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 (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.
Response to Amendment
The amendments filed on 01/20/2026 have been fully considered and are made of record.
Claims 1-3 have been amended.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments filed on 01/20/2026with respect to claim(s) 1 have been considered but are moot because the new ground of rejection has been applied to amended limitations.
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, 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) 1-3 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over TOTOUMI et al. (Pub NO. US 2024/0124050 A1; hereinafter Totoumi) in view of Sugama et al. (Pub NO. US 2007/0222630 A1; hereinafter Sugama).
Regarding Claim 1, Totoumi teaches a power supply monitoring circuit (power supply monitoring circuit 1 in Fig. 2; See [0030]-[0041]) configured to monitor an in- vehicle power supply in an electronic control unit having (in-vehicle power supply with control unit 36 in Fig. 2; See [0035]-[0041]), the power supply monitoring circuit comprising:
a first internal power supply circuit configured to be powered by the in-vehicle power supply through a power supply line (first internal power supply circuit 53a is powered by in-vehicle power supply 45 in Fig. 2; See [0037]-[0041]);
a second internal power supply circuit configured to be powered by the in-vehicle power supply through the power supply line (second internal power supply circuit 53b is powered by in-vehicle power supply 45 in Fig. 2; See [0037]-[0041]), wherein the power supply line includes a branching node at which the power supply line is branched out from the in-vehicle power supply line to the first and second internal power supply circuits (power supply 45, 71 have branching node where 53a and 53b are branched out in Fig. 2; See [0035]-[0041]);
a voltage monitoring circuit (54 controls power by monitoring voltage in Fig. 2; See [0035]-[0045]) configured to monitor the power supply by monitoring the power supply line (monitoring power supply line through 45 in Fig. 2); and
Totoumi teaches a control circuit (control circuit 64 in Fig. 2) controls in-vehicle power supply (See [0030]-[0045]),
However, Totoumi is silent about to start up in response to a voltage of the power supply crossing a predetermined reset voltage and control the first and second internal power supply circuits or a device powered by the first and second internal power supply circuits to discharge an operational charge remained in the first and second internal power supply circuits or the device, and control the first and second internal power supply circuits to start up based on a condition that an output voltage of the first and second internal power supply circuits drops to a voltage level that does not cause an unstable operation of the downstream load, and the voltage of the power supply exceeds a predetermined start-up voltage.
Sugama teaches control circuit (control circuit 500 in Fig. 9) configured to start up in response to a voltage of the power supply crossing a predetermined reset voltage (start up response at time T1 when crossing predetermined rated voltage in Fig. 11; See [0098]-[0110]) and control the first and second internal power supply circuits (controller 500 controls first and second internal power supply circuits 200_1 and 200_2 in Fig. 9; Se [0088]-[0097]) or a device powered by the first and second internal power supply circuits to discharge an operational charge remained in the first and second internal power supply circuits (reset signal S_R is to discharge when drops below V3 at time T2 and malfunction occurs in Fig. 11; See [0088]-[0097]) or the device, and
control the first and second internal power supply circuits to start up based on a condition (controller 500 controls operation; See [0090]-[0114]) that
an output voltage of the first and second internal power supply circuits drops to a voltage level that does not cause an unstable operation of the downstream load (output voltage of first and second internal power supply circuits 200_1 and 200_2 drops at V2 below rated voltage and it does not cause unstable operation of downstream load 400 in Fig. 9; See [0088]-[0110]), and
the voltage of the power supply exceeds a predetermined start-up voltage (predetermined start up voltage is reference data and if any inconsistency by comparing means if exceeds; See [0098]-[00100]).
Therefore it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention was made to modify the system of Totoumi by using to start up in response to a voltage of the power supply crossing a predetermined reset voltage and control the first and second internal power supply circuits or a device powered by the first and second internal power supply circuits to discharge an operational charge remained in the first and second internal power supply circuits or the device, and control the first and second internal power supply circuits to start up based on a condition that an output voltage of the first and second internal power supply circuits drops to a voltage level that does not cause an unstable operation of the downstream load, and the voltage of the power supply exceeds a predetermined start-up voltage, as taught by Sugama in order to monitor a power supply voltage supplied to a monitored circuit to protect the monitored circuit from an operational malfunction which occurs due to a reduction of the power supply voltage (Sugama; [0002]).
Regarding Claim 2, Totoumi in view of Sugama teaches the power supply monitoring circuit according to Claim 1. Sugama further teaches wherein the voltage monitoring circuit is configured to delay resurgence of output of the first and second internal power supply circuits by a predetermined time even though the voltage of the in-vehicle power supply exceeds the predetermined start-up voltage (it is inherent property that there is a delay between detection malfunction and generate reset signal upon detection and in Fig. 11 time between T1 and T2 is the time from detection to process RESET signal).
Regarding Claim 3, Totoumi in view of Sugama teaches the power supply monitoring circuit according to Claim 1. Sugama further teaches further comprising: a plurality of downstream power supplies connected to a downstream part of at least one of the first and second internal power supply circuits (plurality of downstream power supplies 400_1 to 400_3 are connected to downstream part of built-in-power supply circuits 200_1 to 200_3 in Fig. 9), the plurality of downstream power supplies configured to be simultaneously reset by the at least one of the first and second internal power supply circuits (each 400_1 to 400_3 has individual reset RST, therefore rests simultaneously in Fig. 9).
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 ZANNATUL FERDOUS whose telephone number is (571)270-0399. The examiner can normally be reached Monday through Friday 8am to 5pm (PST).
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Rodak Lee can be reached at 571-270-5628. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/ZANNATUL FERDOUS/Examiner, Art Unit 2858
/LEE E RODAK/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2858