DETAILED ACTION
This Office action is in response to the application and preliminary amendment filed on 01 July 2024.
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 application currently names joint inventors. In considering patentability of the claims the examiner presumes that the subject matter of the various claims was commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the claimed invention(s) absent any evidence to the contrary. Applicant is advised of the obligation under 37 CFR 1.56 to point out the inventor and effective filing dates of each claim that was not commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the later invention in order for the examiner to consider the applicability of 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(2)(C) for any potential 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) prior art against the later invention.
Priority
Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55.
Drawings
The drawings are objected to under 37 CFR 1.83(a). The drawings must show every feature of the invention specified in the claims. Therefore, the controller, as recited, e.g., in claim 5, must be shown or the feature canceled from the claims. No new matter should be entered.
Corrected drawing sheets in compliance with 37 CFR 1.121(d) are required in reply to the Office action to avoid abandonment of the application. Any amended replacement drawing sheet should include all of the figures appearing on the immediate prior version of the sheet, even if only one figure is being amended. The figure or figure number of an amended drawing should not be labeled as “amended.” If a drawing figure is to be canceled, the appropriate figure must be removed from the replacement sheet, and where necessary, the remaining figures must be renumbered and appropriate changes made to the brief description of the several views of the drawings for consistency. Additional replacement sheets may be necessary to show the renumbering of the remaining figures. Each drawing sheet submitted after the filing date of an application must be labeled in the top margin as either “Replacement Sheet” or “New Sheet” pursuant to 37 CFR 1.121(d). If the changes are not accepted by the examiner, the applicant will be notified and informed of any required corrective action in the next Office action. The objection to the drawings will not be held in abeyance.
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(s) 1-2, 4-13 and 17 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by JP 20160592671 to UNIV OITA; DENSO CORP (hereinafter “Denso”).
In re claims 1 and 17, Denso discloses a soft switch circuit (Fig. 12) and the method of its control (the method being claimed as the operational steps that correspond to the functional limitations of the device as claimed; the method steps will be apparent from the citations of the functional operations in Denso, as explained below), comprising
a switching voltage terminal (Fig. 12, connection point between Ss and N1), a main inductor (Fig. 12, main inductor N1 ), and a second voltage terminal (Fig. 12, connection point between N 1 and N2),
the switching voltage terminal being electrically connected to a first terminal of the main inductor, and the second voltage terminal being electrically connected to a second terminal of the main inductor (Fig. 12),
wherein the soft switch circuit further comprises an auxiliary module (Fig. 12, auxiliary module 20 comprising the items Ss, N2 and Ds) and a first voltage terminal (Fig. 12, ground), and the auxiliary module is connected in series between the switching voltage terminal and the first voltage terminal (Fig. 12),
the auxiliary module comprises an auxiliary inductor (Fig. 12, auxiliary inductor N2), the auxiliary inductor is capable of generating magnetic coupling with the main inductor and generating a coupling voltage with the main inductor (Fig. 12, implicit since both N1 and N2 are magnetically coupled),
the auxiliary module is configured to be charged with a first voltage input from the first voltage terminal and the coupling voltage generated with the main inductor when the switching voltage terminal receives a first level signal, so as to reduce a current flowing through the switching voltage terminal (Fig. 14, when the first terminal of the auxiliary inductor is connected to ground because the switch Sa2 is controlled ON, the current IN1 flowing through the main inductor is reduced); and
the auxiliary module is further configured to discharge to the switching voltage terminal when the switching voltage terminal receives a second level signal, wherein the first level signal and the second level signal are different from each other (Fig. 14, when the first terminal of the auxiliary inductor is connected to Vin because the switch Sa1 is controlled ON, the auxiliary inductor is discharged).
In re claim 2, Denso discloses wherein the auxiliary module comprises a control unit (Ss, Dt, Ds, and a controller, not shown in Fig. 12, but illustrated as element 32 in Fig. 1; see [0047]) which is connected in series to the auxiliary inductor (Fig. 12: Ss and D2 are connected to N2 in series), the control unit is configured to control two terminals of the auxiliary inductor to be connected to the first voltage terminal and the switching voltage terminal, respectively, when the switching voltage terminal receives the first level signal, so as to realize charging of the auxiliary inductor (Figs. 12 and 14: near the end of switch Sa1’s OFF time, control unit enables current Iss to flow through the auxiliary inductor to realize the charging thereof); and
the control unit is further configured to control, when the auxiliary inductor discharges under the condition that the switching voltage terminal receives the second level signal, the auxiliary inductor to be disconnected from the first voltage terminal (Figs. 12 and 14: during time switch Sa1 is ON, no current Iss flows through switch Ss, indicating an effective disconnection of auxiliary inductor N2 from first voltage terminal ground due to blocking of diode Ds).
