DETAILED ACTION
The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
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 (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) 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.
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) 1-20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Hematy et al (US PGPUB 2020/0159268) in view of Arcam (“Class G”).
Regarding claim 1, Figure 9 of Hematy discloses a method for providing an analog output signal, the method comprising:
Amplifying [1002 Figure 10] an analog first internal signal [310] using a first driver [302] to generate an analog first output signal [308]
providing the analog first output signal to a first load [306]
configuring the first driver for an impedance of the first load by selecting one of a plurality of power supply rails to power the first driver at least partially based on a voltage across the first load [312; paragraphs 39 and 40]
Hematy does not explicitly disclose a first Class-G amplifier.
Arcam discloses a Class-G amplifier [Figure labeled Class G].
Accordingly, it would have been obvious to of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have included a Class-G amplifier as taught by Arcam in the method of Hematy for the purpose of amplifying the analog signal using an amplifier capable of switching power supplies, as implied by Arcam [“What exactly is Class G”].
Regarding claim 2, the combination of Hematy and Arcam, as applied to claim 1, discloses determining the voltage across the first load [paragraphs 39 and 40 Hematy].
Regarding claim 3, the combination of Hematy and Arcam, as applied to claim 1, discloses wherein an impedance of the first load may vary independently of a state of the analog first output signal [paragraphs 39 and 40 Hematy].
Regarding claim 4, the combination of Hematy and Arcam, as applied to claim 1, does not explicitly disclose wherein an impedance of the first load may range from zero to 1,000 ohms.
However, it would have been obvious to of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the method of the combination of Hematy and Arcam, as applied to claim 1, by using the above impedance range as a matter of simple design-choice, since it has been held that where the general conditions of a claim are disclosed in the prior art, discovering the optimum or workable ranges involves only routine skill in the art.
Regarding claim 5, the combination of Hematy and Arcam, as applied to claim 1, discloses wherein the first load comprises an industrial device [paragraphs 39 and 40 Hematy; paragraphs 2 and 3 Hematy].
Regarding claim 6, the combination of Hematy and Arcam, as applied to claim 1, does not explicitly disclose wherein the analog first output signal is a current signal.
However, it would have been obvious to of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the method of the combination of Hematy and Arcam, as applied to claim 1, by using a current signal as a matter of simple design-choice, since it was well-known in the art to use current signals in place of voltage signals and it appears that the invention would work equally well with a voltage or current signal [see claim 7 of the instant application].
Regarding claim 7, the combination of Hematy and Arcam, as applied to claim 1, discloses wherein the analog first output signal is a voltage signal [paragraphs 39 and 40 Hematy].
Regarding claim 8, the combination of Hematy and Arcam, as applied to claim 1, discloses wherein selecting one of the plurality of power supply rails to power the first Class-G amplifier at least partially based on the voltage across the first load comprises selecting the one of the plurality of power supply rails based on a relationship between (a) the voltage across the first load and (b) a predetermined threshold value [paragraphs 39 and 40 Hematy].
Regarding claim 9, the combination of Hematy and Arcam, as applied to claim 1, discloses wherein: the plurality of power supply rails comprise a first power supply rail and a second power supply rail; and the method further comprising changing a power supply rail powering the first Class-G amplifier from the first power supply rail to the second power supply rail in response to the voltage across the first load crossing a predetermined threshold value [paragraphs 39 and 40 Hematy].
Regarding claim 10, the combination of Hematy and Arcam, as applied to claim 1, discloses wherein the plurality of power supply rails have different respective voltages [paragraphs 39 and 40 Hematy].
Regarding claim 11, the combination of Hematy and Arcam, as applied to claim 1, discloses converting a digital signal to the analog first internal signal [928 Figure 9 Hematy].
Regarding claim 12, the combination of Hematy and Arcam, as applied to claim 1, does not explicitly disclose amplifying an analog second internal signal using a second Class-G amplifier to generate an analog second output signal; providing the analog second output signal to a second load; and configuring the second Class-G amplifier for an impedance of the second load by selecting one of the plurality of power supply rails to power the second Class-G amplifier at least partially based on a voltage across the second load.
