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 is 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 1, the expression "determining a compensation value for each of a plurality of power ranges" is vague and indefinite, since it is not clear what the compensation value is compensating, how said values are determined or what is being referred to by the power ranges. Furthermore, it is not clear what circuit element(s) for “determining compensation value …” claimed.
Regarding claim 1, the expression "determining one of the plurality of power ranges to which transmission power of an initial symbol belongs" is vague and indefinite, since it is not clear what circuit element(s) for "determining one of the plurality of power ranges …” claimed.
Regarding claim 1, the expression "compensating the initial symbol with the compensation value for the one power range to obtain a compensated symbol, for transmission after passing through a power amplifier” is unclear and indefinite, since it is not clear what circuit element(s) for “compensating the initial symbol …” claimed.
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) 1-5 and 8-10 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Kakinuma et al. (20160028421), hereafter called KAKINUMA.
Regarding claim 1, KAKINUMA (Figs. 2, 3 and 21-23) discloses a communication device having compensation comprising: determining a compensation value for each of a plurality of power ranges; determining one of the plurality of power ranges to which transmission power of an initial symbol belongs, and compensating the initial symbol with the compensation value for the one power range to obtain a compensated symbol, for transmission after passing through a power amplifier (23), see block (12/212M) and para. [0046].
Regarding claim 2, wherein the respective compensation values for the plurality of power ranges are maintained in a look-up table (33), and the compensation value for the one power range is determined from the look-up table.
Regarding claim 3, wherein the claimed subject matters are considered straightforward implementation details of KAKINUMA, see BACKGROUND.
Regarding claim 4, further comprising: obtaining a symbol as a result of the compensated symbol transmitted after passing through the power amplifier (23) and received by means of coupling (15); and updating the compensation value via correction unit (35) for the one power range based on the obtained symbol, see Figs. 3 and 22.
Regarding claim 5, wherein said updating comprises: calculating (31) an offset between the initial symbol and the obtained symbol; and updating the compensation value for the one power range based on the offset, see Figs. 3 and 22.
Regarding claim 8, an apparatus (300) for power amplifier compensation, comprising a processor (301) and a memory (302), wherein the memory (302) is inherently seen comprising instructions executable by the processor (301).
Regarding claim 9, only specify intended uses of the invention which are not given any patentable weight as they do not materially effect to the final product claimed. the limitation “the apparatus is provided in a Digital Unit, DU, of a network device, and the power amplifier is provided in a Radio Unit, RU, of the network device” are seen to define intended use of the invention, wherein the circuit of KAKINUMA is capable of providing in a Digital Unit, DU, of a network device, and the power amplifier is provided in a Radio Unit, RU, of the network device as claimed.
Regarding claim 10, see claim 1 above and para. [0152].
Claim(s) 1-6 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Suzuki et al. (20100304694), hereafter called SUZUKI.
Regarding claim 1, SUZUKI (Fig. 2) disclose a method for power amplifier (9) compensation, comprising: determining a compensation value for each of a plurality of power ranges ("A distortion-compensation processing unit 40 of the distortion compensating unit 4 has a memory (look-up table (LUT)) 41 in which distortion compensation coefficients corresponding to the two-dimensional coordinates of the power level of a transmission signal and the power difference between the transmission signal and a feedback signal are stored.", paragraph [0030], given that a LUT always has a limited number of entries, the power will have been divided into power ranges); determining one of the plurality of power ranges to which transmission power of an initial symbol belongs ("The transmission- signal generating unit 1 assigns a unit time (carrier unit, symbol unit, or frame unit) for measuring electrical power to the electrical-power measuring unit 5 (S100). The FW-power measuring unit 51 and the FB- power measuring unit 53 measure power values of transmission signals (forward (FW) signal) and feedback (FB) signals in each assigned unit time (carrier unit, symbol unit, or frame unit) (S102 and S104). Each of the measured power values is an integral value of electrical power in one carrier unit in the unit time. When the assigned unit time is a carrier unit, the power value for one carrier is the measured power value. When the assigned unit time is a symbol unit or a frame unit, integral values of power values of carriers in one symbol or one frame are the measured power values.", paragraph [0033];); and compensating the initial symbol with the compensation value for the one power range to obtain a compensated symbol, for transmission after passing through a power amplifier ("distortion-compensation- coefficient multiplying unit 42 that reads out a distortion compensation coefficient corresponding to the power level of a transmission signal from the LUT 41 and multiplies a parallel data string (transmission signal) of an I signal and a Q signal with the distortion compensation coefficient", see para. [0030] .
Regarding claim 2, SUZUKI discloses (A distortion- compensation processing unit 40 of the distortion compensating unit 4 has a memory (look-up table (LUT)) 41 in which distortion compensation coefficients corresponding to the two-dimensional coordinates of the power level of a transmission signal and the power difference between the transmission signal and a feedback signal are stored." "distortion-compensation-coefficient multiplying unit 42 that reads out a distortion compensation coefficient corresponding to the power level of a transmission signal from the LUT 41 and multiplies a parallel data string (transmission signal) of an I signal and a Q signal with the distortion compensation coefficient.", para. [0030])
Regarding claim 3, wherein the claimed subject matters are considered straightforward implementation details of SUZUKI, see BACKGROUND.
Regarding claims 4 and 5, wherein claimed subject matters are inherently seen in SUZUKI, see (Fig.2A-Fig.2B; paras. [0033]-[0036]).
Regarding claim 6, wherein the claimed subject matters are considered straightforward implementation details of SUZUKI in order to compare the input and output power, since the power amplifier amplifies the input signal and the power amplification always contains a delay, said delay and amplification must be compensated before the comparison, see para. [0034], "The delay adjustment memory 52 adjusts the time difference between the power measuring timing of a transmission signal (FW signal) and the measuring timing of a feedback signal (FB signal) corresponding to the transmission signal. The delay adjustment memory 52 delays the output timing of the measured power value of the measured transmission signal to the gain control unit 44. The delay adjustment memory 52 supplies the measured power value of the transmission signal to the gain control unit 44 at the same timing as the output timing of the measured power value of the feedback signal.", which discloses a compensation in phase before the comparison).
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) 7 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over SUZUKI/ KAKINUMA.
Regarding claim 7, wherein the claimed subject matters are considered straightforward implementation details of SUZUKI/ KAKINUMA, which the skilled person would consider depending on the application requirements, without involving any inventive skill. For example, GaN transistors are well known for their advantages in high power and high speed application.
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.
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