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 .
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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) 1, 9, 16, 20, 22 and 23 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by D1 (WO 2019058123 A1).
-Regarding claim 1, D1 discloses a body area network (FIG. 1, 6, 7), comprising: a first array of magnetically coupled resonators configured to propagate magneto- inductive (MI) surface waves (FIG. 2D, individual resonators are provided by planar conductive elements 18b disposed on a planar ferromagnetic substrate 17b, page 13; The magnetically resonant yarn 9 is based on the known principles of coupled resonators and the effect of "domino resonators". In which resonators within the circuit depicted in Fig. 2(A) will have substantially the same resonant frequency, and exchange energy through the strong coupling of their nearfields and an adjoining ferromagnetic core 17, page 12); wherein the first array of magnetically coupled resonators comprises a plurality of MI elements (The conductive elements 18b and dielectric elements 18c may be arranged such that the dielectric elements 18c may always be disposed on top of the conductive elements 18b as shown in Figure 2(D), page 13); and wherein the first array of magnetically coupled resonators creates a flexible magnetic metamaterial path for wireless communication using the MI surface waves (receiving power and data from a magnetically resonant yarn, page 23).
-Regarding claim 9, D1 further discoes each of the plurality of MI elements comprises a flexible planar coil (conductive elements 18b and/or dielectric elements 18c may have any suitable shape, for example square or rectangular plates (as shown in Figure 2(D)), other flat shapes, flat slit rings (e.g., C- shaped rings), or flat spirals or coils, page 13).
-Regarding claim 16, D1 further discloses a second array of magnetically coupled resonators, wherein the second array of magnetically coupled resonators comprises a plurality of MI elements (a plurality of resonator yarns woven, into a crisscross arrangement to form a traditional textile, page 22).
-Regarding claim 20, D1 further discloses the MI surface waves generate a wireless communication link between the first array of magnetically coupled resonators and at least one object (a second set of resonators to couple with any data signal superimposed on the resonant carrier frequency of a source transmitter, page 15).
-Regarding claim 22, D1 further discloses the plurality of MI elements is connected in series (These two different resonators may be placed in series along the same ferromagnetic core within the same magnetically resonant yarn 9, page 15).
-Regarding claim 23, D1 further discloses the plurality of MI elements is connected in parallel (These elements will provide output connections allows for massively series or parallel interconnection with their neighbours throughout the length and inner diameter of the yarn, page 23).
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.
Claim(s) 2-5, 10 and 17-19 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over D1 (WO 2019058123 A1) in view of D2 (U.S PATENT NO. 10296819).
-Regarding claim 2, D1 is silent to teaching that the plurality of MI elements is tuned to near field communication (NFC) bandwidths. However, the claimed limitation is well known in the art as evidenced by D2.
In the same field of endeavor, D2 teaches the plurality of MI elements is tuned to near field communication (NFC) bandwidths (the wireless communication can be through near-field communication (NFC) protocols, col. 10 lines 15-33).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skills in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine the teaching of D1 with the teaching of D2 in order to provide the garment coils interoperate with ubiquitous NFC handsets and tags is a predictable selection within D1’s stated range.
-Regarding claim 3, the combination further discloses the first array of magnetically coupled resonators is configured to generate NFC-based MI surface waves (D2, the wireless communication can be through near-field communication (NFC) protocols, col. 10 lines 15-33).
-Regarding claim 4, the combination further discloses the body area network utilizes pairing and security of NFC protocol (D2, the wireless communication can be through near-field communication (NFC) protocols, col. 10 lines 15-33).
-Regarding claim 5, the combination further discloses at least one NFC enabled sensor connected to the first array of magnetically coupled resonators (D2, NFC antenna, col. 10 lines 63-67).
-Regarding claim 10, although the combination does not specifically disclose the flexible planar coil is cut out of copper, the examiner takes official notice that copper is well known conductive material. Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skills in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to use copper for the conductive element.
-Regarding claim 17, the combination further discloses the first array of magnetically coupled resonators is integrated into a first clothing textile and the second array of magnetically couple resonators is integrated into a second clothing textile (D1, abstract; D2, FIG. 6A-6E).
-Regarding claim 18, the combination further discloses the first array of magnetically coupled resonators and the second array of magnetically coupled resonators are separated by a clothing transition between the first clothing textile and the second clothing textile (D2, FIG. 6A-6E).
-Regarding claim 19, the combination further discloses the MI surface waves generate a wireless communication link between the first array of magnetically coupled resonators and at least one object (D1, yarn to transmit power bi-axially to other neighboring resonators until it is received by block 11, page 11).
Claim(s) 6-8 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over D1 (WO 2019058123 A1) in view of D2 (U.S PATENT NO. 10296819) and further in view of D3 (U.S. PG-PUB NO. 20170071469).
-Regarding claim 6, the combination is silent to teaching that a time-division, multiple access protocol is implemented to interrogate the at least one NFC enabled sensor. However, the claimed limitation is well known in the art as evidenced by D3.
In the same field of endeavor, D3 teaches a time-division, multiple access protocol is implemented to interrogate the at least one NFC enabled sensor ([0074]).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skills in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine the teaching of the combination with the teaching of D3 in order to improve design and performance.
-Regarding claim 7, the combination further discloses an NFC enabled reader (D3, The connection between the monitoring device may function to transmit data and/or commands to and/or from the display device for transmission and/or reception by transmission/reception devices and/or may function to transmit display data for display on a display device such as but not limited to a projector, tablet, mobile device, smartphone, personal data assistant, a personal computer, a laptop computer, Google glasses, wrist watch-type device, or even docking the monitoring device on a communication device to download information or other computing device, [0121]).
-Regarding claim 8, the combination further discloses the NFC enabled reader is a mobile device (D3, [0121]).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 11-15 and 21 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.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claim(s) 1-23 have been considered but are moot because the new ground of rejection does not rely on any reference applied in the prior rejection of record for any teaching or matter specifically challenged in the argument.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to PING Y HSIEH whose telephone number is (571)270-3011. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday, 9am-4pm.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Jennifer Mehmood can be reached at (571) 272-2976. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/PING Y HSIEH/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2664
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