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 .
This non-final office action is responsive to Applicants' application filed on 05/02/24. Claims 1-37 are presented for examination and are pending for the reasons indicated herein below.
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.
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.
Claims 1, 23, 25, 34-37 rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Huang et al. (US 20240063722 A1)
Regarding claim 1. Huang teaches an apparatus [fig 5, coupled is interpreted as connected between intervening elements] comprising: a first switch [304] coupled between a first power terminal [106a] and a first inverter terminal [see anode of 304], the first switch having a first switch control input;
a second switch [306] coupled between the first inverter terminal and a second power terminal [106b], the second switch having a second switch control input;
a third switch [310] coupled between the second power terminal and a second inverter terminal [see cathode of 310], the third switch having a third switch control input;
a fourth switch [308] coupled between the second inverter terminal and a reference terminal [524], the fourth switch having a fourth switch control input;
and an inverter circuit [circuit before 510] coupled between first and second inverter terminals, the inverter circuit having outputs coupled to primary side terminals [i.e. terminals coupled to primary side of 510].
Regarding claim 23. Huang teaches an apparatus [fig 5, coupled is interpreted as connected between intervening elements] comprising: a first switch [304] coupled between a first power terminal [106a] and a first rectifier terminal [see 106a rectifier terminal from AC voltage of 104], the first switch having a first switch control input;
a second switch [306] coupled between the first rectifier terminal and a second power terminal [106b], the second switch having a second switch control input;
a third switch [310] coupled between the second power terminal and a second rectifier terminal [see cathode of 310], the third switch having a third switch control input;
a fourth switch [308] coupled between the second rectifier terminal and a reference terminal [524], the fourth switch having a fourth switch control input;
and a rectifier circuit [rectifier circuit of 108] coupled [magnetically coupled to dc terminals] between the first and second rectifier terminals, the rectifier circuit having inputs coupled to secondary side terminals [i.e. magnetically coupled to secondary side of 510].
Regarding claim 25. Huang teaches the apparatus of claim 23, wherein the reference terminal is a first reference terminal [i.e. 524], wherein the apparatus further comprises: a fifth switch [500] coupled between a third power terminal [i.e. left terminal of L1] and a first inverter terminal [i.e. upper terminal of 312], the fifth switch having a fifth switch control input;
a sixth switch [504] coupled between the first inverter terminal and a fourth power terminal [upper terminal of 506], the sixth switch having a sixth switch control input;
a seventh switch [506] coupled between the fourth power terminal and a second inverter terminal [lower terminal 312], the seventh switch having a seventh switch control input;
an eighth switch [502] coupled between the second inverter terminal and a second reference terminal [left terminal of 520], the eighth switch having an eighth switch control input;
and an inverter circuit [inverter of 108] coupled between first and second inverter terminals, the inverter circuit having outputs coupled to primary side terminals.
Regarding claim 34. Huang teaches a method [method of fig 1, coupled is interpreted as connected between intervening elements] comprising: in a first mode [fig 6, 1st mode being operating positive half cycle of output AC waveform], connecting first and second inverter terminals of a primary side inverter to, respectively, a first power terminal and a second power terminal [dc terminals];
while in the first mode, switching the primary side inverter to transfer power from a primary side to a secondary side within a first interval [¶ 72-73];
determining a voltage [function of sensor] at the second power terminal;
responsive to the voltage being above a threshold [610 completion], and after the first interval ends, switching from the first mode to a second mode [fig 6, 2nd mode being operating negative half cycle of output AC waveform], in which in the second mode, connecting the first and second inverter terminals to, respectively, the second power terminal and a reference terminal [524 inverter in both modes is coupled to 524];
and while in the second mode, switching the primary side inverter to transfer power from a primary side to a secondary side [function of 510] within a second interval [negative AC half wave cycle].
Regarding claim 35. Huang teaches the method of claim 34, wherein the threshold is a first threshold, and the method further comprises: determining the voltage at the second power terminal [function of sensor];
and responsive to the voltage being below a second threshold, and after the second interval ends, switching from the second mode back to the first mode [i.e. terminal indicating YES of 620 in fig6].
Regarding claim 36. Huang teaches a method [method of fig 1, coupled is interpreted as connected between intervening elements] comprising: in a first mode [fig 6, 1st mode being operating positive half cycle of output AC waveform], connecting first and second rectifier terminals [upper lower terminals of 312] of a second side rectifier to, respectively, a first power terminal and a second power terminal [dc terminals];
while in the first mode, determining a voltage [124] at the second power terminal;
and responsive to the voltage being below [610 YES branch] a threshold [i.e. below positive threshold], switching from the first mode to a second mode [fig 6, 2nd mode being operating negative half cycle of output AC waveform], in which in the second mode, connecting the first and second rectifier terminals to, respectively, the second power terminal and a reference terminal [524].
Regarding claim 37. Huang teaches the method of claim 36, wherein the threshold is a first threshold, and the method further comprises: determining the voltage at the second power terminal;
and responsive to the voltage being below a second threshold [negative AC value still below 0 volts threshold to begin 602], switching from the second mode back to the first mode.
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 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 5-6 rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Huang et al. (US 20240063722 A1) in view of Schenkel (5841643)
Regarding claim 5. Huang teaches the apparatus of claim 1.
However, Huang does not explicitly mention a circuit wherein the first, second, third, fourth switches, the inverter circuit, and the control circuit are part of a semiconductor die.
Schenkel teaches a circuit wherein the first, second, third, fourth switches, the inverter circuit, and the control circuit are part of a semiconductor die [col 1 lines 10-25 motivation].
It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to use the features of Schenkel in order to assemble components as an integrated circuit component, which advantageously reduces the size and complexity of the overall switching regulator circuit [col 1 lines 10-25 motivation].
Regarding claim 6. Huang as modified teaches the apparatus of claim 5, further comprising an isolation circuit [510 Huang] including at least one of: a transformer, a pair of capacitors, or a pair of piezoelectric devices.
Claims 21 rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Huang et al. (US 20240063722 A1) in view of Sharma (US 20220271679 A1)
Regarding claim 21. Huang teaches the apparatus of claim 1.
However, Huang a circuit further comprising a startup circuit coupled between the first and second power terminals and configured to set an initial voltage of the second power terminal.
Sharma teaches a circuit comprising: a startup circuit coupled between the first and second power terminals [¶19 shows soft start to mitigate inrush current implying connecting circuit to the power input terminals] and configured to set an initial voltage of the second power terminal. It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to use the features of Sharma in order to provide a means to reduce inrush current which can cause damage to electrical devices.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 2-4,7-20,22,24 and 26-33 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, and if the claim objections stated above were overcome.
Examiner Note
The examiner cites particular columns and lines numbers in the references as applied to the claims above for the convenience of the applicant. Although the specified citations are representative of the teachings in the art and are applied to the specific limitations within the individual claim, other passages and figures may apply as well. It is respectfully requested that, in preparing responses, the applicant 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.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Bryan Perez whose telephone number is (571)272-8837. The examiner can normally be reached on Mon.-Fri. (7:30 – 5:00).
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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/BRYAN R PEREZ/Examiner, Art Unit 2838