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 .
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.
Claim(s) 1-3, 5-13 and 15 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Pei (US 20230065766)
Re Claim 1
Pei teaches:
• An electronic device configured to wirelessly receive power, the electronic device comprising: a coil
→ Pei discloses a first receive coil configured to receive an alternating magnetic field from a transmit coil (¶[0006]).
• a rectification circuit comprising a plurality of switches
→ Pei describes a first rectifier circuit comprising multiple switches that operate in either half-bridge or full-bridge mode (¶[0006], FIG. 2a–2d).
• a charging circuit
→ Pei includes a voltage conversion circuit and battery charging system (¶[0006], [0009]).
• a control circuit
→ Pei teaches a first controller that manages rectifier operation and charging behavior (¶[0006]).
• wherein the control circuit is configured to: identify a size of a first current output to the charging circuit, based on power wirelessly received from an external electronic device
→ Pei’s controller monitors current and voltage conditions to determine charging mode (¶[0006], [0007], [0020-1], Fig. 8).
• control the rectification circuit to operate the plurality of switches included in the rectification circuit as one of a full bridge circuit or a voltage doubler circuit, based on the size of the first current
→ Pei teaches switching between full-bridge and half-bridge modes based on charging type and power level (¶[0006], [0007], [0020-1]).
• and provide power rectified using the rectification circuit to the charging circuit
→ Pei’s rectifier outputs DC power to the voltage conversion circuit and battery (¶[0006], [0009]).
Re Claim 2
Pei teaches:
• based on the size of the first current being smaller than a first reference value, control the rectification circuit to operate the plurality of switches as the voltage doubler circuit
→ Pei teaches operating in half-bridge mode (analogous to voltage doubler) for low-power charging (¶[0006], [0007]).
• based on the size of the first current being larger than a second reference value larger than the first reference value, control the rectification circuit to operate the plurality of switches as the full bridge circuit
→ Pei switches to full-bridge mode for high-power charging (¶[0006], [0007], [0020]).
Re Claim 3
Pei teaches:
• based on the size of the first current not being smaller than the first reference value and not being larger than the second reference value, maintain operations of the plurality of switches
→ Pei implies stable operation when current is within a mid-range, maintaining the current rectifier mode (¶[0006], [0020]).
Re Claim 5
Pei teaches:
• based on the size of the first current being smaller than a reference value, control the rectification circuit to operate the plurality of switches as the voltage doubler circuit
• based on the size of the first current being larger than the reference value, control the rectification circuit to operate the plurality of switches as the full bridge circuit
→ Pei supports switching between half-bridge and full-bridge modes based on charging current (¶[0006], [0007]).
Re Claim 6
Pei teaches:
• measure a temperature of the electronic device and control the reference value, based on the measured temperature
→ See Claim 4. Pei supports adaptive control based on device conditions.
Re Claim 7
Pei teaches:
• the rectification circuit comprises a first switch and a second switch connected to one end of the coil, and a third switch and a fourth switch connected to the other end of the coil
→ Pei’s full-bridge and half-bridge rectifier circuits include four switches arranged across coil terminals (FIG. 2a–2d, FIG. 7).
Re Claim 8
Pei teaches:
• control the third switch to be in an open state and control the fourth switch to be in a short-circuit state, so as to become the voltage doubler circuit
→ Pei describes switch configurations for half-bridge operation, which aligns with voltage doubler behavior (FIG. 3a–3b).
Re Claim 9
Pei teaches:
• control the first switch to be in the short-circuit state and control the second switch to be in the open state during a first period
• control the first switch to be in the open state and control the second switch to be in the short-circuit state during a second period after the first period
• control the first switch to be in the open state and control the second switch to be in the open state during a third period after the second period
→ Pei teaches time-sequenced control of switches for rectifier operation (FIG. 8, FIG. 10a–10b).
Re Claim 10
Pei teaches:
• control the first switch and the fourth switch to be in an open state and control the second switch and the third switch to be in a short-circuit state during a first period
• control the first switch and the fourth switch to be in the short-circuit state and control the second switch and the third switch to be in the open state during a second period after the first period, to become the full bridge circuit
→ Pei’s full-bridge mode includes alternating switch states across periods (FIG. 10a–10b, FIG. 14).
