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 .
Continued Examination Under 37 CFR 1.114
A request for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, including the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e), was filed in this application after final rejection. Since this application is eligible for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114. Applicant's submission filed on 05/13/2026 has been entered.
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 24 and 27 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.
Regarding claim 24, “a current source” in line 2 is already defined in claim 1. It’s also not clear what the second MOS transistor is or how it fits in with the rest of the invention. Appropriate correction is required.
Regarding claim 27, “gate of the first MOS transistor of the differential pair” and “gate of the second transistor of the differential pair” have no antecedent basis. Examiner suggests amending this to say “gate of the third MOS transistor” and “gate of the fourth MOS transistor” instead, because it’s already defined in claim 5 that the third and fourth MOS transistors are part of a differential pair so it’s not necessary to put that part in the claim. Appropriate correction is required.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 1, 5-7, 12-14, 16-23, 25-26, and 28-30 are allowed.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter:
The prior art fails to teach that the bias circuit further comprises a current source series-connected with the third MOS transistor (from claims 1 and 13). It also fails to teach an amplifier comprising a first device and second device that has the limitations and structure of claim 1. Further searching did not reveal any relevant prior art that would have worked alone or in combination with previous references to reject the limitations in these claims. Therefore, claims 1, 5-7, 12-14, 16-23, 25-26, and 28-30 are allowed.
Claims 24 and 27 would be allowable if rewritten to overcome the rejection(s) under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), 2nd paragraph, set forth in this Office action and to include all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to NAREH SHAMIRYAN whose telephone number is (703)756-4616. The examiner can normally be reached M-F: 7:00AM-4:00PM PT.
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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.
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/NAREH SHAMIRYAN/Examiner, Art Unit 2843
/ANDREA LINDGREN BALTZELL/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2843
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