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 06/21/2024. Claims 1-6 are presented for examination and are rejected for the reasons indicated herein below.
Claim Objections
2. Claims 1-6 are objected to because of the following informalities:
Thought out claims 1-2 and 4-5, the term “electric charges” has been used more than once, should it be “the electric charges” after the first time?
Claim 1, line 4, recites “an one switch” it should be changed to “[[an]] a one switch”. Appropriate correction is required.
Claim 2, line 10, recites “an ON command” it should be changed to “[[an]] the ON command”. Appropriate correction is required.
Claim 3, line 5, recites “an ON state” it should be changed to “[[an]] the ON state”. Appropriate correction is required.
Claim 4, line 3, recites “a gate of the OFF side switch” it should be changed to “[[a]] the gate of the OFF side switch”. Appropriate correction is required.
Claim 4, lines 9-11, recites “thereby changing the discharge rate to be higher than the discharge rate in a period from when electric charges in the gate of the OFF side switch start to discharge to when determined that the OFF side switch it turned OFF” it should be changed to “thereby changing the discharge rate to be higher than the discharge rate in [[a]] the period from when electric charges in the gate of the OFF side switch start to discharge to when determined that the OFF side switch [[it]] is turned OFF”. Appropriate correction is required.
Thought out claim 5, the terms “a gate of the upper arm switch” and “a gate of the lower arm switch” have been used more than once each, they should be changed to “[[a]] the gate of the upper arm switch” and “[[a]] the gate of the lower arm switch” after the first time used. Appropriate correction is required.
Claim 6, line 4, recites “the lower switch” it should be changed to “the lower arm switch”. Appropriate correction is required.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
3. 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.
4. Claims 1-6 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 pre-AIA the applicant regards as the invention. For instance;
In claims 1-6, the limitations “upper and lower arm switches”, “OFF side switch”, “an one switch in the upper and lower arm switches”, “an ON side switch”, “the upper arm switch” and “the lower arm switch” are confusing and unclear. Its unclear which/how many switches Applicant intends to claim and which is/are the “upper arm switch” and the “lower arm switch”. Therefore, these limitations should be rewritten and clarified as specifically defined in the specification. For the purpose of examination, these limitations will be read broadly until specifically defined. Examiner’s note: As long as there are at least two switches then these limitations are taught.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
5. 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 1-4 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Itou et al. (U.S. Pub. No. 2012/0086496 A1).
Regarding claim 1, as best understood by the examiner, Itou et al. (e.g. see Figs. 1-4) discloses “A switch driving apparatus that drives upper and lower arm switches mutually connected in series (e.g. Figs. 1-4, see switches 110a-110f), the switch driving apparatus comprising: a discharge unit that causes electric charges to be discharged from a gate of an OFF side switch as an one switch in the upper and lower arm switches, thereby turning the OFF side switch to be OFF (e.g. Figs. 1-4, see 120, 122, 110a/110d and 126-128, also see the abstract, para. 0033-0037 and para. 0042-0060. Implicit); a determination unit that determines whether the OFF side switch is ON or OFF (e.g. Figs. 1-4, see 110a/110d, 120 and 126-128, also see the abstract and para. 0039-0052. Implicit); a fast-discharge unit that changes, when the determination unit determines that the OFF side switch is turned OFF, a discharge rate of discharging in which electric charges in the gate of the OFF side switch is discharged, to be higher than a discharge rate in a period from when electric charges in the gate of the OFF side switch start to discharge to when determined that the OFF side switch is turned OFF (e.g. Figs. 1-4, see 120, 123, 110a/110d and 126-128, also see the abstract, para. 0035-0036, and para. 0041-0064. Implicit); and a charge unit that charges, when the determination unit determines that the OFF side switch is turned OFF, a gate of an ON side switch in an arm opposite to an arm of the OFF side switch in the upper and lower arm switches with electric charges, thereby turning the ON side switch to be ON (e.g. Figs. 1-4, see 120-121, 110a/110d and 126-128, also see the abstract, para. 0031-0032 and para. 0042-0058. Implicit)”.
Regarding claim 2, as best understood by the examiner, Itou et al. (e.g. see Figs. 1-4) discloses “wherein the discharge unit starts to discharge electric charges from the gate of the OFF side switch when determined that a switching command of the OFF side switch is changed to be an OFF command (e.g. Figs. 1-4, see 120, 122, 110a/110d and 126-128, also see the abstract, para. 0033-0037 and para. 0042-0060. Implicit); the charge unit does not charge electric charges to the gate of the ON side switch when the determination unit determines that the OFF side switch is in an ON state even when determined that a switching command of the ON side switch is an ON command (e.g. Figs. 1-4, see 120-121, 110a/110d and 126-128, also see the abstract, para. 0031-0032 and para. 0042-0058. Implicit); the charge unit starts to charge electric charges to the gate of the ON side switch when determined that the switching command of the ON side switch is an ON command and the determination unit determines that the OFF side switch turns OFF (e.g. Figs. 1-4, see 120-121, 110a/110d and 126-128, also see the abstract, para. 0031-0032 and para. 0042-0058. Implicit)”.
