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 .
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed on 03/16/2026 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive.
Regarding claim 1, Applicant argued Hsiao fails to disclose that the interfaces (AC-coupled interface and DC-coupled interface) are configured differently as recited in claim 1.
The Examiner respectfully submits that as indicated in the first Table in Remarks (03/16/2026), Hsiao’s path 1 is different from path 2 based on the types of signals (AC and DC signals) being communicated on each path, such as CLK (AC signal) on path 1, CTRL with embedded DC_EN_1 (DC signal) on path 2. The types of signals on path 1 and path 2 match to the claimed types of signals on AC and DC interfaces, and the claim does not recite AC-coupled interface is only for AC signal coupling, DC-coupled interface is only for DC signal coupling, further the claimed DC-coupled interface appears to perform AC signal coupling i.e. the second IF signal. Thus the new limitation is disclosed as path 1 having at least one AC signal (CLK) coupled thereof, path 2 having at least one DC signal (CTRL with embedded DC_EN_1) coupled thereof.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
In the event the determination of the status of the application as subject to AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103 (or as subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103) is incorrect, any correction of the statutory basis (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) for the rejection will not be considered a new ground of rejection if the prior art relied upon, and the rationale supporting the rejection, would be the same under either status.
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) 1-2 and 11 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Hsiao (US 20200287574 A1).
For claim 1. Hsiao discloses An electronic device comprising: an IF transceiver ([0041], figure 3) configured to
output a first IF signal (IF0) and an LO signal (AC signal REF_CLK) via an AC-coupled interface, the AC-coupled interface configured to perform AC-coupling, the first IF signal (IF0) being up-converted from a first baseband signal ([0040]), and the LO signal being generated by at least one processor (REF_CLK), and
output a second IF signal (IF1) and a first control signal ([0067]: DC_EN_1 having a predetermined pattern may be embedded in the control signal CTRL or may be encoded in the control signal CTRL) via a DC-coupled interface, the DC-coupled interface configured to perform DC-coupling (DC signal DC_EN_1), the second IF signal (IF1) being up-converted from a second baseband signal generated by the at least one processor, and the first control signal being generated based on the LO signal ([0064]: the control modem 311 may perform frequency shift on the control signal CTRL via a numerically controlled oscillator (NCO) circuit (not shown), so as to move the center frequency to the low IF band (for example, about 50-60 MHz); [0069] the low-IF control signal CTRL is applied with the reference clock signal REF_CLK transmission; hence control modem 311 modulates CTRL according to REF_CLK); and an RF module configured to separate the first IF signal and the LO signal obtained via the AC-coupled interface ([0053] diplexer circuit 324-1), separate the second IF signal and the first control signal obtained via the DC-coupled interface (diplexer circuit 324-2), generate a first RF signal (RF0) based on the first IF signal for transmission via an antenna array (322), and generate a second RF signal (RF1) based on the second IF signal for transmission via the antenna array (322).
For claim 2. The electronic device of claim 1, Hsiao discloses wherein the IF transceiver comprises: a first signal processing unit configured to process the first baseband signal and the second baseband signal to generate the first IF signal, the second IF signal, the LO signal, and the first control signal (figure 3, IF device 310); a first AC-coupled sub-interface configured to diplex the first IF signal and the LO signal for output to a first channel corresponding to the AC-coupled interface (314-1, 315-1, 324-1, 325-1); and a first DC-coupled sub-interface configured to diplex the second IF signal and the first control signal for output to a second channel corresponding to the DC-coupled interface (314-2, 315-2, 324-2, 325-2).
For claim 11. The electronic device of claim 2, Hsiao discloses wherein both the first channel and the second channel are based on FPCBs ([0005], [0027]).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 3-10 and 12 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, because none of the references, either alone or in combination, discloses or renders obvious claims 3-10 and 12.
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 response to this Office Action should be faxed to (571) 273-8300, submitted online via the USPTO's Electronic Filing System-Web (EFS-Web) (Registered eFilers only, Registered users of the USPTO's EFS-Web system may submit a response electronically through EFS-Web at https://efs.uspto.gov/TruePassSample/AuthenticateUserLocalEPF.html), or mailed to:
Commissioner for Patents
P.O. Box 1450
Alexandria, VA 22313-1450
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Rui Meng Hu whose telephone number is 571-270-1105, email is ruimeng.hu@uspto.gov. The examiner can normally be reached on Monday - Friday, 8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m., EST.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Jinsong Hu can be reached on (571)272-3965. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/Rui Meng Hu/
R.H./rh
March 24, 2026
/JINSONG HU/ Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2643