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 .
DETAILED ACTION
This Office Action is in response to the Applicants’ communication filed on 12/21/2023. In virtue of this communication, claims 1-18 are currently pending in the instant application.
Specification
The disclosure is objected to because of the following informalities: Par. 0124-0127 refer to the fig. 2c and element 122 as user terminal device. However, user terminal device is element 120.
Appropriate correction is required.
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 1-18 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. Claim 1 states “…wherein the microcontroller is configured, in a reception mode, to operate electromagnetic resonant circuit in series resonance.” This claim should state “wherein the microcontroller is configured, in a reception mode, to operate the electromagnetic resonant circuit in series resonance…” Otherwise it is unclear if the resonant circuit in reception mode is the same resonant circuit as in the transmission mode. Claim 1 further identifies as the resonant circuit so it will be interpreted as the same resonant circuit for both transmission and reception. Appropriate correction is required.
Also Claim 7 states “and/or” and it is unclear if the limitations following and/or is required.
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 of this title, 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 1-12 and 16-18 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kinoshita et al. (US 2012/0163619 A1) in view of Essabar (US 2007/0041601 A1).
Regarding Claim 1 Kinoshita teaches the limitations "Transmission/reception arrangement for transmission/reception of magnetic signals, wherein the transmission/reception arrangement comprises: (see abstract);
a microcontroller, and an electromagnetic resonant circuit, wherein the microcontroller is connected to the electromagnetic resonant circuit, (see fig. 1 (impedance adjusting section 96 is equated to microcontroller, which is connected to resonant circuit 91) Also see fig. 2 (control section 101);
wherein the microcontroller is configured, in a transmission mode, to operate the electromagnetic resonant circuit in series resonance, and to generate a first signal for driving the electromagnetic resonant circuit, and to drive the electromagnetic resonant circuit with the generated first signal so as to generate, with the electromagnetic resonant circuit, a first magnetic signal carrying first data, (see fig. 1 (91) and par. 0085 “Each of the transmitter's resonant circuit 91 and the receiver's resonant circuit 92 is made up of a transmission coil (or a reception coil), and a capacitor, an inductor or a combination thereof, which is connected either in series or in parallel to the transmission coil (or reception coil).” “ a transmission signal generating section for generating a transmission signal, which is comprised of an RF signal for use to transmit the electric power and the audio signal; a first resonant circuit, which receives and sends out the transmission signal and of which the resonant frequency is equal to the frequency of the RF signal; a detecting section for sensing a variation in the transmission signal; and a transmission signal adjusting section for controlling the signal waveform of the transmission signal” (see par. 0018));
Further, Kinioshita shows (see fig. 1 (91) and par. 0085 “Each of the transmitter's resonant circuit 91 and the receiver's resonant circuit 92 is made up of a transmission coil (or a reception coil), and a capacitor, an inductor or a combination thereof, which is connected either in series or in parallel to the transmission coil (or reception coil).” Also see par. 0087 “ The transmitter's resonant circuit 91 and the receiver's resonant circuit 92 are designed to have the same resonant frequency fo. These resonant circuits are magnetically coupled together at the resonant frequency fo via the magnetic resonance phenomenon, and the periodic signal is transmitted between them by a non-contact method. The periodic signal generating section 61 of the device 1 generates a periodic signal, of which the frequency fo is equal to the resonant frequency fo described above (and which may be an RF signal with a frequency of several ten MHz), as a signal to transmit electric power.”).
However, Kinoshita does not explicitly disclose the limitation “wherein the microcontroller is configured, in a reception mode, to operate electromagnetic resonant circuit in series resonance, and to evaluate a second signal provided by the electromagnetic resonant circuit, said second signal depending on a second magnetic signal detected by the electromagnetic resonant circuit, so as to receive second data.”
