DETAILED ACTION
This action is in response to the application filed on 3/28/2024.
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
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)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claim(s) 13 and 19 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Rubinic et al. (US 2024/0322693). Regarding claims 13 and 19, Rubinic et al. discloses (see fig. 1 and 7) an apparatus comprising: a controller (118/120) operative to: determine a first ratio value (see ratio in equation 2, paragraph 0049), the first ratio value being a ratio of a second time duration with respect to a first time duration (t^kon/t^k-1-on), the first time duration being a measured time duration of activating a first switch (M1 being activated) in a first control cycle (t^kon), the second time duration being a measured time duration associated with activation of the first switch in a second control cycle (t^k-1-on), activation of the first switch (M1 being activated) operative to control a magnitude of primary current through a primary winding of a transformer (current through primary winding of transformer); and for the second control cycle which occurs subsequent to the first control cycle (subsequent control cycle), calculate an ON-time duration for activating a second switch M3 activation) based on the determined first ratio value (see paragraphs 0049-0053 and fig. 7, wherein M3 is activated after the expiration of the auto-tuned delay time, which is calculated based on the first ratio).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 1-12 are allowed.
The following is an examiner’s statement of reasons for allowance: Regarding claim 1, the prior art fails to teach or disclose an apparatus comprising: a controller operative to: measure a second time duration associated with demagnetization of the transformer subsequent to activation of the first switch for the first time duration; for a second control cycle N+1 of the multiple control cycles subsequent to the first control cycle N: i) determine a third time duration of an ON-time of activating the first switch in the second control cycle, and ii) calculate a fourth time duration in which to control an ON-time of a second switch based on a combination of the first time duration, the second time duration, and the third time duration; and in the second control cycle N+1, control the ON-time of the second switch based on the fourth time duration, in combination with all the limitations set forth in claim 1.
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 14-18 and 20 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.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure: Hari et al. (US Patent 12009754) discloses a switching power converter with reduced voltage switching of the primary switch. Leong et al. (US Patent 10122287) discloses a power supply system with feedback control.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to JEFFREY A GBLENDE whose telephone number is (571)270-5472. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 9am-5pm.
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/JEFFREY A GBLENDE/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2838