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 with respect to claims 1, 19 and 20 have been considered but are moot because the new ground of rejection does not rely on any reference applied in the prior rejection of record for any teaching or matter specifically challenged in the argument.
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.
This application currently names joint inventors. In considering patentability of the claims the examiner presumes that the subject matter of the various claims was commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the claimed invention(s) absent any evidence to the contrary. Applicant is advised of the obligation under 37 CFR 1.56 to point out the inventor and effective filing dates of each claim that was not commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the later invention in order for the examiner to consider the applicability of 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(2)(C) for any potential 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) prior art against the later invention.
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.
Claims 1, 2, 10-15 and 18-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Jang (US 2023/0388078) in view of Park (US 2018/0152955).
Jang is about dual connectivity in a mobile device, especially LTE + NR operation, where the device transmits/receives on two networks at the same time.
Specifically, Figure 6 and paragraph 105, is important because it discloses a device with multiple antennas, multiple RFFEs, a diplexer-based path per antenna/RFFE, a structure where each antenna/RFFE path can support more than one band, selective routing of NR reference signals through different antenna/RFFE paths and the idea that the device can use a processor/controller to decide how to route or limit transmission on specific paths
In short, Jang is about dynamic control of multi-antenna, multi-band RF paths, with emphasis on LTE/NR dual connectivity and selective transmission through different antenna paths.
Park is about sharing an unlicensed band among different RATs, especially Wi-Fi and LTE-U/LAA, using an antenna, a filtering unit that splits signals into multiple bands, a switching unit, a first communication unit and second communication unit, a controller that routes the right band to the right RAT. Park’s Figure 5 is especially relevant because it shows the idea that an antenna signal is split by frequency, a divider/switching arrangement sends one band to one RAT and another band to another RAT, the same physical antenna path can support multiple communication technologies and routing can be controlled so the device can use both functions with minimal hardware duplication
In short, Park teaches band splitting and selective routing of different RAT signals through a shared antenna/front-end architecture.
Regarding claim 1, Jang teaches an electronic device supporting dual connectivity between a first network and a second network, such as LTE and NR, and discloses a first communication circuit, a second communication circuit, a plurality of antennas, and processor-controlled routing of a reference signal through a plurality of paths corresponding to the plurality of antennas. See Jang 0004-0009, 0089-0105, and FIG. 6. Jang therefore teaches a first transceiver unit having a first transmitter and a first receiver and configured to transmit at a first RF band according to a first communication protocol. Jang further teaches a second transceiver unit having a second transmitter and a second receiver and configured to transmit at a second RF band according to a second communication protocol. Jang also teaches multiple antennas and selected RF paths corresponding to the plurality of antennas (0105).
Jang does not expressly teach a first antenna connected via a first diplexer to the first transmitter and the first receiver, with the first receiver configured to receive at the second RF band. Jang also does not expressly teach a second antenna connected via a second diplexer to the second transmitter and the second receiver, with the second receiver configured to receive the first RF band. Thus, Jang does not disclose the claimed cross-band diplexer arrangement.
Park teaches an electronic device including an antenna, a filtering unit for filtering signals received from the antenna into a plurality of bands, a switching unit for outputting the filtered signals to a first communication unit and a second communication unit, and a controller that controls the switching unit so that when a signal of a first band is output to the first communication unit, a signal of a second band is output to the second communication unit. See Park 0011-0014, 0063-0083, and FIG. 5. Park further teaches that the filtering unit may be a duplexer or diplexer. Park therefore teaches the missing limitation of a first antenna connected via a first diplexer to the first transmitter and the first receiver, where the first receiver is configured to receive at the second RF band, and a second antenna connected via a second diplexer to the second transmitter and the second receiver, where the second receiver is configured to receive the first RF band.
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Jang’s dual-connectivity RF architecture to incorporate Park’s filtering and switching arrangement, in order to efficiently route multiple RF bands through limited antenna and front-end components while supporting simultaneous operation of different wireless communication functions in a mobile device.
