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 .
Response to Amendment
This office action is in respond to the amendment filed on 03/23/26.
Claim Objections
Claims 1-8 and 11-12 objected to because of the following informalities:
Claim 1, line 18, “to low level” should be changed to “to the low level” (see line 13).
Claim 1, line 22, “from low level to high level” should be changed to “from the low level to the high level” (see line 12 and line 13).
Claim 1, line 26, “from low level to high level” should be changed to “from the low level to the high level” (see line 12 and line 13).
Claims 2-8 and 11-12 are objected to because they depend on claim 1.
Appropriate correction is required.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of the first paragraph of 35 U.S.C. 112(a):
(a) IN GENERAL.—The specification shall contain a written description of the invention, and of the manner and process of making and using it, in such full, clear, concise, and exact terms as to enable any person skilled in the art to which it pertains, or with which it is most nearly connected, to make and use the same, and shall set forth the best mode contemplated by the inventor or joint inventor of carrying out the invention.
The following is a quotation of the first paragraph of pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112:
The specification shall contain a written description of the invention, and of the manner and process of making and using it, in such full, clear, concise, and exact terms as to enable any person skilled in the art to which it pertains, or with which it is most nearly connected, to make and use the same, and shall set forth the best mode contemplated by the inventor of carrying out his invention.
Claims 1-8 and 11-12 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(a) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), first paragraph, as failing to comply with the enablement requirement. The claim(s) contains subject matter which was not described in the specification in such a way as to enable one skilled in the art to which it pertains, or with which it is most nearly connected, to make and/or use the invention.
For claim 1, the recitation “wherein the voltage controller is further configured to:
generate the latch control signal,
set, at a first time, the latch control signal to low level and thereby set the second voltage to a mid value between the first voltage and the reference voltage,
start to raise the first voltage at a second time after the first time,
switch, at a third time at which the first voltage reaches a first set voltage, the latch control signal from low level to high level and thereby raise the reference voltage to a value equal to the second voltage, and
raise, after the third time, the first voltage to higher than the first set value, and the latch circuit is configured to complete latching when the latch control signal switches from low level to high level”
as recited on lines 16-26 is not enabled because the specification fails to disclose a voltage controller configured to generate the latch control signal and set/switch the latch control signal as recited on lines 16-26. Note that, the specification broadly discloses a block (labeled as VCNT) for a voltage controller “CNT1” for controls the voltages V1 and V2, but does not disclose the detail circuitry for the voltage controller (VCNT) “CNT1” and/or any connections of the voltage controller (VCNT) “CNT1” so that the voltage controller (VCNT) “CNT1” generates and control the latch control signal. Thus, the specification has failed to describe a voltage controller configured to generate the latch control signal and set/switch the latch control signal as recited on lines 16-26 of the claim. Clarification and/or appropriate correction is required.
Claims 2-8 and 11-12 are rejected because they depend on claim 1.
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 1-8 and 11-12 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.
For claim 1, the recitation
For claim 1, the recitation “wherein the voltage controller is further configured to:
generate the latch control signal,
set, at a first time, the latch control signal to low level and thereby set the second voltage to a mid value between the first voltage and the reference voltage,
start to raise the first voltage at a second time after the first time,
switch, at a third time at which the first voltage reaches a first set voltage, the latch control signal from low level to high level and thereby raise the reference voltage to a value equal to the second voltage, and
raise, after the third time, the first voltage to higher than the first set value, and the latch circuit is configured to complete latching when the latch control signal switches from low level to high level”
as recited on lines 16-26 is indefinite because it is not clear how a controller configured to generate the latch control signal and set/switch the latch control signal as recited on lines 16-26. It is note that there are no connections between the voltage controller (VCNT) “CNT1” and the latch circuit, and there is no detail circuitry for voltage controller (VCNT) “CNT1”, so it is not clear how a voltage controller configured to generate the latch control signal and set/switch the latch control signal as recited on lines 16-26. Clarification and/or appropriate correction is required.
Also, in claim 1, “the first set value” on line 24 lacks antecedent basis and it appears that it should be changed to “the first set voltage” (see line 21). Clarification and/or appropriate correction is required.
Claims 2-8 and 11-12 are indefinite because they depend on claim 1.
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed 03/23/26 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive.
Regarding to the 35 U.S.C. 112(a) and 112(b), Applicant argues that “claim 1 now clearly recites the feature that a first and a second voltage are supplied from the voltage controller to the level information output circuit and the latch circuit and the feature that the voltage controller controls the level of a latch control signal to raise the reference voltage (VB1)”. However, such amendment does not overcome the 35 U.S.C. 112(a) and 112(b) rejections as discussed above that the specification fails to disclose a voltage controller configured to generate the latch control signal and set/switch the latch control signal as recited on lines 16-26; and it is not clear how a controller configured to generate the latch control signal and set/switch the latch control signal as recited on lines 16-26.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directly to Examiner Long Nguyen whose telephone number is (571) 272-1753. The Examiner can normally be reached on Monday to Friday from 8:30am to 5:00pm.
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 directly to Examiner Long Nguyen whose telephone number is (571) 272-1753. The Examiner can normally be reached on Monday to Friday from 8:30am to 5:00pm.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Regis Betsch, can be reached at (571) 270-7101. The fax number for this group is (571) 273-8300.
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/Long Nguyen/
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 2836
Prosecution Insights