UNITED STATES PATENT AND TRADEMARK OFFICE
`
`
`
`UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
`United States Patent and Trademark Office
`Address: COMMISSIONER FOR PATENTS
`PO. Box 1450
`Alexandria, Virginia 2231371450
`www.uspto.gov
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`16/ 194,350
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`11/18/2018
`
`Kiyosi GOTOU
`
`HOKUP0372WOUSA
`
`7170
`
`MARK D. SARALINO (PAN)
`RENNER, OTTO, BOISSELLE & SKLAR, LLP
`1621 EUCLID AVENUE
`19TH FLOOR
`CLEVELAND, OH 44115
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`HAMMOND CRYSTAL L
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`ART UNIT
`2844
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`PAPER NUMBER
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`NOTIFICATION DATE
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`DELIVERY MODE
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`07/29/2019
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`ELECTRONIC
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`Please find below and/or attached an Office communication concerning this application or proceeding.
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`The time period for reply, if any, is set in the attached communication.
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`Notice of the Office communication was sent electronically on above—indicated "Notification Date" to the
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`following e—mail address(es):
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`ipdoeket@rennerotto.eom
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`PTOL-90A (Rev. 04/07)
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`

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`0,7709 A0170” Summary
`
`Application No.
`16/194,350
`Examiner
`CRYSTAL L HAMMOND
`
`Applicant(s)
`GOTOU et al.
`Art Unit
`2844
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`AIA (FITF) Status
`Yes
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`- The MAILING DA TE of this communication appears on the cover sheet wit/7 the correspondence address -
`Period for Reply
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`A SHORTENED STATUTORY PERIOD FOR REPLY IS SET TO EXPIRE g MONTHS FROM THE MAILING
`DATE OF THIS COMMUNICATION.
`Extensions of time may be available under the provisions of 37 CFR 1.136(a). In no event, however, may a reply be timely filed after SIX (6) MONTHS from the mailing
`date of this communication.
`|f NO period for reply is specified above, the maximum statutory period will apply and will expire SIX (6) MONTHS from the mailing date of this communication.
`-
`- Failure to reply within the set or extended period for reply will, by statute, cause the application to become ABANDONED (35 U.S.C. § 133).
`Any reply received by the Office later than three months after the mailing date of this communication, even if timely filed, may reduce any earned patent term
`adjustment. See 37 CFR 1.704(b).
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`Status
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`1). Responsive to communication(s) filed on 04/11/2019.
`[:1 A declaration(s)/affidavit(s) under 37 CFR 1.130(b) was/were filed on
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`2a)D This action is FINAL.
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`2b)
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`This action is non-final.
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`3)[:] An election was made by the applicant in response to a restriction requirement set forth during the interview on
`; the restriction requirement and election have been incorporated into this action.
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`4)[:] Since this application is in condition for allowance except for formal matters, prosecution as to the merits is
`closed in accordance with the practice under Expat/7e Quay/e, 1935 CD. 11, 453 O.G. 213.
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`Disposition of Claims*
`5)
`Claim(s)
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`1 and 3—20 is/are pending in the application.
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`5a) Of the above claim(s)
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`is/are withdrawn from consideration.
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`E] Claim(s)
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`is/are allowed.
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`Claim(s) 1 and 3—20 is/are rejected.
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`[:1 Claim(s) _ is/are objected to.
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`) ) ) )
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`6 7
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`8
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`
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`are subject to restriction and/or election requirement
`[j Claim(s)
`9
`* If any claims have been determined aflowabie. you may be eligible to benefit from the Patent Prosecution Highway program at a
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`participating intellectual property office for the corresponding application. For more information, please see
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`http://www.uspto.gov/patents/init events/pph/index.jsp or send an inquiry to PPeredback@uspto.gov.
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`Application Papers
`10)[:] The specification is objected to by the Examiner.
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`11)[:] The drawing(s) filed on
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`is/are: a)D accepted or b)l:] objected to by the Examiner.
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`Applicant may not request that any objection to the drawing(s) be held in abeyance. See 37 CFR 1.85(a).
`Replacement drawing sheet(s) including the correction is required if the drawing(s) is objected to. See 37 CFR 1.121 (d).
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`Priority under 35 U.S.C. § 119
`12). Acknowledgment is made of a claim for foreign priority under 35 U.S.C. § 119(a)-(d) or (f).
`Certified copies:
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`a). All
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`b)I:l Some**
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`c)C] None of the:
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`1.. Certified copies of the priority documents have been received.
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`2.[:] Certified copies of the priority documents have been received in Application No.
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`3.[:] Copies of the certified copies of the priority documents have been received in this National Stage
`application from the International Bureau (PCT Rule 17.2(a)).
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`** See the attached detailed Office action for a list of the certified copies not received.
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`Attachment(s)
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`1)
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`Notice of References Cited (PTO-892)
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`Information Disclosure Statement(s) (PTO/SB/08a and/or PTO/SB/08b)
`2)
`Paper No(s)/Mail Datew.
`U.S. Patent and Trademark Office
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`3) C] Interview Summary (PTO-413)
`Paper No(s)/Mail Date
`4) CI Other-
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`PTOL-326 (Rev. 11-13)
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`Office Action Summary
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`Part of Paper No./Mai| Date 20190722
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`

