DETAILED ACTION
This is a first action on the merits, in response to the claims received 8/09/2023. Claims 1-20 are pending for prosecution below.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS)(s) file on have been considered by the examiner. An initialed copy is attached herewith.
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.
The factual inquiries for establishing a background for determining obviousness under 35 U.S.C. 103 are summarized as follows:
1. Determining the scope and contents of the prior art.
2. Ascertaining the differences between the prior art and the claims at issue.
3. Resolving the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art.
4. Considering objective evidence present in the application indicating obviousness or nonobviousness.
Claim(s) 1-20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Su et al, (Su), (USNO.2023/0134920) in view of Partee, (USNO.2014/0266008)
As for claim 1, Su discloses and shows in Figs. 16-19 a charging system, comprising: a charger base configured to receive a plurality of wearable ring devices having a plurality of circumferential sizes (implied via ring’s depth and minimum ref’s collar diameter); and a charging element of the charger base configured to charge the wearable ring device through direct or indirect electrical coupling with a charging element of the wearable ring device (par.[0069-0074]).
Su discloses all limitations, but differs from the claimed invention because he does not explicitly disclose a charger adapter configured to be removably coupled to the charger base, wherein the charger adapter comprises a mechanical portion configured to exert a mechanical force against a wearable ring device of the plurality of wearable ring devices to position the wearable ring device against the charger base when the wearable ring device is mounted to the charger base and charging element when the mechanical portion exerts the mechanical force.
Partee discloses a charger adapter configured to be removably coupled to the charger base, wherein the charger adapter comprises a mechanical portion configured to exert a mechanical force against a device to position the device against the charger base when the device is mounted to the charger base and charging element when the mechanical portion exerts the mechanical force (par.[0016-0017])
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of the invention was made to have modified the teachings of Su by using a charger adapter configured to be removably coupled to the charger base, wherein the charger adapter comprises a mechanical portion configured to exert a mechanical force against a device to position the device against the charger base when the device is mounted to the charger base and charging element when the mechanical portion exerts the mechanical force for advantages such as providing the ability to secure device in place (abstract), as taught by Partee.
As for claims 2 and 13, Su in combination with Partee discloses and shows in Fig. 3 mechanical portion comprises a first mechanical component (ref’s fasteners) and a second mechanical component (ref’s securing arm), and wherein each of the first mechanical component and the second mechanical component are positioned with respect to the charger adapter so as to exert the mechanical force against the wearable ring device (par.[0028-0029])
As for claim 3, Su in combination with Partee discloses and shows in Fig. 3 charger adapter comprises a coupling portion configured to removably (implied via parts) couple the charger adapter to the charger base
As for claims 4 and 14, Su in combination with Partee discloses and shows in Fig. 3 coupling portion comprises an opening configured to allow a charging cable to couple to the charger base and power the charger base
As for claims 5 and 15, Su in combination with Partee discloses and shows in Fig. 3 opening aligns with a port of the charger base such that the charger adapter is positioned in a first orientation, and wherein the wearable ring device is positioned against a first section of the charger base associated with the charging element based at least in part on the charger adapter being positioned in the first orientation
As for claims 6 and 16, Su in combination with Partee discloses and shows in Figs. 3-5 charger adapter is positioned in a first orientation based on a feature of the charger adapter being aligned with a light emitting component of the charger base configured to emit light indicating that the wearable ring device is being charged by the charging element, and wherein the wearable ring device is positioned against a first section of the charger base associated with the charging element based at least in part on the charger adapter being positioned in the first orientation
As for claims 7 and 17, Su in combination with Partee discloses and shows in Figs. 3-5 mechanical portion comprises a curved portion (via securing arm) configured to interface with the wearable ring device to position the wearable ring device against the charger base, and wherein the curved portion is based at least in part on a largest circumference of the plurality of circumferential sizes
As for claims 8 , Su in combination with Partee discloses and shows mechanical portion is configured to position an inductive charging component of the wearable ring device within a threshold distance from the charging element.
As for claims 9 and 18, Su in combination with Partee discloses and shows a magnitude of the mechanical force is based at least in part on the threshold distance
As for claims 10 and 19, Su in combination with Partee discloses and shows charger adapter comprises an adjustment mechanism configured to selectively adjust a location of the mechanical portion on or within the charger base, a magnitude of the mechanical force exerted by the mechanical portion, or both
As for claims 11 and 20, Su in combination with Partee discloses and shows in Fig. 3mechanical portion comprises a mechanical flap, a spring mechanism, a flexible band, a flexible component, or any combination thereof
As for claim 17, Su in combination with Partee mechanical portion is configured to position an inductive charging component of the wearable ring device within a threshold distance from an inductive charging component of the charger base
As for claim 12, Su discloses and shows in Figs. 16-19 a charging system, comprising: a charger base configured to receive a plurality of wearable ring devices having a plurality of circumferential sizes (implied via ring’s depth and minimum ref’s collar diameter); and a charging element of the charger base configured to charge the wearable ring device through direct or indirect electrical coupling with a charging element of the wearable ring device (par.[0069-0074]).
Su discloses all limitations, but differs from the claimed invention because he does not explicitly disclose a charger adapter configured to be removably coupled to the charger base, wherein the charger adapter comprises a mechanical portion configured to exert a mechanical force against a wearable ring device of the plurality of wearable ring devices to position the wearable ring device against the charger base when the wearable ring device is mounted to the charger base and charging element when the mechanical portion exerts the mechanical force.
Partee discloses a charger adapter configured to be removably coupled to the charger base, wherein the charger adapter comprises a mechanical portion configured to exert a mechanical force against a device to position the device against the charger base when the device is mounted to the charger base and charging element when the mechanical portion exerts the mechanical force (par.[0016-0017])
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of the invention was made to have modified the teachings of Su by using a charger adapter configured to be removably coupled to the charger base, wherein the charger adapter comprises a mechanical portion configured to exert a mechanical force against a device to position the device against the charger base when the device is mounted to the charger base and charging element when the mechanical portion exerts the mechanical force for advantages such as providing the ability to secure device in place (abstract), as taught by Partee.
Contact Information
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ARUN C WILLIAMS whose telephone number is (571)272-9765. The examiner can normally be reached on M-F 9 a.m. - 6 p.m..
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Julian Huffman can be reached on 571-272-2147. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/ARUN C WILLIAMS/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2859
Prosecution Insights