DETAILED ACTION
This action is in response to the Application filed on 09/16/2024.
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 .
In the event the determination of the status of the application as subject to AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103 (or as subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103) is incorrect, any correction of the statutory basis for the rejection will not be considered a new ground of rejection if the prior art relied upon, and the rationale supporting the rejection, would be the same under either status.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement(s) (IDS) submitted on 09/16/2024 is/are in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement(s) is/are being considered by the examiner.
Specification
The lengthy specification has not been checked to the extent necessary to determine the presence of all possible minor errors. Applicant's cooperation is requested in correcting any errors of which applicant may become aware in the specification.
Claim Objections
Claim(s) 5, 9 and 19 is/are objected to because of the following informalities:
Claim(s) 5 recite(s) “the steady state” in line 1. It appears that it should be “a steady state”.
Claim(s) 9 recite(s) “the increase” in line 2. It appears that it should be “an increase”.
Claim(s) 19 recite(s) “the steady state” in line 1. It appears that it should be “a steady state”.
Appropriate correction is required.
Double Patenting
The nonstatutory double patenting rejection is based on a judicially created doctrine grounded in public policy (a policy reflected in the statute) so as to prevent the unjustified or improper timewise extension of the “right to exclude” granted by a patent and to prevent possible harassment by multiple assignees. A nonstatutory double patenting rejection is appropriate where the conflicting claims are not identical, but at least one examined application claim is not patentably distinct from the reference claim(s) because the examined application claim is either anticipated by, or would have been obvious over, the reference claim(s). See, e.g., In re Berg, 140 F.3d 1428, 46 USPQ2d 1226 (Fed. Cir. 1998); In re Goodman, 11 F.3d 1046, 29 USPQ2d 2010 (Fed. Cir. 1993); In re Longi, 759 F.2d 887, 225 USPQ 645 (Fed. Cir. 1985); In re Van Ornum, 686 F.2d 937, 214 USPQ 761 (CCPA 1982); In re Vogel, 422 F.2d 438, 164 USPQ 619 (CCPA 1970); In re Thorington, 418 F.2d 528, 163 USPQ 644 (CCPA 1969).
A timely filed terminal disclaimer in compliance with 37 CFR 1.321(c) or 1.321(d) may be used to overcome an actual or provisional rejection based on nonstatutory double patenting provided the reference application or patent either is shown to be commonly owned with the examined application, or claims an invention made as a result of activities undertaken within the scope of a joint research agreement. See MPEP § 717.02 for applications subject to examination under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA as explained in MPEP § 2159. See MPEP § 2146 et seq. for applications not subject to examination under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA . A terminal disclaimer must be signed in compliance with 37 CFR 1.321(b).
The filing of a terminal disclaimer by itself is not a complete reply to a nonstatutory double patenting (NSDP) rejection. A complete reply requires that the terminal disclaimer be accompanied by a reply requesting reconsideration of the prior Office action. Even where the NSDP rejection is provisional the reply must be complete. See MPEP § 804, subsection I.B.1. For a reply to a non-final Office action, see 37 CFR 1.111(a). For a reply to final Office action, see 37 CFR 1.113(c). A request for reconsideration while not provided for in 37 CFR 1.113(c) may be filed after final for consideration. See MPEP §§ 706.07(e) and 714.13.
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Claims 1 – 12 and 14 – 25 are rejected on the ground of nonstatutory double patenting as being unpatentable over claims of U.S. Patent No. 12,095,367. Although the claims at issue are not identical, they are not patentably distinct from each other because US Patent No. 12,095,367 claims every single feature off the instant Application.
US Patent No. 12,095,367
Instant Application 18/886,339
1. A device for power conversion, the device comprising:
an inductor;
a switch having a switching cycle to control current flow through the inductor;
a sensor coupled to the inductor to generate a signal representative of the current flow through the inductor;
a controller configured to generate a switch control signal for the switch to implement cycle-by-cycle control of the switching cycle for current-mode control of an output driven by the current flow through the inductor, the controller being coupled to the sensor such that the cycle-by-cycle control is based on the signal representative of the current flow through the inductor, the controller being configured to implement non-periodic sampling and control actions triggered by switch activation events and switch deactivation events rather than a clock; and
a comparator that couples the sensor to the controller to compare the signal representative of the current flow through the inductor with a desired current level generated by the controller;
wherein the inductor is configured to exhibit a decrease in inductance with an increase in the current flow through the inductor;
wherein the controller is triggered by detection of the current flow passing a valley current level or a peak current level; and
wherein the cycle-by-cycle control implemented by the controller generates the switch control signal using measurement of the signal representative of the current flow through the inductor during only a single instance of the switching cycle such that the switch control signal is updated once every switching cycle.