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`Application/Control Number: 16/194,350
`Art Unit: 2844
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`Page 2
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`DETAILED ACTION
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`Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status
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`1.
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`The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined
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`under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA.
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`Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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`2.
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`In the event the determination of the status of the application as subject to AIA 35
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`U.S.C. 102 and 103 (or as subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103) is incorrect, any
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`correction of the statutory basis for the rejection will not be considered a new ground of
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`rejection if the prior art relied upon, and the rationale supporting the rejection, would be
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`the same under either status.
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`3.
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`The following is a quotation of the appropriate paragraphs of 35 U.S.C. 102 that
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`form the basis for the rejections under this section made in this Office action:
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`A person shall be entitled to a patent unless —
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`(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.
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`4.
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`Claim(s) 1 and 3-20 are is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being
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`anticipated by Hagen (EP 1,465,464).
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`Hagen discloses a dimmer, comprising:
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`(1) regarding Claim 1:
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`a pair of input terminals (3 and 99 in Fig 1) that is configured to be
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`electrically connected between a load (2 in Fig 1) configured to be lit when it is
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`energized, and an AC power supply (L and N in Fig 1),
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`

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`Application/Control Number: 16/194,350
`Art Unit: 2844
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`Page 3
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`a bidirectional switch (29 in Fig 1) that is configured to be switched so as
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`to conduct and interrupt a bidirectional current between the pair of input
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`terminals,
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`a phase detector (5 in Fig 1) that is configured to detect a phase of AC
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`voltage of the AC power supply,
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`an input device (13 in Fig 1) that is configured to receive a dimming level
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`representing a value of light output of the load,
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`a power supply (24 in Fig 1) that is electrically connected between the pair
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`of input terminals and configured to receive electric power from the AC power
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`supply to produce control power, and
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`a controller (12 in Fig 1) that is configured to receive the control power
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`from the power supply to be activated ([0019]), the controller being configured to
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`control the bidirectional switch based on a detection signal from the phase
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`detector so that
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`the bidirectional switch is in an off-state from a start point of a half cycle of
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`the AC voltage to a first time point when a first time period therefrom elapses (t1
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`in Fig 3c ([0044][0045]),
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`the bidirectional switch is in an on-state from the first time point to a
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`second time point when a second time period therefrom according to the
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`dimming level elapses (t3 in Fig 3c [0044][0045]), and
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`the bidirectional switch is in an off-state from the second time point to an
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`end point of the half cycle (t2 in Fig 3c [0044][0045]).
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`(2) regarding Claims 3 and 12:
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`