In re claim 4, Denso discloses wherein the auxiliary inductor (Fig. 12: N2) is wound around a core (CR) of the main inductor (N1; see [0008]).
In re claim 5, Denso discloses wherein the control unit comprises a controller (controller, not shown in Fig. 12, but illustrated as element 32 in Fig. 1; see [0047]) and an auxiliary switch element (Fig. 12: Ss) which is connected in series with the auxiliary inductor (N2);
the controller is configured to generate and output a first control signal when the switching voltage terminal receives the first level signal, and is further configured to generate and output a second control signal when the switching voltage terminal receives the second level signal (control signal Ss for switch Ss is most easily seen in waveform (c) in Fig. 3, indicating it is turned ON from time t0-t1 when switch Sa2 is ON and switching voltage terminal is connected to ground, and then switch Ss is turned OFF from t4-t5 when switch Sa1 is ON and the switching voltage terminal is connected to input voltage); and
a control terminal of the auxiliary switch element is electrically connected to an output terminal of the controller (not explicitly shown but is clearly indicated from the teaching that the switch Ss is controlled by its control signal), the auxiliary switch element is configured to be turned on when the control terminal of the auxiliary switch element receives the first control signal, and is further configured to be turned off when the control terminal of the auxiliary switch element receives the second control signal (see Figs. 3, 12, 14).
In re claim 6, Denso discloses wherein the control unit comprises a unidirectional conduction element (Fig. 12: diode Ds) connected in series with an auxiliary switch element (Fig. 12: switch Ss); and the unidirectional conduction element enables the auxiliary inductor to perform unidirectional discharging (Fig. 14: moment when switch Sa1 is turned on and auxiliary inductor N2 discharges), and a controller (controller, not shown in Fig. 12, but illustrated as element 32 in Fig. 1; see [0047]) is configured to generate, under the condition that a current in the auxiliary inductor discharges to zero (Fig. 14: current Iss discharges to zero), a second control signal to control the auxiliary switch element to be turned off (see Fig. 3, showing control signal Ss for switch Ss, in which Ss is turned OFF shortly after current Iss reaches zero at time t3).
In re claim 7, wherein the unidirectional conduction element is a diode (Fig. 12: diode Ds).
In re claim 8, Denso discloses wherein the auxiliary module is further configured to enable the auxiliary inductor (Fig. 12: N2) to discharge when the switching voltage terminal receives the second level signal (see Figs. 3 and 14: when switch Sa1 is turned ON and switching voltage terminal is connected to input voltage, auxiliary inductor discharges as seen by current Iss discharging to zero between times t1 and t3 in Fig. 3), and the control unit controls the auxiliary inductor to be disconnected from the first voltage terminal when a current in the auxiliary inductor crosses zero during discharging (see Fig. 3, showing control signal Ss for switch Ss, in which Ss is turned OFF shortly after current Iss reaches zero at time t3).
In re claim 9, Denso discloses a power source assembly (Fig. 12) comprising a main circuit (Sa1, Sa2, Ca1, Ca2, Da1, Da2, N1, 30, 40, 42) and a soft switch circuit (Ss, N2, Ds), wherein the soft switch circuit (Fig. 12), comprises
a switching voltage terminal (Fig. 12, connection point between Ss and N1), a main inductor (Fig. 12, main inductor N1 ), and a second voltage terminal (Fig. 12, connection point between N 1 and N2),
the switching voltage terminal being electrically connected to a first terminal of the main inductor, and the second voltage terminal being electrically connected to a second terminal of the main inductor (Fig. 12),
wherein the soft switch circuit further comprises an auxiliary module (Fig. 12, auxiliary module 20 comprising the items Ss, N2 and Ds) and a first voltage terminal (Fig. 12, ground), and the auxiliary module is connected in series between the switching voltage terminal and the first voltage terminal (Fig. 12),
the auxiliary module comprises an auxiliary inductor (Fig. 12, auxiliary inductor N2), the auxiliary inductor is capable of generating magnetic coupling with the main inductor and generating a coupling voltage with the main inductor (Fig. 12, implicit since both N1 and N2 are magnetically coupled),
the auxiliary module is configured to be charged with a first voltage input from the first voltage terminal and the coupling voltage generated with the main inductor when the switching voltage terminal receives a first level signal, so as to reduce a current flowing through the switching voltage terminal (Fig. 14, when the first terminal of the auxiliary inductor is connected to ground because the switch Sa2 is controlled ON, the current IN1 flowing through the main inductor is reduced);
the auxiliary module is further configured to discharge to the switching voltage terminal when the switching voltage terminal receives a second level signal, wherein the first level signal and the second level signal are different from each other (Fig. 14, when the first terminal of the auxiliary inductor is connected to Vin because the switch Sa1 is controlled ON, the auxiliary inductor is discharged); and
the main circuit comprises a power source module (40, Sa1, Sa2, Ca1, Ca2, Da1, Da2), a total output capacitor (30), and a power output terminal (Tpout), an output terminal of one of the power source module and a first electrode of the total output capacitor is electrically connected to the switching voltage terminal (node between Sa1, Sa2 and N1), an output terminal of the other of the power source module and the first electrode of the total output capacitor is electrically connected to the second voltage terminal (at Tpout), a positive electrode of the power output terminal is electrically connected to the first electrode of the total output capacitor (at Tpout), and a negative electrode of the power output terminal is electrically connected to a second electrode of the total output capacitor (at Tnout).
