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 .
This is responsive to Application 18/934,257 filed 11/01/2024 in which claims 1-19 are presented for examination.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 6 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 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.
Claims 1-5 and 7-19 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over (Shakedd et al (US 2021/0027608 A1) in view of O’Toole et al (US 2007/0293209 A1).
Regarding claim 1, Shakedd teaches a wireless communication system (Shakedd: Fig. 2), comprising:
a control substrate, configured to generate a control message (Shakedd: Fig. 2; [0084]-[0085] substrate 2120); and
a plurality of energy storage devices, wherein each of the plurality of energy storage devices comprises:
an energy storage element (Shakedd: Fig. 2; energy storage circuit 2108); and
a node substrate, electrically connected to the energy storage element (Shakedd: Fig. 2; [0084]-[0085] substrate 2120 connected with energy storage circuit 2108), wherein the node substrate comprises a first antenna circuit and a second antenna circuit (Shakedd: Fig. 9; [0092] a number of antennas to harvest energy), wherein the first antenna circuit comprises a first antenna unit and a second antenna unit disposed at opposite sides of the node substrate, and the second antenna circuit comprises a third antenna unit and a fourth antenna unit disposed at opposite sides of the node substrate (Shakedd: Fig. 9; [0092] a number of antennas to harvest energy, see for example antenna 2112 and 2114), wherein the first antenna circuit is configured to receive the control message from the control substrate adjacent to the first antenna circuit or a first adjacent antenna circuit of a first adjacent node substrate of a first adjacent one of the plurality of energy storage devices (Shakedd: Fig. 9; [0093], [0095] transmitter circuit 2104 receiving control signal from controller 9020).
Shakedd teaches a second antenna circuit (Shakedd: Fig. 9; harvester 2102). However Shakedd does not explicitly disclose wherein the second antenna circuit is configured to transmit a reply message generated based on the control message to the control substrate adjacent to the second antenna circuit or a second adjacent antenna circuit of the first adjacent node substrate of the first adjacent one of the plurality of energy storage devices.
O’Toole teaches wherein the second antenna circuit is configured to transmit a reply message generated based on the control message to the control substrate adjacent to the second antenna circuit or a second adjacent antenna circuit of the first adjacent node substrate of the first adjacent one of the plurality of energy storage devices (O’Toole: Fig. 4; [0289], device 12/second antenna circuit receives an interrogation signal and send a reply 29 back to the interrogator unit/controller).
It would have been obvious to a person having an ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to modify the system of Shakedd wherein the second antenna circuit is configured to transmit a reply message generated based on the control message to the control substrate adjacent to the second antenna circuit or a second adjacent antenna circuit of the first adjacent node substrate of the first adjacent one of the plurality of energy storage devices as disclosed by O’Toole to provide a system for remotely maintaining inventory (O’Toole: Abstract).
Regarding claim 12, Shakedd teaches a control method, suitable for a wireless communication system (Shakedd: Fig. 2) comprising a control substrate, a plurality of node substrates and a plurality of devices under test, wherein each one of the plurality of node substrates comprises a first antenna circuit and a second antenna circuit, wherein the first antenna circuit comprises a first antenna unit and a second antenna unit disposed at opposite sides of each one of the plurality of node substrates, and the second antenna circuit comprises a third antenna unit and a fourth antenna unit disposed at opposite sides of each one of the plurality of node substrates (Shakedd: Fig. 9; [0092] a number of antennas to harvest energy, see for example antenna 2112 and 2114), wherein the control method comprises:
generating a control message by the control substrate; receiving the control message by the first antenna circuit from the control substrate adjacent to the first antenna circuit or a first adjacent antenna circuit of a first adjacent node substrate of a first adjacent one of the plurality of node substrates (Shakedd: Fig. 9; [0093], [0095] transmitter circuit 2104 receiving control signal from controller 9020); and
Shakedd teaches a second antenna circuit (Shakedd: Fig. 9; harvester 2102). However Shakedd does not explicitly disclose transmitting a reply message generated based on the control message from the second antenna circuit to the control substrate adjacent to the second antenna circuit or a second adjacent antenna circuit of the first adjacent node substrate of the first adjacent one of the plurality of node substrates.
