UNITED STATES PATENT AND TRADEMARK OFFICE
`
`
`
`UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
`United States Patent and Trademark Office
`Address: COMMISSIONER FOR PATENTS
`PO. Box 1450
`Alexandria, Virginia 2231371450
`www.uspto.gov
`
`15/847,929
`
`12/20/2017
`
`Hiroshi YAMAMOTO
`
`OKUDP1053US
`
`1074
`
`MARK D. SARALINO (PAN)
`RENNER, OTTO, BOISSELLE & SKLAR, LLP
`1621 EUCLID AVENUE
`19TH FLOOR
`CLEVELAND, OH 441 15
`
`AMRANY~ ADI
`
`ART UNIT
`2836
`
`PAPER NUMBER
`
`NOTIFICATION DATE
`
`DELIVERY MODE
`
`11/01/2019
`
`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):
`
`ipdoeket@rennerotto.eom
`
`PTOL-90A (Rev. 04/07)
`
`

`

`0/7709 A0170” Summary
`
`Application No.
`15/847,929
`Examiner
`ADI AMRANY
`
`Applicant(s)
`YAMAMOTO et al.
`Art Unit
`AIA (FITF) Status
`2836
`Yes
`
`- The MAILING DA TE of this communication appears on the cover sheet wit/7 the correspondence address -
`Period for Reply
`
`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 of 37 CFR 1.136(a). In no event, however, may a reply be timely filed after SIX (6) MONTHS from the mailing
`date of this communication.
`|f 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).
`
`Status
`
`1). Responsive to communication(s) filed on 17 October 2019.
`[:1 A declaration(s)/affidavit(s) under 37 CFR 1.130(b) was/were filed on
`
`2a)D This action is FINAL.
`
`2b)
`
`This action is non-final.
`
`3)[:] An election was made by the applicant in response to a restriction requirement set forth during the interview on
`; the restriction requirement and election have been incorporated into this action.
`
`4)[:] 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 Expat/7e Quay/e, 1935 CD. 11, 453 O.G. 213.
`
`Disposition of Claims*
`5)
`Claim(s)
`
`1—21 is/are pending in the application.
`
`5a) Of the above claim(s) @ is/are withdrawn from consideration.
`
`E] Claim(s)
`
`is/are allowed.
`
`Claim(s) fl is/are rejected.
`
`E] Claim(s) _ is/are objected to.
`
`) ) ) )
`
`6 7
`
`8
`
`
`
`are subject to restriction and/or election requirement
`[:1 Claim(s)
`9
`* 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
`
`http://www.uspto.gov/patents/init events/pph/index.'sp or send an inquiry to PPeredback@uspto.gov.
`
`Application Papers
`10):] The specification is objected to by the Examiner.
`
`11). The drawing(s) filed on 20 December 2017 is/are: a). accepted or b)C] 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:
`
`a). All
`
`b)|:] Some**
`
`c)C] None of the:
`
`1.. Certified copies of the priority documents have been received.
`
`21:] Certified copies of the priority documents have been received in Application No.
`
`3D 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.
`
`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 Datew.
`U.S. Patent and Trademark Office
`
`3) C] Interview Summary (PTO-413)
`Paper No(s)/Mail Date
`4) CI Other-
`
`PTOL-326 (Rev. 11-13)
`
`Office Action Summary
`
`Part of Paper No./Mai| Date 20191028
`
`

`

`Application/Control Number: 15/847,929
`Art Unit: 2836
`
`Page 2
`
`DETAILED ACTION
`
`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.
`
`Election/Restrictions
`
`1.
`
`Applicants’ election without traverse of Species A (corresponding to claims 1-5)
`
`in the reply filed on October 17, 2019 is acknowledged.
`
`Information Disclosure Statement
`
`2.
`
`The information disclosure statement filed December 20, 2017 fails to comply
`
`with 37 CFR 1.98(a)(2), which requires a legible copy of each cited foreign patent
`
`document; each non-patent literature publication or that portion which caused it to be
`
`listed; and all other information or that portion which caused it to be listed.
`
`It has been
`
`placed in the application file, but the information referred to therein has not been
`
`considered.
`
`Foreign references JP 2010-028898 and JP 2005-168232 are too small and
`
`pixelated to read. The applicants are requested to submit a copy of these references
`
`with larger and clearer font.
`
`Claim Objections
`
`3.
`
`Claims 6-21 are objected to because they contain the wrong status identifiers.
`
`They should be labeled as “withdrawn”.
`
`Appropriate correction is required.
`
`

