DETAILED ACTIONS
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
This office action is in response to the amendments/arguments submitted by the Applicant(s) on 02/03/2026.
Status of the Claims
Claims 1-20 are pending.
Claims 1,5,10,13, and 20 are amended.
Response to Arguments
Rejections Under 35 U.S.C. 103
Applicant's arguments, see remarks page 10-12, filed 02/03/2026 with respect to the rejection(s) of Claims under 35 U.S.C. 103 has been considered, and are moot because the amendment has necessitated a new ground of rejections. The new rejections are set forth below.
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 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.
Claims 1-6, 8-9, and 13-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Goncalves et al. “A Compact Impedance Measurement Solution for Systems Operating in Load Varying Scenarios”, in IEEE Access, vol. 9, pp. 38757-38766, Hereinafter, Goncalves, IDS ref Previously cited).
Regarding Claim 1, Goncalves teaches,
An apparatus (Goncalves, Figure 2, and Figure 5 see below), comprising:
a measurement device (Goncalves, Figure 2, Figure 5) operable to couple to a signal source (Load) via a first transmission line (Goncalves, Figure 5, Coupler coupled RF input with RF output) to receive from the signal source (RF input from Load) a first signal comprising at least a first frequency at a first phase shift between the signal source and the measurement device (Goncalves, Figure 5, Phase shifter , page 38759, Left col. Middle paragraph, “Fig. 2 to sample both the incident and reflected waves at one fixed spatial position and then, using a phase shifter, mimic the distance-dependent phase shift that occurs between them in a physical line”).
wherein the measurement device is operable to output a first measurement result based on the received first signal, wherein the first transmission line is operable to induce the first phase shift to the first signal (Goncalves, Figure 2, Page 38759, Left Col. Middle paragraph, “the phase shifter is a critical component since it needs to be swept between 0o and 360o to mimic the phase delay that would occur in a 180o (λ/2) line, as seen in (1). The resulting synthesized VSW (obtained using a conceptual system implementation in simulation) is shown in Fig. 3, for three different loads” NOTE: The first phase shift value selection is a design choice, see figure 3 below for different phase shift values); and
a measurement processing component operable to average the first measurement result and a second measurement result to generate a processed measurement (Goncalves, Figure 2, Page 38759, Right Col. Bottom paragraph, and Page 38760 Left Col. bottom paragraph ” to synthesize VSW , a1U and b1U (incident and reflected wave samples)are added with a variable phase difference, as described in equation 3, where Ad represents the attenuation difference between the two paths, and Φ is the variable phase delay introduced by the phase shifter. Bottom paragraph, the available measured points to approximate the known model to the stationary wave is now presented and constitutes one of the main novelties of this work. We start by noting that, although
V
s
w
a
1
u
Γ
u
θ
,
φ
is a complicated”. NOTE: multiple measurements are obtained for different sets of incident and reflected wave with different phase offset in order to calculate average value see abstract) , result related to the first signal to mitigate an influence of a mismatch loss in a measurement setup environment (Goncalves, Figure 2, Pages 38760, Right Col Top paragraph, “Therefore, it can be described by only three numbers (cosine amplitude and phase, and average) enabling an easier fitting using known signal processing tools, such as the Fourier transform (see equation 6) Since VSW 2 is a cosine function of Φ with a constant (dc) pedestal, it can be fitted to the measured data by calculating its average, and its fundamental amplitude and phase. The average value is calculated from the Fourier transform zero-order term see equation 7”. Page 38761, Right Col. Top paragraph, The measured
performance, expressed in terms of return loss, coupling, directivity, isolation, and insertion loss of the implemented coupler, is reported in Table 1 for 3.55 GHz”).
wherein the first phase shift and a second phase shift between the signal source and the measurement device differ by a phase offset between the first measurement result and the second measurement result (Goncalves, Figure 2, abstract, “The implemented system is based on a bi-directional coupler and makes use of the stationary wave periodicity, which is synthesized and measured via a digital phase shifter,(…) the stationary wave is obtained by sweeping the incident or reflected waves' phase, mimicking the slotted line principle and, from there, the impedance is obtained using a new signal processing algorithm”, page 38759 bottom paragraph,38760, left col. Top paragraph, see equation 3, “where Ad represents the attenuation difference between the two paths, and Φ is the variable phase delay introduced by the phase shifter”)
wherein the measurement device is operable to output the first measurement result in a first measurement setup comprising a first transmission line coupled between the measurement device and the signal source (Goncalves, Figure 5, Page 38761, Left Col. Middle paragraph, Fig. 5 shows a photograph of the implemented prototype, based on the functional block diagram presented in Fig. 2, with the main components identified and some of their main specifications”), and
wherein the measurement device is operable to output the second measurement result in a second measurement setup (Goncalves, Figure 6, Page 38762, Left Col. bottom paragraph, Using the implemented circuit prototype and the assembled
measurement setup, four different loads (25 Ω, 100 Ω ,50+j25 Ω and 50-j25 Ω) were adjusted using the manual load tuner (verified with calibrated VNA measurements properly referenced to the circuit's plane) and, for each one, four input power levels (27 dBm, 35 dBm, 40 dBm and 43 dBm) were used to synthesize the stationary wave. The measurements are shown at Fig. 6 for an 11.2o phase resolution step”. NOTE:” the prototype circuit assembled for four different loads set up” reads on the second measurement set up. Each load set up represent a different set up than the first set up.) comprising: the first transmission line and a phase shifting device coupled between the measurement device and the signal source (Goncalves, Figures 2, 5, coupler, phase shifter ), wherein the first transmission line and the phase shifting device are operable to induce the second phase shift (Goncalves, Figures 3, see below, Fig. 3 Simulated voltage standing waves for various loads resulting in different maxima to minima ratios and minima positions. b) The correspondent loads plotted on the Smith chart. The lighter dashed plot corresponds to load 1, with higher
Γ
u
, that produces the ratio a1, with minima at p1. The dash-dot plot corresponds to load 2, with minima for the same phase, p1, but with a lower ratio, a2, that corresponds to a lower
Γ
u
, The solid black plot is the stationary wave for load 3 with minima corresponding to a different phase, p2, and the lowest ratio, a3, since it is the closest to 50 Ω “)
or a second transmission line coupled between the measurement devices and the signal source, wherein the second transmission line is operable to induce the second phase shift.
