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 .
Election/Restrictions
Applicant’s election, without traverse, of Group I: claims 1-13 and 16, in the “Response to Election / Restrict. ion Filed -04/03/2026”, is acknowledged. It is noted that Applicant cancelled claims 14-15 and 17-20.
This office action considers claims 1-13 and 16 pending for examining on their merits
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.
Notes: when present, semicolon separated fields within the parenthesis (; ;) represent, for example, as (540; Fig 5; [0063]) = (element 540; Figure No. 5; Paragraph No. [0063]). For brevity, the texts “Element”, “Figure No.” and “Paragraph No.” shall be excluded, though; additional clarification notes may be added within each field. The number of fields may be fewer or more than three indicated above. The primary reference subsequent citation may not be preceded by the inventor tag, wherein the other reference citation will carry inventor tag. These conventions are used throughout this document.
Claims 1-4, 9-13 and 16 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102 (a) (1) as being anticipated by SONG; Young Kyu et al. (US 20170033059 A1) hereinafter Song.
Regarding Claim 1, Song teaches a radio frequency chip (540; Fig 5; [0063]), comprising (see the entire document, Figs 1,5, along with figs 2A, 2B, 3A and 3B, and any disclosure related to the implementations, specifically, as cited below):
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Song Figure 1 Figure 5
a substrate (108; Fig 1; [0022]), an on-chip inductor (104), and an isolator (100; labelled as ground shield structure; Fig 1; and detailed in Figs 2A, 2B, 3A and 3B; and in [0020] The ground shield structure 100 may provide electromagnetic energy attenuation (e.g., isolation) between components or structures of the electronic device 120. For example, the ground shield structure 100 may be located between a first component, such as an inductor 104, and an adjacent structure, such as a substrate 108 of the electronic device 120) between the substrate (108) and the on-chip inductor (104), wherein the isolator (100) is structured (in Figs 1 thru 2A) not to generate a loop induced current in a magnetic field of the on-chip inductor (104)
the isolator (100 in cutout blowup view 150; Fig 1; [0021]) is configured to prevent (construed from [0022]: to attenuate effects of parasitic capacitance between the inductor 104 and the substrate 10) a parasitic capacitance from being generated between the substrate (108) and the on-chip inductor (104).
Regarding Claim 2. Song as applied to the radio frequency chip of claim 1, further teaches, wherein a first side of the isolator (100) is opposite a second side of the on-chip inductor (104);
a front projection of the second side of the on-chip inductor (104) on the first side (pattern 301; Fig 3a) of the isolator (100) is within or completely coincident with the first side (see cutout blowup view 150; Fig 1).
Regarding Claim 3. Song as applied to the radio frequency chip of claim 1, further teaches, wherein the isolator is a first planar structure provided with a plurality of notches (251,252, 243,245; Fig 2A; [0035]), where the plurality of notches serve to prevent the first planar structure from generating a loop induced current in the magnetic field of the on-chip inductor (construed from [0020] the ground shield structure 100 may provide electromagnetic energy attenuation (e.g., isolation) between components or structures of the electronic device 120. For example, the ground shield structure 100 may be located between a first component, such as an inductor 104, and an adjacent structure, such as a substrate 108 of the electronic device 120).
Regarding Claim 4. Song as applied to the radio frequency chip of claim 1, further teaches, wherein the isolator is a second planar structure comprising at least one fishbone structure (231,232,233; Fig. 2A; [0025]);
the fishbone structure comprises a fishbone trunk (spine; [0025]), at least one first fishbone branch (233; Fig 2A;[0025]), and at least one second fishbone branch (232);
where the at least one first fishbone branch (232) is connected to the fishbone trunk (spine) at a first side of the fishbone trunk (spine), the at least one second fishbone branch (232) is connected to the fishbone trunk (Spine)at a second side of the fishbone trunk, and there is no contact between any two adjacent first fishbone branches (Fig; 2A; [0026])and between any two adjacent second fishbone branches .
Regarding Claims 9-12, Song as applied to the radio frequency chip of claims 1-4 respectively, further teaches, further comprising: a support (201/202; Fig 2A; [0025]) for supporting the isolator (100) such that the isolator is positioned between the substrate (108) and the on-chip inductor (104).
Regarding Claims 13, 16. Song as applied to the radio frequency chip of claim 9 and/or 12 respectively, further teaches, wherein the support (201/202) is polysilicon (Fig 2A; [0028]); the polysilicon fills between the on-chip inductor (104) and the isolator (100and between the substrate and the isolator (100).
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 103 which forms the basis fo933r 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 of this title, 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.
Claims 5-8 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over SONG; Young Kyu et al. (US 20170033059 A1) hereinafter Song; in view of Ahmed; Abdulrhman M. S. et al. (US 11196138 B1) hereinafter Ahmed
Regarding Claims 5,6,7,8 Song as applied to the radio frequency chip of claim 1, 2,3,4 respectively. while further teaches, (the chip) further comprising a resistor (resistor; [0003]); the resistor (as a component in [0005-0006]) serves to block transmission of a noise signal from the grounding end to the isolator (100). but does not expressly disclose:
one end of the resistor is connected to the isolator (100), and the other end of the resistor is connected to a grounding end.
However, in the analogous art, Ahmed teaches radio frequency (RF) communication system (Column 1; lines 6-12), wherein (column 14; line 50-55) a first one of these ports 674 (i.e., the “isolated port”) is terminated to ground through a resistor 676 (e.g., resistor 176, FIG. 1).
Therefore, one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to include Ahmed’s resistor 676 into Song’s chip and thereby the combination of (Song and Ahmed) will comprise the one end of the resistor is connected to the isolator (100), and the other end of the resistor is connected to a grounding end, as claimed, since this inclusion, at least, provide a low noise device as taught by (column 5 lines17-20)
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. See form PTO-892.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to MOAZZAM HOSSAIN whose telephone number is (571)270-7960. The examiner can normally be reached on M-F: 8:30AM - 6:00 PM. EST.
Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. See form PTO-892.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to MOAZZAM HOSSAIN whose telephone number is (571)270-7960. The examiner can normally be reached on M-F: 8:30AM - 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/interviewpractice.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Julio J. Maldonado can be reached on 571-272-1864. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/MOAZZAM HOSSAIN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2898
April 15, 2026
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