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 .
Continued Examination Under 37 CFR 1.114
A request for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, including the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e), was filed in this application after final rejection. Since this application is eligible for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114. Applicant's submission filed on 6/10/2026 has been entered.
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 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 1 – 3 and 5 - 13 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Woods et al. (US Pub. No. 20140304773), hereinafter Woods in view of Gobburu et al. (US Pat. No. 9356658), hereinafter referred to as Gobburu.
Referring to claim 1, Woods discloses a communication adapter (portable electronic device 90, figs. 1–2) for use with an implantable medical device (implantable medical device 30, figs. 1–2) for transferring data between the implantable medical device and a mobile device (mobile computing device 60, figs. 1–2), comprising:
a MICS telemetry interface (the MICS protocol for communicating with the implantable medical device, para. [0048]) for data transfer between the communication adapter and the implantable medical device (first communications protocol – MICS, par. [0048], describing re-modulating received data using MICS protocol);
a communication and power supply interface (port 120 serving as the physical interface between the portable electronic device and the mobile computing device and further serving as a power supply interface because Woods discloses that port 120 may be implemented as a USB, Lightning, or Thunderbolt interface, Figs. 1–2, pars. [0027]–[0029], [0031]) for data transfer between the communication adapter and the mobile device and for power supply from the mobile device to the communication adapter (hardware interface and power supply path, figs. 1–2 (120); pars. [0027]–[0029], [0031], discussing bidirectional communication and charging capabilities via USB/Lightning/Thunderbolt; it is noted here that communication and power supply interface 120 -- by being disclosed (see par. [0031]) as a Lightning interface or a Thunderbolt interface -- is capable of bi-directional power supply);
and a connector (connector port 120 functioning as the physical connector, Figs. 1–2, pars. [0027]–[0029]) for connecting to the mobile device (connector and physical interface description, figs. 1–2 (120); pars. [0027]–[0029], [0031], describing connection between adapter and mobile device),
wherein the communication adapter is powered via the communication and power supply interface (power from mobile device to adapter via port 120, figs. 1–2; pars. [0027]–[0029], [0031], disclosing power sourcing and interface roles),
and wherein the communication adapter is configured to transfer data (forwarding received information, pars. [0040]–[0041], [0048]) sent via the MICS telemetry interface by the implantable medical device to the mobile device via the communication and power supply interface (data routing from IMD to mobile device, pars. [0027]–[0029], [0031], [0040]–[0041], [0048], describing signal flow via both interfaces)
and to transfer data (forwarding information in the opposite direction, pars. [0040]–[0041], [0048]) sent via the communication and power supply interface by the mobile device to the implantable medical device via the MICS telemetry interface (reverse data path from mobile to IMD, pars. [0027]–[0029], [0031], [0040]–[0041], [0048], detailing reformatting and transfer steps).
Gobburu discloses, what Woods lacks, power supply exclusively from the mobile device to the communication adapter (mobile digital device 30 generates and transmits a power carrier (PC) over audio connector 31, specifically through right audio channel 32, to the communication adapter implementation 40, Fig. 3 (elements 30, 31, 32) and Fig. 4 (elements 40, 41); the signal selector 2 selects the power carrier and provides it to energy harvester 6, which generates power for the signal selector, signal integrator, application logic controller, and the electronic accessory, col. 5, ll. 15–24 ; in the implementation of Fig. 4, the right audio channel carries the power carrier from the mobile digital device for use by energy harvest circuit 41 to provide power to the implementation 40 as well as to the electronic accessory, col. 6, ll. 19–33).
Woods and Gobburu are analogous art because they are from the same field of endeavor, namely communication interfaces that provide both data communication and electrical power between a mobile device and an external electronic device/accessory through a wired interface.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, having the teachings of Woods and Gobburu before him or her, to modify the communication and power supply interface of Woods to include Gobburu's teaching that the communication interface supplies operating power from the mobile device to the communication adapter/accessory while simultaneously supporting communications over the same interface.
The suggestion and motivation for doing so would have been to provide a communication interface that simultaneously supports data communication and supplies operating power to the communication adapter/accessory, thereby reducing dependence on a separate power source, simplifying the hardware interface, and preserving bidirectional communications while maintaining the intended functionality of the mobile device.
Therefore, it would have been obvious to combine Gobburu with Woods to obtain the invention as specified in the instant claim.
As to claim 2, Woods discloses the communication adapter of claim 1, wherein:
the communication adapter is configured to connect the mobile device with a further device by a USB connector (“the portable electronic device 90 may include a port 120 (or connector) that can be mated with a corresponding port or connector of an external electronic device”, para. [0028]; “the port 120 allows the portable electronic device 90 to communicate with the mobile computing device via a hardware interface… USB… Lightning®… Thunderbolt®”, para. [0031]).
As to claim 3, Woods discloses the communication adapter of claim 1, wherein:
the communication adapter is integratable into a protective case of the mobile device, into a USB-cable or into a connector (“a portable electronic device 90 in an alternative embodiment... may have a case-like form factor... to encase or house the mobile computing device 60 therein”, para. [0029];
“In various example embodiments, the hardware interface may include… USB interface… Lightning® interface… or other proprietary hardware interfaces”, para. [0031]).
