DETAILED ACTION
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 .
Drawings
The drawings are objected to under 37 CFR 1.83(a). The drawings must show every feature of the invention specified in the claims. Therefore, the first and second switches must be shown or the feature(s) canceled from the claim(s). No new matter should be entered.
Corrected drawing sheets in compliance with 37 CFR 1.121(d) are required in reply to the Office action to avoid abandonment of the application. Any amended replacement drawing sheet should include all of the figures appearing on the immediate prior version of the sheet, even if only one figure is being amended. The figure or figure number of an amended drawing should not be labeled as “amended.” If a drawing figure is to be canceled, the appropriate figure must be removed from the replacement sheet, and where necessary, the remaining figures must be renumbered and appropriate changes made to the brief description of the several views of the drawings for consistency. Additional replacement sheets may be necessary to show the renumbering of the remaining figures. Each drawing sheet submitted after the filing date of an application must be labeled in the top margin as either “Replacement Sheet” or “New Sheet” pursuant to 37 CFR 1.121(d). If the changes are not accepted by the examiner, the applicant will be notified and informed of any required corrective action in the next Office action. The objection to the drawings will not be held in abeyance.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claims 1-7 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.
With regards to claim 1, applicant recites a first and second switch, examiner is unclear what applicant consider to be the first and second switch . Figure 7, show a first inductor 132-1 and a second inductor 132-2 connected to a plurality of switches.
In light of this rejection claim are rejected as best understood.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
The following is a quotation of the appropriate paragraphs of pre-AIA 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 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102 (a)( 1)as being anticipated by Sharm et al US patent application publication 2017/0194688.
Sharm et al discloses a phase shifter comprising a first inductor, a first capacitor coupled to a first switch, and a second capacitor coupled to the first switch, the d first switch coupled to a first terminal of the first inductor, and a second terminal of the first inductor coupled to a ground connection, a second inductor, a third capacitor coupled to a second switch, and a fourth capacitor coupled to the second switch, the second switch coupled to a third terminal of the second inductor, and a fourth terminal of the second inductor coupled to the ground connection.
Sharm et al states “The following discussion uses multi-reflective terminating circuits 910 implemented with capacitors Cn as the phase-change reactive elements Xn within the switchable reactive elements 912, similar to the capacitor/switch structure shown in FIG. 5A as an example . paragraph [0070]
PNG
media_image1.png
497
371
media_image1.png
Greyscale
Claim(s) 8 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102 (a)( 1)as being anticipated by Nakamura US Patent 7,239,218.
Nakamura discloses a phase shifter comprising a high pass filter 12 (i.e. a first T-type phase shifter ) configured to shift a phase of an input signal by a first phase shift value, and a low pass filter 12 (i.e. a second T-type phase shifter) configured to shift the phase of the input signal by a second phase shift value.
Nakamura states “The values of the respective components of the filter units may be determined so that desired phase shift values will be obtained in consideration of reactance components generated at the switch units.” (column 9,lines 31-34)
Therefore, the filter units are capable of provides a desired first and second phase shift value.
PNG
media_image2.png
497
717
media_image2.png
Greyscale
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 15-20 are allowed.
Claims 9-14 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.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter: with regards to claim 15-20, the prior art does not disclose or fairly teach the specific circuit configuration with emphasis on a second T type phase shifter coupled to an output port, the second T type phase shifter coupled in series with a PI type phase shifter and the first T type phase shifter.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to KIMBERLY E GLENN whose telephone number is (571)272-1761. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 8:00 AM-5:00 PM.
Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Andrea Lindgren Baltzell can be reached at 571-272-5918. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
Information regarding the status of published or unpublished applications may be obtained from Patent Center. Unpublished application information in Patent Center is available to registered users. To file and manage patent submissions in Patent Center, visit: https://patentcenter.uspto.gov. Visit https://www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/patent-center for more information about Patent Center and https://www.uspto.gov/patents/docx for information about filing in DOCX format. For additional questions, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000.
July 16, 2026
/K.E.G/Examiner, Art Unit 2843
/ANDREA LINDGREN BALTZELL/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2843
Prosecution Insights