DETAILED ACTION
Status of the Application
This office action is a non-final rejection in response to the filing of the applicant’s response to the election / restriction filed on 03/09/2026. The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
Election/Restrictions
Applicant’s election without traverse of Fig. 9 (Species C) provided in claims 1-7 in the reply filed on 03/09/2026 is acknowledged. Claims 8-14 are directed to non-elected invention, therefore claims 8-14 are withdrawn from consideration.
Claim Objections
Claim 7 is objected to because of the following informalities: claim 7 recites:
“The method of claim, wherein…”. The claim does not provide a clear dependency, the examiner believes this is a typographical error and should depend on claim 1. Appropriate correction is required.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
4. 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.
5. 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.
6. Claims 1-4,6-7 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Joye et al, US Patent Application Publication (US 2017/0149286 A1).
Regarding claim 1, Joye et al discloses a method of a Power Transmitter (2) (see Fig 7-12 and par. [0056],[0081]), comprising:
generating a wireless power signal for transmission to a Power Receiver (5) based on an alternating current (AC) main power signal (see Fig 7 and par. [0086]-[0090]); and
communicating with the Power Receiver (5) during one or more communication slots (see Fig 7, par. [0081],[0083],[0108],[0120]), wherein the one or more communication slots are centered on one or more corresponding zero-cross instances based on a slot width of the one or more communication slots (see Fig 7,10, par. [0029],[0032],[0045],[0082]-[0083],[0099]-[0100]).
Regarding claim 2, Joye et al discloses the method of claim 1, further comprising: determining a timing of a future zero-cross instance of the AC main power signal (see Fig 7 and par. [0082]);
calculating a start time for at least a first communication slot based on the timing of the future zero-cross instance and the slot width of the first communication slot such that approximately half of the slot width occurs before the future zero-cross instance (see Fig 7,10 and par. [0111]); and
configuring a communication unit to begin the first communication slot at the start time (see Fig 7 and par. [0082]-[0084]).
Regarding claim 3, Joye et al discloses the method of claim 2, wherein determining the timing of the future zero-cross instance includes:
calculating the timing of the future zero-cross instance based on an amount of time between a half cycle of the AC main power signal and a previous zero-cross instance (see duty cycle (50%) in Fig 7,10 and par. [0111], [0114],[0117],[0121]).
Regarding claim 4, Joye et al discloses the method of claim 1, further comprising: locking onto a frequency of the AC main power signal using a phase locked loop (PLL) (see PLL in par. [0114] and [0117], also Fig 7), wherein a phase output of the PLL indicates a phase value that changes in relation to a phase of the AC main power signal (see PLL in par. [0114] and [0117], also Fig 7); and
determining a timing of the one or more corresponding zero-cross instances based on an output of the PLL (see PLL in par. [0111]-[0114] and [0117], also Fig 7).
Regarding claim 6, Joye et al discloses the method of claim 1, further comprising: determining the slot width based on an amount and periodicity of information to communicate to the Power Receiver (5) (see Fig 7,10, par. [0029],[0032],[0045],[0082]-[0083],[0099]-[0100]).
Regarding claim 7, Joye et al discloses the method of claim, wherein a duration of the first communication slot is not dependent on a voltage and frequency of the AC main power signal (Umains) (See Fig 7) (see Fig 7,10, par. [0029],[0032],[0045],[0082]-[0083],[0099]-[0100]).
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
7. 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 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.
8. Claim 5 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Joye et al, US Patent Application Publication (US 2017/0149286 A1).
Regarding claim 5, Joye et al discloses the method of claim 4, wherein determining the timing of the one or more corresponding zero-cross instances includes: measuring a duration of at least a prior half cycle of the AC main power signal based on a period in which the phase output of the PLL changes from zero (0) to π radians or from π to 2 π radians (see duty cycle (50%) in Fig 7,10 and par. [0111], [0114],[0117],[0121]);
detecting an occurrence of a previous zero-cross instance when the output of the PLL is 0, π, or 2 π radians; and
calculating the timing of the one or more corresponding zero-cross instances based on the duration of at least the prior half cycle and the occurrence of the previous zero-cross instance see duty cycle (50%) in Fig 7,10 and par. [0111], [0114],[0117],[0121]).
Joye et al discloses the method of claim 4 except for measuring a duration of at least a prior half cycle of the AC main power signal based on a period in which the phase output of the PLL changes from zero (0) to π radians or from π to 2 π radians; and
detecting an occurrence of a previous zero-cross instance when the output of the PLL is 0, π, or 2 π radians.
Joye et al discloses an example of the signals that may occur in the power transmitter 2 of FIG. 7 in which one ordinary skill in the art would appreciate that the π radians or from π to 2 π radians are just measurements in a sinusoidal waveform or sine wave in an AC circuit (see par. [0099]).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Joye et al by including measuring a duration of at least a prior half cycle of the AC main power signal based on a period in which the phase output of the PLL changes from zero (0) to π radians or from π to 2 π radians, since it has been held that where the general conditions of a claim are disclosed in the prior art, discovering the optimum or working ranges involves only routine skill in the art. In re Aller, 105 USPQ 233.
In addition, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Binder et al by including detecting an occurrence of a previous zero-cross instance when the output of the PLL is 0, π, or 2 π radians, 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 .2d272, 205 USPQ 215 (CCPA 1980).
In addition, the claimed value does not provide any unexpected results.
Examiner Note
9. The examiner cites particular columns and lines numbers in the references as applied to the claims above for the convenience of the applicant. Although the specified citations are representative of the teachings in the art and are applied to the specific limitations within the individual claim, other passages and figures may apply as well. It is respectfully requested that, in preparing responses, the applicant fully consider the references in their entirety as potentially teaching all or part of the claimed invention, as well as the context of the passage as taught by the prior art or disclosed by the examiner.
Conclusion
10. The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Please see the cited prior art in the PTO-892 form attached.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ALFONSO PEREZ BORROTO whose telephone number is (571) 270-1714. The examiner can normally be reached on M-F (9am-4pm).
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Taelor Kim can be reached on (571) 270-7166. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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USPTO Customer Service Representative or access to the automated information system, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000. /ALFONSO PEREZ BORROTO/
Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2836
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