DETAILED ACTION
Summary
The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
This is a first Office Action on the merits.
Claims 1-11 are currently pending.
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.
Claim(s) 1-2 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) and 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by NOGUCHI et al, US 2015/0311706.
Re claim 1:
NOGUCHI discloses an apparatus comprising:
A first capacitor (C11) [0077]-[0079] [Figure 7];
A second capacitor (C12) [0077]-[0079] [Figure 7];
A power supply node (22_1) [0035]-[0037] [0077]-[0079] [Figure 7]; and
An energy harvester comprising:
A rectifier (12_1) coupled to the first capacitor and the second capacitor [0029] [0030] [0069]-[0074] [Figure 5],
A first switch (SWa_1) coupled between the rectifier and the first capacitor [0073]-[0074] [Figure 7],
A second switch (SW13) coupled between the rectifier and the second capacitor, the second capacitor coupled between the second switch and the power supply node [0076]-[0078] [Figure 7], and
A third switch (SW11) coupled between the first capacitor and the power supply node [0076]-[0078] [Figure 7].
Re claim 2:
NOGUCHI discloses the apparatus of claim 1, wherein the energy harvester comprises: a fourth switch (SW12) coupled between the second capacitor and the power supply node [0076]-[0078] [Figure 7].
Claim(s) 10-11 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) and 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by SONG et al, US 2012/0256492.
Re claim 10:
SONG discloses a method of operating a multi-capacitor energy harvester, the method comprising:
Receiving a wireless signa (i.e., RF signal received via energy harvesting antenna [0050] [Figures 1a and 6]);
Rectifying the wireless signal to produce a direct-current signal (i.e., crystal radio receiver 202 rectifies the RF signal [0051] [0066] [0067] [Figures 1a and 6]);
Producing a first voltage at a first capacitor using the direct-current signal (i.e., voltage V1 of the super capacitor [0065] [Figures 1a and 6]);
Monitoring the first voltage relative to a first voltage threshold (i.e., voltage sampled on the super capacitor is compared to a threshold [0042] [0067] [0111] [Figures 6-7]);
Providing the first voltage to a load based on the monitoring (i.e., power provided to sensor node 110 is supplied by voltage produced at the super capacitor [0116] [0124] [Figure 7]); and
Producing a second voltage at a second capacitor using the direct-current signal and based on the monitoring (i.e., when energy being harvested via the crystal receiver falls below a certain voltage, energy from the harvester may charge capacitor 112 through the DC/DC converter, which produces a second voltage V2 [0042] [0064] [0123]).
Re claim 11:
SONG discloses the method of claim 10, further comprising:
Monitoring the second voltage relative to a second voltage threshold (i.e., in this case, the second voltage threshold is being interpreted as the same voltage threshold as the first threshold [0060] [0067] [0121] [0122] [Figure 7]); and
Providing the second voltage to the load based on the monitoring of the second voltage (i.e., charge capacitor voltage V2 is used to power the sensor node [0060] [0123]).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 3-9 are objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure: YOSHINO, US 2025/0015631, teaches an apparatus comprising: a first capacitor, a second capacitor, a power supply node, and an energy harvester comprising: a rectifier coupled to the first capacitor and the second capacitor, a first switch coupled between the first rectifier and the first capacitor and the second capacitor, and a second switch coupled between the first capacitor and the power supply node [Figures 20-21].
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to LAURA A GUDORF whose telephone number is (571)270-7607. If the Examiner cannot be reached by telephone, she can be reached through the following e-mail address: laura.gudorf@uspto.gov. The examiner can normally be reached on M-F 6:00-4:00 PM.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Thomas Pham, can be reached at telephone number (571)272-3689. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/LAURA A GUDORF/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2876
