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 § 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 28 and 36 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.
The claim recites wherein the control unit is configured to drive the driver unit to transmit the first AC signal having the one or more pulses in each of a plurality of time windows until the receiver device is detected.
However, the claim fails to provide a limitation to as in when driver unit should stop transmitting in case the receiver is never found.
Would the driver unit perpetually transit the signal and waste power indefinitely?
For the purpose of examination, the claim is read as
wherein the control unit is configured to drive the driver unit to transmit the first AC signal having the one or more pulses in each of a plurality of time windows for a predetermined time period and if no power receiver coil is detected within the predetermined time period, the driver can re-enter idle mode to conserve power.
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) 24-27, 29-35 and 37-39 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Min et al. (US 20170250574) in view of Yuan et al. (US 20100039066)
Re Claims 24, 33 and 35; Min discloses a power transmitter device comprising (Fig. 4):
a driver unit (110) configured to generate a first alternating current (AC) signal having one or more pulses for a time interval within a time window;(implicit since that’s what an inverter does. This technique is commonly known as Pulse Width Modulation (PWM).)
a transmitting unit (130 and capacitors) coupled to the driver unit (110), wherein the transmitting unit includes a resonant capacitor (121 and 122) and a resonant coil (130) that resonates at a frequency of the first AC signal; (Fig. 4) and
a control unit configured (140) to:
The determining of whether the wireless power receiver is present based on the magnitude of the voltage across the power transmitting coil of the power transmitter may include generating the AC voltage having an initial operating frequency, and comparing a voltage variation, a difference between a detected voltage, the voltage across the power transmitting coil, and a voltage across the power transmitting coil in a state in which the wireless power receiver is not present, with a minimum threshold value and a resonance point retrieval threshold value; in response to the voltage variation being the minimum threshold value or more and being lower than the resonance point retrieval threshold value, detecting a resonance point at which the voltage variation is the substantially maximum voltage variation while changing the frequency of the AC voltage between the initial operating frequency and a retrieval end frequency; and when the voltage variation at the resonance point is smaller than a resonance gain increase threshold value, adjusting the impedance of the power transmitter. (Par 0021)
Lin does not disclose determine a capacitive voltage across the resonant capacitor of the transmitting unit in association with transmission of the first AC signal, and
detect a receiver device in response to a change of the capacitive voltage being reduced below a threshold value when the receiver device is present.
However, Yuan discloses
determine a capacitive voltage across the resonant capacitor of the transmitting unit in association with transmission of the first AC signal, and
detect a receiver device in response to a change of the capacitive voltage being reduced below a threshold value when the receiver device is present. (Par 0035).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of the ordinary skilled in the art before the effective filing of the invention to have used the capacitor to detect the presence of the receiver since they are functionally equivalent and also provide more adequate means of detection.
Re Claims 25 and 34; Yuan discloses wherein the control unit measures the capacitive voltage across the resonant capacitor and an inductive voltage across the resonant coil. (Par 0036)
Re Claim 26; Yuan discloses a first voltage sensor coupled across the resonant capacitor and configured to measure the capacitive voltage. (Fig. 4 and also par 0037)
Re Claim 27; Min discloses a second voltage sensor coupled across the resonant coil and configured to measure the inventive voltage. (the transmission controller functions as a voltage sensor since it measures Vd Par 0060)
Re Claim 28 and 36; Yuan discloses wherein the control unit is configured to drive the driver unit to transmit the first AC signal having the one or more pulses in each of a plurality of time windows for a predetermined time period and if no power receiver coil is detected within the predetermined time period, the driver can re-enter idle mode to conserve power. (Par 0036)
Re Claim 30 and 38; Yuan discloses wherein the control unit is configured to drive the driver unit to transmit a second AC signal via the transmitting unit to provide power to the receiver device after the receiver device is detected. (Par 0039)
Re Claim 31 and 39; Yuan discloses wherein the control unit is further configured to:
monitor the capacitive voltage of the transmitting unit during transmission of the second AC signal;
detect that the receiver device is not present based on a change in the capacitive voltage or an inductive voltage across the resonant coil; and
stop the transmission of the second AC signal when the receiver device is not present. (Par 0040)
Re Claim 32; Min discloses wherein the receiver device comprises a mobile device, a biomedical device, a portable consumer device, an electric vehicle, or a hybrid vehicle. (Fig. 1).
Claim(s) 29 and 37 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Min et al. (US 20170250574) in view of Yuan et al. (US 20100039066) and further in view of Seo et al. (US 2020/0021126)
Re Claim 29 and 37; The combination of Min in view of Yuan has been disclose above.
The combination does not disclose wherein the control unit is further configured to detect misalignment of the receiver device with reference to the transmitting unit based on the capacitive voltage or an inductive voltage across the resonant coil.
However, Seo discloses wherein the control unit is further configured to detect misalignment of the receiver device with reference to the transmitting unit based on the capacitive voltage or an inductive voltage across the resonant coil. (Par 0114).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of the ordinary skilled in the art before the effective filing of the invention to have used to voltage to determine misalignment in order to prevent power waste and over heating of the transmitter and/or the receiver.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to DANIEL KESSIE whose telephone number is (571)272-4449. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 8am-5pmEst.
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/DANIEL KESSIE/
01/23/2026Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2836