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
Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 1930829 was filed. The submission is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
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.
Claim 14 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.
Claim 14 recites the limitation "the predetermined transmission period" in the 9th line of claim 14. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
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.
(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.
Claim(s) 1-4, 6 and 8-15 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) or (a)(2) as being anticipated by Yokoyama (US 2022/0402389 A1).
Regarding Claim 1, Yokoyama teaches a contactless power supply system supplying power to a reception side from a transmission side using magnetic coupling, comprising:
a reception apparatus of the reception side configured to output a transmission request signal that requests power transmission (see Yokoyama fig 1 “power reception side resonance circuit 51 and para 0127, 0136);
a transmission apparatus of the transmission side (see Yokoyama fig 1 “power transmission apparatus 4” and para 0062) configured to, when receiving the transmission request signal, perform power transmission using the magnetic coupling to the reception apparatus for a predetermined transmission period (see Yokoyama para 0058, 0070, 0128, 0131, 0137, 0194, The power supplying system from Yokoyama uses magnetic field resonant coupling to supply power to a vehicle when a the transmitter receives a signal that identifies the vehicle and the power requested. The vehicle will “transmit the vehicle information every predetermined time interval” and will suspend power transmission when communication is disrupted.), and thereafter change a state hereof to be a standby state wherein a power transmission quantity is smaller than that of the transmission period (see Yokoyama para 0190-0191, If communication between the vehicle is disrupted, the system goes in to a standby state wherein the standby state “power is not supplied from the ground power supplying apparatus 2 to the vehicle 3”).
Regarding Claim 2, Yokoyama teaches the contactless power supply system according to claim 1, wherein the transmission apparatus is configured not to perform, during the standby state, a power transmission using the magnetic coupling (see Yokoyama para 0058, 0190, “transfers power by noncontact from the ground power supplying apparatus 2 to the vehicle 3 by magnetic field resonant coupling” and “when the ground power supplying apparatus 2 is in the standby state (A18), power is not supplied from the ground power supplying apparatus 2 to the vehicle 3”).
Regarding Claim 3, Yokoyama teaches the contactless power supply system according to claim 1, wherein the reception apparatus is configured to output the transmission request signal to the transmission apparatus using the magnetic coupling (see Yokoyama para 0121, 0131, “The vehicle side second communication device 72 has an antenna for generating an electric wave or magnetic field”, The power receiver on the vehicle can transmit a signal to the power transmitter to request power.).
Regarding Claim 4, Yokoyama teaches the contactless power supply system according to claim 1, wherein
the transmission apparatus comprises:
a primary resonant circuit composed of a transmission coil and a first capacitor (see Yokoyama fig 1 “coil 44” and “capacitor 45” and para 0065 “The power transmission side resonance circuit 43 has a resonator comprised of a coil 44 and capacitor 45”; and
an AC power source that applies an AC voltage having a predetermined frequency to the primary resonant circuit (see Yokoyama fig 1 “power source 21” and para 0061 “The power source 21, for example, is a commercial alternating current power supply for supplying single-phase alternating current power.”), thereby being supplied with power,
the reception apparatus comprises:
a secondary resonant circuit composed of a reception coil and a second capacitor (see Yokoyama fig 1 “coil 52” and “capacitor 53” and para 0079, “The power reception side resonance circuit 51… has a resonator comprised of a coil 52 and capacitor 53); and
a rectifier circuit that rectifies an AC current induced at the secondary resonant circuit to be a DC current (see Yokoyama fig 1 “power reception side rectification circuit 54” and para 0081 “The power reception side rectification circuit 54 rectifies the alternating current power supplied from the power reception side resonance circuit 51 to convert it to direct current power”), wherein
the transmission coil and the reception coil form the magnetic coupling (see Yokoyama para 0058 “The noncontact power supplying system 1 has a ground power supplying apparatus 2 and a vehicle 3 running on a road 100, and transfers power by noncontact from the ground power supplying apparatus 2 to the vehicle 3 by magnetic field resonant coupling”).
Regarding Claim 6, Yokoyama teaches the contactless power supply system according to claim 4, wherein
the transmission apparatus includes a changing unit disposed between the transmission coil and the AC power source, the changing unit changing the transmission quantity (see Yokoyama fig 1 “Inverter 42” and para 0062 and 0067, the inverter 42 controls the amount of power converted between the AC power source 21 and the transmission circuit 43).
