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 § 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 – 28 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.
In claim 1, the statement “a second electrode layer… having a transducer connection point and a reference voltage connection point” is indefinite. The first electrode layer is disclosed to be connected to the connection point and reference voltage connection point. It is not clear if the second electrode layer is connected to a different connection point and reference voltage connection point or to the same connection points as referred to first electrode layer.
In claims 19, 20, the statement “the MEMS” and “the ASIC” lack antecedent basis.
In claim 21, the first and second cantilevered beam are connected to a transducer connection point and reference voltage connection point It is not clear if the first and second cantilevered beams are connected to the same connection point and voltage connection point or to different connection point and voltage connection point. Clarification is required.
Claims 2 – 20, 22 – 28 are rejected due their dependency on claims 1, 21.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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 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 – 3, 5, 7, 8, 16 – 19, 21, 23, 27 – 29 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Hajati et al in view of Goericke et al.
Hajati et al discloses, regarding,
Claim 1. A device comprising: a transmit signal path node; a receive signal path node (Figs. 2A, 2B); a first electrode layer 514 coupled to a first piezoelectric layer 510, the first electrode layer 514 having a transducer connection point and a reference voltage connection point (see Fig. 5A, 2A, 3A), wherein the reference voltage connection point is coupled to a reference node (Fig. 3A, 3B); a second electrode layer coupled to a second piezoelectric layer (second transducer element 210B or 210N; Figs. 2A, 2B), the second electrode layer having a transducer connection point and a reference voltage connection point (since the transducer have similar structural elements); and switching circuitry (Figs. 3A, 3B); wherein the switching circuitry is configurable to couple the first electrode layer and the second electrode layer in series (see abstract; Fig. 2B) in a first configuration and to couple the first electrode layer and the second electrode layer in parallel (see abstract; Fig. 2A) between the reference node and the transmit signal path node in a second configuration.
It is reminded that having elements being connected between a reference node and a receiver/transmitter is well-know and easily attainable for someone having ordinary skill in the art.
In that respect, Goericke et al is being cited for showing that it is common to connect piezoelectric devices and electrodes between the reference node and the receive signal path node in a configuration (see Figs. 3, 5A, 5B, 5C, 5D).
It is further disclosed that having a connection ) between the reference node and the transmit signal path node is possible.
Hajati et al further discloses regarding,
Claim 2, the first electrode layer and the second electrode layer are positioned together with the first piezoelectric layer and the second piezoelectric layer in a single cantilevered beam (see Fig. 3C).
Claim 3, a first cantilevered beam comprising the first electrode layer and the first piezoelectric layer; and a second cantilevered beam comprising the second electrode layer and the second piezoelectric layer (see Fig. 3C).
Claim 5, comprising a third cantilevered beam having a transducer connection point and a reference voltage connection point (see Fig. 3C).
Claim 7, a first set of cantilevered beams, a second set of cantilevered beams, and a third set of cantilevered beams; wherein the first set of cantilevered beams comprises the first cantilevered beam; wherein the second set of cantilevered beams comprises the second cantilevered beam; and wherein the third set of cantilevered beams comprises the third cantilevered beam, since it has been held that mere duplication of the essential working parts of a device involves only routine skill in the art. St. Regis Paper Co. v. Bemis Co., 193 USPQ 8.
Claim 8, each cantilevered beam of the first set of cantilevered beams are coupled in parallel to generate a single ended output signal at the transducer connection point of the first cantilevered beam (Fig. 2B).
Claim 16, the first cantilevered beam and the second cantilevered beam each comprise a top surface having a triangular shape since it would have been an obvious matter of design choice to such shape, since applicant has not disclosed that the triangular shape solves any stated problem or is for any particular purpose and it appears that the invention would perform equally well with any other shape.
Claim 17, control circuitry coupled to the switching circuitry to select between connecting a first input or a second input of each switch of the switching circuitry and an output of each switch based on a device operating mode (Fig. 7).
