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 Status
Claims 5 and 6 are cancelled. Claims 21 and 22 are new. Claims 1-4 and 7-22 are pending.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claim(s) rejected in the official action dated 10/31/2025 have been considered but are moot because the new ground of rejection does not rely on the same combination of references applied in the prior rejection of record for any teaching or matter specifically challenged in the argument.
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.
Claim(s) 16-20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over BINDER (US 2018/0005224) in view of DONAT (US 2020/0021207).
Regarding claim 17,
BINDER teaches a system comprising:
a battery (see, power management device 304, as described in paragraph [0034]);
a dc/dc converter (power-management device 304 performs DC-DC conversion); and
an NFC controller comprising a first node coupled to a battery and the dc/dc converter(Fig. 3 teaches power management device 304 receiving input from the battery 320, corresponding the first node; Binder further teaches that power management device 304 performs DC-DC conversion and linear regulation), a second node coupled to the dc/dc converter node (power management device 304 distributes regulated rails to downstream subsystems, said regulated outputs are interpreted as corresponding to the second node), and a third node coupled to a radio frequency output of the NFC controller (antenna 540 which is differentially fed through the PA 520 - tuning 530 path, corresponding to a third node), the third node configured to be coupled to either the first node or the second node in an active mode, and to either to the first node or to first and second nodes in a power down mode (power-management device 304 performs DC-DC conversion and power sequencing such that, in an active state, the regulated rail powers the NFC front end (third node coupled to first or second), and in a power-down state, the regulated converter may be bypassed, leaving coupling to the first node alone or in combination.)
Binder fails to expressly teach “a plurality of other integrated circuits, each other integrated circuit having a power input coupled to the second node.”
DONAT teaches a plurality of interconnected circuit modules coupled to common DC converter nodes. In [0029], Donat discloses that “the power semiconductor circuit can be used individually or interconnected with further similar power semiconductor circuits”. [0078] further teaches that “FIG. 5 shows the arrangement of a plurality of modules 300 to form a power converter 500”. [0079] also teaches that “the modules 300 are connected parallel to one another with the DC link, i.e. the first DC voltage terminals 102a with the first terminal 502a and the second DC voltage terminals 102b with the second terminal 502b”.
Donat additionally teaches that each module includes circuit components arranged on a printed circuit board, including “a voltage converter 108” and “a module controller 107 in the form of a microprocessor” (see, [0054]). Thus, Donat teaches a plurality of circuit modules, each having power terminals coupled to common DC-link nodes, corresponding to the claimed plurality of other integrated circuits, each having a power input coupled to the second node.
Before the effective filing date of the invention, it would have been obvious to modify Binder to include the plurality of interconnected circuit modules taught by Donat so that multiple circuit modules receive power from a shared converter-connected node for the purpose of increasing available power, improving scalability/modularity, and permitting coordinated converter operation, because Donat expressly teaches that interconnected use of similar power semiconductor circuits increases the power provided and allows construction of a converter from a plurality of such circuits (see, [0029]).
Regarding claim 18,
Binder teaches The system according to claim 17, further comprising a selection circuit configured to connect or disconnect the first and second nodes depending on an active state of the dc/dc converter (Fig. 3 teaches power management device 304 as performing “DC-to-DC conversion, battery charging, linear regulation, power sequencing, and other miscellaneous system power functions.” Figures 5–10 show the NFC circuitry powered through that device and becoming active only when the system initiates communication. When the DC-DC converter inside 304 is active, it enables the regulated rail (second node) that powers the NFC interface 328 and PA 520. When inactive, those rails collapse, leaving only the raw battery supply (first node). The RF path (third node = antenna 540) is therefore powered either by the first node alone or by the combined first and second nodes, depending on the DC-DC converter’s state).
Regarding claim 19,
Binder teaches a voltage regulator coupling the first node to the third node depending on an active state of the dc/dc converter(Fig. 3 teaches power management device 304 as performing “DC-to-DC conversion, battery charging, linear regulation, power sequencing, and other miscellaneous system power functions.” Figures 5–10 show the NFC circuitry powered through that device and becoming active only when the system initiates communication. When the DC-DC converter inside 304 is active, it enables the regulated rail (second node) that powers the NFC interface 328 and PA 520. When inactive, those rails collapse, leaving only the raw battery supply (first node). The RF path (third node = antenna 540) is therefore powered either by the first node alone or by the combined first and second nodes, depending on the DC-DC converter’s state).
Regarding claim 20,
Binder teaches an antenna coupled to the third node (the output of PA 520 is routed through tuning 530 to antenna 540).
Claim(s) 16 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over BINDER (US 2018/0005224) in view of DONAT (US 2020/0021207) as applied to claim 17 and further in view of ELLWOOD (US 2024/0396512).
Regarding claim 16,
Ellwood teaches an NFC controller (Ellwood teaches functional components of an NFC controller system) comprising:
a first node configured to be coupled to a battery (PA Power Supply (15) in Fig. 1 is fed through intermediate rails such as VDPA = 5 V, providing the energy source);
a second node (21, 26 in fig. 3) configured to receive a regulated voltage from a regulating circuit configuration (transistor 16 and 22, bypass switch 27 provide a feed-forward LDO) coupled to the first node(see VDPA); and
a third node (VSPMOS rail, VDNMOS rail) configured to be coupled to a radio frequency output of the NFC controller (said rails power the active transistors whose drains form the RF output), the third node configured to be coupled to either the first node or the second node in a first mode (when switch 27 is open=coupled to VDPA), and to either to the first node or to first and second nodes in a second mode(when switch 27 is closed = rails are coupled to the second node and to the first node VDPA);
and further teaches:
an antenna is coupled to the third node (see, TXp / TXn in Fig. 1,wherein each is driven by N × PA slices and connected to the antenna (4)).
Before the effective filing date of the invention, it would have been obvious to modify Binder such that an antenna is coupled to the third node because the third node is coupled to the radiofrequency output of the NFC controller, and an antenna coupled to that RF output would allow the NFC controller to radiate and receive near-field communication signals for wireless communication with external NFC devices. Providing the antenna at the RF output node would have predictably enabled the RF signal generated by the NFC controller to be converted into an electromagnetic field suitable for NFC communication.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 1-4, 7-15, 21 and 22 are allowed.
Conclusion
Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to DIONNE PENDLETON whose telephone number is (571)272-7497. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 9a-5pm.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Davetta Goins can be reached at 571-272-2957. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/DIONNE PENDLETON/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2689
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