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 .
Restriction Response to the Applicant's Argument
Applicant's argument filed on 09/23/2026 is found to be persuasive. As such, the restriction mailed on 06/23/2026 is hereby withdrawn. All claims are being examined at this time.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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 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 1-2 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Claydon et al (US Patent No. 8659326) in view of Premerlani et al (US Publication No. 20080165457).
Regarding claim 1, Claydon teaches a circuit breaker system (i.e., circuit breaker system 30) (fig. 2), comprising: an input terminal (i.e., input terminal 12) and an output terminal (i.e., output terminal 14); a micro-electromechanical systems (MEMS) switch (i.e., MEMS switch 36) electrically connected therebetween (implicit, as seen in fig. 2), comprising: a conductive beam (i.e., conductive beam 16 = 17+19) pivoted over a substrate (i.e., on a common substrate through micro-fabrication technology; Col. 3 lines 49+) by a conductive post (i.e., conductive post 20) to tilt in opposite directions (i.e., either towards numerals 12/17 or towards numerals 14/19), first and second contact electrodes (i.e., first and second contact electrodes 22) formed on the substrate at opposite lateral sides of the conductive post (implicit, as seen in fig. 2), and first and second control electrodes formed on the substrate at opposite lateral sides of the conductive post (implicit, as seen in fig. 2), wherein each of the first and second control electrodes is disposed laterally between the conductive post and a respective one (i.e., respective one 20) of the first and second contact electrodes (implicit, as seen in fig. 2).
Claydon does not teach a current sensor serially connected to the MEMS switch between the input and output terminals; and a microcontroller communicatively coupled to the MEMS switch and the current sensor, wherein upon the microcontroller determining that a current sensed from the current sensor exceeds a predetermined threshold value, the microcontroller is configured to activate the MEMS switch by tilting the conductive beam in a first direction to cause: a first side of the conductive beam to electromechanically couple to the first contact electrode, thereby electrically connecting the input terminal to the first contact electrode, and a second side of the conductive beam to electromechanically decouple from the second contact electrode, thereby open circuiting a path between the input terminal and the second contact electrode.
Premerlani teaches in a similar field of endeavor in MEMS switching circuits (i.e., MEMS 206) (fig. 15); wherein a current sensor (i.e., current sensor 226) serially connected to the MEMS switch (i.e., MEMS switch 206) between the input and output terminals (i.e., the input and output terminals D, S, respectively); and a microcontroller (i.e., microcontroller 208) communicatively coupled to the MEMS switch and the current sensor (implicit, as seen in fig. 15), wherein upon the microcontroller determining that a current sensed (i.e., current sensed Ibus 50) from the current sensor exceeds a predetermined threshold value (i.e., predetermined threshold value; para. [0043]), the microcontroller is configured to activate the MEMS switch by tilting the conductive beam (i.e., the contact responsive to G via driver 220) in a first direction to cause (i.e., outward G to OPEN and inward G to CLOSE): a first side (i.e., the side of terminals D are coupled with the contact) of the conductive beam to electromechanically couple to the first contact electrode (i.e., terminals D are coupled with the contact), thereby electrically connecting the input terminal to the first contact electrode (implicit, as seen in fig. 15), and a second side (i.e., the side of terminals S are de-coupled with the contact) of the conductive beam to electromechanically decouple from the second contact electrode (i.e., terminals S are de-coupled with the contact), thereby open circuiting a path (OFF) between the input terminal and the second contact electrode (implicit, as seen in fig. 15).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have optionally included the current sensor in Claydon, as taught by Premerlani, as it provides the advantage of optimizing the circuit design.
Regarding claim 2, Claydon in view of Premerlani and the teachings of Claydon as modified by Premerlani have been discussed above.
Premerlani further teaches the circuit breaker system of Claim 1, wherein the current sensor comprises a resistor (i.e., resistor Rbus 48) (fig. 15) connected between the first contact electrode (i.e., terminals D) and a power source (i.e., power source 44).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 3-7 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 a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter:
Regarding claim 3, Claydon in view of Premerlani teaches the invention set forth above. However, neither Claydon nor Premerlani particularly teaches further comprising an analog-to- digital converter (ADC) electrically connected to the current sensor and configured to convert sensed current into a digital signal, wherein the circuit breaker further comprises an isolation circuit electrically connected between the ADC and the microcontroller, the isolation circuit comprising a transformer configured to receive the digital signal and provide an isolated signal to the microcontroller.
Hence claim 3 will be deemed allowable if rewritten in an independent form.
Claims 5-7 depend on objected claim 3, consequently claims 5-7 will also be deemed allowable.
Regarding claim 4, Claydon in view of Premerlani teaches the invention set forth above. However, neither Claydon nor Premerlani particularly teaches wherein the first contact electrode is electrically shorted with the conductive post.
Hence claim 4 will be deemed allowable if rewritten in an independent form.
Claims 8-20 are allowed.
The following is an examiner’s statement of reasons for allowance:
Regarding claim 8, Claydon et al (US Patent No. 8659326) in view of Premerlani et al (US Publication No. 20080165457) substantially teaches the claim limitations as indicated in claim 1. However, neither Claydon nor Premerlani teaches or suggests a circuit breaker system, comprising: an input terminal and an output terminal; a micro-electromechanical systems (MEMS) switch electrically connected therebetween, comprising: a conductive beam pivoted over a substrate by a conductive post to tilt in opposite directions, first and second contact electrodes formed on the substrate at opposite lateral sides of the conductive post, and first and second control electrodes formed on the substrate at opposite lateral sides of the conductive post, wherein each of the first and second control electrodes is disposed laterally between the conductive post and a respective one of the first and second contact electrodes; a temperature sensor in thermal communication with the MEMS switch; and a microcontroller communicatively coupled to the MEMS switch and the temperature sensor, wherein upon the microcontroller determining that a temperature sensed from the temperature sensor exceeds a predetermined threshold value, the microcontroller is configured to activate the MEMS switch by tilting the conductive beam in a first direction to cause: a first side of the conductive beam to electromechanically couple to the first contact electrode, thereby electrically connecting the input terminal to the first contact electrode, and a second side of the conductive beam to electromechanically decouple from the second contact electrode, thereby open circuiting a path between the input terminal and the second contact electrode.
Claims 9-15 are allowed, as they depend on allowed claim 8.
Regarding claim 16, Claydon et al (US Patent No. 8659326) in view of Premerlani et al (US Publication No. 20080165457) substantially teaches the claim limitations as indicated in claim 1. However, neither Claydon nor Premerlani teaches or suggests a circuit breaker system, comprising: an input terminal and an output terminal; a micro-electromechanical systems (MEMS) switch electrically connected therebetween, comprising: a conductive beam pivoted over a substrate by a conductive post to tilt in opposite directions, first and second contact electrodes formed on the substrate at opposite lateral sides of the conductive post, and first and second control electrodes formed on the substrate at opposite lateral sides of the conductive post, wherein each of the first and second control electrodes is disposed laterally between the conductive post and a respective one of the first and second contact electrodes; and one or more thin film-based sensors co-fabricated on the substrate to have at least one common physical dimension with a layer of the MEMS switch.
Claims 17-20 are allowed, as they depend on allowed claim 16.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to MUAAMAR Q AL-TAWEEL whose telephone number is (571)270-0339. The examiner can normally be reached 0730-1700.
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/MUAAMAR QAHTAN AL-TAWEEL/Examiner, Art Unit 2838
/THIENVU V TRAN/ Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2838
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