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 .
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claims 3 and 10 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
Claim 3 recites the limitation "the inverter cells" in line 2 of the claim. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim in light of the recitations of “at least two groups of inverter cells” in lines 7-8 of claim one. It is clear to which inverter cells the recitation of claim 3 is referring.
Claim 10 recites the limitation "the inverter cells" in line 2 of the claim. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim in light of the recitations of “at least two groups of inverter cells” in lines 7-8 of claim one. It is clear to which inverter cells the recitation of claim 10 is referring.
Claim Objections
Claims 6, 9 and 10 are objected to because of the following informalities:
Claim 6 recites “a modulator” in line 3, which should recite “the modulator” in order to provide proper antecedence.
Claims 9 and 10 recite “the preset parameter” in line 2, which should recite “the at least one preset parameter” in order to provide proper antecedence.
Claim 9 recites “a modulator” in line 3, which should recite “the modulator” in order to provide proper antecedence.
Appropriate correction is required.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 1, 4, 5, 7, 8, and 11-19 are allowed. The prior art of record fails to fairly teach or disclose “wherein the at least two groups of the inverter cells include a first group supplied with a lower DC voltage than a different, second group of the at least two groups” in the context of the claim as a whole.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments, see pages 7-15, filed November 26, 2025, with respect to claims 1 and 3-19 have been fully considered and are persuasive. The rejection of May 28, 2025 has been withdrawn. A phone call was made to Arun Shome on March 2, 2026 to correct the pending issues, but no return call was received.
Conclusion
Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to SAMANTHA M GOOD whose telephone number is (571)270-7480. The examiner can normally be reached Mon to Wed, 7am to 3pm.
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/SAMANTHA M GOOD/Examiner, Art Unit 3794
/MICHAEL F PEFFLEY/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3794
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