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 .
Claim Objections
Claim 14 is objected to because of the following informalities:
Claim 14, line 4, “a current source” should correctly be “a sensed battery current”, see Fig. 4, elements (404 and 406).
Appropriate correction is required.
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.
Claim 6 recites the limitation "”the second current" in line 1. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
Claim 7 recites the limitation "”the second current" in line 1. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
Claim 7, discloses “comparison of the voltage at the output terminal and a transistor stack voltage”. Note, claim 1 is already disclosed “comparison of the voltage at the output terminal and a second threshold”. Is “transistor stack voltage” the same as “second threshold” claimed in claim 1? Clarification is needed.
Claim 9, discloses “first comparison circuit has inputs coupled to the amplifier input and a voltage source”. Note, claim 8 also discloses “first comparison circuit has inputs coupled … and a first threshold”. Is “voltage source” the same as “first threshold” claimed in claim 8? Clarification is needed.
Claim 10 is rejected due to its dependency on rejected claim 9.
Claim 11 recites the limitation "”the fourth comparator input" in line 3. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
Claim 21, page 8, line 3, discloses “a second voltage sense input”. However, it is not clear which input called “a second voltage sense input”. Line 4 of the claim discloses “the second voltage sense input coupled to the output terminal (VOUT)”. It is not clear what “the second voltage sense input” is sensing. Clarification is needed.
Claims 22-25 are rejected due to their dependency on rejected claim 21.
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 Khanh V. Nguyen whose telephone number is (571) 272-1767. The examiner can normally be reached from 8:30 AM – 5:00 PM EST.
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/KHANH V NGUYEN/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2843
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