DETAILED ACTION
1. This is the first action on the merits relating to U.S. Application Serial No. 18/683,115 filed on February 12, 2024. Currently claims 1-20 remain in the examination.
Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status
2. The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
Priority
3. Receipt is acknowledged of papers submitted under 35 U.S.C. 119(a)-(d), which papers have been placed of record in the file.
Drawings
4. Drawings originally filed on February 12, 2024 are approved.
Preliminary Amendment
5. Receipt is acknowledged of the preliminary amendment filed on February 12, 2024.
Double Patenting
6. The nonstatutory double patenting rejection is based on a judicially created doctrine grounded in public policy (a policy reflected in the statute) so as to prevent the unjustified or improper timewise extension of the “right to exclude” granted by a patent and to prevent possible harassment by multiple assignees. A nonstatutory double patenting rejection is appropriate where the conflicting claims are not identical, but at least one examined application claim is not patentably distinct from the reference claim(s) because the examined application claim is either anticipated by, or would have been obvious over, the reference claim(s). See, e.g., In re Berg, 140 F.3d 1428, 46 USPQ2d 1226 (Fed. Cir. 1998); In re Goodman, 11 F.3d 1046, 29 USPQ2d 2010 (Fed. Cir. 1993); In re Longi, 759 F.2d 887, 225 USPQ 645 (Fed. Cir. 1985); In re Van Ornum, 686 F.2d 937, 214 USPQ 761 (CCPA 1982); In re Vogel, 422 F.2d 438, 164 USPQ 619 (CCPA 1970); In re Thorington, 418 F.2d 528, 163 USPQ 644 (CCPA 1969).
A timely filed terminal disclaimer in compliance with 37 CFR 1.321(c) or 1.321(d) may be used to overcome an actual or provisional rejection based on nonstatutory double patenting provided the reference application or patent either is shown to be commonly owned with the examined application, or claims an invention made as a result of activities undertaken within the scope of a joint research agreement. See MPEP § 717.02 for applications subject to examination under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA as explained in MPEP § 2159. See MPEP § 2146 et seq. for applications not subject to examination under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA . A terminal disclaimer must be signed in compliance with 37 CFR 1.321(b).
The filing of a terminal disclaimer by itself is not a complete reply to a nonstatutory double patenting (NSDP) rejection. A complete reply requires that the terminal disclaimer be accompanied by a reply requesting reconsideration of the prior Office action. Even where the NSDP rejection is provisional the reply must be complete. See MPEP § 804, subsection I.B.1. For a reply to a non-final Office action, see 37 CFR 1.111(a). For a reply to final Office action, see 37 CFR 1.113(c). A request for reconsideration while not provided for in 37 CFR 1.113(c) may be filed after final for consideration. See MPEP §§ 706.07(e) and 714.13.
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7. Claims 1 and 14 are provisionally rejected on the ground of nonstatutory double patenting as being unpatentable over claims 1, 5, 14 and 18 of copending Application No. 18/571,409 (hereinafter “409 application,” filed by Applicant) as the claims comparison below would show.
Instant Application
409 application
Claim 1
A wireless power transmission pad configured to wirelessly transmit power to a reception pad that comprises a secondary coil, the wireless power transmission pad comprising:
a primary coil arranged to surround a central space;
a ferrite member configured to form a magnetic coupling with the primary coil; and
a housing configured to support the primary coil and the ferrite member,
wherein the primary coil comprises a flat wire wound by a plurality of turns to be arranged in a structure that a length of a major axis of a cross section of the flat wire is parallel with a central axis of the primary coil.
Claim 1
A power transmission pad configured to wirelessly transmit power to a reception pad comprising a secondary coil, the power transmission pad comprising:
a primary coil arranged to surround a central space;
a ferrite member configured to form a magnetic coupling with the primary coil; and
a housing configured to support the primary coil and the ferrite member,
wherein the primary coil comprises a flat wire wound at least once.
Claim 5
The power transmission pad of claim 1, wherein the primary coil has a vertical type structure where a major axis of a cross section of the flat wire is parallel with a central axis of the primary coil.
Claim 14
A wireless power transfer system prepared to wirelessly transmit power from a transmission pad to a reception pad, the wireless power transfer system comprising:
the transmission pad comprising a primary coil; and the reception pad comprising a secondary coil,
wherein the transmission pad comprises: the primary coil arranged to surround a central space;
a ferrite member configured to form a magnetic coupling with the primary coil; and
a housing configured to support the primary coil and the ferrite member,
wherein the primary coil comprises a flat wire wound by a plurality of turns to be arranged in a structure that a length of a major axis of a cross section of the flat wire is parallel with a central axis of the primary coil.
Claim 14
A wireless power transfer system configured to wirelessly transmit power from a transmission pad to a reception pad, the wireless power transfer system comprising:
the transmission pad comprising a primary coil; and the reception pad comprising a secondary coil,
wherein the transmission pad comprises:
the primary coil arranged to surround a central space;
a ferrite member configured to form a magnetic coupling with the primary coil; and
a housing configured to support the primary coil and the ferrite member,
wherein the primary coil comprises a flat wire wound at least once.
Claim 18
The wireless power transfer system of claim 14, wherein the primary coil has a vertical type structure where a major axis of a cross section of the flat wire is parallel with a central axis of the primary coil.
As shown in the claims comparison above, the limitation of claim 1 of the instant application is fully shown in claims 1 and 5 of 409 application. Claim 14 of the instant application is limited to a wireless power transfer system phrased in the same manner as the apparatus as recited in claim 1. By the same analogy on claim 1 comparison, the subject matter of claim 14 of the instant application is fully shown in claims 14 and 18 of 409 application. Accordingly, these claims are limited to the same subject matter.
This is a provisional nonstatutory double patenting rejection since the conflicting claims have not yet been patented.
Allowable Subject Matter
8. Claims 2-13 and 15-20 are 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.
9. The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter: Claims are directed at a wireless power transmission pad configured to wirelessly transmit power to a reception pad that comprises a secondary coil, the wireless power transmission pad comprising:
a primary coil arranged to surround a central space;
a ferrite member configured to form a magnetic coupling with the primary coil; and
a housing configured to support the primary coil and the ferrite member,
wherein the primary coil comprises a flat wire wound by a plurality of turns to be arranged in a structure that a length of a major axis of a cross section of the flat wire is parallel with a central axis of the primary coil; and
wherein the primary coil comprises a plurality of coil elements each of which is formed such that the flat wire is wound to surround the central axis of the primary coil.
Above is a combination of claims 1 and 2, as an example. Cited prior arts do not disclose or suggest such a wireless power transmission pard with the structure as recited above. The limitations in other objected claims are also allowable.
Conclusion
The pertinent prior arts made of record but not relied are listed in the attached form PTO-892. These are considered pertinent to Applicant's disclosure. Applicant is respectfully suggested to carefully review these references.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Ahshik Kim whose telephone number is (571)272-2393. The examiner can normally be reached between the hours of 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM Monday thru Friday. Examiner’s fax phone number is (571)273-2393.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner's supervisor, Thomas Pham, can be reached on (571)272-3689. The fax phone number for this Group is (571)273-8300.
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/AHSHIK KIM/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2876
September 15, 2026
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