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 .
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.
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Claims 1-20 rejected on the ground of nonstatutory double patenting as being unpatentable over claim1-20 of U.S. Patent No. 12388298. Although the claims at issue are not identical, they are not patentably distinct from each other because the method of wireless power transfer through a median in the application is not patentable distinct from the method claimed in the US PATENT.
APPLICATION 19265429
1.A method of wireless power transfer through a medium, the method comprising: generating, via a transmit resonator of a transmitter of a wireless power transfer system, the transmit resonator electrically connected to the inverter, a field for transferring power wirelessly through a medium to a receiver of the wireless power transfer system, wherein an input voltage of the inverter is based on a detected parameter.
2. The method of claim 1, further comprising: controlling the input voltage based on the detected parameter.
3. The method of claim 1, wherein the inverter is electrically connected to a transmit resonator of the transmitter.
4. The method of claim 1, further comprising: detecting the parameter at the transmitter and/or the receiver of the wireless power transfer system.
5. The method of claim 1, wherein the parameter comprises at least one of: rectified voltage at the receiver of the wireless power transfer system, reactance at the receiver, impedance at the receiver, phase of an impedance at the receiver, power received at the receiver, and temperature of the receiver.
6. The method of claim 2, wherein controlling an input voltage of an inverter comprises: controlling an output voltage of a converter electrically connected to the inverter.
7.The method of claim 1, further comprising:
communicating the detected parameter to the transmitter.
8. The method of claim 1, further comprising: monitoring the parameter over a period of time.
9. The method of claim 2, wherein controlling the input voltage of the inverter comprises: controlling the input voltage of the inverter based on a change to the parameter monitored over a period of time.
10. A controller configured to control at least one of an inverter of a transmitter of a wireless power transfer system, a converter of the transmitter, the transmitter and a receiver of the wireless power transfer system to perform the method of claim 1.
11. A method of optimising a transmitter of a wireless power transfer system for a medium positioned between the transmitter and a receiver, the method comprising: optimising an input voltage of an inverter of a transmitter of a wireless power transfer system based on a detected parameter
12. The method of claim 11, wherein the parameter is related to a medium positioned between the transmitter and a receiver.
13. The method of claim 11, wherein optimising the input voltage comprises adjusting the input voltage from a first voltage level to a second voltage level based on the detected parameter, and wherein adjusting the input voltage comprises continuously adjusting the input voltage between a plurality of voltage levels.
14. The method of claim 11, further comprising: detecting the parameter at the transmitter and/or the receiver of the wireless power transfer system.
15. The method of claim 11, wherein the parameter comprises at least one of: rectified voltage at the receiver of the wireless power transfer system, reactance at the receiver, impedance at the receiver, phase of an impedance at the receiver, power received at the receiver, and temperature of the receiver.
16. The method of claim 11, further comprising: communicating, from the receiver, the rectified voltage to the transmitter.
17. The method of claim 11, further comprising: powering, via the inverter, a transmit resonator of the transmitter at the input voltage to generate a field for transferring power wirelessly through a medium to the receiver.
18. A controller configured to control at least one of an inverter of a transmitter of a wireless power transfer system, a converter of the transmitter, the transmitter and a receiver of the wireless power transfer system to perform the method of claim 11.
19. A transmitter of a wireless power transfer system, the transmitter for wirelessly transferring power through a medium to a receiver of the wireless power transfer system, the transmitter comprising: a transmit resonator for wirelessly transferring power through a medium to a receiver of the wireless power transfer system; an inverter electrically connected to the transmit resonator; and a controller for tuning the transmitter for the medium, the controller configured to optimise an input voltage of the inverter based on a detected parameter.
20. The transmitter of claim 19, wherein the parameter comprises at least one of: rectified voltage at the receiver of the wireless power transfer system, reactance at the receiver, impedance at the receiver, phase of an impedance at the receiver, power received at the receiver, and temperature of the receiver.
US PATENT 12388298
1.A method of wireless power transfer through a medium, the method comprising: controlling an input voltage of an inverter of a transmitter of a wireless power transfer system based on a detected parameter; and generating, via a transmit resonator of the transmitter, the transmit resonator electrically connected to the inverter, a field for transferring power wirelessly through a medium to a receiver of the wireless power transfer system.
2. The method of claim 1, further comprising: detecting the parameter at the transmitter and/or the receiver of the wireless power transfer system.
3. The method of claim 2, wherein the parameter comprises rectified voltage at the receiver of the wireless power transfer system.
4. The method of claim 1, wherein controlling an input voltage of an inverter comprises: controlling an output voltage of a converter electrically connected to the inverter.
5. The method of claim 1, further comprising: communicating the detected parameter to the transmitter.
6. The method of claim 5, wherein communicating comprises: communicating the detected parameter from the receiver to the transmitter.
