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 .
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
The following is a quotation of the appropriate paragraphs of 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) 21 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by [Fujiwara et al (Fig. 2);4,147,997].
Fujiwara et al discloses a phase shifting matching network comprising a series capacitor (upper left capacitor), a first shunt capacitor (left most capacitor), a first shunt inductor (left most inductor) coupled to the series capacitor (upper left capacitor) and the first shunt capacitor (left most capacitor) at a first node [the node between the first shunt capacitor (left most capacitor) and the first series capacitor (upper left capacitor)], a second shunt capacitor (right most capacitor) and a second shunt inductor (right most inductor) coupled to the series capacitor (upper left capacitor) and the second shunt capacitor (right most capacitor) at a second node (P).
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 103 which forms the basis for all obviousness rejections set forth in this Office action:
A patent for a claimed invention may not be obtained, notwithstanding that the claimed invention is not identically disclosed as set forth in section 102, if the differences between the claimed invention and the prior art are such that the claimed invention as a whole would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a person having ordinary skill in the art to which the claimed invention pertains. Patentability shall not be negated by the manner in which the invention was made.
Claim(s) 1 and 28 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over [Kohama et al (Fig. 2); 9,407,216] in view of [Fujiwara et al (Fig. 2);4,147,997].
Kohama et al discloses an amplifier circuit comprising a first amplifier stage (3), a second amplifier stage (4), and a first phase shifting matching network (2) coupled to the first amplifier stage (3) and the second amplifier stage (4). As described above, Kohama et al discloses all the limitations in the claims except for that the internal structures of the first phase shifting matching network. Fujiwara et al discloses a phase shifting matching network comprising a first series capacitor (upper left capacitor), a first shunt capacitor (left most capacitor), a first shunt inductor (left most inductor) coupled to an input port (M) of the first phase shifting matching network (Fig. 2) and the first series capacitor (upper left capacitor) and the first shunt capacitor (left most capacitor) at a first node [the node between the first shunt capacitor (left most capacitor) and the first series capacitor (upper left capacitor)], a second shunt capacitor (right most capacitor) and a second shunt inductor (right most inductor) coupled to an output port (N) of the first phase shifting matching network (Fig. 2), and the first series capacitor (upper left capacitor) and the second shunt capacitor (right most capacitor) at a second node (P). Therefore, it would have been obvious to substitute Fujiwara et al’s phase shift circuit (Fig. 2 of Fujiwara et al) in place of Kohama et al’s phase shifting matching network (2 in Fig. 2 of Kohama et al) since Kohama et al discloses a generatic phase shifting matching network thereby suggesting that any equivalent phase shifting matching network would have been usable in Kohama et al’s reference.
Claim(s) 2, 3 and 29 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over [Kohama et al (Fig. 2); 9,407,216] in view of [Fujiwara et al (Fig. 2);4,147,997] in further view of [Schemmann et al (Fig. 4); 7,474,150].
Regarding claims 2 and 29, exactly same as the previous office action.
Regarding claim 3, exactly same as the previous office action.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 4-8, 22-25, 27 and 30-32 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.
Conclusion
Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). 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 Henry Choe whose telephone number is (571)272-1760. The examiner can normally be reached Mon-Fri 6:00 AM- 6:00 PM EST. 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/interview practice. If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Andrea J Lindgren Baltzell can be reached on (571)272-5918. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
/HENRY CHOE/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2843
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