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 .
Priority
Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55.
Response to Amendment
The amendment filed April 22, 2026 has been entered. Claims 1-9, 12, and 21 remain pending in the application. Applicant’s amendments to the specification and claims have overcome each and every objection and 35 U.S.C. § 112 rejection previously presented in the Non-Final Office Action mailed February 19, 2026, with one exception outlined below.
Regarding the rejection under 35 U.S.C. § 112(d) rejection, applicant states that the amendment from “slew rate compensation circuit” to “slew rate compensating circuit” overcomes the rejection under 112(d). However, this amendment only overcomes the rejection under 112(b), as claim 2 still lacks any features more specific than those present in claim 1, upon which claim 2 is dependent. Therefore, the 112(d) rejection remains.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments, see pages 12-15, filed April 22, 2026, with respect to the prior art rejections have been fully considered and are persuasive. The rejections of claims 1-9, 12, and 21 have been withdrawn.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
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.
Claims 6-9 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 applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
Claim 6 recites the limitation "a first resistor" in line 5. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim. Amending the limitation to “the first resistor” is sufficient to overcome this rejection, which is how the limitation will be treated for examination purposes. Claims 7-9 are likewise rejected under this logic by virtue of their dependency on claim 6.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(d):
(d) REFERENCE IN DEPENDENT FORMS.—Subject to subsection (e), a claim in dependent form shall contain a reference to a claim previously set forth and then specify a further limitation of the subject matter claimed. A claim in dependent form shall be construed to incorporate by reference all the limitations of the claim to which it refers.
The following is a quotation of pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, fourth paragraph:
Subject to the following paragraph [i.e., the fifth paragraph of pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112], a claim in dependent form shall contain a reference to a claim previously set forth and then specify a further limitation of the subject matter claimed. A claim in dependent form shall be construed to incorporate by reference all the limitations of the claim to which it refers.
Claim 2 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(d) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, 4th paragraph, as being of improper dependent form for failing to further limit the subject matter of the claim upon which it depends, or for failing to include all the limitations of the claim upon which it depends.
Claim 2 discloses that the slew rate compensating circuit provides the compensation circuit based on the voltage difference between the input voltage and the output voltage. However, claim 1 discloses that the slew rate compensating circuit generates the compensation current as a mirror of a current linearly proportional to the voltage difference between the input voltage and the output voltage. Therefore, the compensation current in claim 1 is linearly proportional to the voltage difference between the input voltage and the output voltage. Therefore, all of the features of claim 2 are broader than the corresponding features in claim 1. Therefore, claim 2 fails to further limit claim 1.
Applicant may cancel the claim, amend the claim to place the claim in proper dependent form, rewrite the claim in independent form, or present a sufficient showing that the dependent claim complies with the statutory requirements.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 1, 3-5, 12, and 21 are allowed over the prior art of record.
Claim 2 would be allowable if rewritten or amended to overcome the rejection under 35 U.S.C. 112(d) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), 4th paragraph, set forth in this Office action.
Claims 6-9 would be allowable if rewritten or amended to overcome the rejection under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), 2nd paragraph, set forth in this Office action.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter:
The prior art, when taken alone, or in combination, cannot be construed as reasonably teaching or suggesting all of the elements of the claimed invention as arranged, disposed, or provided in the manner as claimed by the applicant.
The closest prior art is Lee (Patent Publication Number US 2022/0383823 A1). Lee discloses a slew rate compensating circuit comprising a resistor to generate a current based on a voltage difference between an input and output voltage of an operational amplifier, but fails to disclose the current linearly proportional to the voltage difference. Therefore, Lee is not suitable for the application as claimed.
As allowable subject matter has been indicated, applicant's reply must either comply with all formal requirements or specifically traverse each requirement not complied with. See 37 CFR 1.111(b) and MPEP § 707.07(a).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Moon et al. (Patent Publication Number KR 2022/0155170 A) discloses (Fig. 11) a slew rate compensation circuit including current mirrors.
Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). 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 Lance T Bartol whose telephone number is (703)756-1267. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Thursday 6:30 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. CT, Alternating Fridays 6:30 - 3:00.
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/LANCE TORBJORN BARTOL/Examiner, Art Unit 2843
/ANDREA LINDGREN BALTZELL/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2843
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