7. The method of claim 1, further comprising: monitoring the parameter over a period of time.
8. The method of claim 7, wherein controlling an input voltage of an inverter comprises: controlling an input voltage of an inverter based on a change to the monitored parameter over the period of time.
9. The method of claim 1, wherein the medium comprises a window, glass, a building structure, concrete or wood.
10. A method of wireless power transfer through a medium, the method comprising: powering, via an inverter, a transmit resonator of a transmitter of a wireless power transfer system at an input voltage via an inverter to generate a field for transferring power wirelessly through a medium to a receiver of the wireless power transfer system; and optimising the input voltage of the inverter based on a detected parameter.
11. The method of claim 10, wherein optimising the input voltage comprises adjusting the input voltage from a first voltage level to a second voltage level based on the detected parameter.
12. The method of claim 10, wherein adjusting the input voltage comprises continuously adjusting the input voltage between a plurality of voltage levels.
13. The method of claim 10, further comprising: detecting the parameter at the transmitter and/or the receiver of the wireless power transfer system.
14. The method of claim 10, wherein the parameter comprises rectified voltage at the receiver of the wireless power transfer system.
15. The method of claim 10, further comprising: communicating, from the receiver, the rectified voltage to the transmitter.
16. A controller configured to control at least one of an inverter of an transmitter of a wireless power transfer system, a converter of the transmitter, the transmitter and a receiver of the wireless power transfer system to perform the method of claim 1.
17. A transmitter of a wireless power transfer system, the transmitter for wirelessly transferring power through a medium to a receiver of the wireless power transfer system, the transmitter comprising: a transmit resonator for wirelessly transferring power through a medium to a receiver of the wireless power transfer system; an inverter electrically connected to the transmit resonator; and a controller for controlling an input voltage of the inverter based on a detected parameter.
18. The transmitter of claim 17, further comprising: a sensor for detecting the parameter at the transmitter and/or receiver.
19. The transmitter of claim 17, wherein the parameter comprises rectified voltage at the receiver of the wireless power transfer system.
20. The transmitter of claim 17, further comprising: a communication module for receiving the parameter from a receiver of the wireless power transfer system.
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) 1-20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over OTSUBO et al. CN 112567592A.
CLAIMS 1,10,11
OTSUBO et al. discloses the non-contact power supply system 1000 uses the non-contact power supply mode of the resonant type, but not limited to this, for example, it also can adopt electromagnetic induction mode and foreign matter detecting part 103 detecting the change of the parameter, detecting the foreign matter according to the change of the detected parameter. The parameter of the object for detecting the change of the foreign body detection part 103 is the input voltage or input current of the high-frequency inverter circuit 102.
The resonant type power supply system 1000 obviously generating, via a transmit resonator of a transmitter of a wireless power transfer system, the transmit resonator electrically connected to the inverter, a field for transferring power wirelessly through a medium to a receiver of the wireless power transfer system, the reference discloses input voltage is dependent on the medium through which the power transfer is transferred.
OTSUBO et al. does not disclose wherein an input voltage of the inverter is based on a detected parameter.
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was made to detect a parameter of a medium and set an input voltage level to the inverter to transfer to the receiver the level of power required to be transferred.
CLAIM 2
OTSUBO et al. discloses the method of claim 1 wherein the medium changes the input voltage to the inverter.
OTSUBO et al. does not disclose controlling the input voltage based on the detected parameter.
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was made to detect a parameter of a medium and set an input voltage level to the inverter to transfer to the receiver the level of power required to be transferred.
CLAIM 3
OTSUBO et al. discloses the method of claim 1, wherein the inverter is electrically connected to a transmit resonator of the transmitter (the non-contact power supply system 1000 uses the non-contact power supply mode of the resonant type,).
CLAIMS 4,14
OTSUBO et al. discloses the method of claim 1 wherein changes in the transfer medium changes the input voltage of the inverter.
OTSUBO et al. does not disclose detecting the parameter at the transmitter and/or the receiver of the wireless power transfer system.
It is obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was made to measure the input voltage to the inverter to detect parameter changes in the medium to determine the input voltage for the inverter to transfer the required power level to the receiver through the medium to the receiver.
CLAIMS 5,15
OTSUBO et al. discloses the method of claim 1 wherein changes in the transfer medium changes the input voltage of the inverter.
OTSUBO et al. does not disclose wherein the parameter comprises at least one of: rectified voltage at the receiver of the wireless power transfer system, reactance at the receiver, impedance at the receiver, phase of an impedance at the receiver, power received at the receiver, and temperature of the receiver.
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was made to merely measure a parameter of the system, may it be any one of the above, and compensate for the parameter effect by setting the input to the inverter, since it has been held that the provision of adjustability, where needed, involves only routine skill in the art. In re Stevens, 101 USPQ 284 (CCPA 1954).
CLAIM 6
OTSUBO et al. discloses the method of claim 2 wherein changes in the transfer medium changes the input voltage of the inverter and the input voltage to the inverter controls the transfer of power through the medium to the receiver.
