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 .
Remarks
The Office has cited particular columns, line numbers, paragraph numbers, references, or figures in the references applied to the claims below for the convenience of the applicant. Although the specified citations are representative of the teachings of the art and are applied to specific limitations within the individual claim, other passages and figures may apply as well. It is respectfully requested from the applicant in preparing responses to fully consider the reference in entirety, as potentially teaching all or part of the claimed invention. See MPEP § 2141.02 and § 2123.
Claim Objections
Claim 1 is objected to because of the following informalities:
In line 1, “first and second circuit” appears to be “a first and a second circuit”. In line 9, “output the first reception signal” appears to be “to output the first reception signal”. Appropriate correction is required.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
Claim 3 is 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.
Regarding claim 3, “at least one second isolating element” does not “output the first reception signal to the first receiver”. Therefore, it appears “the first reception signal” should be changed to “a second reception signal”.
For the purposes of expediting prosecution on the merits of the claims, the examiner has attempted to construe the claims to the extent possible for the following art rejection.
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, 3-5, and 8 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Ishikawa et al. (US 10,333,499 B2, herein after referred to as Ishikawa).
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Regarding claim 1, Ishikawa discloses a signal transmission device (see annotated Fig. 1 above) comprising first (“1st Ckt”, annotated Fig. 1 above) and second circuit (“2nd Ckt”, annotated Fig. 1 above), wherein the first circuit includes: a transmitter (Tx 1) configured to generate a transmission signal (TS: Str1, Str2, Str3, Str4) according to an input signal (Sin1, Sin2); a first receiver (Rx1) configured to feed a first reception signal (RS1a) to a first logic circuit (14) to generate a first single output signal (Sout1); and at least one first isolating element (6) arranged between the transmitter (Tx 1) and the first receiver (Rx1) and configured to constitute a first signal transmission path (Path1) for transmission of the transmission signal (TS) from the transmitter (Tx 1) and output the first reception signal (RS1a) to the first receiver (Rx1), wherein the second circuit (“2nd Ckt”, annotated Fig. 1 above) includes: a second receiver (Rx2) configured to generate a second single output signal (Sout2); and a second isolating element (8) arranged between the first logic circuit (14) and the second receiver (Rx2) and configured to constitute a second signal transmission path (Path2), different from the first signal transmission path (Path1), for transmission of the transmission signal (TS) from the transmitter (Tx 1).
Regarding claim 3, Ishikawa discloses the signal transmission device according to claim 1, wherein the first circuit (1st Ckt) further includes at least one second isolating element (7) arranged between the transmitter (Tx 1) and the first receiver (Rx1) and configured to constitute a third signal transmission path (Path3), different from the first signal transmission path (Path1) and the second signal transmission path (Path2), for transmission of the transmission signal (TS) from the transmitter (Tx 1) and output a second reception signal (RS1b) to the first receiver (Rx1).
Regarding claim 4, Ishikawa discloses the signal transmission device according to claim
3, wherein the at least one first isolating element (6) includes a first isolator (6) and a second isolator (9).
Regarding claim 5, Ishikawa discloses the signal transmission device according to claim 4, wherein the at least one second isolating element (7) includes a third isolator (7) and a fourth isolator (8).
Regarding claim 8, Ishikawa discloses the signal transmission device according to claim 1, wherein the first logic circuit (14) includes at least one of: a combinational circuit (OR gate 14) configured to determine an output thereof (output of OR 14) based on a current input thereto (RS1a, RS2a); and a sequential circuit (18) configured to determine an output thereof based on current and past inputs thereto.
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) 10 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Ishikawa in view of Yagishima et al. (JP 2012257421 A, hereinafter referred to as Yagishima ).
Regarding claim 10, Ishikawa discloses all the features and limitations as discussed above but does not disclose a power transistor; and a gate driver IC configured to drive a gate of the power transistor, wherein the gate driver IC is the signal transmission device.
Yagishima discloses a power transistor (SWH, Fig. 1; “A switch element that performs supply control of a motor drive current according to the switch control signal output from the signal transmission device”, last claim on page 15); and a gate driver IC (“The switch control device 1 is formed by sealing a first semiconductor chip 10, a second semiconductor chip 20, and a third semiconductor chip 30 in one package.” is used as the gate driver for SWH, fourth paragraph on page 2) configured to drive a gate of the power transistor, wherein the gate driver IC is the signal transmission device ("a motor drive device using the signal transmission device according to the present invention", third paragraph on page 2; see claims).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to implement the isolated signal transmission circuit of lshikawa as a gate driver IC that drives the gate of a power transistor, as taught by Yagishima. A person of ordinary skill in the art seeking to put Ishikawa's multi-channel isolated transmitter to use in that vehicle would look to the standard vehicle load for such a circuit, an inverter power transistor driven by an isolated gate driver IC as shown in Yagishima Fig. 1. It is an obvious matter of substitution of the intended load since no change to Ishikawa's transmitter, isolators, or receive logic is required.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 2, 6, 7, and 9 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
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Yanagishima et al. (US 2014/0002168 A1) discloses signal transmission circuit, integrated circuit and electric device including thereof for transmitting a plurality of signals each having different transmission speed. Rinehart et al. (US 5900683) discloses isolated gate driver for power switching device and method for carrying out same.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to DANIEL D CHANG whose telephone number is (571)272-1801. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 8-5 EST.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Alexander Taningco can be reached at 571-272-8048. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/DANIEL D CHANG/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2845
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