DETAILED ACTION
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 .
Inventorship
This application currently names joint inventors. In considering patentability of the claims the examiner presumes that the subject matter of the various claims was commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the claimed invention(s) absent any evidence to the contrary. Applicant is advised of the obligation under 37 CFR 1.56 to point out the inventor and effective filing dates of each claim that was not commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the later invention in order for the examiner to consider the applicability of 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(2)(C) for any potential 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) prior art against the later invention.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 6/13/2024 is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
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 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.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claim 6 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
Claim 6 recites the limitation "voltage rail is connected in series" in 1. It is unclear what the rail is connected in series to. Connected in series to what?
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.
(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) 1-6, 8, 11, 12, 20 and 21 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102a1/a2 as being anticipated by Petersen (US 10790742 – IDS) .
Claim 1; Petersen discloses a power converter configured to receive an input voltage (Vin) via a voltage input port (202) and output a predetermined output voltage (Vout) via a voltage output port (204), comprising: two voltage rail provision cells (C1, C2) connected between the voltage input port (202) and ground (gnd); a switch network (e.g. S1-S8) comprising a plurality of switches, configured to create a current path through the two voltage rail provision cells such that the two voltage rail provision cells provide two more voltage rails (i.e. multilevel) each corresponding to a predetermined input to output voltage difference; at least one power storage cell (L) connected between the two more voltage rail provision cells and the voltage output port (Vout), wherein the at least one power storage cell is configured to output the predetermined output voltage to the voltage output port (204); a control circuit configured to control the switch network to select at least one voltage rail of the two voltage rails to set the predetermined output voltage.
Claim 2 the two voltage rail provision cells are two capacitor cells.
Claim 3; the at least one power storage cell is an inductor cell.
Claim 4; each of the two voltage rails is provided by two capacitor cells.
Claim 5; the switch network creates the current path through the two voltage rail provision cells by switching each of the voltage rail provision cells to be connected to ground (i.e. switch S4 for C1 and switch S8 for C2) or the voltage output port (S3 connects C1 to 204 and S7 connects C2 to Vout); wherein each voltage rail provision cell is switchably connected to ground and the voltage output port (e.g. S4, S8, S3, S7). S1 and S5 would connect the rail to 204 through L. S1, C1, S3 connects to Vout. S5, C2, S7 connects to Vout. Etc.
Claim 6; the selected voltage rail is connected to provide the predetermined output voltage via the power storage cell.
Claim 8; each capacitor cell comprises: a capacitor; and at least one capacitor connecting switch (S1-S8) of the switch network, wherein the at least one capacitor connecting switch connects the capacitor to one of the two voltage rails.
Claims 11 and 12; the control circuit controls the switch network to operate in a first mode (turn switches ON) in a first phase (to connect, to charge) and a second mode (turn switches OFF) in a second phase (to disconnect, to discharge).
Claim 20; the two capacitor cells are connected to each other by a first plurality of switches of the switch network (S2, S3, S6, S7).
Claim 21; the two capacitor cells are distributed on either side of the inductor cell such that a same number of capacitor cells are positioned on a left side and a right side of the inductor cell (C1, left of L, C2 right of L).
Claim 23; a method of setting an output voltage using a power converter configured to receive an input voltage (Vin) via a voltage input port and output a predetermined output voltage (Vout) via a voltage output port, the power converter comprising two voltage rails (e.g. multilevel), the method comprising: controlling, by a control circuit, a switch network comprising a plurality of switches (S1-S8) to create a current path through two voltage rail provision cells (e.g. C1, C2) such that the two voltage rail provision cells provide two voltage rails, wherein each voltage rail corresponds to a predetermined input to output voltage difference, and wherein each voltage rail provision cell is connected between the voltage input port (Vin) and ground (Vout); selecting, by the control circuit, at least one voltage rail of the two voltage rails to set a predetermined output voltage (vout); outputting, by a power storage cell (L) connected between the two voltage rail provision cells (C1, C2) and a voltage output port (204), the predetermined output voltage to the voltage output port.
Claim(s) 1, 2, 5-7, 9, 11, 12, 20 and 23 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102a1/a2 as being anticipated by Salem (US 2014).
