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 .
This application has been examined. Claims 1-21 are pending.
The Group and/or Art Unit location of your application in the PTO has changed. To aid in correlating any papers for this application, all further correspondence regarding this application should be directed to Group Art Unit 2175.
Specification
The title of the invention is not descriptive. A new title is required that is clearly indicative of the invention to which the claims are directed.
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)(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.
Claims 1, 5-6, 11, 15-16, 21 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. § 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Hijazi et al. (US Pub No. 2019/0324510).
In regard to claims 1, 11, 21, Hijazi et al. disclose a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing a program for causing a computer to perform a control method for an electronic apparatus (i.e. item 216 of figure 2 must have a firmware or program stored thereon to perform the specific functions), a control method, an electronic apparatus comprising: a connection unit (items 1-4A-C of figure 1) to which a plurality of power supply apparatuses (items 114 & 106 of figure 1) can be connected; a plurality of power receiving units that receive a power from the plurality of power supply apparatuses (as shown in Fig. 1, which is reproduced below for ease of reference and convenience, Hijazi discloses information handling system 100 with an array of external devices is illustrated in FIG. 1. An information handling system 100 may include multiple ports 104A-C. The information handling system 100 may receive power from AC wall outlet 114 through USB-C power adaptor 108 coupled between AC wall output 114 and port 104B. The USB-C ports 104B-C may each be coupled to external power sources, such as batteries or external AC power adaptors. See ¶ 27);
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a plurality of power source units (items 204A-B of figure 2) that convert voltage values of power supplied from the plurality of power supply apparatuses and supply the power to a plurality of load units (i.e. components in the IHS (in Hijazi, the multiple power input ports 202A-B coupled to corresponding controllers 204A-B. The power input ports 202A-B may be capable of transmitting power and data to and receiving power and data from connected devices. For example, the power input ports 202A-B may be USB ports, such as USB-C ports, barrel jack DC input ports, thunderbolt ports, or other ports capable of receiving power from external devices. The controllers 204A-B control power received from and/or provided to external devices coupled to the power input ports 202A-B. For example, each controller 204A-B may be configured to control power received from external devices coupled to its respective power input port 202A-B when the system is starting up and may determine whether to allow power to flow through the power input port 202A-B to provide power to system components. See ¶ 28-29); a control unit (item 216 of figure 2) that decides a voltage value and a current value for receiving the power from the plurality of power supply apparatuses based on a number of the plurality of power supply apparatuses and a power consumption of the plurality of load units, and that performs control to output the power received from the plurality of power supply apparatuses to any of the plurality of power source units (in Hijazi, the controllers 204A-B may output power from voltage outputs 206A-B to a common power node 212. The common power node 212 may be coupled to a charger 214 to charge a system battery, to supply power to voltage regulators, such as voltage regulators 218A-N, to supply power to an embedded controller 216 of the system, and to supply power to other information handling system components. The embedded controller 216 may be a system power controller for controlling power within the information handling system. The charger 214 may output power to an embedded controller 216 and to voltage regulators 218 A-N such as 5V voltage regulator 218A, 3.3 V voltage regulator 218N, and other voltage regulators. See ¶ 28-29, 31).
In regard to claims 5, 15, Hijazi et al. disclose further: a switching unit that outputs, to any of the plurality of power source units, the power received by the plurality of power receiving units from the plurality of power supply apparatuses, wherein the control unit controls the switching unit to switch an output destination of the power received from the plurality of power supply apparatuses to any of the plurality of power source units (in Hijazi, the charger 214 may trigger a state machine in the embedded controller 216 to cause voltage regulators 218A-N such as 5V voltage regulator 218A and 3.3V voltage regulator 218N to regulate voltage supplied to the information handling system, such as voltage supplied to the embedded controller 216 and to a PCH (not shown) for booting the embedded controller 216. The voltage regulators 218A-N may supply power to controllers 204A-B, and, in some embodiments, to the embedded controller 216. See ¶ 28, 31).
In regard to claims 6, 16, Hijazi et al. disclose further: a battery unit, wherein the control unit switches the power to be output to the plurality of power source units to any of the following: the power received from the plurality of power supply apparatuses and a power of the battery unit (in Hijazi, the USB-C ports 104B-C may each be coupled to external power sources, such as batteries or external AC power adaptors. See ¶ 27).
