`
`UNITED STATES PATENT AND TRADEMARK OFFICE
`
`UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
`United States Patent and Trademark Office
`Address: COMMISSIONER FOR PATENTS
`P.O. Box 1450
`Alexandria1 Virginia 22313- 1450
`www.uspto.gov
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`APPLICATION NO.
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` F ING DATE
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`FIRST NAMED INVENTOR
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`ATTORNEY DOCKET NO.
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`
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`CONF {MATION NO.
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`12/320,191
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`01/21/2009
`
`Futoshi Furuta
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`HARU—0022
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`9917
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`79999979991
`J999c99199 AMq —
`c/o Stites & Harbison PLLC
`AMRANY, ADI
`1199 North Fairfax Street
`9 999
`Alexandria, VA 223 14- 1437
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`NM
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`2836
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`
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`NOT *ICATION DATE
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`DELIVERY MODE
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`08/07/2012
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`ELECTRONIC
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`Please find below and/0r attached an Office communication concerning this application or proceeding.
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`The time period for reply, if any, is set in the attached communication.
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`Notice of the Office communication was sent electronically on above—indicated "Notification Date" to the
`following e—mail address(es):
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`iplaw @ stites.com
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`PTOL—90A (Rev. 04/07)
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`

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`Office Action Summary
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`Application No.
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`Applicant(s)
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` 12/320,191 FURUTA ET AL.
`Examiner
`Art Unit
`ADI AMRANY
`2836
`
`-- The MAILING DA TE of this communication appears on the cover sheet with the correspondence address --
`Period for Reply
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`A SHORTENED STATUTORY PERIOD FOR REPLY IS SET TO EXPIRE 3 MONTH(S) OR THIRTY (30) DAYS,
`WHICHEVER IS LONGER, FROM THE MAILING DATE OF THIS COMMUNICATION.
`Extensions of time may be available under the provisions of 37 CFR1. 136(a).
`In no event however may a reply be timely filed
`after SIX () MONTHS from the mailing date of this communication.
`If NO period for reply is specified above, the maximum statutory period will apply and will expire SIX (6) MONTHS from the mailing date of this communication.
`-
`- Failure to reply within the set or extended period for reply will, by statute, cause the application to become ABANDONED (35 U.S.C. § 133).
`Any reply received by the Office later than three months after the mailing date of this communication, even if timely filed, may reduce any
`earned patent term adjustment. See 37 CFR 1.704(b).
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`Status
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`1)|Zl Responsive to communication(s) filed on 29 January 2009.
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`2a)|:l This action is FINAL.
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`2b)IXI This action is non-final.
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`3)|:I An election was made by the applicant in response to a restriction requirement set forth during the interview on
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`; the restriction requirement and election have been incorporated into this action.
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`4)|:l Since this application is in condition for allowance except for formal matters, prosecution as to the merits is
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`closed in accordance with the practice under Exparte Quay/e, 1935 CD. 11, 453 O.G. 213.
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`Disposition of Claims
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`5)IZ Claim(s) L8 is/are pending in the application.
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`5a) Of the above claim(s) _ is/are withdrawn from consideration.
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`6)|:| Claim(s) _ is/are allowed.
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`7)|Xl Claim(s) 1_-8is/are rejected.
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`8)|:| Claim(s) _ is/are objected to.
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`9)|:I Claim(s) _ are subject to restriction and/or election requirement.
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`Application Papers
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`10)|:I The specification is objected to by the Examiner.
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`11)IZI The drawing(s) filed on 20 March 2009 is/are: a)|Z accepted or b)|:| objected to by the Examiner.
`Applicant may not request that any objection to the drawing(s) be held in abeyance. See 37 CFR 1.85(a).
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`Replacement drawing sheet(s) including the correction is required if the drawing(s) is objected to. See 37 CFR 1.121 (d).
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`12)|:I The oath or declaration is objected to by the Examiner. Note the attached Office Action or form PTO-152.
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`Priority under 35 U.S.C. § 119
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`13)|X| Acknowledgment is made of a claim for foreign priority under 35 U.S.C. § 119(a)-(d) or (f).
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`a)|Z AII
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`b)|:l Some * c)I:I None of:
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`1.IXI Certified copies of the priority documents have been received.
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`2.|:l Certified copies of the priority documents have been received in Application No. _
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`3.I:I Copies of the certified copies of the priority documents have been received in this National Stage
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`application from the International Bureau (PCT Rule 17.2(a)).
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`* See the attached detailed Office action for a list of the certified copies not received.
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`Attachment(s)
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`
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`4) I] Interview Summary (PTO-413)
`1) IZI Notice of References Cited (PTO-892)
`Paper N0(S )/Mai| Date. _
`2) I] Notice of Draftsperson‘s Patent Drawing Review (PTO-948)
`5)I:I Notice 0f Informal Patent Application
`3) IZI Information Disclosure Statement(s) (PTO/SB/08)
`Paper No(s)/Mai| DateM16”: Other:—
`U.S. Patent and Trademark Office
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`PTOL-326 (Rev. 03-11)
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`Office Action Summary
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`Part of Paper No./Mai| Date 20120725
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`

