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 .
Election/Restrictions
Applicant’s election without traverse of group I in the reply filed on 07/06/2026 is acknowledged. However, in view of the newly submitted amendments the restriction requirement of 05/08/2026 has been withdrawn.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
Claim Interpretation
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(f):
(f) Element in Claim for a Combination. – An element in a claim for a combination may be expressed as a means or step for performing a specified function without the recital of structure, material, or acts in support thereof, and such claim shall be construed to cover the corresponding structure, material, or acts described in the specification and equivalents thereof.
The following is a quotation of pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph:
An element in a claim for a combination may be expressed as a means or step for performing a specified function without the recital of structure, material, or acts in support thereof, and such claim shall be construed to cover the corresponding structure, material, or acts described in the specification and equivalents thereof.
The claims in this application are given their broadest reasonable interpretation using the plain meaning of the claim language in light of the specification as it would be understood by one of ordinary skill in the art. The broadest reasonable interpretation of a claim element (also commonly referred to as a claim limitation) is limited by the description in the specification when 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph, is invoked.
This application includes one or more claim limitations that do not use the word “means,” but are nonetheless being interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph, because the claim limitations use a generic placeholder that is coupled with functional language without reciting sufficient structure to perform the recited function and the generic placeholder is not preceded by a structural modifier. Such claim limitation is: a load manipulator in claim 1.
Because this claim limitation is being interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph, it is being interpreted to cover the corresponding structure described in the specification as performing the claimed function, and equivalents thereof.
If applicant does not intend to have this limitation interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph, applicant may: (1) amend the claim limitation to avoid it being interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph (e.g., by reciting sufficient structure to perform the claimed function); or (2) present a sufficient showing that the claim limitation recite sufficient structure to perform the claimed function so as to avoid it being interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph.
Drawings
The drawings are objected to under 37 CFR 1.83(a). The drawings must show every feature of the invention specified in the claims. Therefore, the switch of claim 4 must be shown or the feature(s) canceled from the claim(s). No new matter should be entered.
Corrected drawing sheets in compliance with 37 CFR 1.121(d) are required in reply to the Office action to avoid abandonment of the application. Any amended replacement drawing sheet should include all of the figures appearing on the immediate prior version of the sheet, even if only one figure is being amended. The figure or figure number of an amended drawing should not be labeled as “amended.” If a drawing figure is to be canceled, the appropriate figure must be removed from the replacement sheet, and where necessary, the remaining figures must be renumbered and appropriate changes made to the brief description of the several views of the drawings for consistency.
Additional replacement sheets may be necessary to show the renumbering of the remaining figures. Each drawing sheet submitted after the filing date of an application must be labeled in the top margin as either “Replacement Sheet” or “New Sheet” pursuant to 37 CFR 1.121(d). If the changes are not accepted by the examiner, the applicant will be notified and informed of any required corrective action in the next Office action. The objection to the drawings will not be held in abeyance.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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.
Claims 1 and 13 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Green et al. (US 20220385062).
With respect to claims 1 and 13 Green teaches an apparatus, comprising: an antenna (48);
a radio-frequency (RF) tuning network (24) configured to receive an input signal via the antenna; an RF energy harvester (see 38 generally shown for example in Fig. 9) operatively coupled to the RF tuning network and configured to receive an output (see output from 24 to harvesting channels 12) of the RF tuning network and to produce a direct current (see DC output from 14) output based on the received output of the RF tuning network (current output from 24); and a load manipulator (see 20 and 30) coupled to an output of the RF energy harvester and configured to be transitioned between (see select path paragraph 0121) a first configuration and a second configuration (see upper and lower path) to manipulate one or more properties associated (properties of upper and lower path, see for example paragraph 0120) with the RF energy harvester such that an input impedance of the RF energy harvester changes from a first input impedance to a second input impedance (an impedance change occurs in changing from upper to lower channels), the first input impedance associated with a first distribution of RF energy associated with the input signal (see associated signals paragraphs 019-120) relative to the RF energy harvester and the second input impedance associated with (see associated signals paragraphs 019-120) a second distribution of RF energy associated with the input signal relative to the RF energy harvester.
