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.
(a)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claims 1-2, 6-11, and 15-18 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Ramakrishnan et al. (US 12,184,088; “Ramakrishnan”).
Regarding claim 1, Ramakrishnan teaches a method for power loss accounting (Figures 1, 3, 5), the method comprising the steps of:
acquiring information on at least one of a distance between a wireless power transmitter (110) and a wireless power receiver (120) and a rectified voltage (output of 124; Col. 8, lines 30-39 and 42-44. Col. 8, line 61 through col. 9, line 17. Col. 9, line 67 through col. 10, line 2) of the wireless power receiver (120); and
estimating power loss due to friendly metal with reference to the acquired information (Col. 8, line 61 through col. 9, line 17. Col. 9, line 67 through col. 10, line 2).
As for claim 2, Ramakrishnan teaches wherein at least one of the distance and the rectified voltage (from rectifier 124) functions as a variable for estimating the power loss (Col. 8, lines 30-39 and 42-44. Col. 8, line 61 through col. 9, line 17. Col. 9, line 67 through col. 10, line 2).
Regarding claim 6, Ramakrishnan teaches wherein a second packet transmitted from the wireless power receiver includes information corresponding to a coefficient used to estimate the power loss and a condition to be applied to the coefficient (Col. 11, line 47 through col. 12, line 7. Col. 12, lines 21-35).
Regarding claim 7, Ramakrishnan teaches wherein a third packet transmitted from the wireless power receiver includes information for assisting in selection of a coefficient used to estimate the power loss (Col. 11, line 47 through col. 12, line 7. Col. 12, lines 21-35).
Regarding claim 8, Ramakrishnan teaches wherein a coefficient used to estimate the power loss is stored in the wireless power receiver, and the coefficient is dependent on at least one of the distance and the rectified voltage (Col. 9, lines 2-17).
Regarding claim 9, Ramakrishnan teaches a wireless power transmitter (110), comprising:
an acquisition unit (118) configured to acquire information on at least one of a distance between the wireless power transmitter (110) and a wireless power receiver (120) and a rectified voltage (output of 124; Col. 8, lines 30-39 and 42-44. Col. 8, line 61 through col. 9, line 17. Col. 9, line 67 through col. 10, line 2) of the wireless power receiver (120); and
an estimation management unit (116) configured to estimate power loss due to friendly metal with reference to the acquired information (Col. 8, line 61 through col. 9, line 17. Col. 9, line 67 through col. 10, line 2).
Regarding claim 10, Ramakrishnan teaches a method for power loss accounting (Figures 1, 3, 5), the method comprising the steps of:
acquiring information on at least one of a distance between a wireless power transmitter (110) and a wireless power receiver (120) and a rectified voltage (output of 124; Col. 8, lines 30-39 and 42-44. Col. 8, line 61 through col. 9, line 17. Col. 9, line 67 through col. 10, line 2) of the wireless power receiver (120); and
causing power loss due to friendly metal to be estimated with reference to the acquired information (Col. 8, line 61 through col. 9, line 17. Col. 9, line 67 through col. 10, line 2).
As for claim 11, Ramakrishnan teaches wherein at least one of the distance and the rectified voltage (from rectifier 124) functions as a variable for estimating the power loss (Col. 8, lines 30-39 and 42-44. Col. 8, line 61 through col. 9, line 17. Col. 9, line 67 through col. 10, line 2).
Regarding claim 15, Ramakrishnan teaches wherein a second packet transmitted from the wireless power receiver includes information corresponding to a coefficient used to estimate the power loss and a condition to be applied to the coefficient (Col. 11, line 47 through col. 12, line 7. Col. 12, lines 21-35).
Regarding claim 16, Ramakrishnan teaches wherein a third packet transmitted from the wireless power receiver includes information for assisting in selection of a coefficient used to estimate the power loss (Col. 11, line 47 through col. 12, line 7. Col. 12, lines 21-35).
Regarding claim 17, Ramakrishnan teaches wherein a coefficient used to estimate the power loss is stored in the wireless power receiver, and the coefficient is dependent on at least one of the distance and the rectified voltage (Col. 9, lines 2-17).
Regarding claim 18, Ramakrishnan teaches a wireless power receiver (120), comprising:
an acquisition unit (128) configured to acquire information on at least one of a distance between a wireless power transmitter (110) and the wireless power receiver (120) and a rectified voltage (output of 124) of the wireless power receiver (120); and
an estimation management unit (126) configured to cause power loss due to friendly metal to be estimated with reference to the acquired information (Col. 8, line 61 through col. 9, line 17. Col. 9, line 67 through col. 10, line 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.
Claims 3-5 and 12-14 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Ramakrishnan in view of Hosotani (US 2018/0083491).
Regarding claims 3-5, Ramakrishnan teaches measuring and transmitting parameters, including coupling coefficients (Col. 11, line 47 through col. 12, line 7. Col. 12, lines 21-35), of the wireless power receiver (110) and the wireless power transmitter (120).
Ramakrishnan fails to teach wherein the distance is determined on the basis of a coupling coefficient; wherein the distance is determined as a first value in response to the coupling coefficient being greater than or equal to a reference value, and as a second value in response to the coupling coefficient being less than the reference value.
However, the relationship between coupling coefficients and distances between wireless power receiving coils and wireless power transmitting coils is well-known to those of ordinary skill in the art. For example, see para. [0088] of Hosotani.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to determine the distance between the wireless power receiver and the wireless power transmitter of Ramakrishnan using known coupling coefficients because such a modification would have been applying a well-known relationship between coupling coefficients and distances between wireless power receiving coils and wireless power transmitting coils in wireless power transfer systems.
Regarding claims 12-14, Ramakrishnan teaches measuring and transmitting parameters, including coupling coefficients (Col. 11, line 47 through col. 12, line 7. Col. 12, lines 21-35), of the wireless power receiver (110) and the wireless power transmitter (120).
Ramakrishnan fails to teach wherein the distance is determined on the basis of a coupling coefficient; wherein the distance is determined as a first value in response to the coupling coefficient being greater than or equal to a reference value, and as a second value in response to the coupling coefficient being less than the reference value.
However, the relationship between coupling coefficients and distances between wireless power receiving coils and wireless power transmitting coils is well-known to those of ordinary skill in the art. For example, see para. [0088] of Hosotani.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to determine the distance between the wireless power receiver and the wireless power transmitter of Ramakrishnan using known coupling coefficients because such a modification would have been applying a well-known relationship between coupling coefficients and distances between wireless power receiving coils and wireless power transmitting coils in wireless power transfer systems.
Conclusion
The prior art references made of record and not relied upon teach wireless power transmission systems, comprising: wireless power receivers, wireless power transmitters, distance detectors, rectifier voltage measuring, and friendly-metal power loss determinations.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to LEVI GANNON whose telephone number is (571)272-7971. The examiner can normally be reached 7:00AM-4:30PM.
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/LEVI GANNON/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2836 June 29, 2026
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