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 and Species III in the reply filed on 4/23/2026 is acknowledged. Subsequently, claims 5-6 and 15-16 are hereby withdrawn from consideration.
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) 1-3, 7, and 17-19 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Ichikawa (U.S. Patent Publication Number 2014/0191586) in view of Tsukamoto (U.S. Patent Publication Number 2019/0074717).
Regarding Claim 1:
Ichikawa discloses a wireless power feeding system (Fig. 1, system 10) comprising: a power transmission device (Fig. 1, power transmission apparatus 200) comprising a power transmission-side resonance circuit that includes a power transmission coil (Fig. 7, power transmission apparatus 200 comprising power transmission unit 220 including a self-resonance coil, and their related discussion; see, at least, paragraphs 0062-0063, etc.); a power reception device (Fig. 1, power reception unit 110) comprising a power reception unit that has a power reception-side resonance circuit including a power reception coil (Fig. 6, power reception unit 110 comprising self-resonance coil 112 with secondary coil 114, and their related discussion; see, at least, paragraphs 0100-0102, etc.) and that is connectable to a load to which power received by the power reception coil is supplied (Fig. 6, generator 172 and its related discussion; see, at least, paragraphs 0088-0093, etc.); and a controller (Fig. 6, controller 180) for controlling the power reception unit (see, at least, paragraphs 0098-0108, etc.), the wireless power feeding system transmitting and receiving power between the power transmission coil and the power reception coil using a magnetic field resonance method (see, at least, paragraphs 0061-0069, 0100-0107, etc.), wherein the power reception coil (Fig. 17, secondary coil 114) is configured to be capable of selecting a plurality of coil regions that have different numbers of coil windings in accordance with connecting positions of a plurality of terminals provided at the power reception coil (Fig. 17, secondary coil 114 having coils 114A, 114B and 114C, and their related discussion; see, at least, paragraphs 0176-0177, etc. which disclose through utilization of the respective relays, selecting secondary coils to be connected associated with the selected primary coil(s)). While Ichikawa discloses respective communication and control between the power transmission device and the power reception device, as well as respective control in order to mitigate differences between a load side and input side impedance, i.e., impedance matching, Ichikawa fails to teach the controller, for controlling the power reception unit, changes an inductance of the power reception coil to carry out said impedance matching.
However, Tsukamoto discloses the controller changes an inductance of the power reception coil by switching the plurality of terminals to mitigate a difference between a load side impedance, which is an impedance from an input end of the power transmission device to a circuit on a load side, and an input side impedance, which is an impedance from an input end of the power transmission device to a circuit on a power source device side (Fig. 4, matching circuit 202, CPU 206, and their related discussion; see, at least, paragraph 0044 which discloses controller functionalities configured to control the value of an inductance of a receiving coil for achieving impedance matching). 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 controller of Ichikawa to change an inductance of a respectively selected power reception coil via its matching network in order to establish a more complete and robust power receiver capable of improving system-wide wireless power transmission efficiency through impedance matching relative to the respectively selected antenna, as taught within Tsukamoto.
Regarding Claim 2:
Modified Ichikawa teaches the limitations of the preceding claim 1. Modified Ichikawa, in further view of Ichikawa, discloses wherein the controller adjusts, by switching the plurality of terminals, an inductance of the coil region selected and a capacitance of a capacitor disposed in series with the coil region selected so that a magnetic resonance between the power transmission coil and the power reception coil can be maintained (Figs. 6 and 17, capacitors 111, relays 113, etc. and their related discussion; see, at least, paragraphs 0100, 0173-0175, 0178-0179, etc. which disclose control over the respective capacitors connected to the secondary coils as shown in order to establish and maintain resonance between the transmission coil(s) and receiving coil(s)).