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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, 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 t which the claimed invention pertains. Patentability shall not be negated by the manner in which the invention was made.
Claims 2, 7-10, 12, 17-20 are rejected under AIA 35 U.S.C. § 103 as being unpatentable over Hijazi et al. in view of Ervin (US Pat No. 6,504,266).
In order to expedite and avoid piecemeal prosecution, the following rejection is made to the extent that the claims are understood, by considering those elements which are understood and interpreting their function in a manner which is consistent with the recited goals of the claims, and then applying the best available art.
The examiner relies on the entire teachings of Hijazi and Ervin references; the applicant should carefully consider the entire teachings of the above-mentioned references to better understand the examiner’s position.
In regard to claims 2, 12, Hijazi et al. disclose the claimed subject matter as discussed above rejection except the teaching of wherein the control unit communicates with the plurality of power supply apparatuses, and the control unit decides a combination of a predetermined voltage value and a current value from a plurality of combinations of voltage values and current values that can be supplied by the plurality of power supply apparatuses based on the number of the power supply apparatuses and the power consumption of the plurality of load units. In the same field of endeavor, Ervin discloses the plurality of power supplies and plurality of loads. The control unit communicates with the plurality of power supply apparatuses, and the control unit decides a combination (i.e. calculators) of a predetermined voltage value and a current value from a plurality of combinations of voltage values and current values that can be supplied by the plurality of power supply apparatuses (item 208 of figure 2) based on the number of the power supply apparatuses and the power consumption of the plurality of load units (item 216 of figure 2) (as shown in Fig. 2, which is reproduced below for ease of reference and convenience, Ervin discloses the outputs of calculators 208 and 216 representing the total power available and the total power required are provided to an overload detector 218 which compares the total power available to the total power required. The overload detector 218, in turn, generates an input to a power supply control 220. See ¶ 6-9).
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It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to a person having ordinary skill in the art to modify the teaching of Hijazi to include the number of power supplies that are installed can be selected to match the actual power load, as taught by Ervin, in order to provide systems can continue operating normally while the failed power supply is being replaced in the event of the failure of one power supply.
In regard to claims 7, 17, even though Hijazi and Ervin do not disclose wherein the control unit switches the power to be output to the plurality of power source units to the power of the battery unit in a case where the power received from or supplied by any of the plurality of power supply apparatuses is cut off, however it is merely one of several straightforward possibilities from which the skilled person in the art would select the internal battery as power source for the portable IHS when the external power source disconnected from the portable IHS, in accordance with circumstances, without the exercise of inventive skill, in order to solve the problem posed.
In regard to claims 8, 18, even though Hijazi and Ervin do not disclose: a switching unit that outputs, to any of the plurality of power source units, the power received by the plurality of power receiving units from the plurality of power supply apparatuses, wherein the switching unit notifies the control unit that the power received from or supplied by any of the plurality of power supply apparatuses is cut off, and upon receiving the notification, the control unit switches power to be output to all of the plurality of power source units to the power of the battery unit. however it is merely one of several straightforward possibilities from which the skilled person in the art would select or switch to the internal batter(ies) as power sources for the portable IHS when the external power source disconnected from the portable IHS, in accordance with circumstances, without the exercise of inventive skill, in order to solve the problem posed.
In regard to claims 9, 19, Hijazi et al. disclose wherein the control unit decides a combination of a voltage value and a current value for receiving the power from the plurality of power supply apparatuses and an output destination of the power received from the plurality of power supply apparatuses, and switches the power to be output to the plurality of power source units to the power received from the plurality of power supply apparatuses (in Hijazi, the controllers 204A-B may output power from voltage outputs 206A-B to a common power node 212. The common power node 212 may be coupled to a charger 214 to charge a system battery, to supply power to voltage regulators, such as voltage regulators 218A-N, to supply power to an embedded controller 216 of the system, and to supply power to other information handling system components. The embedded controller 216 may be a system power controller for controlling power within the information handling system. The charger 214 may output power to an embedded controller 216 and to voltage regulators 218 A-N such as 5V voltage regulator 218A, 3.3 V voltage regulator 218N, and other voltage regulators. See ¶ 28-29, 31).
