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 .
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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)(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) 1, 10 and 12 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Zhang (U.S. PG-PUB NO. 2022/0029275).
-Regarding claim 1, Zhang discloses a method for time-averaged specific absorption rate (TA-SAR) optimization with an antenna tuner, wherein the antenna tuner has multiple tuner states, comprising: calculating an instant SAR level that is higher than a threshold SAR level (SAR sensor distance threshold, paragraph 42); determining a suitable tuner state among the multiple tuner states based on the instant SAR level (mapping relationship between the identification bits of each SAR sensor at different distance thresholds, paragraph 47); switching the tuner to the suitable tuner state to transmit signals with the TX power level corresponding to the suitable tuner state (power index identification array can be determined as power index identification, paragraph 47) and adjusting the TX power level corresponding to a current tuner state if there is no suitable tuner state among the multiple tuner states (the radiation power of the radiator that radiates the antenna signal in a current working frequency band is adjusted into the target radiation power, paragraph 55); wherein the current tuner state is one of the multiple tuner states (power index identification array can be determined as power index identification, paragraph 47).
-Regarding claim 10, Zhang discloses an electronic device, comprising: an antenna tuner, having multiple tuner states (adjusting apparatus, FIG. 9); and an RF modem, electrically connected to the antenna tuner, and configured to obtain a first table (communication component 1016, paragraph 93); wherein the RF modem calculates an instant SAR level that is higher than a threshold SAR level (SAR sensor distance threshold, paragraph 42), determines a suitable tuner state among the multiple tuner states based on the instant SAR level (mapping relationship between the identification bits of each SAR sensor at different distance thresholds, paragraph 47), sends a setting command related to the suitable tuner state to the antenna tuner, and adjusts the TX power level corresponding to a current tuner state if the RF modem determines there is no suitable tuner state among the multiple tuner states (the radiation power of the radiator that radiates the antenna signal in a current working frequency band is adjusted into the target radiation power, paragraph 55); wherein the antenna tuner is switched to the suitable tuner state to transmit signals with the TX power level corresponding to the suitable tuner state according to the setting command; wherein the current tuner state is one of the multiple tuner states (power index identification array can be determined as power index identification, paragraph 47).
-Regarding claim 12, Zhang further discloses the RF modem sends the signals with the TX power level corresponding to the current tuner state to the antenna tuner for transmission (power index identification array can be determined as power index identification, paragraph 47).
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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) 3, 4, 8, 9, 13, 14, and 18-20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Zhang (U.S. PG-PUB NO. 2022/0029275) in view of Bologna (U.S. PG-PUB no. 2020/0044612).
-Regarding claim 3, Zhang further discloses setting the suitable tuner state as the current tuner state (mapping relationship between the identification bits of each SAR sensor at different distance thresholds, paragraph 47).
Zhang is silent to teaching that detecting the variation of voltage standing wave ratio (VSWR) corresponding to the current tuner state. However, the claimed limitation is well known in the art as evidenced by Bologna.
In the same field of endeavor, Bologna teaches detecting the variation of voltage standing wave ratio (VSWR) corresponding to the current tuner state (paragraph 11).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skills in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine the teaching of Zhang with the teaching of Bologna in order to reduce potential health risks from SAR exposure.
-Regarding claim 4, the combination further discloses the threshold SAR level is determined by a second table; the second table records the threshold SAR level corresponding to different scenes; and the second table is a SAR ECI table (Zhang, paragraph 33).
-Regarding claim 8, the combination further discloses keeping detecting the variation of voltage standing wave ratio (VSWR) corresponding to the current tuner state after calculating the instant SAR level that is lower than the threshold SAR level (Bologna, VSWR detector 110, FIG. 1, FIG. 4).
-Regarding claim 9, the combination further discloses calculating whether the instant SAR level is higher than the threshold SAR level after adjusting the TX power level corresponding to the current tuner state (Bologna, VSWR detector 110, FIG. 1, FIG. 4).
-Regarding claim 13, the combination further discloses the RF modem sets the suitable tuner state as the current tuner state, and detects the variation of voltage standing wave ratio (VSWR) corresponding to the current tuner state (Bologna, paragraph 11).
