DETAILED ACTION
This office action is in response to the application filed on 6/21/24.
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 .
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.
Specification
The specification has not been checked to the extent necessary to determine the presence of all possible minor errors. Applicant's cooperation is requested in correcting any errors of which applicant may become aware in the specification.
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.
(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, 7 and 8 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by DeBeer et al. (US20130063186, hereinafter DeBeer).
Regarding Claim 1, DeBeer discloses (fig. 1, 3) a power supply controller provided in a switching power supply configured to generate an output voltage (Vout) from an input voltage (Vin), the power supply controller configured to control an operation of the switching power supply, the power supply controller comprising: an output stage (S1, S2) including an output element (S1) provided between an application terminal for the input voltage (VIN) and a switch terminal (SW), and a rectifier element (S2) provided between the switch terminal and a reference potential terminal (GND); a control circuit (14, 16) configured to generate a control signal (16 output) according to the output voltage (via FB); and an output element drive circuit (fig. 3) configured to turn on or off the output element according to the control signal by using a drive voltage (HS Drive) for turning on the output element, wherein when switching the output element from an off state to an on state based on the control signal, the output element drive circuit switches the output element from the off state to the on state by using the drive voltage having a first voltage and then increases the drive voltage to a second voltage (¶28, 29)
Regarding Claim 7, DeBeer discloses (fig. 1) the output voltage is generated when a switch voltage generated at the switch terminal (Vsw) is rectified and smoothed by alternately turning on and off the output element based on the control signal (via S1, S2, L1, Cout, ¶17).
Regarding Claim 8, DeBeer discloses a switching power supply (fig. 1), comprising: the power supply controller of Claim 1 (fig 1 and 3 as detailed above); and a rectifying and smoothing circuit connected to the switch terminal and an output terminal, wherein the rectifying and smoothing circuit rectifies and smoothes a switch voltage generated at the switch terminal when the output element is alternately turned on and off based on the control signal, such that the output voltage is generated at the output terminal (via S1, S2, L1, Cout, ¶17).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 2-6 are 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.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter:
Regarding claim 2, the prior art fails to disclose: “...wherein a diode having a forward direction from the first node to the second node is disposed in parallel to the switch, wherein when switching the output element from the off state to the on state based on the control signal, the output element drive circuit switches the output element from the off state to the on state by using the drive voltage when the switch is turned off and keeps the output element in the on state by using the drive voltage when the switch is turned on, wherein the first voltage corresponds to the drive voltage when the switch is turned off, and is lower than the second voltage by a forward voltage of the diode, and wherein the second voltage corresponds to the drive voltage when the switch is turned on” in combination with the additionally claimed features, as are claimed by the Applicant.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure:
US 20100072967, Kamishinbara; Takashi et al. discloses a converter control circuit.
US 20100213910, Chen; Wei discloses a method and apparatus for external control mode step down switching regulator.
US 20210167774, Karasawa; Shinya et al. discloses a gate drive circuit and control circuit for switching circuit, and switching power supply.
US 7656143, Nagaya; Yoshihiro et al. discloses a DC-DC converter.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to KYLE J MOODY whose telephone number is (571)272-5242. The examiner can normally be reached on M-F 10 AM - 4 PM.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Monica Lewis can be reached on 571-272-1838. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/KYLE J MOODY/
Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2838
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