`
`UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
`United States Patent and Trademark Office
`Address: COMlVHSSIONER FOR PATENTS
`PO. Box 1450
`Alexandria1 Virginia 22313-1450
`www.uspto.gov
`
`
`
`
`
`15/259,222
`
`09/08/2016
`
`EUI TAKAHASHI
`
`PANDP0173US
`
`7428
`
`WIS/2018 —MARK D. SARALINO (PAN) m
`7590
`51921
`RENNER, OTTO, BOIS SELLE & SKLAR, LLP
`MOURAD’ RASEM
`1621 EUCLID AVENUE
`19TH FLOOR
`
`PAPER NUMBER
`
`CLEVELAND, OH 44115
`
`2836
`
`NOTIFICATION DATE
`
`DELIVERY MODE
`
`04/18/2018
`
`ELECTRONIC
`
`Please find below and/or attached an Office communication concerning this application or proceeding.
`
`The time 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):
`
`ipdocket @rennerott0.c0m
`
`PTOL—90A (Rev. 04/07)
`
`

`

`
`
`Applicant(s)
`Application No.
` 15/259,222 TAKAHASHI ET AL.
`
`Examiner
`Art Unit
`AIA (First Inventorto File)
`Office Action Summary
`
`2836RASEM MOURAD $233
`
`-- 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 g MONTHS FROM THE MAILING DATE OF
`THIS COMMUNICATION.
`Extensions of time may be available under the provisions 0137 CFR 1.136(a).
`after SIX (6) 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).
`
`In no event, however, may a reply be timely filed
`
`-
`-
`
`Status
`
`1)IXI Responsive to communication(s) filed on 9/8/2016.
`[I A declaration(s)/affidavit(s) under 37 CFR 1.130(b) was/were filed on
`
`2b)lX| This action is non-final.
`2a)I:| This action is FINAL.
`3)I: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.
`
`4)|:I 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 EX parte Quay/e, 1935 CD. 11, 453 O.G. 213.
`
`3) I] Interview Summary (PTO-413)
`1) E Notice of References Cited (PTO-892)
`Paper No(s)/Mai| Date.
`.
`.
`2) E Information Disclosure Statement(s) (PTO/SB/08a and/or PTO/SB/Osb)
`
`Paper No(s)/Mai| Date 9/8/2016 4/18/2017.
`4) D Other: —-
`
`US. Patent and Trademark Office
`PTOL-326 (Rev. 11-13)
`
`Office Action Summary
`
`Part of Paper No./Mai| Date 20180204
`
`Disposition of Claims*
`5)|XI CIaim(s)1-_12is/are pending in the application.
`5a) Of the above claim(s)
`is/are withdrawn from consideration.
`6 III Claim s) _ is/are allowed.
`s 1-_12 is/are rejected.
`
`is/are objected to.
`
`) )
`
`_
`
`
`are subject to restriction and/or election requirement.
`9)|:l Claim(s
`)
`* If any claims have been determined allowable, you may be eligible to benefit from the Patent Prosecution Highway program at a
`
`participating intellectual property office for the corresponding application. For more information, please see
`htt
`://www.usoto. ov/ atentS/init events"
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`, or send an inquiry to PF"I-Ifeedback{<‘buspto.qov.
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`Application Papers
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`10)I:I The specification is objected to by the Examiner.
`11)IXI The drawing(s) filed on 9/8/2016 is/are: a)lZl accepted or b)I:I 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)IZI Acknowledgment is made of a claim for foreign priority under 35 U.S.C. §119(a)-(d) or (f).
`Certified copies:
`
`b)I:I Some” c)I:I None of the:
`a)le All
`1.IZI Certified copies of the priority documents have been received.
`2.I:I Certified copies of the priority documents have been received in Application No.
`3.I:I Copies of the certified copies of the priority documents have been received in 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.
`
`Attach ment(s)
`
`
`
`

