DETAILED ACTION
This Office action is in response to the application filed on 07 December 2023.
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 Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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)(1) the claimed invention was patented, described in a printed publication, or in public use, on sale, or otherwise available to the public before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claims 1-18 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Santiago et al. (US 2019/0190377; “Santiago”).
In re claims 1 and 7, Santiago discloses a device (Fig. 1) and the corresponding method of its operation (i.e., the method in claim 7 and the device in claim 1 are both essentially defined according to the same structural and functional limitations; thus to anticipate one is to necessarily anticipate the other), comprising:
a switching regulator (104; shown as switching regulator in Figs. 2-1 and 3; see Abstract) to provide power on one or more power rails (Fig. 3: Vout on output node Nout) from one or more power supplies (302), wherein the switching regulator is a discontinuous mode switching regulator (see [0028], [0033]: light load operation modes including the PFM hysteresis modes and the pulse skipping mode are understood as discontinuous operations) and the switching regulator is associated with an inductor (Fig. 3: PSE 306; see [0047]) to energize and dump current (i.e., magnetization and demagnetization phases of a switching cycle, as understood to occur based on the opening and closing of a switch as described at [0048]) to maintain a stable voltage for power on the one or more power rails ([0023]); and
a controller to control the switching regulator (see Figs. 2, 3: controller 204 and 206), wherein the controller is configured to:
receive, while in a first mode, a plurality of requests to energize the inductor (e.g., the output of comparator 318 and/or the switch activity indicator 324 represent requests to turn on the switch 210 and thus energize/magnetize the inductor 306; as taught at [0050], the controller 204 opens and closes the switch 210 based on the output of comparator 318) ;
generate a control signal based on the plurality of requests (switch control signal 224, which may be provided directly to switch 210 as illustrated in Figs. 3 and 4, or which may alternatively be routed through a selector such as 404 as described in [0056]), wherein the control signal causes a first number of switching events at the switching regulator over a defined time period ([0050], [0057]);
determine whether a switching frequency of the switching regulator over the defined time period is an undesired switching frequency ([0054], [0060]); and
switch from the first mode to a second mode based on the switching frequency being the undesired switching frequency, ([0054]: “If … the detected switching frequency is within the rejection frequency band, the frequency analyzer 322 directs the voltage controller 204 to shift to another hysteresis mode”), wherein the control signal generated by the controller while in the second mode causes the switching frequency of the switching regulator to change ([0051]: “a respective switching frequency 214 for the switch 210 of the voltage regulator 202 is different for each respective hysteresis mode 216”).
In re claims 2 and 8, Santiago discloses wherein the controller, in determining whether the switching frequency over the defined time period is the undesired switching frequency, is configured to:
count the number of switching events over the defined time period ([0057]); and
compare the counted number of switching events to a reference number of switching events, wherein the reference number is associated with the undesired switching frequency ([0060]).
In re claims 3 and 9, Santiago discloses wherein the controller, while in the second mode, is configured to generate the control signal to adjust at least one of an energize time or a dump time of the inductor (for instance, end of [0044] describes changing the mode of operation by changing the upper or lower current limit, which would adjust the magnetization or demagnetization time of the inductor, respectively; it is further understood from the description of the hysteresis ranges at [0048]-[0051] that changing the modes via changing the hysteresis limits for output voltage will also have the same effect of changing the magnetization and/or the demagnetization time of the inductor, since the on-time of the switch in hysteretic modes is understood to depend on the output voltage limits).
In re claims 5 and 11, Santiago discloses wherein the controller, while in the second mode, is configured to generate the control signal to adjust a maximum current of the inductor (see [0044] describing control modes based on adjusting the current limit setpoint).
In re claims 4, 6, 10 and 12, Santiago discloses wherein the controller, while in the second mode, is further configured to:
determine whether the switching frequency of the switching regulator over the defined time period is the undesired switching frequency ([0057], [006] as cited and explained above); and
switch back to the first mode from the second mode based on the switching frequency being the undesired switching frequency (see the operation scenario shown in Fig. 5, in which the controller changes from a first mode to a second mode at arrow 504-2, and then changes “back” to the first mode when the switching frequency is again the undesired frequency at 504-4; see [0064]).
