DETAILED ACTION
This Office action is in response to the amendment filed on July 02, 2026.
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 .
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.
Inventorship
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.
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments have been fully considered but they are not persuasive. Applicant argues that Zhao fails to disclose “circuitry configurable to clamp the amplifier output at a level responsive to a slope of compensation signal” (Remarks, Page 6). Examiner respectfully disagrees since Zhao discloses in Fig. 1, circuitry (106) configurable to clamp the amplifier (102) output at a level responsive to a slope of compensation signal (clamp circuit 106 clamps the signal ramp/slope 104 that is based on the output of the amplifier 102, Para. 0025-0026) therefore Zhao discloses the recited claim limitation.
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 and 4 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by ZHAO et al. (U.S. Pub. No. 2021/0211052 A1).
In re claim 1, ZHAO discloses (Fig. 1) an apparatus (100), comprising:
an amplifier (102) having an amplifier output (output of 102); and
circuitry (104) having an input and an output (input and output of 104), the input coupled to the amplifier output (output of 102 is coupled to the input of 104), the circuitry configurable to circuitry (106) configurable to clamp the amplifier (102) output at a level responsive to a slope of compensation signal (clamp circuit 106 clamps the ramp/slope signal 104 that is based on the output of the amplifier 102, Para. 0025-0026).
In re claim 4, ZHAO discloses wherein the apparatus is part of a buck converter, a boost converter, or a buck-boost converter (Para. 0024).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 2-3 and 5 are objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter:
Regarding to claim 2, the prior art of record fails to disclose or suggest “a transistor coupled between the amplifier output and a reference terminal, the transistor having a control input coupled to the terminal of the slope generation circuit; a current mirror having an input, a first output, and a second output, the input of the current mirror coupled to the VtoI output and the terminal of the slop generation circuit, and the first output coupled to the control input of the transistor; and a current limit clamp circuit having an input coupled to the second output of the current mirror and having a current limit clamp circuit output” in combination with other limitations of the claim. Claims 3 and 5 depend directly or indirectly from claim 2 and are, therefore, also objected at least for the same reasons set above.
Claims 6-20 are allowed.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter:
Regarding to claim 6, the prior art of record fails to disclose or suggest “a transistor coupled between the amplifier output and a reference terminal, the transistor having a control input coupled to the output of the third circuit” in combination with other limitations of the claim. Claims 7-9 depend directly or indirectly from claim 6 and are, therefore, also allowable at least for the same reasons set above.
Regarding to claim 10, the prior art of record fails to disclose or suggest “a comparator having a first input, a second input, and an output, the first input coupled to the amplifier output; a power stage having a switching terminal coupled to the second input of the comparator and a control input coupled to the output of the comparator” in combination with other limitations of the claim. Claims 11-20 depend directly or indirectly from claim 10 and are, therefore, also allowable at least for the same reasons set above.
Conclusion
THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. 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 RAFAEL O. DE LEÓN DOMENECH whose telephone number is (571)270-0517. The examiner can normally be reached 8:00 a.m. -5:00 p.m..
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, Hammond Crystal can be reached at (571) 270-1682. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
Information regarding the status of published or unpublished applications may be obtained from Patent Center. Unpublished application information in Patent Center is available to registered users. To file and manage patent submissions in Patent Center, visit: https://patentcenter.uspto.gov. Visit https://www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/patent-center for more information about Patent Center and https://www.uspto.gov/patents/docx for information about filing 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.
/RAFAEL O DE LEON DOMENECH/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2838
Prosecution Insights