Re Claim 11
Pei teaches:
• identifying a size of a first current output to a charging circuit included in the electronic device, based on power wirelessly received from an external electronic device through a coil included in the electronic device
• controlling a rectification circuit to operate a plurality of switches included in the rectification circuit in the electronic device as one of a full bridge circuit or a voltage doubler circuit, based on the size of the first current
• providing power rectified using the rectification circuit to the charging circuit
→ Pei teaches all these steps in its wireless charging control method (¶[0006], [0007], [0020], FIG. 8).
→ analogous to Claim 1.
Re Claim 12
Pei teaches:
• based on the size of the first current being smaller than a first reference value, controlling the rectification circuit to operate the plurality of switches as the voltage doubler circuit
• based on the size of the first current being larger than a second reference value larger than the first reference value, controlling the rectification circuit to operate the plurality of switches as the full bridge circuit
→ analogous to Claim 2.
Re Claim 13
Pei teaches:
• based on the size of the first current not being smaller than the first reference value and not being larger than the second reference value, maintaining operations of the plurality of switches
→ analogous to Claim 3.
Re Claim 15
Pei teaches:
• based on the size of the first current being smaller than a reference value, controlling the rectification circuit to operate the plurality of switches as the voltage doubler circuit
• based on the size of the first current being larger than the reference value, controlling the rectification circuit to operate the plurality of switches as the full bridge circuit
→ analogous to Claim 5.
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) 4 and 14 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Pei
Re Claim 4 and 14
Pei disclosure has been discussed above.
Pei does not disclose measure a temperature of the electronic device and control at least one of the first reference value or the second reference value, based on the measured temperature
However, measuring a temperature of the electronic device and control at least one of the first reference value or the second reference value, based on the measured temperature was known it would have been obvious to one of the ordinary skilled in the art before the effective filing to have measured the temperature-aware to control improves safety and performance in power electronics.
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed 01/22/2026 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive.
The applicant’s remarks have been carefully considered. The examiner understands the applicant’s position that claim 1 requires a control circuit that identifies the size of a current output to the charging circuit based on actual wirelessly received power, and that this real‑time current identification is used to select between full‑bridge and voltage‑doubler rectification modes. The applicant argues that Pei does not disclose this feature and instead relies solely on protocol‑based “charging type” information.
After reviewing the cited portions of Pei and the applicant’s arguments, the rejection is respectfully maintained. The reasoning is explained below in clear, non‑technical terms.
Pei’s system includes several components that work together to monitor and react to the real charging conditions:
a. Voltage Adjustment Circuits (205, 305)
These circuits regulate the voltage based on the power that is actually being received. They are part of a feedback loop that constantly checks what is happening in real time.
b. Controllers (206, 304)
These controllers interpret the incoming charging information and generate control signals that switch the rectifier between half‑bridge (low‑power) and full‑bridge (high‑power) modes.
c. Feedback Through Communication and Handshake
Pei’s flowchart (FIG. 8) shows that the system:
• Starts in low‑power mode,
• Checks whether communication succeeds,
• And only switches to high‑power mode if the real‑world conditions support it.
This is not a one‑time decision — it is a responsive, condition‑based process.
Why This Is Comparable to “Identifying Current Size”
The applicant focuses on the phrase “identify a size of a current output.”
Pei does not use those exact words, but the law does not require identical wording. It only that the same function is taught.
Pei’s system decides whether to use low‑current mode or high‑current mode based on the actual power conditions being received. That is functionally the same as identifying whether the current is small or large. In simple terms: If the incoming power is low → Pei stays in half‑bridge mode and if the incoming power is high enough → Pei switches to full‑bridge mode. This is a direct response to the real charging environment, not just a static protocol instruction. The voltage adjustment circuit is what makes this possible. It continuously monitors the incoming power and ensures the system adapts to it.
The applicant argues that Pei’s system may misjudge charging type due to noise or interference. Even if that were true, it does not change what Pei discloses. A reference does not need to be flawless. it only needs to teach the claimed features.
However, the examiner respectfully disagrees.
Pei still teaches: monitoring incoming power, adjusting the rectifier mode based on real conditions and using voltage regulation to optimize charging.
These are the same functional elements the applicant relies on to distinguish their invention.
Conclusion
THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to DANIEL KESSIE whose telephone number is (571)272-4449. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 8am-5pmEst.
Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Rexford Barnie can be reached at (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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/DANIEL KESSIE/
02/02/2026
Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2836