DETAILED ACTION
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 .
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statements submitted on 6/24/2024 and 4/01/2025 are in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statements are being considered by the examiner.
Specification
The lengthy 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 Objections
Claims 1-6 are objected to because of the following informalities:
Claim 1 recites the limitation "a current" in line 10. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim. Line 7 recited a current and line 10 as well recited a current. Are these first, second and third currents or all the same current?
Claims 2-6 inherit the same from claim 1.
Claim 4 recites the limitation "a voltage" in line 4. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim. Line 3 recited a voltage as well. Are these first and second voltages or the same voltage?
Appropriate correction is required.
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.
Claim(s) 1-3 and 7 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102a1/a2 as being anticipated by Liebler (US 6509721 – IDS).
Liebler discloses a power supply circuit comprising: an input termina (Vin)l that receives an input voltage; an inductor (44) including a first terminal and a second terminal; a switching circuit (34, 38) electrically connected to the first terminal and configured to switch between a first period (34 ON, 38 OFF charge) for storing energy in the inductor and a second period (34 OFF 38 ON: discharge) for discharging the energy stored in the inductor (44); an output terminal (Vout) that receives a current (ILOAD) from the inductor at least in the second period from among the first period and the second period; and a first element (64) electrically connected to the second terminal and serving as a portion of a path (Vin to Vout) of a current flowing to the inductor in the first period (34 ON, 38 OFF: charge) and the second period (34 OFF 38 ON: discharge), wherein: the output terminal outputs a voltage (Vout) based on the first period, the second period, and the input voltage (Vin), and the first element (68) stops a switching operation (i.e. 34 stays ON, 38 OFF) that is used to switch between the first period and the second period, by preventing the current flowing to the inductor (i.e. voltage drop across 68 below forward bias voltage level), in a predetermined period (overvoltage condition) in which a predetermined circuit is processing a predetermined signal (e.g. overvoltage detection signal and condition). The first element is a field effect transistor.
Claim 2; the switching circuit brings the input terminal (Vin) and the first terminal (input side to 44) into a conductive state in the first period (34 ON), the switching circuit brings the input terminal (Vin) and the first terminal into a nonconductive state (34 OFF) in the second period, the first element brings (64) the second terminal and the output terminal into a conductive state (64 ON) in the first period and the second period, and the first element brings the second terminal and the output terminal into a nonconductive state (64 OFF) in the predetermined period.
Claim 3; a diode (68) electrically connected to the second terminal (output end of 44) and serving as a portion of a path of a current flowing to the inductor when the switching operation is stopped.
Claim 7; Liebler discloses a device comprising: a power supply circuit (fig. 5) ; a sensor (e.g. current sensor at Vout); and a predetermined circuit (74), wherein the power supply circuit comprises: an input terminal (Vin) that receives an input voltage; an inductor (44) including a first terminal and a second terminal; a switching circuit (34/38) electrically connected to the first terminal and configured to switch between a first period for storing energy (34 ON, 38 OFF) in the inductor (44) and a second period for discharging (34 OFF, 38 ON) the energy stored in the inductor (44); an output terminal (Vout) that receives a current (ILOAD) from the inductor (44) at least in the second period from among the first period and the second period; and a first element (64) electrically connected to the second terminal and serving as a portion of a path (Vin to Vout) of a current flowing to the inductor (44) in the first period and the second period, wherein: the output terminal outputs a voltage (Vout) based on the first period, the second period, and the input voltage, the first element (64) stops a switching operation that is used to switch between the first period and the second period, by preventing the current flowing to the inductor, in a predetermined period in which the predetermined circuit (74) is processing a predetermined signal (over voltage sense signal), and the predetermined circuit (74) processes an output signal of the sensor as the predetermined signal.
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.
The factual inquiries for establishing a background for determining obviousness under 35 U.S.C. 103 are summarized as follows:
1. Determining the scope and contents of the prior art.
2. Ascertaining the differences between the prior art and the claims at issue.
3. Resolving the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art.
4. Considering objective evidence present in the application indicating obviousness or nonobviousness.
Claim(s) 4 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Liebler in view of Mings et al. (US 4260908).
Liebler discloses the claimed subject matter in regards to claim 1 supra, except for a voltage control element configured to operate in such a manner that a [first] voltage at the third terminal relative to a [second] voltage at the fourth terminal does not exceed a predetermined voltage; the third terminal is connected to a gate of the FET, and the fourth terminal is connected to a source of the FET.
Mings et al. teach that it is old and well known to use a zener (a voltage control element) connected to a source and gate of a FET in order to protect the FET against voltage spikes.
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was effectively filed to modify Liebler to include a zener diode connected to a source and gate of FET 64 in order to protect the FET against voltage spikes as taught by Mings et al.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 5 and 6 would be allowable if rewritten to overcome the objection(s) set forth in this Office action and to include 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:
Claims 5 and 6; prior art fails to disclose or fairly suggest, inter alia, the switching circuit brings a ground terminal that receives a ground voltage and the first terminal into a conductive state in the first period, the switching circuit brings the ground terminal and the first terminal into a nonconductive state in the second period, the first element brings the second terminal and the input terminal into a conductive state in the first period and the second period, and the first element brings the second terminal and the input terminal into a nonconductive state in the predetermined period.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to GARY L LAXTON whose telephone number is (571)272-2079. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday, 8 am-4 pm.
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/GARY L LAXTON/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2838 2/02/2026