In the same field of endeavor Essabar discloses a system (100) comprises an inductive antenna circuit (110) for transmitting and receiving inductively coupled signals, a driving means (102, 104) connected to inductive antenna circuit (110) and driving the inductive antenna circuit (102, 104) during a transmit mode, and comprises an amplifier means (112) connected to the inductive antenna circuit (110) and detecting and amplifying received signals differentially a receiving mode (see abstract). “The inductive antenna circuit according to the first aspect of the present invention may comprise a series connection of tuning capacitors on either side of a transmit/receive inductor between said first and second set of terminals. Hence the first and second set of terminals are connected together and therefore no switching between components is required when changing from transmit to receive mode.” (see par. 0013).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to transmit and receive magnetic signals via series resonant circuit as taught by Essabar in the system of Kinoshita, in order to reduce problems inheritably associated with prior art switching between a transmitting and receiving mode are avoided, namely problems relating to the amplifier means being exposed to damaging high voltages induced by the inductive antenna circuit during the transmit mode and disturbance of the resonance frequency of the inductive antenna circuit by stray and blocking capacitances or any other protective elements (see par. 0010 of Essabar).
Claim 18 is rejected for the same reasons set forth above because the claims have similar limitations or have been addressed.
Regarding Claim 2 Kinoshita and Essabar teach the limitations "Transmission/reception arrangement according to claim 1,
wherein the electromagnetic resonant circuit comprises a coil and a capacitor connected in series between a first node and second node, wherein, in a transmission mode, (see par. 0085 “Each of the transmitter's resonant circuit 91 and the receiver's resonant circuit 92 is made up of a transmission coil (or a reception coil), and a capacitor, an inductor or a combination thereof, which is connected either in series or in parallel to the transmission coil (or reception coil).”
a first reference potential is applied at the second node, and the microcontroller is configured to generate a first signal for driving the electromagnetic resonant circuit, and to apply the generated first signal to the electromagnetic resonant circuit via the first node so as to generate, with the electromagnetic resonant circuit, a first magnetic signal carrying first data, (see par. 0093 “the impedance converting section 21 may include a group of parallel grounded capacitors C10 with switches 410 to change their connection, a group of series capacitors C20 with switches 420 to change their connection, and a group of series inductors L10 with switches 430 to change their connection. Each of these two groups of capacitors C10 and C20 is formed of multiple capacitors with mutually different capacitances. Likewise, the group of inductors L10 is made up of inductors with mutually different inductances. By turning the switches 410, 420 and 430 appropriately in accordance with a control signal supplied from the impedance control section 41, the impedance value of the circuit can be changed.” Here, the changing of grounded capacitors connected via nodes changes first and second reference potentials). Kinoshita does not explicitly disclose “wherein, in a reception mode, a second reference potential is applied at the first or second node, and to tap, via the first node or the second node, a second signal provided by the electromagnetic resonant circuit, said second signal depending on a second magnetic signal received by the electromagnetic resonant circuit, so as to acquire second data.”
As shown above in claim 1, Essabar teaches the transmission and reception of magnetic signals and therefore, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to apply the switching of ground potentials as Kinoshita teaches, in the reception of magnetic signals as taught by the modified system of Essabar and Kinoshita, in order to change the ground potentials for reception and transmission modes (see par. 0093 of Kinoshita).
Regarding Claim 3 Kinoshita and Essabar teach the limitations "Transmission/reception arrangement according to claim 2, wherein the microcontroller is connected to the electromagnetic resonant circuit via a reconfiguration circuit, (see fig. 2 (101) and impedance converting section 21);
wherein the microcontroller is configured, in the transmission mode, to generate a first signal for driving the electromagnetic resonant circuit, and to drive the electromagnetic resonant circuit with the generated first signal so as to generate, with the electromagnetic resonant circuit, a first magnetic signal carrying first data, (see par. 0094 “The transmission signal that has been output from the transmitter's resonant circuit 91 is received at the receiver's resonant circuit 92 of the loudspeaker 2. Next, the transmission signal received is rectified by the rectifying section 32, and the PWM signal is demodulated by the envelope detecting section 52. After that, the low-pass filter section 12 passes only a part of the signal falling within the audio signal range, thereby extracting the audio signal.”);
wherein the microcontroller is configured, in a reception mode, to sense, via the reconfiguration circuit, a second signal provided by the electromagnetic resonant circuit, said second signal depending on a second magnetic signal received by the electromagnetic resonant circuit, so as to acquire second data, wherein the reconfiguration circuit is configured to convert a current into an output voltage" (see Essabar par. 0010 “The system according to the first aspect of the present invention further may comprise a current sensing means interconnecting said second set of terminals with a non-inverting input and an inverting input of said amplifier means. The current sensing means may comprise a low input impedance buffer having current to voltage conversion capabilities. The low input impedance buffer may convert a sensed current to a voltage for the inverting and non-inverting input of the amplifier means.” Also see par. 0027.
