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 .
Summary of the Claims
The present application (18/424,473) was filed on January 26, 2024 and does not claim priority to any prior application. Claims 1-20 are pending. Claims 1, 11, and 19 are the independent claims.
References and Documents Cited in this Action
Liu (US 2021/0125542 A1)
Goto (JP 2023-171033 A)
Olson (US 2009/0267574 A1)
Summary of Rejections and Objections in this Action
Claims 1-7 and 9-19 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(a) as failing to comply with the written description requirement.
Claims 11-18 and 20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) as being indefinite.
Claim 8 is objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten. Claims 1-7 and 9-20 may contain allowable subject matter.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of the first paragraph of 35 U.S.C. 112(a):
(a) IN GENERAL.—The specification shall contain a written description of the invention, and of the manner and process of making and using it, in such full, clear, concise, and exact terms as to enable any person skilled in the art to which it pertains, or with which it is most nearly connected, to make and use the same, and shall set forth the best mode contemplated by the inventor or joint inventor of carrying out the invention.
The following is a quotation of the first paragraph of pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112:
The specification shall contain a written description of the invention, and of the manner and process of making and using it, in such full, clear, concise, and exact terms as to enable any person skilled in the art to which it pertains, or with which it is most nearly connected, to make and use the same, and shall set forth the best mode contemplated by the inventor of carrying out his invention.
Claims 1-7 and 9-19 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(a) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), first paragraph, as failing to comply with the written description requirement. The claims contain subject matter which was not described in the specification in such a way as to reasonably convey to one skilled in the relevant art that the inventor or a joint inventor, or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the inventor(s), at the time the application was filed, had possession of the claimed invention.
Independent claims 1 and 19 are not fully described by the specification because dependent claims 8 and 20 recite “the high select voltage is greater than the low select voltage.” If claim 8 further limits parent claim 1 and claim 20 further limits parent claim 19, the scope of claims 1 and 19 includes a high select voltage that is somehow less than the low select voltage. This is not supported by the specification. For example, Figure 1D shows two select voltages 152 and 153, wherein “high select level 152” is greater than “low select level 153.” These relative values correspond to specific relationships further recited in the claims and are not interchangeable. For example, the specification discloses that the gate voltage is set to either a high select voltage or a low select voltage that is lower than the high select voltage based on certain conditions.
Claims 2-7, 9, and 10 depend on claim 1 and are also not supported for the same reason.
Independent claim 11 is not fully described by the specification because the claim recites “setting the gate voltage applied to the gate of the switch transistor between 0V and a high select voltage greater than the low select voltage in response to detecting that the voltage of the output node is less than the first threshold level.” Although the specification (e.g., Figure 1D) discloses switching the gate voltage applied to the gate of the switch transistor between 0V and a high select voltage greater than the low select voltage in response to detecting that the voltage of the output node is less than the first threshold level, the specification does not disclose that the gate voltage can be set between 0V and a high select voltage (i.e., set to an intermediate value that is somewhere between 0V and the high select level 152).
Claims 12-18 depend on claim 11 and are also not supported for the same reason.
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 11-18 and 20 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 11 is indefinite for two reasons:
First, the claim recites “detecting that a voltage of an output node of the boost converter is less than a first threshold level during the illumination phase, a charge transfer switch is arranged between a first node coupled to the switch transistor and the output node” (claim 11, lines 5-7). “A charge transfer switch is arranged between a first node coupled to the switch transistor and the output node” is not a method step, and it is unclear how this limitation is part of the recited method.
Second, the claim recites “an illumination phase” and “a recovery phase,” but the claim does not recite any element such as an illumination source that experiences these phases. It is unclear if the claim requires anything to be actually illuminating (or recovering from illumination).
Claims 12-18 depend on claim 11 and are also indefinite for at least the same reasons. Claim 12 is also indefinite because it recites “the illumination source” with insufficient antecedent basis.
Claim 20 recites “The method of claim 19.” The claim is indefinite because there is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim. Claim 19 recites a system, not a method.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 1-7 and 9-20 may contain allowable subject matter if rewritten or amended to overcome the rejection(s) under 35 U.S.C. 112(a) and/or 35 U.S.C. 112(b) set forth in this Office action. Claim 8 is 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.
Liu generally teaches, among other things, an apparatus for driving visual displays (Figures 1-3) including a boost circuit 102 for a light emitting device 110 comprising an inductor 104 coupled to a first node 302, a switch transistor 314 coupled to the first node, a charge transfer switch comprising a diode 304 arranged between the first node and an output node, and a control circuit (i.e., step-up controller 312 and processor 220).
Goto generally teaches, among other things, a laser drive device (Figure 8) including a boost circuit 92 for laser 52 comprising coil 921, switch transistor 923, diode 922, and switching control circuit 925.
Olsen generally teaches, among other things, a power boost circuit for a load 130 that can be a light emitting diode or laser (Figures 1 and 2; paragraph [0017]) comprising inductor 110, switch 1170, and diode 1120.
The prior art does not specifically disclose or fairly suggest an apparatus or method including the combination of all of the elements, steps, and limitations recited in claims 1-20 (including all of the limitations of any respective parent claims and as well as some claims may be understood with respect to 35 U.S.C. 112), particularly including:
detecting that a voltage of the output node of a boost converter is less than a first threshold level during an illumination phase for an illumination source;
setting a gate voltage applied to a gate of the switch transistor to a high select voltage (or switching a gate voltage applied to a gate of the switch transistor between 0V and a high select voltage) in response to detection that the voltage of the output node is less than the first threshold level during the illumination phase;
detecting that the voltage of the output node is greater than a second threshold level during a recovery phase for the illumination source; and
setting the gate voltage applied to the gate of the switch transistor to a low select voltage lower than the high select voltage (or switching the gate voltage applied to the gate of the switch transistor between 0V and a low select voltage lower than the high select voltage) in response to detection that the voltage of the output node is greater than the second threshold level during the recovery phase.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Christina Leung at telephone number (571) 272-3023. If attempts to reach the examiner are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Patricia Engle can be reached at (571) 272-6660.
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 https://www.uspto.gov/patents/laws/interview-practice.
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.
/CHRISTINA Y. LEUNG/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3991
Prosecution Insights