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 .
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 12-19 allowed.
Claims 4 and 6-11 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.
The following is an examiner’s statement of reasons for allowance:
Interpreting the claims in light of the specification the examiner finds the claimed invention is patentably distinct from the prior art of record. Any individual or combination of any of these prior art does not explicitly taught or suggests – “a configuration channel sensing element operable to measure a voltage at a hub-side configuration channel line associated with an external device;…….. a switch element in communication with the external device and the mobile device, the switch element enabling direct facilitation of USB power delivery protocol between the external device and the mobile device when in a closed state; and a control element in communication with the configuration channel sensing element, the power delivery controller, and the switch element, the control element being operable to: configure the power delivery management circuit.” - which taught nor suggested by the prior art of record (PTO-892 and 1449). Therefore, claims 12-19 are indicated allowable.
Any comments considered necessary by applicant must be submitted no later than the payment of the issue fee and, to avoid processing delays, should preferably accompany the issue fee. Such submissions should be clearly labeled “Comments on Statement of Reasons for Allowance.”
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 1-3 and 5 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a) as being anticipated by Moubedi et al. (Pub No. US 2022/0123573).
Regarding Claim 1 Moubedi discloses: a device mount ("The chargeable electronic device 104 also includes a receiver 122 for coupling to a cable head 124 of the charging cable 102." para. [0026]), comprising: a device holder defining a device holder portion (cable 102) engaged with a mount portion (cable head 124) and configured to engage a mobile device (electronic device 104), the device holder portion Including a dock including ("The chargeable electronic device 104 also includes a receiver 122 for coupling to a cable head 124 of the charging cable 102." para. [0026]; "The power and ground lines 114 and 116 connect the cable circuitry 132 to the cable head 124." para. [0031]): a power delivery management circuit (132/404/410) in communication with a first cable and a plug, the plug being configured for engagement with a port (122/126) of the mobile device (104), the power delivery management circuit being operable to ("... the example receiver 122 allows for rotatable coupling and, for example, includes a cable plug 126 that includes first and second charging contact pads to supply charging current/power to the device circuitry 120." para. [0026]; "The power and ground lines 114 and 116 connect the cable circuitry 132 to the cable head 124." para. [0031]; "The housing 400 contains a current limiter 402 and a controller 404." para. [0038]; "The controller 404 sets the current level of the current limiter 420 responsive to voltage levels and/or data signals on one or more of the signal connection pins. In the illustrated example, the controller 404 includes a microcontroller unit (MCU) 410 and a lookup table 412. Lookup table 412 includes a plurality of current limits associated with voltage levels and/or data signals." para. [0039]): determine a power delivery status of an external device (power supply device 106) in communication with the first cable (102) based on a voltage at a hub-side configuration channel line associated with the external device (106) ("The controller 404 sets the current level of the current limiter 420 responsive to voltage levels and/or data signals on one or more of the signal connection pins. in the illustrated example, the controller 404 includes B microcontroller unit (MCU) 410 and a lookup table 412. Lookup table 412 includes a plurality of current limits associated with voltage levels and/or data signals." para. [0039]); and configure, based on the power delivery status of the external device (106), the power delivery management circuit (132/404/410) to enable power delivery negotiations between the mobile device (104) and the external device (106) ("As shown, the system 100 includes a charging cable 102 and a chargeable electronic device 104. In use, the charging cable 102 Interconnects the chargeable electronic device 104 to a power supply device 106 for charging the chargeable electronic device 104." para. [0019]; "The controller 404 sets the current level of the current limiter 420 responsive to voltage levels and/or data signals on one or more of the signal connection pins. In the illustrated example, the controller 404 includes a microcontroller unit (MCU) 410 and a lookup table 412. Lookup table 412 includes a plurality of current limits associated with voltage levels and/or data signals." para. [0039]).
Regarding claim 2, Moubedi discloses the power delivery management circuit being operable to facilitate power delivery negotiations between the mobile device and the external device on behalf of the external device based on the power delivery status of the external device being power delivery incapable ("In an example, the device circuitry 120 in the chargeable electronic device 104 detects a drop in voltage drawn by the chargeable electronic device 104 via the cable plug 126 during a configuration phase. For example, the MCU 304 may detect a drop in the voltage level across pads 252 and 254 (e.g., via ADC 306) through the monitoring by step 702 during the configuration phase. In an example, the MCU detects voltage drops exceeding a predefined level (e.g., a drop of 10 percent)." para. [0049]).