However, it would have been obvious to of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the method of the combination of Hematy and Arcam, as applied to claim 1, by using a second amplifier circuit as a matter of simple design-choice, since it was well-known in the art to use multiple circuits to drive the required number of loads.
Regarding claim 13, Figure 9 of Hematy discloses a programmable controller, comprising:
a processing system configured to generate a digital first internal signal at least partially according to programming instructions provided to the processing system [926]
a first digital to analog (D/A) converter configured to convert the digital first internal signal to an analog first internal signal [928]
a first driver configured to generate an analog first output signal by amplifying the analog first internal signal [302], and select one of a plurality of power supply rails to power the first driver at least partially based on a voltage across a load powered by the analog first output signal [paragraphs 39 and 40]
Hematy does not explicitly disclose a first Class-G amplifier.
Arcam discloses a Class-G amplifier [Figure labeled Class G].
Accordingly, it would have been obvious to of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have included a Class-G amplifier as taught by Arcam in the controller of Hematy for the purpose of amplifying the analog signal using an amplifier capable of switching power supplies, as implied by Arcam [“What exactly is Class G”].
Regarding claim 14, the combination of Hematy and Arcam, as applied to claim 13, discloses wherein the programmable controller is selected from the group consisting of a programmable logic controller (PLC), a programmable automation controller (PAC), and a controller of a digital control system (DCS) [claim 20 Hematy].
Regarding claim 15, the combination of Hematy and Arcam, as applied to claim 13, discloses a programming interface enabling modification of the programming instructions provided to the processing system [926 Figure 9 Hematy].
Regarding claim 16, the combination of Hematy and Arcam, as applied to claim 13, discloses wherein the processing system is further configured to generate the digital first internal signal at least partially according to one or more input signals received by the programmable controller [926 Figure 9 Hematy].
Regarding claim 17, the combination of Hematy and Arcam, as applied to claim 13, does not explicitly disclose wherein: the processing system is further configured to generate a digital second internal signal at least partially according to programming instructions provided to the processing system; and the programmable controller further comprises: a second D/A converter configured to convert the digital second internal signal to an analog second internal signal, and a second Class-G amplifier configured to: generate an analog second output signal by amplifying the analog second internal signal, and select one of the plurality of power supply rails to power the second Class-G amplifier at least partially based on a voltage across a load powered by the analog second output signal.
However, it would have been obvious to of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the controller of the combination of Hematy and Arcam, as applied to claim 13, by using a second amplifier circuit as a matter of simple design-choice, since it was well-known in the art to use multiple circuits to drive the required number of loads.
Regarding claim 18, Figure 9 of Hematy discloses an electrical environment, comprising:
a programmable controller, including a processing system configured to generate a digital first internal signal at least partially according to programming instructions provided to the processing system [926]
a first digital to analog (D/A) converter configured to convert the digital first internal signal to an analog first internal signal [928]
a first driver configured to generate an analog first output signal by amplifying the analog first internal signal [302], and select one of a plurality of power supply rails to power the first driver at least partially based on a voltage across a load powered by the analog first output signal [paragraphs 39 and 40]
a first load powered by the analog first output signal [306]
Hematy does not explicitly disclose a first Class-G amplifier.
Arcam discloses a Class-G amplifier [Figure labeled Class G].
Accordingly, it would have been obvious to of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have included a Class-G amplifier as taught by Arcam in the controller of Hematy for the purpose of amplifying the analog signal using an amplifier capable of switching power supplies, as implied by Arcam [“What exactly is Class G”].
Regarding claim 19, the combination of Hematy and Arcam, as applied to claim 18, discloses an electrical cable electrically coupling the first load to the programmable controller [308 Figure 9 Hematy].
Regarding claim 20, the combination of Hematy and Arcam, as applied to claim 18, discloses wherein the programmable controller is selected from the group consisting of a programmable logic controller (PLC), a programmable automation controller (PAC), and a controller of a digital control system (DCS) [claim 20 Hematy].
Conclusion
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/TOMI SKIBINSKI/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2836
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