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`UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
`United States Patent and TrademarkOffice
`Address: COMMISSIONER FOR PATENTS
`P.O. Box 1450
`Alexandria, Virginia 22313-1450
`
`16/645,563
`
`03/09/2020
`
`HIDEYUKI ARAI
`
`083710-3006
`
`5872
`
`McDermott Will and Emery LLP
`The McDermott Building
`500 North Capitol Street, N.W.
`Washington, DC 20001
`
`ROSENAU, DEREK JOHN
`
`2837
`
`PAPER NUMBER
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`NOTIFICATION DATE
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`DELIVERY MODE
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`07/11/2022
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`ELECTRONIC
`
`Please find below and/or attached an Office communication concerning this application or proceeding.
`
`Thetime period for reply, if any, is set in the attached communication.
`
`Notice of the Office communication was sent electronically on above-indicated "Notification Date" to the
`following e-mail address(es):
`
`mweipdocket@mwe.com
`
`PTOL-90A (Rev. 04/07)
`
`

`

`
`
`Disposition of Claims*
`1-10 is/are pending in the application.
`)
`Claim(s)
`5a) Of the above claim(s) ___ is/are withdrawn from consideration.
`Cj] Claim(s)
`is/are allowed.
`Claim(s) 1-2 and 7-10 is/are rejected.
`Claim(s) 3-6 is/are objectedto.
`1) Claim(s
`are subject to restriction and/or election requirement
`)
`“If any claims have been determined allowable, you maybeeligible to benefit from the Patent Prosecution Highway program at a
`participating intellectual property office for the corresponding application. For more information, please see
`http:/Awww.uspto.gov/patents/init_events/pph/index.jsp or send an inquiry to PPHfeedback@uspto.gov.
`
`) ) ) )
`
`Application Papers
`10)2) The specification is objected to by the Examiner.
`11)M The drawing(s) filed on 9 March 2020 is/are: a) 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).
`Replacement drawing sheet(s) including the correction is required if the drawing(s) is objected to. See 37 CFR 1.121 (d).
`
`Priority under 35 U.S.C. § 119
`12)[¥] Acknowledgment is made of a claim for foreign priority under 35 U.S.C. § 119(a)-(d) or (f).
`Certified copies:
`c)() None ofthe:
`b)( Some**
`a) All
`1.4] Certified copies of the priority documents have been received.
`2.1.) Certified copies of the priority documents have been received in Application No.
`3.2.) Copies of the certified copies of the priority documents have been receivedin this National Stage
`application from the International Bureau (PCT Rule 17.2(a)).
`* See the attached detailed Office action for a list of the certified copies not received.
`
`Attachment(s)
`
`1)
`
`Notice of References Cited (PTO-892)
`
`Information Disclosure Statement(s) (PTO/SB/08a and/or PTO/SB/08b)
`2)
`Paper No(s)/Mail Date 3/9/2020.
`U.S. Patent and Trademark Office
`
`3)
`
`(LJ Interview Summary (PTO-413)
`Paper No(s)/Mail Date
`4) (J Other:
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`PTOL-326 (Rev. 11-13)
`
`Office Action Summary
`
`Part of Paper No./Mail Date 20220702
`
`Application No.
`Applicant(s)
`16/645 ,563
`ARAI etal.
`
`Office Action Summary Art Unit|AIA (FITF) StatusExaminer
`Derek J Rosenau
`2837
`Yes
`
`
`
`-- The MAILING DATEof this communication appears on the cover sheet with the correspondence address --
`Period for Reply
`
`A SHORTENED STATUTORY PERIOD FOR REPLYIS SET TO EXPIRE 3 MONTHS FROM THE MAILING
`DATE OF THIS COMMUNICATION.
`Extensions of time may be available underthe provisions of 37 CFR 1.136(a). In no event, however, may a reply betimely filed after SIX (6) MONTHSfrom 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) MONTHSfrom 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, evenif timely filed, may reduce any earned patent term
`adjustment. See 37 CFR 1.704(b).
`
`Status
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`1) Responsive to communication(s) filed on 9 March 2020.
`C} A declaration(s)/affidavit(s) under 37 CFR 1.130(b) was/werefiled on
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`2a)() This action is FINAL. 2b)¥)This action is non-final.
`3)02 An election was madeby the applicant in responseto a restriction requirement set forth during the interview
`on
`; the restriction requirement and election have been incorporated into this action.
`4)\0) Since this application is in condition for allowance except for formal matters, prosecution as to the merits is
`closed in accordance with the practice under Exparte Quayle, 1935 C.D. 11, 453 O.G. 213.
`
`

`

`Application/Control Number: 16/645,563
`Art Unit: 2837
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`Page 2
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`DETAILED ACTION
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`Notice of Pre-AlA or AIA Status
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`1.
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`The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined
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`under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA.
`
`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 madein this Office action:
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`A person shall be entitled to a patent unless —
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`(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 effectivefiling date of the claimed
`invention.
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`3.
`
`Claims 1, 2, and 8 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by
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`Vamvas (US 2012/0119624).
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`4.
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`With respect to claim 1, Vamvasdiscloses a vibration power generation device
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`(Figs 1-2) comprising: a piezoelectric part (items 120-125); and a displacement
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`enhancer (items 10,20, and 132/134), wherein in response to displacement of a portion
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`of a specimen, the displacement enhancer displaces a portion of the piezoelectric part
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`by a displacement amount greater than an amount of the displacementof the portion of
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`the specimen (Figs 1-2; abstract), and wherein when the portion of the piezoelectric part
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`is displaced, the piezoelectric part generates electric power in accordance with the
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`amount of the displacementof the portion of the piezoelectric part (Abstract).
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`5.
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`With respect to claim 2, Vamvas discloses the vibration power generation device
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`according to claim 1, wherein the piezoelectric part includes at least two electrodes, and
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`a piezoelectric film interposed between the at least two electrodes, and wherein when
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`