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`Application/Control Number: 12/320,191
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`Page 2
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`Art Unit: 2836
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`DETAILED ACTION
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`Claim Objections
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`1.
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`Claim 1
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`is objected to because the last “wherein” clause contains a capital "VV".
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`Appropriate correction is required.
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`Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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`2.
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`The following is a quotation of the appropriate paragraphs of 35 U.S.C. 102 that
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`form the basis for the rejections under this section made in this Office action:
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`A person shall be entitled to a patent unless —
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`(b) the invention was patented or described in a printed publication in this or a foreign country or in
`public use or on sale in this country, more than one year prior to the date of application for patent in
`the United States.
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`3.
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`Claims 1, 3-5 and 8 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(b) as being anticipated by
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`Vega (US 6,879,809).
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`With respect to claim 1, Vega discloses a non-contact power transmission circuit
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`(fig 4-5, 10; col. 10-12, 16-17), comprising:
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`a transmitting board including a first insulating board (104), on which an
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`AC power signal generator (201) and transmitting side capacitive coupling
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`electrode (108-109) are provided; and
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`a receiving board including a second insulating board (102), on which
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`receiving side capacitive coupling electrodes (112-113), a rectifier (404), a
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`constant voltage circuit (406) and a load (any of 408, 410, 412 or “device power”)
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`are provides;
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`wherein the transmitting electrodes and receiving electrodes serve as a
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`pair of capacitors (needed for capacitive coupling) in which the electrodes are
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`

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`Application/Control Number: 12/320,191
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`Page 3
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`Art Unit: 2836
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`stacked through an insulating layer (the space between 108-109 and 112-113);
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`and
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`wherein the rectifier rectifies an electric current from the pair of capacitors
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`(see fig 4) and the rectified current is subsequently inputted to the constant
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`voltage circuit and the load (see fig 4).
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`Claim 1 recites a capacitive coupling arrangement, where the receiver side
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`includes a rectifier and a constant voltage source (also known as a regulator). Claim 1
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`recites "insulating boards", but there is no clear indication in the claim (or the
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`specification) of what is being "insulated". Vega shows conducting lines and capacitive
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`electrodes that are separated from each other. Therefore, the reference is interpreted
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`as disclosing "insulating" boards (to keep electrical components from shorting).
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`With respect to claim 3, Vega discloses the insulating layer is at least the second
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`insulating board. As shown in figure 4, part of the second insulting board (namely the
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`far left side of items 102 and 402) are between the capacitive electrodes. This is
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`interpreted as meeting the limitation of the insulating layer (space between the
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`electrodes) being one of the insulting boards (transmitter/receiver).
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`With respect to claim 4, Vega discloses the rectifier is a bridge circuit with four
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`diodes (fig 5a).
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`With respect to claim 5, Vega discloses the rectifier has two diodes connected
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`with outputs of the receiving electrodes (see fig 5a). Claim 5 assigns a name (voltage
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`doubler) to the rectifier, but this change in name does not appear to add any
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`functionality to the claim. Simply using two diodes does not produce voltage doubling.
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`