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Regarding Claim 2, Goncalves teaches the apparatus of Claim 1,
Goncalves further teaches wherein the measurement processing component is further operable to determine a calibration information for the measurement device based at least on the processed measurement result, and wherein the measurement processing component is further operable to determine a second calibration information for the signal source based at least on the processed measurement result and a received measurement result from an external power meter. (Goncalves, Page 38762, Left Col. Middle paragraph, “The power calibration is performed using a power meter and the load calibration with a VNA. The reference plane is the input port of the impedance measurement circuit for both calibrations. Figure 9, Synthesized and calibrated computed loads for various incident power levels”. NOTE: doing calibration of a testing device is common practice in the art).
Regarding Claim 3, Goncalves teaches the apparatus of Claim 2,
Goncalves further teaches further comprising an automated test equipment (ATE) comprising the signal source, the measurement device, and the measurement processing component and wherein the ATE is configured to use the calibration information to self-calibrate the measurement device.
(Goncalves, Abstract, both incident and reflected waves are sampled at one specific position, the stationary wave is obtained by sweeping the incident or reflected waves' phase, mimicking the slotted line principle and, from
there, the impedance is obtained using a new signal processing algorithm that is now presented”, model/algorithm is being used to calculate or calibrate see page Page 38763 Right col, middle paragraph, the time necessary to measure the data, fit the model to the measurements, compute and calibrate the load is almost 6 ms. This leads to a maximum measurement rate of around 160 Hz, which is believed to be slow for some of the proposed applications. (…) the model is extracted with 32 measured points, while in Fig. 11 b) it is extracted with four measured points. From this comparison, it can be concluded that the model provides a good fitting to the measurements, even for a low number of measured points, which suggests a correct load prediction”).
Regarding Claim 4, Goncalves teaches the apparatus of Claim 3,
Goncalves further teaches wherein the ATE is configured to calibrate the signal source using the second calibration information before the ATE performs a self- calibration of the measurement device. (Goncalves, Figure 8-9, Page 38762, Left Col. Middle paragraph, “The power calibration is performed using a power meter and the load calibration with a VNA. The reference plane is the input port of the impedance measurement circuit for both calibrations. Figure 9, Synthesized and calibrated computed loads for various incident power levels”. Page 38762, Right Col. “a SOL calibration was used to correct the linear measurement errors. The calibration error terms have been obtained using a least-squares regression for more than three measured loads”. Page 38763 Left Col. Top paragraph This calibration was also independently performed for various Pin levels to further check on the previously detected nonlinearities. The calculated coefficients are
shown in Fig. 8 for different average Pin levels”).
Regarding Claim 5, Goncalves teaches the apparatus of Claim 3,
Goncalves further teaches wherein the ATE further comprises the first transmission line and the phase shifting device, and wherein the ATE is configured to manipulate the phase shifting device to influence the phase offset. (Goncalves, Figures 2, Figure 5, Abstract, “the implemented system is based on a bi-directional coupler and makes use of the stationary wave periodicity, which is synthesized and measured via a digital phase shifter, a power combiner, and an envelope detector, in a specific arrangement”).
Regarding Claim 6, Goncalves teaches the apparatus of Claim 5,
Goncalves further teaches wherein the ATE is configured to determine an improved information concerning an output power of the signal source based at least on the processed measurement result. (Goncalves, Page 38764, Right Col. “The implemented circuit prototype can measure the load reflection coefficient as is done in a slotted line but eliminates the need for moving mechanical parts or multiple envelope detectors placed along a single transmission line. It is based on a bi-directional coupler and a single variable phase shifter, which changes the delay between the incident and reflected waves to synthesize the stationary wave (…) this system is appropriate for usage in RF power systems with reduced
impact in their efficiency, due to its low insertion losses.”).