Regarding Claim 8, Yokoyama teaches the contactless power supply system according to claim 1, wherein
the transmission apparatus includes a parameter detection unit that detects parameters which depends on the transmission quantity in the transmission period (see Yokoyama para 0072, “a power transmission apparatus current sensor for detecting the current flowing to various equipment of the power transmission apparatus 4”); and
the transmission period is set depending on the parameters (see Yokoyama para 0198, If the current or voltage parameters detected by the sensor exceeds a predetermined value, the power transmission is suspended).
Regarding Claim 9, Yokoyama teaches the contactless power supply system according to claim 1, wherein the reception apparatus is configured to repeatedly output the transmission request signal at predetermined intervals when a predetermined condition is satisfied (see Yokoyama para 0109, 0137, “the vehicle side first communication device 71 transmit the vehicle information every predetermined time interval” when the vehicle is a certain distance away from the GNSS receiver 35, and the time interval is shortened when the distance shortens. The vehicle information can contain a power demanded from the vehicle. Furthermore, Para 0148-0150 teaches conditions where the vehicle sends a power reception end information when a parameter is detected to be abnormal, and thus will not be requesting power.).
Regarding Claim 10, Yokoyama teaches the contactless power supply system according to claim 9, wherein the reception apparatus is configured to determine, when an abnormality has occurred in the reception apparatus, that the predetermined condition is not satisfied (see Yokoyama para 0148-0150, “result of detection of abnormalities relating to power reception of the vehicle 3 during power reception and before and after power reception”).
Regarding Claim 11, Yokoyama teaches the contactless power supply system according to claim 1, wherein at least either the reception apparatus or the transmission apparatus performs a safety check for the apparatus thereof after the transmission period is ended until the reception apparatus outputs a next transmission request signal (see Yokoyama para 0072, 0091, 0195,0238-0249, The reception and transmission apparatuses continually monitor various sensors and parameters to determine if a temperature or power level exceeds a safe limit, and can transmit the information with the vehicle information during the predetermined time intervals.).
Regarding Claim 12, Yokoyama teaches the contactless power supply system according to claim 1, wherein
the reception apparatus is mounted on a mobile body which moves relative to the transmission apparatus (see Yokoyama fig 1 and para 0058-0059); and
a length of the transmission period is determined in advance depending on an average time during which the reception apparatus receives power transmitted from the transmission apparatus while the mobile body is moving (see Yokoyama para 0013, 0038, 0139-0140, 0187 “The demanded supplied power may change during supply of power from the power transmission apparatus 4 to the power reception apparatus 5 if, for example, the speed of the vehicle 3 is slow and the time during which the power reception side resonance circuit 51 is positioned over the power transmission side resonance circuit 43 is long.”).
Regarding Claim 13, Yokoyama teaches a contactless power transmission apparatus that performs power transmission to a reception apparatus using magnetic coupling (see Yokoyama para 0058 “transfers power by noncontact from the ground power supplying apparatus 2 to the vehicle 3 by magnetic field resonant coupling”),
wherein the contactless power transmission apparatus, when receiving a transmission request signal from the reception apparatus, performs a first transmission to the reception apparatus using the magnetic coupling in a predetermined transmission period (see Yokoyama para 0133-0134, 0149, 0187, the length of the power transmission is based on the speed of the vehicle in relation to the transmission coils); and
the contactless power transmission apparatus changes, after the transmission period ends, a state to be a transmission state of which a power- transmission quantity is lower than that of the first transmission (see Yokoyama para 0189-0190).
