DETAILED ACTION
The instant action is in response to application 25 April 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 .
Specification
The specification is objected to for the following informalities:
There appears to be a related Taiwanese application with an earlier filing date than the US filing date. Since the Taiwanese application is earlier, its filing date is required to be included in the background section. It is also ordinary and customary to include all copending applications filing date and publication date (if available).
The title is not descriptive. Examiner suggests changing the title to: Isolated Converter with Output Voltage Protection and Adjustable Protection Threshold.
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.
Priority
Acknowledgment is made of applicant's claim for foreign priority based on an application filed in Taiwan on 30 November 2023.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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.
For method claims, note that under MPEP 2112.02, the principles of inherency, if a prior art device, in its normal and usual operation, would necessarily perform the method claimed, then the method claimed will be considered to be anticipated by the prior art device. When the prior art device is the same as a device described in the specification for carrying out the claimed method, it can be assumed the device will inherently perform the claimed process. In re King, 801 F.2d 1324, 231 USPQ 136 (Fed. Cir. 1986). Therefore the previous rejections based on the apparatus will not be repeated. (The claims have been condensed.)
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.
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 of this title, 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.
Claims 1-4, 8, 9 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Shang (TW 20126034) in view of Minkkinen (US 2007/0236962).
As to claim 1, Shang teaches (see image below) A power supply unit configured to provide an output voltage from an output end to supply power to a load, and the power supply unit comprising: an over-power protection circuit, comprising: according to a voltage
Shang does not explicitly disclose a switch comprising a first end and a second end, the first end coupled to at the first end; a first resistor, one end of the first resistor coupled to the second end; and a second resistor, one end of the second resistor coupled to the first end, and the other end of the second resistor coupled to the other end of the first resistor.
Minkken teaches a switch (301) comprising a first end (302/301) and a second end (302/109), the first end coupled to at the first end; a first resistor (109), one end of the first resistor coupled to the second end; and a second resistor(301), one end of the second resistor coupled to the first end, and the other end of the second resistor coupled to the other end of the first resistor.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the device above to use resistance to set feedback in order to reduce parts count and weight. Since the combination is slightly difficult to see, examiner has made a compound image below the image matching in the Shang reference.
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As to claim 2, Shang in view of Minkkinen teaches wherein the over-power protection circuit further comprises: a control circuit (10, 82) coupled to the output end and a control end of the switch, and configured to receive a detection signal (the phototransistor pair receives Vout); wherein, when the detection signal indicates that the output voltage is at the first level, the control circuit is configured to control the switch to be turned on, and when the detection signal indicates that the output voltage is at the second level, the control circuit is configured to control the switch to be turned off (this is explained above in the combination).
As to claim 3, Shang in view of Minkkinen teaches wherein the power supply unit comprises a primary side and a secondary side, the power switch is configured to the primary side, and the output end is configured to the secondary side, the control circuit comprises: an optical coupler coupled to the output end and the control end of the switch; and a detection switch coupled to the optical coupler, and the detection switch configured to receive the detection signal; wherein, when the detection signal corresponds to the output voltage of the first level, the detection switch is turned off, and the optical coupler is configured to disconnect a coupling relationship between the control end and a ground end through the detection switch being turned off, so that the control end receives a control voltage; when the detection signal corresponds to the output voltage of the second level, the detection switch is turned on, and the optical coupler is configured to couple the control end to the ground end through the detection switch being turned on (the optical switch and detection switch correspond to U2 and U3 above, with the output voltage setting the breakdown voltage).
As to claim 4, Shang in view of Minkkinen makes obvious wherein the control circuit further comprises: a voltage dividing circuit comprises: a first voltage dividing resistor, one end of the first voltage dividing resistor configured to receive a working voltage, and the other end of the first voltage dividing resistor coupled to the optical coupler and the control end; and a second voltage dividing resistor, one end of the second voltage dividing resistor coupled to the other end of the first voltage dividing resistor, and the other end of the second voltage dividing resistor coupled to the ground end; wherein, the voltage dividing circuit is configured to divide the working voltage through the first voltage dividing resistor and the second voltage dividing resistor to establish the control voltage at the control end to turn on the switch (Shang explicitly shows a votlage divider on vout, and one of ordinary skill could place that in parallel to the input capacitor in order create the working votlage VCC that feeds to the controller. Given that this is old and well known (See MPEP 2144.03 and US 5200886 Fig. 1, US 20100165672 Fig. 1, US 20130020867 Fig. 5, this is not patentable given that no unexpected advantages would occur).
As to claims 8 and 9, these are similar to claims 1 and 3 above and are obvious per MPEP 2112.02.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 5-7, 10 would be allowable if rewritten to overcome the rejection(s) under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) in this Office action and to include 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:
As to claim 5, the prior art fails to disclose: “wherein the power supply unit comprises a transformer and an auxiliary power circuit, the auxiliary power circuit coupled to the transformer to provide a working voltage, and the over-power protection circuit further comprises: a regulator circuit coupled to a control end of the switch, and configured to receive the working voltage; wherein, when the output voltage is at the first level, the working voltage provided by the auxiliary power circuit is at a third level corresponding to the first level, and the regulator circuit is configured to establish a control voltage at the control end according to the working voltage of the third level being higher than a clamping voltage of the regulator circuit; when the output voltage is at the second level, the working voltage provided by the auxiliary power circuit is at a fourth level corresponding to the second level, and the regulator circuit is configured to limit the voltage of the control end to be lower than a threshold voltage according to the working voltage of the fourth level being lower than the clamping voltage.” in combination with the additionally claimed features, as are claimed by the Applicant.
As to claim 10, the prior art fails to disclose: “further comprising steps of: correspondingly, generating the working voltage of a third level according to the output voltage at the first level; establishing a control voltage at a control end of the switch according to the working voltage of the third level being higher than a clamping voltage of a regulator circuit; correspondingly, generating the working voltage of a fourth level according to the output voltage at the second level; and limiting the voltage of the control end to be lower than a threshold voltage according to the working voltage of the fourth level being lower than the clamping voltage.” in combination with the additionally claimed features, as are claimed by the Applicant.
Please note: while objected or allowed claims have been indicated, only the presented claims have been examined for compliance with form and 35 USC 112 consideration. As a reminder, claims that are dependent upon objected claims still require examination for form and 35 USC 112 issues even if they overcome 35 USC 102 and 103 rejections. Similarly, amendments incorporating allowable subject matter into independent claims requires reconsideration for dependent claim form and any possible 35 USC 112 issues that arise through amendments even if the 35 USC 102 and 103 rejections are overcome. As such, applicant is advised that while examiner can enter previously allowed claims or previously objected claims rewritten into independent form after final rejection, any other claims may not be entered.
Conclusion
Examiner has cited particular column, paragraph, and line numbers in the references applied to the claims above for the convenience of the applicant. Although the specified citations are representative of the teachings of the art and are applied to specific limitations within the individual claim, other passages and figures may apply as well. It is respectfully requested from the applicant in preparing responses, to fully consider the references in their entirety as potentially teaching all or part of the claimed invention, as well as the context of the passage as taught by the prior art or disclosed by the Examiner. In the case of amending the claimed invention, Applicant is respectfully requested to indicate the portion(s) of the specification which dictate(s) the structure relied on for proper interpretation and also to verify and ascertain the metes and bounds of the claimed invention.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to PETER M NOVAK whose telephone number is (571)270-1375. The examiner can normally be reached on 9AM-5PM,Monday through Thursday, EST.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Crystal Hammond can be reached on 571-270-1682. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/PETER M NOVAK/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2839