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 § 112
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claims 1-10 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
Claim 1 recites “a projected area along a stacking direction at least partially overlapping the at least one charging coil”, however, it is not clear if "a projected area" is the "projected area” of the comb filter, the second substrate or completely unrelated. The same applies to claim 2.
For the purpose of examination, Examiner is interpreting any of these options as valid.
Furthermore, in claim 1, it is unclear if the stacking direction is a stacking of the "first substrate and second substrate" since it is not specified. The same ambiguity applies to claim 10. For the purpose of examination, Examiner is interpreting the stacking direction as the stacking of the "first substrate and second substrate".
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 1-3 and 7-8 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Han WIPO Publication WO 2021/125565. (It is noted that the Han citations are taken from the machine translation, until a translation is obtained.)
Regarding claim 1, Han discloses a wireless charging device [figs. 1-2], comprising:
a first substrate [figs. 1 & 5; antenna unit 110 on a first substrate];
at least one charging coil disposed on the first substrate [figs. 1 & 5; antenna coil 114 of the antenna unit 110];
a second substrate disposed above the at least one charging coil [fig. 2; EMI filter unit 120 is a second substrate “above” 110 as indicated in fig. 2];
a comb filter disposed on the second substrate [pars. 47, 74 & 148; the EMI filter 120 can be a “comb filter”], and a projected area along a stacking direction at least partially overlapping the at least one charging coil [figs. 1-5; the layers are stacked such that 120 overlaps 110];
at least one thermistor disposed on the comb filter [pars. 52 & 109-110; a temperature sensing member 150, which may be a thermistor (pars. 52 & 109), can be “integrated with the EMI filter unit 120” (fig. 6, par. 110), thus disposed on the comb filter unit]; and
a controller connected to the at least one charging coil and connected to the at least one thermistor through a part of the comb filter [pars. 91-95; controller on mainboard 130 is connected to the charging coil (par. 91, 130 powers antenna unit 110) and connected to thermistor 150 via circuit patterns 122a of the comb pattern (pars. 100-101 & 109, “comb teeth”)].
Regarding claim 2, Han discloses wherein the comb filter comprises:
a comb structure with the projected area along the stacking direction at least partially overlapping the at least one charging coil [pars. 47, 74 & 148; figs. 2, 6 & 8; the comb structure, which extends into the center of board 120, would at least partially overlap with charging coils 114] and
a ground structure connected to the comb structure and located on a periphery of the comb structure [fig. 6; pars. 98-103; coupling members 142, which couple the portions of the circuit, would connect the various members of the filter to the ground of the circuit, 142 is on the periphery of the comb structure].
Regarding claim 3, Han discloses wherein a line width and a line spacing of the comb structure is associated with a frequency of a wireless charging signal emitted by the at least one charging coil [par. 76; “In addition, the filter pattern 124 may be a pattern formed to exhibit selective attenuation characteristics such as comb teeth in a predetermined frequency band.”].
Regarding claim 7, Han discloses wherein the first substrate has a wiring area covered by the at least one charging coil and a non-wiring area not covered by the at least one charging coil, and the at least one thermistor is disposed above the non-wiring area [par. 112-113; fig. 7, wiring and non-wiring areas; 150 can be placed in the “hollow” of the charging coil 114, thus in a non-wiring area].
Regarding claim 8, Han discloses wherein a number of the at least one thermistor is the same as a number of the at least one charging coil, and each of the at least one thermistor is disposed respectively above a central area surrounded by each of the at least one charging coil [fig. 7; 3 thermistors 150, three overlapping charging coils 114].
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 4 and 9-10 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Han WIPO Publication WO 2021/125565.
Regarding claim 4, Han discloses wherein the wireless charging device further comprises:
a plurality of metal connectors disposed in the plurality of through holes, connected to the comb filter and configured for grounding [fig. 6; pars. 98-103, coupling members 142, which couple the portions of the circuit, would connect the various members of the filter to the ground of the circuit].
Han does not explicitly disclose the plurality of through holes or the connectors being in the plurality of through holes.