As to claim 5, Woods discloses the communication adapter of claim 1, wherein:
the communication adapter comprises or is connected to at least a first MICS-band antenna and a second MICS-band antenna (“the transceiver 420 may include (or may be coupled to) an antenna 440… the transceiver 430… an antenna 450”, para. [0111]; “the portable electronic device 90 may include one or more multiplexors and/or demultiplexers, as well as a plurality of antennas (e.g., a plurality of MICS antennas)”, para. [0048]).
As to claim 6, Woods discloses the communication adapter of claim 1, wherein:
the communication adapter comprises an authentication unit configured to authenticate a user of the mobile device in order to access patient-related data stored in a data storage unit of the communication adapter and/or the implantable medical device (“memory partitions 411–414… may be unlocked in response to different users being authenticated”, para. [0109]; “the mobile computing device 60 is configured to authenticate a user based on the user’s biometric data”, para. [0051]; “the mobile computing device 60… automatically displays a suitable user interface… where the patient programmer user interface has only basic levels of access”, para. [0066]).
As to claim 7, Woods discloses a protective case for a mobile device comprising a frame mountable around an edge of the mobile and the communication adapter of claim 1 (“a portable electronic device 90… may have a case-like form factor… to encase or house the mobile computing device 60 therein… [and] may also provide additional power”, para. [0029]).
As to claim 8, Woods discloses: a cable, comprising a further connector and the communication adapter of claim 1 (“the portable electronic device 90 may include a port 120 (or connector)… USB port, micro-USB port, HDMI port, Lightning® port, or Thunderbolt® port”, para. [0028]; “In the embodiment shown in FIG. 2, the portable electronic device 90 is physically attached to the mobile computing device 60 through the port 120”, para. [0028]).
As to claim 9, Woods discloses: a connector comprising the communication adapter of claim 1, wherein the connector comprises a first antenna connection and a second antenna connection (“the transceiver 420 may include (or may be coupled to) an antenna 440… the transceiver 430… an antenna 450”, para. [0111]; “antenna layout shown in FIG. 16”, fig. 16).
As to claim 10, Woods discloses: a communication adapter system comprising the connector of claim 9 and an adhesive film attachable to the mobile device, wherein a first MICS-band antenna and a second MICS-band antenna are arranged on a surface of the adhesive film (“Portable electronic device 90 may also be configured as a patch or other device that is worn on or attached to a patient’s body over IMD 30, thereby permitting enhanced communication coupling”, para. [0029]; “the wearable medical device 300 and the portable electronic device 90 may be integrated into a single device”, para. [0091]).
Claims 11 and 13 recite the corresponding limitation of claim 1. Therefore, they are rejected accordingly.
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 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.
Claim 4 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Woods in view of Gobburu, and further in view of Von (U.S. Pat. No. 7,831,828).
As to claim 4, Woods discloses, wherein the MICS telemetry interface comprises a MICS-band-radio module comprising an encryption unit..." (implantable medical device 30, figs. 1–2)
Woods discloses the MICS-band radio module as part of telemetry interface 130 used for wireless communication with an implantable medical device (telemetry interface 130, fig. 2; para. [0044]).
Woods does not disclose an encryption unit configured to encrypt a communication between the MICS telemetry interface and the implantable medical device.
Von discloses a cryptographic encryption unit within the telemetry system of an implantable medical device. The encryption can be implemented via hardware or software and is used to secure communications between the IMD and an external programmer over a wireless RF link (secure telemetry encryption, col. 6, lines 12–33; col. 9, lines 1–17; session key exchange protocol, fig. 2).
Von therefore teaches what Woods and Gobburu lack—encryption within the telemetry system, specifically designed for protecting data exchanged with an IMD over MICS-band or similar wireless links.
Woods, Gobburu, and Von are analogous art because they are from the same field of endeavor—wireless communication systems for implantable medical devices—and both address the problem-solving area of secure, wireless data exchange between a mobile/external device and an implantable medical device.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, having the teachings of Woods, Gobburu, and Von before him or her, to modify the communication adapter of Woods, as modified by Gobburu, to further include the encryption unit taught by Von within the MICS-band telemetry interface, because Von teaches protecting wireless telemetry communications between an implantable medical device and an external device through cryptographic encryption while preserving the underlying telemetry functionality. Incorporating Von's encryption mechanism into the telemetry interface of Woods, as modified by Gobburu, would have predictably improved the security of the transmitted medical data without changing the basic operation of the communication adapter.
The suggestion and motivation for doing so would have been to improve the confidentiality, integrity, and security of wireless telemetry communications involving implantable medical devices by encrypting transmitted medical information and preventing unauthorized interception or access, as expressly taught by Von (col. 6, ll. 12–33; col. 9, ll. 1–17).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to combine Von with Woods in view of Gobburu to obtain the invention as specified in claim 4, specifically by incorporating a hardware- and/or software-based encryption unit into the MICS-band telemetry interface while retaining the communication and power interface provided by Woods as modified by Gobburu.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claims above 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.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
KIM (US Pub. No. 20200310491) The present disclosure relates to a case for a mobile device capable of activating a wireless charging function.
Contact Information
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to JUANITO C BORROMEO whose telephone number is (571)270-1720. The examiner can normally be reached on Monday - Friday 9 - 5.
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/J.C.B/ Assistant Examiner, Art Unit 2184
/HENRY TSAI/ Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2184
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