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 .
The preliminary amendment filed on 2/27/2026 has been entered. Claim 23 has been cancelled. Claims 1-22 are presented for examination.
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)(1) the claimed invention was patented, described in a printed publication, or in public use, on sale, or otherwise available to the public before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
(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.
Claims 1, 11-12, 16-18 and 20-22 rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102 (a) (1) as being anticipated by Kim et al. (Kim et al. – 2012/0306285; herein after referred to as “Kim”).
Regarding claim 1, Kim discloses an apparatus comprising:
a wireless power source that is configured to provide electrical power (Kim; Fig. 5, 7; par. 0008, 00019, 0021, 0023, “[0024] - In another aspect, there is provided a wireless power transmitter, including a controller to determine an initial value of an output power based on information about power used by a target device, and a resonator to transmit the output power corresponding to the determined initial value to the target device, wherein the controller receives, from the target device, information about power that is received by the target device, and calculates an efficiency of a wireless power transmission based on the information about the power that is received by the target device and the output power”); and
a set of two or more user-operable control devices that are each configured to provide one or more respective data processing control functions, wherein the in which the data processing control functions provided by the set of user-operable control devices are collectively configurable to provide a predetermined set of control functions (Kim; Fig. 5, 7; par. 0008, 00019, 0021, 0023, “[0024] - In another aspect, there is provided a wireless power transmitter, including a controller to determine an initial value of an output power based on information about power used by a target device, and a resonator to transmit the output power corresponding to the determined initial value to the target device, wherein the controller receives, from the target device, information about power that is received by the target device, and calculates an efficiency of a wireless power transmission based on the information about the power that is received by the target device and the output power”); and
wherein in which each user-operable control device comprises a wireless power interface that is configured to receive operative electrical power from a concurrently from the wireless power source (Kim; Fig. 5, 7; par. 0008, 00019, 0021, 0023, “[0024] - In another aspect, there is provided a wireless power transmitter, including a controller to determine an initial value of an output power based on information about power used by a target device, and a resonator to transmit the output power corresponding to the determined initial value to the target device, wherein the controller receives, from the target device, information about power that is received by the target device, and calculates an efficiency of a wireless power transmission based on the information about the power that is received by the target device and the output power”) ; and
a wireless power source configured to concurrently provide electrical power to the set of the user-operable control devices (Kim; Fig. 5, 7; par. 0008, 00019, 0021, 0023, “[0024] - In another aspect, there is provided a wireless power transmitter, including a controller to determine an initial value of an output power based on information about power used by a target device, and a resonator to transmit the output power corresponding to the determined initial value to the target device, wherein the controller receives, from the target device, information about power that is received by the target device, and calculates an efficiency of a wireless power transmission based on the information about the power that is received by the target device and the output power”).
Regarding claim 11, Kim discloses the apparatus of claim 1, in which wherein each user-operable control device is configured to provide a predetermined respective data processing control function (Kim; Fig. 5, 7; par. 0008, 00019, 0021, 0023, “[0024] - In another aspect, there is provided a wireless power transmitter, including a controller to determine an initial value of an output power based on information about power used by a target device, and a resonator to transmit the output power corresponding to the determined initial value to the target device, wherein the controller receives, from the target device, information about power that is received by the target device, and calculates an efficiency of a wireless power transmission based on the information about the power that is received by the target device and the output power”).
Regarding claim 12, Kim discloses the apparatus of claim 11, in which wherein each user-operable control device comprises one or more indicator formations that are configured to identify its predetermined respective data processing control function (Kim; Fig. 5, 7; par. 0008, 00019, 0021, 0023, “[0024] - In another aspect, there is provided a wireless power transmitter, including a controller to determine an initial value of an output power based on information about power used by a target device, and a resonator to transmit the output power corresponding to the determined initial value to the target device, wherein the controller receives, from the target device, information about power that is received by the target device, and calculates an efficiency of a wireless power transmission based on the information about the power that is received by the target device and the output power”; “[0081] - The control/communication unit 126 may transmit a response message to the source device 110. For example, the response message may include a "type of a corresponding target device," "information about a manufacturer of a corresponding target device," "a model name of a target device," a "battery type of a target device," a "scheme of charging a target device," an "impedance value of a load of a target device," "information on characteristics of a target resonator of a target device," "information on a frequency band used by a target device," an "amount of a power consumed by a target device," an "identifier (ID) of a target device," "information on version or standard of a target device," and the like”).