Regarding Claim 3:
Modified Ichikawa teaches the limitations of the preceding claim 1. Modified Ichikawa, in further view of Ichikawa, discloses wherein the power transmission device further comprises a driving unit having a driver coil (Fig. 2, primary coil 320 connected to power supply 310 and coil 330, and their related discussion) provided to be capable of magnetic field coupling with the power transmission coil to transmit power to the power transmission coil using a magnetic field resonance method (Fig. 2, primary coil 320 connected to power supply 310 and coil 330, and their related discussion; see, at least, paragraphs 0072-0075 which disclose the primary coil 320 and coil 330 corresponding to the power transmission unit 220, resonate through an electromagnetic field with the secondary coil), and that the controller controls the driving unit to change coupling strength in magnetic field coupling of the power transmission coil and the driver coil (Fig. 6, controller 180 with communication unit 130, and their related discussion; see, at least, paragraphs 0108, 0119, etc. which disclose the controller 180 communications power commands to the power transmission apparatus 200 through communication unit 130).
Regarding Claim 7:
Modified Ichikawa teaches the limitations of the preceding claim 1. Modified Ichikawa, in further view of Ichikawa, discloses a power source device comprising an AC power source (Figs. 2 and 7, power supply 310 and its related discussion; see, at least, paragraphs 0072-0075); the power transmission device connected to the power source device at an input end (Figs. 2 and 7, power supply 310, power transmission unit 220 with primary coil 320, coil 330/coil units 221A-221C, etc., and their related discussion; see, at least, paragraphs 0072-0075); and that the power transmission device further comprises a driving unit having a driver coil provided to be capable of magnetic field coupling with the power transmission coil to transmit power to the power transmission coil using a magnetic field resonance method (Fig. 2, primary coil 320 connected to power supply 310 and coil 330, and their related discussion; see, at least, paragraphs 0072-0075 which disclose the primary coil 320 and coil 330 corresponding to the power transmission unit 220, resonate through an electromagnetic field with the secondary coil), and that the controller controls the driving unit to change coupling strength in magnetic field coupling of the power transmission coil and the driver coil (Fig. 6, controller 180 with communication unit 130, and their related discussion; see, at least, paragraphs 0108, 0119, etc. which disclose the controller 180 communications power commands to the power transmission apparatus 200 through communication unit 130).
Regarding Claim 17:
Ichikawa discloses a wireless power feeding method using a wireless power feeding system (Fig. 1, system 10) comprising: a power transmission device (Fig. 1, power transmission apparatus 200) comprising a power transmission-side resonance circuit that includes a power transmission coil (Fig. 7, power transmission apparatus 200 comprising power transmission unit 220 including a self-resonance coil, and their related discussion; see, at least, paragraphs 0062-0063, etc.); a power reception device (Fig. 1, power reception unit 110) that comprises a power reception unit having a power reception-side resonance circuit including a power reception coil (Fig. 6, power reception unit 110 comprising self-resonance coil 112 with secondary coil 114, and their related discussion; see, at least, paragraphs 0100-0102, etc.) and that is connectable to a load to which power received by the power reception coil is supplied (Fig. 6, generator 172 and its related discussion; see, at least, paragraphs 0088-0093, etc.); and a controller (Fig. 6, controller 180) for controlling the power reception unit (see, at least, paragraphs 0098-0108, etc.), the wireless power feeding system transmitting and receiving power between the power transmission coil and the power reception coil using a magnetic field resonance method (see, at least, paragraphs 0061-0069, 0100-0107, etc.), characterized in that the power reception coil is configured to be capable of selecting a plurality of coil regions that have different numbers of coil windings in accordance with connecting positions of a plurality of terminals provided at the power reception coil (Fig. 17, secondary coil 114 having coils 114A, 114B and 114C, and their related discussion; see, at least, paragraphs 0176-0177, etc. which disclose through utilization of the respective relays, selecting secondary coils to be connected associated with the selected primary coil(s)). While Ichikawa discloses respective communication and control between the power transmission device and the power reception device, as well as respective control in order to mitigate differences between a load side and input side impedance, i.e., impedance matching, Ichikawa fails to teach the controller, for controlling the power reception unit, changes an inductance of the power reception coil to carry out said impedance matching.
