power cables and preventing power loss to the moving vehicle.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Yang (US 2021/0408818) discloses a DC/DC converter which can operate in a bypass mode depending upon a voltage of a battery.
Imanaka et al. (US 2020/0379050) discloses a bypass path to a load depending upon a predetermined value.
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/JOEL BARNETT/Examiner, Art Unit 2836
/REGIS J BETSCH/SPE, Art Unit 2836
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