DETAILED ACTION
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
Applicant's election with traverse of of Species II in the reply filed on October 16, 2025 is acknowledged. The traversal is persuasive. The requirement for election of species is therefore withdrawn.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
In the event the determination of the status of the application as subject to AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103 (or as subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103) is incorrect, any correction of the statutory basis for the rejection will not be considered a new ground of rejection if the prior art relied upon, and the rationale supporting the rejection, would be the same under either status.
The following is a quotation of the appropriate paragraphs of 35 U.S.C. 102 that form the basis for the rejections under this section made in this Office action:
A person shall be entitled to a patent unless –
(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 effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claims 1-4, 6-12, 14-17 and 19-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Dalena US PGPUB 2020/0119573.
Regarding claim 1, Dalena discloses a circuit for high efficiency battery charging [par. 5; fig. 8], comprising:
a resonant switched capacitor converter that receives an input voltage and input current from a power source and produces an intermediate voltage that is a fraction of the input voltage and an intermediate current that is a corresponding multiple of the input current [pars. 9-10, 45, 47-48 & 51; fig. 8-9; switched capacitor converter 801 (SC) has a fly capacitor 804, which is connected via wiring/circuitry to switches 803 and 805, thus, some level of parasitic inductance exists, which Applicant acknowledges may form the resonant inductance of a resonant tank circuit (par. [0004] & [0027] of the PGPUB); the SC produces an intermediate voltage and intermediate current as a first stage of the high efficiency power converter, the multiple corresponding to the multiple of the “voltage divider” 801 (par. 47, fig. 10)]; and
a buck regulator that receives the intermediate voltage and the intermediate current and produces an output battery charging voltage and an output battery charging current, wherein the output battery charging voltage is less than the intermediate voltage [fig. 8-9; pars. 6-7, 47-48; the intermediate voltage is received at buck converter 802 which produces an output voltage and current at Vout; a buck converter reduces voltage, thus the output battery charging voltage is less than the intermediate voltage].
Regarding claim 2, Dalena discloses wherein the resonant switched capacitor converter comprises one or more resonant switched capacitor stages [fig. 8; one resonant switched capacitor stage].
Regarding claim 3, Dalena discloses wherein the one or more resonant switched capacitor stages each comprise:
a ladder of four switching devices coupled across an input of the resonant switched capacitor stage [fig. 8, 803, 806, 802 and 805 across the input Vin];
a resonant tank circuit including a flying capacitor and a resonant inductance coupled between a junction of a first and a second switching device of the ladder and a junction of a third and fourth switching device of the ladder [fig. 8, a flying capacitor 804 is coupled between junction of 803/806 and 802/805; pars. 46-48]; and
an output terminal located at a junction of the second and third switching devices of the ladder [fig. 8; the output is at the node of the intermediate output capacitor C_int and the node of second and third switches 802/806; par. 47].
Regarding claim 4, Dalena discloses wherein the resonant tank circuit is a series resonant circuit [fig. 8, fly capacitor 804 and parasitic inductance].
Regarding claim 6, Dalena discloses wherein the resonant inductance consists of one or more parasitic inductances [fig. 8; the wire or circuit trace connecting 804 with the 802/805 junction].
Regarding claim 7, Dalena discloses further comprising controller circuitry that regulates a switching frequency of the resonant switched capacitor converter to achieve soft switching [figs. 13-14; pars. 21 & 54-57; soft switching is achieved by switching when the current through the switching elements is near zero, via the chosen switch frequency].
Regarding claim 8, Dalena discloses wherein the controller circuitry regulates the switching frequency of the resonant switched capacitor converter to achieve soft switching responsive to a phase of a flying capacitor voltage of the resonant switched capacitor converter relative to mode transitions of the resonant switched capacitor converter [pars. 21 & 54-57; the switching times/frequency are synchronized such that the voltage across the switches are near zero, this is dependent on the phase of the C_fly voltage because the capacitor charges and discharges through the switches (fig. 8].
Regarding claim 9, Dalena discloses wherein the controller circuitry controls switching of the buck regulator to produce the output battery charging voltage and output battery charging current responsive to a battery charging profile control loop [pars. 9-10, 16 & 45-46; fig. 8; the buck regulator produces the final output and is regulated according the charging phases of the battery].
Regarding claim 10, Dalena discloses wherein a switching frequency of the buck regulator is independent of the switching frequency of the resonant switched capacitor converter [par. 20, 51 & 53-54; the switching frequencies of the first stage and the second stage are different].
