DETAILED ACTION
Status of the Application
This office action is a non-final rejection in response to the filing of the application on 10/24/2024. The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
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 “detector of a temperature sensor (claim 4)”, the “presser” (claim 5) must be shown or the feature canceled from the claims. 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
3. In the event the determination of the status of the application as subject to AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103 (or as subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103) is incorrect, any correction of the statutory basis for the rejection will not be considered a new ground of rejection if the prior art relied upon, and the rationale supporting the rejection, would be the same under either status.
4. 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.
5. Claims 1 and 5 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Huang et al, US Patent Application Publication (US 2016/0272072 A1).
Regarding Claim 1, Liu et al discloses a power receiving apparatus (100, 112) (see Fig 1-4, 5B) comprising:
a coupler (116,104a) provided in a state where a position thereof relative to an electric cable (110) through which an AC current flows is fixed (132) (see Fig 1-4, 5B; par. [0040]-[0043]), the power receiving apparatus (112) receiving power from the electric cable (110) in a noncontact manner (104a) and supplying the power to a target equipment (114,118) (see Fig 1-4, 5B),
wherein the coupler (116,104a) includes a magnetic core (Fig 5B and par. [0058]) disposed to surround the electric cable (110) (see Figs 1-4, 5B; see magnetic core in par. [0058]), and a coil (104a) wound around the magnetic core (see Figs 1-4, 5B; see magnetic core in par. [0058]),
the magnetic core (Fig 5B and par. [0058]) includes a first core portion (536b) and a second core portion (538b) that are divided from each other by a core division plane (534b) (see Fig 5B and par. [0075]-[0076],
in the second core portion (538b), a facing surface (portion of 534b specifically between 538b and 536b) is formed in a flat shape to be disposed along the core division plane (534b) while facing the first core portion (536b) (see Fig 5B and par. [0075]-[0076]), and
a nonmagnetic body made of a nonmagnetic material (plastic protective layer 534b) is disposed along the facing surface (portion of 534b specifically between 538b and 536b) to cover the facing surface (portion of 534b specifically between 538b and 536b), and sandwiched between the first core portion (536b) and the second core portion (538b) (see Figs 1-4 and 5B, and par. [0075]-[0076],
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in addition, while features of an apparatus may be recited either structurally or functionally, claims directed to an apparatus must be distinguished from the prior art in terms of structure rather than function. In re Schreiber, 128 F.3d 1473, 1477-78, 44 USPQ2d 1429, 1431-32 (Fed. Cir. 1997) (The absence of a disclosure in a prior art reference relating to function did not defeat the Board's finding of anticipation of claimed apparatus because the limitations at issue were found to be inherent in the prior art reference); see also In re Swinehart, 439 F.2d 210, 212-13, 169 USPQ 226, 228-29 (CCPA 1971); In re Danly, 263 F.2d 844, 847, 120 USPQ 528, 531 (CCPA 1959). "Apparatus claims cover what a device is, not what a device does." Hewlett-Packard Co. v. Bausch & Lomb Inc., 909 F.2d 1464, 1469, 15 USPQ2d 1525, 1528 (Fed. Cir. 1990) (emphasis in original). (see MPEP 2114).
Furthermore, it has been held that a claim containing a "recitation with respect to the manner in which a claimed apparatus is intended to be employed does not differentiate the claimed apparatus from a prior art apparatus" if the prior art apparatus teaches all the structural limitations of the claim. Exparte Masham, 2 USPQ2d 1647 (Bd. Pat. App. & Inter. 1987). (See MPEP 2114)).