Regarding Claim 8, Goncalves teaches the apparatus of Claim 1,
Goncalves further teaches wherein the phase offset comprises 90° with a tolerance of at least one of +/-5o +/- 10o, +/- 20°, or +/- 300. (Goncalves, Page38759, Left Col. Phase shifter range In our case, where the absolute load value is to be measured in amplitude and phase, the phase shifter is a critical component since it needs to be swept between 0o and 360o”, Figure 5, the phase shifter error range is < 2o)
Regarding Claim 9, Goncalves teaches the apparatus of Claim 1,
Goncalves further teaches wherein the phase offset comprises at least one of a value larger than 15°, a value larger than 30°, a value larger than 450, or a value larger than 60°. (See Figure 3, phase shifter values “swept between 0o and 360o).
Regarding Claim 13, Goncalves teaches
A method comprising:
using a first transmission line to couple a signal source and a measurement device (Goncalves, Figure 2, Figure 5, Coupler coupled RF input with RF output);
providing to the measurement device by the signal source a first signal comprising at least a first frequency at a first phase shift between the signal source and the measurement device, (Goncalves, Figure 5, Phase shifter, page 38759, Left col. Middle paragraph, “Fig. 2 to sample both the incident and reflected waves at one fixed spatial position and then, using a phase shifter, mimic the distance-dependent phase shift that occurs between them in a physical line”).
wherein the measurement device is operable to output a measurement result based on the provided first signal (Goncalves, Figure 2, Figure 5, Coupler coupled RF input with RF output, (Goncalves, Figure 2, Page 38759, Left Col. Middle paragraph, “the phase shifter is a critical component since it needs to be swept between 0o and 360o to mimic the phase delay that would occur in a 180o (λ/2) line, as seen in (1). The resulting synthesized VSW (obtained using a conceptual system implementation in simulation) is shown in Fig. 3, for three different loads” NOTE: The first phase shift value selection is a design choice, see figure 3 below for different phase shift values));
performing a first measurement of the first signal to generate a first measurement result in a first measurement setup comprising the first transmission line coupled between the measurement device and the signal source (Goncalves, Figure 2, Figure 5, Page 38761, Left Col. Middle paragraph, Fig. 5 shows a photograph of the implemented prototype, based on the functional block diagram presented in Fig. 2, with the main components identified and some of their main specifications”);
performing a second measurement of the first signal to generate a second measurement result in a second measurement setup (Goncalves, Figure 6, Page 38762, Left Col. bottom paragraph, Using the implemented circuit prototype and the assembled measurement setup, four different loads (25 Ω, 100 Ω ,50+j25 Ω and 50-j25 Ω) were adjusted using the manual load tuner (verified with calibrated VNA measurements properly referenced to the circuit's plane) and, for each one, four input power levels (27 dBm, 35 dBm, 40 dBm and 43 dBm) were used to synthesize the stationary wave. The measurements are shown at Fig. 6 for an 11.2o phase resolution step”. NOTE:” the prototype circuit assembled for four different load set up” reads on the second measurement set up. Each load set up represent a different set up than the first set up.) comprising the first transmission line and a phase shifting device coupled between the measurement device and the signal source (Goncalves, Figures 2, 5, coupler, phase shifter)
or a second transmission line coupled between the measurement device and the signal source,
wherein the first transmission line in the first measurement setup is operable to induce the first phase shift to the first signal, wherein the first transmission line and the phase shifting device in the second measurement setup are operable to induce a(Goncalves, Figures 3, see below, Fig. 3 Simulated voltage standing waves for various loads resulting in different maxima to minima ratios and minima positions. b) The correspondent loads plotted on the Smith chart. The lighter dashed plot corresponds to load 1, with higher
Γ
u
, that produces the ratio a1, with minima at p1. The dash-dot plot corresponds to load 2, with minima for the same phase, p1, but with a lower ratio, a2, that corresponds to a lower
Γ
u
, The solid black plot is the stationary wave for load 3 with minima corresponding to a different phase, p2, and the lowest ratio, a3, since it is the closest to 50 Ω “)
wherein the first phase shift and the second phase shift between the signal source and the measurement device differ by a phase offset between the first measurement and the second measurement at least for the first frequency (Goncalves, Figure 2, abstract, “The implemented system is based on a bi-directional coupler and makes use of the stationary wave periodicity, which is synthesized and measured via a digital phase shifter,(…) the stationary wave is obtained by sweeping the incident or reflected waves' phase, mimicking the slotted line principle and, from there, the impedance is obtained using a new signal processing algorithm”, page 38759 bottom paragraph,38760, left col. Top paragraph, see equation 3, “where Ad represents the attenuation difference between the two paths, and Φ is the variable phase delay introduced
by the phase shifter”); and
averaging the first measurement result and the second measurement result to obtain a processed measurement (Goncalves, Figure 2, Page 38759, Right Col. Bottom paragraph, and Page 38760 Left Col. bottom paragraph” to synthesize VSW , a1U and b1U (incident and reflected wave samples)are added with a variable phase difference, as described in equation 3, where Ad represents the attenuation difference between the two paths, and Φ is the variable phase delay introduced by the phase shifter. Bottom paragraph, the available measured points to approximate the known model to the stationary wave is now presented and constitutes one of the main novelties of this work. We start by noting that, although
V
s
w
a
1
u
Γ
u
θ
,
φ
is a complicated”. NOTE: multiple measurements are obtained for different sets of incident and reflected wave with different phase offset in order to calculate average value see abstract) result to mitigate an influence of a mismatch loss in a measurement setup environment. (Goncalves, Figure 2, Pages 38760, Right Col Top paragraph, “Therefore, it can be described by only three numbers (cosine amplitude and phase, and average) enabling an easier fitting using known signal processing tools, such as the Fourier transform (see equation 6) Since VSW 2 is a cosine function of Φ with a constant (dc) pedestal, it can be fitted to the measured data by calculating its average, and its fundamental amplitude and phase. The average value is calculated from the Fourier transform zero-order term see equation 7”. Page 38761, Right Col. Top paragraph, the measured performance, expressed in terms of return loss, coupling, directivity, isolation, and insertion loss of the implemented coupler, is reported in Table 1 for 3.55 GHz”). wherein the second transmission line in the second measurement setup is operable to induce the second phase shift to the first signal, (NOTE: Examiner considered the alternate scope option and did not consider the second set up with a second transmission line above).
