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 .
DETAILED ACTION
1. This non-final Office action is responsive to Applicants’ application filed on 06/18/2024. Claims 1-20 are presented for examination and are rejected for the reasons indicated herein below.
Drawings
2. The drawings are objected to because Figs. 2B-2D use reference numbers 13, 14 and 24, where according to the specification they should be 1+3, 1+4 and 2+4 as also shown in Fig. 2A. 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 Objections
3. Clams 4-6, 8-11, 15-17 and 19-20 are objected to because of the following informalities:
Claim 4, line 3, recites “a THROUGH state stating from” it should be changed to “a THROUGH state starting from”. Appropriate correction is required.
Claim 4, line 4, recites “a peak current event” it should be changed to “[[a]] the peak current event”. Appropriate correction is required.
Claim 4, line 8, recites “a clock signal” it should be changed to “[[a]] the clock signal”. Appropriate correction is required.
Claim 5, line 2, recites the limitation “the time interval”. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim. Appropriate correction is required.
Claim 6, line 7, recites “a THROUGH state stating from” it should be changed to “a THROUGH state starting from”. Appropriate correction is required.
Claim 6, line 8, recites “a peak current event” it should be changed to “[[a]] the peak current event”. Appropriate correction is required.
Claim 6, line 12, recites “a clock signal” it should be changed to “[[a]] the clock signal”. Appropriate correction is required.
Claim 8, lines 4 and 7, recites “and/or” it should be changed to either “and” or “or”. Appropriate correction is required.
Claim 9, line 1, recites the limitation “the energy conversion element”. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim. Appropriate correction is required.
Claim 10, line 2, recites the limitation “the energy conversion element”. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim. Appropriate correction is required.
Claim 10, line 6, recites “a peak current event” it should be changed to “[[a]] the peak current event”. Appropriate correction is required.
Claim 11, line 2, recites the limitation “the ramp signal”. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim. Appropriate correction is required.
Claim 15, line 3, recites “a THROUGH state stating from” it should be changed to “a THROUGH state starting from”. Appropriate correction is required.
Claim 15, line 4, recites “a peak current event” it should be changed to “[[a]] the peak current event”. Appropriate correction is required.
Claim 15, line 8, recites “a clock signal” it should be changed to “[[a]] the clock signal”. Appropriate correction is required.
Claim 16, line 2, recites the limitation “the time interval”. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim. Appropriate correction is required.
Claim 17, line 7, recites “a THROUGH state stating from” it should be changed to “a THROUGH state starting from”. Appropriate correction is required.
Claim 17, line 8, recites “a peak current event” it should be changed to “[[a]] the peak current event”. Appropriate correction is required.
Claim 17, line 12, recites “a clock signal” it should be changed to “[[a]] the clock signal”. Appropriate correction is required.
Claim 19, lines 4 and 7, recites “and/or” it should be changed to either “and” or “or”. Appropriate correction is required.
Claim 20, line 1, recites the limitation “the energy conversion element”. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim. Appropriate correction is required.
Double Patenting
4. The nonstatutory double patenting rejection is based on a judicially created doctrine grounded in public policy (a policy reflected in the statute) so as to prevent the unjustified or improper timewise extension of the “right to exclude” granted by a patent and to prevent possible harassment by multiple assignees. A nonstatutory obviousness-type double patenting rejection is appropriate where the conflicting claims are not identical, but at least one examined application claim is not patentably distinct from the reference claim(s) because the examined application claim is either anticipated by, or would have been obvious over, the reference claim(s). See, e.g., In re Berg, 140 F.3d 1428, 46 USPQ2d 1226 (Fed. Cir. 1998); In re Goodman, 11 F.3d 1046, 29 USPQ2d 2010 (Fed. Cir. 1993); In re Longi, 759 F.2d 887, 225 USPQ 645 (Fed. Cir. 1985); In re Van Ornum, 686 F.2d 937, 214 USPQ 761 (CCPA 1982); In re Vogel, 422 F.2d 438, 164 USPQ 619 (CCPA 1970); and In re Thorington, 418 F.2d 528, 163 USPQ 644 (CCPA 1969).