Regarding claim 11, Dalena discloses a power converter, comprising:
a resonant switched capacitor converter having one or more resonant switched capacitor stages [pars. 9-10, 45, 47-48 & 51; fig. 8-9; switched capacitor converter 801 (SC) has a fly capacitor 804], each resonant switched capacitor stage further comprising:
a ladder of four switching devices coupled across an input of the resonant switched capacitor stage [fig. 8, 803, 806, 802 and 805 across the input Vin];
a resonant tank circuit including a flying capacitor and a resonant inductance coupled between a junction of a first and a second switching device of the ladder and a junction of a third and fourth switching device of the ladder [fig. 8, a flying capacitor 804 is coupled between junction of 803/806 and 802/805; pars. 46-48]; and
an output terminal located at a junction of the second and third switching devices of the ladder [fig. 8; the output is at the node of the intermediate output capacitor C_int and the node of second and third switches 802/806; par. 47];
wherein the resonant switched capacitor converter receives an input voltage and input current from a power source and produces an intermediate voltage that is a fraction of the input voltage and an intermediate current that is a corresponding multiple of the input current [pars. 9-10, 45, 47-48 & 51; fig. 8-9; switched capacitor converter 801 (SC) has a fly capacitor 804, which is connected via wiring/circuitry to switches 803 and 805, thus, some level of parasitic inductance exists, which Applicant acknowledges may form the resonant inductance of a resonant tank circuit (par. [0004] & [0027] of the PGPUB); the SC produces an intermediate voltage and intermediate current as a first stage of the high efficiency power converter, the multiple corresponding to the multiple of the “voltage divider” 801 (par. 47, fig. 10)];
a buck regulator that receives the intermediate voltage and the intermediate current and produces an output voltage and an output current, wherein the output voltage is less than the intermediate voltage [fig. 8-9; pars. 6-7, 47-48; the intermediate voltage is received at buck converter 802 which produces an output voltage and current at Vout; a buck converter reduces voltage, thus the output battery charging voltage is less than the intermediate voltage]; and
controller circuitry that regulates a switching frequency of the resonant switched capacitor converter to achieve soft switching [figs. 13-14; pars. 21 & 54-57; soft switching is achieved by switching when the current through the switching elements is near zero, via the chosen switch frequency].
Regarding claim 12, Dalena discloses wherein the resonant tank circuit is a series resonant circuit [fig. 8, fly capacitor 804 and parasitic inductance].
Regarding claim 14, Dalena discloses wherein the resonant inductance consists of one or more parasitic inductances [fig. 8; the wire or circuit trace connecting 804 with the 802/805 junction].
Regarding claim 15, Dalena discloses wherein the controller circuitry regulates the switching frequency of the resonant switched capacitor converter to achieve soft switching responsive to a phase of a flying capacitor voltage of the resonant switched capacitor converter relative to mode transitions of the resonant switched capacitor converter [pars. 21 & 54-57; the switching times/frequency are synchronized such that the voltage across the switches are near zero, this is dependent on the phase of the C_fly voltage because the capacitor charges and discharges through the switches (fig. 8].
Regarding claim 16, Dalena discloses a resonant switched capacitor converter having one or more resonant switched capacitor stages [pars. 9-10, 45, 47-48 & 51; fig. 8-9; switched capacitor converter 801 (SC) has a fly capacitor 804], each resonant switched capacitor stage comprising:
a ladder of four switching devices coupled across an input of the resonant switched capacitor stage [fig. 8, 803, 806, 802 and 805 across the input Vin];
a resonant tank circuit including a flying capacitor and a resonant inductance coupled between a junction of a first and a second switching device of the ladder and a junction of a third and fourth switching device of the ladder [fig. 8, a flying capacitor 804 is coupled between junction of 803/806 and 802/805; pars. 46-48];
an output terminal located at a junction of the second and third switching devices of the ladder [fig. 8; the output is at the node of the intermediate output capacitor C_int and the node of second and third switches 802/806; par. 47]; and
controller circuitry that regulates a switching frequency of the resonant switched capacitor converter to achieve soft switching [figs. 13-14; pars. 21 & 54-57; soft switching is achieved by switching when the current through the switching elements is near zero, via the chosen switch frequency].
Regarding claim 17, Dalena discloses wherein the resonant tank circuit is a series resonant circuit [fig. 8, fly capacitor 804 and parasitic inductance].
Regarding claim 19, Dalena discloses wherein the resonant inductance consists of one or more parasitic inductances [fig. 8; the wire or circuit trace connecting 804 with the 802/805 junction].
Regarding claim 20, Dalena discloses wherein the controller circuitry regulates the switching frequency of the resonant switched capacitor converter to achieve soft switching responsive to a phase of a flying capacitor voltage of the resonant switched capacitor converter relative to mode transitions of the resonant switched capacitor converter [pars. 21 & 54-57; the switching times/frequency are synchronized such that the voltage across the switches are near zero, this is dependent on the phase of the C_fly voltage because the capacitor charges and discharges through the switches (fig. 8].
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
This application currently names joint inventors. In considering patentability of the claims the examiner presumes that the subject matter of the various claims was commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the claimed invention(s) absent any evidence to the contrary. Applicant is advised of the obligation under 37 CFR 1.56 to point out the inventor and effective filing dates of each claim that was not commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the later invention in order for the examiner to consider the applicability of 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(2)(C) for any potential 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) prior art against the later invention.
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 5, 13 and 18 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Dalena US PGPUB 2020/0119573 in view of Chen et al. US PGPUB 2022/0103066.
Regarding claims 5, 13 and 18, Dalena does not explicitly disclose wherein the resonant inductance includes a discrete inductance.
However, Chen discloses a switched capacitor power converter [par. 55] comprising a resonant inductance including a discrete inductance [fig. 3C & 3E; inductor L_R in series with switch capacitor C_S in switched-capacitor converter 311; pars. 69 & 83].
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Dalena to further include wherein the resonant inductance includes a discrete inductance for the purpose of creating zero current switching opportunities, as taught by Chen (par. 69).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure:
Liu US PGPUB 2023/0047446 discloses a switched capacitor converter battery charging system using cascaded converters;
Puggelli et al. US PGPUB 2017/0300079 discloses a switched capacitor converter battery charging system using a switched capacitor converter as intermediate converter before a buck converter.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to DAVID V HENZE whose telephone number is (571)272-3317. The examiner can normally be reached M to F, 9am to 7pm.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Taelor Kim can be reached at 571-270-7166. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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DAVID V. HENZE
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 2859
/DAVID V HENZE/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2859
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