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 .
Priority
Acknowledgment is made of applicant’s claim for foreign priority under 35 U.S.C. 119 (a)-(d). The certified copy has been filed in parent Application No. 18/316964, filed on 5/12/2023.
Information Disclosure Statement
Regarding the IDS submitted on 6/13/2025, all the documents in the parent application have been considered in view of the documents being in an IDS in the parent application that was compliant with 37 CFR 1.97 and 37 CFR 1.98 at that time. However, only the items in the IDS filed on 6/13/2025 that comply with 37 CFR 1.97 and 37 CFR 1.98 are initialed. As such, the items in the IDS filed 6/13/2025 that do not comply with 37 CFR 1.97 and/or 37 CFR 1.98 remain un-initialed. More specifically, the previously crossed out items in the IDS remain un-initialed since these items do not comply with 37 CFR 1.97 and/or 37 CFR 1.98 (i.e. no submitted copies of the foreign and non-patent literature documents as required by 37 CFR 1.98(a)(2) or no statement identifying the earlier application to which the IDS is relied on for the copies of the cited documents as required by 37 CFR 1.98(d)).
Claim Objections
Claims 6 and 18 are objected to because of the following informalities:
Claims 6 and 18 recites “determining whether changes to the capacitance result in an increase or decrease comprises:”. Suggested language is “determining whether changes to the capacitance result in an increase or decrease of the electric power comprises:” for proper antecedent basis.
Appropriate correction is required.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
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.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claims 5, 12 and 17 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
Claims 5, 12 and 17 recites “unary array of capacitors”. It is unclear what a unary array is. Please clarify. Does the applicant intend a single array of capacitors? If the applicant intends there to be a single array of capacitors, then this appears to contract the prior limitation in the claims also recite “a binary array of capacitors having capacitances with different values”. As such, it is not clear as to a unary array of capacitors since a binary array of capacitors would necessarily include a unary array (a single array). Please clarify.
Double Patenting
The nonstatutory double patenting rejection is based on a judicially created doctrine grounded in public policy (a policy reflected in the statute) so as to prevent the unjustified or improper timewise extension of the “right to exclude” granted by a patent and to prevent possible harassment by multiple assignees. A nonstatutory double patenting rejection is appropriate where the conflicting claims are not identical, but at least one examined application claim is not patentably distinct from the reference claim(s) because the examined application claim is either anticipated by, or would have been obvious over, the reference claim(s). See, e.g., In re Berg, 140 F.3d 1428, 46 USPQ2d 1226 (Fed. Cir. 1998); In re Goodman, 11 F.3d 1046, 29 USPQ2d 2010 (Fed. Cir. 1993); In re Longi, 759 F.2d 887, 225 USPQ 645 (Fed. Cir. 1985); In re Van Ornum, 686 F.2d 937, 214 USPQ 761 (CCPA 1982); In re Vogel, 422 F.2d 438, 164 USPQ 619 (CCPA 1970); In re Thorington, 418 F.2d 528, 163 USPQ 644 (CCPA 1969).
A timely filed terminal disclaimer in compliance with 37 CFR 1.321(c) or 1.321(d) may be used to overcome an actual or provisional rejection based on nonstatutory double patenting provided the reference application or patent either is shown to be commonly owned with the examined application, or claims an invention made as a result of activities undertaken within the scope of a joint research agreement. See MPEP § 717.02 for applications subject to examination under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA as explained in MPEP § 2159. See MPEP § 2146 et seq. for applications not subject to examination under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA . A terminal disclaimer must be signed in compliance with 37 CFR 1.321(b).
The filing of a terminal disclaimer by itself is not a complete reply to a nonstatutory double patenting (NSDP) rejection. A complete reply requires that the terminal disclaimer be accompanied by a reply requesting reconsideration of the prior Office action. Even where the NSDP rejection is provisional the reply must be complete. See MPEP § 804, subsection I.B.1. For a reply to a non-final Office action, see 37 CFR 1.111(a). For a reply to final Office action, see 37 CFR 1.113(c). A request for reconsideration while not provided for in 37 CFR 1.113(c) may be filed after final for consideration. See MPEP §§ 706.07(e) and 714.13.
The USPTO Internet website contains terminal disclaimer forms which may be used. Please visit www.uspto.gov/patent/patents-forms. The actual filing date of the application in which the form is filed determines what form (e.g., PTO/SB/25, PTO/SB/26, PTO/AIA /25, or PTO/AIA /26) should be used. A web-based eTerminal Disclaimer may be filled out completely online using web-screens. An eTerminal Disclaimer that meets all requirements is auto-processed and approved immediately upon submission. For more information about eTerminal Disclaimers, refer to www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/applying-online/eterminal-disclaimer.
Claims 1, 4, 8, 11, 15 and 16 are rejected on the ground of nonstatutory double patenting as being unpatentable over claims 1-20 of U.S. Patent No. US 12,361,255. Although the claims at issue are not identical, they are not patentably distinct from each other because they recite substantially similar subject matter (see chart below). The differences between the instant claims and the patented claims do not result in a substantive difference which would modify the scope of the claimed invention. Thus, the claims only contain nominal differences in language which do not render them patentably distinct from the patented claims.
