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 § 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.
Claims 1, 3, 8-10 and 14-16 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Takeuchi (2020/0403597) in view of Kemmochi (7,885,613).
Regarding claims 1, 3 and 16, Takeuchi discloses an electronic device (See fig. 9) comprising: an antenna 30; and a radio frequency front end (RFFE) 102 operatively connected to the antenna, wherein the RFFE comprises: a high pass filter 31 disposed on a first electrical path electrically connecting the antenna and a first band pass filter 37, the first band pass filter being configured to filter a signal of a first frequency band; a low pass filter 33 disposed on a second electrical path, branching from the first electrical path between the antenna and the high pass filter, electrically connecting to a second band pass filter 37, the second band pass filter being configured to filter a signal of a second frequency band relatively lower than the first frequency band (See fig. 9 and par [0064-0065])
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wherein the high pass filter is configured to filter the signal of the first frequency band to be provided to the first band pass filter through the first electrical path, and to present an open circuit with respect to the signal of the second frequency band such that the signal of the second frequency band is provided to the second band pass filter through the second electrical path, and wherein the low pass filter is configured to filter the signal of the second frequency band to be provided to the second band pass filter through the second electrical path, and to present an open circuit with respect to the signal of the first frequency band such that the signal of the first frequency band is provided to the first band pass filter through the first electrical path (i.e. it is commonly known in the art that duplexer and or diplexer, shown by Takeuchi in figure 9, comprising a HPF and a LPF, wherein for signals in high band (i.e. first frequency band), the HPF can be regarded as short circuit and the LPF can be regarded as open; and for signals in low band (i.e. second frequency band), the HPF can be regarded as open and the LPF can be regarded as short circuit) (See par [0064-0065]), and wherein the electronic device further comprising a housing (i.e. housing of the RFFE) and a substrate provided inside the housing, the substrate comprises a plurality of layers that are stacked (See figs. 3A-5F and par [0026-0033]). However, Takeuchi does not explicitly mention that the RFFE of the electronic device is connected to an RFIC, the high pass/low pass filters are provided across the plurality of layers, and the first band pass filter and the second band pass filter are disposed on a surface of the substrate. Since Kemmochi suggests an electronic device (See fig. 1) comprising: an antenna 40; a radio frequency front end (RFFE) 20 operatively connected to the antenna; and a radio frequency integrated circuit (RFIC) 30 operatively connected to the RFFE (See fig. 1 and col. 9 lines 1-26); therefore, it would have been obvious to one skilled in the art to modify the electronic device, as suggested by Kemmochi, with an RFIC operatively connected to the RFFE, for the advantage of providing a greater degree of freedom in circuitry design. Further, since Kemmochi also suggests the electronic device comprising a housing (i.e. housing of the RFFE) and a substrate provided inside the housing, the substrate comprises a plurality of layers that are stacked (laminated) (See figs. 5, 14, 30, 31, 32a-b), wherein a high pass filter {2, 3} is provided across the plurality of layers, and a bandpass filter 4 is disposed on a surface of the plurality of layers of the substrate (See figs. 32a, 32b and col. 20 line 15 to col. 22 line 10); therefore, it would have been obvious to one skilled in the art to fabricate, as suggested by Kemmochi, the high pass/low pass filters across the plurality of layers as well as the first and second bandpass filters disposed on a surface of the plurality of layers of the substrate, for the advantage of providing a greater degree of freedom in design and fabrications of electronic components.
Regarding claim 8, Takeuchi & Kemmochi discloses as cited in claim 1. Kemmochi further discloses the first band pass filter (i.e. BBF 14) or the second band pass filter (i.e. BBF 15) is provided in an area at least partially overlapping the high pass filter (i.e. HPF 3) on the surface of the substrate (See figs. 5, 9, 14, 32A-32B).
Regarding claim 9, Takeuchi & Kemmochi discloses as cited in claim 1. Kemmochi further discloses the second band pass filter (i.e. BBF 15) is provided in a first area at least partially overlapping the high pass filter (i.e. HPF 3) on the surface of the substrate, and wherein the first band pass filter (i.e. BBF 14) is provided in a second area on the surface of the substrate, which is different from the first area, the first band pass filter (i.e. BBF 14) being not overlapping the high pass filter (i.e. HPF 3) (See figs. 5, 9, 14, 32A-32B).
Regarding claim 10, Takeuchi & Kemmochi discloses as cited in claim 1. Since Kemmochi suggests a similar electronic device’s RFFE, wherein the first frequency band comprises a frequency band of 3 GHz or higher, and wherein the second frequency band comprises a frequency band of 3 GHz or lower (See figs. 1-2 and col. 9 lines 1-48); therefore, it would have been obvious to one skilled in the art to modify the RF transceiver, disclosed by Takeuchi & Kemmochi, to operate at such bands as suggested by Kemmochi, for the advantage of expanding the capability of the device to various frequency spectrums.
Regarding claim 14, Takeuchi & Kemmochi discloses as cited in claim 1. Takeuchi further discloses the RFFE further comprises: a first amplification circuit configured to amplify a first radio frequency (RF) signal provided from the RFIC and output the first RF signal to the first band pass filter; a first low noise amplification circuit configured to amplify low noise of a second RF signal provided from the first band pass filter and output the second RF signal to the RFIC; a second amplification circuit configured to amplify a third RF signal provided from the RFIC and output the third RF signal to the second band pass filter; and a second low noise amplification circuit configured to amplify low noise of a fourth RF signal provided from the second band pass filter and output the fourth RF signal to the RFIC (See fig. 9).
