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
Claims 13-20 are withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b) as being drawn to a nonelected species there being no allowable generic or linking claim. Election was made without traverse in the reply filed on 08/07/2026.
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, 7, 8 and 11 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Islinger et al (US 20180361863)
Re Claim 1; Islinger discloses a method of manufacturing comprising: configuring a set of converter components positioned on a printed circuit board (PCB) of a first vehicle pad, (Pad 500 contains PCB 507 and electronics that controls and convert power transferred thru coils 510. The manufacturing method provides the PCB and an arrangement of high-and low voltage components; See Fig. 5, Par 0057-61 and Fig. 10 Par 0079-82. Physically providing and arranging the converter electronic is configuring under the broadest reasonable interpretation)
wherein, after manufacturing, the first vehicle pad is configured to wirelessly receive power for charging a first battery pack. (Islinger describes a vehicle-side pad attached to a vehicle underbody, voltage received through the pad coils, conversion of that received voltage for storage in a battery, and an EV receive circuit that receives inductively transferred power for charging the vehicle battery, See Figs 1-2 and Par 0022-33 see also Par 0056-61 The manufactured pad is the pad possessing those described functions).
Re Claim 7; Islinger discloses wherein the configuring comprises toggling one or more active switches. (Par 0035)
Re Claim 8; Islinger discloses wherein the set of converter components comprises: a resonant tank comprising a coil and one or more capacitors; and transistors connected to the resonant tank. (Fig. 2, Par 38,60, 86)
Re Claim 11; Islinger discloses wherein, after manufacturing, the first vehicle pad is configured for charging a battery pack of a vehicle, and wherein the first vehicle pad does not include an additional direct current-to-direct current (DC/DC) converter. (Fig. 2)
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) 2, 3 and 12 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Islinger in view Elshaer et al. (US 2021/0094426)
Re Claim 2; Islinger discloses manufacturing vehicle pad assemblies having converter electronic positioned on respective PCBs.
Islinger does not disclose further comprising connecting a second set of converter components on a second PCB of a second vehicle pad for charging a second battery pack such that the second set of converter components are connected differently than the set of converter components, wherein the set of converter components and the second set of converter components are different instances of a same group of components.
Elshaer discloses further comprising connecting a second set of converter components on a second PCB of a second vehicle pad for charging a second battery pack such that the second set of converter components are connected differently than the set of converter components, wherein the set of converter components and the second set of converter components are different instances of a same group of components.(Par 0043-46, Elshaer teaches an EV wireless charging architecture designed for different charging voltage, including differently connected secondary windings, rectifier arrangements and jumpers. Elshaer expressly teaches retaining the same charger circuit and using a common PCB and package for different voltage variants.)
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of the ordinary skilled in the art before the effective filing of the invention to have applied Elshaer common PCB differently connected variant strategy to Isligner manufacturing vehicle pad to standardize the bill of material and PCB, reduce packing space and cost, and produce different vehicle-voltage variant thur predictable connection changes.
Re Claim 3; Elshaer discloses wherein a maximum voltage of the first battery pack is 400 Volts, and wherein a maximum voltage of the second battery pack is 800 V. (Par 0043-6)
12. (Original) A method of manufacturing vehicle pads, the method comprising: connecting a first set of converter components on a first printed circuit board (PCB) of a first vehicle pad; and configuring a second set of converter components on a second PCB of a second vehicle pad such that the second set of converter components are connected differently than the first set of converter components, wherein the first set of converter components and the second set of converter components are different instances of a same group of components, wherein the first vehicle pad and the second vehicle pad are configured for wireless charging. (the claim is analogous to claims 1 and 2 and the same rejection is applied)
Claim(s) 5 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Islinger in view Cole et al. (US 2017/0112005)
Re Claim 5; Islinger discloses converter electronics and switches on the vehicle-pad PCB
Islinger does not disclose wherein the configuring comprises connecting transistors of the set of converter components using at least one of a jumper or a jumper wire.
Cole discloses wherein the configuring comprises connecting transistors of the set of converter components using at least one of a jumper or a jumper wire. (Par 0003, 7-8, 37-40).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of the ordinary skilled in the art before the effective filing of the invention to have used Coles removable jumper connection in Islinger’s PCB converter to permit topology selection, independent testing, repair and reuse of common converter platform. Cole expressly identifies flexible reconfiguration and testing as benefits.
Re Claim 6; Cole discloses wherein the configuring comprises moving or changing a connection of at least one of a jumper or a jumper wire. (Par 0039)
Claim(s) 4, 9 and 10 rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Islinger in view Wagoner (US 20170164497)
Re Claims 4; 9 and 10; Islinger discloses set of converter components as disclosed above.
Islinger does not disclose wherein the set of converter components comprises an H bridge circuit after the configuring and comprises a stacked half bridge circuit after the configuring.
However, Wagoner discloses converter components comprises an H bridge circuit after the configuring and comprises a stacked half bridge circuit after the configuring. (Par 0027-8)
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of the ordinary skilled in the art before the effective filing of the invention to have used the well known configuration to extend the voltage conversion range while causing each semiconductor switch to block approximately one half the applied voltage thereby reducing stress
Conclusion
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.
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/DANIEL KESSIE/
09/16/2026Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2836
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