Regarding claim 5, Huang et al discloses the power receiving apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:
a housing (102a) including an insertion through-hole (Fig 1) through which the electric cable (110) is inserted (see Fig 1 disclosing the cable 110 connected to the 102a via a through-hole connection), and accommodating the first core portion (536b) and the second core portion (538b) (see Fig 1, accommodating has been broadly interpreted as the 536b and 538b as being located in a position ready for power transfer in relation to the base wireless charging system 102a) (see Figs 1-4, 5B and par. [0040]-[0041]), wherein the housing (102a) includes a presser (electromagnetic field, par. [0040]-[0041]) that presses (electromagnetic field, par. [0040]) either one of the first core portion (536b) and the second core portion (538b) toward a remaining one (see Fig 1 disclosing the electric vehicle induction coil 116 can interact with the base system induction coil 104a for example, via a region of the electromagnetic field generated by the base system induction coil 104a.).
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
6. In the event the determination of the status of the application as subject to AIA 35 6. U.S.C. 102 and 103 (or as subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103) is incorrect, any correction of the statutory basis for the rejection will not be considered a new ground of rejection if the prior art relied upon, and the rationale supporting the rejection, would be the same under either status.
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.
7. Claims 2-4 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Huang et al, US Patent Application Publication (US 2016/0272072 A1).
Regarding claim 2, Huang et al discloses the power receiving apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a direction along the electric cable (110) is defined as an electric cable direction (see Fig 1), and includes a pair of tip surfaces (see Fig 5B, reproduced and annotated below) disposed along the core division plane (534b), and the facing surface (portion of 534b specifically between 538b and 536b) is disposed in parallel to the pair of tip surfaces (see upper portion of facing surface is in parallel to the Tip surfaces).
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Huang et al does not discloses the first core portion is formed in a U shape surrounding the electric cable when viewed from the electric cable direction;
It would have been obvious to one ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Huang et al by including the first core portion is formed in a U shape surrounding the electric cable when viewed from the electric cable direction, since such a modification would have involved a mere change in the shape of a component. A change in shape is generally recognized as being within the level of ordinary skill in the art. In re Dailey, 357 F.2d 669, 149 USPQ 47 (CCPA 1966) (The court held that the configuration of the claimed disposable plastic nursing container was a matter of choice which a person of ordinary skill in the art would have found obvious absent persuasive evidence that the particular configuration of the claimed container was significant.),
the claimed shape (U Shape) does not provide any unexpected results.
In addition, Huang et al discloses that various modifications of the above-described embodiments will be readily apparent, and the generic principles defined herein can be applied to other embodiments without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention. Thus, the present invention is not intended to be limited to the embodiments shown herein but is to be accorded the widest scope consistent with the principles and novel features disclosed herein (Huang et al, par. [0177]).
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Regarding claim 3, Huang et al discloses the power receiving apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the nonmagnetic body (plastic protective layer 534b) is formed in a single plate or sheet shape (see Fig 5B disclosing the protective plastic layer 534 and par. [0076]).
Regarding claim 4, Huang et al discloses the power receiving apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the first core portion (536b) includes a pair of arm portions (see pair of arm portions in Fig 5B annotated below) of which end surfaces are the tip surfaces, respectively, and a connection portion that connects opposite sides of the pair of arm portions to the tip surfaces to each other (Fig 5b), the coil (multi-turn coils 536b) is wound around the connection portion, and a detector of a temperature sensor (temperature monitoring 314, par. [0066]) is disposed to be in contact with at least one of the pair of arm portions (see Fig 5B and par. [0066],[0075]-[0076]).
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Examiner Note
8. The examiner cites particular columns and lines numbers in the references as applied to the claims above for the convenience of the applicant. Although the specified citations are representative of the teachings in the art and are applied to the specific limitations within the individual claim, other passages and figures may apply as well. It is respectfully requested that, in preparing responses, the applicant fully consider the references in their entirety as potentially teaching all or part of the claimed invention, as well as the context of the passage as taught by the prior art or disclosed by the examiner.
Conclusion
9. The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Please see the cited prior art in the PTO-892 form attached.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ALFONSO PEREZ BORROTO whose telephone number is (571) 270-1714. The examiner can normally be reached on M-F (9am-4pm).
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Rexford Barnie can be reached on (571) 272-7492. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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USPTO Customer Service Representative or access to the automated information system, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000. /ALFONSO PEREZ BORROTO/
Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2836