However, Tsukamoto discloses the controller changes an inductance of the power reception coil by switching the plurality of terminals to mitigate a difference between a load side impedance, which is an impedance from an input end of the power transmission device to a circuit on a load side, and an input side impedance, which is an impedance from an input end of the power transmission device to a circuit on a power source device side (Fig. 4, matching circuit 202, CPU 206, and their related discussion; see, at least, paragraph 0044 which discloses controller functionalities configured to control the value of an inductance of a receiving coil for achieving impedance matching). 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 controller of Ichikawa to change an inductance of a respectively selected power reception coil via its matching network in order to establish a more complete and robust power receiver capable of improving system-wide wireless power transmission efficiency through impedance matching relative to the respectively selected antenna, as taught within Tsukamoto.
Regarding Claim 18:
Modified Ichikawa teaches the limitations of the preceding claim 17. Modified Ichikawa, in further view of Ichikawa, discloses wherein the power transmission device further comprises a driving unit having a driver coil (Fig. 2, primary coil 320 connected to power supply 310 and coil 330, and their related discussion) provided to be capable of magnetic field coupling with the power transmission coil to transmit power to the power transmission coil using a magnetic field resonance method (Fig. 2, primary coil 320 connected to power supply 310 and coil 330, and their related discussion; see, at least, paragraphs 0072-0075 which disclose the primary coil 320 and coil 330 corresponding to the power transmission unit 220, resonate through an electromagnetic field with the secondary coil), and that the controller controls the driving unit so as to change coupling strength in magnetic field coupling of the power transmission coil and the driver coil (Fig. 6, controller 180 with communication unit 130, and their related discussion; see, at least, paragraphs 0108, 0119, etc. which disclose the controller 180 communications power commands to the power transmission apparatus 200 through communication unit 130).
Regarding Claim 19:
Modified Ichikawa teaches the limitations of the preceding claim 18. Modified Ichikawa, in further view of Ichikawa, discloses wherein adjustment of a load side impedance by the controller is performed by first performing rough adjustment by switching terminals of the power reception coil (Fig. 17, secondary coil 114 having coils 114A, 114B and 114C, and their related discussion; see, at least, paragraphs 0176-0177, etc. which disclose through utilization of the respective relays, selecting secondary coils to be connected associated with the selected primary coil(s)) and then performing fine adjustment by controlling the driving unit (Fig. 6, controller 180 with communication unit 130, and their related discussion; see, at least, paragraphs 0108, 0119, etc. which disclose the controller 180 communications power commands to the power transmission apparatus 200 through communication unit 130).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 4, 8-14, and 20 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.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter:
Dependent claims 4, 8-10, 14, and 20 are all believed to be directed towards a non-obvious improvement over the prior art of record as each claim respectively recites claim limitations directed towards the inclusion of a reflected power detecting unit positioned respectively on the power transmission side in addition to claim language further limiting the respective controller of the receiver subsequently controlling the power reception unit or the driving unit (of the transmitter) based upon a magnitude of reflected power detected by said detection unit. That is, while the prior art of record discloses it is known in the art to utilize a detection circuit for detecting a reflected power, the prior art fails to appropriately teach or suggest the controller of the receiver utilizing the information detected and communicated for subsequent control purposes. For these reasons, inter alia, it appears as if said claims were to be rewritten in independent form, in their entirety, said claims would be in condition for allowance. Dependent claims 11-13 are objected to as being ultimately dependent upon objected claim 10.
Conclusion
Prior art deemed relevant, but not currently relied upon:
Lee et al. U.S. Patent Publication Number 2012/0146425
Ichikawa U.S. Patent Publication Number 2013/0127242
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/JOSEPH N INGE/Examiner, Art Unit 2836
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