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 § 112
The following is a quotation of the first paragraph of 35 U.S.C. 112(a):
(a) IN GENERAL.—The specification shall contain a written description of the invention, and of the manner and process of making and using it, in such full, clear, concise, and exact terms as to enable any person skilled in the art to which it pertains, or with which it is most nearly connected, to make and use the same, and shall set forth the best mode contemplated by the inventor or joint inventor of carrying out the invention.
Claims 1-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(a) as failing to comply with the enablement requirement. The claims contain subject matter which was not described in the specification in such a way as to enable one skilled in the art to which it pertains, or with which it is most nearly connected, to make and/or use the invention.
Claim 1, line 12-15 recites the limitation “the appliance controller being suitable to generate data indicators comparing induced current in the housekeeping coil and the operating alternating current in the secondary coil”. However, the specification fails to disclose any comparing of currents—let alone comparing the induced current in the housekeeping coil and the operating alternating current in the secondary coil. Furthermore, the specification does not disclose any device for measuring the claimed induced current or operating alternating current, which will both need to be measured before making the claimed comparison.
Therefore, because claims 1-20 contain subject matter which was not described in the specification in such a way as to enable one skilled in the art to which it pertains, or with which it is most nearly connected, to make and/or use the invention, claims 1-20 fail to comply with the enablement requirement of 35 U.S.C. 112(a).
For purposes of examination, this limitation will be interpreted as--the appliance controller being suitable to generate data indicators related to induced current in the housekeeping coil and the operating alternating current in the secondary coil--.
A similar issue is present in claim 20 and will be treated similarly.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
Claims 5-6, 8-9, 11, 13, 14, 18, 19 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
Claim 5 recites the limitation "the current waveform" in line 1 of the claim. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
Claim 8 recites the limitation "the housing" in line 1 of the claim. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
Claim 11 recites the limitation "the mechanical isolation" in line 1 of the claim. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
Claim 13 recites the limitation "the primary coil controller" in line 1 of the claim. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
Claim 14 recites the limitation "the housing" in line 1 of the claim. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
Claim 18 recites the limitation "the housing" in line 1 of the claim. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
Claim 19 recites the limitation "the primary coil controller" in lines 2-3 of the claim. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
Claim Objections
Claim 19 is objected to because of the following informalities:
Claim 19, line 1: The term “data exchange system” is misspelled “date exchange system”.
Appropriate correction is required.
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.
Claims 1-10, 13-17, and 19-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Azancot et al. (US 2011/0062793; “Azancot”; reference of record).
Regarding claim 1, Azancot teaches a system (figure 6a) for operating a battery-less appliance (load 6340), comprising:
a secondary coil (portion of 6320) suitable for providing induced operative alternating current when in magnetic proximity to a primary coil circuit (6220);
a housekeeping coil (portion of 6320; As in para. [00052] of the instant application, the housekeeping coil of Azancot is interpreted as windings of the secondary coil 6320.) in magnetic communication with the primary coil (6220) such that induced current in the housekeeping coil (portion of 6320) is indicative of a power insufficiency (Induced current in the portion of coil 6320 forming the housekeeping coil is indicative of the power level received in the portion of coil 6320 forming the secondary coil.) in the secondary coil (portion of 6320);
an appliance controller (Device not shown in figure 6a that is responsible for controlling the communication from transmitter 6122 and receiving monitored circuit parameters, i.e., voltage, current temperature, and power, that will be communicated to the power outlet 6200. Para. [0178]-[0181]) coupled to the secondary coil (6320) suitable to locally receive waveform characteristics of the operative alternating current required by the appliance (Para. [0178] teaches the remote secondary unit 6300 communicating required operating parameters to the power outlet 6200. The required operating parameters are inherently received from a source.), the appliance controller being suitable to generate data indicators related to induced current in the housekeeping coil and the operating alternating current in the secondary coil, for the induction of the operative alternating current (Para. [0181] teaches operating parameters, i.e., measured voltage, current, temperature, power, of the load 6240 being monitored.); and
a data exchange system (6120) communicatively coupled to the appliance and configured to operate the primary coil (6220) to produce required waveform characteristics for the operative current (The power outlet 6200 receives communications from the secondary unit 6300 and adjusts the power driver 6230 accordingly. Para. [0182]-[0189]) in the secondary coil 6320).
As for claims 2 and 3, Azancot teaches a secondary sensor comprising one of a static presence indicator, radio frequency switch, wired switch, Bluetooth switch, visible light switch, and NFC switch communicatively coupled to the appliance controller and suitable to transmit other ones of the data indicators (See para. [0176] teaching various communication protocols.).
Regarding claim 4, Azancot teaches wherein the appliance controller further comprises a safe operation detector suitable to monitor the operative current (Para. [0180] teaches measuring voltage, current, temperature, and power.).
