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 .
DETAILED ACTION
Allowable Subject Matter
Claim(s) 3-9, 11-13, 16 is/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 17-20 are allowed.
The following is an examiner’s statement of reasons for allowance:
With respect to the claim(s), the prior art of record fails to disclose singly or in combination or render obvious all the limitations of the claim(s).
The closest prior art relating to Applicant' s claimed invention is:
US 20190115946 A1 Pehlke; David Richard
US 20200253040 A1 Dalmia; Sidharth et al.
US 20190103843 A1 Aikawa; Kiyoshi
Pehlke discloses apparatus and methods for modulation partition and transmission via multiple antennas for enhanced transmit power capability are provided herein. In certain embodiments, an RF communication system includes a transceiver that generates a first RF signal and a second RF signal corresponding to partitions of a modulated RF signal. For example, the first RF signal and the second RF signal can be associated with different RB allocations of one or more channels of a frequency band. The RF communication system further includes a first transmit chain that processes the first RF signal to generate a first RF output signal for transmission on a first antenna, and a second transmit chain that processes the second RF signal to generate a second RF output signal for transmission on a second antenna.
Dalmia discloses radio frequency (RF) front-end structures, as well as related methods and devices. In some embodiments, an RF front-end package may include an RF package substrate including an embedded passive circuit element. At least a portion of the embedded passive circuit element may be included in a metal layer of the RF package substrate. The RF package substrate may also include a ground plane in the metal layer.
Aikawa discloses that a high-frequency circuit includes a first signal path transmitting a high-frequency signal in a first frequency band group, a second signal path transmitting a high-frequency signal in a second frequency band group, a switch including a common terminal and selection terminals, a first low noise amplifier including an input terminal connected to the first signal path and an output terminal connected to a first selection terminal, a second low noise amplifier including an input terminal connected to the second signal path and an output terminal connected to a second selection terminal, and an output-side impedance matching circuit that matches impedance at the output side of the first low noise amplifier or impedance at the output side of the second low noise amplifier with a predetermined impedance with a conductive state between the a third selection terminal and the common terminal.
Although the prior art discloses (see for example, Pehlke Fig. 4B) a substrate, and a second RF chip, a second matching module, a third matching module, a first switch chip and a second switch chip arranged on the substrate; the second RF chip comprises a second RF amplifier circuit and a third RF amplifier circuit; RF signals output by the second RF amplifier circuit is transmitted to the first switch chip through the second matching module, the prior art does not teach or suggest the specific arrangement of modules with respect to each other and their orientation on the substrate.
Any comments considered necessary by applicant must be submitted no later than the payment of the issue fee and, to avoid processing delays, should preferably accompany the issue fee. Such submissions should be clearly labeled “Comments on Statement of Reasons for Allowance.”
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)(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) 1, 2, 10 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1/2) as being anticipated by US 20190115946 A1 to Pehlke; David Richard
Re: Claim(s) 1
Pehlke discloses an RF front-end module (Fig. 4B),
comprising: a substrate (Fig. 8 and 0143-0145 - Certain implementations of the RF communication systems herein include one or more packaged modules, such as the packaged module 800 … The packaged module 800 includes radio frequency components 801, a semiconductor die 802, surface mount devices 803, wirebonds 808, a package substrate 820, and encapsulation structure 840),
and a first RF chip (Fig. 4B – elements on the top half of the figure are analogous to the claimed first chip),
a second RF chip (Fig. 4B – elements on the bottom half of the figure are analogous to the claimed second chip),
a first switch chip and a second switch chip arranged on the substrate (Fig. 4B - 191 and 192),
wherein the first RF chip comprises a first RF amplifier circuit (Fig. 4B – either of 131 and 132),
and the second RF chip comprises a second RF amplifier circuit and a third RF amplifier circuit (Fig. 4B – 133 and any of 134-136);
the first RF amplifier circuit outputs RF signals via the first switch chip (Fig. 4B – signal path leading from amplifiers 131/132 feed into switch 191 and output to MB ASM OUT),
the second RF amplifier circuit outputs RF signals via the first switch chip (Fig. 4B – signal path leading from amplifier 133 feeds into switch 191 and outputs to MB ASM OUT),
and the third RF amplifier circuit outputs RF signals via the second switch chip (Fig. 4B – signal path leading from amplifiers 134-136 feed into switch 192 and output to LB ASM OUT).
