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 .
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.
Claim(s) ) 1-8, 10, 12, 17 and 20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Lin (US 2018/0159382) in view of Komulainen et al. (US 2017/0288444)
Re Claims 1 and 20; Lin discloses a transmitter device (A, Fig. 7) comprising: a power source (AC) configured to provide electric power; (Fig. 7)
at least one first coil (shown but not labelled) electrically coupled to the power source and configured to generate, using the electric power, a first electromagnetic field (M12) that emanates from the at least one first; (Fig. 7) and
second coils (C2-Cn-1) arranged to form a three-dimensional coil array, wherein one of the second coils is movable (the coils are spaced apart making it movable), wherein the three-dimensional coil array is electromagnetically coupled via the first electromagnetic field to the at least one first coil, and wherein the three-dimensional coil array is configured to:
generate a second electromagnetic field (M2(n-1)) that emanates from the three-dimensional coil array; and radiate the second electromagnetic field towards a volumetric zone (the location of the receiver) for wirelessly powering at least one receiver device (B) located in the volumetric zone. (Fig. 7).
Lin does not disclose comprises a first equivalent impedance and a switch electrically connected to the second coils and configured to change the first equivalent impedance based on the switch being opened or closed.
Komulainen discloses a first equivalent impedance and a switch electrically connected to the second coils and configured to change the first equivalent impedance based on the switch being opened or closed. (Par 0022-3)
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of the ordinary skilled in the art before the effective filing of the invention to have added the impedance circuit to the coils in order to maintain impedance across the terminals of the wireless power transmitter 104 regardless of which ones of the transmitter coils 110 are selected to transfer power.
Re Claim 2; Lin discloses wherein the three-dimensional coil array is further configured to; receive the first electromagnetic field (M12); and further generate the second electromagnetic field (M2(n-1)) based on the first electromagnetic field. (Fig. 7)
Re Claim 3; Lin discloses wherein the three-dimensional coil array is further configured to further generate the second electromagnetic field by redirecting the first electromagnetic field.(Fig. 7)
Re Claim 4; Lin discloses further comprising a first capacitive element electrically coupled to the at least one first coil to and the power source to form a first resonator circuit that generates the first electromagnetic field. (Fig. 7)
Re Claim 5; Lin discloses further comprising at least one second capacitive element electrically coupled to at least one second coil of the plurality of second coils to form at least one second resonator circuit that generates the second electromagnetic field. (Fig. 7)
Re Claim 6; Lin discloses wherein the at least one first coil comprises a first equivalent impedance, wherein the three-dimensional coil array comprises a second equivalent impedance, and wherein the transmitter device further comprises at least one controller configured to: control the first equivalent impedance or the second equivalent impedance; control excitation characteristics of the at least one first coil; or control an electromagnetic coupling between the at least one first coil and the three-dimensional coil array. (Fig. 8, par 0060-63 the controller/compensator performs the claimed limitation based on the input from the sensor).
Re Claim 7; Lin discloses controller configured to control, the first equivalent impedance or the second equivalent impedance, the excitation, or the electromagnetic coupling.
Lin does not disclose further comprising a user interface configured to control, based on a user input, the first equivalent impedance or the second equivalent impedance, the excitation, or the electromagnetic coupling
However, it would have been obvious to one of the ordinary skilled in the art before the effective filing of the invention to have used a user interface in order to Optimize performance by allowing users to adjust parameters like impedance and excitation, the interface enables fine-tuning of the system for optimal performance. This is especially crucial in applications like radio communications, where impedance matching ensures maximum signal transmission, or in audio systems, where it impacts sound quality.
Re Claim 8; Lin discloses wherein the first resonator circuit comprises a first resonance frequency, wherein the at least one second resonator circuit comprises a second resonance frequency, and wherein the at least one controller is further configured to adjust the first resonance frequency or the second resonance frequency by adjusting at least one of the following: a first capacitance of the first capacitive element; a second capacitance of the at least one second capacitive element; an inductance a first inductance of the at least one first coil; or a second inductance of the three-dimensional coil array. (Par 0060-62)
Re Claim 10; Lin discloses wherein the at least one first coil is arranged in a space to form a two-dimensional geometrical figure. (Fig. 7)
Re Claim 12 Lin discloses wherein the three-dimensional coil array is configured to be adjustably and electromagnetically coupled via the first electromagnetic field to the at least one first coil. (Fig. 7)
Re Claim 17; Lin discloses wherein each of the at least one first coil and the second coils has a square geometry, a circular geometry, or a polygonal geometry. (Fig. 7)
Claim(s) 9, 11, 18 and 19 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Lin in view of in view of Komulainen and further in view of Raghunathan (US 20160043568)
Re Claim 9; Lim discloses wherein the at least one first coil. Lim does not disclose wherein the at least one first coil is arranged inside the three-dimensional coil array.
However, Raghunathan discloses wherein the at least one first coil (the biggest coil) is arranged inside the three-dimensional coil array (340). Fig. 5.
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of the ordinary skilled in the art before the filing of the invention to have located the first coil inside the three-dimensional coil array in order to uniformly distribute power to the rest of the coil effectively.
Re Claim 11; Raghunathan discloses the at least one first coil is arranged in a space to form a second three-dimensional coil array. (Fig. 5)
Re Claim 18; Raghunathan discloses wherein the three- dimensional coil array has a cubical arrangement, a pyramidal arrangement, a polyhedral arrangement, or a cylindrical arrangement. (Fig. 5)
Re Claim 19; Raghunathan discloses, wherein at least two coils of the three-dimensional coil array are arranged adjacent to each other and positioned at an obtuse angle with respect to each other, an acute angle with respect to each other, or orthogonally with respect to each other, or parallel with respect to each other. (Fig. 5)
Claim(s) 13-16 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Lin in view of in view of Komulainenand further in view of Hashiguchi (US 20110175455)
Re Claim 13; Lin discloses wherein the at least one first coil.
Lim does not disclose is configured to be rotatably or movably arranged inside the three- dimensional coil array or wherein one of the second coils is configured to be rotatable.
However, Hashiguchi discloses wherein one of the second coils is configured to be rotatable (Fig. 4).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of the ordinary skilled in the art before the effective filing of the invention to have made one of the second coils is configured to be rotatable in order to maximize power transfer between both coils and the receiver.
Re Claim 14; Hashiguchi discloses further comprising at least one controller and configured to: receive first information from the at least one receiver device; and adjust a rotation or a movement of the at least one first coil or the one of the second coils based on the first information. (Fig. 3, 4, par 0066-8, 72)
Re Claim 15; Hashiguchi discloses comprising: further comprising a receiver detection unit, detector (23) configured to: detect the at least one receiver device; and obtain the first information based on detecting the at least one receiver device. (Fig. 4 and Par 0036-40)
Re Claim 16; Hashiguchi discloses, wherein the first information comprises second information about an orientation, a position of the at least one receiver device, or load changes of the at least one receiver device (108). (Par 0040-43).
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments, see Pages 8-11, filed 09/08/2025, with respect to the rejection(s) of claim(s) 1-6, 8, 10, 12, 17 and 20 under 102 have been fully considered and are persuasive. Therefore, the rejection has been withdrawn. However, upon further consideration, a new ground(s) of rejection is made in view of Komulainen
Conclusion
Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to DANIEL KESSIE whose telephone number is (571)272-4449. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 8am-5pmEst.
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/DANIEL KESSIE/
10/24/2025Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2836
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