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 .
Status of the Claims
Claims 1-12 are currently pending.
Double Patenting
The nonstatutory double patenting rejection is based on a judicially created doctrine grounded in public policy (a policy reflected in the statute) so as to prevent the unjustified or improper timewise extension of the “right to exclude” granted by a patent and to prevent possible harassment by multiple assignees. A nonstatutory double patenting rejection is appropriate where the conflicting claims are not identical, but at least one examined application claim is not patentably distinct from the reference claim(s) because the examined application claim is either anticipated by, or would have been obvious over, the reference claim(s). See, e.g., In re Berg, 140 F.3d 1428, 46 USPQ2d 1226 (Fed. Cir. 1998); In re Goodman, 11 F.3d 1046, 29 USPQ2d 2010 (Fed. Cir. 1993); In re Longi, 759 F.2d 887, 225 USPQ 645 (Fed. Cir. 1985); In re Van Ornum, 686 F.2d 937, 214 USPQ 761 (CCPA 1982); In re Vogel, 422 F.2d 438, 164 USPQ 619 (CCPA 1970); In re Thorington, 418 F.2d 528, 163 USPQ 644 (CCPA 1969).
A timely filed terminal disclaimer in compliance with 37 CFR 1.321(c) or 1.321(d) may be used to overcome an actual or provisional rejection based on nonstatutory double patenting provided the reference application or patent either is shown to be commonly owned with the examined application, or claims an invention made as a result of activities undertaken within the scope of a joint research agreement. See MPEP § 717.02 for applications subject to examination under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA as explained in MPEP § 2159. See MPEP § 2146 et seq. for applications not subject to examination under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA . A terminal disclaimer must be signed in compliance with 37 CFR 1.321(b).
The filing of a terminal disclaimer by itself is not a complete reply to a nonstatutory double patenting (NSDP) rejection. A complete reply requires that the terminal disclaimer be accompanied by a reply requesting reconsideration of the prior Office action. Even where the NSDP rejection is provisional the reply must be complete. See MPEP § 804, subsection I.B.1. For a reply to a non-final Office action, see 37 CFR 1.111(a). For a reply to final Office action, see 37 CFR 1.113(c). A request for reconsideration while not provided for in 37 CFR 1.113(c) may be filed after final for consideration. See MPEP §§ 706.07(e) and 714.13.
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Claims 1, 2, 4, 6, 8, 9, and 11 are rejected on the ground of nonstatutory double patenting as being unpatentable over claims 1, 3, 4, 6, 14, and 18 of U.S. Patent No. 12,362,579. Although the claims at issue are not identical, they are not patentably distinct from each other because the patented claims disclose each and every claimed limitation of the instant application’s claims, or obvious variations thereof. See claim mapping below.
Instant Application No. 19/260,081
US Patent No. 12,362,579
1. A power supply apparatus comprising: a charging circuit, including an inductor and a switching circuit, configured to receive an external voltage and to generate a charging voltage, the switching circuit being configured to switch with a predetermined period; an auxiliary power circuit configured to store an electric charge using the charging voltage; and a health monitoring circuit configured to determine a health state of the auxiliary power circuit based on a number of switchings of the switching circuit during a predetermined interval in which the charging voltage rises to a first level from a second level, the determined health state being based on the number of switchings, wherein the health monitoring circuit determines that the health state of the auxiliary power circuit is abnormal when the number of switchings does not fall within a predetermined reference range.
1. A power supply apparatus comprising: a charging circuit configured to receive an external voltage and to generate a charging voltage by charging and discharging energy by switching according to a level of the charging voltage; an auxiliary power circuit configured to store an electric charge using the charging voltage; and a health monitoring circuit configured to determine a charging health state of the auxiliary power circuit by counting a number of switchings of the charging circuit during an interval in which the charging voltage rises to a first level from a second level, the determined charging health state being based on the number of switchings.
6. The power supply apparatus of claim 1, wherein the health monitoring circuit is configured to, in response to determining that the charging health state is abnormal: measure a discharge time required for the charging voltage to drop from a first voltage to a second voltage, and determine a discharging health state of the auxiliary power circuit according to the discharge time.
2. The power supply apparatus of claim 1, wherein the health monitoring circuit determines that the health state of the auxiliary power circuit is abnormal when the number of switchings does not fall within a predetermined reference range.
1. A power supply apparatus comprising: a charging circuit configured to receive an external voltage and to generate a charging voltage by charging and discharging energy by switching according to a level of the charging voltage; an auxiliary power circuit configured to store an electric charge using the charging voltage; and a health monitoring circuit configured to determine a charging health state of the auxiliary power circuit by counting a number of switchings of the charging circuit during an interval in which the charging voltage rises to a first level from a second level, the determined charging health state being based on the number of switchings.
6. The power supply apparatus of claim 1, wherein the health monitoring circuit is configured to, in response to determining that the charging health state is abnormal: measure a discharge time required for the charging voltage to drop from a first voltage to a second voltage, and determine a discharging health state of the auxiliary power circuit according to the discharge time.