Re: Claim(s) 2
Pehlke discloses wherein the first RF amplifier circuit is used for amplifying RF signals in a first frequency band (Fig. 4B and 0107 – As shown in FIG. 4B, the first front-end module 101a includes a first power amplifier 131 for amplifying Band 1/Band 2, a second power amplifier 132 for amplifying Band 3/Band 4, a third power amplifier 133 for amplifying HB 2G, a fourth power amplifier 134 for amplifying LB 2G, a fifth power amplifier 135 for amplifying Band 26/Band 8/Band 20, and a sixth power amplifier 136 for amplifying Band 12/Band 17),
the second RF amplifier circuit is used for amplifying RF signals in a second frequency band (Fig. 4B and 0107 - As shown in FIG. 4B, the first front-end module 101a includes a first power amplifier 131 for amplifying Band 1/Band 2, a second power amplifier 132 for amplifying Band 3/Band 4, a third power amplifier 133 for amplifying HB 2G, a fourth power amplifier 134 for amplifying LB 2G, a fifth power amplifier 135 for amplifying Band 26/Band 8/Band 20, and a sixth power amplifier 136 for amplifying Band 12/Band 17),
and the third RF amplifier circuit is used for amplifying RF signals in a third frequency band (Fig. 4B and 0107 - As shown in FIG. 4B, the first front-end module 101a includes a first power amplifier 131 for amplifying Band 1/Band 2, a second power amplifier 132 for amplifying Band 3/Band 4, a third power amplifier 133 for amplifying HB 2G, a fourth power amplifier 134 for amplifying LB 2G, a fifth power amplifier 135 for amplifying Band 26/Band 8/Band 20, and a sixth power amplifier 136 for amplifying Band 12/Band 17),
wherein the third frequency band is larger than the second frequency band, and the second frequency band is larger than the first frequency band (0102-0103 - As used herein, LB refers to RF signal bands having a frequency content of 1 GHz or less, MB refers to RF signal bands having a frequency content between 1 GHz and 2.3 GHz, HB refers to RF signal bands having a frequency content between 2.3 GHz and 3 GHz, and UHB refers to RF signal bands having a frequency content between 3 GHz and 6 GHz. Examples of LB frequencies include, but are not limited to Band 8, Band 20, and Band 26. Examples of MB frequencies include, but are not limited to, Band 1, Band 3, Band 4, and Band 66. Examples of HB frequencies include, but are not limited to, Band 7, Band 38, and Band 41. Examples of UHB frequencies include, but are not limited to, Band 42, Band 43, and Band 48. 0112 - the RF communication system 120 is implemented to provide partitioning to one more modulated signals, such as modulated signals associated with LTE bands 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 8, 12, 17, 20 and/or 26. Although one example of bands that can be portioned are shown other implementations are possible, including, but not limited to, implementations additionally or alternatively using LTE bands 7, 13, 25, 38, 43, and/or 71. Furthermore, the teachings herein are also applicable to other communication technologies additionally or alternatively to LTE, including, but not limited to, 5G NR. The Examiner notes that the given purpose of Pehlke is to provide portioning (i.e. separation) between modulated signals of various bands. Pehlke discloses that any given number and variety of different frequency bands may be implemented in the disclosed RF communication system. For example, if band 4 (i.e. 1700 MHz), 2G HB (i.e. 1800 or 1900 MHz), and band 43 (i.e. 3700 MHz) were selected as the frequencies to be amplified by elements 132, 133, and 134 (of Fig. 4B) then the limitations of the claim would be met).
Re: Claim(s) 10
Pehlke discloses a control chip, and the first RF chip, the control chip and the second RF chip are sequentially arranged along a first direction of the substrate (Fig. 4B – first RF chip (i.e. top half of Fig. 4B), controller 199, and second RF chip (i.e. bottom half of Fig. 4B) are all sequentially arranged on 101a).
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) 14 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Pehlke as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of US 20200253040 A1 to Dalmia; Sidharth et al.
Re: Claim(s) 14
Pehlke discloses those limitations as set forth in the rejection of claim(s) 1 above.
Pehlke does/do not appear to explicitly disclose wherein the substrate is composed of two metal layers.
However, attention is directed to Dalmia which discloses said limitation (Fig. 6 and 0038-0040 - The package substrates 102 of any of the RF front-end packages 150 disclosed herein (e.g., the RF front-end packages 150 of FIGS. 3 and 4) may take any suitable form. For example, FIGS. 5 and 6 are side, cross-sectional views of example package substrates 102 that may be included in an RF front-end package 150, in accordance with various embodiments. FIGS. 5 and 6 depicts the arrangement of layers in different example package substrates 102; the metal layers may be patterned, and vias through the dielectric between the metal layers may be formed, to form the embedded components 104 and any other desired conductive pathways. The package substrates 102 of FIGS. 5 and 6 may be used in any suitable ones of the RF front-end packages 150 disclosed herein (e.g., the RF front-end packages 150 of FIGS. 3 and 4) … The package substrate 102 of FIG. 6 includes 2 metal layers (126-1 and 126-2), and one dielectric layer 128 (between the metal layers 126-1 and 126-2)).
Therefore it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the Pehlke invention by employing the teaching as taught by Dalmia to provide the ability to package a RF front end on substrate comprising multiple metal layers. The motivation for the combination is given by Dalmia (Abstract and 0001).
Claim(s) 15 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Pehlke as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of US 20190103843 A1 to Aikawa; Kiyoshi
Re: Claim(s) 15
Pehlke discloses those limitations as set forth in the rejection of claim(s) 1 above.
Pehlke further discloses (Fig. 4B) a matching circuit (141-146) for each of the amplifiers (131-136) arranged on the same substrate as the first and second RF chips.
Pehlke does/do not appear to explicitly disclose wherein the substrate is provided with a matching inductor, and the matching inductor is arranged on a same metal layer of the substrate through metal winding.
However, further attention is directed to Aikawa which discloses said limitation (0138 - the input-side impedance matching circuit 32 includes an inductor L7 mounted on the mounting substrate 100, the winding axis of the coil defining the inductor L7 may be perpendicular or substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the inductor L7).
Therefore it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the Pehlke invention by employing the teaching as taught by Aikawa to provide a matching inductor arranged on the same layer as the substrate via a winding. The motivation for the combination is given by Aikawa (0006-0007).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to KASHIF SIDDIQUI whose telephone number is (571)270-3188. The examiner can normally be reached on M-R 6:00 EST to 16:00 EST.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Jeffrey Rutkowski can be reached on 571-270-1215. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/KASHIF SIDDIQUI/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2415