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 .
Examiner Notes
Examiner cites particular columns and line numbers in the references as applied to the claims below for the convenience of the applicant. Although the specified citations are representative of the teachings in the art and are applied to the specific limitations within the individual claim, other passages and figures may apply as well. It is respectfully requested that, in preparing responses, the applicant fully consider the references in 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.
Election/Restrictions
Applicant’s election without traverse of Species A, which corresponds to Fig. 2 in the reply filed on 10/08/2025 is acknowledged. Applicant has made an identification of claims 1-5 and 7-10 encompassing the elected species A.
Drawings
The drawings are objected to as failing to comply with 37 CFR 1.84(p)(5) because they include the following reference character(s) not mentioned in the description: “DRVA”, “AOUT”, “DRVB”, “BOUT”, “AMP1”, “VFB”, “VCS”, “RS”, “Va”, “Vb”, “IDRV” and “102” (See Fig. 1). Corrected drawing sheets in compliance with 37 CFR 1.121(d), or amendment to the specification to add the reference character(s) in the description in compliance with 37 CFR 1.121(b) are required in reply to the Office action to avoid abandonment of the application. Any amended replacement drawing sheet should include all of the figures appearing on the immediate prior version of the sheet, even if only one figure is being amended. Each drawing sheet submitted after the filing date of an application must be labeled in the top margin as either “Replacement Sheet” or “New Sheet” pursuant to 37 CFR 1.121(d). If the changes are not accepted by the examiner, the applicant will be notified and informed of any required corrective action in the next Office action. The objection to the drawings will not be held in abeyance.
The drawings are objected to as failing to comply with 37 CFR 1.84(p)(5) because they do not include the following reference sign(s) mentioned in the description: an inductive filtering 40, a screen 42, and an electrical insulator 43 (see paragraphs [0042] through [0046]. Corrected drawing sheets in compliance with 37 CFR 1.121(d) are required in reply to the Office action to avoid abandonment of the application. Any amended replacement drawing sheet should include all of the figures appearing on the immediate prior version of the sheet, even if only one figure is being amended. Each drawing sheet submitted after the filing date of an application must be labeled in the top margin as either “Replacement Sheet” or “New Sheet” pursuant to 37 CFR 1.121(d). If the changes are not accepted by the examiner, the applicant will be notified and informed of any required corrective action in the next Office action. The objection to the drawings will not be held in abeyance.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
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.
Claims 1-5 and 7-10 are 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 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being incomplete for omitting essential structural cooperative relationships of elements, such omission amounting to a gap between the necessary structural connections. See MPEP § 2172.01. The omitted structural cooperative relationships are the clear essential structural cooperative relationships between the recited elements such as “an inverting input terminal”, “a class A amplifier circuit” and “a bias current of an output stage”. There is no structural cooperative relationships between the recited elements of an amplifier circuit (as recited in the base claim 1) as illustrated in the drawing below:
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Furthermore, claims 2-5 and 7-10 are rejected due to their dependencies on the base Claim 1.
Claim 2 is indefinite because the limitation “wherein the bias current is substantially constant while the first voltage is higher than a predetermined threshold value, and is increased as the first voltage becomes lower in a region in which the first voltage is lower than the threshold value.” (emphasis added) is unclear. It is not clear how the bias current can have a result such as “is substantially constant while the first voltage is higher than a predetermined threshold value, and is increased as the first voltage becomes lower in a region in which the first voltage is lower than the threshold value.”. Since, one of ordinary skill in the art would understand that the bias current is simply a current and there is no element in the claim can cause that result. Appropriate correction and/or clarification is required.
Claim 4 is indefinite because the limitation “wherein the class A amplifier circuit includes an operational amplifier that has a class A output stage,” is unclear. It is not clear whether the class A output stage of the operational amplifier is the same as “an output stage of the class A amplifier circuit”, as recited in the base claim 1, or different. Appropriate correction and/or clarification is required.
Furthermore, claims 5 and 7-10 are rejected due to their dependencies on the base Claim 4.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(d):
(d) REFERENCE IN DEPENDENT FORMS.—Subject to subsection (e), a claim in dependent form shall contain a reference to a claim previously set forth and then specify a further limitation of the subject matter claimed. A claim in dependent form shall be construed to incorporate by reference all the limitations of the claim to which it refers.
The following is a quotation of pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, fourth paragraph:
Subject to the following paragraph [i.e., the fifth paragraph of pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112], a claim in dependent form shall contain a reference to a claim previously set forth and then specify a further limitation of the subject matter claimed. A claim in dependent form shall be construed to incorporate by reference all the limitations of the claim to which it refers.
Claims 7-10 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(d) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, 4th paragraph, as being of improper dependent form for failing to further limit the subject matter of the claim upon which it depends, or for failing to include all the limitations of the claim upon which it depends.
For claim 7, The limitation such as “A motor driver circuit” of claim 7 does not further define the amplifier circuit of claims 1 and 4. Applicant may cancel the claim(s), amend the claim(s) to place the claim(s) in proper dependent form, rewrite the claim(s) in independent form, or present a sufficient showing that the dependent claim(s) complies with the statutory requirements.
Furthermore, claims 8-10 are rejected due to their dependencies on the base claim 7.
Claim 9-10 are similarly rejected due to the limitations “A position device” and “a hard disk device”, respectively, for the same reason as discussed above with regard to claim 7.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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 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)(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 1, as best understood, is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Devam et al. (hereinafter Devamm, US US 2023/0091543 A1).
For claim 1, Devam discloses an amplifier circuit (Fig. 2 of Devam discloses an amplifier circuit 212 – see Devam, Fig. 2, Abstract, paragraph [0019], lines 1-2) comprising:
an inverting input terminal configured to receive a first voltage (Figs. 2 and 7 of Devam disclose an inverting input terminal via input device N1, N2 configured to receive a first voltage (inn, inp) – see Devam, Figs. 2 and 7, paragraphs [0019], lines 2-7 and [0029]);
an output terminal (Fig. 2 and 7 of Devam disclose an amplifier circuit 212/712 comprising an output terminal of the output circuit stage N3, N4, P4, P5 – see Devam, Figs. 2 and 7, paragraphs [0019], lines 7-13 and [0029]); and
a class A amplifier circuit configured to generate, at the output terminal, an output voltage that changes in reverse polarity with respect to the first voltage (Figs. 2 and 7 of Devam disclose a class A amplifier circuit 212/712 (see Devam, Figs. 2 and 7, paragraphs [0018] and [0029]) configured to generate, at the output terminal, an output voltage (Voutn, Voutp) that changes in reverse polarity with respect to the first voltage (inn, inp) – see Devam, Figs. 2 and 7, paragraphs [0019] and [0029]), wherein
a bias current of an output stage of the class A amplifier circuit changes according to the first voltage (Fig. 2 of Devam discloses a bias current (iq) of an output stage of the class A amplifier circuit 212 which changes according to the first voltage (inn, inp) – see Devam, Fig. 2, paragraphs [0020]-[0022]).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to THAI T DINH whose telephone number is (571)270-3852. The examiner can normally be reached (571)270-3852.
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/THAI T DINH/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2846