Regarding claim 3, as best understood by the examiner, Itou et al. (e.g. see Figs. 1-4) discloses “wherein the switch driving apparatus is provided with an acquiring unit that acquires a gate voltage of the OFF side switch (e.g. Figs. 1-4, see 110a/110d, 120 and 126-128, also see the abstract and para. 0039-0052. Implicit); and the determination unit determines that the OFF side switch is in an ON state when the acquired gate voltage is higher than or equal to a threshold voltage of the OFF side switch, and determines that the OFF side switch is turned OFF when the acquired gate voltage is less than the threshold voltage (e.g. Figs. 1-4, see 110a/110d, 120 and 126-128, also see the abstract and para. 0007-0013, para. 0031-0040 and para. 0047-0063. Implicit)”.
Regarding claim 4, as best understood by the examiner, Itou et al. (e.g. see Figs. 1-4) discloses “wherein the fast-discharge unit includes an OFF-hold switch that cutoff between a gate of the OFF side switch and a low voltage side terminal of the OFF side switch when the OFF-hold switch is turned OFF, and short-circuits between the gate of the OFF side switch and the low voltage side terminal of the OFF side switch when the OFF-hold switch is turned ON (e.g. Figs. 1-4, see 120, 123, 110a/110d and 126-128, also see the abstract, para. 0035-0036, and para. 0041-0064. Implicit); and the OFF-hold switch is turned ON when determined that the OFF side switch is turned OFF, thereby changing the discharge rate to be higher than the discharge rate in a period from when electric charges in the gate of the OFF side switch start to discharge to when determined that the OFF side switch it turned OFF (e.g. Figs. 1-4, see 120, 123, 110a/110d and 126-128, also see the abstract, para. 0035-0036, and para. 0041-0064. Implicit)”.
6. Independent claim 1 is also rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Araragi (U.S. Pub. No. 2020/0007122 A1).
Regarding independent claim 1, as best understood by the examiner, Araragi discloses all the limitations of claim 1 (e.g. see Figs. 1-7, also see the abstract, background of the invention, and the summary of the invention. Examiner’s note: see Figs. 2, 4 and 6-7 for the details of the switch driving apparatus, e.g. see upper/lower SWA and see inside 50/70. Implicit).
7. Independent claim 1 is also rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Kimura et al. (U.S. Pub. No. 2020/0235653 A1).
Regarding independent claim 1, as best understood by the examiner, Kimura et al. discloses all the limitations of claim 1 (e.g. see Figs. 1-15, also see the abstract, background of the invention, and the summary of the invention. Examiner’s note: see Figs. 1-2 and 13 for the details of the switch driving apparatus, e.g. see SWH/SWL and see inside DrCH/DrCL. Implicit).
8. Independent claim 1 is also rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Watanabe (U.S. Pub. No. 2020/0350907 A1).
Regarding independent claim 1, as best understood by the examiner, Watanabe discloses all the limitations of claim 1 (e.g. see Figs. 1-21, also see the abstract, background of the invention, and the summary of the invention. Examiner’s note: see at least Figs. 1 and 6 for the details of the switch driving apparatus, e.g. see upper/lower SW1/SW2 and see inside Dr. Implicit).
Allowable Subject Matter
9. Claims 5-6 are objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if all the claim objections are overcome and if rewritten to overcome the rejection(s) under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), 2nd paragraph, set forth in this Office action and if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
Regarding claims 5-6, none of the prior art, listed in the attached PTO-892 form, alone or in combination discloses “wherein the determination unit is provided in a high voltage region; the discharge unit includes an upper arm discharge unit and a lower arm discharge unit in the high voltage region, the upper arm discharge unit discharging electric charges from a gate of the upper arm switch and the lower arm discharge unit discharging electric charges from a gate of the lower arm switch; the charge unit includes an upper arm charge unit and a lower arm charge unit in the high voltage region, the upper arm charge unit charging electric charges to a gate of the upper arm switch and the lower arm charge unit charging electric charges to a gate of the lower arm switch; a first transmission unit is provided in the high voltage region, the first transmission unit transmitting a signal indicating a determination that the upper arm switch is turned ON or OFF which is determined by the determination unit, to the lower arm discharge unit and the lower arm charge unit; a second transmission unit is provided in the high voltage region, the second transmission unit transmitting a signal indicating a determination that the lower arm switch is turned ON or OFF which is determined by the determination unit, to the upper arm discharge unit and the upper arm charge unit; a command generation unit is provided in a low voltage region electrically isolated from the high voltage region, the command generation unit generating a switching command of the upper and lower arm switches and transmitting the switching command to the upper arm discharge unit, the lower arm discharge unit, the upper arm charge unit and the lower arm charge unit; the upper arm discharge unit discharges, when receiving an OFF command as the switching command of the upper arm switch, electric charges from a gate of the upper arm switch as the OFF side switch; the lower arm discharge unit discharges, when receiving an OFF command as the switching command of the lower arm switch, electric charges from a gate of the lower arm switch as the OFF side switch; the upper arm charge unit charges, when receiving an ON command as the switching command of the upper arm switch and receiving a signal indicating a determination that the lower arm switch is turned OFF from the second transmission unit, electric charges to a gate of the upper arm switch as the ON side switch; and the lower arm charge unit charges, when receiving an ON command as the switching command of the lower arm switch and receiving a signal indicating a determination that the upper arm switch is turned OFF from the first transmission unit, electric charges to a gate of the lower arm switch as the ON side switch”. As recited in claims 5-6.
Conclusion
10. 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