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 .
Continuation Data
2. This application is a Continuation of application 18/817,799, now U.S. Patent No. 12,387,068 filed August 28, 2024, which claims priority to Provisional application 63/579,645, filed August 30, 2023.
Information Disclosure Statement
3. The Information Disclosure Statements filed on July 28, 2025 and October 23, 2025 have been considered. Initialed copies of the Form 1449 are enclosed herewith.
Double Patenting
4. 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 claims because the examined application claim is either anticipated by, or would have been obvious over, the reference claims. 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 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.
5. Claims 1-20 are rejected on the ground of nonstatutory double patenting as being unpatentable over claims 1-3, 7, 19, and 20 of U.S. Patent No. 12,347,068, hereinafter ‘068. Although the claims at issue are not identical, they are not patentably distinct from each other because the instant claimed invention recites similar limitations of ‘068 – see below.
Application 19/282,670 (claims 1, 2, 8, and 9)
Patent No. ‘068 (claim 1)
1. A radio-frequency identification (RFID) tag, comprising: RFID tag electronics; and an antenna coupled to the RFID electronics, wherein the RFID tag has a resonant frequency, wherein the resonant frequency of the RFID tag is higher than an excitation frequency of a transmission generated by an RFID reader, wherein the RFID tag is one of a plurality of RFID tags in proximity in a grouping, wherein the grouping of RFID tags shapes a magnetic flux density field of the transmission generated by the RFID reader through the grouping of RFID tags, wherein the grouping of RFID tags has a resonant frequency that is lower than the resonant frequency of each of the plurality of RFID tags considered individually due to resonant coupling, and wherein the transmission generated by the RFID reader powers the RFID tag electronics via the resonant coupling.
2. The RFID tag of claim 1, wherein the resonant frequency of the RFID tag results from the antenna.
8. The RFID tag of claim 1, further comprising: a circuit element connected in parallel with the antenna, wherein the resonant frequency of the RFID tag results from the antenna and the circuit element.
9. The RFID tag of claim 8, wherein the resonant frequency of the RFID tag results from the RFID tag electronics, the antenna and the circuit element.
1. A radio-frequency identification (RFID) tag, comprising:
RFID tag electronics; an antenna coupled to the RFID electronics; and a circuit element connected in parallel with the antenna, wherein the circuit element includes a capacitor, wherein the RFID tag has a resonant frequency resulting from the antenna and the circuit element, wherein the resonant frequency of the RFID tag is higher than an excitation frequency of a transmission generated by an RFID reader, wherein the RFID tag is one of a plurality of RFID tags in proximity in a grouping, wherein the grouping of RFID tags shapes a magnetic flux density field of the transmission generated by the RFID reader through the grouping of RFID tags, wherein the grouping of RFID tags has a resonant frequency that is lower than the resonant frequency of each of the plurality of RFID tags considered individually due to resonant coupling, and wherein the transmission generated by the RFID reader powers the RFID tag electronics via the resonant coupling.
Application 19/282,670 (claims 3 and 13)
Patent No. ‘068 (claim 5)
3. The RFID tag of claim 1, wherein the resonant frequency of the RFID tag results from a capacitance of the antenna.
13. The system of claim 11, wherein the resonant frequency of the given RFID tag results from a capacitance of the antenna.
5. The RFID tag of claim 3, wherein the inductance of the antenna and the capacitance of the circuit element are selected to result in a given resonant frequency.
Application 19/282,670 (claims 4 and 14)
Patent No. ‘068 (claim 7)
4. The RFID tag of claim 3, wherein the antenna has a number of turns, wherein the capacitance of the antenna increases as the number of turns increases.
14. The system of claim 13, wherein the antenna has a number of turns, wherein the capacitance of the antenna increases as the number of turns increases.
7. The RFID tag of claim 1, wherein a capacitance of the capacitor is selected based on a number of turns of the antenna, wherein a selected capacitance decreases as the number of turns increases.
Application 19/282,670 (claims 5-7 and 15-17)
Patent No. ‘068 (claim 3)
5/15. The RFID tag/system, wherein the resonant frequency of the RFID tag results from an inductance of the antenna.
6/16. The RFID tag/system, wherein the resonant frequency of the RFID tag results from an inductance and a capacitance of the antenna.
7/17. The RFID tag/system, wherein the resonant frequency of the RFID tag results from the RFID tag electronics and the antenna.
3. The RFID tag of claim 1, wherein the resonant frequency results from the RFID tag electronics, an inductance of the antenna and a capacitance of the circuit element.
Application 19/282,670 (claim 10)
Patent No. ‘068 (claim 2)
10. The RFID tag of claim 1, further comprising: a circuit element connected in series between the antenna and the RFID tag electronics, wherein the resonant frequency of the RFID tag results from the antenna, the circuit element and the RFID electronics.