1. A device for power conversion, the device comprising:
an inductor;
a switch having a switching cycle to control current flow through the inductor;
a sensor coupled to the inductor to generate a signal representative of the current flow through the inductor;
a controller configured to generate a switch control signal for the switch to implement cycle-by-cycle control of the switching cycle for current-mode control of an output driven by the current flow through the inductor, the controller being coupled to the sensor such that the cycle-by-cycle control is based on the signal representative of the current flow through the inductor, the controller being configured to implement non-periodic sampling and control actions triggered by switch activation events and switch deactivation events; and
a comparator that couples the sensor to the controller to compare the signal representative of the current flow through the inductor with a desired current level generated by the controller;
wherein the controller is triggered by detection of the current flow passing a valley current level or a peak current level; and
wherein the cycle-by-cycle control implemented by the controller generates the switch control signal using measurement of the signal representative of the current flow through the inductor during only a single instance of the switching cycle such that the switch control signal is updated once every switching cycle.
2. The device of claim 1, wherein the power conversion is dynamic voltage scaling.
2. The device of claim 1, wherein the power conversion is dynamic voltage scaling.
3. The device of claim 1, wherein the power conversion is a regulated output responding to a fast load change.
3. The device of claim 1, wherein the power conversion is a regulated output responding to a fast load change.
4. The device of claim 1, wherein the switching cycle is variable frequency.
4. The device of claim 1, wherein the switching cycle is variable frequency.
5. The device of claim 1, wherein the switching cycle is fixed frequency in the steady state.
5. The device of claim 1, wherein the switching cycle is fixed frequency in the steady state.
6. The device of claim 1, wherein the output is a voltage.
6. The device of claim 1, wherein the output is a voltage.
7. The device of claim 1, wherein the output is a current.
7. The device of claim 1, wherein the output is a current.
8. The device of claim 1, wherein an output ripple of the output does not contain subharmonics.
8. The device of claim 1, wherein an output ripple of the output does not contain subharmonics.
9. The device of claim 1, wherein the inductor is configured to exhibit a hard saturation upon the increase in the current flow through the inductor.
9. The device of claim 1, wherein the inductor is configured to exhibit a hard saturation upon the increase in the current flow through the inductor.
10. The device of claim 1, wherein the inductor is configured to operate in saturation during a step-up transient in a desired voltage level for the output voltage.
10. The device of claim 1, wherein the inductor is configured to operate in saturation during a step-up transient in a desired voltage level for the output voltage.
11. The device of claim 1, wherein the inductor is configured as a composite inductor.
11. The device of claim 1, wherein the inductor is configured as a composite inductor.
12. The device of claim 1, wherein the inductor comprises a plurality of inductances, each inductance of the plurality of inductances being configured to saturate at a different current level.
12. The device of claim 1, wherein the inductor comprises a plurality of inductances, each inductance of the plurality of inductances being configured to saturate at a different current level.
13. The device of claim 1, wherein the controller implements event-driven sampling.
13. The device of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to implement a control scheme for a buck converter operating in constant on-time mode.
14. The device of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to implement a control scheme for a buck converter operating in constant on-time mode.
14. The device of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to implement a control scheme for a boost converter operating in constant off-time mode.
15. The device of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to implement a control scheme for a boost converter operating in constant off-time mode.
15. The device of claim 1, further comprising a laser pulse driver coupled to the inductor to receive the output voltage driven by the current flow through the inductor.
16. The device of claim 1, further comprising a laser pulse driver coupled to the inductor to receive the output voltage driven by the current flow through the inductor.
16. A light detection and ranging (LiDAR) system comprising:
a laser pulse driver; and
a power converter coupled to the laser pulse driver to provide dynamic voltage scaling for the laser pulse driver;
wherein the power converter comprises:
an inductor;
a switch having a switching cycle to control current flow through the inductor;
a sensor coupled to the inductor to generate a signal representative of the current flow through the inductor;
a controller configured to generate a switch control signal for the switch to implement cycle-by-cycle control of the switching cycle for current-mode control of an output voltage driven by the current flow through the inductor, the controller being coupled to the sensor such that the cycle-by-cycle control is based on the signal representative of the current flow through the inductor, the controller being configured to implement non-periodic sampling and control actions triggered by switch activation events and switch deactivation events rather than a clock; and
a comparator that couples the sensor to the controller to compare the signal representative of the current flow through the inductor with a desired current level generated by the controller;
wherein the inductor is configured to exhibit a decrease in inductance with an increase in the current flow through the inductor;
wherein the controller is triggered by detection of the current flow passing a valley current level or a peak current level; and
wherein the cycle-by-cycle control implemented by the controller generates the switch control signal using measurement of the signal representative of the current flow through the inductor during only a single instance of the switching cycle such that the switch control signal is updated once every switching cycle.
