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 .
Response to Amendment
The Amendment filed 01/02/2026 has been entered. Applicant’s amendments to the Specification and Claims have overcome each and every objection and 112(b) rejections previously set forth in the Non-Final Office Action mailed 10/02/2025.
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed 01/02/2026 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive. Applicant argues that Bohr et al. does not disclose an “internal differential amplifier” only a conventional op-amp. However, Bohr teaches a differential amplifier (Fig. 2 #103) with two inputs and one output that is similar to the applicant’s figures where an internal differential amplifier (Fig. 3 #10a) has two inputs and one output. Both Bohr and the applicant have this internal differential amplifier (#103 and #10a respectively) in the transimpedance amplifier (#130 and #10 respectively). It is also well known in the art and taught in “The Differential Amplifier” by ElectronicsTutortials (https://www.electronics-tutorials.ws/opamp/opamp_5.html ) that all operational amplifier can be classed as differential amplifiers due to their input configuration.
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.
(a)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claim(s) 11, 13, and 18-20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) and (a)(2) as being anticipated by DE 102020201668 by Bohr et al.
Regarding claim 11, Bohr teaches a transimpedance amplifier device (Fig. 2), comprising:
a transimpedance amplifier (Fig. 2 #130, 103) having a first input connection (#104), a second input connection (#105), and an output connection (#106), the transimpedance amplifier being configured to supply at the output connection of the transimpedance amplifier an output signal that corresponds to a current at the first input connection; and
a voltage differential amplifier (#116) having a first input connection (#113), a second input connection (#114), and an output connection (#117), the voltage differential amplifier being configured to supply at the output connection of the voltage differential amplifier an output signal that corresponds to a voltage differential between the first input connection of the voltage differential amplifier and the second input connection of the voltage differential amplifier;
wherein the first input connection (#104) of the transimpedance amplifier (#130, 103) being configured to be connected to a signal source (#101), and the output connection of the transimpedance amplifier (#131) being electrically connected to the first input connection of the voltage differential amplifier (#113), and
the transimpedance amplifier or the voltage differential amplifier being configured to supply a reference signal (UOFFSET) at the second input (#114) of a respective other of the transimpedance amplifier or the voltage differential amplifier, and the reference signal has a noise component that is correlated with a noise component present at the first input connection of the respective other amplifier of the transimpedance amplifier or the voltage differential amplifier (UOFFSET is connected to the first input #104 through the transimpedance amplifier#103),
wherein:
the first input connection (#104) of the transimpedance amplifier (#130) is connected to an inverting input (#104) of an internal differential amplifier (#103), and the second input connection (#105) of the transimpedance amplifier is connected to a non-inverting input (#105) of the internal differential amplifier (#103), and
the first input connection (#113) of the voltage differential amplifier is connected to an inverting input (- input) of an internal differential amplifier (#116) of the voltage differential amplifier, and the second input connection (#114) of the voltage differential amplifier is connected to a non-inverting input (+ input) of the internal differential amplifier of the voltage differential amplifier (#116).
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Regarding claim 13, Bohr teaches the transimpedance amplifier device as recited in claim 11, wherein the reference signal is supplied by the transimpedance amplifier (#130) at the second input connection of the voltage differential amplifier (#114), and the second input connection (#105) of the transimpedance amplifier (#130) is electrically connected to a reference voltage source (UOFFSET).
Regarding claim 18, Bohr teaches the transimpedance amplifier device as recited in claim 11, wherein the transimpedance amplifier and the voltage differential amplifier are implemented as a shared integrated circuit (Fig. 2 #150 readout unit).
Regarding claim 19, Bohr teaches a sensor system comprising:
a sensor (Fig. 2 #101 photodiode) configured to supply an output signal that corresponds to a physical variable; and
a transimpedance amplifier device including:
a transimpedance amplifier (Fig. 2 #130, 103) having a first input connection (#104), a second input connection (#105), and an output connection (#106), the transimpedance amplifier being configured to supply at the output connection of the transimpedance amplifier an output signal that corresponds to a current at the first input connection; and
a voltage differential amplifier (#116) having a first input connection (#113), a second input connection (#114), and an output connection (#117), the voltage differential amplifier being configured to supply at the output connection of the voltage differential amplifier an output signal that corresponds to a voltage differential between the first input connection of the voltage differential amplifier and the second input connection of the voltage differential amplifier;
wherein the first input connection (#104) of the transimpedance amplifier (#130, 103) being configured to be connected to a signal source (#101), and the output connection of the transimpedance amplifier (#131) being electrically connected to the first input connection of the voltage differential amplifier (#113), and
the transimpedance amplifier or the voltage differential amplifier being configured to supply a reference signal (UOFFSET) at the second input (#114) of a respective other of the transimpedance amplifier or the voltage differential amplifier, and the reference signal has a noise component that is correlated with a noise component present at the first input connection of the respective other amplifier of the transimpedance amplifier or the voltage differential amplifier.
wherein the sensor (#101) is configured to supply the output signal at the first input connection of the transimpedance amplifier (#104),
wherein:
the first input connection (#104) of the transimpedance amplifier (#130) is connected to an inverting input (#104) of an internal differential amplifier (#103), and the second input connection (#105) of the transimpedance amplifier is connected to a non-inverting input (#105) of the internal differential amplifier (#103), and
the first input connection (#113) of the voltage differential amplifier is connected to an inverting input (- input) of an internal differential amplifier (#116) of the voltage differential amplifier, and the second input connection (#114) of the voltage differential amplifier is connected to a non-inverting input (+ input) of the internal differential amplifier of the voltage differential amplifier (#116).
Regarding claim 20, Bohr teaches the sensor system as recited in claim 19, wherein the sensor (#101) is configured to supply an output current that corresponds to a physical variable at the transimpedance amplifier device (The photodiode provides a signal to the TIA based on electromagnetic radiation that is incident upon it).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 12 and 16-17 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
THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
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/NAREH SHAMIRYAN/Examiner, Art Unit 2843
/ANDREA LINDGREN BALTZELL/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2843
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