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 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.
Claim 1-13 rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103(a) as being unpatentable over Marcu (US 2013/0109304) in view of Tanaka (US 2009/0289767).
Regarding Claim 1, 12-13, Marcu discloses power receiving apparatus comprising: a power receiving unit configured to wirelessly receive power from a power transmitting apparatus; and a communication unit configured to communicate with the power transmitting apparatus by load modulation of the received power, a degree of modulation of the load modulation by the communication unit being changed (Paragraph 0052; Figure 15). Examiner submits this is equivalent to the harvested received power greater than the minimum required amount of harvested power, the load modulation depth may be increased. There must be a power receiving unit within NFC transceiver which communicates with a power transmitting apparatus in order for the NFC transceiver to receive power and performing load modulation of the received power. Marcu does not disclose a degree of modulation being changed in a case where a response signal in response to a specific signal transmitted is not received within a period. However, Tanaka discloses a degree of modulation being changed in a case where a response signal in response to a specific signal transmitted is not received within a period (Paragraphs 0086, 0104, 0113, Figures 3, 5-6). Examiner submits this is equivalent to when a response signal to the electronic tag 3 is not received within the predetermined time and the product having the electronic tag 3 attached thereto is in the communication area of the RFID interrogator 2, the modulation index of the transmission signal is increased by a constant amount so that opportunities of receiving a response signal to the electronic tag 3 can be increased. It would have been obvious for one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention was made to modify NFC transceiver functionality of Marcu so that load modulation depth is changed in a case where a response signal is not received within a period in order to ensure constant seamless ongoing communication, and since both Marcu and Tanaka identically disclose increasing modulation in a NFC environment shown in Paragraph 0052, Figure 15 (Marcu); Paragraphs 0086, 0104, 0113, Figures 3, 5-6 (Tanaka).
Regarding Claim 2, Tanaka discloses wherein, in a case where the response signal is not received within the period, the degree of modulation of the load modulation is increased (Paragraphs 0086, 0104, 0113, Figures 3, 5-6).
Regarding Claim 3, Tanaka discloses wherein, in a case where the response signal is not received within the period, the communication unit transmits a specific signal subjected to the load modulation based on the changed degree of modulation (Paragraphs 0086, 0104, 0113, Figures 3, 5-6).
Regarding Claim 4, Marcu discloses wherein the degree of modulation is represented based on a difference between a maximum value and a minimum value of an amplitude of the specific signal subjected to the load modulation (Paragraphs 0040-0041; Figures 7-8). Examiner submits this is equivalent to determining a maximum signal amplitude of an input signal that may be applied to a transceiver (depicted by numeral 402). Method 400 may also include operating the transceiver with a maximum attenuation ratio (depicted by numeral 404). Further, method 400 may include measuring an amplitude of an input signal at the transceiver (depicted by numeral 406). Further, step 408 of method 400 includes determining whether the input signal has an amplitude that is less than the maximum signal amplitude. If the amplitude of the input signal is less than the maximum signal amplitude, the attenuation ratio may be decreased (depicted by numeral 412), and method 400 may return to step 406. If the amplitude of the input signal is not less than the maximum signal amplitude, the attenuation ratio may be increased by one step (depicted by numeral 410).
Regarding Claim 5, Tanaka discloses wherein, in a case where the communication unit receives the response signal from the power transmitting apparatus in response to a specific signal subjected to the load modulation based on the changed degree of modulation, the communication unit transmits, to the power transmitting apparatus, a signal to request detection processing for detecting of a foreign object (Paragraphs 0072, 0085-0086, 0088, 0102, 0104, 0111, 0113, Figures 3, 5-6). Examiner submits that when it is determined by the response-signal reception determining unit 33 that a response signal is not received within the predetermined time and when it is determined by the product-availability determining unit 35 that the product is present in the communication area, the transmission controlling unit 32 variably controls the modulation index of the transmission signal to the electronic tag 3 attached to the product so that the modulation index is gradually increased.
Regarding Claim 6, Tanaka discloses wherein, in a case where the communication unit receives the response signal from the power transmitting apparatus in response to a specific signal subjected to the load modulation based on the changed degree of modulation, the communication unit transmits, to the power transmitting apparatus, a signal to request power transmission corresponding to a position of the power receiving apparatus (Paragraphs 0072, 0085-0086, 0088, 0102, 0104, 0111, 0113, Figures 3, 5-6).
