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
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 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) 1-4,6,8,9 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 1029(a)(1) as being anticipated by MASAHIKO WO 2023112492 A1.
CLAIM 1
MASAHIKO discloses claim 1. A signal transmission device comprising:
a signal transmission circuit configured to transmit a pulse signal from a primary circuit system to a secondary circuit system while isolating between the primary circuit system and the secondary circuit system (Fig. 1, transformer chip 230, isolating primary circuit 200p from secondary circuit 200s);
a power supply circuit configured to generate an output voltage of the secondary circuit system from an input voltage of the primary circuit system while isolating between the primary circuit system and the secondary circuit system (Fig. 1, pulse at input reproduces at output at higher voltage);
a first abnormality detection circuit configured to detect an abnormality in the primary circuit system;
a second abnormality detection circuit configured to detect an abnormality in the secondary circuit system;
a signal transmission path configured to transmit a result of the detection performed by the second abnormality detection circuit from the secondary circuit system to the primary circuit system while isolating between the primary circuit system and the secondary circuit system; and
a self-diagnosis circuit configured to perform self-diagnosis on each of the first abnormality detection circuit, the second abnormality detection circuit and the signal transmission path,
(ABSTRACT) A signal transfer device 200 comprises: a logic 214 of a primary circuit system 200p; a logic 225 and a driver 226 of a secondary circuit system 200s; and transformer circuits TR1 and TR2 that provide an electrical insulation between the primary circuit system 200p and the secondary circuit system 200s and that transfer driving pulse signals (ON, OFF1, OFF2) and feedback pulse signals (OSFBH, OSFBL) between the logics 214 and 225. The second logic 225 has a function of determining a logic level of a gate signal VG by driving the driver 226 in response to the driving pulse signals (ON, OFF1, OFF2), a function of driving, in the form of pulses in a first pulse quantity at a prescribed period, the feedback pulse signals (OSFBH, OSFBL) when the secondary circuit system 200s is in a normal state, and a function of performing switching of the first pulse quantity in accordance with the driving performance of the driver 226.
wherein the first abnormality detection circuit includes, as a diagnostic target of the self-diagnosis circuit, a power supply abnormality detection unit configured to detect an abnormality in the power supply circuit, and
the self-diagnosis circuit first performs the self-diagnosis on the power supply abnormality detection unit.
FIG. 10, The first logic 214 is provided in the primary circuit system 200p, and responds to an input pulse signal IN input from the outside of the device to drive pulse signals (in this figure, an ON signal ON, a first OFF signal OFF1 and a second It has a function of generating an off signal OFF2). The ON signal ON corresponds to the previously described transmission pulse signal S11. On the other hand, the first off-signal OFF1 and the second off-signal OFF2 (=corresponding to the first drive pulse signal and the second drive pulse signal) respectively correspond to the previously mentioned transmission pulse signal S21.
Also, the first logic 214 outputs the feedback pulse signal OSFB output from the RS flip-flop 215, the first timer signal S1 output from the first timer 217, and the second timer signal S2 output from the second timer 218. It also has a function of outputting the fail signal FV2 and the self-diagnostic signal BIST to the outside of the device in response to the above.
CLAIM 2
MASAHIKO discloses claim 2. The signal transmission device according to claim 1, wherein the self-diagnosis circuit diagnoses the power supply abnormality detection unit as normal to allow an operation of the power supply circuit, and starts the diagnosis on units other than the power supply abnormality detection unit.
When such a problem occurs, the gate-off capability of the driver 226 is fixed to the first gate-off capability (weak). Therefore, even if the second OFF signal OFF2 and the first OFF signal OFF1 are sequentially pulse-driven during the BIST operation period T11 (=time t51 to t53), the second feedback pulse signal OSFBL is always pulse-driven only once. Gone. As a result, the first logic 214 diagnoses that the gate-off capability switching function is not working properly. In this case, the self-diagnostic signal BIST is maintained at high level (=logic level at the time of abnormality detection) even after the BIST operation is completed at time t53.
CLAIM 3
MASAHIKO discloses claim 3. The signal transmission device according to claim 1, wherein the power supply circuit drives a primary current flowing through a primary coil of a transformer to induce a secondary voltage in a secondary coil of the transformer, and generates the output voltage from the secondary voltage (Fig. 1, transformers 231,232).
