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 .
Drawings
The drawings are objected to under 37 CFR 1.83(a). The drawings must show every feature of the invention specified in the claims. Therefore, the non-overlapping double pulse generator comprising first to fifth flip-flops with the connections as recited in claim 9 must be shown or the feature(s) canceled from the claim(s). No new matter should be entered.
Corrected drawing sheets in compliance with 37 CFR 1.121(d) are required in reply to the Office action to avoid abandonment of the application. Any amended replacement drawing sheet should include all of the figures appearing on the immediate prior version of the sheet, even if only one figure is being amended. The figure or figure number of an amended drawing should not be labeled as “amended.” If a drawing figure is to be canceled, the appropriate figure must be removed from the replacement sheet, and where necessary, the remaining figures must be renumbered and appropriate changes made to the brief description of the several views of the drawings for consistency. Additional replacement sheets may be necessary to show the renumbering of the remaining figures. Each drawing sheet submitted after the filing date of an application must be labeled in the top margin as either “Replacement Sheet” or “New Sheet” pursuant to 37 CFR 1.121(d). If the changes are not accepted by the examiner, the applicant will be notified and informed of any required corrective action in the next Office action. The objection to the drawings will not be held in abeyance.
The drawings are also objected to under 37 CFR 1.83(a) because they fail to show first to fifth flip-flops in Figure 6 as described in the specification (see [0037]-[0039]; and it is note that Figure 6 shows first to fifth inverters instead of flip-flops). Any structural detail that is essential for a proper understanding of the disclosed invention should be shown in the drawing. MPEP § 608.02(d). Corrected drawing sheets in compliance with 37 CFR 1.121(d) are required in reply to the Office action to avoid abandonment of the application. Any amended replacement drawing sheet should include all of the figures appearing on the immediate prior version of the sheet, even if only one figure is being amended. The figure or figure number of an amended drawing should not be labeled as “amended.” If a drawing figure is to be canceled, the appropriate figure must be removed from the replacement sheet, and where necessary, the remaining figures must be renumbered and appropriate changes made to the brief description of the several views of the drawings for consistency. Additional replacement sheets may be necessary to show the renumbering of the remaining figures. Each drawing sheet submitted after the filing date of an application must be labeled in the top margin as either “Replacement Sheet” or “New Sheet” pursuant to 37 CFR 1.121(d). If the changes are not accepted by the examiner, the applicant will be notified and informed of any required corrective action in the next Office action. The objection to the drawings will not be held in abeyance.
Specification
The disclosure is objected to because of the following informalities: in paragraphs [0037]-[0039], it is disclosed that Figure 6 comprises first to fifth flip flops (for elements 632, 635, 636, 637 and 639), however the drawings in Figure 6 show the symbols for elements 632, 635, 636, 637 and 639) are inverters (instead of flip flops). Thus, the specification is objected to because the description and the drawings are not consistent with each other, and thus it is not clear if applicant means Figure 6 comprises first to fifth flip flops (as described in paragraphs [0037]-[0039]) or first to fifth inverters (as shown in Figure 6). Appropriate correction is required.
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.
Claim 6 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 applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
For claim 6, the recitation “an output terminal” on line 5 is indefinite because it is unclear antecedent basis (see claim 5, line 3), and it is not clear if applicant means “the output terminal of the first operational amplifier”. Similarly, the recitation “an output terminal” on line 9 is indefinite because it is unclear antecedent basis (see claim 5, line 6), and it is not clear if applicant means “the output terminal of the second operational amplifier”. Clarification and/or appropriate correction is required.
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.
Claim 11 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Yanagishima (US 2009/0033405 A1).
