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 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 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.
Claims 1-15 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Gupta (US 2020/0106257).
With regard to claims 1-9, Gupta, in Figures 2, 3A & 5A, discloses a power supply device (300b) electrically connected to a load system (304-306) for providing power to the load system, the load system comprising a plurality of loads (Load 1, Load 2 & Load 3), the power supply device comprising: a current sampling module (paragraph 0040 teaches that an overcurrent is detected and processed in a manner the same as an overtemperature is processed and paragraph 0028 teaches that the sensor data may be sent to and analog-to-digital converter which is provides sampling) for obtaining a current sampling value; a first comparison module (282) electrically connected to the current sampling module for comparing the current sampling value with an alarm current reference value to obtain a first output value, wherein the alarm current reference value is less than an overcurrent protection reference value; and a control module (303) electrically connected to an output end of the first comparison module for determining whether to send a current alarm signal (Current Warning) to the load system based on the first output value, wherein when the current sampling value is greater than or equal to the alarm current reference value, the control module sends the current alarm signal and provides a warning notification to the load system; when the current sampling value is less than the alarm current reference value, the control module does not send the current alarm signal, or the control module sends a current non-alarm signal (paragraphs 0039 & 0040) (re claim 1), wherein the power supply device further comprises: a second comparison module (284) electrically connected to the current sampling module and the control module for comparing the current sampling value with the overcurrent protection reference value to obtain a second output value (Overcurrent Shutdown), wherein when the control module sends the current alarm signal, the power supply device determines whether to cease to provide power to the load system based on the second output value (paragraphs 0039 & 0040) (re claim 2), wherein the power supply device further comprises: a delay module electrically connected between the output end of the first comparison module and the control module for generating a second output value based on the first output value, wherein when the control module sends the current alarm signal, the power supply device determines whether to cease to provide power to the load system based on the second output value (paragraph 0026 teaches that the warning signal maybe forwarded to the shutdown comparator to determine if the device should be powered down such that the delay module is the device which sends the enable signal and the delay would be the time taken to send the signal) (re claim 3), wherein, when the current sampling value is greater than or equal to the overcurrent protection reference value, the power supply device stops providing power to at least one load of the load system; when the current sampling value is less than the overcurrent protection reference value, the power supply device continues to provide power to the load system (paragraphs 0039 & 0040) (re claim 4), wherein, when the duration that the current sampling value exceeds the alarm current reference value reaches a preset time threshold, the control module sends an overcurrent protection signal and stops providing power to at least one of the loads (paragraph 0033 teaches a timer) (re claim 5), wherein, the first comparison module and the control module are located within a microcontroller unit (paragraph 0017 teaches that the device is within a CPU with is a microprocessor), and the alarm current reference value is adjustable (paragraph 0025 teaches that the reference voltages may be selected amongst a plurality of references which may be adjusted by a switch) (re claim 6), wherein, the first comparison module, the second comparison module and the control module are located within a microcontroller unit (paragraph 0017 teaches that the device is within a CPU with is a microprocessor), the alarm current reference value and the overcurrent protection reference value are adjustable (paragraph 0025 teaches that the reference voltages may be selected amongst a plurality of references) (re claim 7), wherein, the control module is located within a microcontroller unit, and the first comparison module is located outside the microcontroller unit (as seen in Fig. 5E, an analog comparator is placed at the input of an ADC of a microprocessor) (re claim 8), wherein the power supply device further comprises: a reference source (281) electrically connected to an input end of the first comparison module for adjusting the alarm current reference value (re claim 9).
With regard to claims 10-15, Gupta, in Figures 2, 3A & 5A, discloses an overcurrent alarm method for a power supply device (300b), the power supply device providing power to a load system (304-306) and comprising a current sampling module (272 & 162-165 of Fig. 2 as well as 521 & 522 of Fig. 5C), a first comparison module (282 of Fig. 2 as well as 524 of Fig. 5C) and a control module (525 & 526 of Fig. 5C which is located in 303 of Fig. 3B) electrically connected sequentially (paragraph 0040 teaches that an overcurrent is detected and processed in a manner the same as an overtemperature is processed so while Fig. 2 teaches that temperature is detected, current is taught to be detected as well), the load system comprising a plurality of loads (Load 1, Load 2 & Load 3), the method comprises: obtaining a current sampling value via the current sampling module (paragraph 0028 teaches that the sensor data may be sent to and analog-to-digital converter which is provides sampling); comparing the current sampling value with an alarm current reference value to obtain a first output value via the first comparison module, wherein the alarm current reference value is less than an overcurrent protection reference value; and determining whether to send a current alarm signal (Current Warning) via the control module to the load system based on the first output value, wherein when the current sampling value is greater than or equal to the alarm current reference value, the control module sends the current alarm signal and provides a warning notification to the load system; when the current sampling value is less than the alarm current reference value, the control module does not send the current alarm signal, or the control module sends a current non-alarm signal (paragraphs 0039 & 0040) (re claim 10), wherein the method further comprises: providing a second comparison module (284 of Fig. 2) for comparing the current sampling value with the overcurrent protection reference value to obtain a second output value, wherein when the control module sends the current alarm signal, the power supply device determines whether to cease to provide power to the load system based on the second output value (paragraphs 0039 & 0040) (re claim 11), wherein the method further comprises: providing a delay module for generating a second output value based on the first output value, wherein when the control module sends the current alarm signal, the power supply device determines whether to cease to provide power to the load system based on the second output value (paragraph 0026 teaches that the warning signal maybe forwarded to the shutdown comparator to determine if the device should be powered down such that the delay module is the device which sends the enable signal and the delay would be the time taken to send the signal) (re claim 12), wherein, when the current sampling value is greater than or equal to the overcurrent protection reference value, the power supply device stops providing power to at least one load of the load system; when the current sampling value is less than the overcurrent protection reference value, the power supply device continues to provide power to the load system (paragraphs 0039 & 0040) (re claim 13), wherein, when the duration that the current sampling value exceeds the alarm current reference value reaches a preset time threshold, the control module sends an overcurrent protection signal and stops providing power to at least one of the loads (paragraph 0033 teaches a timer) (re claim 14), wherein, the alarm current reference value and the overcurrent protection reference value are adjustable (paragraph 0025 teaches that the reference voltages may be selected amongst a plurality of references which may be adjusted by a switch) (re claim 15).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Suchoff (US 2012/0146655), Zenati (US 2021/0096628) and Masubbuchi (US 2024/0372547) all teach over current protection circuitry with first and second current thresholds. If the current rises above the first threshold, a warning notification is issued and if the current rises above a second higher threshold, the system disconnects power from a load.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to SCOTT BAUER whose telephone number is (571)272-5986. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 12pm - 8pm EST.
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/Scott Bauer/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2838