Claim 18, the device operating mode associated with the first configuration is a transmit mode, and wherein the device operating mode associated with the second configuration is a receive mode (Figs. 2A, 2B).
Claim 19, a microelectromechanical (MEMS) chip (see abstract); and an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC) [0008, 0010]; wherein the MEMS chip comprises the first electrode layer and the second electrode layer; and wherein the ASIC comprises the switching circuitry, wherein the MEMS chip and the ASIC are electrically coupled via wire bonds (Fig. 7).
Claim 21. A device comprising: an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC) comprising: a signal transmit input; a signal receive output; and routing circuitry; and a microelectromechanical (MEMS) chip comprising [0008, 0010, 0045, 0048]: a first cantilevered beam having a transducer connection point and a reference voltage connection point; and a second cantilevered beam having a transducer connection point and a reference voltage connection point; wherein the routing circuitry is configurable to couple the first cantilevered beam and the second cantilevered beam in series between a reference voltage and the signal receive output in a first configuration and to couple the first cantilevered beam and the second cantilevered beam in parallel between the reference voltage and the signal transmit input in a second configuration (see Figs. 5A, 2A, 2B, 3C, 3A, 3B, 6, 7; and rejection for claim 1 above).
Claim 23, a third cantilevered beam having a transducer connection point and a reference voltage connection point (Figs. 7, 2A, 2B).
Claim 27, the first configuration is associated with a transmit operating mode, and wherein the second configuration is associated with a receive operating mode (Figs. 2A, 2B).
Claim 28, control circuitry; transmit circuitry comprising a power amplifier coupled between the control circuitry and the signal transmit input; and receive circuitry coupled between the control circuitry and the signal receive output (Hajati et al, [0042]; Goericke et al, Figs 4B, 5A-D).
Claim 29, A method comprising: selecting, using control circuitry of a piezoelectric device, a receive mode; configuring, using switching circuitry selected by the control circuitry (Figs. 2A, 2B), a first electrode layer and a second electrode layer of one or more piezoelectric transducers in series between a reference node and a receive signal path node, in response to selection of the receive mode; selecting, using the control circuitry of the piezoelectric device, a transmit mode; and configuring, using the switching circuitry selected by the control circuitry, the first electrode layer and the second electrode layer of one or more piezoelectric transducers in parallel between a reference node and a transmit signal path node, in response to selection of the transmit mode (see Figs. 5A, 2A, 2B, 3C, 3A, 3B, 6, 7; and rejection for claim 1 above).
It would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to design the device/method as disclosed by Hajati et al and to modify the invention per the limitations disclosed by Goericke et al for the purpose of improving the operability of transducers.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 4, 6, 9 – 15, 20, 22, 24 – 26 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.
Examiner Notes
The Examiner has cited particular paragraphs and/or columns and line numbers and/or figures in the references applied to the claims for the convenience of the applicant. Although the specified citations are representative of the teachings in the art and are applied to the specific limitations within the individual claim, other passages and figures may apply as well. It is respectfully requested of the applicant in preparing responses, to fully consider the references in their entirety as potentially teaching all or part of the claimed invention, as well as the context of the passage as taught by the prior art or disclosed by the Examiner. SEE MPEP 2141.02 [R – 07.2015] VI. PRIOR MUST BE CONSIDERED IN ITS ENTIRETY, INCLUDING DISCLOSURES THAT TEACH AWAY FROM THE CLAIMS: A prior art reference must be considered in its entirety, i.e., as a whole, including portions that would lead away from the claimed invention. W.L. Gore & Associates, Inc. v. Garlock, Inc., 721 F.2d 1540, 220 USPQ 303 (Fed. Cir. 1983), cert, denied, 469 U.S. 851 (1984). See also MPEP ₴ 2123.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Julio C. Gonzalez whose telephone number is (571)272-2024. The examiner can normally be reached M-F.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Abdullah Riyami can be reached at 5712703119. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/Julio C. Gonzalez/
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 2831
January 29, 2026