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 .
Election/Restrictions
Applicant’s election without traverse of Species 1, figures 1-5 and 9-11, claims 1-9 and 11-15 in the reply filed on 07/29/2026 is acknowledged.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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 1-6 | 9 | 11-15 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Shachar US 8027714 B2 [Shachar].
Regarding claim 1, Shachar teaches A magnetic field generation module [at least figure 1] comprising: a main core [111 and 161]; at least two auxiliary cores [the cores of elements 115 and 116] adjacent to the main core [111, fig. 1] and arranged around the main core [see the cores of 115 and 116 around 111 and 161, fig. 1]; auxiliary coils [115 and 116] wound on the auxiliary cores [fig. 1], respectively; and a power source unit for applying a current to the auxiliary coils [the disclosure teaches that the coil is controlled from a bi-polar DC power source].
Regarding claim 2, Shachar teaches The magnetic field generation module of claim 1, wherein the auxiliary cores are symmetrical about the main core [see the cores of elements 115 and 116 symmetrical about the main core 111, fig. 1].
Regarding claim 3, Shachar teaches The magnetic field generation module of claim 1, wherein the auxiliary cores [the cores of elements 115 and 116] are arranged about the main core to have a same angle between adjacent auxiliary cores [figure 1 shows a same angle between adjacent auxiliary cores].
Regarding claim 4, Shachar teaches The magnetic field generation module of claim 1, wherein the main core [111] has a bottom with a curved surface convex downward or concave upward [the bottom of 111 is convex downward, fig. 1A] .
Regarding claim 5, Shachar teaches The magnetic field generation module of claim 1, wherein the auxiliary core [one of the cores of elements 115 and 116] has a bottom with an inclined surface [see 112] having one and opposite sides with different heights [different heights due to the inclined surface, fig. 1A].
Regarding claim 6, Shachar teaches The magnetic field generation module of claim 1, further comprising: a core support portion [105, and central arc 106 supports an upper cylindrical coil 110 and two shorter arcs 107, 108 support two conical shaped coils 115, 116] formed of a magnetic material to support the main core and the auxiliary cores [the plates 105 are made from steel, nickel, or other magnetic material].
Regarding claim 9, Shachar teaches The magnetic field generation module of claim 1, wherein the main core has a diameter larger than a diameter of the auxiliary core [the main core has an end diameter larger than a diameter of the edge of the end of auxiliary core 112].
Regarding claim 11, Shachar teaches The magnetic field generation module of claim 1, further comprising: a main coil [110] wound around the main core [111] and receiving a current from the power source unit [inherent feature]; and a control unit for individually controlling the currents applied to the main coil and the auxiliary coils [the disclosure teaches that In one embodiment, the entire CGCI magnetic circuit is modeled using a low-level logic simulation of the action performed by the joystick prior to activating the power amplifiers that provide current to the coils. Depending on the current directions and magnitudes in the coils, the center region can be set up for magnetic fields producing just torque, just force, or mixed torque and force. In the Torque Mode, four combinations of coil current directions in A, B, C, and D magnets produce an approximately uniform B field in the center region 419. The main B field vector directions (90.degree. rotations) follow a rotational rule shown in FIG. 4].
Regarding claim 12, Shachar teaches The magnetic field generation module of claim 11, wherein the control unit applies a current to the main coil, and blocks a current from being applied to the auxiliary coils [inherent feature to serve the function of the generation field module. FIGS. 12B, 12C, 12D, 12E, 12F and 12G show the CGCI apparatus 1500 wherein a combination of the cores and current control are used in shaping the magnetic field characteristics. The resultant magnetic field geometry allows the CGCI apparatus 1500 to shape the magnetic field by varying the magnetic circuit characteristics by extending and/or retracting the cores while varying the PWM duty cycle on the power supply. The cores are identified as 51AT through 51DT respectively. FIG. 12B shows a condition wherein the core 51AT is deployed while core 51DT is retracted. The magnetic field is measured along the XZ plane].
Regarding claim 13, Shachar teaches The magnetic field generation module of claim 11, wherein the control unit decreases a size of a current applied to any one of the auxiliary coils, and simultaneously increases a size of a current applied to another coil [inherent feature to serve the function of the generation field module. FIGS. 12B, 12C, 12D, 12E, 12F and 12G show the CGCI apparatus 1500 wherein a combination of the cores and current control are used in shaping the magnetic field characteristics. The resultant magnetic field geometry allows the CGCI apparatus 1500 to shape the magnetic field by varying the magnetic circuit characteristics by extending and/or retracting the cores while varying the PWM duty cycle on the power supply. The cores are identified as 51AT through 51DT respectively. FIG. 12B shows a condition wherein the core 51AT is deployed while core 51DT is retracted. The magnetic field is measured along the XZ plane].