In re claim 10, Denso discloses wherein the power source module comprises a direct-current power source unit (40), a switch unit (Sa1), and a freewheel diode (Da2), a positive electrode of the direct-current power source unit is electrically connected to a first terminal of the switch unit (at node Tpin), and a negative electrode of the direct-current power source unit is electrically connected to a reference voltage terminal (at Tnin);
a second terminal of the switch unit is electrically connected to the switching voltage terminal (node between Sa1, Sa2, and N1), an anode of the freewheel diode is electrically connected to the reference voltage terminal (at Tnin), and a cathode of the freewheel diode is electrically connected to the switching voltage terminal (node between Sa1, Sa2, and N1); and
the first electrode of the total output capacitor (30) is electrically connected to the second voltage terminal (at Tpout), and the first voltage terminal is electrically connected to the reference voltage terminal (at Tnout).
In re claim 11, Denso discloses a boost embodiment (see Fig. 18, note from [0061] that the embodiments (including that of Fig. 12 per [0047] all operate in substantially the same manner as the original embodiment Fig. 1), in which the power source module comprises
a direct-current power source unit (Fig. 18: 40), a switch unit (Fig. 18: Sb1), and a freewheel diode (Fig. 18: Db2), a positive electrode of the direct-current power source unit is electrically connected to the second voltage terminal (Tpina), and a negative electrode of the direct-current power source unit is electrically connected to a reference voltage terminal (ground at Tnina);
one terminal of the switch unit is electrically connected to the switching voltage terminal (drain or upper terminal of Sb1), and the other terminal of the switch unit is electrically connected to the reference voltage terminal (ground at Tnina/Tnouta);
an anode of the freewheel diode is electrically connected to one terminal of the switch unit (at switching voltage terminal), a cathode of the freewheel diode is electrically connected to the first electrode of the total output capacitor (30a at Tpouta); and
the first voltage terminal is electrically connected to the reference voltage terminal (Fig. 18: anode of auxiliary diode Dsa is electrically connected to ground/Tnina/Tnouta via Sb1 when Sb1 is ON).
In re claim 12, Denso discloses an isolated converter embodiment (Fig. 21, noting from [0087] that the embodiments (including that of Fig. 12 per [0047] all operate in substantially the same manner as the original embodiment Fig. 1) in which the power source module comprises a direct-current power source unit (Fig. 21: 40), an inverter unit (Fig. 21: S1-S4), a transformer unit (Fig. 21: 24a-c), and a rectification unit (Fig. 21: S5-S6), two input terminals of the inverter unit are electrically connected to a positive electrode of the direct-current power source unit and a negative electrode of the direct-current power source unit respectively (Fig. 21: inverter connected to source 40 at T1, T2), an input terminal of the transformer unit is electrically connected to an output terminal of the inverter unit (Fig. 21: primary winding 24a connected to output of inverter), an output terminal of the transformer unit is electrically connected to an input terminal of the rectification unit (Fig. 21: secondary windings 24b, 24c connected to input of rectifier), and an output terminal of the rectification unit is electrically connected to the switching voltage terminal (Fig. 21: output of rectifier connected to switching voltage terminal to which the auxiliary module 20d is also connected).