A timely filed terminal disclaimer in compliance with 37 CFR 1.321(c) or 1.321(d) may be used to overcome an actual or provisional rejection based on a nonstatutory double patenting ground provided the conflicting application or patent either is shown to be commonly owned with this application, or claims an invention made as a result of activities undertaken within the scope of a joint research agreement.
Effective January 1, 1994, a registered attorney or agent of record may sign a terminal disclaimer. A terminal disclaimer signed by the assignee must fully comply with 37 CFR 3.73(b).
5. Claims 1-20 are provisionally rejected on the ground of nonstatutory obviousness-type double patenting as being unpatentable over claims 1-20 of co-pending application No. 18/747,205, and over claims 1-20 of co-pending application No. 18/746,559. Although the conflicting claims are not identical, they are not patentably distinct from each other because the differences are obvious variation of the same invention; also the limitations in claims 1-20 of the instant application are disclosed in claims 1-20 of co-pending application No. 18/747,205, and similarly disclosed in claims 1-20 of co-pending application No. 18/746,559.
This is a provisional nonstatutory double patenting rejection because the patentably indistinct claims have not in fact been patented.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
6. 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 1-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Hsieh (U.S. Pub. No. 2013/0328534 A1).
Regarding claim 1, Hsieh (e.g. see Figs. 2-9) discloses “A control unit for transitioning a power converter between a buck mode and a buck-boost mode (e.g. see Figs. 2-9, also see para. 0034-0044. Implicit), wherein the control unit is configured to: detect a peak current event within a switching cycle while the power converter is operated in the buck mode (e.g. Figs. 2-9, see at least Figs 2 and 3B, see the peak current between T2 and T5, also see para. 0011, para. 0032-0044 and para. 0064. Implicit); upon detecting the peak current event, start a timer for generating a timer signal (e.g. Figs. 2-9, see at least Figs 2 and 3B, see PWM and the peak current at T3 and T4, also see para. 0011, para. 0032-0044 and para. 0064. Implicit); determine whether or not a clock signal for starting a subsequent switching cycle occurs prior to the timer signal (e.g. Figs. 2-9, see at least Figs 2 and 3B, see CLK, PWM and T1-T5, also see para. 0032-0044. Implicit); and operate the power converter in the buck-boost mode within the subsequent switching cycle, if the clock signal occurs prior to the timer signal (e.g. Figs. 2-9, see at least Figs 2 and 3B, see CLK, PWM and T1-T5, also see para. 0032-0044. Implicit)”.
Regarding claim 2, Hsieh (e.g. see Figs. 2-9) discloses “wherein the control unit is further configured to operate the power converter in the buck mode within the subsequent switching cycle, if the clock signal does not occur prior to the timer signal (e.g. Figs. 2-9, see at least Figs 2 and 3B, see CLK, PWM and T1-T5, also see para. 0032-0044. Implicit)”.
Regarding claim 3, Hsieh (e.g. see Figs. 2-9) discloses “wherein: the timer has a fixed timer duration (e.g. Figs. 2-9, see at least Figs 2 and 3B, see CLK, PWM and T1-T5, also see para. 0032-0044. Implicit); and the timer is configured to generate the timer signal as soon as the fixed timer duration has lapsed (e.g. Figs. 2-9, see at least Figs 2 and 3B, see CLK, PWM and T1-T5, also see para. 0032-0044. Implicit)”.
Regarding claim 4, Hsieh (e.g. see Figs. 2-9) discloses “wherein the control unit is further configured to, for operating the power converter in the buck mode within a given switching cycle (e.g. Figs. 2-9, see at least Figs 2 and 3B, see CLK, PWM and T1-T5, also see para. 0032-0044. Implicit), operate the power converter in a THROUGH state stating from a beginning of the given switching cycle until a peak current event occurs (e.g. Figs. 2-9, see at least Figs 2 and 3B, see T3-T4, also see para. 0032-0044. Implicit); wherein in the THROUGH state an input node of the power converter is coupled with an output node of the power converter via an energy conversion element (e.g. Figs. 2-9, see at least Figs 2 and 3B, see T3-T4, where VIN is coupled to VOUT via the inductor when CONA and COND are both on, also see para. 0032-0044. Implicit); and subsequently operate the power converter in an OUT state starting from the peak current event until a clock signal occurs, which indicates the end of the given switching cycle (e.g. Figs. 2-9, see at least Figs 2 and 3B, see T4-T5 and CLK, also see para. 0032-0044. Implicit); wherein in the OUT state the output node of the power converter is coupled with a reference node of the power converter via the energy conversion element (e.g. Figs. 2-9, see at least Figs 2 and 3B, see T4-T5, where VOUT is coupled to GND via the inductor when COND and CONC are both on, also see para. 0032-0044. Implicit)”.