OTSUBO et al. does not disclose controlling an output voltage of a converter electrically connected to the inverter.
It is obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was made that controlling the input voltage of an inverter controls the output of the inverter and a converter connected to the output of the inverter is obviously controlled by the output of the inverter.
CLAIM 7
OTSUBO et al. discloses the method of claim 1 wherein changes in the transfer medium changes the input voltage of the inverter.
OTSUBO et al. does not disclose communicating the detected parameter to the transmitter.
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was made to observe the input voltage change as a communication means for parameter detection to compensate for transfer medium changes.
Claim 8
OTSUBO et al. discloses the method of claim 1.
OTSUBO et al. does not disclose monitoring the parameter over a period of time.
OTSUBO et al. discloses the claimed invention except for monitoring the parameter over a period of time.
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was made to monitor the parameter over a period of time to determine the optimum value of the parameter, since it has been held that discovering an optimum value of a result effective variable involves only routine skill in the art. In re Boesch, 617 F.2d 272, 205 USPQ 215 (CCPA 1980).
CLAIM 9
OTSUBO et al. discloses the method of claim 21 wherein changes in the transfer medium changes the input voltage of the inverter.
OTSUBO et al. does not disclose wherein controlling the input voltage of the
inverter comprises: controlling the input voltage of the inverter based on a change to the parameter monitored over a period of time.
It would have been obvious to one have ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was made to monitor a parameter over time to determine an optimum parameter value and to adjust the input voltage to the inverter to compensate for changes in the transfer medium.
CLAIM 12
OTSUBO et al. discloses the method of claim 11, wherein the parameter is related to a medium positioned between the transmitter and a receiver (transferring power from a transmitter to a receiver obviously has a medium between them).
CLAIM 13
OTSUBO et al. discloses the method of claim 11.
OTSUBO et al. does not disclose wherein optimising the input voltage comprises adjusting the input voltage from a first voltage level to a second voltage level based on the detected parameter, and wherein adjusting the input voltage comprises continuously adjusting the input voltage between a plurality of voltage levels.
OTSUBO et al. discloses the claimed invention except for optimizing the input voltage to the inverter for the transfer medium parameter.
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was made to optimize the input voltage to the inverter, since it has been held that discovering an optimum value of a result effective variable involves only routine skill in the art. In re Boesch, 617 F.2d 272, 205 USPQ 215 (CCPA 1980).
CLAIM 16
OTSUBO et al. discloses the method of claim 11.
OTSUBO et al. does not disclose communicating, from the receiver, the rectified voltage to the transmitter.
It is obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was made that measuring the rectified voltage at the receiver is equal to the transmitted power minus the power lost in the transfer medium, therefore it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art to communicate the rectified voltage received at the receiver to the transmitter to increase the power transmission to compensate for the power transmission loss in the transfer medium.
CLAIM 17
OTSUBO et al. discloses the method of claim 11, further comprising: powering, via the inverter, a transmit resonator of the transmitter at the input voltage to generate a field for transferring power wirelessly through a medium to the receiver (the non-contact power supply system 1000 uses the non-contact power supply mode of the resonant type,).
CLAIM 18
OTSUBO et al. discloses the claimed invention except for making the control of the invention into an integral assembly.
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was made to configure the control of the power transfer system into a controller assembly, since it has been held that making an old device portable or moveable without producing any new and unexpected result involves only routine skill in the art. In re Lindberg, 93 USPQ 23 (CCPA 1952).
CLAIM 19
OTSUBO et al. discloses a transmitter of a wireless power transfer system, the transmitter for wirelessly transferring power through a medium to a receiver of the wireless power transfer system, the transmitter comprising: a transmit resonator for wirelessly transferring power through a medium to a receiver of the wireless power transfer system; an inverter electrically connected to the transmit resonator wherein changes in the transfer medium changes the input voltage of the inverter.
OTSUBO et al. does not disclose a controller for tuning the transmitter for the medium, the controller configured to optimise an input voltage of the inverter based on a detected parameter.
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was made to modify the controller to take multiple measurements of the received power optimize the input voltage control of the inverter for the transfer medium power loss.
CLAIM 20
OTSUBO et al. discloses the transmitter of claim 19.
OTSUBO et al. does not disclose wherein the parameter comprises at least one of: rectified voltage at the receiver of the wireless power transfer system, reactance at the receiver, impedance at the receiver, phase of an impedance at the receiver, power received at the receiver, and temperature of the receiver.
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was made to merely measure a parameter of the system, may it be any one of the above, and compensate for the parameter effect by setting the input to the inverter, since it has been held that the provision of adjustability, where needed, involves only routine skill in the art. In re Stevens, 101 USPQ 284 (CCPA 1954).
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July 17, 2026
/ROBERT L DEBERADINIS/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2836
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