2. The RFID tag of claim 1, wherein the circuit element is a first circuit element, and wherein the capacitor is a first capacitor, the RFID tag further comprising: a second circuit element connected in series between the antenna and the RFID tag electronics, wherein the second circuit element includes at least one of a second capacitor, an inductor, and a resistor, wherein the resonant frequency of the RFID tag results from the antenna, the first circuit element, and the second circuit element.
Application 19/282,670 (claims 11, 12, 18, and 19)
Patent No. ‘068 (claim 19)
11. A system for determining locations of objects in a gaming environment, the system comprising: a plurality of radio-frequency identification (RFID) antennas arranged at a plurality of locations on a gaming table; one or more RFID readers coupled to the plurality of RFID antennas; and a plurality of RFID tags, wherein a given RFID tag of the plurality of RFID tags comprises: RFID tag electronics; and an antenna coupled to the RFID electronics, wherein the given RFID tag has a resonant frequency, wherein the resonant frequency of the given RFID tag is higher than an excitation frequency of a transmission generated by the one or more RFID readers, wherein the plurality of RFID tags are in proximity in a grouping, wherein the grouping of RFID tags shapes a magnetic flux density field of the transmission generated by the one or more RFID readers through the grouping of RFID tags, wherein the grouping of RFID tags has a resonant frequency that is lower than the resonant frequency of each of the plurality of RFID tags considered individually due to resonant coupling, and wherein the transmission generated by the one or more RFID readers powers the RFID tag electronics via the resonant coupling.
12. The system of claim 11, wherein the resonant frequency of the given RFID tag results from the antenna.
18. The system of claim 11, wherein the given RFID tag further comprises: a circuit element connected in parallel with the antenna, wherein the resonant frequency of the RFID tag results from the antenna and the circuit element.
19. The system of claim 18, wherein the resonant frequency of the given RFID tag results from the RFID tag electronics, the antenna and the circuit element.
19. A system for determining locations of objects in a gaming environment, the system comprising: a plurality of radio-frequency identification (RFID) antennas arranged at a plurality of locations on a gaming table; one or more RFID readers coupled to the plurality of RFID antennas; and a plurality of RFID tags, wherein a given RFID tag of the plurality of RFID tags comprises: RFID tag electronics; an antenna coupled to the RFID electronics; and a circuit element connected in parallel with the antenna, wherein the circuit element includes a capacitor, wherein the given RFID tag has a resonant frequency resulting from the antenna and the circuit element, wherein the resonant frequency of the given RFID tag is higher than an excitation frequency of a transmission generated by the one or more RFID readers, wherein the plurality of RFID tags are in proximity in a grouping, wherein the grouping of RFID tags shapes a magnetic flux density field of the transmission generated by the one or more RFID readers through the grouping of RFID tags, wherein the grouping of RFID tags has a resonant frequency that is lower than the resonant frequency of each of the plurality of RFID tags considered individually due to resonant coupling, and wherein the transmission generated by the one or more RFID readers powers the RFID tag electronics via the resonant coupling.
Application 19/282,670 (claim 20)
Patent No. ‘068 (claim 20)
20. The system of claim 11, further comprising: a control system, wherein in response to the transmission generated by the one or more RFID readers and the RFID electronics being powered, the given RFID tag communicates an RFID tag identifier, and wherein, in response to receiving the RFID tag identifier, the control system associates the given RFID tag with a location on the gaming table corresponding to one or more of the plurality of RFID antennas.
20. The system of claim 19, further comprising: a control system, wherein in response to the transmission generated by the one or more RFID readers and the RFID electronics being powered, the given RFID tag communicates an RFID tag identifier, and wherein, in response to receiving the RFID tag identifier, the control system associates the given RFID tag with a location on the gaming table corresponding to one or more of the plurality of RFID antennas.
Although the claims at issue are not identical, they are not patentably distinct from each other. Claims 1-20 recite the same RFID tag and for determining locations of objects, as is set forth in ‘068. The only difference between the present claimed invention and ‘068 is the utilization of different terminologies and/or rephrasing of the terminologies. Due to the similarities of the pending claims and the claims set forth in ‘068, the Examiner believes that the scope of each claim set is almost identical.
Conclusion
6. The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant’s disclosure: See attached PTO form 892, Refence Cited.
7. Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Allyson N. Trail whose telephone number is (571) 272-2406. The examiner can normally be reached between the hours of 7:30AM to 4:00PM Monday thru Friday.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Michael G. Lee, can be reached on (571) 272-2398. The fax phone number for this Group is (571) 273-8300.
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/ALLYSON N TRAIL/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2876 January 15, 2026