-Regarding claim 14, the combination further discloses the RF modem obtains a second table; the threshold SAR level is determined by the second table; the second table records the threshold SAR level corresponding to different scenes; and the second table is a SAR scenario table (ECI table) (Zhang, paragraph 33).
-Regarding claim 18, the combination further discloses the RF modem keeps detecting the variation of voltage standing wave ratio (VSWR) corresponding to the current tuner state after calculating the instant SAR level that is lower than the threshold SAR level (Bologna, VSWR detector 110, FIG. 1, FIG. 4).
-Regarding claim 19, the combination further discloses the RF modem calculates whether the instant SAR level is higher than the threshold SAR level after adjusting the TX power level corresponding to the current tuner state (Bologna, VSWR detector 110, FIG. 1, FIG. 4).
-Regarding claim 20, the combination further discloses the RF modem comprises: a tuner control unit, configured to receive the current tuner state from the antenna tuner (Bologna, VSWR detector 110, FIG. 1), and determine the suitable tuner state among the multiple tuner states based on the instant SAR level (Zhang, TABLE 2); a tuner time-averaged (TA) unit, configured to detect the variation of VSWR corresponding to the current tuner state (Bologna, VSWR detector 110, FIG. 1), calculate whether the instant SAR level is higher than the threshold SAR level, and send the setting signal related to the suitable tuner state to the antenna tuner (Zhang, the radiation power of the radiator that radiates the antenna signal in a current working frequency band is adjusted into the target radiation power, paragraph 55); and a power TA unit, configured to adjust the TX power level corresponding to the current tuner state (Zhang, the target radiation power corresponding to the triggered SAR sensor group can be determined according to a first mapping relationship between the power index identification and the target radiation power, paragraph 26).
Claim(s) 7 and 17 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Zhang (U.S. PG-PUB NO. 2022/0029275) in view of El Hajj (U.S. PG-PUB no. 2024/0205844).
-Regarding claim 7, Zhang is silent to teaching that the threshold SAR level is an average SAR level within a time window. However, the claimed limitation is well known in the art as evidenced by El Hajj.
In the same field of endeavor, El Hajj teaches the threshold SAR level is an average SAR level within a time window (paragraph 40).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skills in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine the teaching of Zhang with the teaching of El Hajj in order to provide compliance level threshold of human exposure.
-Regarding claim 17, the combination further discloses the threshold SAR level is an average SAR level within a time window (El Hajj, paragraph 40).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 5, 6, 15 and 16 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.
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed 12/12/25 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive. In pages 9-12 of the remarks, applicant argues that the “adjusting the target radiation power” operation in Zhang differs completely from the feature of the amended claim 1 “adjusting the TX power level corresponding to the current turner state when no suitable tuner state exists.” Applicant further argues that Zhang does not disclose multiple tuner states, a decision process for determining a suitable tuner state, a SAR-driven fallback power control mechanism, and the SAR specific TX power adjustment performed under the current tuner state and therefore Zhang does not disclose the feature “adjusting the TX power level corresponding to the current turner state if there is no suitable tuner state among the multiple tuner states; wherein the current tuner state is one of the multiple tuner states.”
The examiner respectfully disagrees. Zhang discloses adjusting the TX power level corresponding to the current turner state if there is no suitable tuner state among the multiple tuner states (i.e., the radiation power of the radiator that radiates the antenna signal in a current working frequency band is adjusted into the target radiation power) in paragraph 55. Zhang further discloses that the target radiation power can be determined based on the power index identification and serial number in paragraph 52, which indicates there is multiple tuner states and by determining the target radiation power infers that there is no other suitable tuner state among the multiple tuner states. Therefore, based on the broadest reasonable interpretation, Zhang indeed teaches the claimed feature of “adjusting the TX power level corresponding to the current turner state if there is no suitable tuner state among the multiple tuner states; wherein the current tuner state is one of the multiple tuner states.”
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 PING Y HSIEH whose telephone number is (571)270-3011. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday, 9am-4pm.
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/PING Y HSIEH/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2664