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
The Applicant’s Amendment filed on 04/30/2026 in which claims 1 and 3-5 have been amended, claims 2 have been canceled, claim 7 has been added and entered of record.
Claims 1 and 3-7 are presented for examination.
Response to Argument
Applicant’s arguments filed on 04/30/2026 with respect to the rejection under 35 U.S.C. § 112(a) and 35 U.S.C. § 112(b). The arguments have been fully considered and persuasive. Therefore, the rejections under 35 U.S.C. § 112(a) and 35 U.S.C. § 112(b) are withdrawn.
Applicant’s arguments with respect to the rejection under 35 U.S.C. § 102 that Escalona does not teach or suggest “a board-side connector electrically connected to a control board and an antenna-side connector electrically connected to the antenna as recited in amended claim 1, and the specification expressly identifies connector examples such as SMA, SMP, and U.FL (see Applicant’s remarks pages 7-8).
The arguments have been fully considered but are not persuasive. Examiner respectfully disagree because connectors such as SMA, SMP, and U.FL are not required in the claim. Per MPEP 2111 and 2111.01, the claims are given their broadest reasonable interpretation and the words of the claims are given their plain meaning consistent with the specification without importing claim limitations from the specification. In this case ESCALONA clearly discloses the rectifier cable, one side connected to an antenna and the other side connected to a controller. In order to connect, a form of connector is required. ESCALONA provides an example “suitable connectors such as wires” can be used [0046].
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 (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) 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.
Claim(s) 1, 3-4 and 6 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by ESCALONA et al., US Patent Publication 20180280708; hereinafter “ESCALONA”.
Regarding claim 1, ESCALONA discloses a rectifier cable (Fig. 1-14), comprising:
a cable main body (Fig. 2, between coil 25 and Power management system 29; Figs. 9 and 14) electrically connected to a control board (Fig. 2, 29); and
a rectifier unit (Fig. 9, diodes in the portion 64; Fig. 14, distributed rectifier diodes) [0266] that is electrically connected to the cable main body (Figs. 9 and 14) and electrically connected to an antenna (Fig. 2, coil 25) capable of transmitting and receiving a power transmission signal [0226] (antenna coils are capable of transmitting and receiving wireless power) so as to rectify an AC signal input from the antenna to a DC signal and output the DC signal to the cable main body [0226];
a board-side connector electrically connected to the control board (Fig. 2, connection that connect the cable and the Power management system 29, connector for connection can be in many forms; in order to connect a cable to a controller, a form of connector is required; ESCALONA provides an example “suitable connectors such as wires” [0046]); and
an antenna-side connector electrically connected to the antenna (connection that connect the cable and the coil 25; connector for connection can be in many forms, in order to connect a cable to an antenna, a form of connector is required; ESCALONA provides an example “suitable connectors such as wires” [0046]).
Regarding claim 3, ESCALONA discloses the rectifier cable according to claim 1 above, ESCALONA also discloses the rectifier unit (Fig. 2, 35; Figs. 9 and 14) is arranged between the antenna-side connector (connection that connect the cable and the coil 25; e.g. “suitable connectors such as wires” [0046]) and the board-side connector (Fig. 2, connection that connect the cable and the Power management system 29; e.g. “suitable connectors such as wires” [0046]).
Regarding claim 4, ESCALONA discloses the rectifier cable according to claim 1 above, ESCALONA also discloses the rectifier unit is arranged between the antenna-side connector (connection that connect the cable and the coil 25; e.g. “suitable connectors such as wires” [0046]) and the cable main body (Figs. 9 and 14, 62).
Regarding claim 6, ESCALONA discloses a rectifier connector (Fig. 1-14), comprising:
a board-side connector electrically connected to a control board (Fig. 2, connection that connect the cable and the Power management system 29; e.g. “suitable connectors such as wires” [0046]);
an antenna-side connector electrically connected to an antenna (connection that connect the cable and the coil 25; e.g. “suitable connectors such as wires” [0046]) capable of transmitting and receiving a power transmission signal [0226]; and
a rectifier unit (Fig. 9, diodes in the portion 64; Fig. 14, distributed rectifier diodes) [0266] that is electrically connected to the board-side connector at one end (Fig. 2, connection that connect the cable and the Power management system 29; e.g. “suitable connectors such as wires” [0046]) and also electrically connected to the antenna-side connector at another end (connection that connect the cable and the coil 25; e.g. “suitable connectors such as wires” [0046]), rectifies an AC signal input from the antenna through the antenna-side connector (connection that connect the cable and the coil 25; e.g. “suitable connectors such as wires” [0046]) to a DC signal and outputs the DC signal [0226] to the control board through the board-side connector (Fig. 2, connection that connect the cable and the Power management system 29; e.g. “suitable connectors such as wires” [0046]).
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 (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) 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 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) 5 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over ESCALONA in view of Saita, US Patent Publication 20180281610; hereinafter “Saita”.
Regarding claim 5, ESCALONA discloses the rectifier cable according to claim 2 above, ESCALONA does not disclose the rectifier unit is arranged between the antenna and the antenna-side connector. Saita discloses a wireless power transfer system having a rectifier arrange at the end of a cable (Fig. 1, rectifier is arranged between cable 48 including its connection and the antenna 12). 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 ESCALONA to incorporate the teaching of Saita and arrange the rectifier unit is arranged between the antenna and the antenna-side connector. Doing so would ease the replacement of a defect rectifier without replacing the cable.
Claim(s) 7 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over ESCALONA in view of O'Brien et al., US Patent Publication 20150321016 A1, hereinafter O'Brien”.
Regarding claim 7, ESCALONA discloses a rectifier cable, comprising:
a cable main body (Fig. 2, between coil 25 and Power management system 29; Figs. 9 and 14) electrically connected to a control board (Fig. 2, 29); and
a rectifier unit (Fig. 9, diodes in the portion 64; Fig. 14, distributed rectifier diodes) that is electrically connected to the cable main body (Fig. 2, between coil 25 and Power management system 29; Figs. 9 and 14) and electrically connected to an antenna (Fig. 2, coil 25; Fig. 7, coil 60) capable of transmitting and receiving a power transmission signal (antenna coils are capable of transmitting and receiving wireless power) so as to rectify an AC signal input from the antenna to a DC signal and output the DC signal to the cable main body [0226],
wherein the rectifier unit comprises a substrate on which a rectifier circuit is mounted.
ESCALONA suggest “the rectifying and/or filtering means may be provided separately to the lead. In this way, a relatively simple lead may be provided” [0091]. ESCALONA does not explicitly discloses the rectifier unit comprises a substrate on which a rectifier circuit is mounted. O'Brien disclose a rectifier unit comprises a substrate on which a rectifier circuit is mounted [0133]. 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 ESCALONA to incorporate the teaching of O'Brien and mounting the rectifier circuit on a substrate such as a flexible substrate. Doing so would simplify the cable assembly while still allowing the cable flexible enough for transcutaneous energy transfer (TET) system.
Conclusion
Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) 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 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 THAI H TRAN whose telephone number is (571)270-0668. The examiner can normally be reached M - F 8:30 - 5:00.
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/THAI H TRAN/Examiner, Art Unit 2836
/REXFORD N BARNIE/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2836
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