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 .
Priority
Acknowledgment is made of applicant’s claim for foreign priority under 35 U.S.C. 119 (a)-(d). The certified copy has been filed in parent Application No. 17/736,668, filed on 05/07/2021.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statements (IDS) submitted on 01/10/25 and 06/26/25 have been considered by the examiner.
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 “second thyristor … the cathode of the first thyristor being coupled to a cathode of the second thyristor” 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.
Claim Objections
Claim 1 is objected to because of the following informalities: “ the cathode of the first thyristor being coupled to a cathode of the second thyristor” should be -- the cathode of the first thyristor being coupled to an anode of the second thyristor -. Appropriate correction is required.
Claim 16 is objected to because of the following informalities: “ wherein a cathode of the second rectifying element is coupled to an anode of the second rectifying element” should be -- wherein a cathode of the second rectifying element is coupled to an anode of the first rectifying element --. Appropriate correction is required.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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 (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) 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.
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.
Claims 1-4, 8, and 13 -18 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1)as being anticipated by Benabdelaziz et al. (US 10,483,874 B2).
Benabdelaziz et al. disclose a reversible AC-DC and DC-AC thyristor converter in Figures 1-10.
Regarding claim 1. A converter (Figure 2) comprising: a first terminal (15) coupled to a first switch (S1); a second terminal (16); a third terminal (11); a fourth terminal (12); a first thyristor (SCR2) with a cathode coupled to the second terminal and an anode coupled to the fourth terminal a second thyristor (SCR3) coupled in series to the first thyristor between the third terminal and the fourth terminal, the cathode of the first thyristor being coupled to a cathode of the second thyristor, an anode of the second thyristor being coupled to the first terminal; a first power supply circuit configured to deliver a first reference voltage (voltage across SCR3) between a first node and a second node of the first power supply circuit; and a second power supply circuit configured to deliver a second reference voltage (voltage across SCR2) between a third node and a fourth node of the second power supply circuit (see col. 5, line 11 to col.6, line 25).
Regarding claim 2. The converter of claim 1, further comprising a first inductor (L1) coupled between the first terminal and the first switch.
Regarding claim 3. The converter of claim 1, further comprising a second switch (S2) coupled between the cathode of the first thyristor and the fourth terminal.
Regarding claim 4. The converter of claim 1, further comprising a first diode (D1) coupled between the first terminal and the third terminal.
Regarding claim 8. A device, (Figure 2) comprising: a first thyristor (SCR2); a second thyristor (SCR3) coupled in series with the first thyristor; a first power supply circuit delivering a first reference voltage (voltage across SCR3) between a first node and a second node of the first power supply; a second power supply circuit delivering a second reference voltage (voltage across SCR2) between third and fourth nodes of the second power supply, a cathode of the first thyristor being coupled to the first node of the first power supply circuit; a third power supply circuit configured to deliver a third reference voltage (voltage across SCR4) between the fourth terminal and a fifth node; and a fourth power supply circuit configured to deliver a fourth reference voltage (voltage across SCR1) between sixth and seventh nodes (see col. 5, line 11 to col.6, line 25).
Regarding claim 13. A device (Figure 2), comprising: a first input terminal (15); a second input terminal (16); an output terminal (11) coupled to a ground terminal (12) via a first capacitor (C1); a first switch (S1) coupled between the first input terminal and the output terminal; a first thyristor (SCR2) coupled between the second input terminal and the output terminal; a second thyristor (SCR3) coupled between the second input terminal and the ground terminal, the first and second thyristors being coupled in series; and a first rectifying element (D1) coupled between the second input terminal and the output terminal (see col. 5, line 11 to col.6, line 25).
Regarding claim 14. The device of claim 13, further comprising an inductor (L1) coupled between the first input terminal )15) and the first switch (S1).
Regarding claim 15. The device of claim 13, further comprising a second rectifying (D2) element coupled between the second input terminal and the ground terminal.
Regarding claim 16. The device of claim 15, wherein a cathode of the second rectifying element (D2) is coupled to an anode of the second rectifying element (meant to be first rectifying element D1) and to the second input terminal.
Regarding claim 17. The device of claim 14, further comprising a second switch (S2) coupled between the first input terminal )15) and the ground terminal (GND).
Regarding claim 18. The device of claim 13, further comprising a first power supply coupled between the first input terminal (15) and the output terminal (11).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 5-7, 9-12, 19 and 20 would be allowable if rewritten to overcome the claim objection set forth in this Office action and to include all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
Claim 5 is allowed because the prior art of record fails to disclose or suggest converter including the limitation “wherein the second power supply circuit includes: the first switch coupled between the first node and the fourth node; and a cathode of the first thyristor coupled to the fourth node, the cathode of the first thyristor further coupled to the first node through the first switch“ in addition to other limitations recited therein.
Dependent claims 6 and 7 are allowable by virtue of their dependency.
Claim 9 is allowed because the prior art of record fails to disclose or suggest device including the limitation “further comprising a first switch coupled between the cathode of the first thyristor and the first node of the first power supply, the first thyristor being coupled to the fourth node“ in addition to other limitations recited therein.
Claim 10 is allowed because the prior art of record fails to disclose or suggest device including the limitation “wherein the second power supply circuit includes a rectifying element coupled to the second node of the first power supply circuit and coupled to the third node“ in addition to other limitations recited therein.
Claim 11 is allowed because the prior art of record fails to disclose or suggest device including the limitation “the fourth power supply circuit including a rectifying element coupled to the fifth node of the third power supply circuit“ in addition to other limitations recited therein.
Claim 12 is allowed because the prior art of record fails to disclose or suggest device including the limitation “wherein a cathode of the second thyristor is coupled to the seventh node” in addition to other limitations recited therein.
Claim 19 is allowed because the prior art of record fails to disclose or suggest device including the limitation “a first diode coupled to the first power supply; a first resistor coupled between the first diode and the output terminal; a first capacitor coupled between the first resistor and the output terminal; and a Zener diode coupled between the first resistor and the output terminal, the Zener diode being coupled in parallel with the first capacitor” in addition to other limitations recited therein.
Dependent claim 20 is allowable by virtue of their dependency.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Gonthier (US 12,381,467 B2) discloses a voltage converter.
Gonthier (US 12,184,195 B2) discloses an electric circuit with thyristor.
Examiner has cited particular columns, line numbers and/or paragraphs 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(s), other passages and figures may apply
as well.
Additionally, in the event that other prior art is provided and made of record by the
Examiner, as being relevant or pertinent to applicant's disclosure but not relied upon.
The references are provided for the convenience of the applicant.
The Examiner request that the references be considered in any subsequent amendments, as they are also representative of the art and may apply to the specific limitations of any newly amended claim(s).
It is respectfully requested from the applicant in preparing amendments or responses, to
fully consider the references in their 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 and/or
disclosed by the Examiner.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ADOLF D BERHANE whose telephone number is (571)272-2077. The examiner can normally be reached 7 AM - 10 PM.
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, Crystal Hammond can be reached at 571-270-1682. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/ADOLF D BERHANE/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2838
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