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.
Claims 1, 3-7 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Kwasnick et al. (US 2017/0182903 A1).
In regards to claim 1, Kwasnick discloses, in figure 2, a power transmission device (102) comprising: a power transmission unit (110, 120, 122) configured to wirelessly transmit power to a power reception device (104) via a coil (120) (Par 0024); and a detection unit (112) configured to perform an object detection (Par 0024, “the power transfer controller 110 may sense the proper positioning of the electric vehicle 200 via, for example, sensor data from the proximity sensors 112” thus proximity sensors 112 performs an object detection e.g. electric vehicle) on basis of a parameter according to distance from the coil (120) to an exterior of a housing (Par 0024, “the electric vehicle 200 may be parked over the wireless power transmission system 102, which may be embodied in a user's garage, a parking lot, or other area capable of supporting the electric vehicle” thus the wireless power transmission device 102 is housed/embodied in a user's garage, a parking lot, or other area capable of supporting the electric vehicle) of the power transmission device (102) (Par 0025; See Fig. 3; the power transfer controller 110 moves the power transmission coil 120 toward power receiving coil 130 until the power transmission coil 120 is within a reference distance of the power receiving coil 130 based on the sensor data produced by the proximity sensors 112…the reference distance to be achieved between the power coils 120, 130 may be based on a desired minimum wireless power transfer efficiency. Thus, the detection unit 112 performs objection detection via proximity sensors 112 according to a distance from the coil 120 to an exterior of the housing of the power transmission device 102).
In regards to claim 3, Kwasnick discloses, in figure 2, the power transmission device according to claim 1, wherein the parameter is a threshold (Par 0025; reference distance) for the object detection (Par 0025; the power transfer controller 110 moves the power transmission coil 120 toward power receiving coil 130 until the power transmission coil 120 is within a reference distance of the power receiving coil 130 based on the sensor data produced by the proximity sensors 112).
In regards to claim 4, Kwasnick discloses, in figure 2, the power transmission device according to claim 3, wherein, the threshold (Par 0025; reference distance) is determined on basis of information regarding the distance (Par 0025; the power transfer controller 110 moves the power transmission coil 120 toward power receiving coil 130 until the power transmission coil 120 is within a reference distance of the power receiving coil 130 based on the sensor data produced by the proximity sensors 112).
In regards to claim 5, Kwasnick discloses, in figure 3, the power transmission device according to claim 4, wherein the information regarding the distance is information about whether the distance is greater than or equal to a predetermined value (Par 0067-0068; See Fig. 3; the distance between the power transmission coil 120 and an exterior of the housing is greater than or equal to an initial state of 120 (shown in Fig. 2) after 120 is moved to be closer to 130 to satisfy a minimum power transfer efficiency threshold).
In regards to claim 6, Kwasnick discloses, in figure 2, the power transmission device according to claim 1, wherein the detection unit (112) performs the object detection in a case where it is determined, on basis of information regarding the distance (Par 0025; See Fig. 3; the power transfer controller 110 moves the power transmission coil 120 toward power receiving coil 130 until the power transmission coil 120 is within a reference distance of the power receiving coil 130 based on the sensor data produced by the proximity sensors 112), that a coupling state between the power transmission device (102) and the power reception device (104) is a specific coupling state (Par 0024-0025; the specific coupling state of when the proper positioning of the power receiving coil 130 of electric vehicle 200 is properly aligned and vertically over the power transmission coil 120 of power transmission system 102).
In regards to claim 7, Kwasnick discloses, in figure 2, a method executed by a power transmission device (102), the method comprising: wirelessly transmitting power to the power reception device (104) via a coil (120) (Par 0024); performing an object detection (Par 0024, “the power transfer controller 110 may sense the proper positioning of the electric vehicle 200 via, for example, sensor data from the proximity sensors 112” thus proximity sensors 112 performs an object detection e.g. electric vehicle) on basis of a parameter according to distance from the coil (120) to an exterior of a housing (Par 0024, “the electric vehicle 200 may be parked over the wireless power transmission system 102, which may be embodied in a user's garage, a parking lot, or other area capable of supporting the electric vehicle” thus the wireless power transmission device 102 is housed/embodied in a user's garage, a parking lot, or other area capable of supporting the electric vehicle) of the power transmission device (102) (Par 0025; See Fig. 3; the power transfer controller 110 moves the power transmission coil 120 toward power receiving coil 130 until the power transmission coil 120 is within a reference distance of the power receiving coil 130 based on the sensor data produced by the proximity sensors 112…the reference distance to be achieved between the power coils 120, 130 may be based on a desired minimum wireless power transfer efficiency. Thus, the detection unit 112 performs objection detection via proximity sensors 112 according to a distance from the coil 120 to an exterior of the housing of the power transmission device 102).
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.
The factual inquiries for establishing a background for determining obviousness under 35 U.S.C. 103 are summarized as follows:
1. Determining the scope and contents of the prior art.
2. Ascertaining the differences between the prior art and the claims at issue.
3. Resolving the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art.
4. Considering objective evidence present in the application indicating obviousness or nonobviousness.
Claim 2 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kwasnick et al. (US 2017/0182903 A1) in view of Uchida et al. (US 2010/0244580 A1).
In regards to claim 2, Kwasnick disclose the power transmission device according to claim 1, but does not disclose further comprising a transmitting unit configured to transmit information regarding the distance to the power reception device.
However, Uchida discloses, in figure 1, a transmitting unit (14) configured to transmit information regarding the distance to the power reception device (23) (Par 0052; the distance detector 14 successively transmits the detection result of the coil distance to the power transmitting frequency controller 13 by using, for example, a wired connection, and transmits the detection result to the power receiving frequency controller 23 of power receiving apparatus 2 by using, for example, a wireless communication such as Bluetooth or infrared communication).
Thus, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified Kwasnick’s power transmission device by including a transmitting unit configured to transmit information regarding the distance to the power reception device as taught by Uchida in order to prevent the power transmission efficiency from the power transmitting apparatus to the power receiving apparatus from decreasing (Uchida; Par 0020).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ALEX WONG LAM whose telephone number is (571)272-3409. The examiner can normally be reached Mon-Fri 7:30-5:00.
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/ALEX W LAM/ Examiner, Art Unit 2842