`

`Application/Control Number: 15/847,929
`Art Unit: 2836
`
`Page 3
`
`Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
`
`4.
`
`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.
`
`5.
`
`Claims 1-2 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Yang
`
`(US 2018/0095468) in view of Nam (US 2012/0313450).
`
`With respect to claim 1, Yang discloses a vehicle (fig 1, 4-5; par 15-26, 36-62) to
`
`be driven by electric power which is wirelessly transmitted from a power transmitter
`
`having two transmission electrodes (102, 103), the vehicle comprising:
`
`two reception electrodes (145, 155) to receive AC power from the two
`
`transmission electrodes through capacitive coupling respectively with the two
`
`transmission electrodes (par 24);
`
`a power receiving circuit (402) which is connected to the two reception
`
`electrodes to convert AC power received by the two reception electrodes into DC
`
`power or another form of AC power (par 37), and supply the DC power or other
`
`form of AC power to an electric motor (110-113) which drives the vehicle or to a
`
`secondary battery which stores electric power for driving the vehicle; and
`
`a first control circuit which, while the vehicle is moving with the two
`
`reception electrodes being opposed to the two transmission electrodes, issues
`
`an instruction that the electric power from the power transmitter is not to be
`
`received (par 62).
`
`

`

`Application/Control Number: 15/847,929
`Art Unit: 2836
`
`Page 4
`
`Yang discloses a vehicle that travels along the power lines, receiving wireless
`
`power via capacitive coupling. As the vehicle approaches an obstacle, it performs n
`
`“obstacle avoidance maneuver” that “may involve-decoupling from the power cables”
`
`(par 62). Yang does not expressly disclose how this decoupling is carried out.
`
`Nam discloses a load (fig 4-5; par 22-44) to be driven by electric power which is
`
`wirelessly transmitted from a power transmitter having two transmission electrodes
`
`(obvious for capacitive couplings, par 36), the load comprising:
`
`two reception electrodes (obvious for capacitive coupling, par 36) to
`
`receive AC power from the two transmission electrodes through capacitive
`
`coupling respectively with the two transmission electrodes (par 36); and
`
`a first control circuit (221) which increases an impedance of the load (open
`
`switch 222) as viewed from the power transmitter in response to an instruction
`
`that the electric power from the power transmitter is not to be received (par 40-
`
`42).
`
`Nam discloses a capacitive coupling receiver that increases an impedance
`
`(opens switch 222) when power is no longer required.
`
`In the combination, the Yang
`
`vehicle functionality of decoupling is carried out by opening a switch, connected
`
`between the electrodes and the load/motors, as taught by Nam.
`
`Yang and Nam are analogous, since they are from the same field of endeavor,
`
`namely capacitively coupled receivers with decoupling functionality. At the time of the
`
`invention by the applicants, it would have been obvious to one skilled in the art to
`
`modify Yang’s vehicle to include the impedance increase, as taught by Nam. The
`
`motivation for doing so would have been to fill in the gaps missing in the Yang
`
`

`

`Application/Control Number: 15/847,929
`Art Unit: 2836
`
`Page 5
`
`disclosure. Yang hints at “any other fashion” for decoupling, but does not expressly
`
`disclose what they are. Thus, one skilled in the art would have been motivated to
`
`consult the prior art to understand which other methods are acceptable.
`
`Further motivation for the combination can be found in the application of a known
`
`technique to a known device (or method) ready for improvement to yield predictable
`
`results. MPEP §2143(D).
`
`With respect to claim 2, Yang discloses a second control circuit which acquires
`
`information on at least one of a status of electric power transmission from the power
`
`transmitter to the vehicle, location of the vehicle (par 62), and remaining power of the
`
`secondary battery, determines whether or not electric power from the power transmitter
`
`is to be received based on the information, and sends the instruction to the first control
`
`circuit when determining that the electric power is not to be received.
`
`6.
`
`Claims 3-5 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Yang in
`
`view of Nam and Shibata (US 2016/0164307).
`
`The combination discloses the instruction is sent dependent on the vehicle
`
`position, but does not expressly disclose that it is also sent based on an electrical
`
`parameter.
`
`Shibata discloses a capacitively coupled device (fig 1, item 201 ), comprising two
`
`electrodes (22, 23) that are coupled to transmitter electrodes (12, 13), and a load-switch
`
`(82) that selectively connects/disconnects the load. As discussed above in the art
`
`rejection of claim 1, opening the switch increases the impedance, as seen from the
`
`transmitter.
`
`

