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 Objections
Claims 1, 3 and 4 are objected to because of the following informalities:
Regarding claim 1, line 8, “circuit” should correctly be “circuits”.
Regarding claim 1, line 8, “each have” should correctly be “each has/having”.
Regarding claim 3, lines 2 and 3, “wherein the first and second active amplifier circuit each have …” should correctly be “wherein the first and second active amplifier circuits each has/having …”
Regarding claim 4, line 3, “circuit each feed back …” should correctly be “circuits each feeds back …”
Appropriate correction is required.
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, 4 and 5 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Oku (20170187341).
Regarding claims 1 and 5, Oku (Fig. 9) discloses an amplifier circuit comprising: a digital amplifier (911), having a negative input and a positive input (-, +) and a negative output and a positive output (Outn, Outp) and a first feedback circuit via path including elements (914a-916a) from the positive output (Outp) to the negative input (-) of amplifier (911), a second feedback circuit via path including elements (914b-916b) from the negative output (Outn) to the positive input (+) of amplifier (911), wherein the first and the second feedback circuits each has/having a first and second active amplification circuit (915a and 915b), respectively.
Regarding claim 2, wherein low pass filters (914a and 914b) connected to positive and negative outputs (Outn and Outp) read as claimed first and second smoothing circuits, respectively, for smoothing negative and positive outputs.
Regarding claim 4, wherein the first and the second feedback circuits each feeds back an alternating voltage (negative output (Outn) to positive input (+)) and vice versa.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claim 3 is 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.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter:
Regarding claim 3, prior art(s) does not disclose the first and second active amplifier circuits each has/having a frequency response with an amplification and a phase, wherein the amplification at a frequency of 1 kHz is greater than 6 dB and the amplification at frequencies above 70 kHz is less than 1 dB and wherein the phase in the frequency range of 70 kHz to 500 kHz lies above -15 degrees.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. The additional reference(s) cited in PTO-892 show further analogous prior art circuitry. However, they lack amplifier in each of the feedback path and configurations as claimed.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Khanh V. Nguyen whose telephone number is (571) 272-1767. The examiner can normally be reached from 8:30 AM – 5:00 PM EST.
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/KHANH V NGUYEN/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2843
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