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 § 112
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claim 3-5, 9, 13-13, 18 rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention. The scope of “high[er”]/”low[er]” is unclear due to those being terms of degree. Terms are present in claims 3, 5, 9, 13 and 18 and others via dependency. See MPEP 2173.05(b).
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.
Claim(s) 1, 2, 9-12, 18-20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Zhan (US 20140192841 A1).
Regarding claim 1, Zhan discloses:
1. A device for signal detection comprising: a low-pass filter (LPF) coupled to a communications channel and configured to generate a filtered input (paragraph 37); a rectifier coupled to the LPF and configured to generate a rectified signal based on the filtered input (fig. 2 122); and a comparator configured to generate an output based on the rectified signal (fig. 2 124).
Regarding claim 2, Zhan discloses:
2. The device for signal detection of claim 1, wherein the comparator is further configured to compare the rectified signal with a reference voltage to generate the output (fig. 2).
Regarding claim 9, Zhan discloses:
9. The device for signal detection of claim 1, wherein Low Frequency Periodic Signaling (LFPS) detection (paragraph 27 lower frequency ranges) and Loss of Signal (LOS) detection (abstract) are enabled when the device for signal detection operates in a high-power operational state (paragraph 34)
Regarding claim 10, Zhan discloses:
10. A communications device, the communications device comprising: a device for signal detection coupled to a communications channel (fig. 2 110); and a digital logic circuit configured to process an output of the device for signal detection to generate a processed output and to output the processed output for controlling data communications through the communications channel (fig. 1 112).
Regarding claim 11, Zhan discloses:
11. The communications device of claim 10, wherein the device for signal detection comprises: a low-pass filter (LPF) coupled to the communications channel and configured to generate a filtered input (paragraph 37); a rectifier coupled to the LPF and configured to generate a rectified signal based on the filtered input (fig. 2 122); and a comparator configured to generate the output based on the rectified signal (fig. 2 124).
Regarding claim 12, Zhan discloses:
12. The communications device of claim 11, wherein the comparator is further configured to compare the rectified signal with a reference voltage to generate the output (fig. 2 VREF).
Regarding claim 18, Zhan discloses:
18. The communications device of claim 10, wherein Low Frequency Periodic Signaling (LFPS) detection and Loss of Signal (LOS) detection of the device for signal detection are enabled when the communications device operates in a high-power operational state (paragraph 27 lower frequency ranges, abstract, paragraph 34).
Regarding claim 19, Zhan discloses:19. The communications device of claim 10, wherein the digital logic circuit is configured to perform a plurality of logic operations using the output of the device for signal detection (paragraph 23 112 is logical AND gate which can perform the operations of outputting a 1 and outputting a 0 (two operations)).
Regarding claim 20, Zhan discloses:
20. A method for signal detection, the method comprising: generating a filtered input using a low-pass filter (LPF) coupled to a communications channel (paragraph 37); generating a rectified signal based on the filtered input using a rectifier coupled to the LPF (fig. 2 122); and generating an output based on the rectified signal using a comparator coupled to the rectifier (fig. 2 124).
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.
The factual inquiries for establishing a background for determining obviousness under 35 U.S.C. 103 are summarized as follows:
1. Determining the scope and contents of the prior art.
2. Ascertaining the differences between the prior art and the claims at issue.
3. Resolving the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art.
4. Considering objective evidence present in the application indicating obviousness or nonobviousness.
Claim(s) 3-5, 13-14 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Zhan (US 20140192841 A1) in view of Winemiller (US 20170329386 A1).
Regarding claim 3, Zhan fails to disclose 3. The device for signal detection of claim 2, wherein the comparator and the rectifier are configured to be enabled by an enablement signal for Low Frequency Periodic Signaling (LFPS) detection. However in analogous art, Winemiller discloses sending a signal detector an enable signal thereby enabling LFPS (paragraph 22). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to enable the comparator and rectifier of the signal detector by an enable signal. The motivation for the combination is to reduce power consumption (paragraph 22).
Note: the limitations underlined below are not given patentable weight because they fail to limit the structure of the device.
Regarding claim 4, Zhan discloses: 4. The device for signal detection of claim 3, wherein Loss of Signal (LOS) detection detects a first frequency range of data communications through the communications channel, wherein LFPS detection detects a second frequency range of the data communications through the communications channel (abstract), and wherein the second frequency range is included in the first frequency range.
Note: the limitations underlined below are not given patentable weight because they fail to limit the structure of the device.
Regarding claim 5, Zhan discloses
5. The device for signal detection of claim 4, wherein LOS detection consumes higher current, and wherein LFPS detection consumes lower current (paragraph 27).
Claims 13 and 14 are rejected for the same reasons as claims 3 and 4, but applied to claim 12.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 6-8, 15-17 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. The prior art of record fails to disclose in combination with claim 1, wherein the LPF comprises: a resistor coupled to the communications channel; a programmable capacitor coupled to the resistor; a switch connected between the programmable capacitor and a fixed voltage; and a second capacitor coupled to the programmable capacitor and to the resistor. The prior art of record fails to disclose in combination with claim 11, wherein the LPF comprises: a resistor coupled to the communications channel; a programmable capacitor coupled to the resistor; a switch connected between the programmable capacitor and a fixed voltage; and a second capacitor coupled to the programmable capacitor and to the resistor.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Delshadpour (US 20230121523 A1) discloses a combined LFPS/LOS detector. Lin (US 11323111 B1) discloses a high frequency signal detector. Huang (US 10763841 B2) discloses a loss of signal detection circuit.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to NATHAN A MITCHELL whose telephone number is (571)270-3117. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 9-5.
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/NATHAN A MITCHELL/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3627