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
This office action is a response to a paper filed on 10/16/2025 in which claims 1-4 are pending and ready for examination.
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.
Claim(s) 1 and 4 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over WO 2021/200774 A1 (hereinafter WO774) in view of Nagatomi et al (hereinafter Nagatomi) (US 2024/0275202 A1).
As to claim 1, WO77 discloses a redundant power supply system (Fig 1, 1) connected to a load (Fig 1, 5) system to which electric power is supplied from a main power supply (Fig 1, 4), the redundant power supply system comprising:
a redundant power supply (Fig 1, 22) that is redundant to the main power supply;
a first semiconductor relay (Fig 1, 26), the first semiconductor relay being inserted with the load system and connecting the redundant power supply to the load system so as to allow backup power supply from the redundant power supply to the load system (see parag [0016]); and
a second semiconductor relay (Fig 1, SW5), the second semiconductor relay being inserted with the main power supply and connecting the main power supply with the redundant power supply so as to allow charging of the redundant power supply by the main power supply (see parag [0033]), wherein the second semiconductor relay remains electrically conductive while power supply from the main power supply to the load system is normal (see parag [0042]).
WO774 does not disclose a DC-to-DC converter that is connected to the redundant power supply so as to be chargeable and dischargeable.
However, Nagatomi discloses a DC-to-DC converter (Fig 1, 30) that is connected to the redundant power supply (Fig 1, 40) so as to be chargeable and dischargeable (see parag [0022]). It would have been obvious to one skilled in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to modify the system of WO774 to include the converter as taught by Nagatomi in order to effectively control the power supplied to the load.
As to claim 4, the combination of WO774, Nagatomi discloses the redundant power supply system according to claim 1, wherein the first semiconductor relay includes a first body diode (WO774, Fig 1, 26) and is inserted between the DC-to-DC converter (Nagatomi, Fig 2, 30) and the load system (WO774, Fig 1, 5) in a direction in which the first body diode rectifies from the load system to the DC-to-DC converter; and the second semiconductor relay includes a second body diode (Nagatomi, Fig 3, 10) and is inserted between the DC-to-DC converter (Nagatomi, Fig 2, 30) and the main power supply (Nagatomi, Fig 2, 2) in a direction in which the second body diode rectifies from the DC-to-DC converter to the main power supply.
Claim(s) 2-3 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over WO 2021/200774 A1 (hereinafter WO774) in view of Nagatomi et al (hereinafter Nagatomi) (US 2024/0275202 A1) further in view of Souma (US 2013/0332750 A1).
As to claim 2, the combination of WO774 and Nagatomi discloses the redundant power supply system according to claim 1, wherein the second semiconductor relay includes a field effect transistor (WO774, see Fig 1, SW5) inserted between the redundant power supply and the load system. The combination of WO/774 and Nagatomi does not disclose a latch circuit configured to hold the field effect transistor on when a voltage of the main power supply is equal to or higher than a predetermined reference voltage. However, Souma discloses a latch circuit configured to hold the field effect transistor on when a voltage of the main power supply is equal to or higher than a predetermined reference voltage (see claim 1). It would have been obvious to one skilled in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to modify the system of WO774 and Nagatomi to include the latch circuit as taught by Souma in order to effectively control the operation of the transistors.
As to claim 3, the combination of WO774, Nagatomi and Souma discloses the redundant power supply system according to claim 2, wherein: the latch circuit holds the field effect transistor off when the voltage of the main power supply is lower than the predetermined reference voltage (Souma, see claim 1); and the first semiconductor relay is controlled to be electrically conductive based on occurrence of an abnormality in the power supply from the main power supply (WO774, see parags [0023-0024]).
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments, see pages 4-8, filed on 10/16/2025, with respect to the rejection(s) of claim(s) 1-4 under 102(a)(1) and 103 have been fully considered and are persuasive. Therefore, the rejection has been withdrawn. However, upon further consideration, a new ground(s) of rejection is made in view of WO774, Nagatomi and Souma.
Conclusion
THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to DUC M PHAM whose telephone number is (571)272-5026. The examiner can normally be reached 10:00 am - 6:00 pm, Monday to Friday.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Rexford Barnie can be reached at 5712727492. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/DUC M PHAM/Examiner, Art Unit 2836 November 4, 2025
/REXFORD N BARNIE/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2836
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