DETAILED ACTION
1. This action is in response to the RCE filed on 10/29/25.
Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status
2. The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
3. 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.
4. Claim 1 is 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.
Claim 1 recites the limitation “a fifth switch coupled between the reference voltage and a common node of the inductor and the second capacitor”. The phase “coupled between” renders the scope of the claim unclear, because it is ambiguous as to the two elements between which the fifth switch is coupled. In particular, it is unclear whether the fifth switch is coupled between the reference voltage and the common node or whether the fifth switch is coupled between the reference voltage and the second capacitor.
Furthermore, claim 1 recites the limitation “a sixth switch coupled between the common node of the inductor and the second capacitor and a common node of the third switch and the first capacitor”. The phase “coupled between” renders the scope of the claim unclear, because it is ambiguous as to the two elements between the sixth switch is coupled. In particular, it is unclear whether the sixth switch is coupled between the common node of the inductor and the second capacitor, or whether the sixth switch is coupled between the common node of the inductor and a common node of the third switch, or whether the sixth switch is coupled between the common node of the inductor and the first capacitor.
Claims 2-10 are rejected due to their dependency of claim 1.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
5. 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.
6. Claims 1, 5, and 8-10 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Cannillo et al. (US 20210234462).
Regarding claim 1: Cannillo et al. disclose (i.e. figures 1-8) a power converter (i.e. 100), coupled (i.e. electrically coupled) to an inductor (i.e. 1), a first capacitor (i.e. 2) with a first terminal and a second terminal, and a second capacitor (i.e. 3), comprising:
a first switch (i.e. S1) and a second switch (i.e. S2) coupled (i.e. electrically coupled) in series and coupled between an input (i.e. at Vin) of the power converter (i.e. 100) and a reference voltage (i.e. ground);
a third switch (i.e. S5) and a fourth switch (i.e. S6), wherein the third switch (i.e. S5) is coupled (i.e. electrically coupled) between the first terminal of the first capacitor (i.e. 2) and the fourth switch (i.e. S6), the second terminal of the first capacitor (i.e. 2) is coupled (i.e. electrically coupled) to the reference voltage (i.e. ground), the fourth switch (i.e. S6) is coupled (i.e. electrically coupled via capacitor 3) between an output (i.e. at Vout) of the power converter and the third switch (i.e. S5), a terminal of the second capacitor (i.e. 3) is coupled (i.e. electrically coupled) between the third switch and (i.e. S5) the fourth switch (i.e. S6), and another terminal of the second capacitor (i.e. 3) is coupled (i.e. electrically coupled) between the first switch (i.e. S1) and the second switch (i.e. S4) through the inductor (i.e. 1);
a fifth switch (i.e. S4) coupled (i.e. electrically coupled) between the reference voltage (i.e. ground) and a common node (i.e. X) of the inductor (i.e. 1) and the second capacitor (i.e. 3); and
a sixth switch (i.e. S3) coupled (i.e. electrically coupled) between the common node (i.e. X) of the inductor (i.e. 1) and the second capacitor (i.e. 3) and a common node (i.e. Y) of the third switch (i.e. S5) and the first capacitor (i.e. 2).
wherein a third terminal (i.e. terminal connect to X) of the inductor (i.e. 1) is coupled (i.e. electrically coupled) to the second capacitor (i.e. 3) and coupled (i.e. electrically coupled) to the first capacitor (i.e. 2) through the sixth switch (i.e. S3), and a fourth terminal (i.e. terminal connect to Y) of the inductor (i.e. 1) is coupled (i.e. electrically coupled) between the firs switch (i.e. S1) and the second switch (i.e. S4).
wherein the third terminal (i.e. terminal connect X) of the inductor (i.e. L) is directly connected to the sixth switch (i.e. S3) and the fifth switch (i.e. S4).
Regarding claim 5: (i.e. figures 1-8) wherein, the input is coupled to an input voltage (i.e. Vin), the output is configured to generate an output voltage (i.e. Vout), the common node (i.e. X) of the third switch (i.e. S5) and the first capacitor (i.e. 2) is configured to generate a voltage (i.e. voltage at X) to be boosted, and a ratio of the output voltage (i.e. Vout) to the voltage (i.e. voltage at X) to be boosted is a constant value (i.e. any value of voltage X and Vout).
Regarding claim 8: (i.e. figures 1-8) wherein the first switch, the second switch, the third switch, the fourth switch, the fifth switch, and the sixth switch are metal-oxide-semiconductor field effect transistors (MOSFETs) (i.e. see switches of figure 1).
Regarding claim 9: (i.e. figures 1-8) wherein the first switch, the second switch, the third switch, the fourth switch, the fifth switch, and the sixth switch are integrated in an integrated circuit (IC) (i.e. IC of figure 1).
Regarding claim 10: (i.e. figures 1-8) further comprising a switch controller (i.e. controller for the switches) coupled to the output of the power converter, the common node of the inductor and the second capacitor, and control terminals of the first switch, the second switch, the third switch, the fourth switch, the fifth switch, and the sixth switch (i.e. S1-S7).
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
7. 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.
8. Claims 6-7 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Cannillo et al. (US 20210234462).
Regarding claims 6-7: Cannillo et al. discloses the claimed invention except for the input voltage is greater than the voltage to be boosted and the input voltage is less than the voltage to be boosted. It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time of the invention was made to modify Cannillo et al.’s invention to have the input volage is less or greater than the voltage to be boosted to increase the efficiency of the power converter, since it has been held that discovering an optimum value of a result effective variable involves only routine skill in the art. In re Boesch, 617 F.2d 272, 205 USPQ 215 (CCPA 1980).
Allowable Subject Matter
9. Claims 2-4 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.
Response to Arguments
10. Applicant's arguments filed 7/29/25 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive.
Applicant argues that “Cannillo fails to teach or suggest that "the third terminal of the inductor is directly connected to the sixth switch and the fifth switch", as is recited by amended Claim 1.
The Examiner disagrees, because Cannillo’s Fig. 1 discloses (i.e. equivalent shows in parentheses) wherein the third terminal (i.e. terminal connect X) of the inductor (i.e. L) is directly connected to the sixth switch (i.e. S3) and the fifth switch (i.e. S4).
Conclusion
11. 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.
12. Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to NGUYEN TRAN whose telephone number is (571)270-1269. The examiner can normally be reached Flex: M-F 8-7.
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/Nguyen Tran/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2838