DETAILED ACTION
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments, see pages 1 and 2 of the remarks, filed on January 30, 2026, with respect to drawing objections have been fully considered and are persuasive. The objection of the drawings has been withdrawn.
Applicant’s arguments, see page 1 of the remarks, filed on January 30, 2026, with respect to claim objections have been fully considered and are persuasive. The objection of claims 1-20 has been withdrawn.
Applicant’s arguments, see page 2 of the remarks, filed on January 30, 2026, with respect to rejections under 35 U.S.C. §112(b) have been fully considered and are persuasive. The rejection of claims 4-7 and 13-15 has been withdrawn.
Applicant’s arguments, see pages 3-6 of the remarks, filed on January 30, 2026, with respect to rejections under 35 U.S.C. §102/§103 have been fully considered and are persuasive. The rejection of claims 1-15 has been withdrawn.
In response to the Office action, Applicant failed to amend or address the objections to the specification.
Drawings
The drawings were received on January 30, 2026. These drawings are acceptable by the examiner.
Specification
The disclosure is objected to because of the following informalities:
Paragraph [0018], line 1, “wireless communication device 102” should be “wireless communication device 100”, and line 2, “the antenna system 104” should be “the antenna system 102”.
Appropriate correction is required.
The lengthy specification has not been checked to the extent necessary to determine the presence of all possible minor errors. Applicant’s cooperation is requested in correcting any errors of which applicant may become aware in the specification.
Claim Objections
Claims 1-20 are objected to because of the following informalities:
1. (Proposed Amendment) A signal generator comprising:
a plurality of layers, each layer of the plurality of layers comprising a plurality of interpolators,
wherein each interpolator of a first layer of the plurality of layers is configured to:
receive a first reference signal having a first phase, and a second reference signal having a second phase;
generate a plurality of interpolated signals based on a plurality of interpolations of the first reference signal with the second reference signal, wherein each interpolated signal has a respective phase based on the respective interpolation of the first phase with the second phase;[[,]] and
combine the plurality of interpolated signals with one another to provide an output signal, and [[;]]
wherein each interpolator of other layers of the plurality of layers is configured to receive respective output signals from two different interpolators of the preceding layer of the plurality of layers.
3. (Proposed Amendment) The signal generator according to claim 2, wherein adjacent interpolators of a plurality of interpolators of the first layer are configured such that their respective output signals have phases that are consecutive integer multiples of the predefined phase.
5. (Proposed Amendment) The signal generator according to claim 4, wherein the interpolators of the first laver are configured such that the respective output signals have a phase that is an integer multiple of 90°/[[(]]the number of interpolators +1[[)]].
7. (Proposed Amendment) The signal generator according to claim 6, wherein the interpolators of the first layer are configured such that a phase difference between the phases of the output signals of the adjacent interpolators of the first layer is 90°/[[(]]the number of interpolators +1[[)]].
13. (Proposed Amendment) The signal generator according to claim 1,
wherein each interpolator comprises a plurality of interpolator instances,
wherein each interpolator instance has a plurality of possible phase states, and
wherein each interpolator instance is configured to:
receive the first reference signal and the second reference signal
generate an interpolated signal as an interpolation of the first reference signal and the second reference signal based on a selected phase state of the plurality of possible phase states.
16. (Proposed Amendment) A system comprising:
a signal generator and an oscillator circuit coupled with the signal generator,[[;]]
wherein the signal generator comprises:
a plurality of layers
wherein each layer of the plurality of layers
wherein each interpolator of a first layer of the plurality of layers is configured to:
receive a first reference signal having a first phase, and a second reference signal having a second phase;
generate a plurality of interpolated signals based on a plurality of interpolations of the first reference signal with the second reference signal, each interpolated signal having a respective phase based on the respective interpolation of the first phase with the second phase; and
combine the plurality of interpolated signals with one another to provide an output signal,[[;]]
wherein interpolators of other layers of the plurality of layers are configured to receive respective output signals,[[;]]
wherein the signal generator is configured to deliver output signals of the last layer of the plurality of layers as a plurality of driving signals to the oscillator circuit, and
wherein the first reference signal and the second reference signal have a frequency that is a sub-harmonic of an oscillator frequency of the oscillator circuit.
17. (Proposed Amendment) The system according to claim 16,
wherein the oscillator circuit comprises:
a plurality of injection amplifiers configured to receive the plurality of driving signals for inducing a generation of an oscillator signal of the oscillator circuit;
a tank circuit configured to generate the oscillator signal based on the plurality of driving signals; and
an amplifier circuit coupled with the tank circuit and configured to compensate for an energy loss of the tank circuit,
wherein the amplifier circuit is interposed between output nodes of the plurality of injection amplifiers and input nodes of the tank circuit such that the plurality of injection amplifiers is indirectly coupled with the tank circuit.
Claims 2, 4, 6, 8, 9, 11, 12, 14, and 15 depend either directly or indirectly from claim 1, therefore they are also objected.
Claims 18-20 depend either directly or indirectly from claim 16, therefore they are also objected.
Appropriate correction is required.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The text of those sections of Title 35, U.S. Code not included in this action can be found in a prior Office action.
Claims 2-9, 11, and 13-15 are 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 line 2 of claims 2, 5-7, 9 and 13, and lines 2 and 3-4 of claim 8, the phrase “the interpolators” or “each interpolator” recited in the claims is either vague and indefinite or lacks antecedent basis. It is unclear which layer of the interpolator(s) is reference to.
Claims 3, 4, and 11 depend from claim 2, therefore they are also rejected.
Claims 14 and 15 depend from claim 13, therefore it is also rejected.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 1-9 and 11-20 would be allowable if rewritten or amended to overcome the objection(s) set forth in this Office action.
Claims 2-9, 11, and 13-15 would be allowable if rewritten or amended to overcome the rejection(s) under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), 2nd paragraph, set forth in this Office action.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Lin et al. relates to a phase device (200) in FIG. 2A comprising: a layer of phase interpolator (202) including a plurality of phase interpolators (202a, 202b, 202c and 202d); a layer of phase detector (204) including a plurality of phase detectors (204a, 204b, 204c and 204d); and a layer of control block (206) including a plurality of control blocks (206a, 206b, 206c and 206d).
THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Young T. Tse whose telephone number is (571)272-3051. The examiner can normally be reached Mon-Fri 10:30am-7pm.
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/Young T. Tse/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2632