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 .
Priority
Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 02/28/2024 and 07/22/2024 in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
Claim Objections
Claims 2-4 are objected to because of the following informalities: “A power transmitter” in claims 2-4, line 1, should be changed to --The power transmitter--. Appropriate correction is required.
Claims 6-12 are objected to because of the following informalities: “An energy transfer apparatus” in claims 6-12, line 1, should be changed to --The energy transfer apparatus --. Appropriate correction is required.
Claim 7 is objected to because of the following informalities: “wherein the at least one power receiver further includes: a first rectifier for rectifying the transmitted electrical signal into a first rectified electrical signal; a second rectifier for rectifying the body-coupled ambient energy electrical signal into a second rectified electrical signal” in claim 7, lines 2-7, should be changed to -- wherein the at least one rectifier further includes: a first rectifier for rectifying the transmitted electrical signal into a first rectified electrical signal; and a second rectifier for rectifying the body-coupled ambient energy electrical signal into a second rectified electrical signal--; since claim 7 depends from claim 5, and claim 5 already recites “at least one rectifier”. Appropriate correction is required.
It is also suggested to change and separate the preamble of claim 16 to “A method of transmitting electrical power”, and a step of “transmitting electrical signal via one or more first transmitter electrodes coupled to a body of a living being to at least one power receiver” between generating and receiving steps to more properly connect the steps and make the claim clear.
Claims 17-20 are objected to because of the following informalities: “A method of transmitting electrical power” in claims 17-20, line 1, should be changed to --The method of transmitting electrical power--. Appropriate correction is required.
Claims 22-23 are objected to because of the following informalities: “A method of transferring energy” in claims 22-23, line 1, should be changed to --The method of transferring energy--. Appropriate correction is required.
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.
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.
Claim(s) 1 and 16 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Raj et al. (US 2017/0244543 A1) in view of Chow et al. (US 2012/0277829 A1).
Regarding claim 1, Raj et al. (figure 1) disclose a power transmitter (master hub 102), comprising: (i) a signal generator operable to generate an electrical signal; (ii) one or more first transmitter electrodes arranged to be electrically coupled to a living being body (body 106) for transmission of the electrical signal via the living being body to at least one power receiver (sensor nodes 104) (paragraph [0024]-[0025]; “The master hub 102 provides electrical power and/or data to the sensor nodes 104 located across a body 106 of a user. More specifically, the master hub 102 transmits the electrical power and data to the sensor nodes 104 across the skin 106a of the body 106”); (iii) one or more second transmitter electrodes arranged to be electrically coupled to the living being body, and operable to receive data from the at least one power receiver via the living being body (paragraph [0025]; “In response to electrical power and data from the master hub 102, the sensor nodes 104 transmit data (e.g., response data) back to the master hub 102 across the skin 106a”). Raj et al. do not explicitly disclose wherein the signal generator operable to generate the electrical signal comprising an adjustable frequency and duty cycle; wherein the data received from the at least one power receiver being an indication data of power received by the at least one power receiver; and a controller configured to control the signal generator to adjust the frequency and duty cycle of the electrical signal in response to the indication of power received. However, Chow et al. (figure 2) disclose a power transmitter (155) comprising a signal generator (286) operable to generate the electrical signal comprising an adjustable frequency and duty cycle (paragraph [0042]); the power transmitter receives indication data of power received by at least one power receiver (implantable medical device (IMD) 110) (paragraphs [0054] and [0091]-[0092]); and a controller (280) configured to control the signal generator to adjust the frequency and duty cycle of the electrical signal in response to the indication of power received (paragraphs [0093]-[0094]). Therefore, it would have been obvious for one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to adapt the signal generator, indication data of power received by at least one power receiver and the controller of Chow et al. to the power transmitter of Raj et al. to optimizing transfer of charging energy from the power transmitter to the at least one power receiver.
Regarding claim 16, Raj et al. (figure 1) disclose a method of transmitting electrical power (from master hub 102) via one or more first transmitter electrodes coupled to a body of a living being (106) (paragraph [0024]-[0025]; “The master hub 102 provides electrical power and/or data to the sensor nodes 104 located across a body 106 of a user. More specifically, the master hub 102 transmits the electrical power and data to the sensor nodes 104 across the skin 106a of the body 106”), the method comprising: generating, by a signal generator an electrical signal; receiving data by at least one power receiver (sensor nodes 104) via one or more second transmitter electrodes coupled to the living being body (paragraph [0025]; “In response to electrical power and data from the master hub 102, the sensor nodes 104 transmit data (e.g., response data) back to the master hub 102 across the skin 106a”). Raj et al. do not explicitly disclose wherein the signal generator having an adjustable frequency and duty cycle; wherein the data received from the at least one power receiver being an indication data of power received by the at least one power receiver; and adjusting the frequency and duty cycle of the electrical signal in response to the indication of power received. However, Chow et al. (figure 2) disclose a method of transmitting electrical power (from a power transmitter, master hub 155) comprising generating (signal generator 286) the electrical signal comprising an adjustable frequency and duty cycle (paragraph [0042]); receiving an indication data of power received by at least one power receiver (implantable medical device (IMD) 110) (paragraphs [0054] and [0091]-[0092]); adjusting the frequency and duty cycle of the electrical signal in response to the indication of power received (paragraphs [0093]-[0094]; a controller 280 configured to control the signal generator 286 to adjust the frequency and duty cycle of the electrical signal). Therefore, it would have been obvious for one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to adapt the signal generator, indication data of power received by at least one power receiver and adjusting the frequency and duty cycle of the electrical signal in response to the indication of power received of Chow et al. to the method of transmitting electrical power of Raj et al. to optimizing transfer of charging energy from the power transmitter to the at least one power receiver.