`

`Application/Control Number: 15/259,222
`
`Art Unit: 2836
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`Page 2
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`The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first
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`inventor to file provisions of the AIA.
`
`DETAILED ACTION
`
`Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
`
`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.
`
`Claims 1-3, 6—7, 9, 11 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Yamakawa
`
`et al. (2015/0048688 A1) in view of Jeong et al. (2016/0079798 A1) and in further view of Kim et
`
`al. (2012/0306285 A1).
`
`Regarding Claim 1,
`
`Yamakawa (Figs.1 and 11) teaches a wireless power transmission system comprising:
`
`Yamakawa teaches a power transmitting device (Fig.1) including an inverter circuit (item 130) that
`
`converts a first DC power supplied from a power source (item 110 and 120) into AC power and
`
`outputs the AC power (par [42]), Yamakawa teaches a power transmitting antenna (item 140) that
`
`wirelessly transmits the output AC power (see Fig.1), and a power transmission control circuit
`
`(item 150) that adjusts voltage and frequency of the AC power output from the inverter circuit
`
`(pars [44, 48, 51]); Yamakawa teaches a power receiving device (Fig.1) including a power
`
`receiving antenna (item 210) that receives the AC power transmitted from the power transmitting
`
`antenna (140), and a rectifying circuit (item 220) that converts the received AC power into a
`
`second DC power (par [54]); and Yamakawa teaches a load (item 240) into which the second DC
`
`power is input (par [54]), wherein the power transmitting device and the power receiving device
`
`are capable of being coupled and detached (par [37]; when the vehicle carrying the power
`
`receiving device is parked in a space where the power transmitting device is located, the devices
`
`are "capable of being coupled". In contrast, when the vehicle carrying the power receiving device
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`

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`Application/Control Number: 15/259,222
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`Art Unit: 2836
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`Page 3
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`is not parked in a space where the power transmitting device is located, the devices are “capable
`
`of being detached”. This meets the broadest reasonable interpretation of “capable of being
`
`coupled and detached”), wherein the power receiving device further includes a receiving-side
`
`transmitter (item 257) that transmits, to the power transmitting device (via item 157), control
`
`information of the power receiving device including (ii) voltage of the power receiving device (pars
`
`[55 and 58]), wherein the power transmitting device further includes a transmitting-side receiver
`
`(item 157) that receives the control information of the power receiving device from the receiving-
`
`side transmitter (257), and a table (item 151) containing control parameters correlated with (i) a
`
`coupling coefficient (pars [50, 93-94, 96]), (ii) the voltage (pars [55, 58, 50, 93-94]; the voltage is
`
`the voltage used to power the battery), and wherein the power transmission control circuit (150)
`
`causes the inverter circuit (130) to output preliminary AC power to activate the power receiving
`
`device in a state where the power transmitting device and power receiving device are coupled
`
`(pars [44-45]), causes the transmitting-side receiver (157) to receive the control information of the
`
`power receiving device from the power receiving device (pars [55, 58]), determines the control
`
`parameter based on the control information by referring to the table (pars [44, 48, 50-51, 86-88,
`
`93-94]; Yamakawa teaches determining the control parameter as the frequency to drive the
`
`inverter by referring to the table 151 which includes the coupling coefficient control information),
`
`and adjusts the voltage of the AC power output from the inverter circuit (130) using the control
`
`parameter (pars [44, 48, 50-51, 86-88, 93-94, 96]; Yamakwa teaches adjusting the voltage of the
`
`AC power output from the inverter circuit by determining and using the determined
`
`frequency/control parameter).
`
`Yamakawa teaches determining the frequency/control parameter based on calculating the
`
`coupling coefficient on the transmitter side. Yamakawa does not explicitly disclose among the
`
`control information transmitted from the power receiving device to the power transmitting device
`
`includes (i) a coupling coefficient between the power transmitting antenna and the power
`
`receiving antenna and (ii) the requested voltage.
`
`

