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 .
Claims filed 2-13-2026. Claim 12 canceled. Claims 14-21 new.
Priority
Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claim(s) 1-11, 13-21 have been considered but are moot because the new ground of rejection does not rely on any reference 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) 1, 4, 7, 11, 13, 18 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Larsen 2019/0068053 in view of Butzen Nicolas (IEEE Journal of Solid-State Circuits Vol 52 N0 7)
Regarding claim 1, Larsen discloses a hearing device (configured to be worn at an ear of a user, wherein the hearing device (Fig 1, Title, Abstract, para [13-14, 19, 24, 98] discloses head wearable, hearing aid, BTE, ITE CIC device) comprises:
an input transducer configured to capture sound and to provide a microphone input transducer signal based on the captured sound (Fig 1 microphone (M1), para [101]);
a signal processing unit configured to process the input transducer signal and to provide an output signal based on the processed input transducer signal (Fig 1, signal processing unit/control and processing circuit 109 comprise a software programmable DSP, para [100]);
an output transducer configured to provide a stimulation output signal based on the output signal (Fig 1, output transducer/speaker 119, para [101]);
a battery configured to provide a battery cell voltage (Fig 1, rechargeable battery source VDD, para [99]); and
a multiple-input-multiple-output (MIMO) switched capacitor (SC) DC-DC converter coupled to the battery (Fig 1, element 100, para [98], multiple output switched capacitor DC-DC converter) and comprising:
two or more inputs, each of the two or more inputs configured to receive a voltage input, and two or more outputs configured to provide respective voltage outputs (Fig 1, element 19, para [98]; positive supply voltage terminals is an input to the DC-DC converter);
the voltage outputs being different from each other, wherein at least two of the two or more outputs are capable of providing the respective voltage outputs simultaneously (para [0149] discloses multiple output SC DC-DC converter, first DC output voltage Vo1 and second DC output voltage Vo2); wherein the at least one of the voltage outputs is based on one of the voltage inputs and wherein the signal processing unit is implemented in a hearing device signal-processing chip (para [0101] hearing device 10), and wherein at least a part of the MIMO SC DC-DC converter is implemented in the hearing device signal-processing chip (para 0014]).
Larsen fails to disclose a multiple-input-multiple-output (MIMO) switched capacitor (SC) DC-DC converter coupled to the battery and comprising: two or more inputs, each of the two or more inputs configured to receive a voltage input, and two or more outputs configured to provide respective voltage outputs, the voltage outputs being different from each other, wherein at least one of the voltage outputs is based on one of the voltage inputs.
Butzen Nicolas teaches a multiple-input-multiple-output (MIMO) switched capacitor (SC) DC-DC converter (Page 1818, section IV) coupled to the battery (FIG 8, Vhigh) and comprising: two or more inputs, each of the two or more inputs configured to receive a voltage input, and two or more outputs configured to provide respective voltage outputs, the voltage outputs being different from each other (FIG 8 and Page 1818, section IV), wherein at least one of the voltage outputs is based on one of the voltage inputs (FIG 8).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to incorporate the teaching of Butzen Nicolas in Larsen, for reduce the system size, shortens the bill-of-materials, and can significantly improve the overall system efficiency. See Butzen Nicolas’s page 1 Introduction section.
Regarding claim 4, Larsen discloses a hearing device configured to be worn at an ear of a user, wherein the hearing device (Fig 1, Title, Abstract, para [13-14, 19, 24, 98] discloses head wearable, hearing aid, BTE, ITE CIC device) comprises:
an input transducer configured to capture sound and to provide a microphone input transducer signal based on the captured sound (Fig 1 microphone (M1), para [101]);
a signal processing unit configured to process the input transducer signal and to provide an output signal based on the processed input transducer signal (Fig 1 microphone (M1), para [101]);
an output transducer configured to provide a stimulation output signal based on the output signal (Fig 1, output transducer/speaker 119, para [101]);
a battery configured to provide a battery cell voltage (Fig 1, rechargeable battery source VDD, para [99]); and
a multiple-input-multiple-output (MIMO) switched capacitor (SC) DC-DC converter coupled to the battery (Fig 1, element 100, para [98], multiple output switched capacitor DC-DC converter) and comprising:
two or more inputs, each of the two or more inputs configured to receive a voltage input, and two or more outputs configured to provide respective voltage outputs (Fig 1, element 19, para [98]; positive supply voltage terminals is an input to the DC-DC converter);
the voltage outputs being different from each other, wherein at least two of the two or more outputs are capable of providing the respective voltage outputs simultaneously (para [0149] discloses multiple output SC DC-DC converter, first DC output voltage Vo1 and second DC output voltage Vo2); and
wherein the MIMO SC DC-DC converter comprises multiple voltage stages, each of the voltage stages (Figs 2A-2b, 15, para [103, 105, 106, 153] shows a charge pump stage of switch capacitor DC-Dc converter) comprising:
a first capacitor having an upper first capacitor terminal and a lower first capacitor terminal (Figs 1, 6, and 11, first capacitor Cf1, para [123, 146]);
a second capacitor having an upper second capacitor terminal and a lower second capacitor terminal (Figs 1, 6 and 11, second capacitor Cf2, para [123, 146]);
a first switch (Fig 6, first switch SW1, para [123]) ; and a second switch (Fig 6, second switch SW2, para [123]).