Claim(s) 5, 12 and 21 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Raj et al. (US 2017/0244543 A1) in view of Chow et al. (US 2012/0277829 A1) and further in view of Hong et al. (US 2016/0248276 A1).
Regarding claim 5, Raj et al. and Chow et al. disclose an energy transfer apparatus comprising:(i) a power transmitter (102) according to claim 1 and (ii) the at least one power receiver (104), comprising: (a) one or more power receiver electrodes arranged to be electrically coupled to the living being body (106), the one or more power receiver electrodes operable to receive the transmitted electrical signal via the body; and (d) one or more data transmitter electrodes arranged to be electrically coupled to the living being body for transmission of the indication of the power received by the at least one power receiver to the power transmitter (see the rejection of claim 1 above). Raj et al. and Chow et al. do not explicitly disclose the at least one power receiver comprising: (b) at least one rectifier for rectifying the transmitted electrical signal into at least one rectified electrical signal; (c) a DC-DC converter operable to convert the at least one rectified electrical signal to generate a recovered power signal, wherein the DC-DC converter is operable to determine the power received by the at least one power receiver. However, Hong et al. (figure 4) disclose an at least one power receiver (wireless power receiver 300) comprising at least one rectifier (rectifying unit 322) for rectifying the transmitted electrical signal into at least one rectified electrical signal; and a DC-DC converter (324) operable to convert the at least one rectified electrical signal to generate a recovered power signal, wherein the DC-DC converter is operable to determine the power received by the at least one power receiver (paragraphs [0069]-[0070]). Therefore, it would have been obvious for one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to adapt the rectifier and DC-DC converter of Hong et al. to the at least one power receiver of Raj. et al. and Chow et al. for receiving and convert the power from received signal.
Regarding claim 12, Raj. et al., Chow et al. and Hong disclose the anergy transfer apparatus according of claim 5 above. In addition, if not inherent it would be obvious for the power received by the at least one power receiver of Raj. et al., Chow et al. and Hong is determined as an average received power.
Regarding claim 21, Raj et al. and Chow et al. disclose a method of transferring energy via a body of a living being, the method comprising: transmitting, from a power transmitter (102), electrical power via one or more first transmitter electrodes coupled to the body of a living being (106) according to a method of claim 16; receiving, at the power receiver (104), the transmitted electrical signal via one or more power receiver electrodes coupled to the living being body; determining the power received by the power receiver; and transmitting the indication of the power received to the power transmitter via one or more data transmitter electrodes coupled to the living being body (see the rejection of claim 16 above). Raj et al. and Chow et al. do not explicitly disclose rectifying the electrical signal into at least one rectified electrical signal; converting the at least one rectified electrical signal to generate a recovered power signal. However, Hong et al. (figure 4) disclose rectifying (rectifying unit 322) the electrical signal into at least one rectified electrical signal; converting (DC-DC concerting unit 324) the at least one rectified electrical signal to generate a recovered power signal (paragraphs [0069]-[0070]). Therefore, it would have been obvious for one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to adapt the rectifying and converting of Hong et al. to the method of Raj et al. and Chow et al. for receiving and convert the power from received signal.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 2-4, 6-11, 17-20, 22 and 23 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.
Regarding claim 2, Raj et al. and Chow et al. disclose the power transmitter according to claim 1. However, Raj et al. and Chow et al. fail to further disclose the power transmitter above wherein the electrical signal comprises a plurality of components, the one or more first electrodes are arranged to be electrically coupled to the living being body for transmission of each of the plurality of components of the electrical signal via the living being body to a corresponding one of a plurality of power receivers, the one or more second electrodes are operable to receive an indication of power received by each of the plurality of power receivers via the living being body, and the controller is configured to control the signal generator to adjust a component frequency and a component duty cycle of each of the plurality of components of the electrical signal in response to the indication of power received by the corresponding power receiver.
