DETAILED ACTION
This office action is in response to the application filed on 12/1/23.
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.
Inventorship
This application currently names joint inventors. In considering patentability of the claims under 35 U.S.C. 103(a), the examiner presumes that the subject matter of the various claims was commonly owned at the time any inventions covered therein were made absent any evidence to the contrary. Applicant is advised of the obligation under 37 CFR 1.56 to point out the inventor and invention dates of each claim that was not commonly owned at the time a later invention was made in order for the examiner to consider the applicability of 35 U.S.C. 103(c) and potential 35 U.S.C. 102(e), (f) or (g) prior art under 35 U.S.C. 103(a).
Drawings
The drawings are objected to under 37 CFR 1.83(a). The drawings must show every feature of the invention specified in the claims. Therefore, the following must be shown or the feature(s) canceled from the claim(s): Regarding Claim 4: “the transformer is used as the isolation module”; Regarding Claim 8: “the secondary edge driver receives the signal transmitted by the isolation module”; Regarding Claim 13: “the switch control module comprises a primary edge control module and a secondary edge control module” (see fig. 9). No new matter should be entered.
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. The figure or figure number of an amended drawing should not be labeled as “amended.” If a drawing figure is to be canceled, the appropriate figure must be removed from the replacement sheet, and where necessary, the remaining figures must be renumbered and appropriate changes made to the brief description of the several views of the drawings for consistency. Additional replacement sheets may be necessary to show the renumbering of the remaining figures. 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.
Specification
The specification has not been checked to the extent necessary to determine the presence of all possible minor errors. Applicant's cooperation is requested in correcting any errors of which applicant may become aware in the specification.
Claim Objections
Claims 5-8, 10 and 20-25 are objected to because of the following informalities:
In regards to claim 5, it appears that “that the switch transistor of the secondary edge circuit” should be “such that the switch transistor of the secondary edge circuit”.
In regards to claim 7, it appears that “the switch control signal of the synchronous rectifying switch transistor” should be “a switch control signal of the synchronous rectifying switch transistor”.
In regards to claim 7, line 12, it appears that “the signal” should be “the trigger signal”.
In regards to claim 10, it appears that “the duration” should be “a duration”.
In regards to claim 10, it appears that “the source-drain” should be “a source-drain”.
In regards to claim 20, it appears that “the work instruction” should be “work instructions”.
In regards to claim 21, it appears that “the isolation module” should be “an isolation module”.
Claims 6, 8 and 22-25 are objected to, based on its dependency of an objected to claim.
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.
Claims 6-8, 11, 12, 17 and 18 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
Claim 6 recites the limitation "the switch transistor set at the secondary edge circuit is the synchronous rectifying switch transistor". It is unclear how the switch transistor, which is established as a separate transistor from the synchronous rectifying switch transistor can be claimed further as the same switch.
Claim 7 recites the limitation "the switch control signal" in line 10. It is unclear to which previously claimed switch control signal said limitation is referring.
Claim 11 recites the limitation "to conduct". It is unclear to which limitation this is referring to, the auxiliary switch transistor, the rectifying synchronous switch or both.
Claim 17 recites the limitation " the switch transistor set at the secondary edge circuit is the synchronous rectifying switch transistor ". It is unclear how the switch transistor, which is established as a separate transistor from the synchronous rectifying switch transistor can be claimed further as the same switch.
Claim 18 recites the limitation "the switch control signal". It is unclear to which previously claimed switch control signal said limitation is referring.
Claims 8 and 12 depend directly or indirectly from a rejected claim and is/are, therefore, also rejected under 35 USC 112(b), for the reasons set above.
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.
Claim 26 is 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. The limitation of claim 26 are recited in claim 1. 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.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 1-4, 9, 13-16, 19 and 26 allowed.
Claims 5, 10 and 20-25 would be allowable if rewritten or amended to overcome the objection(s) set forth in this Office action.
Claims 6-8, 11, 12, 17 and 18 would be allowable if rewritten to overcome the rejection(s) under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), 2nd paragraph, set forth in this Office action and to include 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:
Regarding claim 1, the prior art fails to disclose: “...a switch control module, for controlling the main switch transistor to conduct at a first time period and the synchronous rectifying switch transistor to conduct at a second time period, and for controlling a switch transistor set at a secondary edge circuit to conduct at a third time period, the third time period being after the second time period and before the first time period, wherein the switch control module comprises a primary edge control module, and the primary edge control module obtains a trigger pulse signal according to a pre-turning on signal of the main switch transistor, and the trigger pulse signal is transmitted to the secondary edge part by an isolation module, to control the switch transistor of the secondary edge circuit to conduct at the third time period.” in combination with the additionally claimed features, as are claimed by the Applicant.
Regarding claim 13, the prior art fails to disclose: “...a switch control module, for controlling the main switch transistor to conduct at a first time period and the synchronous rectifying switch transistor to conduct at a second time period, and controlling a switch transistor set at a secondary edge circuit to conduct at a third time period, the third time period being after the second time period and before the first time period, wherein the switch control module comprises a primary edge control module and a secondary edge control module, the primary edge control module generates a pre-turning on signal to control the main switch transistor to turn on, and the pre-turning on signal is transmitted to the secondary edge control module by an isolation module; the secondary edge control module obtains a trigger pulse signal according to the pre-turning on signal of the main switch transistor, to control the switch transistor of the secondary edge circuit to conduct at the third time period.” in combination with the additionally claimed features, as are claimed by the Applicant.
Regarding claim 21, the prior art fails to disclose: “...a switch control module, for controlling the main switch transistor to conduct at a first time period and the synchronous rectifying switch transistor to conduct at a second time period, and controlling a switch transistor set at a secondary edge circuit to conduct at a third time period, the third time period being after the second time period and before the first time period, wherein the switch control module comprises a primary edge control module, the primary edge control module obtains a driving signal to drive the switch transistor at the secondary edge circuit according to a pre-turning on signal of the main switch transistor, and the driving signal is transmitted to the secondary edge part by the isolation module to control the switch transistor of the secondary edge circuit to conduct at the third time period.” in combination with the additionally claimed features, as are claimed by the Applicant.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure:
US 20220140743, Su; Zhiyong et al. discloses a switching-type regulation driver and regulation driving method thereof.
US 20220376629, Xu; Xiangyong discloses a flyback converter and control method thereof.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to KYLE J MOODY whose telephone number is (571)272-5242. The examiner can normally be reached on M-F 10 AM - 4 PM.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Monica Lewis can be reached on 571-272-1838. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/KYLE J MOODY/
Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2838