Larsen fails to disclose a multiple-input-multiple-output (MIMO) switched capacitor (SC) DC-DC converter coupled to the battery and two or more inputs, each of the two or more inputs configured to receive a voltage input, and two or more outputs configured to provide respective voltage outputs, the voltage outputs being different from each other, wherein at least one of the voltage outputs is based on one of the voltage inputs.
However, Butzen Nicolas teaches a multiple-input-multiple-output (MIMO) switched capacitor (SC) DC-DC converter (Page 1818, section IV) coupled to the battery (FIG 8, Vhigh) and comprising: two or more inputs, each of the two or more inputs configured to receive a voltage input, and two or more outputs configured to provide respective voltage outputs, the voltage outputs being different from each other (FIG 8 and Page 1818, section IV), wherein at least one of the voltage outputs is based on one of the voltage inputs (FIG 8).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to incorporate the teaching of Butzen Nicolas in Larsen, for reduce the system size, shortens the bill-of-materials, and can significantly improve the overall system efficiency. See Butzen Nicolas’s page 1 Introduction section.
Regarding claim 7, Larsen discloses the hearing device according to claim 4, wherein the first switches are controlled by a first clock signal, and the second switches are controlled by a second clock signal, and wherein the first and second clock signals are complementary (para [103] Fig 2A, discloses a switch array including a first controllable semiconductor switch SW1, a second controllable semiconductor switch SW2, a third controllable semiconductor switch SW3 and a fourth controllable semiconductor switch SW4. Switches SW1 and SW2 are driven by a first clock phase ϕ.sub.1 of a clock signal and switches SW3 and SW4 are driven by a second clock phase ϕ.sub.2 of the clock signal as schematically illustrated on the drawing).
Regarding claim 11, Larsen does not explicitly disclose the claimed limitation as recited in claim 11.
Butzen Nicolas teaches the hearing device according to claim 1, wherein the MIMO SC DC-DC converter has a ladder topology (page 5 of 11 (Section IV Topology comparison teaches MIMO topology is compare with two regular SC MIMO topologies based on the commonly used ladder topology, Figs 8 and 10). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to incorporate the teaching of Butzen Nicolas in Larsen, for reduce the system size, shortens the bill-of-materials, and can significantly improve the overall system efficiency. See Butzen Nicolas’s page 1 Introduction section.
Regarding claim 13, Larsen does not explicitly disclose the claimed limitation as recited in claim 13.
Butzen Nicolas teaches the hearing device according to claim 1, wherein the voltage output provided by one of the outputs depends on a voltage level of one of the voltage inputs (Section III-A General MIMO SC model, left column. Paragraph below equation (5) stated that “this is due to the fact that a load current supplied to a port can influence the voltage across every other port’s terminals”
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to incorporate the teaching of Butzen Nicolas in Larsen, in order to improve the performance.
. Regarding claim 18, Larsen does not explicitly disclose the claimed limitation as recited in claim 18.
Butzen Nicolas teaches the hearing device according to claim 4, wherein the MIMO SC DC-DC converter has a ladder topology (page 5 of 11 (Section IV Topology comparison teaches MIMO topology is compare with two regular SC MIMO topologies based on the commonly used ladder topology, Figs 8 and 10). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to incorporate the teaching of Butzen Nicolas in Larsen, for reduce the system size, shortens the bill-of-materials, and can significantly improve the overall system efficiency. See Butzen Nicolas’s page 1 Introduction section.
Claim 5 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Larsen 2019/0068053 in view of Butzen Nicolas (IEEE Journal of Solid-State Circuits Vol 52 N0 7) further in view Lesso 2008/0159567
Regarding claim 5, Larsen does not explicitly disclose the claimed limitation as recited in claim 5.
Lesso teaches the hearing device according to claim 4, wherein the upper first capacitor terminal comprises an upper flying capacitor terminal (Fig 17b-18a, shows first upper capacitor terminal/flying capacitor Cf1 comprising an upper flying capacitor terminal/upper terminal N15, para [114]) and wherein the lower first capacitor terminal (Fig 17b-18a, lower first capacitor terminer comprises a lower flying capacitor terminal (Fig 17b-18a, a lower flying capacitor terminal N14, para [113-114]). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to incorporate the teaching of Lesso in Larsen further in view of Butzen Nicolas, for reducing the power consumption.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 2-3, 14-17 allowed.
