Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status
The present application is being examined under the pre-AIA first to invent provisions.
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and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114.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 2/17/2026 has been entered.
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed 2/17/2026 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive.
Regarding the amendments to the claims, Applicant argues that Nakamura et al. fail to teach the amended claim limitation of “Amended claim 2 requires more than a waveform that has peaks. It requires: a pulse train of peak pulses in primary voltage or primary current and an identifiable characteristic frequency of the pulse train of peak pulses that is used to identify the instruction. A continuous carrier wave an in Nakamura, even if phase-modulated, is not a "pulse train of peak pulses." The peaks of a sinusoidal carrier are simply the inherent maximum / minimum of the carrier and they are not discrete peak pulses that form a data bearing "pulse train".
Applicant appears to be reading the claim limitation mor narrowly than presented. The “identifying” need only be “based on” the pulse train of peak pulses… As correctly stated by applicant, Nakamura teaches a phase-modulated continuous carrier wave. The peaks of a sinusoidal carrier comprising a basis of maximum/minimum based on the nature of a sinusoidal wave. Said basis providing the claim limitation properly reading on “based on a pulse train of peak values (sinusoidal carrier peaks/minimums values) in primary (carrier) voltage or primary current, wherein the instruction (modulation signal) is identified based on an identifiable characteristic frequency of the pulse train of peak pulses (read on by said carrier wave).
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
The following is a quotation of the appropriate paragraphs of pre-AIA 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 –
(b) the invention was patented or described in a printed publication in this or a foreign country or in public use or on sale in this country, more than one year prior to the date of application for patent in the United States.
Claim(s) 2, 4, 5, 9, 10, 12, 13, and 17 is/are rejected under pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102(b) as being anticipated by Nakamura et al. US 7,233,137.
Nakamura teaches:
2, 10. An inductive power outlet comprising a primary inductive coil (1 and 11, FIG3), for wirelessly powering an inductive power receiver (2), comprising a secondary inductive coil (12), the inductive power outlet comprising:
the primary inductive coil connectable to a power supply (1a);
a driver configured to provide an oscillating voltage across the primary inductive coil (22 and/or TR11-TR13, FIG3); and 27
a signal receiving circuit (demodulator 36 and determination circuitry 33-35) connected to the primary inductive coil (11), wherein the signal receiving circuit is configured to receive at least one coded signal from the inductive power receiver connecting an electrical element to the secondary inductive coil, wherein the signal receiving circuit is further configured to identify an instruction (ie Steps S6, S7, S9, S11, FIG4) of the at least one coded signal based on a pulse train of peak pulses (read on by said carrier signal sinusoidal crest(peaks)/through) in primary voltage or primary current, wherein the instruction is identified based on (ie said nodulation signal as being based on its carrier wave) an identifiable characteristic frequency of the pulse train of peak pulses (ie said Phase Modulation noting use of a carrier wave, read “identifiable characteristic frequency”, Specification @ Col. 9, line 40 to Col. 10, line 6) of peaks in primary voltage or current (said “identifiable characteristic frequency of peaks in primary voltage or current” read on by the carrier wave frequency noting that peaks of voltage/current are what make up a waves “frequency”).
4, 12. Wherein the instruction is a first instruction instructing the inductive power outlet to drive the primary inductive coil at a first operating power, or the instruction is a second instruction signal instructing the inductive power outlet to drive the primary inductive coil at a second operating power (ie. Step S6 as based on the “information of consumed power” included in the information signal demodulated in the demodulation circuit 36 which determines the appropriate power level “small, medium, large”, see FIG4).
5, 13. Wherein the at least one coded signal comprises instruction is a termination instruction signal instructing the inductive power outlet to cease driving the primary inductive coil based on the coded signal being detected (ie steps S19 or S15, FIG4).
9, 17. Wherein the at least one coded signal is generated by a signal transmission circuit of the inductive power receiver (see receiver modulation circuit 45, FIG6).
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
The following is a quotation of pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 103(a) which forms the basis for all obviousness rejections set forth in this Office action:
(a) A patent may not be obtained though the invention is not identically disclosed or described as set forth in section 102, if the differences between the subject matter sought to be patented and the prior art are such that the subject matter as a whole would have been obvious at the time the invention was made to a person having ordinary skill in the art to which said subject matter pertains. Patentability shall not be negated by the manner in which the invention was made.
Claim 3, 6-8, 11, and 14-16 is/are rejected under pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 103(a) as being unpatentable over Nakamura et al. US 7,233,137.
Nakamua teaches use of a carrier wave (spec @ col. 9, line 40 to col. 10, line 6) however fails to teach said carrier wave comprising:
3, 11. Wherein the identifiable characteristic frequency is at least one of: 250 hertz, 500 hertz, 1 kilohertz, from 1.5 kilohertz to 5 kilohertz and 8 kilohertz.
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was made to choose the desired carrier wave frequency to that of at least one of a group consisting of: 250 hertz, 500 hertz, 1 kilohertz, from 1.5 kilohertz to 5 kilohertz and 8 kilohertz, since it has been held that discovering an optimum value of a result effective variable involves only routine skill in the art. In re Boesch, 617 F.2d 272, 205 USPQ 215 (CCPA 1980).
Nakamua teaches various functions of the instructions (noting that said “instructions” are not structure but rather are directed to function), however fail to explicitly to the function of the instruction signal comprising:
6, 14. Wherein instruction is a perpetuation instruction, the perpetuation instruction instructing the inductive power outlet to continue driving the primary inductive coil at a same power level.
7, 15. Wherein the instruction is a power increase instruction instructing the inductive power outlet to increase operating power.
8, 16. Wherein the instruction is a power decrease instruction instructing the inductive power outlet to decrease operating power.
Official Notice is taken that both the concept and advantages of providing for signals comprising the function of : perpetuation instruction, power increase instruction, and power decrease instruction in the wireless power art between a transmitter and receiver are well known and expected in the art. It would have been obvious to have included the signal function of perpetuation, power increase/decrease in Nakamua as these functional operations are known to provide desirable power control of the system.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to DANIEL CAVALLARI whose telephone number is (571)272-8541. The examiner can normally be reached Mon-Fri 0900-18:30.
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/DANIEL CAVALLARI/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2836