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`Application/Control Number: 16/645,563
`Art Unit: 2837
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`Page 3
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`the portion of the piezoelectric part is displaced, the piezoelectric film deforms to
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`generate a voltage (Paragraph 3).
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`6.
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`With respect to claim 8, Vamvas discloses the vibration power generation device
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`according to claim 1, wherein the specimen is any one of a structural member of a
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`bridge, a prime motor, and a road (Paragraph 15).
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`Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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`7.
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`The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 103 which forms the basis for all
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`obviousnessrejections setforth in this Office action:
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`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.
`
`8.
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`9.
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`Claim 7 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Vamvas.
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`With respect to claim 7, Vamvas discloses the vibration power generation device
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`according to claim 1, wherein the displacement enhancer includes a lever (item 10),
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`wherein a point of effort of the lever is connected to the portion of the specimen
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`whereasa point of load of the lever is connected to the portion of the piezoelectric part
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`(Fig 2). VamvasIs silent with respect to the position of the fulcrum along the lever, and
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`therefore does notdisclose that a distance from the point of load to a fulcrum of the
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`lever is larger than a distance from the point of effort to the fulcrum. However, levers are
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`a basic mechanism and the relationships between fulcrum positions and output force
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`and displacement being well known since antiquity. Therefore, it would have been
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`obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, at the time of effectivefiling, to adjust the
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`position of the fulcrum along the lever for the benefit of achieving the desired outputs.
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`

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`Application/Control Number: 16/645,563
`Art Unit: 2837
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`Page 4
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`10.
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`Claims 9 and 10 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over
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`Wang et al. (US 2014/0007687) in view of Vamvas.
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`11. With respect to claim 9, Wang et al. discloses a sensor system comprising: a
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`vibration power generation device; and a sensor, wherein the sensor includes the
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`piezoelectric part or is a device that is different from the piezoelectric part and thatis
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`driven by electric power generated by the piezoelectric part (Abstract).
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`Wang et al. does not disclose the vibration power generation device according to
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`claim 1.
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`Vamvas teaches a piezoelectric vibration power generation device as described
`
`in claim 1.
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`Before the effectivefiling, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in
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`the art to combine the vibration power generation device of Vamvas with that of Wang
`
`et al. for the benefit of providing a force multiplication mechanism for the force being
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`applied to the power generation element (Abstract of Vamvas).
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`12. With respect to claim 10, the combination of Wang et al. and Vamvas discloses
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`the sensor system according to claim 9. Wang et al. discloses a communication device
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`that transmits a result detected with the sensor (Paragraphs 31-32).
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`Allowable Subject Matter
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`13.
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`Claims 3-6 are objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but
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`would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the
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`base claim and any intervening claims.
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`

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`Application/Control Number: 16/645,563
`Art Unit: 2837
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`Page 5
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`14.
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`The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject
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`matter. The prior art does not disclose or suggest “wherein the displacement enhancer
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`includes a first pulley, a second pulley having a diameter larger than a diameter of the
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`first pulley, a first string, and a second string, wherein the first pulley and the second
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`pulley are allowed to coaxially rotate in conjunction with each other, wherein the first
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`string is partly wound on the first pulley and is used to connectthe first pulley and the
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`portion of the specimen together, and wherein the second string is partly wound on the
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`second pulley and is used to connect the second pulley and the portion of the
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`piezoelectric part together’ in combination with the remaining elements of claim 3. The
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`prior art does not disclose or suggest “wherein the displacement enhancer includes a
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`toothed wheel, and a rack, and wherein the rackis fixed to the portion of the specimen
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`and engages with the toothed wheel” in combination with the remaining elements of
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`claim 4.
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`Conclusion
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`15.—Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the
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`examiner should be directed to Derek John Rosenau whosetelephone number is
`
`(571)272-8932. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Thursday 7 am to 5:30
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`pm Central Time.
`
`Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video
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`conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-basedcollaboration tool. To schedule an
`
`interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request
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`(AIR) at http:/Awww.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
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`

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`Application/Control Number: 16/645,563
`Art Unit: 2837
`
`Page 6
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`If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s
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`supervisor, Shawki Ismail can be reached on (571) 272-3985. The fax phone number
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`for the organization where this application or proceeding is assignedis 571-273-8300.
`
`Information regarding the status of published or unpublished applications may be
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`obtained from Patent Center. Unpublished application information in Patent Center is
`
`available to registered users. To file and manage patent submissions in Patent Center,
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`visit: https://patentcenter.uspto.gov. Visit https:/Awww.uspto.gov/patents/apply/patent-
`
`center for more information about Patent Center and
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`https:/Awww.uspto.gov/patents/docx for information aboutfiling in DOCX format. For
`
`additional questions, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197
`
`(toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service
`
`Representative, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA)or 571-272-1000.
`
`/DEREK J ROSENAU/
`Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2837
`
`