INSTANT CLAIM(S)
PATENTED CLAIM(S)
1. A method for optimizing power reception in a contactless device, the method comprising: capturing, by an antenna, an amplitude-modulated electromagnetic field at a carrier frequency; converting, by a rectifying circuit coupled to the antenna, the amplitude-modulated electromagnetic field into a rectified signal; converting, by a measurement circuit, an analog signal representative of electric power received by the antenna from the rectified signal into a digital signal; determining, by a controller, through successive iterations, whether changes to a capacitance of an array of selectively couplable capacitors coupled to the antenna result in an increase or decrease of the electric power received by the antenna by monitoring the digital signal; selectively coupling or decoupling, by the controller, capacitors in the array of selectively couplable capacitors to set a total capacitance that maximizes the electric power received by the antenna; and maintaining, by the controller, the total capacitance at the value that maximizes the electric power received after the successive iterations are complete.
14. A method for modifying a resonance frequency of an electronic device, wherein the electronic device comprises a capacitive element with a variable capacitance, the method comprising: measuring, by a first circuit of the electronic device, a first analog signal representative of a variation of an instantaneous electric power received via an antenna or representative of the instantaneous electric power received via the antenna; and modifying, by successive iterations, the capacitance of the capacitive element until the instantaneous electric power received by the antenna is a maximum, wherein the antenna captures an electromagnetic field.
15. The method according to claim 14, further comprising providing, by a second electronic circuit of the electronic device, the first analog signal by rectifying and filtering a voltage across the antenna, wherein the first analog signal is a current.
8. An electronic system for optimizing power reception in a contactless device, the system comprising: a receiver antenna configured to capture an amplitude-modulated electromagnetic field; a variable capacitance circuit coupled to the receiver antenna; a power detection circuit configured to measure a signal indicative of instantaneous electric power received by the receiver antenna; and a control circuit configured to: iteratively adjust the variable capacitance circuit through multiple capacitance values, monitor changes in the signal indicative of instantaneous electric power received by the receiver antenna in response to each adjustment, and set the variable capacitance circuit to a capacitance value that maximizes the amplitude of the instantaneous electric power received by the receiver antenna, wherein the control circuit is further configured to execute the iterative adjustment process a plurality of times during a same process of data exchange between the contactless device and a terminal.
1. An electronic device comprising: a first electronic circuit comprising a capacitive element with a variable capacitance, the first electronic circuit configured to: couple the capacitive element to an antenna; measure, by successive iterations, a first analog signal representative of a variation of an instantaneous electric power received by the antenna or representative of the instantaneous electric power received by the antenna; and modify the capacitance of the capacitive element until an amplitude of the instantaneous electric power received by the antenna is a maximum, wherein the antenna is configured to capture an amplitude-modulated electromagnetic field.
20. A contactless read card, comprising: an antenna configured to capture an amplitude-modulated electromagnetic field; and an electronic device, comprising a first electronic circuit having a capacitive element with a variable capacitance, the first electronic circuit configured to: couple the capacitive element to the antenna, measure, by successive iterations, a first analog signal representative of a variation of an instantaneous electric power received by the antenna or representative of the instantaneous electric power received by the antenna, and modify the capacitance of the capacitive element until an amplitude of the instantaneous electric power received by the antenna is a maximum.
15. A method for optimizing power reception in a contactless device, the method comprising: measuring a digital signal representative of electric power received by an antenna from an amplitude-modulated electromagnetic field; determining, by a controller, through successive iterations, whether changes to a capacitance of an array of selectively couplable capacitors coupled to the antenna result in an increase or decrease of the electric power received by the antenna by monitoring the digital signal; selectively coupling or decoupling, by the controller, capacitors in the array of selectively couplable capacitors to set a total capacitance that maximizes the electric power received by the antenna; and maintaining, by the controller, the total capacitance at the value that maximizes the electric power received after the successive iterations are complete.
14. A method for modifying a resonance frequency of an electronic device, wherein the electronic device comprises a capacitive element with a variable capacitance, the method comprising: measuring, by a first circuit of the electronic device, a first analog signal representative of a variation of an instantaneous electric power received via an antenna or representative of the instantaneous electric power received via the antenna; and modifying, by successive iterations, the capacitance of the capacitive element until the instantaneous electric power received by the antenna is a maximum, wherein the antenna captures an electromagnetic field.
15. The method according to claim 14, further comprising providing, by a second electronic circuit of the electronic device, the first analog signal by rectifying and filtering a voltage across the antenna, wherein the first analog signal is a current.
Regarding the dependent claims, the patented dependent claims recite similar limitations.
Examiner’s Remarks
With respect to claim(s) 1-20, the examiner makes no prior art rejection. However, these claims are not allowable pursuant to the pending Double Patenting rejection and 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, rejection.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Goulier (US 2017/0005517) discloses a remotely powered contactless card.
Goulier (US 2023/0223948) discloses a telepowered contactless card.
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/SUEZU ELLIS/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2876