DETAILED ACTION
This action is in response to the Election to Restriction 05/22/2026.
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.
Priority
Acknowledgment is made of applicant's claim for foreign priority under 35 U.S.C. 119(a)-(d).
Election/Restrictions
Applicant's election with traverse of Invention I in the reply filed on 05/22/2026 is acknowledged. Under U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) practice, an election of invention with traverse must include a clear and specific statement of reasons why the restriction requirement is improper. This is required by 37 CFR 1.111 and MPEP § 818.01. Because applicant did not distinctly and specifically point out the supposed errors in the restriction requirement, the election has been treated as an election without traverse (MPEP § 818.01(a)).
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 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 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) and 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by US Pub. No. 2015/0180351; (hereinafter Li).
Regarding claim 1, Li [e.g. Figs. 8 - 9] discloses a power conversion device, comprising: a circuit substrate [e.g. Fig. 9; PCB], a transformer assembly [e.g. Fig. 9; X], a switch [e.g. Fig. 9; Q1 / Q2], an output capacitor [e.g. Fig. 9; Co], an input positive end [e.g. Fig. 9; IN], an output positive end [e.g. Fig. 9; OUT] and an output negative end [e.g. GND2], wherein the circuit substrate comprises a first surface and a second surface [e.g. top surface and low surface, respectively] which are opposite to each other, and the first surface comprises a transformer area [e.g. Fig. 9; X], a switch area [e.g. Fig. 9; 800], an output capacitor area [e.g. Fig. 9; Co] and a first port area [e.g. Fig. 9; in PCB], wherein the transformer assembly is arranged in the transformer area [e.g. Fig. 9; X], the switch is arranged in the switch area [e.g. Fig. 9; Q1 / Q2 in 800], at least one part of the output capacitor is arranged in the output capacitor area [e.g. Fig. 9; Co], and the input positive end, the output positive end and the output negative end are arranged in the first port area [e.g. IN, OUT and GND2 in PCB], wherein the transformer area, the switch area, the output capacitor area and the first port area are arranged in the same direction [e.g. X-direction in the view shown in Fig. 9].
Examiner's Note
Examiner has cited particular columns and line numbers in the references applied to the claims above for the convenience of the applicant. Although the specified citations are representative of the teachings of the art and are applied to specific limitations within the individual claim, other passages and figures may apply as well. It is respectfully requested from the applicant in preparing responses, to fully consider the references in their entirety as potentially teaching all or part of the claimed invention, as well as the context of the passage as taught by the prior art or disclosed by the Examiner.
In the case of amending the claimed invention, Applicant is respectfully requested to indicate the portion(s) of the specification which dictate(s) the structure relied on for proper interpretation and also to verify and ascertain the metes and bounds of the claimed invention.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 2 – 11 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:
The primary reason for the indication of the allowability of claim 2 is the inclusion therein, in combination as currently claimed as a whole, of the limitation of “wherein the output positive end comprises at least two output positive-end gold fingers, the output negative end comprises at least two output negative-end gold fingers, and the at least two output positive-end gold fingers and the at least two output negative-end gold fingers are arranged in the first port area in a staggered mode”.
The primary reason for the indication of the allowability of claim 3 is the inclusion therein, in combination as currently claimed as a whole, of the limitation of “further comprising: a signal end, wherein the signal end comprises at least two signal end gold fingers, and the at least two signal end gold fingers are arranged on one side of the first port area”.
The primary reason for the indication of the allowability of claim 4 is the inclusion therein, in combination as currently claimed as a whole, of the limitation of “wherein the switch comprises two middle switches and two lower switches, the two lower switches are arranged between the two middle switches, and the middle switches and the lower switches are arranged adjacent to the transformer area”.
The primary reason for the indication of the allowability of claim 10 is the inclusion therein, in combination as currently claimed as a whole, of the limitation of “wherein the second surface comprises an output capacitor area, at least a part of the output capacitor is arranged in the output capacitor area of the second surface, and a projection of the output capacitor arranged on the second surface is partially or completely in the output capacitor area of the first surface”.
Claims 5 – 9 and 11 are objected to because inherent dependency on claim 7.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Alex Torres-Rivera whose telephone number is (571)272-5261. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 9:00-5:30 ET.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, MONICA LEWIS can be reached at (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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/ALEX TORRES-RIVERA/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2838
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