Regarding claim 16, Kim discloses the apparatus of claim 1, comprising: one or more processors that are configured to:
receive a respective output signal from each of the set of user-operable control devices indicative of user actions at that user-operable control device (Kim; Fig. 5, 7; par. 0008, 00019, 0021, 0023, “[0024] - In another aspect, there is provided a wireless power transmitter, including a controller to determine an initial value of an output power based on information about power used by a target device, and a resonator to transmit the output power corresponding to the determined initial value to the target device, wherein the controller receives, from the target device, information about power that is received by the target device, and calculates an efficiency of a wireless power transmission based on the information about the power that is received by the target device and the output power”; “[0081] - The control/communication unit 126 may transmit a response message to the source device 110. For example, the response message may include a "type of a corresponding target device," "information about a manufacturer of a corresponding target device," "a model name of a target device," a "battery type of a target device," a "scheme of charging a target device," an "impedance value of a load of a target device," "information on characteristics of a target resonator of a target device," "information on a frequency band used by a target device," an "amount of a power consumed by a target device," an "identifier (ID) of a target device," "information on version or standard of a target device," and the like”; par. 0302 – target devices can be a portable game console),
generate a controller emulation signal from the received output signals (Kim; Fig. 5, 7; par. 0008, 00019, 0021, 0023, “[0024] - In another aspect, there is provided a wireless power transmitter, including a controller to determine an initial value of an output power based on information about power used by a target device, and a resonator to transmit the output power corresponding to the determined initial value to the target device, wherein the controller receives, from the target device, information about power that is received by the target device, and calculates an efficiency of a wireless power transmission based on the information about the power that is received by the target device and the output power”; “[0081] - The control/communication unit 126 may transmit a response message to the source device 110. For example, the response message may include a "type of a corresponding target device," "information about a manufacturer of a corresponding target device," "a model name of a target device," a "battery type of a target device," a "scheme of charging a target device," an "impedance value of a load of a target device," "information on characteristics of a target resonator of a target device," "information on a frequency band used by a target device," an "amount of a power consumed by a target device," an "identifier (ID) of a target device," "information on version or standard of a target device," and the like”; par. 0302 – target devices can be a portable game console), and
perform a data processing operation in response to the controller emulation signal (Kim; Fig. 5, 7; par. 0008, 00019, 0021, 0023, “[0024] - In another aspect, there is provided a wireless power transmitter, including a controller to determine an initial value of an output power based on information about power used by a target device, and a resonator to transmit the output power corresponding to the determined initial value to the target device, wherein the controller receives, from the target device, information about power that is received by the target device, and calculates an efficiency of a wireless power transmission based on the information about the power that is received by the target device and the output power”; “[0081] - The control/communication unit 126 may transmit a response message to the source device 110. For example, the response message may include a "type of a corresponding target device," "information about a manufacturer of a corresponding target device," "a model name of a target device," a "battery type of a target device," a "scheme of charging a target device," an "impedance value of a load of a target device," "information on characteristics of a target resonator of a target device," "information on a frequency band used by a target device," an "amount of a power consumed by a target device," an "identifier (ID) of a target device," "information on version or standard of a target device," and the like”; par. 0302 – target devices can be a portable game console).
Regarding claim 17, Kim discloses the apparatus of claim 16 wherein: in which: the one or more processors are included in the data processing apparatus is a computer games machine; and performing the data processing operation comprises execution of executing a computer game program (Kim; Fig. 5, 7; par. 0008, 00019, 0021, 0023, “[0024] - In another aspect, there is provided a wireless power transmitter, including a controller to determine an initial value of an output power based on information about power used by a target device, and a resonator to transmit the output power corresponding to the determined initial value to the target device, wherein the controller receives, from the target device, information about power that is received by the target device, and calculates an efficiency of a wireless power transmission based on the information about the power that is received by the target device and the output power”; “[0081] - The control/communication unit 126 may transmit a response message to the source device 110. For example, the response message may include a "type of a corresponding target device," "information about a manufacturer of a corresponding target device," "a model name of a target device," a "battery type of a target device," a "scheme of charging a target device," an "impedance value of a load of a target device," "information on characteristics of a target resonator of a target device," "information on a frequency band used by a target device," an "amount of a power consumed by a target device," an "identifier (ID) of a target device," "information on version or standard of a target device," and the like”; par. 0302 – target devices can be a portable game console).