It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to convert current to voltage for reception of magnetic signals as taught by Essabar in the system of Kinoshita, in order to reduce problems inheritably associated with prior art switching between a transmitting and receiving mode are avoided, namely problems relating to the amplifier means being exposed to damaging high voltages induced by the inductive antenna circuit during the transmit mode and disturbance of the resonance frequency of the inductive antenna circuit by stray and blocking capacitances or any other protective elements (see par. 0010 of Essabar).
Regarding Claim 4 Kinoshita and Essabar teach the limitations "Transmission/reception arrangement according to claim 3, wherein the reconfiguration circuit is a current-voltage converter or a low-impedance amplifier" (see Essabar par. 0010 “The current sensing means may comprise a low input impedance buffer having current to voltage conversion capabilities”). It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to convert current to voltage for reception of magnetic signals as taught by Essabar in the system of Kinoshita, in order to reduce problems inheritably associated with prior art switching between a transmitting and receiving mode are avoided, namely problems relating to the amplifier means being exposed to damaging high voltages induced by the inductive antenna circuit during the transmit mode and disturbance of the resonance frequency of the inductive antenna circuit by stray and blocking capacitances or any other protective elements (see par. 0010 of Essabar).
Regarding Claim 5 Kinoshita and Essabar teach the limitations "Transmission/reception arrangement according to claim 4, wherein the low-impedance amplifier is a transimpedance amplifier or an operational amplifier connected as a transimpedance amplifier" (see Kinoshita par. 0060 “That signal that has been subjected to the amplitude modulation with the PWM modulated signal then has its signal amplitude amplified to a desired level by an amplifying section 11 and then the amplified signal thus obtained is output through the signal generating section 9. In this manner, a transmission signal, which is formed of the audio signal and the periodic signal for use to transmit electric power (or functioning as a carrier), is generated by the signal generating section 9 and then transmitted wirelessly from the transmitter's resonant circuit 91 to the receiver's resonant circuit 92.” Also see par. 0099 “if the product of the transfer efficiency and the amplitude of the transmission signal at the transmitter's resonant circuit 91 remains substantially the same before and after the impedance value is changed, then the volume of the audio output through the loudspeaker 2 hardly changes. That is why in changing the impedance value, the processing section 171 determines the amplification factor and impedance value to adopt newly so that the product of the transfer efficiency and the amplitude of the transmission signal at the transmitter's resonant circuit 91 remains substantially the same, and then outputs the amplification factor and impedance value to the amplitude control section 81 and the impedance control section 41, respectively.”).
Regarding Claim 6 Kinoshita and Essabar teach the limitations "Transmission/reception arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the electromagnetic resonant circuit comprises a coil and a capacitor connected in series between a first node and a second node, wherein the coil and the capacitor are connected to each other via a third node" (see Kinoshita par. 0008 “According to the magnetic resonance method, a capacitor is connected in series or in parallel to each of a transmitting coil and a receiving coil to form two resonant circuits.” Also see par. 0085 “Each of the transmitter's resonant circuit 91 and the receiver's resonant circuit 92 is made up of a transmission coil (or a reception coil), and a capacitor, an inductor or a combination thereof, which is connected either in series or in parallel to the transmission coil (or reception coil).”).