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`Application/Control Number: 15/259,222
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`Art Unit: 2836
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`Page 4
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`Jeong, however, teaches it is known in the art for the coupling coefficient to be calculated in
`
`either the transmitter (such as in Yamakawa) or in the receiver and transmitted back to the power
`
`transmitting device (pars [105 and 107]). Thus, the combination teaches that calculating the
`
`coupling coefficient at the transmitter side (Yamakawa) and/or calculating the coupling coefficient
`
`at the receiver side and transmitting it back to the transmitter is well-within the level of ordinary
`
`skill in the art.
`
`In addition, Jeong teaches among the control information transmitted to the power
`
`transmitting device includes (ii) requested voltage of the power receiving device (pars [39, 98-99
`
`and 105]; Jeong teaches information on the charging state, operating state, charging power of the
`
`battery B is continuously needed and communicated from the receiver in order to continuously
`
`supply the requisite amount of power to activate and maintain the battery. This meets the
`
`broadest reasonable interpretation of “requested voltage”). The combination thus teaches
`
`transmitting the control information to the transmitter to determine the control parameter and
`
`adjust the AC power output from the inverter.
`
`It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the
`
`claimed invention to have modified the teachings of Yamakawa to that of Jeong. The motivation
`
`would have been because there are a finite number of options in calculating the coupling
`
`coefficient- calculate the coupling coefficient in the transmitter side or in the receiver and have it
`
`transmit the coupling coefficient back to the transmitter. One of ordinary skill in the art would have
`
`realized the two options and selected the one that best meets the intended design (see MPEP
`
`2143 (E)).
`
`It is further noted that sending additional control information such as requested control
`
`voltage only makes the system more efficient and robust in determining the control parameter for
`
`adjusting the inverter.
`
`The combination of Yamakawa in view of Jeong does not explicitly disclose transmitting to the
`
`power transmitting device control information including (iii) load impedance of the load.
`
`Kim (Fig.1), however, teaches the receiver-side transmitter (126) transmits to the power
`
`transmitting (110), control information of the power receiving device including (iii) load impedance
`
`of the load (par [81]). Thus, the combination teaches receiving all the claimed control information
`
`

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`Application/Control Number: 15/259,222
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`Art Unit: 2836
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`Page 5
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`and determining the control parameter to adjust the voltage of the power output of the inverter
`
`circuit of Yamakawa.
`
`It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the
`
`claimed invention to have modified the teachings Yamakawa in view of Jeong to that of Kim. The
`
`motivation would have been to build a more robust and efficient system when determining the
`
`control parameter. By taking into account additional control information, the more precise the
`
`system is in controlling the inverter.
`
`m the examiner takes official notice and provides further support in Partovi (2009/0096413
`
`A1), pars [107, 113, 142]; “the receiver in the battery or mobile device also includes a means for
`
`providing information regarding battery manufacturer, required voltage...”
`
`Regarding Claim 2,
`
`The combination of Yamakawa in view of Jeong and Kim teaches the claimed subject matter in
`
`claim 1 and the combination further teaches wherein the power transmission control circuit
`
`adjusts to match the voltage of the AC power to the requested voltage (Jeong, pars [39, 98-99,
`
`105]), by adjusting the voltage of the AC power using the control parameter (Yamakwa, pars [44,
`
`48, 50-51, 86-88, 93-94] and Jeong, pars [39, 98-99, 105]; The combination teaches that the
`
`voltage requested from the battery information communicated to the transmitter is used to adjust
`
`the voltage of the AC power output via the inverter by using the determined control
`
`parameter/frequency).
`
`Regarding Claim 3,
`
`The combination of Yamakawa in view of Jeong and Kim teaches the claimed subject matter in
`
`claim 1 and the combination further teaches wherein the power transmission control circuit
`
`adjusts to bring the voltage of the AC power close to the requested voltage, by adjusting the
`
`voltage of AC power using the control parameter (Yamakwa, pars [44, 48, 50-51, 86-88, 93-94]
`
`and Jeong, pars [39, 98-99, 105]). The combination does not explicitly disclose adjusting to a
`
`range of 80% to 120% of the requested voltage; however, it would have been obvious to one of
`
`ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have adjusted to
`
`