Regarding claim 5, Hsieh (e.g. see Figs. 2-9) discloses “wherein when operating the power converter in the buck mode, the THROUGH state has a state duration which corresponds to the time interval that begins at the beginning of the given switching cycle and that ends at the occurrence of the peak current event (e.g. Figs. 2-9, see at least Figs 2 and 3B, see T3-T4 and the peak current at T4, also see para. 0032-0044. Implicit); and the OUT state has a state duration which corresponds to the time interval that begins at the occurrence of the peak current event and that ends at the occurrence of the clock signal which indicates the end of the given switching cycle (e.g. Figs. 2-9, see at least Figs 2 and 3B, see current peak at T4, T4-T5 and CLK, also see para. 0032-0044. Implicit)”.
Regarding claim 6, Hsieh (e.g. see Figs. 2-9) discloses “wherein the control unit is further configured to, for operating the power converter in the buck-boost mode within a given switching cycle (e.g. Figs. 2-9, see at least Figs 2 and 3B, see CLK, PWM and T1-T5, also see para. 0032-0044. Implicit), operate the power converter in an IN state starting from a beginning of the switching cycle until the timer signal of the timer occurs (e.g. Figs. 2-9, see at least Figs 2 and 3B, see T2-T3, PWM, also see para. 0032-0044. Implicit); wherein in the IN state an input node of the power converter is coupled with a reference node of the power converter via an energy conversion element (e.g. Figs. 2-9, see at least Figs 2 and 3B, see T2-T3 and PWM, where VIN is coupled to GND via the inductor when CONA and CONB are both on, also see para. 0032-0044. Implicit); subsequently operate the power converter in a THROUGH state stating from the timer signal until a peak current event occurs (e.g. Figs. 2-9, see at least Figs 2 and 3B, see PWM, T3-T4 and the current peak at T4, also see para. 0032-0044. Implicit); wherein in the THROUGH state the input node of the power converter is coupled with an output node of the power converter via the energy conversion element (e.g. Figs. 2-9, see at least Figs 2 and 3B, see T3-T4, where VIN is coupled to VOUT via the inductor when CONA and COND are both on, also see para. 0032-0044. Implicit); and subsequently operate the power converter in an OUT state starting from the peak current event until a clock signal occurs, which indicates an end of the switching cycle (e.g. Figs. 2-9, see at least Figs 2 and 3B, see the peak current at T4, T4-T5, and CLK, also see para. 0032-0044. Implicit); wherein in the OUT state the output node of the power converter is coupled with the reference node of the power converter via the energy conversion element (e.g. Figs. 2-9, see at least Figs 2 and 3B, see T4-T5, where VOUT is coupled to GND via the inductor when COND and CONC are both on, also see para. 0032-0044. Implicit)”.
Regarding claim 7, Hsieh (e.g. see Figs. 2-9) discloses “wherein the power converter comprises: a high-side input switch arranged between the input node and a first node of the energy conversion element (e.g. Fig. 2, see VIN, SA, the inductor and their connections. Implicit); a low-side input switch arranged between the first node of the energy conversion element and the reference node (e.g. Fig. 2, see the inductor, SC, GND and their connections. Implicit); a low-side output switch arranged between a second node of the energy conversion element and the reference node (e.g. Fig. 2, see the inductor, SB, GND and their connections. Implicit); and a high-side output switch arranged between the output node and the second node of the energy conversion element (e.g. Fig. 2, see the inductor, SD, VOUT and their connections. Implicit)”.