In re claim 13, Denso discloses an embodiment (see Fig. 20, noting from [0079] that the embodiments (including that of Fig. 12 per [0047] all operate in substantially the same manner as the original embodiment Fig. 1) in which the power source module comprises a direct-current power source unit (Fig. 20: 40), a switch unit (Fig. 20: Sd1), and a freewheel diode (Fig. 20: Dd2), a positive electrode of the direct-current power source unit is electrically connected to a reference voltage terminal (Fig. 20: at ground, node Pd), a negative electrode of the direct-current power source unit is electrically connected to one terminal of the switch unit (Fig. 20: at source of Sd1), and the other terminal of the switch unit is electrically connected to the switching voltage terminal (Fig. 20: drain of Sd1 connected to anode of Dd2 at switching voltage terminal);
an anode of the freewheel diode is electrically connected to the switching voltage terminal (Fig. 20: drain of Sd1 connected to anode of Dd2 at switching voltage terminal), and a cathode of the freewheel diode is electrically connected to the first electrode of the total output capacitor (Fig. 20: cathode of Dd2 connected to 30c); and
the first voltage terminal is electrically connected to one of the reference voltage terminal and a cathode of the direct-current power source unit (Fig. 20: at ground, node Pd or at node Pe), and the second voltage terminal is electrically connected to the reference voltage terminal (Fig. 20: at ground, node Pd).
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) 14-16 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Denso in view of Yu et al. (US 2023/0029565; “Yu’)
In re claim 14, Denso discloses the invention according to claim 9 as explained above, but does not disclose a step-down switched-capacitor embodiment having the structure as specified in claim 14. However, step-down switched- or flying-capacitor converters were known per se to those of ordinary skill in the art. For instance, Yu discloses such a converter in Fig. 2 having the structure as recited in claim 14. It would be evident to the person of ordinary skill in the art that the soft-switching auxiliary circuit in Denso could be implemented with the inductor (Lout) of the switched-capacitor circuit in Yu in order to gain the same benefits of soft-switching in this particular converter topology.
Therefore it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have implemented Denso’s auxiliary module into a switched-capacitor step down circuit, such that the resulting combination would comprise wherein the power source module comprises a direct-current power source unit (Yu, Fig. 2: VIN; equivalent to source 40 in Denso), a switched capacitor (Yu, Fig. 2: CF), and a plurality of serially connected switch elements (YU, Fig. 2: M1-M4), a first electrode of the switched capacitor is electrically connected to an electrical connection node between a first switch element and a second switch element among the plurality of serially connected switch elements (Yu, Fig. 2: top of CF connected between M1 and M2), and a second electrode of the switched capacitor is electrically connected to an electrical connection node between a last switch element and a second to last switch element among the plurality of serially connected switch elements (Yu, Fig. 2: bottom of CF connected between M3 and M4);
the switching voltage terminal is electrically connected to an electrical connection node between two switch elements located at middle positions among the plurality of serially connected switch elements (Yu: Fig. 2: node SW), the second voltage terminal is electrically connected to the first electrode of the total output capacitor (Yu, Fig. 2: node VOUT; equivalent to output node of Denso), and the first voltage terminal is electrically connected to a reference voltage terminal (Yu: Fig. 2: ground, equivalent to ground terminal in Denso); and
a positive electrode of the direct-current power source unit is electrically connected to one terminal of the first switch element among the plurality of serially connected switch elements (Yu, Fig. 2: VIN connected to M1), and a cathode of the direct-current power source unit is electrically connected to the reference voltage terminal (Yu: Fig. 2: ground connected to M4).
As stated above, this modification or combination of the teachings of the prior art would have been motivated for the purpose of gaining the soft-switching advantages of Denso’s auxiliary module in the switched-capacitor circuit topology of Yu.
In re claim 15, Denso discloses the invention according to claim 9 as explained above, but does not disclose a step-up switched-capacitor embodiment having the structure as specified in claim 15. However, step-up switched- or flying-capacitor converters were known per se to those of ordinary skill in the art. For instance, Yu discloses such a converter in Fig. 2 (Yu teaches at [0003] that it may be used as a boost or step-up converter, in which case it would be known to the person of ordinary skill in the art that input and output terminals as shown in Fig. 2 would be switched, one for the other and vice versa) and having the structure as recited in claim 15. It would be evident to the person of ordinary skill in the art that the soft-switching auxiliary circuit in Denso could be implemented with the inductor (Lout) of the switched-capacitor circuit in Yu in order to gain the same benefits of soft-switching in this particular converter topology.