In re claim 13, Santiago discloses a controller (see Figs. 2-4: controller comprising 204, except 318, and 206) to control a switching a switching regulator (104), the controller comprising:
an input to receive, while in a first mode, a plurality of requests to energize an inductor associated with a discontinuous mode switching regulator (switch control signal 224 received from 318 or switch activity indicator 324 may constitute the plurality of requests to turn on switch 210; see [0050]), wherein the inductor is to energize and dump current to maintain a stable voltage for power on the one or more power rails of the discontinuous mode switching regulator (i.e., magnetization and demagnetization phases of a switching cycle, as understood to occur based on the opening and closing of a switch as described at [0048]; regulation of output voltage described at [0023]);
an output to provide a control signal based on the plurality of requests, wherein the control signal causes a first number of switching events at the discontinuous mode switching regulator over a defined time period (Figs. 2-4: output of controller provides switch control signal 224 to switch 210 based on output signal from 318 per [0050], causing switch 210 to turn on and off at a frequency 214; see also [0057]); and
a digital logic (all or portions of mode controller 206; see details in Fig. 4; see description at [0041] and reference to digital processor devices within IC 810 of Fig. 8 for implementing the described functionality of the regulator and controller) to:
determine whether a switching frequency of the switching regulator over the defined time period is an undesired switching frequency ([0054], [0060]); and
switch the controller from the first mode to a second mode based on the switching frequency being the undesired switching frequency ([0054]: “If … the detected switching frequency is within the rejection frequency band, the frequency analyzer 322 directs the voltage controller 204 to shift to another hysteresis mode”), wherein the control signal generated by the controller while in the second mode causes the switching frequency of the switching regulator to change ([0051]: “a respective switching frequency 214 for the switch 210 of the voltage regulator 202 is different for each respective hysteresis mode 216”).
In re claim 14, Santiago discloses wherein the digital logic includes:
a counter (within 320 of Fig. 4) to count the number of switching events over the defined time period ([0057]); and
a comparator (within 322 of Fig. 4) to compare the counted number of switching events to a reference number of switching events, wherein the reference number is associated with the undesired switching frequency ([0060]).
In re claim 15, Santiago discloses wherein the output is to output the control signal to adjust at least one of an energize time or a dump time of the inductor while the controller is in the second mode (for instance, end of [0044] describes changing the mode of operation by changing the upper or lower current limit, which would adjust the magnetization or demagnetization time of the inductor, respectively; it is further understood from the description of the hysteresis ranges at [0048]-[0051] that changing the modes via changing the hysteresis limits for output voltage will also have the same effect of changing the magnetization and/or the demagnetization time of the inductor, since the on-time of the switch in hysteretic modes is understood to depend on the output voltage limits).
In re claim 17, Santiago discloses wherein the output is to output the control signal to adjust a maximum current of the inductor while the controller is in the second mode (see [0044] describing control modes based on adjusting the current limit setpoint).
In re claims 16 and 18, Santiago discloses wherein the digital logic is to:
determine whether the switching frequency of the switching regulator over the defined time period is the undesired switching frequency while the controller is in the second mode ([0057], [006] as cited and explained above); and
switch back to the first mode from the second mode based on the switching frequency being the undesired switching frequency (see the operation scenario shown in Fig. 5, in which the controller changes from a first mode to a second mode at arrow 504-2, and then changes “back” to the first mode when the switching frequency is again the undesired frequency at 504-4; see [0064]).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure:
US 2003/0141858, US 2012/0223691, US 2013/0229226, US 2014/0354257, US 2023/0291298, US 2023/0396163, US 2024/0120838, US 2024/0235367, and US Patent 12,316,217 have all been cited because of their very close similarity to the disclosure of the present application. Each of the above references disclose switching regulators operated in DCM and a controller which determines, such as by counting switching events, a current switching frequency of the regulator, determines, such as by comparing, whether the switching frequency is an undesired frequency and/or within an undesired range, and adjusts an operation mode of the regulator to move the switching frequency away from the undesired frequency or range.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to FRED E FINCH III whose telephone number is (571)270-7883. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday, 8:00 AM - 4:30 PM ET.
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 http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Monica Lewis can be reached at (571) 272-1838. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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.
/FRED E FINCH III/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2838