Regarding claims 3 and 4, Raj et al. and Chow et al. disclose the power transmitter according to claim 1. However, Raj et al. and Chow et al. fail to further disclose the power transmitter above wherein the signal generator further comprises a power generating circuit including: a voltage multiplier circuit arranged to receive an input supply voltage, the voltage multiplier circuit comprising a plurality of cascaded voltage multipliers arranged to generate corresponding multiplier output signals; and a driving circuit configured to generate the electrical signal with a specific output voltage swing in direct response to the corresponding multiplier output signals, the specific output voltage swing being greater than the input supply voltage.
Regarding claims 6 and 7, Raj et al. and Chow et al. disclose the power transmitter according to claim 5. However, Raj et al. and Chow et al. fail to further disclose the power transmitter above wherein the one or more power receiver electrodes are further operable to receive a body-coupled ambient energy electrical signal via the body.
Regarding claim 8, Raj et al. and Chow et al. disclose the power transmitter according to claim 5. However, Raj et al. and Chow et al. fail to further disclose the power transmitter above wherein the controller is arranged to adjust an inductor charging time of the DC-DC converter to enable an input power of the DC-DC converter to reach a maximum value.
Regarding claims 9 and 10, Raj et al. and Chow et al. disclose an energy transfer apparatus according to claim 5. However, Raj et al. and Chow et al. fail to further disclose wherein the DC-DC converter includes a power evaluation circuit and is operable between a load regulation mode for delivering regulated power to a load and a power evaluation mode for determining the power received by the power receiver.
Regarding claim 11, Raj et al. and Chow et al. disclose an energy transfer apparatus according to claim 5. However, Raj et al. and Chow et al. fail to further disclose the energy transfer apparatus above wherein the power received by the at least one power receiver is determined as a function of an inductor discharge time of the DC-DC converter.
Regarding claims 17 and 18, Raj et al. and Chow et al. disclose the method of transmitting electrical power according to claim 16. However, Raj et al. and Chow et al. fail to further disclose the method of transmitting electrical power above further comprising generating the electrical signal with a plurality of components, each component operable to transmit electrical power to a different power receiver of a plurality of power receivers; receiving an indication of power received by each of the plurality of power receivers via the one or more second transmitter electrodes; adjusting a component frequency and a component duty cycle of each of the plurality of components of the electrical signal in response to the indication of power received by the corresponding power receiver.
Regarding claims 19 and 20, Raj et al. and Chow et al. disclose the method of transmitting electrical power according to claim 16. However, Raj et al. and Chow et al. fail to further disclose method of transmitting electrical power above further comprising: receiving an input supply voltage at a voltage multiplier circuit, the voltage multiplier circuit comprising a plurality of cascaded voltage multipliers; generating, by the plurality of cascaded voltage multipliers, corresponding multiplier output signals; and generating the electrical signal with a specific output voltage swing in direct response to the corresponding multiplier output signals, the specific output voltage swing being greater than the input supply voltage.
Regarding claims 22 and 23, Raj et al., Chow et al. and Hong et al. disclose a method transferring energy via a body of a living being according to claim 21. In addition, Hong et al. disclose converting, at a DC-DC converter (324), the at least one rectified electrical signal to generate the recovered power signal (paragraphs [0069]-[0070]). However, Raj et al., Chow et al. and Hong et al. fail to further disclose the method of transferring energy via a body of a living being further comprising adjusting an inductor charging time of the DC-DC converter to enable an input power of the DC-DC converter to reach a maximum value.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Wu et al. (US 2016/0344226 A1) disclose an apparatus for transmission of wireless energy includes a natural energy conversion module, an energy converter, and an energy transmitter; the natural energy conversion module receives the natural energy and converts the natural energy into a first electric energy; the energy converter is electrically connected to the natural energy conversion module and converts the first electric energy into the wireless energy.
Lee et al. (US 2018/0152058 A1) disclose an electronic includes a conductive coil, a power generation circuit, and one or more processors operatively connected to the power generation circuit and may be configured to: compare an amount of transmission power to be supplied to a power reception device with designated threshold power amount, determine a designated frequency to be a frequency of a control signal for controlling the power generation circuit when the amount of transmission power is equal to or less than the designated threshold power amount, determine a phase of the control signal based at least in part on the amount of transmission power and/or the designated frequency when the designated frequency is determined to be the frequency of the control signal, transmit the control signal having the designated frequency and the phase to the power generation circuit to generate, based at least in part on the control signal, transmission power corresponding to the amount of transmission power, and supply the transmission power generated by the power generation circuit to the power reception device wirelessly via the conductive coil.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to QUOCHIEN B VUONG whose telephone number is (571)272-7902. The examiner can normally be reached 10:00-06:00PM M-F.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, ANTHONY ADDY can be reached at 571-272-7795. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/QUOCHIEN B VUONG/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2645
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