Regarding Claim 14, Goncalves teaches the method of Claim 13,
Goncalves further teaches further comprising: determining a calibration information for the measurement device based at least on the processed measurement result (Goncalves, Page 38762, Left Col. Middle paragraph, “The power calibration is performed using a power meter and the load calibration with a VNA. The reference plane is the input port of the impedance measurement circuit for both calibrations. Figure 9, Synthesized and calibrated computed loads for various incident power levels”. NOTE: doing calibration of a testing device is common practice in the art).
Regarding Claim 15, Goncalves teaches the method of Claim 14,
Goncalves further teaches further comprising:
using the calibration information to self-calibrate the measurement device. ((Goncalves, Figure 8-9, Page 38762, Left Col. Middle paragraph, “The power calibration is performed using a power meter and the load calibration with a VNA. The reference plane is the input port of the impedance measurement circuit for both calibrations. Figure 9, Synthesized and calibrated computed loads for various incident power levels”.)
Regarding Claim 16, Goncalves teaches the method of Claim 15,
Goncalves further teaches further comprising:
receiving a measurement result from an external power meter; determining a second calibration information for the signal source based at least on the processed measurement result and the measurement result; and calibrating the signal source using the second calibration information before performing a self-calibration of the measurement device. Page 38762, Right Col. “a SOL calibration was used to correct the linear measurement errors. The calibration error terms have been obtained using a least-squares regression for more than three measured loads”. Page 38763 Left Col. Top paragraph This calibration was also independently performed for various Pin levels to further check on the previously detected nonlinearities. The calculated coefficients are shown in Fig. 8 for different average Pin levels”).
Regarding Claim 17, Goncalves teaches the method of Claim 13,
Goncalves further teaches further comprising: manipulating the phase shifting device to influence the phase offset. (Goncalves, Figure 2, Page 38759, Left Col. Middle paragraph, “the phase shifter is a critical component since it needs to be swept between 0o and 360o to mimic the phase delay that would occur in a 180o (λ/2) line, as seen in (1). The resulting synthesized VSW (obtained using a conceptual system implementation in simulation) is shown in Fig. 3, for three different loads” NOTE: The first phase shift value selection is a design choice, see figure 3 below for different phase shift values).
Regarding Claim 18, Goncalves teaches the method of Claim 13,
Goncalves further teaches further comprising: determining an improved information concerning an output power of the signal source based at least on the processed measurement result. (Goncalves, Page 38764, Right Col. “The implemented circuit prototype can measure the load reflection coefficient as is done in a slotted line but eliminates the need for moving mechanical parts or multiple envelope detectors placed along a single transmission line. It is based on a bi-directional coupler and a single variable phase shifter, which changes the delay between the incident and reflected waves to synthesize the stationary wave (…) this system is appropriate for usage in RF power systems with reduced impact in their efficiency, due to its low insertion losses.”).
Regarding Claim 19, Goncalves teaches the method of Claim 13,
Goncalves further teaches wherein the signal source comprises a device under test (DUT). (Goncalves, Figure 4, see below and Figure 5 above, Abstract “This paper presents a compact solution for impedance calculation obtained from low phase resolution stationary wave measurements, for RF power systems operating in load varying scenarios This compact measurement solution can compute the impedance of both real and complex loads inside a 2.1 voltage standing wave ratio circle with high accuracy (28.8 dB) at a rate of 1 kHz and is appropriate for high power systems due to its simple architecture and very low total
losses (0.075 dB)”, NOTE: “load” could be any device under test or DUT with a specific requirement”).