CLAIM 4
MASAHIKO discloses claim 4. The signal transmission device according to claim 3, wherein the power supply abnormality detection unit includes an overcurrent protection circuit configured to restrict the primary current to an overcurrent detection value or less.
The second logic 225 also ensures that the secondary circuit system 200s (and thus the driver chip 220) is in a normal state (UVLO [under voltage locked out], TSD [thermal shutdown], OVP [over voltage protection], OCP [over current protection] and SCP [short circuit protection]), one of the first feedback pulse signal OSFBH and the second feedback pulse signal OSFBL at a predetermined period T when It has a function (=operation state feedback function) for pulse driving by the number of pulses P1 (m shots or n shots). For example, the second logic 225 periodically pulse-drives the first feedback pulse signal OSFBH when the gate signal VG is at high level, and the second feedback pulse signal OSFBL when the gate signal VG is at low level. is periodically pulse-driven.
CLAIM 6
MASAHIKO discloses claim 6. The signal transmission device according to claim 4, wherein the overcurrent protection circuit increases the overcurrent detection value over a predetermined soft start period when the output voltage is started or restarted.
In the BIST operation, as described above, it is preferable to pulse-drive the second off-signal OFF2 and then pulse-drive the first off-signal OFF1. In other words, the gate-off capability of the driver 226 should first be set to the second gate-off capability (strong) and then set to the first gate-off capability (weak). By switching the gate-off capability during the BIST operation in this order, the driver 226 can be driven with the first gate-off capability (weak)(soft start) without requiring special control after the signal transmission device 200 shifts to normal operation. can be done. Therefore, it becomes possible to start the signal transmission device 200 more safely (soft start).
CLAIM 8
MASAHIKO discloses claim 8. The signal transmission device according to claim 1, wherein the signal transmission device seals, in a single package: a first chip (Fig. 1, chip 210) in which a circuit element in the primary circuit system is integrated; a second chip (Fig. 1, chip 220) in which a circuit element in the secondary circuit system is integrated; and a third chip (Fig. 1, chip 230) in which an isolation element isolating between the primary circuit system and the secondary circuit system is integrated.
CLAIM 9
MASAHIKO discloses claim 9. An electronic device comprising: a power transistor; and a gate driver IC configured to drive a gate of the power transistor (Fig. 10, power FET 226), wherein the gate driver IC is the signal transmission device according to claim 1.
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.
Claim(s) 5,10 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over MASAHIKO WO 2023112492 A1.
CLAIM 5
MASAHIKO discloses claim 5. The signal transmission device according to claim 4.
MASAHIKO dos not disclose wherein the overcurrent protection circuit includes a comparator configured to compare a sense voltage corresponding to the primary current and a predetermined threshold voltage to generate an overcurrent detection signal, and the self-diagnosis circuit monitors the overcurrent detection signal in a state where a predetermined test voltage is input instead of the sense voltage to diagnose whether the comparator is normal.
MASAHIKO discloses logic 214 compares the logic levels of the input pulse signal IN and the feedback pulse signal OSFB to determine whether the logic level of the gate signal VG output to the gate of the switch element Q1 matches the expected value. It can be determined whether or not If the logic level of the gate signal VG does not match the expected value, for example, by setting the fail signal FV2 to a high level (=the logic level at the time of abnormality detection), a microcomputer or the like external to the apparatus is notified of the abnormality.
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was made to configure a comparator to compare a sense voltage corresponding to the primary current and a predetermined threshold voltage to generate an overcurrent detection signal, and the self-diagnosis circuit monitors the overcurrent detection signal in a state where a predetermined test voltage is input instead of the sense voltage to diagnose whether the comparator is normal to provide an adjustable predetermined threshold for the current protection circuit.
CLAIM 10
Claim 10. A vehicle comprising: the electronic device according to claim 9 is considered an intended use for the signal transmission device.
It has been held that recitation with respect to the manner in which a claimed apparatus is intended to be employed does not differentiate the claimed apparatus from prior art apparatus satisfying the claimed structural limitations. Ex Parte Masham, 2 USPQ F.2d 1647 (1987).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claim 7 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 PRIOR ART DOES NOT DISCLSOE SIX COMPARATORS CONFIGURED AS CLAIMED.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ROBERT L DEBERADINIS whose telephone number is (571)272-2049. The examiner can normally be reached 9 am to 6 pm.
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May 28, 2026
/ROBERT L DEBERADINIS/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2836
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