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 is responsive to the application filed 08/23/2023 which claims 1-12 have been presented for examination.
The preliminary amendment filed 08/23/2023 is acknowledged.
Priority
Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 08/23/2023 has been considered by the examiner.
Claim Objections
Claims 3-7, 9, and 11-12 are objected to because of the following informalities:
in claim 3, substitute “(MST)” with -- magnetic secure transmission (MST) -- (see line 4);
in claim 3, substitute “NFC” with -- near-field communication (NFC) -- (see line 4);
in claim 7, insert “at least one” before the term “slit” (see line 1);
in claim 9, substitute “slits” with – slice members – (see line 1);
in claim 11, substitute “a mobile terminal” with – the mobile terminal – (see line 1); and
in claim 12, substitute “a mobile terminal” with – the mobile terminal – (see line 1)
Claims 4-6 are objected to since they are dependent upon an objected claim.
Appropriate correction is required.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(d):
(d) REFERENCE IN DEPENDENT FORMS.—Subject to subsection (e), a claim in dependent form shall contain a reference to a claim previously set forth and then specify a further limitation of the subject matter claimed. A claim in dependent form shall be construed to incorporate by reference all the limitations of the claim to which it refers.
The following is a quotation of pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, fourth paragraph:
Subject to the following paragraph [i.e., the fifth paragraph of pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112], a claim in dependent form shall contain a reference to a claim previously set forth and then specify a further limitation of the subject matter claimed. A claim in dependent form shall be construed to incorporate by reference all the limitations of the claim to which it refers.
Claims 11 and 12 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(d) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, 4th paragraph, as being of improper dependent form for failing to further limit the subject matter of the claim upon which it depends, or for failing to include all the limitations of the claim upon which it depends. The claims recite a wireless charging device for a mobile terminal capable of being coupled to the magnet assembly of claim 1. The claims fail to further limit the magnet assembly of claim 1. Applicant may cancel the claim(s), amend the claim(s) to place the claim(s) in proper dependent form, rewrite the claim(s) in independent form, or present a sufficient showing that the dependent claim(s) complies with the statutory requirements.
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) 1-6 and 8-12 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Jol et al. (US 2021/0099031) (hereinafter “Jol”).
Regarding claims 1-3, Jol discloses a magnet assembly for a mobile terminal (1200), comprising:
a base member (1218, 1218’) incorporated into the mobile terminal (1200, 1200’); and
a magnetic member (1228, 1228’) provided on one surface of the base member (1218, 1218’) and including at least one slit formed therein (1232, 1232’) (figs. 12A, 12B; para. [0165]-[0171]);
wherein the base member (1218, 1218’) is provided in a circular plate shape having a hollow formed therein (figs. 12A, 12B); and
a shielding member which is disposed between the base member and the magnetic member (coil assembly 1210 includes a shield (paras. [0165], [0181]), and shields an effect of a magnetic force generated from the magnetic member on a signal of an E-payment (MST), an NFC 1260, or a wireless charging coil antenna 1210 of the mobile terminal (1200) (para. [0165], [0167]). (Also see fig. 51 and para. [0302])
Regarding claim 4, Jol further discloses wherein the shielding member is provided in the same shape as the magnetic member (figs. 12A, 12B, 51).
Regarding claim 5, Jol further discloses wherein the shielding member includes one selected from iron, silicon and zinc (coil assembly 1210 can include electromagnetic shielding (e.g., one or more pieces of ferrite), para. [0165]).
Regarding claim 6, Jol further discloses wherein the shielding member is provided so as not to interfere with the E-payment (MST), the NFC, or the wireless charging coil antenna (para. [0165]).
Regarding claim 8, Jol further discloses the magnet assembly of claim 1, wherein the magnetic member comprises a plurality of slice members having slits formed alternately therebetween, and is provided in a circular plate shape having a hollow formed therein.
Regarding claim 9, Jol further discloses wherein the plurality of slits are arranged at an equal interval in a circumferential direction of the magnetic member (figs. 12A, 12B, 51).
Regarding claim 10, Jol further discloses wherein the magnetic member is provided as a permanent magnet or a neodymium magnet (para. [0115]).
Regarding claims 11-12, Jol further discloses a wireless charging device (1300) for a mobile terminal capable of being coupled to the magnet assembly of claim 1 by a magnetic force, the wireless charging device comprising:
a charging module which generates an induced current for charging the mobile terminal, and is coupled to the magnetic member by the magnetic force; and
wherein the charging module comprises a magnetic body having the same structure as the magnetic member to improve a coupling force with the mobile terminal (figs. 13, 14A; and paras. [0174]-[0180]).
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.
Claim(s) 7 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Jol. The teachings of Jol have been discussed above.
Jol fails to specifically teach wherein the slit formed in the magnetic member is provided to have a width of at least 1 to 10 mm.
However, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to set the width of the magnetic member to at least 1 to 10 mm, since it has been held that where the general conditions of a claim are disclosed in the prior art, discovering the optimum or workable ranges involves only routine skill in the art. In re Aller, 105 USPQ 233.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Wittenberg et al. (US 10,491,041)
Powell, Jr. et al. (US 12,132,327)
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/APRIL A TAYLOR/Examiner, Art Unit 2876
/THIEN M LE/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2876
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