Regarding claim 15, Takeuchi & Kemmochi discloses as cited in claim 1. Kemmochi further discloses a processor (i.e. BBIC) operatively connected to the RFIC, wherein the processor is configured to process a baseband signal provided from the RFIC (See fig. 1).
Claims 11-12 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Takeuchi & Kemmochi as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of Cabanillas (9,692,392).
Regarding claims 11-12, Takeuchi & Kemmochi disclose as cited in claim 1. However, they do not mention that a matching circuit provided on the second electrical path between the antenna and the second band pass filter, wherein the matching circuit is configured so that the second electrical path is open in the first frequency band. Since Cabanillas teaches a similar RFFE, wherein a matching circuit (i.e. matching circuit 630b) provided on the second electrical path between the antenna and the amplifier (the matching circuit coupled to the input of the duplexer 680), wherein the matching circuit is configured so that the second electrical path is open in the first frequency band (See fig. 6 and col. 8 lines 51-62, col. 9 lines 35-60); therefore, it would have been obvious to one skilled in the art to modify the RFFE, as disclosed by Takeuchi & Kemmochi, with such feature for the advantage of attenuating undesired harmonics.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 4-7 and 18-20 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.
Regarding claims 4-7, Takeuchi & Kemmochi disclose as cited in claim 3. Takeuchi further discloses the high pass filter comprises a first capacitor, a second capacitor, a third capacitor, a fourth capacitor, a first inductor, and a second inductor (See fig. 1). However, they fail to disclose that a first terminal of the first capacitor is connected to a first port of the high pass filter connected to the antenna, and a second terminal of the first capacitor is connected to a first terminal of the second capacitor, wherein a second terminal of the second capacitor is connected to a first terminal of the fourth capacitor, wherein a second terminal of the fourth capacitor is connected to a second port of the high pass filter connected to the first band pass filter, wherein a first terminal of the third capacitor is connected to a first branched point of an electrical path between the first terminal of the first capacitor and the antenna, and a second terminal of the third capacitor is connected to a second branched point of an electrical path between the second terminal of the second capacitor and the first terminal of the fourth capacitor, wherein a first terminal of the first inductor is connected to a third branched point of an electrical path between the second terminal of the first capacitor and the first terminal of the second capacitor, and a second terminal of the first inductor is connected to a ground provided on the substrate, and wherein a first terminal of the second inductor is connected to a fourth branched point of an electrical path between the first terminal of the fourth capacitor and the second branched point, and a second terminal of the second inductor is connected to a fifth branched point of an electrical path between the second terminal of the fourth capacitor and the second port of the high pass filter.
Regarding claims 18-20, Takeuchi & Kemmochi disclose as cited in claim 16. Takeuchi further discloses the low pass filter comprises a first capacitor, a second capacitor, a third capacitor, a first inductor, and a second inductor (See fig. 1). However, they fail to disclose a first terminal of the first capacitor is connected to a first port of the low pass filter connected to the antenna, and a second terminal of the first capacitor is connected to a first terminal of the second capacitor, wherein a second terminal of the second capacitor is connected to a second port of the low pass filter connected to the second band pass filter, wherein a first terminal of the third capacitor is connected to a first branched point of an electrical path between the second terminal of the first capacitor and the first terminal of the second capacitor, and a second terminal of the third capacitor is connected to a ground provided on the substrate, wherein a first terminal of the first inductor is connected to a second branched point of an electrical path between the first terminal of the first capacitor and the first port of the low pass filter, and a second terminal of the first inductor is connected to a third branched point of an electrical path between the second terminal of the first capacitor and the first branched point, and wherein a first terminal of the second inductor is connected to a fourth branched point of an electrical path between the first terminal of the second capacitor and the first branched point, and a second terminal of the second inductor is connected to a fifth branched point of an electrical path between the second terminal of the second capacitor and the second port of the low pass filter.
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed 06/16/2026 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive.
The applicant mainly argued that Takeuchi & Kemmochi fail to disclose or teach a configuration of: filtering a signal of a first frequency band (corresponding to the high-frequency band signal of Takeuchi) using a high-pass filter (HPF) and providing it to a first BPF via a first electrical path; and forming an open circuit for a signal of a second frequency band (corresponding to the low-frequency band signal of Takeuchi) such that the signal of the second frequency band is provided to a second BPF via a second electrical path, as recited in the amended claim 1 (See Remark, page 14-16). The examiner respectfully disagrees with the applicant’s argument. In this instant case, Takeuchi does disclose the configuration of: filtering a signal of a first frequency band (i.e. high band) using a high-pass filter (HPF) 31 and providing it to a first BPF 37 via a first electrical path (See fig. 9 and par [0065]); and forming an open circuit for a signal of a second frequency band (i.e. it is commonly known in the art that duplexer and or diplexer, shown by Takeuchi in figure 9, comprising a HPF and a LPF, wherein for signals in high band (i.e. first frequency band), the HPF can be regarded as short circuit and the LPF can be regarded as open; and for signals in low band (i.e. second frequency band), the HPF can be regarded as open and the LPF can be regarded as short circuit), such that the signal of the second frequency band is provided to a second BPF via a second electrical path (See fig. 9).
Conclusion
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/TUAN A TRAN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2648
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