DETAILED ACTION
This action is in reply to the 02/17/2026 amendment.
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.
Election/Restrictions
Claims 10 - 20 withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b) as being drawn to a nonelected invention, there being no allowable generic or linking claim. Election was made without traverse in the reply filed on 09/02/2025. Applicant’s request for rejoinder of claims 10 – 20 (see Remarks page 9) is denied, since the different Inventions Restriction in the latest set of claims 02/17/2026 is still valid.
Response to Arguments
Applicant(s) argue(s) with respect to amended claim 1:
“Claim 1 has been amended to recite subject matter similar to those of claim 6, which the Office indicates as allowable”.
In response, claim 1 does not have subject matter of claim 6, further, the indicated allowable subject matter of claim 6 is indicated as its dependency on claims 3 – 5. Therefore, the argument is not persuasive.
No further arguments were presented with respect to Becker. The rejection is maintained with respect to Becker.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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.
(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(s) 1 – 2, 21 – 22 and 26 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) and 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by US Pub. No. 2021/0083583; (hereinafter Becker).
Regarding claim 1, Becker [e.g. Fig. 2] discloses a circuit comprising: a controller including: a first control circuit [e.g. 244] having a first input [e.g. at non-inverting input of 244], a second input [e.g. at inverting input of 244], and an output [e.g. Vpeak]; a second control circuit [e.g. 204] having a first input [e.g. Vin], a second input [e.g. SW], and an output [e.g. Toff]; a detection circuit [e.g. 246] having a first input [e.g. at inverting input of 246], a second input [e.g. ground], and an output [e.g. Vzero]; mode control logic [e.g. 206] having a first input [e.g. R of 262], a second input [e.g. S of 262], a third input [e.g. R of 266], a first output [e.g. Q of 266], and a second output [e.g. Q of 262], the first input of the mode control logic coupled to the output of the first control circuit, the second input of the mode control logic coupled to the output of the second control circuit, the third input of the mode control logic coupled to the output of the detection circuit; and driver circuitry [e.g. 268, 270] having a first input [e.g. HS], a second input [e.g. LS], a first output [e.g. at gate of 274], and a second output [e.g. at gate of 272], the first input of the driver circuitry coupled to the first output of the mode control logic, and the second input of the driver circuitry coupled to the second output of the mode control logic; wherein the mode control logic is configurable to transition from a first mode [e.g. Fig. 3; CCM/DCM] to a second mode [e.g. Fig. 3; PFM] responsive to a state change of the output of the detection circuit [e.g. Vzero; paragraph 029 recites “The high-side is then activated (HS goes high for an nMOSFET) and remains activated until VZERO goes high (such as when the inductor current goes to zero or starts flowing to VIN)”]; and wherein the controller is configurable to reduce the offset between a valley threshold [e.g. Fig. 3 lower axis (e.g. zero)] and a peak threshold [e.g. Ipeak] in steps responsive to the state change [e.g. Fig.3; frequency adjustment (336, 338, 340) corresponds to the offset between peak and valley].
Regarding claim 2, Becker [e.g. Figs. 2 - 3] discloses wherein the controller has a first input [e.g. Vin at 204], a second input [e.g. SW at 204], a first output [e.g. HS], and a second output [e.g. LS], and the controller is configured to: receive an input voltage [e.g. Vin] to a power stage [e.g. L, SW, 272, 274] at its first input; receive a switch node voltage [e.g. SW] of the power stage at its second input; sense an inductor current [e.g. at inverting input of 246 and at non-inverting input of 244] of the power stage responsive to the input voltage, the switch node voltage and ground; wherein the state change of the output of the detection indicates a light load condition or a change in a load condition [e.g. Vzero; see 306 in Fig. 3 where the change in mode CCM/DCM to PFM occurs when the current is zero indicated by Vzero; paragraph 027 recites “The set input to flip-flop 266 is a “1” when the output of AND gate 274 is high, and the reset input is a “0” (hence, VZERO is low—meaning that the sensed inductor current is greater than zero, such as when current is flowing from VIN to VOUT)”]; and wherein the mode control logic is configurable to transition from the first mode [e.g. Fig. 3; CCM/DCM] to the second mode [e.g. Fig. 3; PFM] responsive to the light load condition [e.g. Fig. 3; load current falling until t2] and a comparison [e.g. 244] indicating the sensed inductor current reaches the peak threshold [e.g. Fig. 3 at T2].
