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 and 5 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Arai (Pub 20130249641).
As to claim 1, Arai teaches an oscillation device comprising (Fig 1):
a piezoelectric element (20) capable of resonating at a first frequency and a second frequency higher than the first frequency (paragraphs 29 and 31, 20 is capable of resonators at the different modes);
a transistor (30) including a control electrode (gate of 30) connected to the piezoelectric element, a power supply-side electrode (drain of 30), and a ground-side electrode (source of 30);
a first coil (42) connected to the ground-side electrode of the transistor;
a first capacitor (48) connected in parallel to the first coil; and
a second capacitor (60) connected between the first capacitor and the control electrode of the transistor, wherein
a resonant frequency of a resonant circuit constituted by the first coil and the first capacitor is higher than the first frequency and lower than the second frequency (paragraphs 31 and 39).
As to claim 5, Arai teaches a resistor (84) to detect a current of the transistor.
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(s) 6 and 9 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Arai.
As to claim 6, Arai teaches an oscillation device comprising (Fig 1):
a piezoelectric element (20) capable of resonating at a first frequency and a second frequency higher than the first frequency (paragraphs 29 and 31, 20 is capable of resonators at the different modes);
a transistor (30) including a control electrode (gate of 30) connected to the piezoelectric element, a power supply-side electrode (drain of 30), and a ground-side electrode (source of 30);
a first coil (42) connected to the ground-side electrode of the transistor;
a first capacitor (48) connected in parallel to the first coil; and
a second capacitor (60) connected between the first capacitor and the control electrode of the transistor, wherein
a resonant frequency of a resonant circuit constituted by the first coil and the first capacitor is higher than the first frequency and lower than the second frequency (paragraphs 31 and 39), and a resistor (84) to detect a current of the transistor.
Arai does not teach using a detection circuit.
As would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art, using a detection circuit to detect amplitudes and voltages in a circuit is a mere matter of intended use to use the device taught in Arai with other circuitry. As such it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the filing date of the invention to use a detection circuit with the circuit of Arai as doing so would be a mere matter of intended use.
As to claim 9, Arai teaches an oscillation device comprising (Fig 1):
a piezoelectric element (20) capable of resonating at a first frequency and a second frequency higher than the first frequency (paragraphs 29 and 31, 20 is capable of resonators at the different modes);
a transistor (30) including a control electrode (gate of 30) connected to the piezoelectric element, a power supply-side electrode (drain of 30), and a ground-side electrode (source of 30);
a first coil (42) connected to the ground-side electrode of the transistor;
a first capacitor (48) connected in parallel to the first coil; and
a second capacitor (60) connected between the first capacitor and the control electrode of the transistor, wherein
a resonant frequency of a resonant circuit constituted by the first coil and the first capacitor is higher than the first frequency and lower than the second frequency (paragraphs 31 and 39).
Arai does not teach using in a stimulation device.
As would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art, use the oscillating circuit in a stimulation device is a mere matter of intended use to use the device taught in Arai with other circuitry. As such it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the filing date of the invention to use a stimulation device with the circuit of Arai as doing so would be a mere matter of intended use.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 2-4, 7, 8, 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.
None of the prior art teaches or suggest the use of the 2nd coil between the first and second capacitor as is recited in claims 2-4 and 8; and the control circuit detecting an abnormal state as is recited in claim 8.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to JEFFREY M SHIN whose telephone number is (571)270-7356. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 9am-6pm PST.
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/JEFFREY M SHIN/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2836
