DETAILED ACTION
This action is in response to the request for continued examination filed on 1/21/2026.
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 .
Continued Examination Under 37 CFR 1.114
A request for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, including the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e), was filed in this application after final rejection. Since this application is eligible for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114. Applicant's submission filed on 1/21/2026 has been entered.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claim(s) 13 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.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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 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.
Claim(s) 13 and 21-22 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Cohen (US 2020/0144923) in view of Xu et al. (US Patent 9716436). Regarding claim 13, Cohen discloses (see fig. 3) a circuit, comprising: a voltage sensing circuit (305, 118) having an input coupled to a first inductor terminal (connection to terminal of 314); a current sensing circuit (306); a switch (110) coupled between a second inductor terminal (connection to terminal of 314) and the current sensing circuit (see connection of 110); a peak current control circuit (131) having an input coupled to an output of the current sensing circuit (see connection of 131 to 306), wherein the peak current control circuit is configurable to open the switch via a switching control circuit responsive to a comparison between a first signal at the output of the current sensing circuit and a peak current threshold (operation of 131 comparing the output from 306 to a threshold value at the non-inverting terminal input of 131). Cohen does not disclose a slope control circuit having a first input and a second input, the first input coupled to an output of the voltage sensing circuit, wherein the slope control circuit is configurable to set a slope of a second signal responsive to states of the first and second inputs and to close the switch via the switching control circuit responsive to the second signal. Xu et al. discloses (see fig. 1 and 2) a slope control circuit (206) having a first input and a second input (inputs to 206) the first input coupled to an output of a voltage sensing circuit (Vin sensed and sent to input terminal of 206), wherein the slope control circuit (206) is configurable to set a slope of a second signal (201) responsive to states of the first and second inputs (slope of 201 is based on the inputs to 206) and to close a switch (M2) via a switching control circuit (204) responsive to the second signal (operation of M2 based on output from 204, which is based on slope of 201). Therefore it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was filed to modify the circuit of Cohen to include the features of Xu et al. because it provides for a transient control means to prevent unwanted fluctuations in operation, thus increasing operational efficiencies. Regarding claim 21, Cohen discloses (see fig. 3) a first inductor coupled to the first inductor terminal (secondary winding connected to terminal) and a second inductor coupled to the second inductor terminal (primary winding connected to terminal). Regarding claim 22, Cohen discloses (see fig. 3) an inductor (transformer) coupled between the first and second inductor terminals (see transformer connection).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 1-2, 4-12 and 17-20 are allowed.
The following is an examiner’s statement of reasons for allowance: Regarding claim 1, the prior art fails to teach or disclose a circuit comprising: a slope control circuit having a first input, a second input, and a first control output, the first input, coupled to an output of the voltage sensing circuit, the slope control circuit configurable to set a slope of a first signal responsive to states of the first and second inputs and provide a second signal responsive to the first signal at the first control output, a peak current control circuit coupled to an output of the current sensing circuit, the peak current control circuit having a second control output; a switching control circuit comprising a first input coupled to the first control output of the slope control circuit, a second input coupled to the second control output of the peak current control circuit, and an output coupled to the control terminal of the switch, in combination with all the limitations set forth in claim 1. Regarding claim 17, the prior art fails to teach or disclose a method for controlling a pulse width modulation (PWM) converter, comprising: during a first discharging phase: sensing a voltage across an inductor and charging a sampling capacitor based on the sensed voltage; discharging a switching capacitor at a rate based on a voltage stored on the sampling capacitor and a slope-control voltage; and initiating a charging phase in response to a voltage on the switching capacitor falling below a threshold value; wherein an operation mode of the PWM converter is based on the slope-control voltage.
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.”
Claims 14-16 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.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to JEFFREY A GBLENDE whose telephone number is (571)270-5472. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 9am-5pm.
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, Monica Lewis can be reached at 571-272-1838. 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.
/JEFFREY A GBLENDE/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2838