For claim 11, Figure 1 of Yanagishima teaches an operating method, adapted to a gate driver (IC1), wherein the gate driver (IC1) comprises a charge sharing circuit (R1, C1, P1, R2, N1, C2), wherein the charge sharing circuit (R1, C1, P1, R2, N1, C2) comprises a first resistor (R1), a second resistor (R2), a first capacitor (C1), a second capacitor (C2), a first switching transistor (P1), and a second switching transistor (N1), wherein the first resistor (R1) is coupled to the first capacitor (C1) and the first switching transistor (P1), the second resistor (R2) is coupled to the second capacitor (C2) and the second switching transistor (N1), and the first switching transistor (P1) and the second switching transistor (N1) are also coupled to a circuit node (A), the operating method comprising: receiving a first switching signal (signal S1 at gate P1) through a control terminal (gate) of the first switching transistor (P1); and receiving a second switching signal (signal S1 at gate N1) through a control terminal (gate) of the second switching transistor (N1), wherein a conduction period of the first switching transistor (P1) and a conduction period of the second switching transistor (N1) are non-overlapping and have a time interval.
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 to which the claimed invention pertains. Patentability shall not be negated by the manner in which the invention was made.
Claims 11-14 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Yamamoto (US 2013/0194006 A1) in view Yanagishima (US 2009/0033405 A1).
For claim 11, Figure 1 of Yamamoto teaches an operating method, adapted to a gate driver (1), wherein the gate driver (1) comprises a charge sharing circuit (19, 20), wherein the charge sharing circuit (19, 20) comprises a first switching transistor (19) and a second switching transistor (20), wherein the first switching transistor (19) and the second switching transistor (20) are also coupled to a circuit node (18), the operating method comprising: receiving a first switching signal (GH) through a control terminal of the first switching transistor (18); and receiving a second switching signal (GL) through a control terminal of the second switching transistor (19), wherein a conduction period of the first switching transistor (18) and a conduction period of the second switching transistor (19) are non-overlapping and have a time interval. Figure 1 of Yamamoto does not teach the charge sharing circuit also comprises a first resistor, a second resistor, a first capacitor, and a second capacitor, wherein the first resistor is coupled to the first capacitor and the first switching transistor, the second resistor is coupled to the second capacitor and the second switching transistor. However, Figure 1 of Yanagishima teaches the charge sharing circuit (R1, C1, P1, R2, N1, C2) also comprises a first resistor (R1), a second resistor (R2), a first capacitor (C1), a second capacitor (C2), wherein the first resistor (R1) is coupled to the first capacitor (C1) and the first switching transistor (P1), the second resistor (R2) is coupled to the second capacitor (C2) and the second switching transistor (N1). Therefore, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skilled in the art at a time before the invention was effectively filed to modify the gate driver circuit in Figure 1 of Yamamoto so that the charge sharing circuit also includes “a first resistor (R1), a second resistor (R2), a first capacitor (C1), a second capacitor (C2), wherein the first resistor (R1) is coupled to the first capacitor (C1) and the first switching transistor, the second resistor (R2) is coupled to the second capacitor (C2) and the second switching transistor”, as taught in Figure 1 of Yanagishima, for the purpose of limiting the current and less power consumption while achieve high-speed switching (see [0047]-[0049], Yanagishima).
For claim 12, Figure 1 of Yamamoto in the above combination/modification teaches receiving a first input signal (XH) and a second input signal (XL) through a potential transducer (4, 5); and converting potentials of the first input signal (XH) and the second input signal (XL) through the potential transducer (4, 5) to generate the first switching signal (GH) and the second switching signal (GL).
For claim 13, Figure 1 of Yamamoto in the above combination/modification teaches receiving a control signal (Xin) through a non-overlapping double pulse generator (3); and generating the first input signal (XH) and the second input signal (XL) according to the control signal (Xin) through the non-overlapping double pulse generator (3), wherein a rising edge and a falling edge of each pulse wave of the first input signal (XH) and a rising edge and a falling edge of each pulse wave of the second input signal (XL) are non-overlapping (see timing diagram in Figure 3).
For claim 14, Figure 1 of Yamamoto in the above combination/modification teaches wherein the control signal (Xin) is a pulse width modulation signal (see timing diagram in Figure 3).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claim 1-5 and 7-10 are allowed.
Claim 6 would be allowable if rewritten or amended to overcome the rejection(s) under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), 2nd paragraph, set forth in this Office action.
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.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Lincoln Donovan, can be reached at (571) 272-1988. The fax number for this group is (571) 273-8300.
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/Long Nguyen/
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 2842