Therefore it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have implemented Denso’s auxiliary module into a switched-capacitor step up circuit, such that the resulting combination would comprise wherein the power source module comprises a direct-current power source unit (Yu, Fig. 2: node labeled Vout, which is the input source in boost conversion, equivalent to Denso’s source 40), a switched capacitor (Yu, Fig. 2: CF), and a plurality of serially connected switch elements (Yu, Fig. 2: M1-M4), a first electrode of the switched capacitor is electrically connected to an electrical connection node between a first switch element and a second switch element among the plurality of serially connected switch elements (Yu: CF connected between M1, M2), and a second electrode of the switched capacitor is electrically connected to an electrical connection node between a last switch element and a second to last switch element among the plurality of serially connected switch elements (Yu, Fig. 2: CF connected between M3, M4);
the switching voltage terminal is electrically connected to an electrical connection node between two switch elements located at middle positions among the plurality of serially connected switch elements (Yu, Fig. 2: SW, equivalent to Denso’s switching voltage terminal), the second voltage terminal is electrically connected to a positive electrode of the direct-current power source unit (Yu, Fig. 2: node Vout which is the input source node), and the first voltage terminal is electrically connected to a reference voltage terminal (Yu, Fig. 2: ground, equivalent to Denso’s ground); and
a cathode of the direct-current power source unit is electrically connected to the reference voltage terminal (Yu, Fig. 2: ground, equivalent to Denso’s ground).
As stated above, this modification or combination of the teachings of the prior art would have been motivated for the purpose of gaining the soft-switching advantages of Denso’s auxiliary module in the switched-capacitor circuit topology of Yu.
In re claim 16, Denso discloses the invention according to claim 9 as explained above, but does not disclose an inverting step-up switched-capacitor embodiment having the structure as specified in claim 16. However, inverting step-up switched- or flying-capacitor converters were known per se to those of ordinary skill in the art. For instance, Yu discloses such a converter in Fig. 2 (Yu teaches at [0003] that it may be used as a boost or step-up converter, in which case it would be known to the person of ordinary skill in the art that input and output terminals as shown in Fig. 2 would be switched, one for the other and vice versa) and having the structure as recited in claim 16, when Vout is taken as the circuit’s reference voltage terminal). It would be evident to the person of ordinary skill in the art that the soft-switching auxiliary circuit in Denso could be implemented with the inductor (Lout) of the switched-capacitor circuit in Yu in order to gain the same benefits of soft-switching in this particular converter topology.
Therefore it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have implemented Denso’s auxiliary module into an inverting switched-capacitor step up circuit, such that the resulting combination would comprise wherein the power source module comprises a direct-current power source unit, a switched capacitor, and a plurality of serially connected switch elements, a first electrode of the switched capacitor is electrically connected to an electrical connection node between a first switch element and a second switch element among the plurality of serially connected switch elements, and a second electrode of the switched capacitor is electrically connected to an electrical connection node between a last switch element and a second to last switch element among the plurality of serially connected switch elements; the switching voltage terminal is electrically connected to an electrical connection node between two switch elements located at middle positions among the plurality of serially connected switch elements, the second voltage terminal is electrically connected to a positive electrode of the direct-current power source unit, and the first voltage terminal is electrically connected to a negative electrode of the direct-current power source unit; and the positive electrode of the direct-current power source unit is electrically connected to a reference voltage terminal, as taught by Yu, Fig. 2, as cited above with respect to claim 15.
As stated above, this modification or combination of the teachings of the prior art would have been motivated for the purpose of gaining the soft-switching advantages of Denso’s auxiliary module in the switched-capacitor circuit topology of Yu.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure:
US 2008/0100273 discloses a DC-DC converter and its controlling method that utilizes energy accumulated into first and second auxiliary inductors which are loosely coupled to the main inductor magnetically for soft switching.
US 2010/0061122 discloses a DC-DC converter in which passive elements such as an inductor and a capacitor can be reduced in size by reducing switching loss by a soft switching technology and increasing the drive frequency of a switching element.
US 2017/0373592 discloses a power converter with resonant circuit that is related and very similar to the disclosure of Denso, cited above in this Office action.
US 2018/0323713 discloses soft-switching for high-frequency power conversion.
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/FRED E FINCH III/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2838
1 The original document was cited by Applicant in the 08 June 2025 IDS; a copy is therefore already on record in the application file. In addition, a machine translation of the original document is being furnished with this Office action, and any citations made to the text of JP 201659267 will be in reference to this translation document.