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 § 112
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.
Claim 6 recites the limitation "the supply circuit " in line 1. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
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, 7-9 and 11 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Berkhout (EP 2779452).
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With respect to claim 1, Berkhout discloses a circuit (fig. 6) for providing a supply current (Iout), comprising :a current generator (fig. 6 current source generating Iref) for generating a constant current-(Iref); a ramp generator for generating a current ramp (fig. 6, comprising Iup and Idown with Cref) , the current ramp being subtracted from the constant current (fig. 6, transistor “Msense” see [0049], “The reference current source Iref supplies the current mirror transistor Msense, with a difference current Iref-Isense being supplied to a comparator A1”) to generate the supply current (Iout see [0048] , “Msense is a scaled replica of Mout”) ;a comparing circuit (fig. 6 comparing circuit “A1” and switches “S0”:, “S1”, S2 see [0053] i.e. current value defined by threshold Vx see also fig. 4 (a)) for comparing the supply current with a first current value(res);a clamping switch (S0) configured to switch off the ramp generator when the supply current is smaller than or equal to the first current value ( fig. 6, switch S0 [0054]: whereby S0 is open and therefore disconnect the ramp generator from the supply current generator as disclosed in fig. 4(b)); and a supply circuit (fig. 6, transistor Mout with transistor “Msense and its related gate driving circuit) for supplying the supply current to a load (fig. 6 , supply current to a load Iout).
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With respect to claim 2, Berkhout discloses the circuit (fig. 6) according to claim 1, further comprising a clamping circuit (fig. 6, Vx and fig. 8: Vx+Δ and Vx-Δ see also [0070]: “In this case , the up and down switches are only closed when the drain voltage of Msense is outside a voltage window +/- Δ around Vx which means that the sense current Isense is very close to the reference value Iref”) for determining a lower limit of the current ramp.
With respect to claim 6, Berkhout discloses the circuit (fig. 6) according to claim 1 wherein the supply circuit (fig 6, here there is no supply circuit in claim 1 only a circuit for providing a supply current ) further comprises a supply switching element (fig. 6 element S2)-for turning off the supply current when the supply current is smaller than or equal to the first current value.
With respect to claim 7, Berkhout disclose the circuit according to claim 6, further comprising a driving element (A2) for driving the supply switching element (S2) and being coupled to the clamping switch (S0).
With respect to claim 8, Berkhout discloses a method for providing a supply current, comprising: generating a constant current (fig. 6, circuit for providing output current “Iout”); generating a current ramp (fig. 6, “Iup” and “Idwn” together with “Cref”), the current ramp being subtracted from the constant current to generate the supply current (Fig. 6, transistor “Msense” see [0049]:” ], “The reference current source Iref supplies the current mirror transistor Msense, with a difference current Iref-Isense being supplied to a comparator A1”); comparing ( fig. 6, comparing circuit A1 and switches S0, S1, S2 see [0053]:, i.e. current value defined by threshold Vx see also fig. 4 (a)) the supply current with a first current value; switching off (fig. 6, switch S0 see [0054]: whereby S0 is open and therefore disconnect the ramp generator from the supply current generator as disclosed in fig. 4(b)); a ramp generator when the supply current is smaller than or equal to the first current value; and supplying the supply current to a load-( supply current to load “Iout”).
With respect to claim 9, Berkhout produces the method according to claim 8, further comprising: determining a lower limit of the current ramp (fig. 6, Vx and fig. 8: Vx+Δ and Vx-Δ see also [0070]: “In this case , the up and down switches are only closed when the drain voltage of Msense is outside a voltage window +/- Δ around Vx which means that the sense current Isense is very close to the reference value Iref”).
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.
The factual inquiries for establishing a background for determining obviousness under 35 U.S.C. 103 are summarized as follows:
1. Determining the scope and contents of the prior art.
2. Ascertaining the differences between the prior art and the claims at issue.
3. Resolving the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art.
4. Considering objective evidence present in the application indicating obviousness or nonobviousness.
Claim(s) 11 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Berkhout (EP 2779452).
