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. The office acknowledges the receipt of the following and placed of record in the file: Application dated 6/8/2024 claimed priority of date 2/22/2022.
2. Claims 1-12 are presented 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.
3. Claim(s) 1-12 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Toyama et al. (“Toyama”), U.S. Patent Publication No. 2010/0264753 and Jeffrey Ying (“Ying”), U.S. Patent Publication 2006/0171329.
Regarding Claims 1, 5 and 9, Toyama teaches a host device (host device 1) connected to a slave device (slave device 2) through at least a first power supply line (bus 30) and a plurality of signal lines (busses 31-32) [Fig-1], the host device being configured to:
supply power with a first voltage to the slave device through the first power supply line [Para: 0130 and 0132(“clocks transmitted on the bus 30 … the slave device 2 operate using a first interface voltage … when the system is powered on”)];
instruct the slave device through a signal line of the plurality of signal lines to check compatibility with a power input with a second voltage lower than the first voltage [Para: 0066 (as initiating a “communication between a host device and a slave device that communicate with each other from a first interface voltage V1 to a second interface voltage V2” where the second interface voltage are multiple voltages, see 0036 and can be a lower voltage)];
instruct the slave device on voltage switch through the signal line when the slave device is compatible with the power input with the second voltage [Para: 0066 (as a command (CMD) for “communication between a host device and a slave device that communicate with each other from a first interface voltage V1 to a second interface voltage V2” is implemented as a command as “the slave device returns a response to the command CMD to the host device”, see 0068)];
supply power with the second voltage to the slave device through the power supply line (or same power line) when a normal response is received from the slave device in response to the instruction for the voltage switch [Para: 0072(“host device 1 resumes to provide a clock signal at the second interface voltage V2”)]; and
stop supplying the power with the first voltage to the slave device through the first power supply line after supplying the power with the second voltage to the slave device [Para: 0070(“the host device stops supplying the clock signal to the slave device, the slave device starts a process for switching the interface voltage after the host device stops providing the clock signal”)].
Toyama does not disclose expressly the host device connected to a slave device through a second power supply line and supply power with the second voltage to the slave device through the second the power supply line.
In the same field of endeavor (e.g., master providing power to slave devices on multiple bus line), Ying teaches a host or master device (602) coupled to slave devices (604) provide power through first power rail (614) and second (612) power rail [Fig-6A]; and
supply power with the second power voltage to the slave devices through the second the power supply line [Para: 0047(“hub controller 602 also provides low power signal line(s) 612, as well as a high power signal line 614, to the various network nodes 604”)].
Accordingly, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to modify Toyama’s teachings of supply power with the second voltage to the slave device through the one or same power supply line when a normal response is received from the slave device in response to the instruction for the voltage switch with Ying’s teachings of a master device providing two different power to slave devices on two different power lines so that Toyama can be improved to deliver the second voltage on second power line for the purpose of instantly providing correct voltage to respective devices without delay in order to have an efficient system.
Regarding Claims 2, 6 and 10, Toyama teaches wherein the host device transmits a command with a predetermined value to the slave device through the signal line in order to instruct the slave device to check compatibility with the power input with the second voltage and instruct the slave device on the voltage switch [Para: 0021 and 0023(“interface device used … transmit and receive data and/or a command to and from the slave device, that switches an interface voltage used for communication between the slave device and the host device”)].
Regarding Claims 3, 7 and 11, Toyama teaches wherein the host device controls the signal line to a predetermined voltage level when receiving the normal response from the slave device to the instruction for the voltage switch [Para: 0068(as “slave device returns a response to the command CMD to the host device” in response to “host device issues a command CMD to the slave device to start an interface voltage switching”, see 0067)].
Regarding Claims 4, 8 and 12, It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was made to have the predetermined voltage level is 0 V or a voltage near 0 V, since it has been held that where the general conditions of a claim are disclosed in a prior art, discovering the optimum or workable ranges involves only routine skill in the art. In re Aller, 105 USPQ 233.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to MOHAMMED H REHMAN whose telephone number is (571)272-1412. The examiner can normally be reached 8.00 - 5.00.
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/MOHAMMED H REHMAN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2176