Regarding Claim 7, Marcu discloses wherein, after the communication unit transmits the signal to request power transmission corresponding to the position of the power receiving apparatus, the degree of modulation of the load modulation is decreased (Paragraph 0052; Figure 15). Examiner submits if the harvested power is not greater than the minimum required amount of harvested power, the load modulation depth may be decreased by one step (depicted by numeral 612).
Regarding Claim 8, Marcu discloses wherein the communication unit receives a frequency-modulated signal as the response signal (Paragraph 0049). Typical technique of NFC is the use of load modulation, in which a device varies a load impedance of its coil to change its resonant frequency and its quality factor Q. This action causes a voltage variation at another device (i.e., a device in an initiator mode).
Regarding Claim 9, Marcu discloses battery configured to store the power received by the power receiving unit; and a motor configured to drive a wheel using the power from the battery (Paragraphs 0033-0035; Figures 2-3). FIG. 3 is a block diagram of an NFC transceiver 150, which is configured to support both active and passive modes, as mentioned above. NFC transceiver 150 includes, among other components, an antenna 151, a digital signal processor (DSP) 152, which is also commonly referred to as a baseband modem, a digital-to-analog converter (DAC) & driver module 154, and a load modulation module 156. It is noted that DAC and driver module 154 may be configured for load modulation and, thus, a separate load modulation module may not be required. NFC transceiver 150 further includes an envelope detector 158 and a regulator 160. Various components of NFC transceiver 150, such as envelope detector 158, DAC and driver module 154, and a regulator 160, will be discussed more fully below. It is noted that regulator 152 may comprise a rectifier that may be configured to convert an AC input signal to a DC signal. Further, a voltage at an output of the rectifier may be used to determine an amount of power being harvested by an associated transceiver (e.g. transceiver 150).
Regarding Claim 10, Marcu discloses battery configured to store the power received by the power receiving unit; and a display unit configured to receive the power from the battery (Paragraphs 0033-0035; Figures 2-3). FIG. 3 is a block diagram of an NFC transceiver 150, which is configured to support both active and passive modes, as mentioned above. NFC transceiver 150 includes, among other components, an antenna 151, a digital signal processor (DSP) 152, which is also commonly referred to as a baseband modem, a digital-to-analog converter (DAC) & driver module 154, and a load modulation module 156. It is noted that DAC and driver module 154 may be configured for load modulation and, thus, a separate load modulation module may not be required. NFC transceiver 150 further includes an envelope detector 158 and a regulator 160. Various components of NFC transceiver 150, such as envelope detector 158, DAC and driver module 154, and a regulator 160, will be discussed more fully below. It is noted that regulator 152 may comprise a rectifier that may be configured to convert an AC input signal to a DC signal. Further, a voltage at an output of the rectifier may be used to determine an amount of power being harvested by an associated transceiver (e.g. transceiver 150).
Regarding Claim 11, Marcu discloses battery configured to store the power received by the power receiving unit; and a notification unit for providing a notification of a remaining amount of the battery (Paragraphs 0033-0035; Figures 2-3). FIG. 3 is a block diagram of an NFC transceiver 150, which is configured to support both active and passive modes, as mentioned above. NFC transceiver 150 includes, among other components, an antenna 151, a digital signal processor (DSP) 152, which is also commonly referred to as a baseband modem, a digital-to-analog converter (DAC) & driver module 154, and a load modulation module 156. It is noted that DAC and driver module 154 may be configured for load modulation and, thus, a separate load modulation module may not be required. NFC transceiver 150 further includes an envelope detector 158 and a regulator 160. Various components of NFC transceiver 150, such as envelope detector 158, DAC and driver module 154, and a regulator 160, will be discussed more fully below. It is noted that regulator 152 may comprise a rectifier that may be configured to convert an AC input signal to a DC signal. Further, a voltage at an output of the rectifier may be used to determine an amount of power being harvested by an associated transceiver (e.g. transceiver 150).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ANKUR JAIN whose telephone number is (571)272-9747. The examiner can normally be reached on Monday-Friday 10:00-6:00
Information regarding the status of an application may be obtained from the Patent Application Information Retrieval (PAIR) system. Status information for published applications may be obtained from either Private PAIR or Public PAIR. Status information for unpublished applications is available through Private PAIR only. For more information about the PAIR system, see http://pair-direct.uspto.gov. Should you have questions on access to the Private PAIR system, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative or access to the automated information system, call 800-786-9199 (IN
/ANKUR JAIN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2649