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`Art Unit: 2836
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`Page 6
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`a range of 80% to 120%, since it has been held that where the general conditions of a claim are
`
`disclosed in the prior art, discovering the optimum or working ranges involves only routine skill in
`
`the art. In re Aller, 105 USPQ.
`
`Regarding Claim 6,
`
`The combination of Yamakawa in view of Jeong and Kim teaches the claimed subject matter in
`
`claim 1 and the combination further teaches wherein the control parameter is a value indicating a
`
`predetermined range (Yamakawa, Fig.14, pars [89 and 94]; predetermined range of frequencies).
`
`Regarding Claim 7,
`
`The combination of Yamakawa in view of Jeong and Kim teaches the claimed subject matter in
`
`claim 6 and the combination further teaches wherein the power transmission control circuit
`
`adjusts the voltage and frequency of the AC power output from the inverter circuit using a median
`
`value of the control parameter indicated by the predetermined range (Yamakawa, Fig.14, par
`
`[94]; the control parameter/frequency is 477kHz, which is the median between the predetermined
`
`range which includes 460, 470, 477, 480, 490 kHz). Moreover, Yamakawa teaches taking the
`
`intermediate/median value of a range of frequencies is generally well-known in the art (par [4]).
`
`It
`
`is further noted that it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the
`
`effective filing date of the claimed invention to have used the median value, since it has been held
`
`that discovering an optimum value of a result effective variable (coupling coefficient changes and
`
`thus the frequency does too), involves only routine skill in the art. In re Boesch, 617 F.2d 272,
`
`205 USPQ 215 (CCPA 1980).
`
`Regarding Claim 9,
`
`The combination Yamakawa in view of Jeong and Kim teaches the claimed subject matter in
`
`claim 1 and the combination further teaches wherein the load is included in the power receiving
`
`device (Yamakawa, Fig.1).
`
`Regarding Claim 11,
`
`The combination Yamakawa in view of Jeong and Kim teaches the claimed subject matter in
`
`claim 1 and the combination further teaches wherein the power transmission control circuit
`
`

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`Application/Control Number: 15/259,222
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`Art Unit: 2836
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`Page 7
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`adjusts the voltage of the AC power output from the inverter circuit in which the control parameter
`
`is a value representing the frequency (Yamakawa, Figs.1 and 11, pars [pars [44, 48, 50-51, 86-
`
`88, 93-94, 96]; Yamakawa teaches the control parameter is a value representing the frequency to
`
`control the inverter output power).
`
`Claim 4 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Yamakawa et al.
`
`(2015/0048688 A1) in view of Jeong et al. (2016/0079798 A1) and in further view of Kim et al.
`
`(2012/0306285 A1) and in further view of Sousa et al. (2015/0310722 A1).
`
`Regarding Claim 4,
`
`The combination of Yamakawa in view of Jeong and Kim teaches the claimed subject matter in
`
`claim 3. The combination does not explicitly disclose the transmitting-side receiver receives error
`
`information indicating error between the voltage of the second DC power and the requested
`
`voltage from the receiving-side transmitter.
`
`Sousa (Fig.2), however, teaches wherein the transmitting-side receiver receives error information
`
`indicating error between the voltage of the second DC power and the requested voltage from the
`
`receiving-side transmitter (pars [58-59]; Sousa teaches “control error messages (E) are
`
`transmitted from the charge receiving device to the CCU 202” and “the control error messages
`
`indicated whether or not the transmit power is to be increased or decreased to achieve the
`
`desired power levels at the receiving device"). Therefore, the combination teaches after the
`
`adjustment of the voltage of the AC power using the control parameter and receiving an error
`
`message from the receiver, the power transmission circuit updates the control parameter to
`
`converge the error that the error information indicates (Yamakawa, pars [44, 48, 50-51, 86-88,
`
`93-94] and Jeong, pars [39, 98-99, 105] and Sousa, pars [58-59]), and adjusts the voltage and
`
`frequency of the AC power output from the inverter circuit using the updated control parameter
`
`(Yamakawa, pars [44, 48, 50-51, 86-88, 93-94] and Jeong, pars [39, 98-99, 105] and Sousa, pars
`
`[58-59]; the combination teaches receiving the error message from the receiver and updating the
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`