Regarding Claim 20, Goncalves teaches,
A system comprising:
a measurement device (Goncalves, Figure 2, and Figure 5 see above), operable to receive from a signal source (Load)a first signal comprising at least a first frequency(RF input from Load); a first transmission line operable to couple the signal source and the measurement device (Goncalves, Figure 5, Coupler coupled RF input with RF output), wherein the first transmission line is operable to induce a first phase shift of the first signal between the signal source and the measurement device, (Goncalves, Figure 5, Phase shifter , page 38759, Left col. Middle paragraph, “Fig. 2 to sample both the incident and reflected waves at one fixed spatial position and then, using a phase shifter, mimic the distance-dependent phase shift that occurs between them in a physical line”).
wherein the measurement device is operable to output a measurement result based on the received first signal; a second transmission line; and a phase shifting device, (Goncalves, Figure 2, Page 38759, Left Col. Middle paragraph, “the phase shifter is a critical component since it needs to be swept between 0o and 360o to mimic the phase delay that would occur in a 180o (λ/2) line, as seen in (1). The resulting synthesized VSW (obtained using a conceptual system implementation in simulation) is shown in Fig. 3, for three different loads” NOTE: The first phase shift value selection is a design choice, see figure 3 below for different phase shift values);
wherein the system is configured to average a first measurement result and a second measurement result to generate a processed measurement result related to the first signal to mitigate an influence of a mismatch loss in a measurement setup environment, (Goncalves, Figure 2, Page 38759, Right Col. Bottom paragraph, and Page 38760 Left Col. bottom paragraph ” to synthesize VSW , a1U and b1U (incident and reflected wave samples)are added with a variable phase difference, as described in equation 3, where Ad represents the attenuation difference between the two paths, and Φ is the variable phase delay introduced by the phase shifter. Bottom paragraph, the available measured points to approximate the known model to the stationary wave is now presented and constitutes one of the main novelties of this work. We start by noting that, although
V
s
w
a
1
u
Γ
u
θ
,
φ
is a complicated”. NOTE: multiple measurements are obtained for different sets of incident and reflected wave with different phase offset in order to calculate average value see abstract) , result related to the first signal to mitigate an influence of a mismatch loss in a measurement setup environment (Goncalves, Figure 2, Pages 38760, Right Col Top paragraph, “Therefore, it can be described by only three numbers (cosine amplitude and phase, and average) enabling an easier fitting using known signal processing tools, such as the Fourier transform (see equation 6) Since VSW 2 is a cosine function of Φ with a constant (dc) pedestal, it can be fitted to the measured data by calculating its average, and its fundamental amplitude and phase. The average value is calculated from the Fourier transform zero-order term see equation 7”. Page 38761, Right Col. Top paragraph, The measured
performance, expressed in terms of return loss, coupling, directivity, isolation, and insertion loss of the implemented coupler, is reported in Table 1 for 3.55 GHz”).
wherein the measurement device is operable to output the first measurement result in a first measurement setup comprising the first transmission line coupled between the measurement device and the signal source (Goncalves, Figure 5, Page 38761, Left Col. Middle paragraph, Fig. 5 shows a photograph of the implemented prototype, based on the functional block diagram presented in Fig. 2, with the main components identified and some of their main specifications”) ,,
wherein the measurement device is operable to output the second measurement result in a second measurement setup (Goncalves, Figure 6, Page 38762, Left Col. bottom paragraph, Using the implemented circuit prototype and the assembled
measurement setup, four different loads (25 Ω, 100 Ω ,50+j25 Ω and 50-j25 Ω) were adjusted using the manual load tuner (verified with calibrated VNA measurements properly referenced to the circuit's plane) and, for each one, four input power levels (27 dBm, 35 dBm, 40 dBm and 43 dBm) were used to synthesize the stationary wave. The measurements are shown at Fig. 6 for an 11.2o phase resolution step”. NOTE:” the prototype circuit assembled for four different loads set up” reads on the second measurement set up. Each load set up represent a different set up than the first set up.) comprising at least one of the first transmission line and the phase shifting device coupled between the measurement device and the signal source (Goncalves, Figures 2, 5, coupler, phase shifter),
wherein the first transmission line and the phase shifting device in the second measurement setup are operable to induce a second phase shift between the signal source and the measurement device, (Goncalves, Figures 3, see below, Fig. 3 Simulated voltage standing waves for various loads resulting in different maxima to minima ratios and minima positions. b) The correspondent loads plotted on the Smith chart. The lighter dashed plot corresponds to load 1, with higher
Γ
u
, that produces the ratio a1, with minima at p1. The dash-dot plot corresponds to load 2, with minima for the same phase, p1, but with a lower ratio, a2, that corresponds to a lower
Γ
u
, The solid black plot is the stationary wave for load 3 with minima corresponding to a different phase, p2, and the lowest ratio, a3, since it is the closest to 50 Ω “) and
wherein the first phase shift and the second phase shift between the signal source and the measurement device differ by a phase offset between the first measurement result and the second measurement result at least for the first frequency of the first signal(Goncalves, Figure 2, abstract, “The implemented system is based on a bi-directional coupler and makes use of the stationary wave periodicity, which is synthesized and measured via a digital phase shifter,(…) the stationary wave is obtained by sweeping the incident or reflected waves' phase, mimicking the slotted line principle and, from there, the impedance is obtained using a new signal processing algorithm”, page 38759 bottom paragraph,38760, left col. Top paragraph, see equation 3, “where Ad represents the attenuation difference between the two paths, and Φ is the variable phase delay introduced
by the phase shifter”)
. or the second transmission line coupled between the measurement device and the signal source,
wherein the second transmission line in the second measurement setup is operable to induce the second phase shift between the signal source and the measurement device, (NOTE: examiner understood that the alternative embodiment for second set is “or the second transmission line coupled between the measurement device and the signal source”, therefore, addressing the first embodiment for second set up with first transmission line and the phase shifting device in the second measurement setup are is suffice).
