DETAILED ACTION
This action is in reply to Applicant’s Reply submitted 16 October 2025.
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 .
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to Claims 1, 16, 21, 33, and 37 have been considered but are moot because the new ground of rejection does not rely on all references applied in the prior rejection of record for any teaching or matter specifically challenged in the argument.
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 (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) 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 1-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Tan US 2012/0306282, in view of Ishida US 2017/0352475, in view of Meskens et al. US 10,530,177, in view of Kesler et al. US 2012/0235501.
Regarding Claims 1 and 16, Tan teaches a wireless power transfer system (refer to [0002]) comprising
a wireless power transfer device (500, fig. 5A), the wireless power transfer device comprising:
a first transmitting coil (302, fig. 5A) oriented along a first axis (x direction); and
a second transmitting coil (304, fig. 5A) on the first transmitting coil and oriented along a second axis (y direction) different from the first axis. Tan further teaches decoupling the first transmitting coil from the second transmitting coil in an area of overlap between the first and second transmitting coils (the resonating circuit attached to each receiver is required to be isolated from the resonating circuit of another receiver, refer to [0044]);
wherein the first transmitting coil comprises a first rod and a first winding around the first rod, wherein the second transmitting coil comprises a second rod and a second winding around the second rod (figs. 3A-5F).
Tan however is silent regarding a nonmagnetic material magnetically decoupling the first transmitting coil from the second transmitting coil.
Ishida teaches a nonmagnetic material magnetically decoupling the first transmitting coil from the second transmitting coil (the nonmagnetic layer 7 is disposed between the two first and second coils 1, 2 such that the two coils 1, 2 are divided from each other, fig. 6 and refer to [0079]).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of the invention was made to include the material as taught by Ishida with the wireless power transfer system of Tan in order to isolate the two transmitting coils.
The combination of Tan and Ishida is however silent regarding a driver configured to provide a first current to the first transmitting coil and a second current to the second transmitting coil to generate a rotating magnetic field, the driver being configured to provide the first and second currents to have equal frequencies, substantially equal amplitudes, and a phase difference of substantially 90 degrees.
Meskens teaches a driver configured to provide a first current to the first transmitting coil and a second current to the second transmitting coil to generate a rotating magnetic field, the driver being configured to provide the first and second currents to have equal frequencies, substantially equal amplitudes, and a phase difference of substantially 90 degrees (continuously varying at least one of the phase or amplitude of the second alternating current signal relative to the phase or amplitude of the first alternating current signal to cause rotation of the combined magnetic field in a first direction. At 791, method 880C further comprises, in response to determining that the voltage at the implantable coil falls below a selected voltage level, adjusting the variation of at least one of the phase or amplitude of the second magnetic field with respect to the phase or amplitude of the first magnetic field to cause the combined magnetic field to rotate in a second direction. refer to col. 11, lines 14-24).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to use the arrangement of Meskens to adjust the frequencies, amplitude, and phase of the current provided to the transmitting coils of the combination of Tan and Ishida because such a modification would have been implementing a well-known transmitting coil magnetic field control operation.
The combination of Tan, Ishida, and Meskens however are silent wherein the first winding comprises a first sub-coil at one end of the first rod and a second sub-coil at another end of the first rod and spaced apart from the first sub-coil, and wherein the second winding comprises a third sub-coil at one end of the second rod and a fourth sub-coil at another end of the second rod and spaced apart from the third sub-coil.
Kesler teaches wherein the first winding comprises a first sub-coil at one end of the first rod and a second sub-coil at another end of the first rod and spaced apart from the first sub-coil, and wherein the second winding comprises a third sub-coil at one end of the second rod and a fourth sub-coil at another end of the second rod and spaced apart from the third sub-coil (fig. 13 and refer to [0325] and [0327]).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of the invention was made to include the arrangement as taught by Kesler with the wireless power transfer system of the combination of Tan, Ishida, and Meskens in order to improve the efficiency of the coils.
Regarding Claim 2, the combination of Tan, Ishida, Meskens, and Kesler teaches all of the limitations of Claim 1 above and further teaches wherein: the first rod comprises a magnetic material, and the second rod comprises a magnetic material (refer to claims 6 and 7 of Tan).
Regarding Claim 3, the combination of Tan, Ishida, Meskens, and Kesler teaches all of the limitations of Claim 2 above and further teaches wherein the magnetic material of the first rod comprises a ferrimagnetic material, the magnetic material of the second rod comprises a ferrimagnetic material (refer to claims 6 and 7 of Tan), and the nonmagnetic material comprises air.
