Prosecution Insights
Last updated: July 17, 2026
Application No. 18/284,460

CHARGING SYSTEM

Non-Final OA §102§103
Filed
Sep 27, 2023
Priority
Mar 29, 2021 — JP 2021-054527 +2 more
Examiner
ST CYR, DANIEL
Art Unit
Tech Center
Assignee
DENSO WAVE Incorporated
OA Round
1 (Non-Final)
81%
Grant Probability
Favorable
1-2
OA Rounds
0m
Est. Remaining
95%
With Interview

Examiner Intelligence

Grants 81% — above average
81%
Career Allowance Rate
1147 granted / 1409 resolved
+21.4% vs TC avg
Moderate +13% lift
Without
With
+13.4%
Interview Lift
resolved cases with interview
Fast prosecutor
2y 1m
Avg Prosecution
39 currently pending
Career history
1439
Total Applications
across all art units

Statute-Specific Performance

§101
0.8%
-39.2% vs TC avg
§103
47.8%
+7.8% vs TC avg
§102
14.2%
-25.8% vs TC avg
§112
1.5%
-38.5% vs TC avg
Black line = Tech Center average estimate • Based on career data from 1409 resolved cases

Office Action

§102 §103
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. 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)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention. Claim(s) 19-22, 24, and 26 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Konosu et al, JP Patent No. 2019146351. Konosu et al disclose an information reading system second electric unit establish energize first state first charging device connect capacitor comprising: (in particular, see paragraphs [0021]-[0043], fig. 1, 2) a rechargeable code reader for optically reading information recorded in an information code such as a two-dimensional code, and having a reading device 10 (the "portable terminal" and the "information reading terminal") equipped with a first capacitor 22 (the "terminal-side power storage device"), and a charging device 50 ("charging device") equipped with a power supply unit 66 ("external power source") connected to a commercial power supply, wherein the charging device 50 comprises a second capacitor 64 ("device-side power storage device"), a second energizing portion 60 ("power supply unit") that makes contact with a first energizing portion 20 that supplies an electric charge to the first capacitor 22 to establish an energized state between itself and the first energizing portion 20, and a switching control unit 62 ("device-side control unit") that switches between a standby state in which an electric charge is supplied from the power supply unit 66 to the second capacitor 64, and a discharge state in which the second capacitor 64 and the second energizing portion 60 are electrically connected in order to move the electric charge from the second capacitor 64 to the first capacitor 22. Also in (paragraphs [0032], [0039], [0040], fig. 1) indicates that in the discharge state, an electric charge is supplied from the second capacitor 64 to the first capacitor 22, and in the charging state, an electric charge is supplied from the power supply unit 66 to the first capacitor 22. Furthermore, (paragraphs [0032], [0039], fig. 1) indicates that during the discharge state, charging of the second capacitor 64 is not performed, and no electric charge is supplied from the power supply unit 66 to the second energizing portion 60, as indicated by the arrows L3 and L4 in fig. 1. (paragraph [0061]) also indicates that the first energizing portion 20 and the second energizing portion 60 both may be a non-contact power transmission unit; (paragraph [0028], fig. 1) also indicates that the reading device 10 is equipped with an external communication interface 24 that communicates with an external device for managing the information that has been read. 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. 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. Claim(s) 23 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kosonu et al in view of Ishibashi, JP Patent No. 2006246566. Kosonu et al fails to disclose that the charging device transmits information to a host device. Ishibashi discloses a portable barcode reader having an attachment for contacting a charging terminal comprising: (paragraphs [0018], [0019], fig. 3), a charging device that transmits information from a charged device to a host device is well known. In view of the teachings of Ishibashi, it would have been obvious for a person skilled in the art to conceive transmitting information from the terminal to a host device in the invention Kosonu et al as feedback in order to avoid overcharging of the battery. Therefore, it would have been an obvious extension as taught by the prior art. Claim(s) 25-26 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kosonu et al in view of Ago et al, JP Patent No. 2013048532. Kosonu et al, (paragraph [0022]) also indicates that this can be applied to a reading device for reading information recorded in an information code such as a two-dimensional code. Also, providing a solar cell or other such a power generation unit in a portable device in a mobile device is so well known that no there is no need to give citations thereof, and charging a battery with a solar cell or the like and supplying electric power from the charged battery to the outside is well known, but fail to disclose a power generating unit to charge the capacitor. However, Ago et al disclose solar changing unit for charging internal battery of portable devices (paragraphs [0025], [0055], fig. 1). It would have been obvious for ordinary artisan to modify the teachings of Kosonu et al to include a power generating unit for charging the portable charger and/or for charging the battery. Such modification would be more convenient and more effective by providing means to charge the device and the batteries as needed. Therefore, it would have been an obvious extension as taught by the prior art. Claim(s) 27-30 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Colawtto et al, US Pub. No. 2020/0259350, in view of Konish, JP Patent No. 2003264934. Regarding claim 27, Colawtto et al disclose a power capacity indicator comprising: a charging system 10 (in particular, see paragraphs [0032], [0033], [0038], [0040], [0066], [0074]-[0077], fig. 1-3, 5); a wireless electronic device 12 (corresponding to the "portable terminal" in the present application; parentheses indicate the same hereinafter) that is a wireless barcode scanner; and a rechargeable power source 17 ("charging device") cons tinned by a supercapacitor and charging a rechargeable power supply 17 of the wireless electronic device 12, wherein barcodes 5B-A to 5B-F ("information codes") for setting various configuration settings for the charging device 14 are