4. The power supply apparatus of claim 2, wherein the health monitoring circuit is further configured to, in response to determining that the health state is abnormal, measure a discharge time required for the charging voltage to drop from a first voltage to a second voltage.
3. The power supply apparatus of claim 1, wherein the health monitoring circuit is configured to: measure a discharge time required for the charging voltage to drop from a first voltage to a second voltage, and determine a discharging health state of the auxiliary power circuit based on the discharge time.
4. The power supply apparatus of claim 3, wherein the health monitoring circuit is configured to determine the charging health state when the discharging health state of the auxiliary power circuit is determined to be normal.
6. A power supply apparatus comprising: a charging circuit, including an inductor and a controller , configured to receive an external voltage and to increase a charging voltage, the controller being configured to detect a level of the charging voltage; an auxiliary power circuit configured to store an electric charge using the charging voltage; and a health monitoring circuit configured to determine a health state of the auxiliary power circuit based on a discharge time for the charging voltage to drop from a first level to a second level, wherein the health monitoring circuit determines that the health state of the auxiliary power circuit is abnormal when the discharge time is less than a reference value.
1. A power supply apparatus comprising: a charging circuit configured to receive an external voltage and to generate a charging voltage by charging and discharging energy by switching according to a level of the charging voltage; an auxiliary power circuit configured to store an electric charge using the charging voltage; and a health monitoring circuit configured to determine a charging health state of the auxiliary power circuit by counting a number of switchings of the charging circuit during an interval in which the charging voltage rises to a first level from a second level, the determined charging health state being based on the number of switchings.
6. The power supply apparatus of claim 1, wherein the health monitoring circuit is configured to, in response to determining that the charging health state is abnormal: measure a discharge time required for the charging voltage to drop from a first voltage to a second voltage, and determine a discharging health state of the auxiliary power circuit according to the discharge time.
8. A data storage apparatus comprising: a nonvolatile memory device; a buffer memory device configured to temporarily store data to be stored in the nonvolatile memory device; a controller configured to control data transfer between the nonvolatile memory device and the buffer memory device; and a power supply circuit including an auxiliary power supply apparatus which supplies power so that the data storage apparatus is normally shut down when sudden power off occurs, the auxiliary power supply apparatus including:a charging circuit, including an inductor and a switching circuit, configured to receive an external voltage and to generate a charging voltage, the switching circuit being configured to switch with a predetermined period;an auxiliary power circuit configured to store an electric charge using the charging voltage; anda health monitoring circuit configured to determine a health state of the auxiliary power circuit based on a number of switchings of the switching circuit during a predetermined interval in which the charging voltage rises to a first level from a second level, the determined health state being based on the number of switchings.
14. A storage system, comprising: at least one memory apparatus; a controller configured to exchange data with the memory apparatus in response to an external request; and a power supply apparatus configured to supply the memory apparatus and the controller with an internal voltage generated on the basis of an external voltage, the power supply apparatus including: a charging circuit configured to receive the external voltage and to generate a charging voltage by charging and discharging energy by switching according to a level of the charging voltage, an auxiliary power circuit configured to store an electric charge on the basis of the charging voltage, and a health monitoring circuit configured to determine a charging health state of the auxiliary power circuit by counting a number of switchings of the charging circuit during an interval in which the charging voltage rises to a first level from a second level, the determined charging health state being based on the number of switchings.
9. The data storage apparatus of claim 8, wherein the health monitoring circuit determines that the health state of the auxiliary power circuit is abnormal when the number of switchings does not fall within a predetermined reference range.
18. The storage system of claim 14, wherein the health monitoring circuit is configured to, in response to determining that the charging health state is abnormal: measure a discharge time required for the charging voltage to drop from a first voltage to a second voltage, and determine a discharging health state of the auxiliary power circuit.
11. The data storage apparatus of claim 9, wherein the health monitoring circuit is further configured to, in response to determining that the health state is abnormal, measure a discharge time required for the charging voltage to drop from a first voltage to a second voltage.
18. The storage system of claim 14, wherein the health monitoring circuit is configured to, in response to determining that the charging health state is abnormal: measure a discharge time required for the charging voltage to drop from a first voltage to a second voltage, and determine a discharging health state of the auxiliary power circuit.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 3, 5, 7, 10, and 12 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.
Conclusion
Claims 1, 2, 4, 6, 8, 9, and 11 have no prior art rejections, but are not allowable due to the double patenting rejections as discussed above.
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure:
Ryu et al. (US 2021/0012842);
Palaj et al. (US 2020/0372726);
Kwon (US 2020/0212512);
Seo et al. (US 2008/0036421), and
Elder et al. (US 2005/0035741).
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to KERRI L MCNALLY whose telephone number is (571)270-1840. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday, 7:00 am - 3:30 pm.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Brian Zimmerman can be reached at 571-272-3059. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/KERRI L MCNALLY/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2686
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