Independent claim 2, Larsen 2019/0068053 in view of Butzen Nicolas (IEEE Journal of Solid-State Circuits Vol 52 N0 7) teach most of the claimed limitation as recited in independent claim 2,
Larsen 2019/0068053 in view of Butzen Nicolas (IEEE Journal of Solid-State Circuits Vol 52 N0 7) fails to teach “a hearing device configured to be worn at an ear of a user, wherein the hearing device a battery configured to provide a battery cell voltage and a multiple-input-multiple-output (MIMO) switched capacitor (SC) DC-DC converter coupled to the battery and wherein the hearing device further comprises an input power de-multiplexer having a de-multiplexer input coupled to the battery.” None of the new prior art teaches the claimed limitation. Therefore, independent claim 2 is allowed.
Claims 3, 14-17 are allowed because they are depending on independent 2.
9. Claims 6-10, 19-21 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.
Claim 6 objected because the prior art Larsen 2019/0068053 in view of Butzen Nicolas (IEEE Journal of Solid-State Circuits Vol 52 N0 7) further in view of Lesso 2008/0159567 fails to teach the claimed limitation as recited in claim 6 “ the hearing device according to claim 4, wherein the voltage stages comprise a highest voltage stage, wherein the voltage stages are coupled together, and wherein one of the voltage stages below the highest voltage stage comprises: a galvanic connection from the upper first capacitor terminal of the one of the voltage stages, to the lower first capacitor terminal of the voltage stage above it, and a galvanic connection from the upper second capacitor terminal of the one of the voltage stages, to the lower second capacitor terminal of the voltage stage above it.”
Claim 8 objected because the prior art Larsen 2019/0068053 in view of Butzen Nicolas (IEEE Journal of Solid-State Circuits Vol 52 N0 7) further in view of Lesso 2008/0159567 fails to teach, “the hearing device according to claim 4, wherein voltage stages of the MIMO SC DC-DC converter comprise five to ten voltage stages”
Claim 9 objected because the prior art Larsen 2019/0068053 in view of Butzen Nicolas (IEEE Journal of Solid-State Circuits Vol 52 N0 7) further in view of Lesso 2008/0159567 fails to teach, “the hearing device according to claim 4, wherein the voltage stages comprise a highest voltage stage; and wherein, when the first switches are closed, the upper first capacitor terminal of one of the voltage stages below the highest voltage stage has a low-ohmic electrical connection to the upper second capacitor terminal of the voltage stage above the one of the voltage stages, and the lower first capacitor terminal of the one of the voltage stages has a low-ohmic electrical connection to the lower second capacitor terminal of the voltage stage above the one of the voltage stages.”
Claim 10 objected because the prior art Larsen 2019/0068053 in view of Butzen Nicolas (IEEE Journal of Solid-State Circuits Vol 52 N0 7) further in view of Lesso 2008/0159567 fails to teach, “the hearing device according to claim 4, wherein the voltage stages comprise a highest voltage stage; and wherein, when the second switches are closed, the upper first capacitor terminal of one of the voltage stages below the highest voltage stage has a low-ohmic electrical connection to the upper second capacitor terminal of the one of the voltage stages, and the lower first capacitor terminal of the one of the voltage stages has a low-ohmic electrical connection to the lower second capacitor terminal of the one of the voltage stages.”
Claim 19 objected because the prior art Larsen 2019/0068053 in view of Butzen Nicolas (IEEE Journal of Solid-State Circuits Vol 52 N0 7) further in view of Lesso 2008/0159567 fails to teach, “The hearing device according to claim 4, wherein the signal processing unit is implemented in a hearing device signal-processing chip, and wherein at least a part of the MIMO SC DC-DC converter is implemented in the hearing device signal- processing chip.”
Claim 20 objected because the prior art Larsen 2019/0068053 in view of Butzen Nicolas (IEEE Journal of Solid-State Circuits Vol 52 N0 7) further in view of Lesso 2008/0159567 fails to teach, “the hearing device according to claim 19, wherein the first capacitor and the second capacitor are implemented in the hearing device signal-processing chip.”
Claim 21 objected because the prior art Larsen 2019/0068053 in view of Butzen Nicolas (IEEE Journal of Solid-State Circuits Vol 52 N0 7) further in view of Lesso 2008/0159567 fails to teach, “The hearing device according to claim 19, wherein the first switch and the second switch are implemented in the hearing device signal-processing chip.”
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 JULIE X DANG whose telephone number is (571)272-0040. The examiner can normally be reached 9-5.
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/JULIE X DANG/Examiner, Art Unit 2692
/CAROLYN R EDWARDS/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2692