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 .
Response to Amendment
Receipt is acknowledged of applicant’s amendment filed on June 18, 2026. Claims 15-18 have been canceled without prejudice. Claims 1, 13, 19 have been amended. Claims 1-14, 19, 20 are pending and an action on the merits is as follows.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
In the event the determination of the status of the application as subject to AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103 (or as subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103) is incorrect, any correction of the statutory basis for the rejection will not be considered a new ground of rejection if the prior art relied upon, and the rationale supporting the rejection, would be the same under either status.
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 1-12 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Jol et al (US 20210099031).
Re 1, Jol discloses a card (7900, Fig 79, 58, 60) removably attachable to a portable electronic device (6900) including a charging coil (6913), a ferromagnetic component (6916) disposed about the charging coil, and a ferromagnetic alignment component (6908) (Fig 69A, 69B, par 366-370), the card (7900) comprising: a substrate (5808, 7910, Fig 80-84, 58-61) comprising a near field communication (NFC) antenna layer (5566, par 324); and a magnet (8070, 5570, 5970) embedded in the substrate (par 322) to magnetically couple to the ferromagnetic component disposed about the charging coil (par 396-397), wherein the magnet is embedded in the NFC antenna layer (par 322, 403).
RE 2, Jol discloses wherein the card further comprises: an alignment magnet (8022) embedded in the substrate to magnetically couple to the ferromagnetic alignment component (6908) to align the card relative to the portable electronic device (par 396-397).
Re 3 Jol discloses, wherein the substrate defines a first surface (7902) and a second surface (7904) opposite the first surface, and wherein the magnet (8070) and the alignment magnet (8022) are embedded between the first surface and the second surface (Fig 80).
RE 4 Jol discloses wherein the substrate comprises at least one of a magnetic stripe, an integrated chip, or a near field communication (NFC) antenna (5060), this allows for the card to conduct transactions with a POS (par 304).
RE 5 Jol discloses wherein the magnet (8070) comprises a magnet array (8072) (par 96).
RE 6 Jol discloses wherein the magnet array defines a ring (Fig 80, par 96).
Re 7 Jol discloses wherein the magnet array defines a linear configuration (par 96, 198).
Re 8 Jol discloses wherein the magnet array defines a polygonal configuration (par 96, 198).
Re 9 Jol discloses wherein the substrate comprises a mass in a range of 3g to 25g (par 115-117).
RE 10 Jol discloses wherein the substrate comprises at least one of a polymeric material or a metallic material (par 381, 399).
RE 11 Jol discloses wherein the magnet defines a profile that compliments the ferromagnetic component disposed about the charging coil of the portable electronic device (par 399-400).
RE 12 Jol discloses wherein the magnet is fully embedded within the substrate (7910, par 322, 398-399, 403).
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
In the event the determination of the status of the application as subject to AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103 (or as subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103) is incorrect, any correction of the statutory basis for the rejection will not be considered a new ground of rejection if the prior art relied upon, and the rationale supporting the rejection, would be the same under either status.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 103(a) which forms the basis for all obviousness rejections set forth in this Office action:
(a) A patent may not be obtained though the invention is not identically disclosed or described as set forth in section 102 of this title, if the differences between the subject matter sought to be patented and the prior art are such that the subject matter as a whole would have been obvious at the time the invention was made to a person having ordinary skill in the art to which said subject matter pertains. Patentability shall not be negatived by the manner in which the invention was made.
The factual inquiries set forth in Graham v. John Deere Co., 383 U.S. 1, 148 USPQ 459 (1966), that are applied for establishing a background for determining obviousness under 35 U.S.C. 103(a) 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.
Claims 13-14, 19-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103(a) as being unpatentable over Jol et al (US 20210099031) in view of Garrett et al (US20200394370).
Re 13, Jol discloses a card-shaped accessory (7900, Fig 79, 58, 60) removably attachable to a portable electronic device (6900) including a charging coil (6913), a ferromagnetic component (6916) disposed about the charging coil, and a ferromagnetic alignment component (6908) (Fig 69A, 69B, par 366-370), the card-shaped accessory (7900) comprising: a card body comprising a first printed layer (7902, 8102), a second printed layer (7904, 8104), and a core layer (5808, 7910, Fig 80-84, 58-61) between the first printed layer and the second printed layer; and a magnet (8070, 8170) embedded in the substrate to magnetically couple to the ferromagnetic component disposed about the charging coil (par 396-399), wherein the magnet is embedded in a cavity formed in the first printed layer and the core layer (Fig 80, 81, 82, 83, 84, par 398-402).
Jol fails to disclose the card-shaped accessory as a card.
However, Garrett teaches a transaction card (14) magnetically coupled to a portable electronic device (11) by magnets (22, 24, 33, 34, par 35, 36, 41). The device includes an induction charging coil (44) and magnetic contact points (25, 36, 39, 40, par 46) holding the card and device together (Fig 2, 4, 5, par 41-42).
Given the teachings of Garrett, 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 accessory of Jol with a transaction card.
Doing so would produce a compact structure to keep the card attached to the electronic device. This also allows a transaction card and electronic device to operate as stand-alone devices uncoupled and communicate bidirectionally when coupled.
RE 14, Jol as modified by Garrett teaches wherein the card further comprises: an alignment magnet (8022) embedded in the substrate to magnetically couple to the ferromagnetic alignment component (6908) to align the card relative to the portable electronic device (par 396-397).
RE 19 Jol as modified by Garrett teaches, wherein the card body further comprises a near field communication (NFC) antenna layer between the first printed layer and the second printed layer, (par 322, 403).
Re 20 Jol as modified by Garrett teaches, wherein the magnet comprises a magnet array that defines at least one of a ring, a linear configuration, or a polygonal configuration (fig 80).
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments, see Remarks, filed June 18, 2026, with respect to the rejection(s) of claim(s) 1 under 103(a) have been fully considered and are persuasive. Therefore, the rejection has been withdrawn. However, upon further consideration, a new ground(s) of rejection is made in view of a different interpretation of the previously applied reference Jol. The additional claim feature of the magnet embedded in the NFC antenna layer of the substrate as amended in claim 1 is taught by Jol as described above regarding Figs 58, 60, and 79.
Applicant's arguments filed June 18 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive. Applicant argues Jol, alone or in combination with Garrett, fails to disclose “a cavity formed in the first print layer and the core layer” as required by claim 13. The office respectfully disagrees. Garrett is not relied upon for this feature in the rejection made. Jol discloses at top enclosure (8102) and a rear enclosure (8104) having sidewalls surrounding the magnets (8170) (par 400-402) where module 7900 and module 8100 differ only in desired applications of opaque or transparent surfaces. Fig 82-84 further shows the cavity for the magnet in the enclosure side view.
Conclusion
Applicant's amendment necessitated the new grounds of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). 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 extension fee 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 date of this final action.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Christle I. Marshall whose telephone number is (571) 270-3086. The examiner can normally be reached on Monday – Friday 7:30AM - 4:00PM.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Steven Paik can be reached on (571) 272-2404. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/Christle I Marshall/
Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2876
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