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 .
Claim Objections
Claim 16 is objected to because of the following informalities: Claim 16 depends from device claim 14, but recites “The method of claim 14…” . Appropriate correction is required.
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.
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.
Claim(s) 1,2,4,8,11,13-16 and 18-20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Ory et al (2014/0036399A1) in view of Truong (5,461,301).
Ory discloses a device (Fig.2), comprising: a first node Vcc; a second node GND; one or more first terminals IO2, IO1; at least one first rectifying element 106 including an anode connected to the first terminal IO2 and a cathode connected to the first node Vcc ; at least one second rectifying element 103 including an anode connected to the second node GND and a cathode connected to the at least one first terminal IO1 and at least one Zener diode 101 or at least one Shockley diode parallel-connected with a capacitive element 201 between the first and second nodes Vcc, GND, wherein the capacitive element is a capacitor comprising a first electrically conductive electrode and a second electrically conductive electrode separated from the first electrically conductive electrode by a dielectric material (known construction of capacitors used in electronic circuits).
The device taught by Ory differs from the claims by not connecting the Zener diode 101 in series with a capacitive element 201 between the first and second nodes Vcc, GND. Truong teaches a device that includes rectifier elements 110, 106 connected to a series connection of Zener diode 230 and capacitive element 232 (also see last line of claim 11).
It would have been obvious at the time of filing the invention to combine the teachings of Truong into the teachings of Ory to meet the claims because both teachings include diodes used as rectifiers in combination with Zener diodes and capacitors, with Truong teaching that a series combination of Zener diodes and capacitors is known in the art to form a capacitor charging circuit that would protect a circuit from rapid voltage changes.
With regard to claim 2, Ory is shown to include diodes 106 and 103 as rectifying elements.
With regard to claim 4, Ory is shown to include four rectifying elements 103,104,105 and 106 connected to second terminal IO2 as recited.
With regard to claim 8, Ory shows element 101 to be a single Zener diode.
With regard to claim 11, persons of ordinary skill are able to interchange Zener diodes and Shockley diode to address the functional requirements of a given circuit.
With regard to claims 13 and 14, no inventive step beyond the abilities of persons of ordinary skill would result from the use of the recited loads and device types with the device of claim 1.
With regard to the independent method claim 15, the high supply voltage is understood to be Vcc and the low supply voltage is understood to be GND and charging, during the overvoltage event, a capacitor via the connected diodes would occur with the series connection of the Zener diode and capacitor 232 configuration taught by Truong (see claim 11 of Truong, which recites a charging function).
Claim 16 is subject to a claim objection, but is addressed by the presence of Zener diodes in both teachings.
Independent claim 18 only adds additional diodes to the circuit in a manner that produces effects that are well understood in the area of series and parallel combinations of circuit elements to replace single elements, with no inventive step seen when the abilities of persons of ordinary skill in the art are considered.
Claims 19 and 20 are addressed by the presence of Zener diodes in both of the prior art teachings.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 3,5-7,9,10,12 and 17 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 above-mentioned claims recite additional features, such as the inclusion of thyristor elements with a diode coupling an anode gate of the thyristor to a cathode of the thyristor, that have not been taught or been fairly suggested by the prior art of record.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to STEPHEN W JACKSON whose telephone number is (571)272-2051. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 6:30-3:00.
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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.
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SWJackson
April 17, 2026
/STEPHEN W JACKSON/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2838
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