Regarding claim 21, Becker [e.g. Fig. 2] discloses wherein the first mode is a pulse width modulation (PWM) mode [e.g. Becker suggest that CCM/DCM can be PWM; paragraph 09 - 10 recite “The converter is operable to operate in a mode of operation including: continuous conduction mode (CCM), discontinuous conduction mode (DCM), pulse frequency mode (PFM) and pulse width modulation mode (PWM), and the converter is operable to switch from one mode operation to another mode of operation… Based on control signals from the control circuit, the converter is operable to operate in a mode of operation such as the continuous conduction mode (CCM), discontinuous conduction mode (DCM), pulse frequency mode (PFM) and pulse width modulation mode (PWM), and the converter is operable to switch from a first mode operation to a second mode of operation”], and the second mode is a pulse frequency modulation (PFM) mode [e.g. PFM].
Regarding claim 22, Becker [e.g. Fig. 2] discloses wherein the mode control logic is configurable to cause the driver circuitry to provide control signals having a constant frequency in the first mode [e.g. Fig. 3; CCM/DCM “Fixed Frequency IPEAK Modulation”] and to provide control signals having a variable frequency in the second mode [e.g. Frequency Modulation during PFM mode].
Regarding claim 26, Becker [e.g. Fig. 2] discloses further comprising a power stage [e.g. 208 excluding 268, 270] having a power input [e.g. VIN], a power output [e.g.VOUT], and control inputs [e.g. at gates of 272, 274], the control inputs coupled to the first and second outputs of the driver circuitry [e.g. as shown].
Examiner's Note
Examiner has cited particular columns and line numbers in the references applied to the claims above for the convenience of the applicant. Although the specified citations are representative of the teachings of the art and are applied to specific limitations within the individual claim, other passages and figures may apply as well. It is respectfully requested from the applicant in preparing responses, to fully consider the references in their entirety as potentially teaching all or part of the claimed invention, as well as the context of the passage as taught by the prior art or disclosed by the Examiner.
In the case of amending the claimed invention, Applicant is respectfully requested to indicate the portion(s) of the specification which dictate(s) the structure relied on for proper interpretation and also to verify and ascertain the metes and bounds of the claimed invention.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 3 – 10 and 23 – 25 is/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:
The primary reason for the indication of the allowability of claim 3 is the inclusion therein, in combination as currently claimed as a whole, of the limitation of “wherein the first control circuit is configured to: receive an inductor current sense signal at its first input; receive a valley threshold at its second input; and provide a first comparison result at its output responsive to the inductor current sense signal and the valley threshold, wherein the second control circuit is configured to: receive an inductor current sense signal at its first input; receive a peak threshold at its second input; and provide a second comparison result at its output responsive to the inductor current sense signal and the peak threshold, and wherein the detection circuit is configured to: receive a feedback result at its first input; receive a light load threshold at its second input; and provide a light load condition signal at its output responsive to the feedback result and the light load threshold”.
The primary reason for the indication of the allowability of claim 23 is the inclusion therein, in combination as currently claimed as a whole, of the limitation of “wherein the controller is configurable to: set the valley threshold at a first value prior to transitioning from the first mode to the second mode, and increase the valley threshold to a second value in the second mode; and reduce the peak threshold to a third value prior to transitioning from the first mode to the second mode, and increase the peak threshold to a fourth value larger than the third value in the second mode”.
The primary reason for the indication of the allowability of claim 25 is the inclusion therein, in combination as currently claimed as a whole, of the limitation of “further comprising an error amplifier having inputs coupled to a power converter output and a reference input, wherein a first input of the detection circuit is coupled to an output of the error amplifier”.
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 Alex Torres-Rivera whose telephone number is (571)272-5261. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 9:00-5:30 ET.
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/ALEX TORRES-RIVERA/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2838
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