17. A light detection and ranging (LiDAR) system comprising:
a laser pulse driver; and
a power converter coupled to the laser pulse driver to provide dynamic voltage scaling for the laser pulse driver;
wherein the power converter comprises:
an inductor;
a switch having a switching cycle to control current flow through the inductor;
a sensor coupled to the inductor to generate a signal representative of the current flow through the inductor;
a controller configured to generate a switch control signal for the switch to implement cycle-by-cycle control of the switching cycle for current-mode control of an output voltage driven by the current flow through the inductor, the controller being coupled to the sensor such that the cycle-by-cycle control is based on the signal representative of the current flow through the inductor, the controller being configured to implement non-periodic sampling and control actions triggered by switch activation events and switch deactivation events;
wherein the controller is triggered by detection of the current flow passing a valley current level or a peak current level; and
wherein the cycle-by-cycle control implemented by the controller generates the switch control signal using measurement of the signal representative of the current flow through the inductor during only a single instance of the switching cycle such that the switch control signal is updated once every switching cycle.
17. The LiDAR system of claim 16, wherein the switching cycle is variable frequency.
18. The LiDAR system of claim 17, wherein the switching cycle is variable frequency.
18. The LiDAR system of claim 16, wherein the switching cycle is fixed frequency in the steady state.
19. The LiDAR system of claim 17, wherein the switching cycle is fixed frequency in the steady state.
19. The LiDAR system of claim 16, wherein the output is a voltage.
20. The LiDAR system of claim 17, wherein the output is a voltage.
20. The LiDAR system of claim 16, wherein the output is a current.
21. The LiDAR system of claim 17, wherein the output is a current.
21. The LiDAR system of claim 16, wherein the controller is configured to implement a control scheme for a boost converter operating in constant off-time mode.
22. The LiDAR system of claim 17, wherein the controller is configured to implement a control scheme for a boost converter operating in constant off-time mode.
22. The LiDAR system of claim 16, wherein the inductor is configured to operate in saturation during a step-up transient in a desired voltage level for the output voltage.
23. The LiDAR system of claim 17, wherein the inductor is configured to operate in saturation during a step-up transient in a desired voltage level for the output voltage.
23. The LiDAR system of claim 16, wherein the inductor is configured as a composite inductor.
24. The LiDAR system of claim 17, wherein the inductor is configured as a composite inductor.
24. The LiDAR system of claim 16, wherein the inductor comprises a plurality of inductances, each inductance of the plurality of inductances being configured to saturate at a different current level.
25. The LiDAR system of claim 17, wherein the inductor comprises a plurality of inductances, each inductance of the plurality of inductances being configured to saturate at a different current level.
Examiner's Note
In the case of amending the claimed invention, Applicant is respectfully requested to indicate the portion(s) of the specification which dictate(s) the structure relied on for proper interpretation and also to verify and ascertain the metes and bounds of the claimed invention.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claim(s) 1 – 25 would be allowable if the double patenting rejection set forth above is overcome.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter:
The primary reason for the indication of the allowability of claim 1 is the inclusion therein, in combination as currently claimed as a whole, of the limitation of “wherein the controller is triggered by detection of the current flow passing a valley current level or a peak current level; and wherein the cycle-by-cycle control implemented by the controller generates the switch control signal using measurement of the signal representative of the current flow through the inductor during only a single instance of the switching cycle such that the switch control signal is updated once every switching cycle”.
The primary reason for the indication of the allowability of claim 17 is the inclusion therein, in combination as currently claimed as a whole, of the limitation of “wherein the controller is triggered by detection of the current flow passing a valley current level or a peak current level; and wherein the cycle-by-cycle control implemented by the controller generates the switch control signal using measurement of the signal representative of the current flow through the inductor during only a single instance of the switching cycle such that the switch control signal is updated once every switching cycle”.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
US Pub. No. 2017/0279344 discloses a control module for a switch mode power supply having inductor peak current mode and off time control.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Alex Torres-Rivera whose telephone number is (571)272-5261. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 9:00-5:30 ET.
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/ALEX TORRES-RIVERA/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2838
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