With respect to claim 11, Berhout discloses a current generator for generating a constant current (Iout) ;a ramp generator for generating a current ramp (fig. 6, comprising Iup and Idown with Cref), the current ramp being subtracted from the constant current (fig. 6, transistor “Msense” see [0049], “The reference current source Iref supplies the current mirror transistor Msense, with a difference current Iref-Isense being supplied to a comparator A1”) to generate the supply current (Iout); a comparing circuit for comparing the supply current with a first current value (fig. 6 comparing circuit “A1” and switches “S0”:, “S1”, S2 see [0053] i.e. current value defined by threshold Vx see also fig. 4 (a)); a clamping switch (S0) configured to switch off the ramp generator when the supply current is smaller than or equal to the first current value ( fig. 6, switch S0 [0054]: whereby S0 is open and therefore disconnect the ramp generator from the supply current generator as disclosed in fig. 4(b)); and a supply circuit for supplying the supply current (fig. 6, transistor Mout with transistor “Msense and its related gate driving circuit) to a load (fig. 6 , supply current to a load Iout) but fails to disclose an illumination device comprising a light emitting element and the-a circuit for providing a supply current to the light emitting element the circuit comprising:
It is well known to use the circuit as disclosed in Berkhout as a supply circuit which provides current to a LED as a standard and is seen as intended use of the Berkhout invention. It would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a person having ordinary skill in the art to therefore use the Berhout invention in a LED circuit as it is standard and well-known application of a current supply circuit.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 3-5 and 10 are allowed.
The following is an examiner’s statement of reasons for allowance:
With respect to claim 3, the prior art of record fails to suggest or disclose wherein the comparing circuit comprises a sensing mirror comprising a buffer transistor and a buffer mirror transistor, the buffer transistor being connected in series to the supply circuit and the buffer mirror transistor being connected via a connection node to a current source supplying current of the first current value.
Here, the sensing mirror and the buffer mirror transistor are not present as disclosed in the claimed invention.
With respect to claims 4 and 5, these claims are allowable on the basis of their dependence on claim 3
With respect to claim 10, the prior art of record fails to suggest or disclose further comprising: supplying the supply current of the first current value when the ramp generator is switched off, wherein the first current value is set with high precision to a few μA.
Here, the precision of a few micro Amps is not disclosed in the prior art as disclosed.
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.”
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With respect to claim 1, Newlin (US 20190238056) discloses 1 a circuit (200) for providing a supply current (at 202 (in current situation Vout would be supply current Iout)), comprising: a current generator (input at Vin (i.e. in current situation Vin would be Iin))-for generating a constant current-(201);a ramp generator (107) for generating a current ramp, the current ramp being subtracted from the constant current (Iref) to generate the supply current (output 107); a comparing circuit (105) for comparing the supply current with a first current value( at +) ;a clamping switch (204) configured to switch off the ramp generator (107)-when the supply current is smaller than or equal to the first current value (from 104); and a supply circuit (202) for supplying the supply current to a load (101 see [0050] “Although examples in the disclosure were directed to switching power converters that provided a fixed voltage to a regulated regime, the same approaches can be applied to power converters that provide a fixed current to a regulated regime.”).
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With respect to claim 1, (US 5502410) discloses a circuit (10) for providing a supply current (at 50), comprising: a current generator (34)-for generating a constant current-(out from 34);a ramp generator (30 and 32) for generating a current ramp, the current ramp being subtracted from the constant current (Iref) to generate the supply current (output 107); a comparing circuit (105) for comparing the supply current with a first current value( at +) ;a clamping switch (204) configured to switch off the ramp generator (107)-when the supply current is smaller than or equal to the first current value (from 104); and a supply circuit (202) for supplying the supply current to a load (18
With respect to claim 1, EP 2779452 discloses a circuit (-19)-for providing a supply current, comprising:a current generator (L-)-for generating a constant current-(re-f);a ramp generator (1-1)-for generating a current ramp, the current ramp being subtracted from the constant current (Iref) to generate the supply current;a comparing circuit (1=20)-for comparing the supply current with a first current value(res);a clamping switch (130)-configured to switch off the ramp generator (-l90)-when the supply current is smaller than or equal to the first current value-Eres); anda supply circuit (140)-for supplying the supply current to a load-(l-59).
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to KHAREEM E ALMO whose telephone number is (571)272-5524. The examiner can normally be reached M-F(10:00-7:00).
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, Menatoallah Youssef can be reached at M-F (8:00am-4:00pm). The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/KHAREEM E ALMO/Examiner, Art Unit 2836