Claim(s) 7, and 10-12 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as anticipated by Goncalves), or, in the alternative, under 35 U.S.C. 103 as obvious over Goncalves, and in view of Christian Volf OLGAAR (US 2014/0256268 A1, hereinafter, Olgaard).
Regarding Claim 7, Goncalves teaches the apparatus of Claim 6,
Goncalves further teaches wherein the signal source comprises a device under test (DUT), (Goncalves, Figure 4, see below and Figure 5 above, Abstract “This paper presents a compact solution for impedance calculation obtained from low phase resolution stationary wave measurements, for RF power systems operating in load varying scenarios This compact measurement solution can compute the impedance of both real and complex loads inside a 2.1 voltage standing wave ratio circle with high accuracy (28.8 dB) at a rate of 1 kHz and is appropriate for high power systems due to its simple architecture and very low total
losses (0.075 dB)”, NOTE: “load” could be any device under test or DUT with a specific requirement”. In addition, It is known in the art to use the prototype circuit configurations connected to a Device under test for testing connectivity, measure return loss at the output power as taught by the prior art Olgaard, Figure 6, DUT, [0037] Referring to FIG. 6, in a typical testing environment 100, as discussed above, the tester 150 includes a VSG 152 which provides the RF test signal 151 for testing a DUI 120”)
wherein the ATE is configured to determine the output power of the DUT based at least on the processed measurement result, wherein the ATE is configured to use the measurement device to determine the first measurement result of the output power of the DUT (Goncalves, Figure 2, and Figure 5, Pages 38761, Right Col. Bottom paragraph, Page 38762, Left Col. Top paragraph, “The microcontroller is also used to perform the load computation and to generate the phase shifter control signals. The acquisition of one waveform takes around 10µs per phase point with the presented hardware. The system's losses are mainly dependent on the coupler. In the VSWR circle of interest they are always lower than 0.1 dB, which, as an example, is equivalent to a 1.5 % efficiency degradation in a PA with a 65%nominal efficiency and 40 dBm of maximum output power”)
in the first measurement setup comprising the first transmission line coupled between the measurement device and the DUT, (Figure 2, Figure 5 Page 38761, Left Col. Middle paragraph, Fig. 5 shows a photograph of the implemented prototype, based on the functional block diagram presented in Fig. 2, with the main components identified and some of their main specifications”),
wherein the ATE is configured to use the measurement device to determine the second measurement result of the output power of the DUT in the second measurement setup (Goncalves, Figure 6, Page 38762, Left Col. bottom paragraph, Using the implemented circuit prototype and the assembled measurement setup, four different loads (25 Ω, 100 Ω ,50+j25 Ω and 50-j25 Ω) were adjusted using the manual load tuner (verified with calibrated VNA measurements properly referenced to the circuit's plane) and, for each one, four input power levels (27 dBm, 35 dBm, 40 dBm and 43 dBm) were used to synthesize the stationary wave. The measurements are shown at Fig. 6 for an 11.2o phase resolution step”. NOTE:” the prototype circuit assembled for four different loads set up” reads on the second measurement set up. Each load set up represent a different set up than the first set up.) comprising at least one of the first transmission line and the phase shifting device coupled between the measurement device and the DUT (Goncalves, Figures 3, see below, Fig. 3 Simulated voltage standing waves for various loads resulting in different maxima to minima ratios and minima positions. b) The correspondent loads plotted on the Smith chart. The lighter dashed plot corresponds to load 1, with higher
Γ
u
, that produces the ratio a1, with minima at p1. The dash-dot plot corresponds to load 2, with minima for the same phase, p1, but with a lower ratio, a2, that corresponds to a lower
Γ
u
, The solid black plot is the stationary wave for load 3 with minima corresponding to a different phase, p2, and the lowest ratio, a3, since it is the closest to 50 Ω “)
or the second transmission line coupled between the measurement device and the DUT.
Regarding Claim 10, Goncalves teaches the apparatus of Claim 7,
Goncalves further teaches
Goncalves further teaches, wherein the signal source is operable to provide to the measurement device a second signal comprising at least a second frequency, wherein the second frequency is different from the first frequency (Goncalves, Page38761, Table 3, Left Col, “the measurement setup (Fig. 4) and the developed circuit prototype are described and tested at 3.55 GHz. For validation purposes, we picked up a 3.55 GHz PA available at our laboratory that could be tested within the implemented impedance measurement solution which, for its current implementation has 1250 MHz of usable bandwidth (between 2.75 GHz and 4 GHz”. Also see table 3, for known different frequency measurement ranges”. NOTE: In addition, alternatively It is known technique in the art to use RF signal testing for a DUT at a sweeping frequency band ( measuring at different frequency) with the prototype circuit configurations connected to a Device under test for measuring return loss at the output power as taught by the prior art Olgaard, Figure 6-7, [0043] “As noted above, the signal phases of the incident 121i and reflected 121i signals (FIG. 6) can be effectively controlled by sweeping the frequency of the VSG output signal 219. While changing the frequency of the carrier signal 217 is relatively slow, the frequency of the in-phase 201i and quadrature-phase 201q baseband signals can be easily controlled (e.g., by sweeping the frequency of the digital data waveform) to sweep across a frequency range within the baseband bandwidth of the VSG 152a. The baseband signal alone can be swept in frequency, or, alternatively or in addition, the IF LO signal 211 can also be swept in frequency (e.g., in accordance with a control signal 211c) in accordance with well-known techniques.),
wherein the first transmission line and the phase shifting device are operable to induce respective phase shifts to the second signal (Goncalves, Figure 5, Phase shifter, page 38759, Left col. Middle paragraph, “Fig. 2 to sample both the incident and reflected waves at one fixed spatial position and then, using a phase shifter, mimic the distance-dependent phase shift that occurs between them in a physical line”).