readied, wireless electronic device 12 is used to scan the barcodes 5B-A to 5B-F to input the configuration settings corresponding to the respective barcodes 5B-A to 5B-F to the charging device 14, the wireless electronic device 12 has a sensor 72 ("terminal side detection unit") that detects that the wireless electronic device 12 is outside the charging device 14, and an electrical contact 46 ("power receiving unit") for receiving power from the charging device 14 and communicating with the charging device 14 when the wireless electronic device 12 is properly attached to the charging device 14, and the charging device 14 has an electrical contact 40 ("power transmission unit") for supplying power to the wireless electronic device 12 and communicating with the wireless electronic device 12 when the wireless electronic device 12 is properly attached to the charging device 14. Here, configuration settings corresponding to the barcodes 5B-A to 5B-F are set in the charging device 14 by scanning the barcodes 5B-A to 5B-F with the wireless electronic device 12, so it is obvious that the wireless electronic device 12 generates and transmits to charging device 14 signals for setting configuration settings of the charging device 14 based on the barcodes 5B-A to 5B-F, and that the configuration settings are set by analyzing the signals sent from the wireless electronic device 12. Collawtto et al fails to disclose that when the wireless electronic device that when charging is performed wirelessly and placement of the device is detected, the mobile terminal is controlled according to a power transmission request pattern with which the mobile terminal requests power transmission, and the charging device controls the power transmission unit in order to charge when the power transmission request pattern has been analyzed. Konishi discloses a non-contact charging system, a charger, and a charging equipment comprising: (paragraphs [0028)-(0034], fig. 3, 4) that it is well known to use electromagnetic coupling to charge a barcode reader in a non-contact manner, and to transmit power by controlling a power transmission coil on the basis of a signal from a power receiving device when a power receiving device has been placed on a charging device. In view of the teachings of Konishi, it would have been obvious for an ordinary artisan to apply this well-known feature to the teachings of Colawtto et al so that when wireless charging is performed and the placement of a device is detected, the mobile terminal is controlled according to the power transmission request pattern at which the mobile terminal requests power transmission, and power transmission unit is controlled in order to charge when the charging device has analyzed the power transmission request pattern. Therefore, it would have been an obvious extension as taught by the prior art. Regarding claims 28-29, Colawtto et al disclose (paragraphs [0075], [0077], fig. 5) also indicates that the barcodes 5B-A and 5B-B correspond to displaying indicators of the charging device 14, and the barcodes 5B-D and 5B-E correspond to setting the power mode of the charging device 14. Colawtto et al as modified by Konishi render the claims obvious. Regarding claim 30, Colawtto et al disclose (paragraph [0076], fig. 5) also indicates that the barcode 5B-C corresponds to reconnecting the wireless electronic device 12 and the charging device 14. And Konishi discloses (paragraph [0027], fig. 1, 2), wireless communication is well known. Colawtto et al as modified by Konishi render the claim obvious. Allowable Subject Matter Claims 31-34 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: The applicant teaches a charging system which includes specific information corresponding to a reconnection instruction pattern includes device identification information that identifies the charging device, the mobile terminal comprises a terminal-side determination unit for determining whether or not the charging device specified from the device identification information is in a first matching state of matching the charging device wirelessly connected by the terminal-side wireless communication unit in the event that device identification information is included in the specific information read from the information code by a reading unit, and when the specific information has been read by the reading unit, the generation unit does not generate a reconnection instruction pattern in the event that the terminal-side determination unit has determined that the first matching state pertains. These limitations in conjunction with other limitations in the claims were not shown by nor would have been fairly suggested by the prior art of record. Conclusion The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Wan, US Pub. 2021/0313822, discloses a wireless charging method and a device to be charged. Volta et al, US Pub. 2018/0293412, disclose a coded image capture system of Components and power provisioning therefor. Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to DANIEL ST CYR whose telephone number is (571)272-2407. The examiner can normally be reached M to F 8:00-8:00. Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice. If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Michael G Lee can be reached at 571-272-2398. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300. Information regarding the status of published or unpublished applications may be obtained from Patent Center. Unpublished application information in Patent Center is available to registered users. To file and manage patent submissions in Patent Center, visit: https://patentcenter.uspto.gov. Visit https://www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/patent-center for more information about Patent Center and https://www.uspto.gov/patents/docx for information about filing in DOCX format. For additional questions, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000. DANIEL ST CYR Primary Examiner Art Unit 2876 /DANIEL ST CYR/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2876
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Prosecution Timeline

Sep 27, 2023
Application Filed
Jul 02, 2026
Non-Final Rejection mailed — §102, §103 (current)

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Prosecution Projections

1-2
Expected OA Rounds
81%
Grant Probability
95%
With Interview (+13.4%)
2y 1m (~0m remaining)
Median Time to Grant
Low
PTA Risk
Based on 1409 resolved cases by this examiner. Grant probability derived from career allowance rate.

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