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 .
Election/Restrictions
Applicant’s election without traverse of Group I (Claims 1-19) in the response filed 2/17/2026 is acknowledged. Claim 20 is withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b) as being drawn to a nonelected Invention II, there being no allowable generic or linking claim.
Priority
Acknowledgment is made of applicant’s claim for foreign priority under 35 U.S.C. 119 (a)-(d). Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted 11/22/2024 is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97 and being considered by the examiner.
Drawings
Figures 2, 4, 5 should be designated by a legend such as --Prior Art-- because only that which is old is illustrated. See MPEP § 608.02(g). If the applicant believes these figures do not illustrate prior art but rather “Related Art” or “Comparative Example,” the figures should be described and designated accordingly. Corrected drawings in compliance with 37 CFR 1.121(d) are required in reply to the Office action to avoid abandonment of the application. The replacement sheet(s) should be labeled “Replacement Sheet” in the page header (as per 37 CFR 1.84(c)) so as not to obstruct any portion of the drawing figures. 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.
Specification
The disclosure is objected to because of the following informalities:
Paragraph 3, last two lines: “between the transmitter output an antenna” should be -- between the transmitter output and an antenna --
Appropriate correction is required.
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 13-19 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2016/0359216 A1, published Dec. 8, 2016 (“Kase”).
Kase discloses in Figs. 2-4 and the corresponding description:
Claim 13
A device (Fig. 2, combined matching network and coupler 202; Fig. 4, integrated coupler, ¶¶32-35) comprising:
a first metal layer (Fig. 4, annotated, metal trace 408);
a second metal layer (metal trace 409) different from the first metal layer;
a primary coil (wire loop 407);
a secondary coil (wire loop 408) implemented in the first metal layer (metal trace 408) and configured to magnetically couple to the primary coil; and
a tertiary coil (wire loop 409) implemented in the second metal layer (metal trace 409) and coupled to the secondary coil,
wherein an area of the secondary coil implemented in the first metal layer (404) at least partially overlaps with an area of the tertiary coil (409) implemented in the second metal layer (Fig. 4, annotated as an “area of overlap”).
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Claim 14
wherein the first metal layer and the second metal layer are adjacent metal layers (Fig. 4, metal traces 408 and 409 are adjacent).
Claim 15
wherein the second metal layer is a top metal layer (Fig. 4, metal trace 409 is a top metal layer from a top-down perspective of the device).
Claim 16
wherein the tertiary coil (409) is on top of the secondary coil (408) (Fig. 4).
Claim 17
further comprising a third metal layer (metal trace 407) different from the first metal layer and the second metal layer,
wherein the primary coil (wire loop 407) is implemented in the third metal layer, and
wherein the area of the tertiary coil at least partially overlaps an area of the primary coil (Fig. 4).
Claim 18
wherein the first metal layer (metal trace 408) is adjacent to the second metal layer (metal trace 409), and
wherein the first metal layer (metal trace 408) is adjacent to the third metal layer (metal trace 407) (Fig. 4).
Claim 19
wherein the tertiary coil (409) is coupled to the secondary coil (408) based on at least one of (i) an inherent capacitance between the tertiary coil and the secondary coil (Fig. 4, ¶¶32-35), or (ii) a capacitor that couples the tertiary coil with the secondary coil.
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.
The factual inquiries for establishing a background for determining obviousness under 35 U.S.C. 103 are summarized as follows:
1. Determining the scope and contents of the prior art.
2. Ascertaining the differences between the prior art and the claims at issue.
3. Resolving the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art.
4. Considering objective evidence present in the application indicating obviousness or nonobviousness.
Claim 21 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kase in view of U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2022/0407210 A1, published Dec. 22, 2012 (“Dinc”).
As set forth above, Kase discloses all the limitations of claim 21, except wherein the tertiary coil is structured to have an anti-turn to define an anti-turn area of the tertiary coil.
However, Dinc, in the same field of endeavor, discloses a directional coupler 300 including a tertiary coil 304 structured to have an anti-turn in the conductive loop 305 defining an anti-turn area of the tertiary coil (Fig. 3, ¶23 “conductive loop 305 reverses the direction of current flow”).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the tertiary coil of Kase to have an anti-turn for the benefit of controlling magnetic coupling, as taught by Dinc (¶23). One of ordinary skill would have been motivated to carry out this modification with a reasonable expectation of success because both Kase and Dinc disclose structurally similar directional couplers made of similar materials, operating in similar manner and used in similar applications.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 1-12 are allowed.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter: the closest prior art references of Kase (PGPUB 2016/0359216), Dinc (PGPUB 2022/0407210) and Hong (PGPUB 2011/0267194) do not disclose or render obvious the features of a first primary coil, a second primary coil, a secondary coil configured to magnetically couple to the first and second primary coils, and a tertiary coil configured to magnetically couple to the secondary coil, in combination with the remaining limitations of claim 1.
Claims 2-12 are allowable as dependent on the allowable claim 1.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to VICTOR COLE, telephone number (571) 272-4686. The examiner can be reached Monday-Friday, 9AM-5PM ET.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, ANDREA LINDGREN BALTZELL, can be reached at (571) 272-5918. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is (571) 273-8300.
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/VICTOR COLE/
Examiner, Art Unit 2843
/ANDREA LINDGREN BALTZELL/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2843