Regarding Claim 7 Kinoshita and Essabar teach the limitations "Transmission/reception arrangement according to claim 6, wherein the microcontroller is configured, in the transmission mode, to apply the first signal at the first node, and/or wherein the microcontroller is configured, in the transmission mode, to apply a reference potential or a signal that is complementary to the first signal at the second node, (see par. 0093 “the impedance converting section 21 may include a group of parallel grounded capacitors C10 with switches 410 to change their connection, a group of series capacitors C20 with switches 420 to change their connection, and a group of series inductors L10 with switches 430 to change their connection. Each of these two groups of capacitors C10 and C20 is formed of multiple capacitors with mutually different capacitances. Likewise, the group of inductors L10 is made up of inductors with mutually different inductances. By turning the switches 410, 420 and 430 appropriately in accordance with a control signal supplied from the impedance control section 41, the impedance value of the circuit can be changed.” Here, the changing of grounded capacitors connected via nodes changes first and second reference potentials);
and/or wherein the microcontroller is configured, in the reception mode, to apply a reference potential at the second node" (see Essabar par. 0010 “The system according to the first aspect of the present invention further may comprise a current sensing means interconnecting said second set of terminals with a non-inverting input and an inverting input of said amplifier means. The current sensing means may comprise a low input impedance buffer having current to voltage conversion capabilities. The low input impedance buffer may convert a sensed current to a voltage for the inverting and non-inverting input of the amplifier means.” Also see par. 0027.
It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to convert current to voltage for reception of magnetic signals as taught by Essabar in the system of Kinoshita, in order to reduce problems inheritably associated with prior art switching between a transmitting and receiving mode are avoided, namely problems relating to the amplifier means being exposed to damaging high voltages induced by the inductive antenna circuit during the transmit mode and disturbance of the resonance frequency of the inductive antenna circuit by stray and blocking capacitances or any other protective elements (see par. 0010 of Essabar).
Regarding Claim 8 Kinoshita and Essabar teach the limitations "Transmission/reception arrangement according to claim 7, wherein the microcontroller is configured, in the transmission mode, to apply a reference potential or a signal that is complementary to the first signal at the second node" (see par. 0093 “the impedance converting section 21 may include a group of parallel grounded capacitors C10 with switches 410 to change their connection, a group of series capacitors C20 with switches 420 to change their connection, and a group of series inductors L10 with switches 430 to change their connection. Each of these two groups of capacitors C10 and C20 is formed of multiple capacitors with mutually different capacitances. Likewise, the group of inductors L10 is made up of inductors with mutually different inductances. By turning the switches 410, 420 and 430 appropriately in accordance with a control signal supplied from the impedance control section 41, the impedance value of the circuit can be changed.” Here, the changing of grounded capacitors connected via nodes changes first and second reference potentials).
Regarding Claim 9 Kinoshita and Essabar teach the limitations "Transmission/reception arrangement according to claim 6, wherein the microcontroller is configured, in the reception mode, to apply a reference potential at the second node" (see Essabar par. 0010 “The system according to the first aspect of the present invention further may comprise a current sensing means interconnecting said second set of terminals with a non-inverting input and an inverting input of said amplifier means. The current sensing means may comprise a low input impedance buffer having current to voltage conversion capabilities. The low input impedance buffer may convert a sensed current to a voltage for the inverting and non-inverting input of the amplifier means.” Also see par. 0027.
It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to convert current to voltage for reception of magnetic signals as taught by Essabar in the system of Kinoshita, in order to reduce problems inheritably associated with prior art switching between a transmitting and receiving mode are avoided, namely problems relating to the amplifier means being exposed to damaging high voltages induced by the inductive antenna circuit during the transmit mode and disturbance of the resonance frequency of the inductive antenna circuit by stray and blocking capacitances or any other protective elements (see par. 0010 of Essabar).
Regarding Claim 10 Kinoshita and Essabar teach the limitations "Transmission/reception arrangement according to claim 6, wherein a first terminal of the microcontroller is connected to the first node, wherein a second terminal of the microcontroller is connected to the first node via the operational amplifier connected as a transimpedance amplifier" (see Kinoshita par. 0060 “That signal that has been subjected to the amplitude modulation with the PWM modulated signal then has its signal amplitude amplified to a desired level by an amplifying section 11 and then the amplified signal thus obtained is output through the signal generating section 9. In this manner, a transmission signal, which is formed of the audio signal and the periodic signal for use to transmit electric power (or functioning as a carrier), is generated by the signal generating section 9 and then transmitted wirelessly from the transmitter's resonant circuit 91 to the receiver's resonant circuit 92.” Also see par. 0099 “if the product of the transfer efficiency and the amplitude of the transmission signal at the transmitter's resonant circuit 91 remains substantially the same before and after the impedance value is changed, then the volume of the audio output through the loudspeaker 2 hardly changes. That is why in changing the impedance value, the processing section 171 determines the amplification factor and impedance value to adopt newly so that the product of the transfer efficiency and the amplitude of the transmission signal at the transmitter's resonant circuit 91 remains substantially the same, and then outputs the amplification factor and impedance value to the amplitude control section 81 and the impedance control section 41, respectively.”).
