Ex Parte OGAWA

Patent Trials and Appeals Board

Feb 29, 2016

12796167 - (D) (P.T.A.B. Feb. 29, 2016)

UNITED STA TES p A TENT AND TRADEMARK OFFICE
APPLICATION NO. FILING DATE FIRST NAMED INVENTOR
121796,167 06/08/2010 Takashi OGAWA
132192 7590 03/02/2016
SEMICONDUCTOR COMPONENTS INDUSTRIES, LLC (RD)
5005 E. McDowell Road
Maildrop A700
Phoenix, AZ 85008
UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
United States Patent and Trademark Office
Address: COMMISSIONER FOR PATENTS
P.O. Box 1450
Alexandria, Virginia 22313-1450
www .uspto.gov
ATTORNEY DOCKET NO. CONFIRMATION NO.
200900092 2312
EXAMINER
0 TOOLE, COLLEEN J
ART UNIT PAPER NUMBER
2842
NOTIFICATION DATE DELIVERY MODE
03/02/2016 ELECTRONIC
Please find below and/or attached an Office communication concerning this application or proceeding.
The time period for reply, if any, is set in the attached communication.
Notice of the Office communication was sent electronically on above-indicated "Notification Date" to the
following e-mail address( es):
patents@onsemi.com
PTOL-90A (Rev. 04/07)
UNITED STATES PATENT AND TRADEMARK OFFICE
BEFORE THE PATENT TRIAL AND APPEAL BOARD
Ex parte T AKASHI OGAWA
Appeal2014-003146
Application 12/796, 167
Technology Center 2800
Before CATHERINE Q. TIMM, BEVERLY A. FRANKLIN, and
AVEL YN M. ROSS, Administrative Patent Judges.
FRANKLIN, Administrative Patent Judge.
DECISION ON APPEAL
Appellant seeks our review under 35 U.S.C. § 134(a) of the
Examiner's decision rejecting claims 1-8. We have jurisdiction over the
appeal under 35 U.S.C. § 6(b).
Appeal2014-003146
Application 12/796, 167
STATEMENT OF THE CASE
Claim 1 is illustrative of Appellant's subject matter on appeal and is
set forth below (with text in bold for emphasis):
1. An offset cancelling circuit for a Hall element, comprising:
a plurality of capacitors;
a group of first switching elements to which a voltage is applied from
outside such that a current flowing in the Hall element is switched, and
which are controlled to be switched ON and OFF such that an output voltage
of the Hall element is applied to one of the plurality of capacitors in each
state; and
a group of second switching elements which are provided at an
output side of the plurality of capacitors and which are controlled to be
switched ON and OFF such that an output voltage corresponding to charges
which are charged in the plurality of capacitors is output in a state where the
plurality of capacitors are connected in parallel to each other, wherein
a dummy switching element is connected to at least a part of the group
of the second switching elements in such a manner that the dummy
switching element and the part of the group of the second switching
elements are controlled to be switched ON and OFF exclusively with respect
to each other, and the dummy switching element is connected with respect to
the capacitor through the group of second switching elements.
App. Br. 7 (Claims Appendix).
The Examiner relies on the following prior art references as evidence
of unpatentability:
Altrichter
Lee
6,727,693 B2
2003/0020530 Al
THE REJECTION
Apr. 27, 2004
Jan.30,2003
Claims 1-8 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. § 103(a) as being
unpatentable over Altrichter in view of Lee.
2
Appeal2014-003146
Application 12/796, 167
ANALYSIS
We adopt the Examiner's findings in the Answer and AFFIRM. We
add the following for emphasis. Also, we select claims 1 as representative
of all the claims on appeal, based upon Appellant's presented arguments. 3 7
C.F.R. § 41.37(c) (1) (iv).
It is the Examiner's position that Altrichter suggests the claimed
subject matter, but does not teach use of a dummy switch. Final Act. 2-3.
The Examiner relies upon Lee for teaching use of a dummy switch, and
concludes it would have been obvious to have made use of the dummy
switch elements of Lee in the switched capacitor circuit of Altrichter to
reduce charge injection in a current switch. Lee, para. [0005], Final Act. 3.
Appellant argues that Lee teaches that the dummy switch is on an
input side of the capacitor, and not the output side of the capacitor. Appeal
Br. 4. Appellant submits that the Examiner has not cited to any reference
showing the dummy switch element provided on an output side of the
capacitor. Appeal Br. 5.
In response, the Examiner states that Altrichter teaches a group of
second switching elements controlled by signal PHdemand provided at an
output side of the plurality of capacitors connected to Vl-V 4. Ans. 2-3.
The Examiner relies upon Lee for teaching a switching element connected to
a dummy switching element (Lee, Figure 3), and for teaching that the
terminal where the dummy transistor resided will connect to the high
impedance node of the circuit where the charge injection problem will occur,
while the other signal terminal will connect to the low impedance node,
where the previously stored charges in the main transistor switch are
absorbed by the turning on of the dummy transistor. Lee, para. [0005], Ans.
3
Appeal2014-003146
Application 12/796, 167
3. The Examiner therefore explains that the combined circuit of Altrichter in
view of Lee teaches a group of second switching elements provided at an
output side of the plurality of capacitors. Thus, the Examiner submits that
Appellants' arguments do not address the merits of the rejection because the
arguments are directed to the references individually. Ans. 2. We agree and
are thus unpersuaded by such argument.
Furthermore, the Examiner refers to Akizuki (U.S. Patent 7,515,080,
cited in the Information Disclosure Statement filed March 30, 2013) and
states that Akizuki discloses in Figure 7 that errors caused by fluctuations in
the charge amount of the capacitor 22 can be improved by the use of a
dummy switch 21 at the output of the capacitor. Akizuki, col. 9, 11. 24-41.
There is no Reply Brief of record that addresses this response made by the
Examiner.
In view of the above, we affirm the rejection.
DECISION
The rejection is affirmed.
TIME PERIOD
No time period for taking any subsequent action in connection with
this appeal may be extended under 37 C.F.R. § 1.136(a). See 37 C.F.R.
§ 1.136(a).
ORDER
AFFIRMED
4