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 .
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claim(s) 8-11 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.
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 8 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Fullerton (US 6549567).
Regarding claim 8, Fullerton teach transmitting, by a first power transceiver (902, Fig. 9), an electrical power (radio frequency) comprising a plurality of electrical power pulses (Note column 10, lines 29-33) over one or more wires (914, column 10, lines 12-16) to a second power transceiver (908, Fig. 9);
detecting, by the first power transceiver, at least one electrical pulse transmitted in an opposite direction from the plurality of electrical power pulses; (Note Fig. 9 wherein transceiver 902 shown receiving 916 which is travelling in the opposite direction o of the upper 916)
switching, by the first power transceiver, from transmitting the electrical power to receiving electrical power based on detecting the at least one electrical pulse in the opposite direction.(Note transceiver 902 is in a received state in order to receive 916 from transceiver 908. ) Examiner’s position is that the transceivers are bidirectional and therefore some form of switching is present for a transceiver to both transmit and receive.
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.
Claims 9 and 10 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Fullerton (US 6549567) in view of Allen (US 20120134394).
Fullerton et al. teach the instant invention except the following claim limitations.
Regarding claim 9, Fullerton et al. does not teach switching comprises switching the first power transceiver between a transmitter mode in which the electrical power is transmitted to the second power transceiver over the one or more wires and a receiver mode in which the electrical power is received from the second power transceiver over the one or more wires.
Allen teach switching comprises switching the first power transceiver between a transmitter mode in which the electrical power is transmitted to the second power transceiver over the one or more wires and a receiver mode in which the electrical power is received from the second power transceiver over the one or more wires. (Note par. 0025, Communication between first and second transceivers 102 and 104 is bi-directional over the shared communication medium 106.) ([0064] The transceiver 400 further comprises a switching circuit shown generally at 420 that provides a switch over signal that toggles the transceiver 400 between transmit and receive modes.)
Therefore it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Fullerton et al. to include the teaching of switching comprises switching the first power transceiver between a transmitter mode in which the electrical power is transmitted to the second power transceiver over the one or more wires and a receiver mode in which the electrical power is received from the second power transceiver over the one or more wires to allow for precise control of signal paths, ensuring that signals are routed correctly and efficiently.
Regarding claim 10, Fullerton et al. does not teach wherein the at least one electrical pulse in the opposite direction is generated using at least one resistor at a power receiver from the first power transceiver or the second power transceiver.
Allen teach wherein the at least one electrical pulse in the opposite direction is generated using at least one resistor at a power receiver from the first power transceiver or the second power transceiver. ([0028] Shown generally at block A, the first transceiver 102 can be coupled to the communication medium 106 via resistors 113-1 and 113-2, and capacitors 114-1 and 114-2 for paths 139-1 and 139-2, respectively.)
Therefore it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify to include the teaching of wherein the at least one electrical pulse in the opposite direction is generated using at least one resistor at a power receiver from the first power transceiver or the second power transceiver to provide signal attenuation. (Note Allen par. 0033)
Claim 11 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Fullerton (US 6549567) in view of Mcnulty (DE 102019118015 A1).
Regarding claim 11, Mcnulty et al. does not teach wherein the at least one pulse in the opposite direction is generated at the second power transceiver by switching at least one component from sinking a current received via the one or more wires to generating the current that is being transmitted over the one or more wires to the first power transceiver.
Mcnulty teach wherein the at least one pulse in the opposite direction is generated at the second power transceiver (103, Fig. 1) by switching at least one component from sinking a current received via the one or more wires to generating the current that is being transmitted over the one or more wires to the first power transceiver. [par 0011]
The method for receiving current across a differential pair of conductors carrying signals and a shield enclosing the differential conductors includes receiving signals across the differential pair using a transceiver and receiving current by coupling a current sink to the differential pair and the shield enclosing the differential pair via an impedance-matched network.)[par. 0011]
Therefore it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Mcnulty et al. to include the teaching of the at least one pulse in the opposite direction is generated at the second power transceiver by switching at least one component from sinking a current received via the one or more wires to generating the current that is being transmitted over the one or more wires to the first power transceiver to provide the ability determine disparity in the receive power. (Note Mcnulty et al. abstract)
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 1-7 and 12-21 are allowed
Upon conclusion of a comprehensive search of the pertinent prior art, the Office indicates that the claims are allowable.
Regarding independent claims 1-7, patentability exists, at least in part, with the claimed features discussed on pages 8 and 9 of response filed 12/23/2025.
Regarding independent claim , patentability exists, at least in part, with the claimed features discussed on Non-Final rejection mailed 10/01/2025.
Conclusion
Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to DEMETRIUS R PRETLOW whose telephone number is (571)272-3441. The examiner can normally be reached M-F, 5:30-1:30.
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/DEMETRIUS R PRETLOW/Examiner, Art Unit 2858
/LEE E RODAK/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2858