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`Application/Control Number: 15/259,222
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`Art Unit: 2836
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`Page 8
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`control parameter/frequency of Yamakawa and thereby adjusting the voltage and frequency from
`
`the inverter circuit in response to the error message).
`
`It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the
`
`claimed invention to have modified the teachings of Yamakawa in view of Jeong and Kim to that
`
`of Sousa's error message. The motivation would have been to efficiently control the inverter to
`
`achieve the desired power levels at the receiving device. The error information is useful in
`
`indicating how the transit power is to be adjusting and whether or not the transmit power should
`
`be increased or decreased based on the load/battery characteristics.
`
`Note: Also see Partovi (2012/0235636) - Fig.3, par [97]; the receiver reports an error of the
`
`rectified voltage from the desired voltage so that the transmitter adjusts the frequency or duty of
`
`the applied AC voltage.
`
`Claim 5 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Yamakawa et al.
`
`(2015/0048688 A1) in view of Jeong et al. (2016/0079798 A1) and in further view of Kim et al.
`
`(2012/0306285 A1) and in further view of Leabman et al. (2016/0099614 A1).
`
`Regarding Claim 5,
`
`The combination of Yamakawa in view of Jeong and Kim teaches the claimed subject matter in
`
`claim 1. The combination does not explicitly disclose the voltage of the power receiving device is
`
`a value indicating a predetermined range. Leabman (Fig.36), however, teaches that it is known
`
`for power receiving device (3620a) to have voltage ranges and that the memory of transmitter
`
`device (3601) stores the voltage ranges. Thus, the combination teaches that the receiver device
`
`operates over a range of voltages and therefore the combination teaches that the requested
`
`voltage includes a range of operational voltages. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary
`
`skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified the
`
`teachings of Yamakawa in view of Jeong and Kim to that of Leabman. The motivation would have
`
`been because discovering the working operational ranges of a receiver is well-within the level of
`
`ordinary skill in the art. The receiving device could become operational between a certain range
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`Page 9
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`of voltages and by sending a range instead of a value to the transmitter, it allows the transmitter
`
`to know a range of acceptable voltages to operate the receiver instead of a value.
`
`Claim 8 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Yamakawa et al.
`
`(2015/0048688 A1) in view of Jeong et al. (2016/0079798 A1) and in further view of Kim et al.
`
`(2012/0306285 A1) and in further view of Xu et al. (2016/0181821 A1).
`
`Regarding Claim 8,
`
`The combination of Yamakawa in view of Jeong and Kim teaches the claimed matter in claim 1.
`
`The combination does not explicitly disclose wherein the power transmitting device includes a
`
`protrusion or a recess on a surface of the power transmitting device, wherein the power receiving
`
`device includes a protrusion or a recess on a surface of the power receiving device, and wherein
`
`the power transmitting device and the power receiving device can be coupled and separated, by
`
`the protrusion of the power transmitting device and the recess of the power receiving device
`
`being engaged, or by the recess of the power transmitting device and the protrusion of the power
`
`receiving device being engaged.
`
`Xu (Figs.6A-6D), however, teaches wherein the power transmitting device (item 605) includes a
`
`recess (see Fig.68; recess) on a surface of the power transmitting device (pars [37-40]), wherein
`
`the power receiving device (610) includes a protrusion (615) on a surface of the power receiving
`
`device (see Fig.6A), and wherein the power transmitting device (605) and the power receiving
`
`device (610) can be coupled and separated (see Figs.60 and 6D), by the recess of the power
`
`transmitting device (605) and the protrusion (615) of the power receiving device (610) being
`
`engaged (pars [37-40]).
`
`It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the
`
`claimed invention to have modified the teachings of Yamakawa in view of Jeong and Kim to that
`
`of Xu. The motivation would have been because insertion of the protruding portion into the recess
`
`can increase overlap between the primary and the secondary coils which generates additional
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`