Regarding claim 18, Kim discloses an apparatus, apparatus comprising: a set of two or more user-operable control devices that are each configured to provide one or more respective data processing control functions, wherein: the data processing control functions provided by the set of user-operable control devices are collectively configurable to provide a predetermined set of control functions, and each user-operable control device comprises a wireless power interface to receive operative electrical power from a wireless power source (Kim; Fig. 5, 7; par. 0008, 00019, 0021, 0023, “[0024] - In another aspect, there is provided a wireless power transmitter, including a controller to determine an initial value of an output power based on information about power used by a target device, and a resonator to transmit the output power corresponding to the determined initial value to the target device, wherein the controller receives, from the target device, information about power that is received by the target device, and calculates an efficiency of a wireless power transmission based on the information about the power that is received by the target device and the output power”; “[0081] - The control/communication unit 126 may transmit a response message to the source device 110. For example, the response message may include a "type of a corresponding target device," "information about a manufacturer of a corresponding target device," "a model name of a target device," a "battery type of a target device," a "scheme of charging a target device," an "impedance value of a load of a target device," "information on characteristics of a target resonator of a target device," "information on a frequency band used by a target device," an "amount of a power consumed by a target device," an "identifier (ID) of a target device," "information on version or standard of a target device," and the like”; par. 0302 – target devices can be a portable game console).
Regarding claim 20, Kim discloses a user-operable control device comprising:
two or more power-receiving induction elements to receive operative power from a substrate having one or more power-providing induction elements, the two or more power- receiving induction elements being disposed so that only one of the two or more power-receiving induction elements is useable at a time in dependence upon based at least on a prevailing orientation of the user-operable control device with respect to the substrate; and
circuitry that is configured to detect which of the two or more power-receiving induction elements is currently in use, and that is configured to vary a control function associated with the user-operable control device in dependence upon based at least on the detection (Kim; Fig. 5, 7; par. 0008, 00019, 0021, 0023, 0095-0102; “[0024] - In another aspect, there is provided a wireless power transmitter, including a controller to determine an initial value of an output power based on information about power used by a target device, and a resonator to transmit the output power corresponding to the determined initial value to the target device, wherein the controller receives, from the target device, information about power that is received by the target device, and calculates an efficiency of a wireless power transmission based on the information about the power that is received by the target device and the output power”; “[0081] - The control/communication unit 126 may transmit a response message to the source device 110. For example, the response message may include a "type of a corresponding target device," "information about a manufacturer of a corresponding target device," "a model name of a target device," a "battery type of a target device," a "scheme of charging a target device," an "impedance value of a load of a target device," "information on characteristics of a target resonator of a target device," "information on a frequency band used by a target device," an "amount of a power consumed by a target device," an "identifier (ID) of a target device," "information on version or standard of a target device," and the like”; par. 0302 – target devices can be a portable game console; “[0095] - Referring to FIG. 2A, as an input current flows in feeder 210, a magnetic field 230 is formed. A direction 231 of the magnetic field 230 within the feeder 210 may have a phase that is opposite to a phase of a direction 233 of the magnetic field 230 outside the feeder 210. The magnetic field 230 formed by the feeder 210 may cause an induced current to be formed in a source resonator 220. In this example, a direction of the induced current may be opposite to a direction of the input current.”)
Regarding claim 21, Kim discloses a computer-implemented method comprising:
concurrently providing, using a wireless power source, electrical power to a set of two or more user-operable control devices that are each configured to provide one or more respective data processing control functions, in which wherein the data processing control functions provided by the set of user-operable control devices are collectively configurable to provide a predetermined set of control functions; and receiving, by each user-operable control device receiving, using a wireless power interface, operative electrical power from the wireless power source (Kim; Fig. 5, 7; par. 0008, 00019, 0021, 0023, 0095-0102; “[0024] - In another aspect, there is provided a wireless power transmitter, including a controller to determine an initial value of an output power based on information about power used by a target device, and a resonator to transmit the output power corresponding to the determined initial value to the target device, wherein the controller receives, from the target device, information about power that is received by the target device, and calculates an efficiency of a wireless power transmission based on the information about the power that is received by the target device and the output power”; “[0081] - The control/communication unit 126 may transmit a response message to the source device 110. For example, the response message may include a "type of a corresponding target device," "information about a manufacturer of a corresponding target device," "a model name of a target device," a "battery type of a target device," a "scheme of charging a target device," an "impedance value of a load of a target device," "information on characteristics of a target resonator of a target device," "information on a frequency band used by a target device," an "amount of a power consumed by a target device," an "identifier (ID) of a target device," "information on version or standard of a target device," and the like”; par. 0302 – target devices can be a portable game console; “[0095] - Referring to FIG. 2A, as an input current flows in feeder 210, a magnetic field 230 is formed. A direction 231 of the magnetic field 230 within the feeder 210 may have a phase that is opposite to a phase of a direction 233 of the magnetic field 230 outside the feeder 210. The magnetic field 230 formed by the feeder 210 may cause an induced current to be formed in a source resonator 220. In this example, a direction of the induced current may be opposite to a direction of the input current.”) .