Regarding Claim 14, Yokoyama teaches a contactless power reception apparatus that receives power transmitted from a transmission apparatus using magnetic coupling (see Yokoyama para 0058 “transfers power by noncontact from the ground power supplying apparatus 2 to the vehicle 3 by magnetic field resonant coupling”),
wherein the contactless power reception apparatus transmits a transmission request signal that requests a power transmission to the transmission apparatus (see Yokoyama para 0105-0109, “The vehicle information includes, for example, power (or electrical energy) demanded to be received from the ground power supplying apparatus 2”);
the transmission apparatus which receives the transmission request signal performs a first transmission to the contactless power reception apparatus using the magnetic coupling in a predetermined transmission period (see Yokoyama para 0127-0133, The ground power supplying apparatus 2 receives the vehicle information and then transmits power during the period that the vehicle is within range of the transmission coils.); and
after the transmission period ends, a state is changed to be a transmission state of which a transmission quantity is lower than that of the first transmission (see Yokoyama para 0171-0175, The power transmission will change from a “main power transmission state” to a “power transmission active state” in which the amount of power is reduced after the vehicle begins moving away from the transmission coils. Furthermore, the system will change to a standby state when the transmission apparatus does not receive vehicle information for a period of time or a suspension condition is satisfied. See para 0189-0198, 0220-0227), and the transmission request signal is again outputted when a predetermined condition is satisfied (see Yokoyama para 0199, “When the ground power supplying apparatus 2 is in the standby state (A18), if all of the above-mentioned suspension conditions is no longer satisfied (C24), the ground power supplying apparatus 2 is switched to the power transmission active state”).
Regarding Claim 15, Yokoyama teaches a method for performing contactless power supply from a transmission apparatus to a reception apparatus using magnetic coupling,
comprising steps of:
outputting, by the reception apparatus, a transmission request signal that requests a power transmission (see Yokoyama para 0105-0109, “The vehicle information includes, for example, power (or electrical energy) demanded to be received from the ground power supplying apparatus 2”);
performing, by the transmission apparatus when receiving the transmission request signal, a power transmission to the reception apparatus using the magnetic coupling for a predetermined transmission period (see Yokoyama para 0127-0133, The ground power supplying apparatus 2 receives the vehicle information and then transmits power during the period that the vehicle is within range of the transmission coils.); and
changing, by the transmission apparatus after the transmission period ends, a state to be a transmission state of which a transmission quantity is lower than that in the transmission period (see Yokoyama para 0171-0175, The power transmission will change from a “main power transmission state” to a “power transmission active state” in which the amount of power is reduced after the vehicle begins moving away from the transmission coils. Furthermore, the system will change to a standby state when the transmission apparatus does not receive vehicle information for a period of time or a suspension condition is satisfied. See para 0189-0198, 0220-0227).
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 and 7 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Yokoyama (US 2022/0402389 A1) in view of Kim (US 2023/0369916 A1).
Regarding Claim 5, Yokoyama teaches the contactless power supply system according to claim 4, but Yokoyama is silent on teaching the reception apparatus includes a signal output unit that outputs the transmission request signal via the reception coil and the transmission coil which are magnetically coupled (see Yokoyama ); and the transmission apparatus includes a transmission request detection unit that detects the transmission request signal using a change in an electric quantity at the transmission coil.
However, Kim teaches a wireless power transmission apparatus that uses fluctuations in the current or voltage flowing between a power transmission coil and a power receiving coil to transmit data (see Kim fig 10 elements 113 and 293, para 0113-0114, 0204-0213).
It would have been prima facie obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified Yokoyama to include the wireless power communication method from Kim to use the power coils to transmit the power request signals instead of using a secondary wireless signal that could be jammed or interfered with.
Regarding Claim 7, Yokoyama teaches the contactless power supply system according to claim 6, but is silent on teaching the changing unit includes a changing circuit that changes a capacitance of the first capacitor to be a second value from a first value; and a resonant frequency of the primary resonant circuit when the capacitance of the first capacitor is the second value, is farther from the predetermined frequency of the AC voltage than a case where the capacitance of the first capacitor is the first value.
However, Kim teaches a wireless power transmission system that comprises a power converter with a resonant circuit 1116 that can adjust the capacitance of the power transmission circuit to adjust the resonant frequency (see Kim fig 7a and para 0179-0184).
It would have been prima facie obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified the teachings of Yokoyama to include the teachings of Kim to allow the wireless power transmission system to adjust the resonant frequency of the power transmission, thus adjusting the efficiency or compatibility of the receiving system.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to JOSHUA J SWEET whose telephone number is (571)272-6776. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 7:30 - 4:30.
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/JOSHUA JAMES SWEET/ Examiner, Art Unit 2836
/REXFORD N BARNIE/ Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2836
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