Regarding Claim 4, the combination of Tan, Ishida, Meskens, and Kesler teaches all of the limitations of Claim 1 above and further teaches wherein the first sub-coil, the second sub-coil, the third sub-coil, and the fourth sub-coil are substantially coplanar (fig. 13 and refer to [0325] and [0327] of Kesler).
Regarding Claim 5, the combination of Tan, Ishida, Meskens, and Kesler teaches all of the limitations of Claim 1 above and further teaches wherein the first winding exposes the first rod at the area of overlap and the second winding exposes the second rod at the area of overlap (fig. 13 and refer to [0325] and [0327] of Kesler).
Regarding Claim 6, the combination of Tan, Ishida, Meskens, and Kesler teaches all of the limitations of Claim 1 above and further teaches wherein the first axis is perpendicular to the second axis (fig. 3A-5F of Tan and fig. 13 and refer to [0325] and [0327] of Kesler).
Regarding Claim 7, the combination of Tan, Ishida, Meskens, and Kesler teaches all of the limitations of Claim 1 above and further teaches wherein the wireless power transfer device further comprises a controller configured to control respective amplitudes of, and the phase difference between, the first current and the second current provided by the driver (refer to col. 11, lines 14-24 of Meskens).
Regarding Claim 8, the combination of Tan, Ishida, Meskens, and Kesler teaches all of the limitations of Claim 7 above and further teaches an electronic device comprising a receiver coil (fig. 2A of Meskens).
Regarding Claims 9 and 20, the combination of Tan, Ishida, Meskens, and Kesler teaches all of the limitations of Claims 8 and 16 above, respectively, and further teaches wherein the electronic device is an implantable medical device (refer to [1105]-[1106] of Kesler).
Regarding Claim 10, the combination of Tan, Ishida, Meskens, and Kesler teaches all of the limitations of Claim 9 above and further teaches wherein the implantable medical device comprises a casing, a portion of the casing around the receiver coil comprising a metallic material or a ceramic material refer to [1105]-[1106] of Kesler).
Regarding Claims 11-15, the combination of Tan, Ishida, Meskens, and Kesler teaches all of the limitations of Claim 8 above and further teaches wherein the electronic device further comprises: a detector configured to detect information about power received in the receiver coil; and a transmitter configured to transmit the information to outside the electronic device; wherein the wireless power transfer device further comprises a receiver configured to receive the information from the transmitter, and wherein the controller is configured to control the respective amplitudes of the first and second currents provided by the driver based on the information from the transmitter; wherein the electronic device is configured to store energy received in the receiver coil; wherein the first and second transmitting coils are configured, when having fixed positions and when the receiver coil is above or below the area of overlap and oriented in a plane parallel to the first and second transmitting coils, to generate the rotating magnetic field such that the direction of the rotating magnetic field at the receiver coil rotates in the plane; and wherein the first and second transmitting coils are configured, when having fixed positions substantially in a plane parallel to the first and second transmitting coils, and when the receiver coil is in the plane and oriented parallel to the plane, to generate the rotating magnetic field such that the direction of the rotating magnetic field at the receiver coil rotates in the plane (refer to col. 11, lines 14-24 of Meskens).
Regarding Claim 17, the combination of Tan, Ishida, Meskens, and Kesler teaches all of the limitations of Claim 16 above and further teaches inductively generating, via the rotating magnetic field, a current in a receiver coil of the electronic device (refer to col. 11, lines 14-24 and Claim 1 of Meskens).
Regarding Claim 18, the combination of Tan, Ishida, Meskens, and Kesler teaches all of the limitations of Claim 17 above and further teaches wherein the first and second AC currents of the first and second transmitting coils are equal in amplitude (refer to col. 11, lines 14-24 and Claim 1 of Meskens).
Regarding Claim 19, the combination of Tan, Ishida, Meskens, and Kesler teaches all of the limitations of Claim 17 above and further teaches positioning the wireless power transfer device and/or the electronic device such that the receiver coil is oriented in a plane parallel to the first transmitting coil and the second transmitting coil (refer to col. 11, lines 14-24 and Claim 1 of Meskens).
Claims 21-26 and 29-36 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Tan US 2012/0306282, in view of Ishida US 2017/0352475, in view of Meskens et al. US 10,530,177.
Regarding Claims 21 and 33, Tan teaches a wireless power transfer system (refer to [0002]) comprising
a wireless power transfer device (500, fig. 5A), the wireless power transfer device comprising:
a first transmitting coil (302, fig. 5A) oriented along a first axis (x direction); and
a second transmitting coil (304, fig. 5A) on the first transmitting coil and oriented along a second axis (y direction) different from the first axis. Tan further teaches decoupling the first transmitting coil from the second transmitting coil in an area of overlap between the first and second transmitting coils (the resonating circuit attached to each receiver is required to be isolated from the resonating circuit of another receiver, refer to [0044]);
wherein the first transmitting coil comprises a first rod and a first winding around the first rod, wherein the second transmitting coil comprises a second rod and a second winding around the second rod (Fig. 3A-5F).