Regarding claim 14, Shachar teaches The magnetic field generation module of claim 11, wherein the control unit controls such that a size of the current applied to the main coil is different from a size of the current applied to the auxiliary coil [inherent feature to serve the function of the generation field module. FIGS. 12B, 12C, 12D, 12E, 12F and 12G show the CGCI apparatus 1500 wherein a combination of the cores and current control are used in shaping the magnetic field characteristics. The resultant magnetic field geometry allows the CGCI apparatus 1500 to shape the magnetic field by varying the magnetic circuit characteristics by extending and/or retracting the cores while varying the PWM duty cycle on the power supply. The cores are identified as 51AT through 51DT respectively. FIG. 12B shows a condition wherein the core 51AT is deployed while core 51DT is retracted. The magnetic field is measured along the XZ plane].
Regarding claim 15, Shachar teaches A magnetic field generation device [at least figure 1] comprising: a magnetic field generation module for generating a magnetic field [at least figure 1]; and a moving unit [120, figs. 1 and 14] for moving the magnetic field generation module [100 and 101], wherein the magnetic field generation module includes: a main core [111 and 161]; at least two auxiliary cores [the cores of elements 115 and 116] adjacent to and around the main core [111, fig. 1], in which the auxiliary coils [115 and 116] are wound on the auxiliary cores [fig. 1]; a core support portion [105, and central arc 106 supports an upper cylindrical coil 110 and two shorter arcs 107, 108 support two conical shaped coils 115, 116] formed of a magnetic material [the plates 105 are made from steel, nickel, or other magnetic material] and connected to the moving unit [120] to support the main core and the auxiliary cores [fig. 1]; a power source unit for applying a current to the auxiliary coil [inherent feature]; and a control unit for controlling the current applied to the auxiliary coil [the disclosure teaches that In one embodiment, the entire CGCI magnetic circuit is modeled using a low-level logic simulation of the action performed by the joystick prior to activating the power amplifiers that provide current to the coils. Depending on the current directions and magnitudes in the coils, the center region can be set up for magnetic fields producing just torque, just force, or mixed torque and force. In the Torque Mode, four combinations of coil current directions in A, B, C, and D magnets produce an approximately uniform B field in the center region 419. The main B field vector directions (90.degree. rotations) follow a rotational rule shown in FIG. 4. FIGS. 12B, 12C, 12D, 12E, 12F and 12G show the CGCI apparatus 1500 wherein a combination of the cores and current control are used in shaping the magnetic field characteristics. The resultant magnetic field geometry allows the CGCI apparatus 1500 to shape the magnetic field by varying the magnetic circuit characteristics by extending and/or retracting the cores while varying the PWM duty cycle on the power supply. The cores are identified as 51AT through 51DT respectively. FIG. 12B shows a condition wherein the core 51AT is deployed while core 51DT is retracted. The magnetic field is measured along the XZ plane].
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.
Claims 7 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Shachar US 8027714 B2 [Shachar] as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of CHOI et al. KR 101740553 B1.
Regarding claim 7, Shachar teaches The magnetic field generation module of claim 6, wherein the core support portion includes: a main support area [105 and 106] for supporting the main core [111]. Further, Shachar discloses the claimed invention except for an auxiliary support area rotatable relative to the main support area to support the auxiliary core.
CHOI teaches that it is known that The magnetic field precision control unit 200 includes a support 210, a magnetic field emitting unit 220 including a solenoid coil 222, and a rotation unit 230.
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was filed to modify Shachar to have a rotation unit 230 as taught by CHOI, since CHOI states that The magnetic field emitting unit 220 is rotatably coupled to the supporter 210 via the rotation unit 230 so that the magnetic field emitting unit 220 can be rotated so that the intersection of the magnetic field can be moved through the operating range of the magnetic field emitting unit 220.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claim 8 is 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 arts of record when considered as a whole, alone or in combination neither anticipates nor renders obvious the combination of -
Claim 8: the auxiliary support area is rotated, the auxiliary core is movable between a first position in which a central axis of the auxiliary core is parallel to a central axis of the main core, and a second position in which the central axis of the auxiliary core is inclined with respect to the central axis of the main core.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. See (PTO-892).
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to MOHAMAD A MUSLEH whose telephone number is ((571)272-9086. The examiner can normally be reached on Monday-Friday 10 am - 7 pm.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Shawki S. Ismail can be reached on 571 272 3985. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is (571) 273-8300.
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/Mohamad A Musleh/
Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2837