However, Examiner takes Official Notice that it is well known in the wireless charging arts to use stacked circuits boards with through-holes and metal spacers penetrating the through-holes to use the stacked architecture. Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Han to further include the plurality of through holes and the connectors being in the plurality of through holes for the purpose of effectively utilizing space and decreasing the lateral size of the device, 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).
Regarding claim 9, Han discloses further comprising:
a near-field communication antenna disposed on a surface of the second substrate and connected to the controller [fig. 1, pars. 84-85, short-range communication antenna 126] a
Han does not explicitly disclose the near-field antenna is opposite to the comb filter and connected to the controller.
However, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was made to arrange the near-field antenna opposite to the comb filter, since it has been held that rearranging parts of an invention involves only routine skill in the art. In re Japikse, 86 USPQ 70 (CCPA 1950).
Regarding claim 10, Han discloses wherein a projected area of the near-field communication antenna on the first substrate along the stacking direction does not overlap the at least one charging coil [figs. 1, 5 & 7; pars. 85-86; “In this case, the short-range wireless communication antenna 126 may be formed to surround the filter pattern 124 without overlapping the filter pattern 124 as shown in FIGS. 1 and 5 .”]
Claims 5-6 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Han WIPO Publication WO 2021/125565 in view of Zhang et al. CN 211046573 U.
Regarding claim 5, Han does not explicitly disclose wherein the comb filter is disposed on a surface of the second substrate facing the at least one charging coil, the second substrate has a plurality of through holes, and the wireless charging device further comprises: a plurality of metal connectors disposed in the plurality of through holes and spacing the second substrate and the at least one charging coil apart from each other.
However, Zhang discloses a wireless charging device with a comb filter wherein the comb filter is disposed on a surface of the second substrate facing the at least one charging coil [fig. 1; the comb filter 2 is on the bottom side of 2 (see fig. 1, the components of 2 are facing down, while the top side is blank) which faces the charging coil 3].
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Han to further include wherein the comb filter is disposed on a surface of the second substrate facing the at least one charging coil for the purpose of providing protection for the filter elements by sheltering it on the bottom side of the substrate, 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).
The combination of Han and Zhang does not explicitly disclose the second substrate has a plurality of through holes, and the wireless charging device further comprises: a plurality of metal connectors disposed in the plurality of through holes and spacing the second substrate and the at least one charging coil apart from each other.
However, Examiner takes Official Notice that it is well known in the wireless charging arts to use stacked circuits boards with through-holes and metal spacers penetrating the through-holes to used the stacked architecture. Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the combination of Han and Zhang to further include the second substrate has a plurality of through holes, and the wireless charging device further comprises: a plurality of metal connectors disposed in the plurality of through holes and spacing the second substrate and the at least one charging coil apart from each other for the purpose of effectively utilizing space and decreasing the lateral size of the device, 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).
Regarding claim 6, Han does not explicitly disclose wherein the comb filter is disposed on a surface of the second substrate facing the at least one charging coil, and the wireless charging device further comprises: an insulating layer disposed between the at least one charging coil and the comb filter.
However, Zhang discloses a wireless charging device with a comb filter wherein the comb filter is disposed on a surface of the second substrate facing the at least one charging coil [fig. 1; the comb filter 2 is on the bottom side of 2 (see fig. 1, the components of 2 are facing down, while the top side is blank) which faces the charging coil 3].
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Han to further include wherein the comb filter is disposed on a surface of the second substrate facing the at least one charging coil for the purpose of providing protection for the filter elements by sheltering it on the bottom side of the substrate, 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).
The combination of Han and Zhang does not explicitly disclose the wireless charging device further comprises: an insulating layer disposed between the at least one charging coil and the comb filter.
However, Examiner takes Official Notice that it is well known in the wireless charging arts to use insulating layers between charging coils and other components to prevent heat damage to other components. Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the combination of Han and Zhang to further include the wireless charging device further comprises: an insulating layer disposed between the at least one charging coil and the comb filter for the purpose of preventing heat damage to the comb filter, 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:
Partovi US PGPUB 2020/0251929 disclose a wireless charger utilizing a comb filter.
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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/DAVID V HENZE/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2859
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