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 .
Information Disclosure Statement
The Information Disclosure Statement (IDS) filed on 07/26/2023, 05/30/2025 and 06/22/2026 has been considered.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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 of this title, 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.
The factual inquiries set forth in Graham v. John Deere Co., 383 U.S. 1, 148 USPQ 459 (1966), that are applied for establishing a background for determining obviousness under 35 U.S.C. 103 are summarized as follows:
1. Determining the scope and contents of the prior art.
2. Ascertaining the differences between the prior art and the claims at issue.
3. Resolving the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art.
4. Considering objective evidence present in the application indicating obviousness or nonobviousness.
Claims 19 and 20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Han et al. (hereinafter Han), U.S. Patent Application Publication 2012/0049993, in view of Folker et al., (hereinafter Folker), U.S. Patent 9,837,194.
Regarding Claim 19, Han teaches (except where italicized), an inductor-integrated transformer (Fig. 2), comprising:
a transformer core (200) comprising an upper core and a lower core (204, 206);
a transformer coil comprising a primary coil and a secondary coil (210, 212), the primary coil and the secondary coil being disposed inside the transformer core;
an inductor core (202) disposed on the transformer core, the inductor core comprising an upper core and a lower core; and
an inductor coil (216) disposed inside the inductor core,
wherein each of the transformer core and the inductor core has an opening formed in each of a front surface and a rear surface thereof (id.),
wherein the primary coil is electrically connected to an input unit through the opening formed in the front surface of the transformer core,
wherein the secondary coil is electrically connected to an output unit through the opening formed in the rear surface of the transformer core, and
wherein the inductor coil is electrically connected to the output unit through the opening formed in the rear surface of the inductor core. (Han: Figs. 1-3, para. [0028], [0029]).
Han does not explicitly teach, wherein the primary coil is electrically connected to an input unit through the opening formed in the front surface of the transformer core,
wherein the secondary coil is electrically connected to an output unit through the opening formed in the rear surface of the transformer core, and
wherein the inductor coil is electrically connected to the output unit through the opening formed in the rear surface of the inductor core.
However, Folker teaches (Fig. 8), wherein the primary coil is electrically connected to an input unit (810, 814, 950) through the opening formed in the front surface of the transformer core,
wherein the secondary coil (812, 814, 950) is electrically connected to an output unit through the opening formed in the rear surface of the transformer core, and
wherein the inductor coil (540) is electrically connected to the output unit (810, 960) through the opening formed in the rear surface of the inductor core. (Folker: Figs. 8-11, col. 6, line 51 to col. 7, line 8; col. 11, line 66 to col. 12, line 20).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to modify the connection of the transformer and inductor of Han to include the primary coil and secondary coil connected to the input and output unit, respectively, and the inductor coil connected to the output unit of Folker, the motivation being “he combined magnetic assembly 500 integrates the functions of the resonant inductor 510 and the output transformer 520 into a single assembly with a smaller printed circuit footprint than two separate devices” (col. 13, lines 25-28). (Folker: Figs. 8-11, col. 13, lines 25-28). Therefore, the limitation of Claim 19 would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Regarding Claim 20, the combination of Han in view of Folker further teaches, wherein the primary coil comprises an upper primary coil and a lower primary coil, the upper primary coil and the lower primary coil being vertically spaced apart from each other, and wherein the secondary coil is disposed between the upper primary coil and the lower primary coil, the motivation being it is obvious to try in arranging primary and secondary coils of a transformer, there being a finite choice of spacial arrangements for the primary and secondary coils, respectively.
Pertinent Prior Art
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Dadafshar (US 6,420,953) discloses (Figs. 5 and 6) including the primary coil and secondary coil connected to the input and output unit, respectively, and the inductor coil connected to the output unit.
Diekmann et al. (US 20060158303).
Reason for Allowance
Claims 1-5 and 11-14, are allowed.
The following is an examiner’s statement of reasons for allowance:
Claim 1 recites, inter alia, “…an inductor-integrated transformer, comprising: a transformer core comprising an upper core and a lower core; a transformer coil comprising a primary coil and a secondary coil, the primary coil and the secondary coil being disposed inside the transformer core; an inductor core disposed on the transformer core, the inductor core comprising an upper core and a lower core; and an inductor coil disposed inside the inductor core, wherein the primary coil comprises: a plurality of input terminals spaced apart from a first surface of the transformer core by a first distance (Y); and a plurality of output terminals spaced apart from a second surface of the transformer core by a second distance (X), the second surface being a surface opposite the first surface, and wherein the output terminals are conductively connected to the secondary coil and the inductor coil, and the first distance (Y) is greater than the second distance (X)”. (Emphasis added).
The references of record do not teach or suggest the aforementioned limitation, nor would it be obvious to modify those references to include such limitation.
US 2012/0049993 (Han et al.) discloses (except where italicized), an inductor-integrated transformer (Fig. 2), comprising:
a transformer core (200) comprising an upper core and a lower core (204, 206);
a transformer coil comprising a primary coil and a secondary coil (210, 212), the primary coil and the secondary coil being disposed inside the transformer core (id.);
an inductor core (202) disposed on the transformer core, the inductor core comprising an upper core and a lower core; and
an inductor coil (216) disposed inside the inductor core,
wherein the primary coil comprises:
a plurality of input terminals spaced apart from a first surface of the transformer core by a first distance (Y); and
a plurality of output terminals spaced apart from a second surface of the transformer core by a second distance (X), the second surface being a surface opposite the first surface, and
wherein the output terminals are conductively connected to the secondary coil and the inductor coil, and the first distance (Y) is greater than the second distance (X). (Han: Figs. 1-3, para. [0028], [0029]).
Han doesn’t disclose, at least, a plurality of input terminals spaced apart from a first surface of the transformer core by a first distance (Y); and
a plurality of output terminals spaced apart from a second surface of the transformer core by a second distance (X), the second surface being a surface opposite the first surface, and
wherein the output terminals are conductively connected to the secondary coil and the inductor coil, and the first distance (Y) is greater than the second distance (X).
Also, US 9,837,194 (Folker et al.) discloses at least, inter alia, an inductor-integrated transformer (Fig. 8), comprising:
“…a plurality of input terminals spaced apart from a first surface of the transformer core by a first distance (Y) (810, 814, 950); and
a plurality of output terminals spaced apart from a second surface of the transformer core by a second distance (X) (812, 814, 950), the second surface being a surface opposite the first surface”. (Folker: Figs. 8-11, col. 6, line 51 to col. 7, line 8; col. 11, line 66 to col. 12, line 20).
Folker doesn’t disclose, at least, wherein the output terminals are conductively connected to the secondary coil and the inductor coil, and the first distance (Y) is greater than the second distance (X).
Further, it would not have been obvious to modify Han and Folker with the art of record to reach the limitations of claim 1.
Claims 2-5 and 11-14, are allowed because each claim is directly or indirectly dependent of independent Claim 1.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to MALCOLM BARNES whose telephone number is (408)918-7512. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 7:30-5:00 pm (PST).
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, Shawki Ismail can be reached on 571-272-3985. 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 http s://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.
/MALCOLM BARNES/
Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2837
8/29/2026
Prosecution Insights