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 .
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 9 and 17-21 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.
Regarding claim 9, reference is made to "the first charge phase" and "the second charge phase." However, there are no such phases in parent claim 8. It is unclear if they are meant to reference the first phase and the second phase of claim 8. Furthermore, it is not claimed what is being charged.
Regarding claim 17, there is claimed a first transistor [QCH1 of fig. 4], a second transistor [QCH2], a third transistor [QDH1], and a fourth transistor [QDH2]. The first terminal of QDH1 is claimed to be coupled to the second terminal of QCH1. The first terminal of QDH2 is claimed to be coupled to the second terminal of QCH2. Then, a fifth and sixth transistor is claimed. The fifth transistor [presumably QCL1] has a first terminal coupled to the second terminal of QDH1, and also should have a second terminal coupled to power output VOUT. However, the first terminal of QCL1 coupled to QDH1 is the drain of QCL1. It is also the drain of QCL1 that is coupled to VOUT 102. It is unclear how the second terminal [presumably the source] of QCL1 is coupled to VOUT. The same issue arises with the sixth transistor QCL2 and QDH2 and VOUT. It is unclear if this claim is intended to be representative of fig. 9 and 10. It does not appear to be the case since there are intervening flying capacitors between the respective transistors. However, if this is indeed the case, then an election by original presentation would be appropriate since applicant received an action on the merits for the originally presented invention of fig. 4, and this invention has been constructively elected by original presentation for prosecution on the merits, which would lead to claims 17-21 being withdrawn from consideration as being directed to a non-elected invention. See 37 CFR 1.142(b) and MPEP §821.03.
Regarding claims 18-21, these claims are rejected since they depend on claim 17.
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)(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) 8 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Liu (US 2024/0297580).
Regarding claim 8, fig. 2A of Liu discloses a power converter, comprising: a switch circuit having a power input [V1], a power output [V2], and a plurality of control inputs, the switch circuit comprising a plurality of transistors and; a control signal generator [202] coupled to the plurality of control inputs, the control signal generator configurable to sequence the plurality of transistors through a first phase [fig. 2D], a second phase [fig. 2E], a third phase [fig. 2G], and a fourth phase [fig. 2K], in which the third and fourth phases do not overlap (since they’re different phases), and the control signal generator is configurable to cause the switch circuit to: connect a first capacitor terminal [left side of C1] to the power input in the first phase; connect a second capacitor terminal [left side of C2] to the power input in the second phase; connect the first capacitor terminal to the power output in the third phase (through L2 when Qcr1 is on); and connect the second capacitor terminal to the power output in the fourth phase (through L1 when Qcr2 is on).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 1-7 are allowed.
Claims 10-16 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.
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed 5/26/26 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive.
Regarding claim 8, Liu discloses where the control signal generator is configurable to sequence the plurality of transistors through a first phase [fig. 2D], a second phase [fig. 2E], a third phase [fig. 2G], and a fourth phase [fig. 2K], where the third phase and fourth phase do not overlap.
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.
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/SIBIN CHEN/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2836
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