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 .
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.
Claims 1-7 and 13 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.
Claim 1 recites the limitation "control circuitry configured to provide set a state of the switch control output responsive to the signal" in lines 7-8 [emphasis added]. It is not clear what is meant by the emphasized portion, thus rendering the claim indefinite.
Claim 5 recites the limitation "a first resistor" in line 8. It is not clear if this is the same first resistor cited in line 6 of the same claim, or some other resistor, thus rendering the claim indefinite.
Claim 13 recites the limitation "a first resistor" in line 8. It is not clear if this is the same first resistor cited in line 6 of the same claim, or some other resistor, thus rendering the claim indefinite.
Claims 2-4, 6, and 7 are rejected for inheriting the indefiniteness of parent claim 1.
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)(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 16 and 20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Li (USPAP 2024/0022067).
Regarding claim 16, Li’s Fig. 1 shows a circuit comprising:
a power management circuit (T1; also see par. [0034], lines 1-3) having a first power terminal (A) and a second power terminal (B); and
a control circuit (100) having an output coupled to the power management circuit and configurable to set a current limit of the power management circuit responsive to a voltage at the first power terminal [see col. [0033], lines 10-22].
As to claim 20, Li’s Fig. 1 clearly shows the circuit of claim 16, wherein:
the power management circuit includes:
a transistor (T1) including a control terminal (its gate) and coupled between the first (A) and second (B) power terminals, the control terminal coupled to the output of the control circuit (100).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 8-12, 14, and 15 are presently allowed.
Claims 17-19, 21, and 22 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.
Claims 1-7 and 13 would be allowable if rewritten or amended to overcome the rejections under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), 2nd paragraph, set forth in this Office action.
Conclusion
Applicant's amendment necessitated the new grounds 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 directed to WILLIAM HERNANDEZ whose telephone number is (571)272-8979. The examiner can normally be reached Mon to Fri; 10am to 6pm.
Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Taelor Kim can be reached at (571) 270-7166. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/WILLIAM HERNANDEZ/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2836
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