DETAILED ACTION
The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA . Claims 1-24 are pending.
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) 1-7, 12, 14-17, 19-20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Low et al (US 20120223590).
Regarding claim 1, Low et al teaches a hearing device (para. 0003; power management for use in hearing aids; fig. 7, elements 708, 750), the hearing device comprising: an interface (719, communication link) configured for communication with a charging device (704, transmitter/charger); a power module (708, 710, receiver module) comprising a charging controller (716, 740); and a temperature sensor (775, temperature sensor) configured to provide temperature data (para. 0061, temperature data sent to the temperature management circuit); wherein the charging controller is configured to: obtain the temperature data as a first charging parameter indicative of a temperature associated with the hearing device (para. 0064, temperature data impacts battery performance and charge time of the device), and determine a primary charging scheme for charging a battery for the hearing device (para. 0065, based on temperature and threshold taking precautionary measures; additional information in para 0067-0072); wherein the charging controller is configured to determine the primary charging scheme based on the first charging parameter (para 0073, temp management circuit, 740, determines the adjustment scheme needed); and wherein the interface (719) is configured to transmit a primary charging indicator indicative of the primary charging scheme (para 0073, information transmitted to transmitter/charger, 704).
Low does not specifically teach the hearing device configured to be worn at an ear of a user.
However the Examiner takes Official Notice that it is known in the art for the term hearing device to include ear worn devices, to promote hands-free operation.
One of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention could have pursued known potential solution with a reasonable expectations of success.
Regarding claim 2, Low teaches the hearing device according to claim 1, wherein the primary charging indicator is indicative of a charging power and/or a duty cycle (Para. 0066, power transfer based on temperature data indicator).
Regarding claims 3-4, Low teaches the hearing device according to claim 1, wherein the charging controller is configured to determine whether a first criterion is satisfied based on the first charging parameter (para. 0064, temperature data impacts battery performance and charge time of the device), and in accordance with the first criterion being satisfied, select a first charging scheme from a set of charging schemes as the primary charging scheme (para 0071-0074, temp management circuit, 740, determines the adjustment scheme needed).
Regarding claim 5, Low teaches the hearing device according to claim 3, wherein the charging controller (708, 710, receiver module) is configured to determine the first criterion as being satisfied if the temperature is larger than a first threshold (para. 0074, Temperature is above) and/or less than a second threshold (para 0071-0075, temp management circuit, 740, determines the adjustment scheme needed).
.
Regarding claim 6, Low teaches the hearing device according to claim 3, wherein the first charging scheme has a reduced charging power compared to a current charging scheme ( para. 0071-0076, based on whether the temperature is above or below a threshold the charging power is determined).
Regarding claim 7, Low teaches the hearing device according to claim 3, wherein the charging controller (716, 740) is configured to determine whether a second criterion is satisfied based on the first charging parameter and/or a second charging parameter (para. 0086, based on whether the temperature is above or below a threshold the controller, 716, uses a second criterion, to increase rectifier, based on battery unit, 756).
Regarding claim 12, Low teaches the hearing device according to claim 1, wherein the charging controller (716, 740) is configured to obtain a second charging parameter.
Regarding claim 14, Low teaches the hearing device according to claim 1, wherein the primary charging scheme is based on a current charging scheme (para 0071-0075, temp management circuit, 740, determines the adjustment scheme needed).
Regarding claim 15, Low teaches the hearing device according to claim 1, wherein the primary charging indicator comprises multiple bits (para. 0071-0076, shows the temperature can be adjusted from below to above the thresholds range. In this instance, each temperature indicated a bit value with the range).
Regarding claim 16, Low teaches the hearing device according to claim 1, wherein the temperature associated with the hearing device (para. 0003; power management for use in hearing aids; fig. 7, elements 708, 750) is a temperature (775) in the hearing device.
Regarding claim 17, Low teaches the hearing device according to claim 1, further comprising a circuit (fig. 7, element 700 depicts several circuit elements) and a rectifier (720), wherein the rectifier is coupled between the resonance circuit and the battery (756).
Regarding claim 19, Low teaches the hearing device according to claim 1, wherein the charging controller is configured to select a warm-up-charging scheme as the primary charging scheme when the hearing device is in a warm-up mode (para 0071-0076, wherein there is a threshold (TH) and threshold maximum (THmax), and wherein there is taught adjustments for a temperature below TH, in between TH and THmax, and above THmax and schemes are taught in these instances. Based on the Applicant’s specification (para. 0122), the warm-up scheme occurs when the temperature is below the first threshold).
. Regarding claim 20, Low teaches the hearing device according to claim 1, wherein the charging controller is configured to: select a first charging scheme as the primary charging scheme if the temperature is above a first threshold and below a second threshold, select a second charging scheme as the primary charging scheme if the temperature is below the first threshold, and select a third charging scheme as the primary charging scheme if the temperature is above the second threshold (para 0071-0076, wherein there is a threshold (TH) and threshold maximum (THmax), and wherein there is taught adjustments for a temperature below TH, in between TH and THmax, and above THmax and schemes are taught in these instances).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claim(s) 8-11, 13, 18, 21-23 is/are 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.
Claim 24 is/are allowed.
Conclusion
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July 13, 2026
/PHYLESHA DABNEY/Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2694
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