wherein the measurement processing component is further operable to average a third measurement result and a fourth measurement result to generate a second processed measurement result related to the second signal, (Goncalves, Figure 2, Page 38759, Right Col. Bottom paragraph, and Page 38760 Left Col. bottom paragraph ” to synthesize VSW , a1U and b1U (incident and reflected wave samples)are added with a variable phase difference, as described in equation 3, where Ad represents the attenuation difference between the two paths, and Φ is the variable phase delay introduced by the phase shifter. Bottom paragraph, the available measured points to approximate the known model to the stationary wave is now presented and constitutes one of the main novelties of this work. We start by noting that, although
V
s
w
a
1
u
Γ
u
θ
,
φ
is a complicated”. NOTE: multiple measurements are obtained for different sets of incident and reflected wave with different phase offset in order to calculate average value see abstract)
wherein the first phase shift between the signal source and the measurement device differs by a second phase offset between the third measurement result and the fourth measurement result (Gonsalves, Figure 6, Measured standing wave in dBm for four loads and four Pin levels, using 32 phase steps” NOTE: for each load the measurements are made for 32 phase steps, therefore these 32 steps of phase could be numbered as first, second third..etc. This is a design choice for specific application of the method”), wherein the measurement device is operable to output the third measurement result in the first measurement setup comprising the first transmission line coupled between the measurement device and the signal source (Gonsalves, Figure 5), and wherein the measurement device is operable to output the fourth measurement result in a third measurement setup comprising at least one of the first transmission line and the phase shifting device coupled between the measurement device and the signal source or a third transmission line coupled between the measurement device and the signal source. (Goncalves, Figure 5, Page 38761, Left Col. Middle paragraph, Fig. 5 shows a photograph of the implemented prototype, based on the functional block diagram presented in Fig. 2, with the main components identified and some of their main specifications” NOTE: this prototype can be used for all different measurements with different phase step or different load set up. It is a design choice).
Regarding Claim 11, Goncalves teaches the apparatus of Claim 10,
Goncalves further teaches wherein the measurement processing component is further operable to determine the calibration information for the measurement device based at least on the processed measurement result and the second processed measurement result Goncalves, Page 38762, Left Col. Middle paragraph, “The power calibration is performed using a power meter and the load calibration with a VNA. The reference plane is the input port of the impedance measurement circuit for both calibrations. Figure 9, Synthesized and calibrated computed loads for various incident power levels”. NOTE: doing calibration of a testing device is common practice in the art). wherein the ATE is configured to determine the improved information concerning the output power of the signal source based at least on the processed measurement result and the second processed measurement result (Goncalves, Page 38764, Right Col. “The implemented circuit prototype can measure the load reflection coefficient as is done in a slotted line but eliminates the need for moving mechanical parts or multiple envelope detectors placed along a single transmission line. It is based on a bi-directional coupler and a single variable phase shifter, which changes the delay between the incident and reflected waves to synthesize the stationary wave (…) this system is appropriate for usage in RF power systems with reduced impact in their efficiency, due to its low insertion losses.”).