Claims 1-5, 7, 11-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Bohn et al. (US 11,095,164).
With respect to claim 1, and 13-15 Bohn teaches an apparatus, comprising: an antenna (104);
a radio-frequency (RF) tuning network (160) configured to receive an input signal via the antenna; an RF energy harvester (see for example in Fig. 3, Fig. 11 see 108) operatively coupled to the RF tuning network and configured to receive an output of the RF tuning network and to produce a direct current (see DC power Fig. 3) output based on the received output of the RF tuning network (current output from 106); and a load manipulator (120/115 also see Fig. 11) coupled to an output of the RF energy harvester and configured to be transitioned between (see optimizing and optimal configuration chosen) a first configuration (optimizing or first setting and second setting of 115/120) and a second configuration (optimization complete, col. 13 line 63 – col. 14 lines 10 or second setting of 115/120) to manipulate one or more properties associated (see associated max power, col. 7 lines 50-60) with the RF energy harvester such that an input impedance of the RF energy harvester changes from a first input impedance to a second input impedance (an impedance change occurs in changing load/configuration 115 or switching in/out converter 120), the first input impedance associated with a first distribution of RF energy associated with the input signal (first-N test load) relative to the RF energy harvester and the second input impedance associated with (see associated with optimized level) a second distribution of RF energy associated with the input signal relative to the RF energy harvester.
With respect to claim 2 and 16 Bohn teaches, in the first configuration of the load manipulator, a first load (initial load of 115) is electrically coupled to the output of the RF energy harvester, and in the second configuration (second iteration or optimized level) of the load manipulator, a second load is electrically coupled to the output of the RF energy harvester, the second load being different (see loading configurations shown in Fig. 11 with different loads) from the first load.
With respect to claim 3 Bohn teaches the load manipulator includes a controller (col. 6 lines 65 – col. 7 lines 10, col. 8 lines 10-15, col. 9 lines 5-15) configured to selectively electrically couple the first load to the output of the RF energy harvester in the first configuration of the load manipulator and to selectively electrically couple the second load to the output of the RF energy harvester in the second configuration of the load manipulator.
With respect to claim 4 and 17 Bohn teaches the load manipulator includes at least one switch (see Fig. 11) configured to transition the load manipulator between the first configuration and the second configuration by selectively coupling one or more loads to the output of the RF energy harvester.
With respect to claim 5 Bohn teaches the load manipulator is configured to dynamically control (see digital/algorithmic control of 115) the input impedance of the RF energy harvester within a range including the first input impedance and the second input impedance (see stepping or gradient adjustments col.12 lines 30-65 or see switching or resistance level Fig. 11).
With respect to claim 7 Bohn a set of one or more components (see recovery elements 102) configured to receive RF energy directed from the RF energy harvester (see recovery elements 102 Fig. 1 and 4-7) in response to the RF energy harvester having the second input impedance the DC output of the RF energy harvester configured to be manipulated to transition the RF energy harvester from having the first input impedance to having the second input impedance.
With respect to claim 11 Bohn teaches a circuit (see programmable load 115 for example) operably coupled to the output of the RF energy harvester and configured to be activated by the DC output produced by the RF energy harvester when the RF energy harvester has a first set of one or more DC output characteristics associated with the first input impedance, the RF energy harvester being configured to be manipulated to transition the RF energy harvester to have the second input impedance by changing the RF energy harvester from having the first set of one or more DC output characteristics to having a second set of one or more DC output characteristics associated with the second input impedance (see optimizing the resistances under different conditions).
With respect to claim 12 Bohn teaches the RF energy harvester is configured to change from having the first set (one or more resistive elements seen in Fig. 11) of one or more DC output characteristics to having the second set (optimized set of resistances) of one or more DC output characteristics in response to an activation (by controller/processor) of the circuit operably coupled to the output of the RF energy harvester.
