DETAILED ACTION
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 § 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) 1-4, 8, 17, 19, and 20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Akizuki et al (US PGPUB 2015/0137869).
Regarding claim 1, Figure 14 of Akizuki discloses mixer circuitry comprising:
a first mixer transistor configured to receive an oscillating signal [M3]
a transformer having a primary coil and a secondary coil, the secondary coil being coupled to the first mixer transistor [DR1]
an inductor directly coupled to a center tap of the secondary coil in the transformer [L1p]
Regarding claim 2, Figure 14 of Akizuki discloses a second mixer transistor configured to receive the oscillating signal, the secondary coil having a first terminal that is coupled to source terminals of the first and second mixer transistors [M4].
Regarding claim 3, Figure 14 of Akizuki discloses a third mixer transistor configured to receive the oscillating signal; and a fourth mixer transistor configured to receive the oscillating signal, the secondary coil having a second terminal that is coupled to source terminals of the third and fourth mixer transistors [M5 and M6].
Regarding claim 4, Figure 14 of Akizuki discloses wherein: the first mixer transistor has a drain terminal coupled to a first output terminal of the mixer circuitry; the second mixer transistor has a drain terminal coupled to a second output terminal of the mixer circuitry; the third mixer transistor has a drain terminal coupled to the second output terminal of the mixer circuitry; and the fourth mixer transistor has a drain terminal coupled to the first output terminal of the mixer circuitry [M3-6].
Regarding claim 8, Figure 14 of Akizuki discloses wherein inductor has a first terminal directly coupled to the center tap of the secondary coil and a second terminal coupled to a power supply line [L1p].
Regarding claim 17, Figure 14 of Akizuki discloses circuitry comprising:
an input port [RFIN]
an output stage configured to receive an oscillating signal [1g]
a transformer having a primary winding coupled to the input port and having a secondary winding coupled to the output stage [DR1]
a harmonic rejection circuit coupled to a center tap of the secondary winding [L1p]
Regarding claim 19, Figure 14 of Akizuki discloses wherein the output stage comprises: a first pair of mixing transistors coupled to a first terminal of the secondary winding; and a second pair of mixer transistors coupled to a second terminal of the secondary winding [M3-6].
Regarding claim 20, Figure 14 of Akizuki discloses wherein the harmonic rejection circuit comprises one or more passive components [L1p].
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 5-7, 10, 11, and 18 are 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.
Claims 12-15 are allowed.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claim(s) 1-20 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.
Conclusion
Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). 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.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Tomi S Skibinski whose telephone number is (571)270-7581. The examiner can normally be reached Mon. - Fri. 10am - 8pm.
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/TOMI SKIBINSKI/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2842