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`Application/Control Number: 12/320,191
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`Page 4
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`Art Unit: 2836
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`Further, the claim recites connecting two diodes to the electrodes, but does not prohibit
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`two more diodes being connected to those diodes. Should claim 5 be amended to more
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`clearly identify the structure and function of the rectifier, applicants should rebut the
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`interpretation that selecting among known types of rectifiers is within the level of
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`ordinary skill in the art.
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`With respect to claim 8, Vega discloses a transmitting side electromagnetic
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`induction coil (fig 8B, paired with item 814) provided on the first insulating board; and a
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`receiving side electromagnetic induction coil (814) provided on the second insulating
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`board (812); wherein the receiving coil is connected to the constant voltage circuit
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`through a second rectifier (404Y).
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`Vega discloses that the capacitive coupling and inductive coupling powers are
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`combined (at charge controller 408). The outputs of the two constant voltage circuits
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`(406X, 406Y) are coupled to each other. Therefore, Vega meets the broad limitation
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`that the inductive coupling coils are “connected
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`through the second rectifier”. Should
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`claim 8 be amended to more clearly indicate the electrical connection of the
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`components, applicants should rebut the interpretation that it would be obvious to
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`combine the power paths before the regulators (406).
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`Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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`4.
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`The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 103(a) which forms the basis for all
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`obviousness rejections set forth in this Office action:
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`(a) A patent may not be obtained though the invention is not identically disclosed or described as set
`forth in section 102 of this title, if the differences between the subject matter sought to be patented and
`the prior art are such that the subject matter as a whole would have been obvious at the time the
`invention was made to a person having ordinary skill in the art to which said subject matter pertains.
`Patentability shall not be negatived by the manner in which the invention was made.
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`

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`Application/Control Number: 12/320,191
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`Page 5
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`Art Unit: 2836
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`5.
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`Claim 2 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103(a) as being unpatentable over Vega in
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`view of applicants’ admitted prior art (“APA”; specification page 2). Vega discloses a
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`non-contact capacitive coupling power transmission circuit. Vega does not expressly
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`disclose the received power is used to power an active matrix board. APA discloses
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`that it is known in the art to use a non-contact power transmission system to power an
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`active matrix display (page 2).
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`It is noted that claim 2 does not actually recite that the received power is used to
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`power the LEDs. The claim only broadly recites that the LED matrix is on the receiving
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`board.
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`Vega and APA are analogous because they are from the same field of endeavor,
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`namely non-contact power supply systems. At the time of the invention by applicants, it
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`would have been obvious to one skilled in the art to configure the Vega load as the
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`active matrix board, as shown in APA. This is because the specific load selected will
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`have no effect on the electrical performance of the non-contact power transmission
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`system. Selecting different loads to be powered by an existing system is within the level
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`of ordinary skill in the art.
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`6.
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`Claim 6 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103(a) as being unpatentable over Vega in
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`view of Meyer (US 3,619,659).
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`Vega discloses a voltage regulator but does not expressly disclose the internal
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`construction of the regulator. Meyer discloses a voltage regulator that is composed of a
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`diode array in series with a resistor (fig 1, items 14, 16-19; col. 4, lines 13-55).
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`

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`Application/Control Number: 12/320,191
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`Page 6
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`Art Unit: 2836
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`Vega and Meyer are analogous because they are from the same field of
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`endeavor, namely voltage regulators. At the time of the invention by applicants, it would
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`have been obvious to one skilled in the art to select the Meyer regulator for use in the
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`Vega receiver. The selection of a specific circuit among known voltage regulator
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`circuitry would have been obvious to one skilled in the art through minimal trial and
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`error.
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`7.
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`Claim 7 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103(a) as being unpatentable over Vega in
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`view of Rozin (US 6,173,899).
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`Vega discloses a transmitting electrode, but does not expressly disclose any
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`tuning inductor. Rozin discloses that it is known to use an inductor connected to the
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`capacitive coupling electrode (fig 3, item 21; col. 4). Vega and Rozin are analogous
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`because they are from the same field of endeavor, namely capacitive coupling power
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`supplies. At the time of the invention by applicants, it would have been obvious to one
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`skilled in the art to add the Rozin inductor to the Vega electrodes. The motivation for
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`doing so would have been to tune the transmitter and receiver. Electrodes that are
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`specifically tuned to the same frequency will transmit power with more efficiency.
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`Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the
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`examiner should be directed to ADI AMRANY whose telephone number is (571 )272-
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`0415. The examiner can normally be reached on Mon-Thurs, from 10am-4pm.
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`If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s
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`supervisor, Jared Fureman can be reached on (571) 272-2800 x36. The fax phone
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`Application/Control Number: 12/320,191
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`Page 7
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`Art Unit: 2836
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`number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571 -
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`273-8300.
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`Information regarding the status of an application may be obtained from the
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`Patent Application Information Retrieval (PAIR) system. Status information for
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`published applications may be obtained from either Private PAIR or Public PAIR.
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`Status information for unpublished applications is available through Private PAIR only.
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`For more information about the PAIR system, see http://pair-direct.uspto.gov. Should
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`you have questions on access to the Private PAIR system, contact the Electronic
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`Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a
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`USPTO Customer Service Representative or access to the automated information
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`system, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272—1000.
`
`/Adi Amrany/
`Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2836
`
`