Tan however is silent regarding a nonmagnetic material magnetically decoupling the first transmitting coil from the second transmitting coil.
Ishida teaches a nonmagnetic material magnetically decoupling the first transmitting coil from the second transmitting coil (the nonmagnetic layer 7 is disposed between the two first and second coils 1, 2 such that the two coils 1, 2 are divided from each other, refer to [0079]).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of the invention was made to include the material as taught by Ishida with the wireless power transfer system of Tan in order to isolate the two transmitting coils.
The combination of Tan and Ishida is however silent regarding a driver configured to provide a first current to the first transmitting coil and a second current to the second transmitting coil to generate a rotating magnetic field, the driver being configured to provide the first and second currents to have equal frequencies, substantially equal amplitudes, and a phase difference of substantially 90 degrees.
Meskens teaches a driver configured to provide a first current to the first transmitting coil and a second current to the second transmitting coil to generate a rotating magnetic field, the driver being configured to provide the first and second currents to have equal frequencies, substantially equal amplitudes, and a phase difference of substantially 90 degrees (continuously varying at least one of the phase or amplitude of the second alternating current signal relative to the phase or amplitude of the first alternating current signal to cause rotation of the combined magnetic field in a first direction. At 791, method 880C further comprises, in response to determining that the voltage at the implantable coil falls below a selected voltage level, adjusting the variation of at least one of the phase or amplitude of the second magnetic field with respect to the phase or amplitude of the first magnetic field to cause the combined magnetic field to rotate in a second direction. refer to col. 11, lines 14-24).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to use the arrangement of Meskens to adjust the frequencies, amplitude, and phase of the current provided to the transmitting coils of the combination of Tan and Ishida because such a modification would have been implementing a well-known transmitting coil magnetic field control operation.
Regarding Claims 22-25, the combination of Tan, Ishida, and Meskens teaches all of the limitations of Claim 21 above and further teaches wherein the wireless power transfer device comprises a controller configured to control respective amplitudes of the first and second currents provided by the driver (refer to col. 11, lines 14-24 of Meskens); wherein the driver comprises first and second drivers respectively coupled to the first and second transmitting coils, wherein the wireless power transfer device comprises first and second power modulation electronics respectively configured to receive first and second bus voltages and to respectively provide power to the first and second drivers, wherein the controller is configured to control the first and second bus voltages (refer to col. 11, lines 14-24 of Meskens); wherein the controller is configured to control the phase difference between the first and second currents provided by the driver; and wherein the wireless power transfer device comprises a receiver configured to receive a wireless signal, and wherein the controller is configured to control the respective amplitudes of the first and second currents based on information of the wireless signal (refer to col. 11, lines 14-24 and Claim 1 of Meskens).
Regarding Claim 26, the combination of Tan, Ishida, and Meskens teaches all of the limitations of Claim 21 above and further teaches wherein the first transmitting coil comprises a first rod and a first winding wrapped around the first rod, the first rod comprising a magnetic material, and wherein the second transmitting coil comprises a second rod and a second winding wrapped around the second rod, the second rod comprising a magnetic material (figs. 3A-5F of Tan).
Regarding Claim 29, the combination of Tan, Ishida, and Meskens teaches all of the limitations of Claim 21 above and further teaches wherein the nonmagnetic material is a solid nonmagnetic material (fig. 6 and refer to [0079] of Ishida).
Regarding Claim 30, the combination of Tan, Ishida, and Meskens teaches all of the limitations of Claim 21 above and further teaches an electronic device comprising a receiver coil(fig. 2A of Meskens).
Regarding Claims 31 and 36, the combination of Tan, Ishida, and Meskens teaches all of the limitations of Claims 30 and 33 above respectfully and further teaches wherein the electronic device is an implantable medical device (refer to [1105]-[1106] of Kesler).
Regarding Claim 32, the combination of Tan, Ishida, and Meskens teaches all of the limitations of Claim 30 above and further teaches wherein the electronic device further comprises: a detector configured to detect information about power received in the receiver coil; and a transmitter configured to transmit the information to the wireless power transfer device (refer to col. 9, lines 17-59 of Meskens).