Regarding Claim 12, Goncalves teaches the apparatus of Claim 10,
Goncalves further teaches wherein the signal source is configured to provide to the measurement device a third signal comprising a plurality of different frequencies, (Goncalves, Figure 4, (Goncalves, Page38761, Table 3, Left Col, “the measurement setup (Fig. 4) and the developed circuit prototype are described and tested at 3.55 GHz. For validation purposes, we picked up a 3.55 GHz PA available at our laboratory that could be tested within the implemented impedance measurement solution which, for its current implementation has 1250 MHz of usable bandwidth (between 2.75 GHz and 4 GHz”. Also see table 3, Page 38757, Left Col. “The radio frequency (RF) and microwave worlds are crowded
with systems that operate in many different frequency bands, with distinct output power and efficiency capabilities, as well as linearity, and bandwidth limitations for known different frequency measurement ranges)” NOTE: In addition, alternatively It is known technique in the art to use RF signal testing for a DUT at a sweeping frequency band (measuring at different frequency) with the prototype circuit configurations connected to a Device under test for measuring return loss at the output power as taught by the prior art Olgaard, Figure 6-7, [0043] “As noted above, the signal phases of the incident 121i and reflected 121i signals (FIG. 6) can be effectively controlled by sweeping the frequency of the VSG output signal 219. While changing the frequency of the carrier signal 217 is relatively slow, the frequency of the in-phase 201i and quadrature-phase 201q baseband signals can be easily controlled (e.g., by sweeping the frequency of the digital data waveform) to sweep across a frequency range within the baseband bandwidth of the VSG 152a. The baseband signal alone can be swept in frequency, or, alternatively or in addition, the IF LO signal 211 can also be swept in frequency (e.g., in accordance with a control signal 211c) in accordance with well-known techniques.),
wherein the measurement processing component is operable to perform a plurality of averages between a plurality of first measurement results of a plurality of first measurements and a plurality of second measurement results of a plurality of second measurements to generate a plurality of processed measurement results related to the third signal, (Goncalves, Figure 2, Page 38759, Right Col. Bottom paragraph, and Page 38760 Left Col. bottom paragraph ” to synthesize VSW , a1U and b1U (incident and reflected wave samples)are added with a variable phase difference, as described in equation 3, where Ad represents the attenuation difference between the two paths, and Φ is the variable phase delay introduced by the phase shifter. Bottom paragraph, the available measured points to approximate the known model to the stationary wave is now presented and constitutes one of the main novelties of this work. We start by noting that, although
V
s
w
a
1
u
Γ
u
θ
,
φ
is a complicated”. NOTE: multiple measurements are obtained for different sets of incident and reflected wave with different phase offset in order to calculate average value see Pages 38760, Right Col Top paragraph, “Therefore, it can be described by only three numbers (cosine amplitude and phase, and average) enabling an easier fitting using known signal processing tools, such as the Fourier transform (see equation 6) Since VSW 2 is a cosine function of Φ with a constant (dc) pedestal, it can be fitted to the measured data by calculating its average, and its fundamental amplitude and phase. The average value is calculated from the Fourier transform zero-order term see equation 7”. Page 38761, Right Col. Top paragraph, The measured performance, expressed in terms of return loss, coupling, directivity, isolation, and insertion loss of the implemented coupler, is reported in Table 1 for 3.55 GHz”).
wherein the measurement device is configured to perform the first measurements for the different frequencies in the first measurement setup comprising the first transmission line coupled between the measurement device and the signal source, (Goncalves, Figure 5, Page 38761, Left Col. Middle paragraph, Fig. 5 shows a photograph of the implemented prototype, based on the functional block diagram presented in Fig. 2, with the main components identified and some of their main specifications” NOTE: this prototype can be used for all different measurements with different phase step or different load set up. It is a design choice) and wherein the measurement device is configured to perform the second measurements for the different frequencies in a third measurement setup comprising the first transmission line and the phase shifting device coupled between the measurement device and the signal source(Goncalves, Figure 4-5), wherein the phase shifting device is configured to induce a corresponding phase shift to the third signal for a corresponding frequency of the plurality of frequencies of the third signal, and wherein each respective phase shift between the signal source and the measurement device differs by a respective phase offset between a corresponding first measurement result and a corresponding second measurement result. (Goncalves, Figure 4, (Goncalves, Page38761, Table 3, Left Col, “the measurement setup (Fig. 4) and the developed circuit prototype are described and tested at 3.55 GHz. For validation purposes, we picked up a 3.55 GHz PA available at our laboratory that could be tested within the implemented impedance measurement solution which, for its current implementation has 1250 MHz of usable bandwidth (between 2.75 GHz and 4 GHz”. NOTE: this prototype can be used for all different measurements with different phase step or different load and at different frequency band, for example signals could be measured in the frequency bandwidth between 2.75GHz to 4GHz set up. It is a design choice for specific application and known in the art. Not an inventive concept. Alternatively, by the prior art Olgaard, Figure 6-7, [0043] “As noted above, the signal phases of the incident 121i and reflected 121i signals (FIG. 6) can be effectively controlled by sweeping the frequency of the VSG output signal 219)
Conclusion
Citation of Pertinent Prior Art
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
ISHIZUKA et al. (US 2017 /0133999 A1) recites “A phase shifter includes a transformer connected between a first port and a second port and including a first coil and a second coil that is magnetically coupled to the first coil, the transformer including a parasitic inductance component; and an impedance adjustment circuit including a reactance element that suppresses a deviation in impedance due to the parasitic inductance component of the transformer. A coupling coefficient between the first coil and the second coil of the transformer and a value of the reactance element of the impedance adjustment circuit are determined such that a phase-shift amount changes in accordance with a frequency band” (Abstract).
Minh-Chau HUYNH (US 2014/0273873 A1) discloses “A system and method for facilitating wireless testing of a radio frequency (RF) signal transceiver device under test (DUT). Using multiple antennas within a shielded enclosure containing the DUT, multiple wireless RF test signals resulting from a RF test signal radiated from the DUT can be captured and have their respective signal phases controlled in accordance with one or more signal characteristics, including their respective signal power levels, their respective signal phases as received, and a signal power level of a combination of the received signals. Such phase control of the captured wireless RF test signals can be performed individually for any DUT tested within the shielded enclosure, thereby providing compensation for the multipath signal environment within the shielded enclosure irrespective of the placement of the DUT, and thereby simulating a wired test signal path during wireless testing of the DUT” (Abstract).
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.
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/DILARA SULTANA/Examiner, Art Unit 2858 04/24/2026
/EMAN A ALKAFAWI/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2858 5/1/2026
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