Regarding Claim 11 Kinoshita and Essabar teach the limitations "Transmission/reception arrangement according to claim 6, wherein the second node is connected to a third terminal of the microcontroller or to a reference potential terminal" (see Kinoshita fig. 2 and fig. 3 (showing nodes and terminals connected to microcontroller and reference potentials nodes).
Regarding Claim 12 Kinoshita and Essabar teach the limitations "Transmission/reception arrangement according to claim 6, wherein the electromagnetic resonant circuit further comprises a tuning capacitor connected between the third node and a fourth terminal of the microcontroller, wherein the microcontroller is configured to tune the electromagnetic resonant circuit by switching the fourth terminal to one of at least two different operation modes" (see Essabar par. 0013 “The inductive antenna circuit according to the first aspect of the present invention may comprise a series connection of tuning capacitors on either side of a transmit/receive inductor between said first and second set of terminals.” And see par. 0015).
Regarding Claim 16 Kinoshita and Essabar teach the limitations "Transmission/reception arrangement according to claim 6, wherein the first terminal of the microcontroller is connected to the first node, or wherein the first terminal of the microcontroller is connected to the first node via an amplifier circuit" (see Kinoshita fig. 2 and par. 0083 showing amplifying section 11 connected to control section).
Regarding Claim 17 Kinoshita and Essabar teach the limitations "Transmission/reception arrangement according to claim 16, wherein the amplifier circuit comprises a first electronic switch and a second electronic switch connected in series between a supply voltage terminal and a reference potential terminal, wherein an output terminal of the amplifier circuit between the first electronic switch and the second electronic switch is connected to the first node, wherein the microcontroller is configured, in the transmission mode, to apply, via the amplifier circuit, a pulse-width modulated first signal at the first node" (see Kinoshita par. 0083 “ The device 1 includes a signal generating section (which is equivalent to the transmission signal generating section as defined in the claims 9 and a transmitter's resonant circuit 91. The signal generating section 9 includes a PWM signal generating section 31, a periodic signal generating section 61, and an amplifying section 11. The device 1 further includes an impedance converting section and an impedance control section 41, which are used to adjust the impedance, between the signal generating section 9 and the transmitter's resonant circuit 91.”).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 13-15 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.
Claim 13 states “Transmission/reception arrangement according to claim 5, wherein the operational amplifier connected as a transimpedance amplifier is connected as follows: a first input of the operational amplifier is connected to the first node, wherein a second input of the operational amplifier is connected to a reference potential terminal via a bypass capacitor, wherein an output of the operational amplifier is connected to the second terminal of the microcontroller, wherein a first resistor is connected in series between the first node and the second terminal of the microcontroller, wherein a first diode is connected in the forward direction between the first node and the second terminal of the microcontroller, wherein a second diode may be connected in the reverse direction between the first node and the second terminal of the microcontroller, wherein a first supply terminal of the operational amplifier is connected to a supply voltage terminal, wherein a second supply terminal of the operational amplifier is connected to a reference potential terminal, wherein the first supply terminal is connected to the reference potential terminal via two resistors connected in series, wherein a node between the two resistors connected in series is connected to the second input of the operational amplifier, wherein the second terminal of a microcontroller is connected to a fifth terminal of the microcontroller via a fourth resistor, wherein the fifth terminal of the microcontroller is connected to a reference potential terminal via a second capacitor.” The prior art does not disclose this configuration along with parent claims 1-5.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to DAVID BILODEAU whose telephone number is (571)270-3192. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Thursday 6:00am-4:00pm Eastern Standard Time. 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, 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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/David Bilodeau/
Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2648
Prosecution Insights