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 § 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(s) 1-2, 6, 11, 13-14 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Donohue (US 6,177,783).
With respect to claim 1, Donohue discloses a method, comprising: applying a first power supply signal by a first voltage regulation circuit to a first power line (first voltage regulator 104-1 provides power to the OUTPUT); applying a second power supply signal by a second voltage regulation circuit to the first power line (Nth voltage regulator 104-N provides power to the OUTPUT); determining that a first signal criterion associated with a current flowing on the first power line relative to a first threshold level has been met (col. 2, lines 34-44 discloses sensing the current of the power supply and adjusting the regulators accordingly); and adjusting, responsive to determining that the first signal criterion has been met, current levels respectively corresponding to the first and second power supply signals to cause the first and second voltage regulation circuits to contribute to a change in the current relative to the first threshold level according to a first ratio (col. 2, lines 34-50; col. 3, lines 1-12 and abstract discloses providing a feedback signal based on the OUTPUT to control the regulators to provide power according to a selected ratio).
With respect to claim 2, Donohue discloses the method of claim 1, wherein determining that the first signal criterion has been met further comprises determining that the current flowing on the first power line has reached or exceeded the first threshold level. Figure 2A discloses that based on the sense power supply signal and feedback the regulators are control to the provide the OUTPUT, abstract and col. 2 lines 55-67 - col. 3 lines 29.
With respect to claim 6, Donohue discloses an apparatus, comprising: a first voltage regulation circuit configured to apply a first power supply signal to a first power line and to contribute to a current flowing on the first power line (first voltage regulator 104-1 provides power to the OUTPUT); a second voltage regulation circuit configured to apply a second power supply signal to the first power line and to contribute to the current flowing on the first power line (Nth voltage regulator 104-N provides power to the OUTPUT); and control circuitry coupled to the first voltage regulation circuit and the second voltage regulation circuit (error amplifier 108, soft start circuit 114), wherein the control circuitry is configured to, while the first and second power supply signals are being applied to the first power line: determine that the current flowing on the first power line has reached or exceeded a first threshold level; and adjust current levels respectively corresponding to the first and second power supply signals to cause the first and second voltage regulation circuits to contribute to an amount of current exceeding the first threshold level according to a first ratio. Col. 2, lines 34-50; col. 3, lines 1-29 and abstract discloses providing a feedback signal based on the OUTPUT to control the regulators to provide power according to a selected ratio and that if there is failure in a power supply, the other regulators/second regulators provide an output voltage.
With respect to claim 11, Donohue discloses the apparatus of claim 6, further comprising: sensing circuitry coupled to the first power line; and the sensing circuitry is configured to compare the current flowing on the first power line to a plurality of threshold levels. Col. 5, lines 65-7 – col. 6, lines 1-10 discloses sensing the current of the power line and comparing the current via operational amplifiers U2, U4 based on the sensed currents from the amplifier 208 and differential amplifiers U1, U3.
With respect to claims 13-14, Donohue discloses the apparatus of claim 6, wherein the second voltage regulation circuit is configured to regulate a voltage of an input power supply signal received via a second power line, wherein the voltage of the input power supply signal corresponds to a first voltage level, wherein the first voltage regulation circuit is configured to regulate a voltage of an input power supply signal received via a third power line, wherein the voltage of the input power supply signal corresponds to a second voltage level different than the first voltage level. Figure 1 discloses the first and Nth voltage regulator received input power supply from independent power supplies 102-1 and 102-N, respectively.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 15-20 are allowed.
Claim 15 is allowable over the prior art of record, because the prior art of record does not disclose a sensor configured to monitor a current flowing on the first power line based on a plurality of programmable threshold levels; and control circuitry coupled to the sensor, the first voltage regulation circuit, and the second voltage regulation circuit, the control circuitry configured to: cause, in response to an indication from the sensor that a current flowing on the first power line has reached or exceeded a first threshold level, the second voltage regulation circuit to initiate the application of the second power supply signal to the first power line to cause the first and second voltage regulation circuits to contribute to an amount of current exceeding the first threshold level according to a first ratio; and adjust, in response to an indication from the sensor that the current flowing on the first power line has reached or exceeded a second threshold level corresponding to a higher current level than that of the first threshold level, respective current levels corresponding to the first and second power supply signals to cause the first and second voltage regulation circuits to contribute to an amount of current exceeding the second threshold level according to a second ratio.
Claims 3-5, 7-10, 12 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.
Claim 3 is allowable over the prior art of record, because the prior art of record does not disclose determining that a second signal criterion associated with the current flowing on the first power line relative to a second threshold level has been met; and adjusting, responsive to the determination that the second signal criterion has been met, current levels respectively corresponding to the first and second power supply signals to cause the first and second power supply signals to contribute to a change in the current relative to the second threshold level according to a second ratio.
Claim 7 is allowable over the prior art of record, because the prior art of record does not disclose wherein the control circuitry is configured to prevent the second voltage regulation circuit from contributing to the current flowing on the first power line unless the current flowing on the first power line is determined to have reached or exceeded a second threshold level, wherein the second threshold level corresponds to a lower current level than that of the first threshold level.
Claim 12 is allowable over the prior art of record, because the prior art of record does not disclose further comprising a memory configured to store information associated with a process variation associated with at least a part of the apparatus and coupled to the control circuitry, wherein the control circuitry is configured to: access the memory to retrieve the information; and adjust the plurality of threshold levels based on the information.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. KIM (US 2022/0391108) discloses providing power from a first and a second voltage generation circuit to a memory device.
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/CARLOS AMAYA/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2836
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