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 § 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.
Claims 1-2 and 12-14 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kim (2022/0200662) in view of Di Stefano (10,197,615).
Regarding claims 1-2 and 12-14, Kim discloses a system (See fig. 1) for communicating a magnetic field, the system comprising: a magnetic signal transmission device 100 configured to modulate an original signal into a modulated signal and transmit the modulated signal into a magnetic signal (See fig. 1); and a magnetic signal receiving device 200 configured to detect the magnetic signal using a magnetic sensor 310, output an amplified signal obtained by amplifying the detected magnetic signal, and restore the original signal using the amplified signal, wherein the magnetic signal receiving device comprises: a signal detector 300 comprising the magnetic sensor 310 and configured to detect the magnetic signal using the magnetic sensor; a signal amplifier 413 configured to amplify the detected magnetic signal and output the amplified signal; and a demodulator {430, 450} configured to restore the original signal using the amplified signal (See figs. 1-2 and par [0047-0059]). However, Kim does not explicitly mention that the magnetic sensor comprises at least one ferromagnetic core and at least one pickup coil wound around the at least one ferromagnetic core and is configured to convert a magnetic signal detected through the at least one pickup coil into an induced voltage and output the induced voltage. Since Di Stefano suggests a similar system, wherein a magnetic sensor 206 comprises at least one ferromagnetic core and at least one pickup coil wound around the at least one ferromagnetic core and is configured to convert a magnetic signal detected through the at least one pickup coil into an induced voltage SV2 and output the induced voltage (See fig. 2 and col. 9 lines 19-35); therefore, it would have been obvious to one skilled in the art at the time the invention was made to utilize the magnetic sensor as suggested by Di Stefano for the Kim’s system, for the advantage of expanding the capability of the system to various types of magnetic sensors.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 3-6 and 15-18 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.
Regarding claims 3-5 and 15-17, Kim & Di Stefano disclose as cited in claims 1 and 12. However, they fail to disclose the magnetic sensor comprises a first ferromagnetic core, a second ferromagnetic core, a first pickup coil wound around the first ferromagnetic core, and a second pickup coil wound around the second ferromagnetic core, is configured to convert the magnetic signal detected through the first pickup coil into a first induced voltage and output the first induced voltage, and is configured to convert the magnetic signal detected through the second pickup coil into a second induced voltage and output the second induced voltage.
Regarding claims 6 and 18, Kim & Di Stefano disclose as cited in claims 1 and 12. However, they fail to disclose the magnetic signal receiving device further comprises a matching circuit configured to control a resonant frequency of the magnetic sensor.
Claims 7-11 are allowed.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter:
Regarding claims 7-11, Kim & Di Stefano disclose as cited in claims 1-2 and 12-14. However, they do not mention that the device for receiving a magnetic signal, comprising: a signal detector configured to convert a magnetic signal detected using a differential magnetic sensor into a first induced voltage and a second induced voltage; a signal amplifier configured to output an amplified signal obtained by amplifying a difference between the first induced voltage and the second induced voltage using a differential amplifier; and a demodulator configured to extract and restore a message signal using the amplified signal.
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
See PTO-892 for a listing of cited prior arts of record.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to the pending claims 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
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Wesley Kim can be reached at (571) 272-7867. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/TUAN A TRAN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2648
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