`

`Application/Control Number: 15/847,929
`Art Unit: 2836
`
`Page 6
`
`Shibata further discloses a second control circuit that sends a command to open
`
`the load switch (82) when a value of at least one of power, voltage and current in the
`
`power receiving circuit, or a change rate over time thereof, exceeds a threshold value
`
`(par 51).
`
`Shibata discloses that the transmitter and receiver communicate bidirectionally.
`
`During this communication, the load is disconnected (open 82) and operates on battery
`
`power. Prior to opening 82, the Shibata load determines if it has enough power to
`
`operate. This matches the claim language of determining if the power in the receiving
`
`circuit exceeds a threshold value. The claim does not define where the power, voltage
`
`or current is measured (only broadly referred to as “in the power receiving circuit”).
`
`Thus, when combined, communication between the transmitter/receiver would be
`
`carried out only after it has been confirmed that the load has enough power to operate.
`
`Upon such a determining, a load switch is opened, thereby increasing the impedance as
`
`seen from the transmitter.
`
`The combination and Shibata are analogous, since they are from the same field
`
`of endeavor, namely capacitively coupled receivers. At the time of the invention by the
`
`applicants, it would have been obvious to one skilled in the art to modify the
`
`combination to include the communication and load power sensing. The motivation for
`
`doing so would have been to separate power and data transmissions.
`
`With respect to claim 4, the power stored within the Shibata load is expected to
`
`be both greater than the threshold and not greater than the threshold over the lifetime of
`
`the device.
`
`It would have been obvious that these greater/not-greater events coincide
`
`with the presence/absence of another load (Yang teaches that the loads are vehicles).
`
`

`

`Application/Control Number: 15/847,929
`Art Unit: 2836
`
`Page 7
`
`The claim only broadly recites a “when” event (another vehicle is receiving
`
`power, no other vehicle is receiving power). The claims are directed to the one vehicle
`
`(receiver) only. The claim explicitly omits the transmitter or these other
`
`vehicles/receivers. The claims do not define the properties of the one vehicle or the
`
`other vehicles to identify any structure by which the “when” conditional statements
`
`would actually cause a corresponding change in the claimed vehicle.
`
`In other words, the claim does not explicitly define the structure or functionality
`
`that would cause the power, voltage or current to be greater than the threshold o_nly
`
`
`when there is wireless power transmission to another vehicle. And this power, voltage
`
`or current would be lower than the threshold only when there is no wireless power
`
`transmission to another vehicle.
`
`The language used in the claim may be interpreted broadly to include a
`
`coincidental relationship (not an exclusively dependent one). There would obviously be
`
`one time when the combination’s load has enough power to be switched off when
`
`another load is being charged. There would obviously be one time when the
`
`combination’s load has enough power to be switched off when another load is not being
`
`charged.
`
`There would obviously be one time when the combination’s load does not have
`
`enough power to be switched off when another load is being charged. There would
`
`obviously be one time when the combination’s load does not have enough power to be
`
`switched off when another load is not being charged.
`
`With respect to claim 5, Nam discloses while the two reception electrodes are
`
`opposed respectively to the two transmission electrodes, if a predetermined amount of
`
`

`

`Application/Control Number: 15/847,929
`Art Unit: 2836
`
`Page 8
`
`time has elapsed before the value of at least one of power, voltage and current in the
`
`power receiving circuit, or the change rate over time thereof, exceeds the threshold
`
`value, the first control circuit requests the power transmitter for power transmission (par
`
`23).
`
`Nam discloses that a plurality of receivers are sequentially coupled to a
`
`transmitter in a time division scheme. Thus, after a predetermined amount of time has
`
`elapsed since receiver N was last coupled, any receiver N will be coupled again to the
`
`transmitter.
`
`During this predetermined amount of time, receiver N is off and is not being
`
`charged. Therefore, the power of the load (as taught by Shibata) cannot be increased.
`
`There would be an instance (coincidentally) in which the combination’s load has a
`
`power not greater than the threshold (not high enough to be disconnected during
`
`communication). The only way in which the power can be made to be greater than the
`
`threshold would be to charge it. This can only happen during receiver N’s designated
`
`time. Therefore, the predetermined amount of time would have elapsed while before
`
`the power was made to be greater than the threshold.
`
`Like claim 4, claim 5 does not recite explicit control functionality or the actual
`
`structure to control the recited features. The claim recites an “if” condition, but not the
`
`manner in which this condition would ever be detected. The language used in the claim
`
`may be interpreted broadly to include a coincidental relationship.
`
`

`

`Application/Control Number: 15/847,929
`Art Unit: 2836
`
`Page 9
`
`7.
`
`Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the
`
`examiner should be directed to ADI AMRANY whose telephone number is (571 )272—
`
`0415. The examiner can normally be reached on Monday - Friday, 8am-7pm.
`
`Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video
`
`conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an
`
`interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request
`
`(AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
`
`If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s
`
`supervisor, Jared Fureman can be reached on 571-272—2800 x36. The fax phone
`
`number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-
`
`273-8300.
`
`Information regarding the status of an application may be obtained from the
`
`Patent Application Information Retrieval (PAIR) system. Status information for
`
`published applications may be obtained from either Private PAIR or Public PAIR.
`
`Status information for unpublished applications is available through Private PAIR only.
`
`For more information about the PAIR system, see http://pair-direct.uspto.gov. Should
`
`you have questions on access to the Private PAIR system, contact the Electronic
`
`Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a
`
`USPTO Customer Service Representative or access to the automated information
`
`system, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272—1000.
`
`/ADI AMRANY/
`
`Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2836
`
`