DETAIL 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 .
This Office Action is in response to Applicant’s filing on 01/24/25.
Drawings
Figure 3-8 (See Spec., Para 9) should be designated by a legend such as --Prior Art-- because only that which is old is illustrated. See MPEP § 608.02(g). Corrected drawings in compliance with 37 CFR 1.121(d) are required in reply to the Office action to avoid abandonment of the application. The replacement sheet(s) should be labeled “Replacement Sheet” in the page header (as per 37 CFR 1.84(c)) so as not to obstruct any portion of the drawing figures. 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:
Regarding independent claim 1, in lines ‘7, 11, 22’, amend phrase from “a controlled termination” to – “a controlled terminal” --.
Appropriate correction is required.
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.
Claim 1 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Vinciarelli (US Pat 8669744), in view of Jitaru (US Pub 2024/022162).
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Above Fig. 8, from Vinciarelli (US Pat 8669744)
Regarding independent claim 1, Vinciarelli teaches (Fig. 7-12, 17; wherein note that Viniciarelli’s Fig. 7-8 being same as Applicant’s Fig. 6 and similar to Applicant’s Fig. 9) a buck converter (Fig. 8; col. 6 L56-col. 10 L64) comprising:
an input voltage source having first and second terminals (DC Vin with +/- terminals);
an inductive element (i.e., anticipated parasitic inductance on terminal that is shared by ‘S1-2 and inductor L’, from node 157);
a first power switch (S1 with body diode D1)
having first (S1’s 1st terminal connected to receive DC Vin+) and second terminals (S1’s 2nd terminal connected to provide output to node 157) and a controlled termination which turns the first power switch on and off (S1’s a controlled termination being on its gate/base terminal, driven by 172 to be on and off),
wherein the first terminal of the first power switch is connected to the first terminal of the input voltage source (S1’s 1st terminal connected to receive DC Vin+);
second power switch (S2 with body diode D2 and parasitic capacitance Cp)
having first (S2’s 1st terminal connected to S1’s 2nd terminal at node 157) and second (S2’s 2nd terminal connected to DC Vin-) terminals and a controlled termination which turns the second power switch on and off (S2’s a controlled termination being on its gate/base terminal, driven by 172 to be on and off),
wherein
the second terminal of the second power switch is connected to the second terminal of the input voltage source (S2’s 2nd terminal connected to DC Vin-) and
the first terminal of the second power switch is connected to the second terminal of first power switch (S2’s 1st terminal connected to S1’s 2nd terminal at node 157);
an inductor element (L) connected between a common connection (i.e., at node 157) of the first and second power switches (S2’s 1st terminal connected to S1’s 2nd terminal at node 157) and load (154); and
a shorting switch module (170)
comprising a unidirectional switch (i.e., diode Dc 168) in series with a controlled switch (i.e., switch Sc with body diode 166B) and further in series with …,
wherein
the controlled switch has a controlled termination through which the controlled switch is turned on and off (Sc’s a controlled termination being on its gate/base terminal, driven by 172 to be on and off), and
the shorting switch module (170) is connected in parallel with the inductive element (i.e., anticipated parasitic inductance on terminal that is shared by ‘S1-2 and inductor L’, from node 157).
However, Vinciarelli fails to teach an output capacitor connected in parallel to a load resistor; an inductor element connected between a common connection of the first and second power switches and the output capacitor; and a shorting switch module included a unidirectional switch in series with a controlled switch and further in series with a voltage injection voltage source.
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Above Fig. 5d, from Jitaru (US Pub 2024/022162)
However, Jitaru teaches (Fig. 5d; Para 83-88)
an output capacitor (Co) connected in parallel to a load resistor (Load);
an inductor element (Lo) connected between a common connection (node between M1-2 & L0, such as at node A) of the first (M1 with parasitic capacitance) and second (M2 with parasitic capacitance) power switches and the output capacitor (Co); and
a shorting switch module’s (610 connected in parallel with Lo and also operation wise anticipated parasitic inductance on terminal that is shared by ‘M1-2, L0, from node A) included a unidirectional switch (diode D2 520) in series with a controlled switch (switch Sy 1020 includes a controlled termination being its gate/base terminal, driven by controller 4444 to be on and off) and further in series with a voltage injection voltage source (Vinjc 4033; Para 56-48, 65-66, 101, 121-122, 123, 143).
Thus, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified Viniciarelli’s taught converter to include an output capacitor connected in parallel to a load resistor; an inductor element connected between a common connection of the first and second power switches and the output capacitor; and a shorting switch module included a unidirectional switch in series with a controlled switch and further in series with a voltage injection voltage source, as disclosed by Jitaru, as doing so would have proficiently trapped energy and prevent parasitic oscillation, and resulting maintenance of overall steady operation within the circuit while meeting load’s requirement more efficiently at the same time, as taught by Jitaru (abstract).
Conclusion
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/NUSRAT QUDDUS/Examiner, Art Unit 2838
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