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 05/22/24. Claims 1-36 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 Objections
Claims 1, 3, 27-28 objected to because of the following informalities: the claims or specification has clearly defined this acronym IPM. Appropriate correction is required.
Claims 25, 35 objected to because of the following informalities: the claims or specification has clearly defined this acronym TLVR. Appropriate correction is required.
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.
Claim 30 rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Zhang et al. (US 20220285087 A1)
Regarding claim 30. Zhang teaches an inductor assembly [fig 1-3], comprising a magnetic core [21] and an inductor winding [inductor of 2, fig3], wherein the inductor assembly is a 2N-phase ultra-thin inductor, and N is a positive integer; wherein the number of the inductor windings is at least the number of phases of the inductor assembly [shown in fig 2];
the shape of the inductor winding is specifically an I-shaped or horizontal detour n shape [2222 is an n-shape also]; at least one power electrical connection assembly is embedded in the inductor assembly [fig 3b. 234/232/233/231/2214/2224 make up connection assembly], and/or at least one power electric connection assembly is arranged on at least one side of the inductor assembly; wherein the power electric connection assembly comprises a first power electrical connector and a second power electrical connector [2224/2214], and the ends of the first power electrical connector and the second power electrical connector are electrically connected with some other assemblies respectively [implicit in order to power inductors].
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 1, 12, 13, 27, 29, rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Zhang et al. (US 20220285087 A1) in view of Kaneko et al. (US 20210159797 A1)
Regarding claim 1. Zhang teaches an ultra-thin voltage regulator module with high current density [fig 1-3], comprising at least one inductor [fig 3, inductor of 2] assembly and at least one top assembly [1], wherein the inductor assembly is a 2N- phase ultra-thin inductor, and N is a positive integer [shown in fig 2]; wherein the inductor assembly comprises a magnetic core [21] and an inductor winding [221], and the number of the inductor windings is at least the number of phases of the inductor assembly [221/222]; the shape of the inductor winding is specifically an I-shaped or horizontal detour n shape [2222 is an n-shape also]; at least one power electrical connection assembly is embedded in the inductor assembly [fig 3b. 234/232/233/231/2214/2224 make up connection assembly], and/or at least one power electric connection assembly is arranged on at least one side of the inductor assembly; wherein the power electric connection assembly comprises a first power electrical connector and a second power electrical connector [2224/2214], and top ends of the first power electrical connector and the second power electrical connector are electrically connected with the top assembly respectively [implicit in order to power inductors]; a SW end of the unit [121/122] is vertically corresponding to the position of the inductor winding, and the SW end is electrically connected with the top of the inductor winding [121/122 is couple to 2214/2224].
However, while Zhang a circuit wherein the top assembly comprises a top plate [i.e. 1], Zhang does not explicitly mention a circuit comprising: an IPM unit, the number of the IPM units is at least the total phase number of the inductor assembly.
Kaneko teaches wherein a circuit that comprises an IPM unit [23a], the number of the IPM units is at least the total phase number of the inductor assembly [fig 2, 20].
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 Kaneko, such as an IPM unit, in order to provide a simplify design which can help to improve overall efficiency implementing smarter control and protection.
Regarding claim 12. Zhang as modified teaches the ultra-thin voltage regulator module of claim 1, wherein at least one of the power electrical connection assemblies comprises a pair of first power electrical connectors and a second power electrical connector disposed adjacent to each other [233/231 Zhang].
Regarding claim 13. Zhang as modified teaches the ultra-thin voltage regulator module of claim 1, wherein the at least one power electrical connection assembly comprises a plurality of first power electrical connectors and a plurality of second power electrical connectors which are alternately arranged in an array [233/231 w/ 234/232 Zhang].
Regarding claim 27. Zhang as modified teaches the ultra-thin voltage regulator module of claim 1, wherein the top assembly further comprises a top capacitor [¶82, 13 Zhang], and at least a part of the top capacitor is arranged around the IPM unit [i.e. 13 is between 121/122 Zhang].
Regarding claim 29. Zhang as modified teaches the ultra-thin voltage regulator module of claim 1, wherein the height of the ultra-thin voltage regulator module is less than 6 mm [implicit side surface is wider than height and ¶12 shows that side surface is not less than 300 μm, thus, being less than 6 mm].
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 2-11, 14, 15-18, 19-24, 25-26, 28, 31-36 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