O’Toole teaches transmitting a reply message generated based on the control message from the second antenna circuit to the control substrate adjacent to the second antenna circuit or a second adjacent antenna circuit of the first adjacent node substrate of the first adjacent one of the plurality of node substrates (O’Toole: Fig. 4; [0289], device 12/second antenna circuit receives an interrogation signal and send a reply 29 back to the interrogator unit/controller).
It would have been obvious to a person having an ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to modify the system of Shakedd by transmitting a reply message generated based on the control message from the second antenna circuit to the control substrate adjacent to the second antenna circuit or a second adjacent antenna circuit of the first adjacent node substrate of the first adjacent one of the plurality of node substrates as disclosed by O’Toole to provide a system for remotely maintaining inventory (O’Toole: Abstract).
Regarding claim 2, Shakedd in view of O’Toole teaches wherein a signal amplifier or a signal retransmission device is comprised between the first antenna unit and the second antenna unit, and the signal amplifier or the signal retransmission device is configured to amplify an intensity of the control message, and to transmit the control message to another adjacent one of the plurality of energy storage devices (Shakedd: Fig. 10; Fig. 17; [0162], amplifier 10114).
Regarding claim 3, Shakedd in view of O’Toole teaches wherein a signal amplifier or a signal retransmission device is comprised between the third antenna unit and the fourth antenna unit, wherein the signal amplifier or the signal retransmission device is configured to amplify an intensity of the reply message, and to transmit the reply message to another adjacent one of the plurality of energy storage devices (O’Toole: [0279], [0672] amplifier included in the receiver).
Regarding claim 4, Shakedd in view of O’Toole teaches wherein the control substrate comprises a fifth antenna unit and a sixth antenna unit (Shakedd: Fig. 9; [0092] a number of antennas to harvest energy), wherein the fifth antenna unit is configured to transmit the control message, wherein the sixth antenna unit is configured to receive the reply message (O’Toole: Fig. 4; [0289], device 12/second antenna circuit receives a interrogation signal and send a reply 29 back to the interrogator unit/controller).
Regarding claim 5, Shakedd in view of O’Toole teaches wherein the control message comprises a first time point corresponding to a first energy storage device of the plurality of energy storage devices, wherein the first energy storage device is configured to transmit the reply message at the first time point (O’Toole: Fig. 4; [0289], device 12/second antenna circuit receives a interrogation signal and send a reply 29 back to the interrogator unit/controller; [0455], energy storage at the junction).
Regarding claim 7, Shakedd in view of O’Toole teaches wherein the node substrate of each one of the plurality of energy storage devices further comprises: a first communication unit, coupled to the first antenna circuit; a second communication unit, coupled to the second antenna circuit; and a control unit, coupled to the first communication unit and the second communication unit (Shakedd: Fig. 2, Fig. 9; [0084]-[0085] substrate 2120 connected with energy storage circuit 2108).
Regarding claim 8, Shakedd in view of O’Toole teaches wherein the node substrate of each one of the plurality of energy storage devices further comprises: a switch, selectively coupled to the first antenna circuit or the second antenna circuit; a communication unit, coupled to the switch; and a control unit, coupled to the communication unit (Shakedd: Figs. 2 and 9; [0093] switch 9034).
Regarding claim 9, Shakedd in view of O’Toole teaches wherein the node substrate of each one of the plurality of energy storage devices further comprises: a measuring unit, coupled to the control unit, configured to measure the energy storage element according to the control message (Shakedd: Fig. 9; [0134] power measurement).
Regarding claim 10, Shakedd in view of O’Toole teaches wherein the node substrate of each one of the plurality of energy storage devices further comprises: a measuring unit, coupled to the control unit, configured to measure the energy storage element according to the control message (Shakedd: Fig. 9; [0134] power measurement).
