Detailed Action
Summary
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 .
1.This office action is in response to the application filed on May 31, 2024.
2. Claims 1-11 are pending and has been examined.
Priority
3. Applicant’s claim for foreign priority under 35 U.S.C. 119 (a)-(d). However, it is noted that applicant has not filed a certified copy required by 37CFR 1.55 . Appropriate action is required.
Information Disclosure Statement
4.The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 05/31/2024 is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
Drawings
5. Drawings submitted on 05/31/2024 are acceptable.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
6. The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claims 1 and 3 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
Claim 1 recites “the soft start time” in line 5. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this claim limitation.
Claim 3 recites “the ratio” and “the product” in lines 7 and 9 respectively. There are insufficient antecedent basis for these claim limitations.
Claims 2 and 4-11 dependent on claim 1, thus are also reject because of their dependency.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
7. 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.
Claims 1-2 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) (a)(2) as being anticipated by Moussaoui “20120049820”.
In re to claim 1, Moussaoui disclose a soft start circuit for a power system (Fig. 2, 4 and 6 shows a soft start circuit 102 for a DC-DC converter 200/400) in which an input voltage (Vin) is applied to charge an output capacitor (output capacitor 210/410) and output an output voltage (Vout) such that a soft start of the power system (soft start 102) is achieved wherein a constant current is supplied onto an electrical path connecting the input voltage (vin) and the output voltage (Vout) to charge the output capacitor at the soft start time (the soft start circuit gradually increases the duty cycle of the passive switch from zero to a steady state value, and provides a soft start for the passive switch concurrently/simultaneously during the soft start of the active switch. Moreover, the soft start circuit disclosed herein can avoid the reverse transient inductor current during start-up, prevent system damage and make the design of the bidirectional DC-to-DC converter more robust, see abstract. Examiner noted the soft start circuit gradually increases the duty cycle of the passive switch from zero to a steady state value such that generating a desired, stable current to flow from Vin to the capacitor at an output circuit to maintain accuracy is equivalent to constant current is supplied onto an electrical path connecting Vin to the output voltage to charge output capacitor).
In re to claim 2 , Moussaoui (Figs. 1-9), wherein the power system comprises a boost converter circuit or a power loss protection (PLP) circuit (Fig. 4 illustrates an example bidirectional DC-DC step up (boost) converter with soft start, see parag. 0026)
Allowable Subject Matter
8. Claims 3-11 would be allowable if rewritten or amended to overcome the rejection set forth in this office action.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter.
Claim 3 is allowed because the prior art in the record fails to disclose or suggest the soft start circuit to include the limitation of “a reference current generator generating a reference current; a reference voltage generator sensing the reference current to generate a reference voltage; a voltage-current converter comprising a first resistance and receiving the reference voltage to generate a conversion current as the ratio of the reference voltage to the first resistance; and a blocking transistor controller comprising a second resistance and receiving the conversion current to generate a gate-source voltage of the first NMOS as the product of the conversion current and the second resistance.”
Claims 4-11 dependent on claim 3, thus are also allowed because of their dependency.
Conclusion
9.The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Guan “20170070149” the present invention relates to DC-DC converters including a soft-start circuit for use in switching power supplies, and to switching power supplies.
Kawano “20170179812” the present invention relates to a soft start circuit and a power supply device equipped therewith.
Tonda “6356064” the present invention relates to a band-gap reference circuit. In particular, it relates to a band-gap reference circuit with a start-up circuit attached.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to SISAY G TIKU whose telephone number is (571)272-6898. The examiner can normally be reached 8:30AM-6:00PM. Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice. If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Crystal L Hammond can be reached at (571) 270-1682. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300. Information regarding the status of published or unpublished applications may be obtained from Patent Center. Unpublished application information in Patent Center is available to registered users. To file and manage patent submissions in Patent Center, visit: https://patentcenter.uspto.gov. Visit https://www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/patent-center for more information about Patent Center and https://www.uspto.gov/patents/docx for information about filing in DOCX format. For additional questions, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000.
/SISAY G TIKU/
Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2838