DETAILED ACTION
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments, see pg 10 lines 7-9, filed 22 Jun 2026, with respect to claim 7 have been fully considered and are persuasive. The objection of claim 7 has been withdrawn.
Applicant’s arguments, see pg 10 lines 10-22, filed 22 Jun 2026, with respect to claim 11 have been fully considered and are persuasive. The objection of claim 11 has been withdrawn.
Applicant's arguments filed 22 Jun 2026, with respect to claim 13, have been fully considered but they are not persuasive. The limitation, "the phase of operation of the power converter integrated circuit in the second reverse mode" is unclear because there are two different phases in claim 11 to which a “further phase” could be “subsequent”.
Applicant’s arguments, see pg 11 lines 12-17, filed 22 Jun 2026, with respect to claim 23 have been fully considered and are persuasive. The objection of claim 23 has been withdrawn.
Applicant’s arguments, see pg 11 lines 20-33, filed 22 Jun 2026, with respect to claim 3/5/9/15 have been fully considered and are persuasive. The rejection of claim 3/5/9/15 have been withdrawn.
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claim 21 have been considered but are moot because the new ground of rejection does not rely on any reference applied in the prior rejection of record for any teaching or matter specifically challenged in the argument.
Specification
Applicant is reminded of the proper content of an abstract of the disclosure.
A patent abstract is a concise statement of the technical disclosure of the patent and should include that which is new in the art to which the invention pertains. The abstract should not refer to purported merits or speculative applications of the invention and should not compare the invention with the prior art.
If the patent is of a basic nature, the entire technical disclosure may be new in the art, and the abstract should be directed to the entire disclosure. If the patent is in the nature of an improvement in an old apparatus, process, product, or composition, the abstract should include the technical disclosure of the improvement. The abstract should also mention by way of example any preferred modifications or alternatives.
Where applicable, the abstract should include the following: (1) if a machine or apparatus, its organization and operation; (2) if an article, its method of making; (3) if a chemical compound, its identity and use; (4) if a mixture, its ingredients; (5) if a process, the steps.
Extensive mechanical and design details of an apparatus should not be included in the abstract. The abstract should be in narrative form and generally limited to a single paragraph within the range of 50 to 150 words in length.
See MPEP § 608.01(b) for guidelines for the preparation of patent abstracts.
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 & 13 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.
Claims 3: recites the limitation "the output capacitor" in line 2. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim. For purposes of examination, the examiner interprets the above phrase to mean the third capacitor in Claim 1.
Claim 13: recites the limitation, "the phase of operation of the power converter integrated circuit in the second reverse mode". There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim. It is unclear because there are two different phases in claim 11 to which a “further phase” could be “subsequent”. For purposes of examination, the examiner interprets the above phrase to mean in the second forward mode, wherein the switch network is operable to couple the inductor in parallel with the output capacitor in a further phase of operation.
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 (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) 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)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claim 21 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Kumar (US 20230013025 A1).
Regarding Claim 21, Kumar discloses a power converter circuitry (200, Fig 2) comprising switched capacitor power converter circuitry (operates as a switched capacitor converter in forward mode, Fig 3A/B) and inductive buck or inductive boost converter circuitry (forward buck and forward boost modes use inductor L 130, Fig 3C-F, [0047-9]) the power converter circuitry comprising: a switch network (101-114 and nodes between them, Fig 2) configured to be coupled, in use of the power converter circuitry to: first and second flying capacitors (121-122, Fig 2); an output capacitor (124, Fig 2); and an inductor (130, Fig 2), wherein, in use of the power converter circuitry, the switch network, the first and second flying capacitors and the output capacitor are common to both the switched capacitor power converter circuitry and the inductive buck or inductive boost converter circuitry ("The plurality of switches (101-114) may be connected to each other, the input power supply, or through passive electronic components in an arrangement to obtain a plurality of DC-DC power conversion schemes such as bidirectional buck-boost, switched capacitor converter, direct supply short, etc., but not limited to the like by reuse of a set of switches.", Figs 2-3H, [0036]).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 1-2, 4-12, 14-20, & 22 are allowed.
The following is an examiner’s statement of reasons for allowance:
Regarding claim 1, Kumar (US 20230013025 A1) discloses a power converter integrated circuit (200, Fig 2, [0005-6]) comprising: a switch network having coupling nodes for coupling the switch network to (101-114 and nodes between them, Fig 2): a first capacitor (121, Fig 2); a second capacitor (124, Fig 2), a third capacitor (120, Fig 2); and an inductor (L 130, Fig 2), wherein the power converter integrated circuit is operable in a first forward mode (Fig 3A/B, [0037, 45, 56]) as switched capacitor power converter circuitry (operates as a switched capacitor converter in forward mode, Fig 3A/B) and in a second forward mode (forward buck and forward boost, Fig 3C-F, [0047-9]) as inductive converter circuitry (forward buck and forward boost modes use inductor L 130, Fig 3C-F, [0047-9]), wherein: in the first forward mode, the switch network is operative to: couple the first and second capacitors in series in a first phase of operation (when 111, 102, 104, 105, & 107 are on for half of the switching cycle 121 is in series with 124, Fig 3A, [0045]); and couple the second capacitor and the third capacitor in parallel in a second phase of operation (when 111, 101, 103, 106, & 108 are on for the other half of the switching cycle 124 is in parallel with 120, Fig 3A, [0045]).
Kumar does not teach in the second forward mode, the switch network is operative to: couple the first and second capacitors in series and couple a series combination of the inductor and the third capacitor in parallel with the second capacitor in a phase of operation; and couple the first and second capacitors in parallel with the series combination of the inductor and the third capacitor in a subsequent phase of operation.
Prior art Jong (EP 4030609 A1) and Aleksandar (WO 2017156638 A1) are considered to be the closest prior art.
However, none of the prior art, taken singly or in combination, teach “in the second forward mode, the switch network is operative to: couple the first and second capacitors in series and couple a series combination of the inductor and the third capacitor in parallel with the second capacitor in a phase of operation; and couple the first and second capacitors in parallel with the series combination of the inductor and the third capacitor in a subsequent phase of operation.”
Claims 2, 4-12, 14-20, & 22 are allowable, as they depend on claim 1.
Claims 3 & 13 would be allowable if rewritten to overcome the rejection(s) under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), 2nd paragraph, set forth in this Office action and to include 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:
Claims 3 & 13 are indicated as allowable, as they depend on claim 1.
Any comments considered necessary by applicant must be submitted no later than the payment of the issue fee and, to avoid processing delays, should preferably accompany the issue fee. Such submissions should be clearly labeled “Comments on Statement of Reasons for Allowance.”
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 JENNIFER C CAULK whose telephone number is (571)270-0623. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 8:30-5:30, every other Fri off.
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, Crystal Hammond 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.
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J.C.C./Examiner, Art Unit 2838
/GARY L LAXTON/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2838 7/10/2026
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