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`Art Unit: 2836
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`Page 10
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`magnetic flux coupling between the primary and secondary thereby allowing greater efficiency in
`
`wireless power transfer (Xu, par [40]).
`
`Claims 10 and 12 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Yamakawa et al.
`
`(2015/0048688 A1) in view of Jeong et al. (2016/0079798 A1) and in further view of Kim et al.
`
`(2012/0306285 A1) and in further view of Murayama et al. (2015/0364947 A1).
`
`Regarding Claim 10,
`
`The combination of Yamakawa in view of Jeong and Kim teaches the claimed subject matter in
`
`claim 1 and the combination further teaches wherein the inverter circuit includes four switching
`
`devices (Yamakawa, Fig.3), wherein the four switching devices make up a first switching pair
`
`(Yamakwa, par [43]; QA and OD) that outputs voltage of the same polarity as the voltage of the
`
`first DC power supplied from the power source when conducting (par [43]; QA and OD are
`
`conducting and turned on when OB and QC are off and thus outputting voltage of the same
`
`polarity), and a second switching device pair (OB and QC) that outputs voltage of opposite
`
`polarity from the voltage of the first DC power supplied from the power source when conducting
`
`(Yamawaka, par [43]), wherein the power transmitting control circuit supplies pulse signals to
`
`each of the four switching devices, to switch between conducting and non-conducting states
`
`(Yamawaka, par [43]).
`
`The combination does not explicitly disclose adjusting a phase difference of pulse signals
`
`supplied to the first and second switching pairs of the inverter circuit.
`
`Murayama (Figs.1 and 3), however, similarly teaches an inverter circuit (3) with first and second
`
`switching device pairs (see Fig.3). Murayama further teaches supplying pulse signals to each of
`
`the four switching devices (par [65]; switching signals 81 to S4), and adjusts a phase difference
`
`of two pulse signals supplied to the first switching device pair (par [65]; Murayama teachers
`
`adjusting a phase difference of switching signals 81 to S4 supplied to inverter 3 via control unit
`
`7), and a phase difference of two pulse signals supplied to the second switching device pair (par
`
`[65]), and wherein the control parameter is a value indicating the phase difference (par [65];
`
`

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`Application/Control Number: 15/259,222
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`Art Unit: 2836
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`Page 11
`
`Murayama teaches the control parameter is a phase difference value supplied to the inverter
`
`circuit 3).
`
`It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the
`
`claimed invention to have modified the teachings of Yamakawa in view of Jeong and Kim to that
`
`of Murayama. The motivation would have been because there are various known control
`
`parameters in the art used to control output from the inverter circuit. One of ordinary skill in the art
`
`would have realized that the phase difference is a well-known control parameter in the art used to
`
`control the inverter and the output power of the inverter.
`
`Regarding Claim 12,
`
`The combination of Yamakawa in view of Jeong and Kim teaches the claimed subject matter in
`
`claim 1 and the combination further teaches wherein the inverter circuit includes a plurality of
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`switching devices (Yamakawa, Fig.3, QA-QD), wherein the power transmission control circuit
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`supplies pulse signals to each of the plurality of switching devices, to switch between conducting
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`and non-conducting states (Yamawaka, par [43]; QA and OD controlled to be conducting while
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`OB and QC are off and vice versa), and wherein the voltage of AC power output from the inverter
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`circuit is adjusted by adjusting a duty ratio of the pulse signals (Jeong, par [39], Claim 9;
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`controlling the switching duty of the switches), and wherein the control parameter is a value
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`representing a duty ratio (par [39]).
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`For further support of adjusting a duty ratio of the pulse signals, and wherein the control
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`parameter is a value representing a duty ratio, Murayama is being relied upon.
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`Murayama (Figs.1 and 3) similarly teaches an inverter circuit (3) with first and second switching
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`device pairs (see Fig.3). Murayama further teaches disclose wherein the voltage of wherein the
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`voltage of the AC power output from the inverter circuit (3) is adjusted by adjusting a duty ratio of
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`the pulse signals (par [51]; “switching control unit 7 adjusts duty ratios of the respective switching
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`signals 81 to S4”), and wherein the control parameter is a value representing a duty ratio (par
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`[51]).
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`

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`Application/Control Number: 15/259,222
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`Art Unit: 2836
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`Page 12
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`It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the
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`claimed invention to have modified the teachings of Yamakawa in view of Jeong and Kim to that
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`of Murayama. The motivation would have been to use one of various well-known control
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`parameters in the art to efficiently control the output from the inverter circuit. One of ordinary skill
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`in the art would have realized that duty ratios are well-known parameters in the art used to control
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`the inverter and the output power of the inverter.
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`Conclusion
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`Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should
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`be directed to RASEM MOURAD whose telephone number is (571)270-7770. The examiner can
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`normally be reached on Monday-Friday (10:30am-5:00pm) alternate Fridays off.
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`If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor,
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`Rexford Barnie can be reached on 5722727492. The fax phone number for the organization where this
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`application or proceeding is assigned is 571 -273-8300.
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`1000.
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`/Rasem Mourad/
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`Examiner, AU 2836
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`