Regarding claim 2, Jang teaches the first RF band according to a first communication protocol is a 4G LTE band and the second RF band according to a second communication protocol is a 5G NR band(Jang 0057, 0068 and 0089 discloses a first network such as LTE and a first communication circuit for communication with the first network).
Regarding claim 10. Jang teaches the first RF band and the second RF band comprise a band pair (Jang 0090-0099 and 0103-0105 - teaches the concept of an LTE/NR band pair).
Regarding claim 11, Jang as modified by Park teach the band pair includes a first band that is one of LTE bands 1 through 71, and a second band that is one of NR bands n1 through n78 (Jang 0022-0024, Table 1 identifies LTE bands and band-pair combinations associated with LTE/NR operation).
Regarding claim 12, Jang as modified by Park teach teaches the first diplexer comprises a first transmission filter configured to pass the first RF band and a first reception filter configured to pass the second RF band (Jang- 0090-0105 Jang discloses diplexer-based routing in the RF front-end and transmit/receive control for LTE/NR paths & Park 0072-0083 disclose filtering of signals into plural bands and routing one band to one communication unit and another band to another communication unit).
Regarding claim 13, Jang teaches the second diplexer comprises a second transmission filter configured to pass the second RF band and a second reception filter configured to pass the first RF band (Jang 0089-0105).
Regarding claim 14, Jang teaches the first and second transmission filter and the first and second reception filters are at least one of a SAW or a BAW filter (Jang 0024- states that the transmission and reception filters may be SAW or BAW filters).
Regarding claim 15, Jang teaches the first and second transmission filter and the first and second reception filters each comprise a plurality of SAW or BAW filters (Jang 0024).
Regarding claim 18, Jang teaches device configured to operate in an EN-DC mode, comprising the RF frequency module (Jang Figure 6, an electronic device including RF/front-end structures for LTE/NR communication).
Regarding claim 19, Jang teaches a method of reducing receiver desense in an RF front-end module operating in an EN-DC mode, including transmitting from a first transceiver unit via a first diplexer a first RF band and receiving at the first transceiver unit via the first diplexer a first NR 5G band. Jang teaches an electronic device supporting dual connectivity between a first network and a second network, such as LTE and NR, and discloses a plurality of antennas, a first communication circuit, a second communication circuit, and processor-controlled routing of a reference signal through a plurality of paths corresponding to the plurality of antennas. See Jang 0004-0009, 0089-00105, and FIG. 6. Jang therefore teaches the EN-DC operating context, multiple transceiver paths, and control of RF signal transmission and reception in a dual-network mobile device. However, Jang does not expressly teach transmitting from a first transceiver unit via a first diplexer a first RF band and receiving at the first transceiver unit via the first diplexer a first NR 5G band. Jang also does not expressly disclose the claimed diplexer-based band separation in the form.
Park teaches an electronic device including an antenna, a filtering unit for filtering signals received from the antenna into a plurality of bands, a switching unit for outputting the filtered signals to a first communication unit and a second communication unit, and a controller that controls the switching unit so that when a signal of a first band is output to the first communication unit, a signal of a second band is output to the second communication unit. See Park 0011-0014, 0072-0083, and FIG. 5. Park further teaches that the filtering unit may be a duplexer or diplexer. Park therefore teaches the missing limitation of routing different RF bands through a diplexer-based front end so that one band is transmitted and another band is received through the same general front-end arrangement.
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Jang’s dual-connectivity RF architecture to incorporate Park’s filtering and switching arrangement, in order to efficiently route multiple RF bands through limited antenna and front-end components while supporting simultaneous operation of different wireless communication functions in a mobile device.
Regarding claim 20, Jang teaches a dual-connectivity mobile communication device supporting LTE and NR operation, including multiple RF paths, multiple antennas, and control of transmission and reception in an EN-DC environment. See Jang 0004-0009, 0089-0105, and FIG. 6. Jang therefore teaches the claimed context of reducing receiver desense in an RF front-end module operating in an EN-DC mode. However, Jang does not expressly disclose physically separating a first transmitter from a second receiver in the specific manner recited in claim 20.