Regarding claim 8, Hsieh (e.g. see Figs. 2-9) discloses “wherein the control unit is further configured to: cause the high-side input switch (SA) to be closed, the low-side input switch (SC) to be open, the low-side output switch (SB) to be open, and the high-side output switch (SD) to be closed, for operating the power converter in the THROUGH state (e.g. Figs. 2-9, see at least Figs 2 and 3B, see the switching states during T3-T4 cycle, also see para. 0032-0044. Implicit); and/or cause the high-side input switch (SA) to be closed, the low-side input switch (SC) to be open, the low-side output switch (SB)to be closed, and the high-side output switch (SD) to be open, for operating the power converter in the IN state (e.g. Figs. 2-9, see at least Figs 2 and 3B, see the switching states during T2-T3 cycle, also see para. 0032-0044. Implicit); and/or cause the high-side input switch (SA) to be open, the low-side input switch (SC) to be closed, the low-side output switch (SB) to be open, and the high-side output switch (SD) to be closed, for operating the power converter in the OUT state (e.g. Figs. 2-9, see at least Figs 2 and 3B, see the switching states during T4-T5 cycle, also see para. 0032-0044. Implicit)”.
Regarding claim 9, Hsieh (e.g. see Figs. 2-9) discloses “wherein the energy conversion element comprises an inductor (e.g. Fig. 2, see the inductor. Implicit)”.
Regarding claim 10, Hsieh (e.g. see Figs. 2-9) discloses “wherein the control unit is further configured to: sense a current through the energy conversion element, to provide a sensed current (e.g. Figs. 2-9 see at least Figs 2 and 3B, see the inductor, 212 and ISA, also see para. 0011, para. 0032-0044 and para. 0064. Implicit); overlay the sensed current with a ramp signal to provide a ramped current signal (e.g. Figs. 2-9 see at least Figs 2 and 3B, see ISA, 216, VRAMP and 218, also see para. 0011, para. 0032-0044 and para. 0064. Implicit); determine an error signal based on an output voltage at the output node of the power converter and based on a reference voltage (e.g. Figs. 2-9 see at least Figs 2 and 3B, see VOUT, VREF, 210 and VEA, also see para. 0011, para. 0032-0044 and para. 0064. Implicit); and compare the ramped current signal with the error signal to detect a peak current event (e.g. Figs. 2-9 see at least Figs 2 and 3B, see T2-T5, ISA, VRAMP, output of 216, 210, VEA, 218, PWM and 206, also see para. 0011, para. 0032-0044 and para. 0064. Implicit)”.
Regarding claim 11, Hsieh (e.g. see Figs. 2-9) discloses “wherein the control unit is further configured to reset and restart the ramp signal at the beginning of each switching cycle when operating the power converter in the buck mode and/or in the buck-boost mode (e.g. Figs. 2-9 see at least Figs 2 and 3B, see T2-T5, ISA, VRAMP, output of 216, 210, VEA, 218, PWM and 206, also see para. 0011, para. 0032-0044 and para. 0064. Implicit)”.
Regarding method claims 12-20; they all comprise substantially same subject matter as in the recited apparatus claims 1-11, therefore method claims 12-20 are also rejected under the same ground of rejection as clearly discussed in the rejection to the apparatus claims 1-11. Also the method steps will be met during the normal operation of the apparatus described above. (Examiner notes: For method claims, note that under MPEP 2112.02, the principles of inherency, if a prior art device, in its normal and usual operation, would necessarily perform the method claimed, then the method claimed will be considered to be anticipated by the prior art device. When the prior art device is the same as a device described in the specification for carrying out the claimed method, it can be assumed the device will inherently perform the claimed process. In re King, 801 F.2d 1324, 231 USPQ 136 (Fed. Cir. 1986). Therefore the previous rejections based on the apparatus will not be repeated).
Conclusion
7. The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. A list of pertinent prior art is attached in form PTO-892.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to YUSEF A AHMED whose telephone number is (571)272-6057. The examiner can normally be reached on Monday-Friday 11AM-7PM.
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/YUSEF A AHMED/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2838
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