Appeal No. 1998-0824
Application No. 08/621,767
Representative claim 1 reads as follows:
1. A low-side driver circuit, for use with an output power
transistor having a threshold voltage, comprising:
a first current generator which is electrically coupled
to receive and be controlled by a first switching signal, said
first current generator being electrically coupled to said
output power transistor to deliver a current, in response to
said first switching signal, for charging a driving node of
said output power transistor;
a second current generator electrically coupled to
receive and be controlled by a second switching signal which
is substantially complementary to said first switching signal,
and to deliver a current, in response to said second switching
signal but not said first switching signal, for discharging
said driving node of said output power transistor; and
control circuitry electrically coupled to said second
current generator and to said output power transistor, said
control circuitry being connected to prevent passage of
current through said second current generator when the output
power transistor is not conducting, said control circuitry
being controlled by a voltage at said driving node of said
output power transistor.
In rejecting Appellants' claims, the Examiner relies on
the following reference:
Takahashi 4,948,995 Aug.
14, 1990
Claims 1 through 37 stand rejected under 35 U.S.C. § 103
as being unpatentable over the prior art shown in Figure 6
2
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