In regard to claims 10, 20, Hijazi et al. disclose wherein the connection unit is an interface conforming to a USB Type-C standard, and the electronic apparatus and the power supply apparatus are apparatuses conforming to a universal serial
Examiner's note:
Examiner has cited particular columns and line numbers in the references applied to the claims above for the convenience of the Applicant. Although the specified citations are representative of the teachings of the art and are applied to specific limitations within the individual claim, other passages and figures may apply as well. It is respectfully requested from the Applicant in preparing responses, to fully consider the references in entirety as potentially teaching all or part of the claimed invention, as well as the context of the passages as taught by the prior art or disclosed by the Examiner.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 3-4, 13-14 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.
The following is an Examiner's statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter: Claims 3 and 13 are allowable over the prior art of record because the prior arts, cited in its entirety, or in combination, do not teach
wherein the control unit decides a first combination of a voltage value and a current value for receiving the power from the plurality of power supply apparatuses and an output destination of the power received from the plurality of power supply apparatuses such that a sum of power losses in the plurality of power source units is minimized with respect to the power consumption of the plurality of load units (claims 3, 13).
Conclusion
Claims 1-2, 5-12, 15-21 are rejected. Claims 3-4 and 13-14 are objected.
The prior arts made of record and not relied upon are considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Nagano (US Pub No. 2020/0371573) discloses a a power source that supplies first electric power and supplies second electric power that is different from the first electric power to an external device, a current detector that detects a current value when the second electric power is supplied to the external device, an electric power supply controller that includes a plurality of electric power supply modes and performs control that supplies electric power corresponding to one electric power supply mode among the plurality of electric power supply modes to the external device as the second electric power, and a controller that performs control that limits the first electric power when the current value detected by the current detector reaches a predetermined first threshold value.
Farkas et al. (US Pub No. 2018/0120910) disclose a system (10) has a power sharing signal interface bus among controllers for ports of power supplies that determines power allowed by respective device loads (22-26). The controllers receive a power level request from a device load and use the power share signal interface to determine availability of excess system power reserves to support the request. A total deliverable system power corresponds to a voltage threshold on the signal interface.
Ueki (US Pub No. 2017/0038810) discloses a power feeding system 1 selects one of a plurality of power supply voltages and performs a power feeding operation via a USB interface, and the power feeding system. The authenticator controller 14 authenticating the USB cable 30 using the security information received from the USB cable 30, receives a voltage selection signal that selects one of the plurality of power supply voltages, and performs a power feeding operation based on the voltage selection signal.
Ueki (US Pub No. 2016/0225559) discloses a power supply apparatus includes a first power supply line of the power supply circuit that outputs a plurality of power supply voltages, a plurality of constant voltage diodes that each have breakdown voltages corresponding to the plurality of power supply voltages, and a control circuit that selects one of the plurality of power supply voltages as a power supply voltage which will be output from the power supply circuit and selects the constant voltage diode which will be connected to the first power supply line from among the plurality of constant voltage diodes.
Araki et al. (US No. 9,354,695) disclose each of the power supply units in a power supply apparatus includes a voltage conversion circuit that converts input voltage into output voltage within a predetermined voltage range an output capacitor that outputs supply power while accumulating charges according to the voltage converted by the voltage conversion circuit, and an overload detection circuit that detects an overload of the output capacitor and when the overload is detected.
Freeman et al. (US Pub No. 2010/0164292) disclose the electronic device is configured to receive power simultaneously from two or more redundant power supplies. Each redundant power supply configured to receive input power from one or more power sources and configured to provide regulated output power to the load of the electronic device.
Chueh et al. (US Pub No. 2010/0100752) disclose an AC-to-DC power adapter provides DC power to an information handling system at a first higher DC voltage or a second lower DC voltage based upon a power state of the information handling system.
Soo et al. (US Pat No. 6,465,909) disclose a circuit for controlling load sharing by a plurality of power supplies that are providing power to a load
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/RAYMOND N PHAN/
Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2175