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 .
DETAILED ACTION
This office action is in response to application 18/583,593 filed 2/21/24. Claims 1-20 are pending with claims 1, 8, and 15 in independent form.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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 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.
Claim(s) 1, 3-4, 7-11 and 14 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Cho et al. US 2021/0111570 A1.
Cho teaches:
Re: claim 1, A charging integrated circuit (IC) (110) comprising: a switched capacitor IC comprising a second power stage for direct charging a battery (direct charger 113; [0056]); and a switching charger IC comprising a first power stage for switch-mode charging the battery (switching charger 114; [0055]), a power meter (power meter 115) configured to obtain information about at least one of power input to the charging IC or power output from the charging IC ([0043]-[0045]), and a control circuit (control circuit 112) configured to cause switch-mode charging by controlling the first power stage and cause direct charging through the switched capacitor IC by controlling the second power stage ([0035-[0037]; [0102]).
Re: claim 3, The charging IC of claim 1, wherein the switching charger IC includes a fuel gauge block (fuel gauge 116) configured to identify a level of charge of the battery ([0041]-[0042]), and wherein the control circuit is configured to: identify whether an external power source connected to the charging IC supports direct charging ([0029], [0056]), monitor the level of charge of the battery using the fuel gauge block, and based on results of the monitoring, cause charging of the battery by one of direct charging or switch-mode charging ([0041]-[0045]).
Re: claim 4, The charging IC of claim 3, wherein the control circuit is configured to: in response to the level of charge of the battery being less than a first threshold value, cause charging of the battery by switch-mode charging, in response to the level of charge of the battery exceeding the first threshold value and being less than a second threshold value greater than the first threshold value, cause charging of the battery by direct charging, and in response to the level of charge of the battery exceeding the second threshold value, cause charging of the battery by switch-mode charging ([0082], [0097], [0100]-[0101]).
Re: claim 7, The charging IC of claim 1, wherein the switched capacitor IC and the switching charger IC are respectively embedded in separate chips ([0020]).
Re: claim 8, An operating method for a charging integrated circuit (IC) (110) comprising a switching charger IC (switching charger 114) and a switched capacitor IC (direct charger 113), the operating method comprising: identifying whether an external power source connected to the charging IC supports direct charging ([0029], [0056]); based on a level of charge of a battery, generating a control signal instructing direct charging of the battery and providing the control signal to the switched capacitor IC ([0041]-[0045]); monitoring the level of charge of the battery ([0041]-[0045]); based on results of the monitoring, performing switch-mode charging of the battery ([0041]-[0045]); and based on performing switch-mode charging, bypassing generation of the control signal instructing direct charging ([0041]-[0045]).
Re: claim 9, The operating method of claim 8, wherein identifying whether the external power source connected to the charging IC supports direct charging is based on a resistance value of a CC pin of a receptacle interface ([0029]).
Re: claim 10, The operating method of claim 8, comprising: in response to the level of charge of the battery being less than a first threshold value, charging the battery by switch-mode charging; in response to the level of charge of the battery exceeding the first threshold value and being less than a second threshold value greater than the first threshold value, charging the battery by direct charging; and in response to the level of charge of the battery exceeding the second threshold value, charging the battery by switch-mode charging ([0082], [0097], [0100]-[0101]).
Re: claim 11, The operating method of claim 10, wherein charging the battery by switch-mode charging includes controlling a first power stage included in the switching charger IC, and wherein the first power stage includes a switched inductor ([0039]).
Re: claim 14, The operating method of claim 8, wherein the switched capacitor IC and the switching charger IC are respectively embedded in separate chips ([0020]).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 15-20 are allowed.
The following is an examiner’s statement of reasons for allowance: The prior art of record fails to teach or fairly suggest to one of ordinary skill in the art, in conjunction with all the other limitations of the claims: With respect to claim 15 and all its dependencies, a charging integrated circuit having a first switched capacitor IC comprising a second power stage for direct charging a battery; a second switched capacitor IC comprising a third power stage for direct charging the battery; and a switching charger IC comprising a first power stage for switch-mode charging the battery, a power meter configured to obtain information about at least one of power input to the charging IC or power output from the charging IC, and a control circuit configured to cause switch-mode charging by controlling the first power stage and cause direct charging through the first switched capacitor IC and the second switched capacitor IC by controlling the second power stage and the third power stage. The prior art of record fails to provide sufficient teaching or motivation to one of ordinary skill in the art to provide the additionally recited features of these claims in the combinations as claimed.
Any comments considered necessary by applicant must be submitted no later than the payment of the issue fee and, to avoid processing delays, should preferably accompany the issue fee. Such submissions should be clearly labeled “Comments on Statement of Reasons for Allowance.”
Claims 2, 5-6, and 12-13 are 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.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter: The prior art of record fails to teach or fairly suggest to one of ordinary skill in the art, in conjunction with all the other limitations of the claims: With respect to claim 2 and all its dependencies, the first power stage includes a switched inductor, and the second power stage includes a switched capacitor configured in an N:1 structure, when combined with all the other limitations of the claim and the limitations of claim 1 from which it depends. With respect to claim 5 and all its dependencies, the switching charger IC having a first oscillator block configured to generate a clock signal for an operating frequency of the switched capacitor IC for performing direct charging; and a chip power generation block configured to generate an operating voltage for driving the switched capacitor IC, wherein the control circuit is configured to generate a voltage control signal for controlling the second power stage to cause charging of the battery by direct charging, when combined with all the other limitations of the claim and the limitations of claims 1, 3, and 4 from which it depends. With respect to claim 12 and all its dependencies, generating the control signal instructing direct charging comprises: generating a clock signal for an operating frequency of the switched capacitor IC for performing direct charging; generating an operating voltage for driving the switched capacitor IC; and generating a voltage control signal for controlling a second power stage included in the switched capacitor IC when combined with all the other limitations of the claim and the limitations of claim 8 from which it depends. The prior art of record fails to provide sufficient teaching or motivation to one of ordinary skill in the art to provide the additionally recited features of these claims in the combinations as claimed.
Contact Information
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to KRISTY A HAUPT whose telephone number is (571)272-8545 and email address is kristy.haupt@uspto.gov. The examiner can normally be reached on Mon-Sun 5:30 AM- 10PM; Flex during day.
If all attempts to reach the examiner by telephone and email are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Thomas Pham, can be reached at telephone number (571) 272-3689. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/KRISTY A HAUPT/
Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2876
KAH
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