Regarding claim 11, Shakedd in view of O’Toole teaches wherein the first antenna unit of the first antenna circuit is configured to receive the control message, the second antenna unit of the first antenna circuit is configured to transmit the control message to a second adjacent one of the plurality of energy storage devices; wherein the third antenna unit of the second antenna circuit is configured to receive the reply message from the second adjacent one of the plurality of energy storage devices, and configured to transmit the reply message through the fourth antenna unit of the second antenna circuit (Shakedd: Fig. 9; [0093], [0095] transmitter circuit 2104 receiving control signal from controller 9020; O’Toole: Fig. 4; [0289], device 12/second antenna circuit receives an interrogation signal and send a reply 29 back to the interrogator unit/controller).
Regarding claim 13, Shakedd in view of O’Toole teaches wherein a signal amplifier or a signal retransmission device is comprised between the first antenna unit and the second antenna unit, wherein the control method further comprises: transmitting the control message to a second adjacent node substrate after an intensity of the control message is amplified by the signal amplifier or the signal retransmission device (Shakedd: Fig. 10; Fig. 17; [0162], amplifier 10114).
Regarding claim 14, Shakedd in view of O’Toole teaches wherein a signal amplifier or a signal retransmission device is comprised between the third antenna unit and the fourth antenna unit, wherein the control method further comprise: transmitting the reply message to the second adjacent antenna circuit of the first adjacent node substrate after an intensity of the reply message is amplified by the signal amplifier or the signal retransmission device (O’Toole: Fig. 4; [0289], device 12/second antenna circuit receives an interrogation signal and send a reply 29 back to the interrogator unit/controller; [0279], amplifier included in the receiver).
Regarding claim 15, Shakedd in view of O’Toole teaches wherein the control substrate comprises a fifth antenna unit and a sixth antenna unit, wherein the control method further comprises: transmitting the control message by the fifth antenna unit, and receiving the reply message by the sixth antenna unit (O’Toole: Fig. 4; [0289], device 12/second antenna circuit receives an interrogation signal and send a reply 29 back to the interrogator unit/controller; [0279], amplifier included in the receiver).
Regarding claim 16, Shakedd in view of O’Toole teaches wherein the control message comprises a first time point corresponding to a first node substrate of the plurality of node substrates, wherein the first node substrate is further configured to transmit the reply message at the first time point (O’Toole: Fig. 4; [0289], device 12/second antenna circuit receives an interrogation signal and send a reply 29 back to the interrogator unit/controller; [0279], amplifier included in the receiver).
Regarding claim 17, Shakedd in view of O’Toole teaches wherein each one of the plurality of node substrates further comprises a measuring unit, wherein each of the plurality of node substrates couples to a corresponding one of the plurality of devices under test, wherein the control method further comprises: measuring the corresponding one of the plurality of devices under test according to the control message by the measuring unit (Shakedd: Fig. 9; [0134] power measurement).
Regarding claim 18, Shakedd in view of O’Toole teaches wherein the plurality of devices under test comprise a plurality of energy storage elements (Shakedd: Figs. 2, 9 and 10).
Regarding claim 19, Shakedd in view of O’Toole teaches receiving the control message by the first antenna unit of the first antenna circuit; transmitting the control message by the second antenna unit of the first antenna circuit to a second adjacent one of the plurality of node substrates; receiving the reply message from the second adjacent one of the plurality of node substrates by the third antenna unit of the second antenna circuit; and transmitting the reply message through the fourth antenna unit of the second antenna circuit (Shakedd: Fig. 9; [0093], [0095] transmitter circuit 2104 receiving control signal from controller 9020; O’Toole: Fig. 4; [0289], device 12/second antenna circuit receives an interrogation signal and send a reply 29 back to the interrogator unit/controller).
Conclusion
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/KODZOVI ACOLATSE/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2478
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