Regarding claim 3, Moubedi discloses the power delivery management circuit being operable to enable the external device to directly facilitate power delivery negotiations with the mobile device based on the power delivery status of the external device being power delivery capable ("At step 502, detect signals at the charging cable from the power supply device. In an example, the cable circuitry 132 detects signals from the power supply device 106 via signal pins 408 of connector 130. The signals may be a voltage level(s) and/or data signals on one or more of the signal pins 408. In one example, the signals may be a specific voltage level on D+ and D- of a USB connector." para. [0043]).
Regarding claim 5, Moubedi discloses the power delivery management circuit including: a power delivery controller in communication with the external device, the power delivery controller being operable to facilitate USB power delivery protocol between a mobile device and the external device on behalf of the external device when in an interfacing state ("For example, a power supply device 106 configured to implement USB Battery Charging Specification Revision 1.2 ("BC1.2") is configurable as a charging downstream port (CDP; having a power output capability limited to 1.5 Amps), a dedicated charging port (DCP; having a power output capability limited to 1.5 Amps), and/or a standard downstream port (SDP; having a power output capability limited to 0.5 Amps)." para. [0021]); and a control element in communication with the power delivery controller, the control element being operable to configure the power delivery controller in the interfacing state based on the power delivery status of the external device being power delivery incapable ("In an example, the device circuitry 120 in the chargeable electronic device 104 detects a drop in voltage drawn by the chargeable electronic device 104 via the cable plug 126 during a configuration phase. For example, the MCU 304 may detect a drop in the voltage level across pads 252 and 254 (e.g., via ADC 306) through the monitoring by step 702 during the configuration phase. In an example, the MCU detects voltage drops exceeding a predefined level (e.g., a drop of 10 percent)." para. [0049]).
Regarding claim 20, Moubedi discloses a non-transitory computer readable medium including instructions encoded thereon, the instructions being executable by a processor to ("The instructions 908 may also reside, completely or partially, within the main memory 912, within the static memory 914, within machine-readable medium 918 (e.g., a non-transitory machine-readable storage medium) within the storage unit 916, within at least one of the processors 902 (e.g., within the processor's cache memory), or any suitable combination thereof, during execution thereof by the machine 900." para. [0063]): determine a power delivery status of an external device (power supply device 106) based on a voltage at a hub-side configuration channel line associated with the external device (power MCU 304 monitors voltage - "The supply devices 106 convey one or more of their power output capabilities (e.g., current limitation) through signals (e.g., one or more voltage levels and/or data signals) presented on their data pads. For example, in a USB implementation, equal voltage levels on D+ and D- may be indicative of a 1.5 Amp current limitation, 2.0 Volts on D+ and 2.7 Volts on may be indicative of a 1.0 Amp current limitation, and 2.7 Volts on D+ and 2.0 Volts on D- may be indicative of a 2.0 Amp current limitation." para. [0023]; "The MCU 304 monitors voltage and current received from cable plug 126 via an analog to digital converter (ADC) 306 during a battery charger setup phase upon connection of a charging cable 102 to the cable plug 126. During the setup phase, the battery charger ramps up current draw. The MCU monitors the current and voltage during the ramp up. When the MCU 304 detects a voltage drop at VBUS, it identifies the voltage drop as being caused by the current being drawn by the chargeable electronic device 104 reaching the current limit imposed by the charging cable 102 and records the current level at VBUS just prior to the voltage drop (e.g., within 100 ms of the voltage drop) in order to maximize power draw under the given current limit. The MCU then configures the battery charger 302 to not exceed the current level recorded just prior to the voltage drop." para. [0036]); and configure, based on the power delivery status of the external device (power supply device 106), a power delivery management circuit (charging cable 102) to enable power delivery negotiations between a mobile device (electronic device 104) and the external device (power supply device 106) ("As shown, the system 100 includes a charging cable 102 and a chargeable electronic device 104. In use, the charging cable 102 interconnects the chargeable electronic device 104 to a power supply device 106 for charging the chargeable electronic device 104." para. [0019]; "The MCU 304 monitors voltage and current received from cable plug 126 via an analog to digital converter (ADC) 306 during a battery charger setup phase upon connection of a charging cable 102 to the cable plug 126. The MCU monitors the current and voltage during the ramp up. When the MCU 304 detects a voltage drop at VBUS, it identifies the voltage drop as being caused by the current being drawn by the chargeable electronic device 104 reaching the current limit imposed by the charging cable 102 and records the current level at VBUS just prior to the voltage drop (e.g., within 100 ms of the voltage drop) in order to maximize power draw under the given current limit." para. [0036]).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ZAHID CHOUDHURY whose telephone number is (571)270-5153. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday.
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/ZAHID CHOUDHURY/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2175