Claims 1 and 2; Salem disclose a power converter configured to receive an input voltage (Vin) via a voltage input port (306/310) and output a predetermined output voltage (Vout) via a voltage output port, comprising: two more voltage rail provision cells (312, 314) connected between the voltage input port and ground (310); a switch network comprising a plurality of switches (e.g. 316, 620, 326, 330), configured to create a current path through the two voltage rail provision cells such that the two voltage rail provision cells provide two voltage rails (e.g. see figs. 3C, 3E) each corresponding to a predetermined input to output voltage difference; at least one power storage cell (capacitor at 308) connected between the two voltage rail provision cells and the voltage output port (Vout), wherein the at least one power storage cell is configured to output the predetermined output voltage to the voltage output port; a control circuit configured to control the switch network to select at least one voltage rail of the two voltage rails to set the predetermined output voltage (e.g. fig. 3B).
Claim 5; the switch network creates the current path through the two voltage rail provision cells by switching each of the voltage rail provision cells to be connected to ground or the voltage output port; wherein each voltage rail provision cell is switchably connected to ground and the voltage output port (see figs 3C/3E).
Claim 6; the selected voltage rail is connected o provide the predetermined output voltage via the power storage cell (at 308).
Claim 7; an additional voltage rail is added by connecting two additional voltage rail provision cells (e.g. fig. 7D).
Claim 9; Salem disclose the switched circuit utilizes parasitic inductors to provide continuous transformation ratios.
Claim 11; the control circuit controls the switch network to operate in a first mode (turn switches ON) in a first phase (to connect, to charge) and a second mode (turn switches OFF) in a second phase (to disconnect, to discharge).
Claim 12; the control circuit controls the switch network to alternate between the first mode and the second mode (charging/discharging).
Claim 20; the two capacitor cells are connected to each other by a first plurality of switches of the switch network (316, 318, 320, 322, 324, 326, 328, 330, etc.).
Claim 23; a method of setting an output voltage using a power converter configured to receive an input voltage (Vin) via a voltage input port and output a predetermined output voltage (Vout) via a voltage output port, the power converter comprising two voltage rails (312, 314), the method comprising: controlling, by a control circuit, a switch network comprising a plurality of switches (316, 318, 320, 322, 324, 326, 328, 330, etc.) to create a current path through two voltage rail provision cells such that the two voltage rail provision cells provide two voltage rails (e.g. figs 3C, 3E), wherein each voltage rail corresponds to a predetermined input to output voltage difference, and wherein each voltage rail provision cell is connected between the voltage input port (+) and ground (-); selecting, by the control circuit, at least one voltage rail of the two or more voltage rails to set a predetermined output voltage; outputting, by a power storage cell (capacitor at 308) connected between the voltage rail provision cells and a voltage output port (308), the predetermined output voltage to the voltage output port (Vout).
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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.
The factual inquiries for establishing a background for determining obviousness under 35 U.S.C. 103 are summarized as follows:
1. Determining the scope and contents of the prior art.
2. Ascertaining the differences between the prior art and the claims at issue.
3. Resolving the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art.
4. Considering objective evidence present in the application indicating obviousness or nonobviousness.
Claim(s) 22 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Petersen.
Claim 22; Petersen disclose the claimed subject matter in regards to claim 3 supra, excerpt for the power converter comprises six capacitor cells.
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was effectively filed to modify Petersen to include six capacitor cells, since it has been held that mere duplication of the essential working parts of a device involves only routine skill in the art. St. Regis Paper Co. V. Bemis Co., 193 USPQ 8.
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was effectively filed to modify Petersen to include six capacitor cells order to increase the conversion ratio.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 10 and 13-19 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:
Claim 10; prior art fails to disclose or fairly suggest, inter alia, the switch network comprises: three voltage input switches, wherein two of the voltage input switches connect an input voltage port to a capacitor of one of the two or more capacitor cells and a third voltage input switch connects the input voltage port to the inductor cell; and a plurality of output voltage switches, wherein the output voltage switches connect the first set of capacitors and the second set of capacitors to the output voltage; and a plurality of ground switches, wherein the ground switches connect the first set of capacitors and the second set of capacitors to ground.
Claims 13-19; prior art fails to disclose or fairly suggest, inter alia, a first set of capacitors of the two or more capacitor cells is charged in the first mode and discharged in the second mode; wherein a second set of capacitors of the two or more capacitor cells is charged in the second mode and discharged in the first mode.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to GARY L LAXTON whose telephone number is (571)272-2079. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday, 8 am-4 pm.
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/GARY L LAXTON/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2838 1/23/2026