Detailed Action
Summary
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 .
1.This office action is in response to the application filed on February 03,2025.
2. Claims 1-9 are pending and has been examined.
Priority
3. Acknowledgment is made of applicant’s claim for foreign priority under 35 U.S.C. 119 (a)-(d), which the certified copy has been placed in the record of the file.
Information Disclosure Statement
4. The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted 02/25/2025 on is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
Drawings
5. Drawings submitted on 02/03/2025 are acceptable.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
6. 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 1-9 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 “ a predefined reference value by a present measured value to a respective intermediate value via a predefined operation” is vague and unclear and leaves the reader in doubt as to the meaning because the claims does not define what is considered to be “a predefined reference value by a present measured value to a respective intermediate value via a predefined operation”. Furthermore, a person skilled in the art would not know “operation” has to be carried out and what t the “changed intermediate value” is to be.
Claim 1 recites “a particular intermediate value by a respective auxiliary value up to a reference value via an opposite operation” is vague and unclear and leaves the reader in doubt as to the meaning because the auxiliary value is nod defined , the term “operation” is unclear a, as already stated, and furthermore the term “opposite operation” has no general acknowledged meaning.
claim 1 recites “during the respective remaining time period of the same clock pulse, a first state as the particular sensor value and otherwise using a second state” is vague and unclear and leaves the reader in doubt as to the meaning because neither the first state or the second state are defined . Furthermore, it is not which sensor value outside of the “remaining time span” applies because it has not been defined.
Claim 2 recites “extreme value” is vague and unclear and leaves the reader in
doubt as to the meaning because the claims does not define what is considered to be “extreme value”.
Claims 3-9 depended on claim 1, thus are also rejected because of their dependency.
Allowable Subject Matter
7. Claims 1-9 would be allowable if rewritten or amended to overcome the rejection(s) under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), 2nd paragraph, set forth in this Office action.
The following is an examiner’s statement of reasons for allowance:
Claim 1 is allowed because the prior art in the record does not discloses or suggest method to determine a state of a converter including the limitation of “sending a clock signal comprising multiple identical clock pulses having two different clock states to each sensor unit; changing, during one of the clock states of each clock pulse for each sensor unit, a predefined reference value by a present measured value to a respective intermediate value via a predefined operation; changing, during another clock state of the respective same clock pulse for each sensor unit, a particular intermediate value by a respective auxiliary value up to a reference value via an opposite operation; using, during the respective remaining time period of the same clock pulse, a first state as the particular sensor value and otherwise using a second state; and providing the sensor values via a supply circuit into a shared output line that is directed toward an output point.”
Claims 2-9 dependent on claim 1, thus are also allowed because to their dependency.
Any comments considered necessary by applicant must be submitted no later than the payment of the issue fee and, to avoid processing delays, should preferably accompany the issue fee. Such submissions should be clearly labeled “Comments on Statement of Reasons for Allowance.”
8. As allowable subject matter has been indicated, applicant's reply must either comply with all formal requirements or specifically traverse each requirement not complied with. See 37 CFR 1.111(b) and MPEP § 707.07(a).
Conclusion
9. Namiki “ 20210044247” , Kosugi “20130343105” and Hamanaka “20140019816” are considered the closest prior art.
Namki discloses method to determine a state of a converter (a power converter 3, see parag. 0029-0031 and 0034) based on at least two sensor values (output values of the temperature sensors ( 21u, 21V and 21w) , each of which corresponds to a measured value that is created via an analog sensor of a particular sensor unit (21u, 21V and 21w) but fails having a “a clock signal comprising multiple identical clock pulses having two different clock states to each sensor unit; changing, during one of the clock states of each clock pulse for each sensor unit, a predefined reference value by a present measured value to a respective intermediate value via a predefined operation; changing , during another clock state of the respective same clock pulse for each sensor unit, a particular intermediate value by a respective auxiliary value up to a reference value via an opposite operation; using, during the respective remaining time period of the same clock pulse, a first state as the particular sensor value and otherwise using a second state; and providing the sensor values via a supply circuit into a shared output line that is directed toward an output point”.
Hamanaka discloses the present invention relates to error correction devices to be used in physical property value detection devices comprised of a detection element, a modulation section and a detection section.
Kosugi discloses the present invention relates to an overheating protection control apparatus for an inverter, and an overheating protection control method for an inverter.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to SISAY G TIKU whose telephone number is (571)272-6898. The examiner can normally be reached 8:30AM-6:00PM. 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 L 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. Information regarding the status of published or unpublished applications may be obtained from Patent Center. Unpublished application information in Patent Center is available to registered users. To file and manage patent submissions in Patent Center, visit: https://patentcenter.uspto.gov. Visit https://www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/patent-center for more information about Patent Center and https://www.uspto.gov/patents/docx for information about filing in DOCX format. For additional questions, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000.
/SISAY G TIKU/
Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2838
Prosecution Insights