DETAILED ACTION
This office action is in response to the application filed on 12/15/2023.
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 .
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on12/15/2023 has been considered by the examiner.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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 35 U.S.C. 103 which forms the basis for all obviousness rejections set forth in this Office action:
A patent for a claimed invention may not be obtained, notwithstanding that the claimed invention is not identically disclosed as set forth in section 102, if the differences between the claimed invention and the prior art are such that the claimed invention as a whole would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a person having ordinary skill in the art to which the claimed invention pertains. Patentability shall not be negated by the manner in which the invention was made.
Claim(s) 1-2 and 4-5 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Tso et al. US 2016/0285376 in view of Louvel US 2013/0193940.
Regarding Claim 1, Tso teaches (Figures 1-5 and 8) an efficiency tracking method of a controller (200) applied to a flyback power converter (Fig. 2), the efficiency tracking method comprising: the controller shifting a current frequency variation curve to a next frequency variation curve (Fig. 5) according to an original frequency variation curve setting voltage ( Vcomp); and the controller controlling operation of the flyback power converter according to the next frequency variation curve (Fig. 5 and 8). (For Example: Par. 24-27 and 35-43)
Tso does not teach the controller outputting an original frequency variation curve setting detection current to an original frequency variation curve setting detection resistor before the controller soft starts; an original frequency variation curve setting voltage determined by the original frequency variation curve setting detection current and the original frequency variation curve setting detection resistor.
Louvel teaches (Figures 1-6) the controller (118 and 108) outputting an original frequency variation curve setting detection current (with 202) to an original frequency variation curve setting detection resistor (210) before the controller soft starts (fig. 6 during Mains off, par. 45); an original frequency variation curve setting voltage (at positive terminal of 216) determined by the original frequency variation curve setting detection current (202) and the original frequency variation curve setting detection resistor (210). (For example: Par. 38-46 and 57-66)
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to modify the circuit of Tso to include the controller outputting an original frequency variation curve setting detection current to an original frequency variation curve setting detection resistor before the controller soft starts; an original frequency variation curve setting voltage determined by the original frequency variation curve setting detection current and the original frequency variation curve setting detection resistor, as taught by Louvel to reduces cost for existing controllers and lowers barrier to adoption while providing substantial long-term energy savings.
Regarding Claim 2, Tso teaches (Figures 1-5 and 8) wherein the controller is applied to a primary side of the flyback power converter (at 200).
Tso does not teach wherein the controller is applied to a primary side (PRI) of the flyback power converter, and the controller is a pulse width modulation (PWM) controller.
Louvel teaches (Figures 1-6) the controller is a pulse width modulation (PWM) controller (at 108). (For example: Par. 38-46 and 57-66)
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to modify the circuit of Tso to include the controller is a pulse width modulation (PWM) controller, as taught by Louvel to reduces cost for existing controllers and lowers barrier to adoption while providing substantial long-term energy savings.
Regarding Claim 4, Tso teaches (Figures 1-5 and 8) the controller.
Tso does not teach wherein the controller outputs the original frequency variation curve setting detection current through a current detection pin.
Louvel teaches (Figures 1-6) wherein the controller (118 and 108) outputs the original frequency variation curve setting detection current (from 202) through a current detection pin (sink current by 132, par. 44). (For example: Par. 38-46 and 57-66)
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to modify the circuit of Tso to include wherein the controller outputs the original frequency variation curve setting detection current through a current detection pin, as taught by Louvel to reduces cost for existing controllers and lowers barrier to adoption while providing substantial long-term energy savings.
Regarding Claim 5, Tso teaches (Figures 1-5 and 8) wherein the current frequency variation curve (Fig. 5) relates to an operating frequency of the flyback power converter (F) and a compensation voltage (Vcomp), and the compensation voltage relates to an output voltage of a secondary side of the flyback power converter (fig. 2). (For Example: Par. 24-27 and 35-43)3
Claim(s) 3 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Tso et al. US 2016/0285376 in view of Louvel US 2013/0193940 and further in view of Tso et al. US 2016/0285376 (Figure 7, herein Tso7).
Regarding Claim 3, Tso teaches (Figures 1-5 and 8) the controller (at 200).
Tso does not teach wherein the original frequency variation curve setting voltage further corresponds to an original frequency variation curve setting detection ratio.
Tso7 teaches (Figures 7 and 10) wherein the original frequency variation curve setting voltage (with Vcomp) further corresponds to an original frequency variation curve setting detection ratio (with Rcomp, par. 32-33). (For example: Par. 32-34 and 53-57)
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to modify the circuit of Tso to include wherein the original frequency variation curve setting voltage further corresponds to an original frequency variation curve setting detection ratio, as taught by Tso7 to adjust the stability of the power converter and maintain a stable output.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to GUSTAVO A ROSARIO-BENITEZ whose telephone number is (571)270-7888. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 9AM-5PM.
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/GUSTAVO A ROSARIO-BENITEZ/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2838