With respect to claim 18 Bohn teaches the first distribution of RF energy is associated with a first ratio (a ratio is present during first setting of programmable load) of an amount of energy reflected by the RF energy harvester to an amount of energy directed to the RF energy harvester, and the second distribution of RF energy is associated (here the claim only requires an association with a ratio a descriptive state not a distinct operational step) with a second ratio (a ratio is present during second or optimized setting of programmable load) of the amount of energy reflected by the RF energy harvester to the amount of energy directed to the RF energy harvester.
With respect to claims 19 Bohn teaches the second distribution of RF energy relative to the RF energy harvester is associated (in Bohn there is an association with reflected energy during a first setting of the programmable load) with at least a portion of the RF energy associated with the input signal being at least one of reflected or directed to a first RF device coupled to the RF energy harvester, the first distribution of RF energy relative to the RF energy harvester is associated with (in Bohn there is an association with reflected energy during a second or optimized setting of the programmable load) at least a portion of the RF energy associated with the input signal being at least one of reflected or directed to a second RF device coupled to the RF energy harvester.
With respect to claims 20 Bohn teaches the first distribution of RF energy relative to the RF energy harvester is associated with activation of a circuit (initial or first setting of programmable load), and the second distribution (optimized or second setting of the programmable load) of RF energy relative to the RF energy harvester is associated with providing energy to an RF device coupled to the RF energy harvester.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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 6, 8 and 9-10 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Bohn in view of Rokhsaz et al. (US 20160267769).
With respect to claim 6 Bohn teaches the first tuning network however does not teach a second RF tuning network. Rokhsaz teaches a second RF tuning network (see Fig. 25) operatively coupled to an antenna; and a radio frequency identification (RFID) integrated circuit (paragraphs 0162-164) operatively coupled to the second RF tuning network. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of the invention to modify Bohn to include the known use of a second network for an RFID IC as seen in Rokhsaz for the benefit of rapid identification (paragraph 0102).
With respect to claims 8 Bohn teaches the load manipulator is a first load manipulator (see programmable load 115, see one or more of Fig. 11 elements set), the RF energy harvester is a first RF energy harvester, and the set of one or more components and the first RF energy harvester is coupled to the first load manipulator configured to manipulate the DC output of the first RF energy harvester. Bohn does not teach a second harvester. Rokhsaz teaches the known use of a second RF energy harvester (see ports and two or more charge pumps paragraph 0171). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of the invention to modify Bohn to include the use of a second load manipulator for the predictable result of optimizing a
With respect to claim 9-10 Bohn teaches the set of one or more components includes an RF device operably coupled (see Fig. 1 and 4-7) to the RF tuning network and configured to receive the output of the RF tuning network, the RF energy harvester is a first RF energy harvester, Bohn does not teach a second harvester. Rokhsaz teaches the known use of a second RF energy harvester (see ports and two or more charge pumps paragraph 0171). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of the invention to modify Bohn to include the use of a second load manipulator for the predictable result of optimizing a and the RF device is a second RF energy harvester configured to produce a DC output based on the received output of the RF tuning network and based on the RF energy reflected or directed from the first RF energy harvester.
Claim 6 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Green in view of Rokhsaz et al. (US 20160267769).
With respect to claims 6 Green teaches an apparatus teaches the first tuning network however does not teach a second RF tuning network. Rokhsaz teaches a second RF tuning network (see Fig. 25) operatively coupled to an antenna; and a radio frequency identification (RFID) integrated circuit (paragraphs 0162-164) operatively coupled to the second RF tuning network. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of the invention to modify Bohn to include the known use of a second network for an RFID IC as seen in Rokhsaz for the benefit of rapid identification (paragraph 0102).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Michael Fin whose telephone number is (571)272-5921. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 9am-5:30.
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MICHAEL FIN
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 2836
/MICHAEL R. FIN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2836
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