Regarding claim 5, Azancot teaches wherein a current waveform of the operative current is indicative of at least one of minimum power, maximum power, speed, heat, timing, and display brightness of one or more aspects of the appliance (A waveform of an appliance operating with current induced through inductive power transfer is inherently indicative of aspects of the appliance including at least one of minimum power, maximum power, speed, heat, timing, and display brightness.).
As for claim 6, Azancot teaches wherein the appliance is one selected from the group consisting of a blender, toaster, coffee maker, networked device, display (figure 6c), pan, pot, can opener, grill, hibachi, cooler, chiller, juicer, cooktop, oven, and cooking iron.
As for claim 7, Azancot teaches wherein ones of the data indicators comprise performance feedback (Para. [0181] teaches operating parameters, i.e., measured voltage, current, temperature, power, of the load 6240 being monitored.).
Regarding claims 8 and 9, Azancot teaches wherein a housing comprises a base suitable for receiving the appliance and wherein the base comprises a multi-prong plug receiver (The housing is interpreted as the surface shown in figure 6c and the power outlet 6200 that will receive a multi-prong plug.).
As for claim 10, Azancot teaches wherein ones of the data indicators comprise compatibility with the primary coil (Levels of the measured voltage, current, and power in Azancot indicate power transfer compatibility. Para. [0181]).
Regarding claim 13, Azancot teaches wherein a primary coil controller (6230) comprises a full bridge driver circuit (Para. [0198]-[0199]).
Regarding claim 14, Azancot teaches a feedback receiver (6124) within a housing, which is suitable to: receive feedback data regarding a secondary coil operative power waveform induced in the secondary coil responsively to the primary coil waveform; and modify the primary coil waveform responsively to the feedback data (Para. [0178]-[0189]).
As for claim 15, Azancot teaches wherein the feedback data comprises presence indication (Communication from a remote secondary unit 6300 indicates presence of the remote secondary unit.).
As for claim 16, Azancot teaches wherein the feedback data comprises performance indication (Communicated operating parameters, i.e. voltage, current, and power, indicate performance of the power transfer system. Para. [0178]-[0181]).
Regarding claim 17, Azancot teaches wherein the feedback data is indicative of at least one of minimum power, maximum power, speed, heat, timing, and display brightness of one or more aspects of the appliance (Measured parameters of an appliance operating with current induced through inductive power transfer is inherently indicative of aspects of the appliance including at least one of minimum power, maximum power, speed, heat, timing, and display brightness.).
As for claim 19, Azancot teaches wherein the data exchange system is communicatively coupled to the appliance controller and to at least one data receiver of a primary coil controller and suitable to wirelessly exchange ones of the data indicators between the appliance controller and the at least one data receiver (Para. [0178]-[0182]).
Regarding claim 20, Azancot teaches a method for operating a battery-less appliance (load 6340), comprising:
providing the system of claim 1;
receiving waveform characteristics of the operative alternating current required by the appliance (Para. [0178] teaches the remote secondary unit 6300 communicating required operating parameters to the power outlet 6200. The required operating parameters are inherently received from a source.);
generating data indicators related to induced current in the housekeeping coil and the operating alternating current in the secondary coil (Para. [0181] teaches operating parameters, i.e., measured voltage, current, temperature, power, of the load 6240 being monitored.); and
operating the primary coil to produce required waveform characteristics for the operative current in the secondary coil (The power outlet 6200 receives communications from the secondary unit 6300 and adjusts the power driver 6230 accordingly. Para. [0182]-[0189]) in the secondary coil 6320).
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 11 and 12 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Azancot.
Regarding claim 11, Azancot teaches a mechanical isolation (surface in figure 6c) between the primary coil (6220) and the secondary coil (6320), but fails to teach the mechanical isolation comprising glass.
However, as would have been recognized by one of ordinary skill in the art, a common use of a laptop display is sitting the laptop display on a glass table/desk surface.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to apply the power transfer system of Azancot to a laptop placed on a glass table/desk because such a modification would have been merely exercising a well-known use of a laptop display device.
As for claim 12, Azancot teaches the system of claim 1, as detailed above, but fails to teach wherein the appliance is a member of an internet-of-things group.
However, it is well-known to those of ordinary skill in the art to connect appliances in an internet-of-things group.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to connect the appliance of Azancot in an internet-of-things group because such a modification would have been merely exercising a well-known application of a wirelessly-powered appliance.
Claim 18 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Azancot in view of Kesler et al. (US 8,487,480; “Kesler”; reference of record).
As for claim 18, Azancot teaches the system of claim 1, as detailed above, but fails to teach wherein a housing comprises a cooktop.
However, it is well-known to those of ordinary skill in the art to power devices such as a cooktop with inductive power transfer. For example, see col. 84, lines 29-35 of Kesler.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to apply the inductive power transfer of Azancot to a cooktop because such a modification would have been merely exercising a well-known application of inductive power transfer.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to LEVI GANNON whose telephone number is (571)272-7971. The examiner can normally be reached 7:00AM-4:30PM.
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/LEVI GANNON/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2849 February 14, 2026
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