Regarding claim 22, Kim discloses one or more non-transitory computer-readable media that store instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform operations comprising;
A non-transitory machine-readable storage medium which stores computer software comprising program code which, when executed by a computer, causes the computer to perform a method comprising:
concurrently providing, using a wireless power source, electrical power to a set of two or more user-operable control devices that are each configured to provide one or more respective data processing control functions, in which the wherein the data processing control functions provided by the set of user-operable control devices are collectively configurable to provide a predetermined set of control functions; and
receiving, by each user-operable control device receiving, using a wireless power interface, operative electrical power from the wireless power source (Kim; Fig. 5, 7; par. 0008, 00019, 0021, 0023, 0095-0102; “[0024] - In another aspect, there is provided a wireless power transmitter, including a controller to determine an initial value of an output power based on information about power used by a target device, and a resonator to transmit the output power corresponding to the determined initial value to the target device, wherein the controller receives, from the target device, information about power that is received by the target device, and calculates an efficiency of a wireless power transmission based on the information about the power that is received by the target device and the output power”; “[0081] - The control/communication unit 126 may transmit a response message to the source device 110. For example, the response message may include a "type of a corresponding target device," "information about a manufacturer of a corresponding target device," "a model name of a target device," a "battery type of a target device," a "scheme of charging a target device," an "impedance value of a load of a target device," "information on characteristics of a target resonator of a target device," "information on a frequency band used by a target device," an "amount of a power consumed by a target device," an "identifier (ID) of a target device," "information on version or standard of a target device," and the like”; par. 0302 – target devices can be a portable game console; “[0095] - Referring to FIG. 2A, as an input current flows in feeder 210, a magnetic field 230 is formed. A direction 231 of the magnetic field 230 within the feeder 210 may have a phase that is opposite to a phase of a direction 233 of the magnetic field 230 outside the feeder 210. The magnetic field 230 formed by the feeder 210 may cause an induced current to be formed in a source resonator 220. In this example, a direction of the induced current may be opposite to a direction of the input current.”)
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 2-10, 13 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.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter:
The prior art fails to disclose the apparatus of claim 1, wherein in which:
the wireless power interface of each user-operable control device comprises one or more power-receiving induction elements; and
the wireless power source comprises a substrate having one or more power-providing induction elements, complementary to the power-receiving induction elements of the user- operable control devices, the one or more power-providing induction elements being distributed across a region of the substrate, the region having a size sufficient for the placement of the set of user-operable control devices as recited in claim 2. Claims 3-10 depend on claim 2.
ii. The prior art fails to disclose the apparatus of claim 1, in which wherein one or more of the user-operable control devices comprises:
two or more power-receiving induction elements disposed, so that wherein only one of the two or more power-receiving induction elements is useable at a time in dependence upon based at least on a prevailing orientation of the user-operable control device with respect to the substrate; and
circuitry that is configured to detect which of the two or more power-receiving induction elements is currently in use, and is configured to vary a control function associated with the user- operable control device based at least upon detecting which of the two or more power-receiving induction elements is currently in use in dependence upon the detection as recited in claim 13.
iii. The prior art fails to disclose the apparatus of claim 1, wherein:
in which the set of two or more user-operable control devices comprise a primary user-operable control device and one or more secondary user-operable control devices; and
in which the primary user-operable control device is configured to communicate wirelessly with the one or more secondary user-operable control devices and is configured to generate a composite output data signal indicative of user actions at each of the set of two or more user-operable control devices as recited in claim 14. Claim 15 depends on claim 14.
iv. (Currently Amended) A wireless power source that is configured to concurrently provide electrical power to a set of two or more user-operable control devices that are each configured to provide one or more respective data processing control functions, in which wherein the data processing control functions provided by the set of user-operable control devices are collectively configurable to provide a predetermined set of control functions, and wherein in which each user-operable control device comprises a wireless power interface to receive operative electrical power from the wireless power source, the wireless power source comprising: a substrate having one or more power-providing induction elements, complementary to power-receiving induction elements of the user-operable control devices, the one or more power- providing induction elements being distributed across a region of the substrate, the region having a size sufficient for the placement of the set of user-operable control devices; and control circuitry that is configured to allocate a respective data processing control function to a user-operable control device in dependence upon based at least on a current location of that use operable control device on the substrate as recited in claim 19.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to THIEN MINH LE whose telephone number is (571)272-2396. The examiner can normally be reached 6:30-5:00 PM M-Th..
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/THIEN M LE/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2876