Regarding Claims 34 and 35, the combination of Tan, Ishida, and Meskens teaches all of the limitations of Claim 33 above and further teaches controlling, by a controller of the wireless power transfer device, respective equal amplitudes of first and second AC currents provided by the driver to the first and second transmitting coils (refer to col. 11, lines 14-24 of Meskens); and receiving, by a receiver of the wireless power transfer device, a wireless signal, wherein the controller controls the respective equal amplitudes of the first and second currents based on information of the wireless signal (refer to col. 9, lines 17-59 of Meskens).
Claim 27 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Tan US 2012/0306282, in view of Ishida US 2017/0352475, in view of Meskens et al. US 10,530,177, in view of Hanabusa et al. US 2018/0286579.
Regarding Claim 27, the combination of Tan, Ishida, and Meskens teaches all of the limitations of Claim 26 above, however is silent wherein the first rod comprises a first main rod extending along the first axis and a first flange protruding from an end of the first main rod along a direction perpendicular to both the first and second axes and toward the second transmitting coil, and wherein the second rod comprises a second main rod extending along the second axis and a second flange protruding from an end of the second main rod along a direction perpendicular to both the first and second axes and toward the first transmitting coil.
Hanabusa teaches wherein the first rod comprises a first main rod extending along the first axis and a first flange protruding from an end of the first main rod along a direction perpendicular to both the first and second axes and toward the second transmitting coil, and wherein the second rod comprises a second main rod extending along the second axis and a second flange protruding from an end of the second main rod along a direction perpendicular to both the first and second axes and toward the first transmitting coil (refer to fig. 17B).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to use the arrangement of Hanabusa with the wireless power transfer system of the combination of Tan, Ishida, and Meskens to support the windings on the rod.
Claim 28 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Tan US 2012/0306282, in view of Ishida US 2017/0352475, in view of Meskens et al. US 10,530,177, in view of Choi et al. US 2019/0067996.
Regarding Claim 27, the combination of Tan, Ishida, and Meskens teaches all of the limitations of Claim 26 above, however is silent wherein the first rod is recessed at the area of overlap and in a side facing the second transmitting coil, and wherein the second rod is recessed at the area of overlap and in a side facing the first transmitting coil.
Choi teaches wherein the first rod is recessed at the area of overlap and in a side facing the second transmitting coil, and wherein the second rod is recessed at the area of overlap and in a side facing the first transmitting coil (refer to fig. 1).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to use the arrangement of Hanabusa with the wireless power transfer system of the combination of Tan, Ishida, and Meskens to support the rods.
Claim 37 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Tan US 2012/0306282, in view of Ishida US 2017/0352475, in view of Meskens et al. US 10,530,177, in view of Kesler et al. US 2012/0235501.
Regarding Claim 37, Tan teaches a wireless power transfer system (refer to [0002]) comprising
a wireless power transfer device (500, fig. 5A), the wireless power transfer device comprising:
a first transmitting coil (302, fig. 5A) oriented along a first axis (x direction); and
a second transmitting coil (304, fig. 5A) on the first transmitting coil and oriented along a second axis (y direction) different from the first axis. Tan further teaches decoupling the first transmitting coil from the second transmitting coil in an area of overlap between the first and second transmitting coils (the resonating circuit attached to each receiver is required to be isolated from the resonating circuit of another receiver, refer to [0044]);
wherein the first transmitting coil comprises a first rod and a first winding around the first rod, wherein the second transmitting coil comprises a second rod and a second winding around the second rod (Fig. 3A-5F).
Tan however is silent regarding a driver configured to provide a first current to the first transmitting coil and a second current to the second transmitting coil to generate a rotating magnetic field, the driver being configured to provide the first and second currents to have equal frequencies, substantially equal amplitudes, and a phase difference of substantially 90 degrees.
Meskens teaches a driver configured to provide a first current to the first transmitting coil and a second current to the second transmitting coil to generate a rotating magnetic field, the driver being configured to provide the first and second currents to have equal frequencies, substantially equal amplitudes, and a phase difference of substantially 90 degrees (continuously varying at least one of the phase or amplitude of the second alternating current signal relative to the phase or amplitude of the first alternating current signal to cause rotation of the combined magnetic field in a first direction. At 791, method 880C further comprises, in response to determining that the voltage at the implantable coil falls below a selected voltage level, adjusting the variation of at least one of the phase or amplitude of the second magnetic field with respect to the phase or amplitude of the first magnetic field to cause the combined magnetic field to rotate in a second direction. refer to col. 11, lines 14-24).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to adjust the frequencies, amplitude, and phase of the current provided to the transmitting coils of Tan because such a modification would have been implementing a well-known transmitting coil magnetic field control operation.
Conclusion
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/BRIAN K BAXTER/Examiner, Art Unit 2836
26 January 2026
/DANIEL KESSIE/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2836