DETAILED ACTION
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 § 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 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.
Claims 1-8 and 11 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Shiff et al. US PGPUB 2006/0145663.
Regarding claim 1, Shiff discloses a charging system [fig. 1] comprising:
a charging interface having a first contact and a second contact, and configured to be connected to a charger [fig. 1 & 4; charging interface comprising interface elements 16 which are connected to a charger 40 comprising transfer device 54 (figs. 6-7); pars. 24-25 & 28],
a housing employed to accommodate the charging interface [fig. 3, housing 12 accommodates the interface elements 16], and
a first magnet having a south pole and a north pole [figs. 2-3; magnet 22; pars. 25 & 43-44], arranged between the first contact and the second contact of the charging interface, and wherein a longitudinal axis of the first magnet is aligned perpendicularly to a first line that passes through a first centre of the first contact and a second centre of the second contact, and wherein the south pole and north pole are located at different sides of the first line [see annotated fig. 2 below; the two lines are substantially perpendicular].
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Regarding claim 2, Shiff discloses wherein there is arranged at least one electrical component associated with the housing [fig. 3; 24; par. 48-52].
Regarding claim 3, Shiff discloses wherein the housing comprises a rechargeable power source [fig. 3; par. 27; the device 10, comprising housing 10, has a battery storage device in the device (or even within 24, par. 51)].
Regarding claim 4, Shiff discloses wherein the rechargeable power source supplies electricity to the at least one electrical component or receives electricity from an external power source [par. 27 & 51; the battery powers components of the device 10 and receives electricity from the coupler 40].
Regarding claim 5, Shiff discloses wherein the charger has a protrusion [fig. 5, 48], wherein the protrusion is aimed for being in contact with an outer surface of the housing to enable positioning the charger in respect of the housing when the housing and the charger are coupled [fig. 6; par. 41; convex portions 48 of the charger mate with concave portions 18 of the housing 12].
Regarding claim 6, Shiff discloses wherein the charger has an L-shaped form [see annotated fig. 5 below, the charger comprises at least one L-shaped form among others (the perpendicular portions)].
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Regarding claim 7, Shiff discloses wherein the charger has a third contact and a fourth contact, wherein the third contact and the fourth contact are to be connected with the first contact and the second contact of the charging interface [fig. 5-6; contacts 46 mate with contacts 16].
Regarding claim 8, Shiff discloses wherein the charger has a second magnet having a magnetic south pole and a magnetic north pole [fig. 5, 52], and wherein the second magnet lies between the third contact and the fourth contact, and wherein a length axis of the second magnet is aligned perpendicularly to a second line that passes through a third centre of the third contact and a fourth centre of the fourth contact, and wherein the magnetic south pole and the magnetic north pole are located at different sides of the second line.
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Regarding claim 11, Shiff discloses wherein when the charger is coupled to the charging interface, the first contact is electrically connected to the third contact, the second contact is electrically connected to the fourth contact and the first magnet and the second magnet attract each other [figs. 5-6; pars. 24-25, 39-44 & 77-78].
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
This application currently names joint inventors. In considering patentability of the claims the examiner presumes that the subject matter of the various claims was commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the claimed invention(s) absent any evidence to the contrary. Applicant is advised of the obligation under 37 CFR 1.56 to point out the inventor and effective filing dates of each claim that was not commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the later invention in order for the examiner to consider the applicability of 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(2)(C) for any potential 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) prior art against the later invention.
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 Shiff et al. US PGPUB 2006/0145663 in view of Fish et al. US Patent 9,768,628.
Regarding claims 9 and 10, Shiff does not explicitly disclose wherein the rechargeable power source is removable or wherein the housing is a watertight body.
However, Fish discloses a smartwatch with magnetic contacts [fig. 1; column 11, lines 60-67] wherein the rechargeable power source is removable [column 7, lines 50-55; battery 22] and wherein the housing is a watertight body [column 4, lines 9-10].
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Shiff to further include wherein the rechargeable power source is removable for the purpose of allowing the battery to be replaced if faulty, and since it has been held to be within the general skill of a worker in the art to apply a known technique to a known device (method, or product) which was ready for improvement in order to yield results predictable by one of ordinary skill the art. KSR International Co. v Teleflex Inc., 550 U.S. 398, 127 S. Ct. 1727, 82 USPQ2d 1385, 1395-97 (2007).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Shiff to further include wherein the housing is a watertight body for the purpose of protecting electronics and allowing some underwater use, such as swimming, and since it has been held to be within the general skill of a worker in the art to apply a known technique to a known device (method, or product) which was ready for improvement in order to yield results predictable by one of ordinary skill the art. KSR International Co. v Teleflex Inc., 550 U.S. 398, 127 S. Ct. 1727, 82 USPQ2d 1385, 1395-97 (2007).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure:
Linden et al. US PGPUB 2018/0234756 discloses a charging system for a wearable device using magnetic alignment.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to DAVID V HENZE whose telephone number is (571)272-3317. The examiner can normally be reached M to F, 9am to 7pm.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Julian Huffman can be reached at 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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/DAVID V HENZE/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2859
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