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 .
Information Disclosure Statement
1. The information disclosure statements (IDS) submitted on 11/12/2024 and is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. According, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the Examiner.
Claim Objection
2. Claims 1 and 3 are objected to because of the following informalities:
Regarding claim 1, lines 13-15 recite “the output end of the magnetic sensing module being electrically connected to the input end of the comparison module, the filtering module being electrically connected between the output end of the comparison module and the input end of the logic operation module”. For clarification purposes, lines 13-15 should recite “an output end of the magnetic sensing module being electrically connected to an input end of the comparison module, the filtering module being electrically connected between an output end of the comparison module and an input end of the logic operation module”. Regarding claim 3, line 11, “the first end” should be changed to --- a first end ---. Line 12, “the second end” should be changed to --- a second end ---.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
3. 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.
4. Claim 3 is 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 pre-AIA the applicant regards as the invention.
Regarding claim 3, “the first end of the capacitor” in line 11 and “the first end of the capacitor” in line 12 are vague and indefinite. There are two capacitors (first and second capacitors) as defined in the claim. It is not clear to the reader which one of the first and second capacitors is referred for “the first end of the capacitor” in line 11 and “the first end of the capacitor” line 12. Clarification is requested.
Examiner Notes
5. Examiner cites particular paragraphs, columns and line numbers in the references as applied to the claims below for the convenience of the applicant. Although the specified citations are representative of the teachings in the art and are applied to the specific limitations within the individual claim, other passages and figures may apply as well. It is respectfully requested that, in preparing responses, the applicant fully consider the references in entirety as potentially teaching all or part of the claimed invention, as well as the context of the passage as taught by the prior art or disclosed by the examiner.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
6. 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)(1) the claimed invention was patented, described in a printed publication, or in public use, on sale or otherwise available to the public before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
(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.
7. Claims 1 and 4-7 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Chen (CN107436416; hereinafter “Chen”).
Regarding claim 1, Chen discloses a magnetic switch (a magnetic switch system in Fig. 3) having a filtering function, comprising: a magnetic sensing module (a vertical Hall plate VHP, see annotated Fig. 3), which is used to generate a magnetic field sensing signal based on variations in magnetic flux (the vertical Hall plate is a magnetic sensor, configured to generate a magnetic field sensing signal based on variations in magnetic flux. See page 7); a specific integrated circuit (a specific integrated circuit, see annotated Fig. 3) electrically connected to the magnetic sensing module (see Fig. 3), which is used to receive the magnetic field sensing signal from the magnetic sensing module and generate high or low level switching signals based on that magnetic field sensing signal (an output logic generated high or low level switching signals based on that magnetic field sensing signal. See at least in page 3); the specific integrated circuit comprising a power supply module (an auxiliary circuit, in annotated Fig. 3, provides power for the magnetic switch system, see page 3 and claim 4), a comparison module (a comparator), a filtering module (a filter), and a logic operation module (an output logic); the power supply module (the auxiliary circuit) being electrically connected to the magnetic sensing module, the comparison module, the filtering module, and the logic operation module, respectively, for providing power to each of these modules (“auxiliary circuit are respectively connected to the vertical Hall plate, rotating current switch, an amplifier, a filter, a comparator, an output logic”. See abstract, pages 3-4, claim 1, and Fig. 3. ); the output end of the magnetic sensing module being electrically connected to the input end of the comparison module, the filtering module being electrically connected between the output end of the comparison module and the input end of the logic operation module (see annotated Fig 3); or the filtering module being electrically connected between the output end of the magnetic sensing module and the input end of the comparison module, and the output end of the comparison module being electrically connected to the input end of the logic operation module.
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Regarding claim 4, Chen discloses the magnetic switch having a filtering function according to claim 1, wherein the filtering module is electrically connected between the output end of the magnetic sensing module and the input end of the comparison module; the filtering module includes a VDD programmable digital circuit and an adjustable bandpass filter that are electrically connected, and the input end of the adjustable bandpass filter is electrically connected to the comparison module (see at least in page 6).
Regarding claim 5, Chen discloses the magnetic switch having a filtering function according to claim 1, wherein the number of the filtering modules is at least one, with this at least one filtering module being used to perform filtering operations over at least one range (see page 9 and claim 1).
Regarding claim 6, Chen discloses the magnetic switch having a filtering function according to claim 1, wherein the magnetic sensing module comprises at least one magnetic sensor (Hall sensor in Fig. 3).
Regarding claim 7, Chen discloses the magnetic switch having a filtering function according to claim 6, wherein the magnetic sensor is a Hall sensor (see Fig. 3), an anisotropic magnetoresistive sensor, a giant magnetoresistive sensor, or a tunnel magnetoresistive sensor.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
8. 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 of this title, 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.
9. Claim 8 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Chen in view of Zhong (US. Pub. 2016/0282426; hereinafter “Zhong”).
Regarding claim 8, Chen discloses the magnetic switch having a filtering function according to claim 6, except for explicitly specifying that wherein the circuit structure of the at least one magnetic sensor is of a single-resistor, half-bridge, or full-bridge configuration. Zhong discloses a magnetic resistance switch sensor (see Fig. 3) comprising the circuit structure of the at least one magnetic sensor is of a single-resistor, half-bridge, or full-bridge configuration (a half-bride sensing structure, see [0044] and Fig. 3)
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to employ the magnetic sensor switch of Chen by having the circuit structure of the at least one magnetic sensor is a half-bridge as taught by Zhong in order to meet the system design and specification requirement.
Allowable Subject Matter
10. Claims 2-3 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. Comments
11. The prior art of record found as a result of the search, does not teach alone or in combination all of the elements recited in claim 3. Therefore, no prior art rejection for claim 3 is presented in this action. However, Claim 3 is rejected under 35 U.S.C 112(b).
Conclusion
12. Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to THANG LE whose telephone number is (571)272-9349. The examiner can normally be reached on Monday thru Friday 7:30AM-5:00PM EST.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Huy Phan can be reached on (571) 272-7924. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/THANG X LE/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2858
6/18/2026
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