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`Application/Control Number: 16/194,350
`Art Unit: 2844
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`Page 4
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`wherein the first time period is a constant length of time (See t1 in Fig 3c
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`q0044H0045D.
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`(3) regarding Claims 4 and 13:
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`further comprising a voltage detector configured to detect voltage of the
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`control power, wherein the first time period is time from the start point of the half
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`cycle to a point in time when the voltage detected with the voltage detector
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`reaches a prescribed threshold (claim 1 text).
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`(4) regarding Claims 5 and 14:
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`wherein the power supply has a capacitive device (See 24 in Fig 1).
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`(5) regarding Claims 6 and 15:
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`wherein the phase detector is configured to output the detection signal
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`when detecting a zero cross point of the AC voltage, and the dimmer further
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`comprises a mask processor configured to disable the detection signal over a
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`constant length of mask time when receiving the detection signal from the phase
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`detector ([0019],[0028]—[0032][0041]-[0048]).
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`(6) regarding Claims 7 and 16:
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`further comprising a stopper configured to stop the power supply
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`producing the control power during a stop time period, the stop time period being
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`a period of time from which at least a period of time during which the bidirectional
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`switch is in the off-state is excluded so that the stop time period is set in a range
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`from the first time point to the third time point ([0019],[0028]—[0032][0041]-[0048]).
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`(7) regarding Claims 8 and 17:
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`

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`Application/Control Number: 16/194,350
`Art Unit: 2844
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`Page 5
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`wherein the phase detector is configured to output the detection signal
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`when detecting a zero cross point of the AC voltage, and the controller is
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`configured to estimate a zero cross point of the AC voltage after the half cycle or
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`more based on one detection signal ([0019],[0028]-[0032][0041]-[0048]).
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`(8) regarding Claims 9 and 18:
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`wherein the bidirectional switch includes two switch devices that are
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`electrically connected in series between the pair of input terminals (29 and 69 in
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`Fig 2).
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`(9) regarding Claims 10 and 19:
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`wherein the bidirectional switch includes a switch device having double
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`gate structure (29 and 69 in Fig 2).
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`(10) regarding Claim 11:
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`wherein the period from the second time point to the end point of the half
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`cycle includes a third time period and a fourth time period, and the controller is
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`configured to cause the power supply to generate the control power during the
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`first time period and the fourth time period (See Figs 3 and 4).
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`(11) regarding Claim 20:
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`A dimmer (1 in Fig 1), comprising
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`a pair of terminals (3 and 99 in Fig 1),
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`a switching device (29 in Fig 1) that is connected between the pair of
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`terminals,
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`a controller (12 in Fig 1) that is configured to control the switching device,
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`

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`Application/Control Number: 16/194,350
`Art Unit: 2844
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`Page 6
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`a power supply (24 in Fig 1) that is connected between the pair of
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`terminals and configured to supply electric power to the controller, and
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`an adjuster (5 in Fig 1) that is configured to adjust a conduction angle of
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`the switching device, wherein
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`the controller is configured to:
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`during prescribed time from a zero cross of AC voltage in each half cycle
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`of the AC voltage, modulate the switching device out of conduction to allow the
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`power supply to supply the controller with electric power ([0044][0045]);
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`after the prescribed time elapses, modulate the switching device into
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`conduction and subsequently modulate the switching device out of conduction,
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`according to the conduction angle adjusted through the adjuster ([0044][0045]);
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`and
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`during time shorter than time till a next zero cross of the AC voltage, keep
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`the switching device out of conduction to allow the power supply to supply
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`electric power to the controller ([0044][0045j).
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`Conclusion
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`Response to Arguments
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`5.
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`Applicant’s arguments have been fully considered and are persuasive.
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`Therefore, the rejection has been withdrawn. However, upon further consideration, a
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`new ground(s) of rejection is made in view of Hagen (EP 1,465,464).
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`6.
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`Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the
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`examiner should be directed to CRYSTAL L HAMMOND whose telephone number is
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`(571)270-1682. The examiner can normally be reached on M-F 12pm-4pm Alt Fridays.
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`

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`Application/Control Number: 16/194,350
`Art Unit: 2844
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`Page 7
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`
`/CRYSTAL L HAMMOND/
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`Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2844
`
`