Park teaches an electronic device including an antenna, a filtering unit for filtering signals received from the antenna into a plurality of bands, a switching unit for outputting the filtered signals to a first communication unit and a second communication unit, and a controller that controls the switching unit so that different frequency bands are routed to different communication units. See Park 0011-0014, 0072-0083, and FIG. 5. Park further teaches that the filtering unit may be a duplexer or diplexer. Park therefore teaches band separation and routing of LTE/NR-type signals through shared RF front-end hardware.
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Jang’s dual-connectivity RF architecture to incorporate Park’s filtering and switching arrangement, in order to efficiently route multiple RF bands through limited antenna and front-end components while supporting simultaneous operation of different wireless communication functions in a mobile device.
As to the limitation of physically separating a first transmitter from a second receiver, it is asserted that such physical separation of transmit and receive circuitry in RF front-end design was well known in the art and would have been an obvious design choice to a person of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was made. In particular, physical spacing of transmitter and receiver circuits to reduce coupling, interference, and receiver desense is a known RF layout technique. Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify as routine modification of the RF front-end arrangement taught by Jang and Park.
Claims 3-7, 16 and 17 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Jang (US 2023/0388078) in view of Park (US 2018/0152955) and further in view of Belghoul et al (US 2018/0227960).
Regarding claims 3 and 4, Jang as modified by Jang fail to specifically disclose what Belghoul teaches, the first receiver is disposed adjacent the first transmitter or second transmitter (figure 5 and 0082 disclose a RF chain block showing a co-located Tx/Rx circuits for each RAT- standard RFIC design/layout).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Jang’s electronic device with Belghoul’s ompact multi-radio arrangement in which a first radio is in communication with a first antenna and a second radio is in communication with a second antenna, with switch-controlled routing to a third antenna in order to arrange the first receiver adjacent the first transmitter as a matter of routine RF layout to facilitate connection and routing within the front-end module
Regarding claim 5, Jang and Park as modified by Belghoul above teach the first transceiver unit, the second transceiver unit, the first diplexer and the second diplexer are disposed on a substrate (Belghoul 0056- components may be implemented as SOC).
Regarding claim 6, Jang and Park as modified by Belghoul above teach a first switch configured to direct the first RF band from the first transmitter to the first diplexer (Belghoul para 0082- switch 570 used to route transmit circuitry between RAT specific paths).
Regarding claim 7, Jang and Park as modified by Belghoul above teach the first switch is further configured to direct the second RF band from the second transmitter to the second diplexer (Belghoul para 0082- switch 570 used to route transmit circuitry between RAT specific paths).
Regarding claim 16, Jang and Park as modified by Belghoul above fail to specifically state a third transceiver unit, a third diplexer and a third antenna. However, Belghoul in para 0049 describes devices supporting multiple RATs including LTE/NR/Wi-Fi etc., these systems inherently require RF chains and their associated antennas and filtering.
Regarding claim 17, Jang and Park as modified by Belghoul above teach the third transceiver unit comprises a transmitter and a receiver, and wherein the transmitter and receiver are physically separate from one another by at least one transmitter of at least one of the first or second transceiver unit (Belghoul 0049-0052 disclose UE includes multiple radios beyond LTE/NR and 0150 disclose Wi-Fi/Bluetooth GNSS coexistence is standard, showing the existence of a third transceiver unit like Wi-Fi).
Claims 8 and 9 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Jang (US 2023/0388078) and Park (US 2018/0152955) in view of Belghoul et al (US 2018/0227960) and further in view of Hiraka et al (US 6,366,564).
Regarding claims 8 and 9, Jang and Park as modified by Belghoul fail to specifically disclose what Hiraka teaches, a second switch configured to direct the second RF band from the first/second antenna to the first/second diplexer (Hiraka figure 1, col 3 lines 15-38 and col. 4 lines 1-23- teaches multi path diplexing and optional switching).
Therefore, It would have been obvious to one with ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention was made seeking to implement multi-RAT, multi-band UE hardware as in Belghoul would be motivated to employ known diplexer/duplexer technology such as that disclosed in Hiraka to provide compact band separation and improved isolation.
Conclusion
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/EDAN ORGAD/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2414
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