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 .
Request for Continued Examination Under 37 CFR 1.114 2.
2. A request for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, including the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e), was filed in this application after final rejection. Since this application is eligible for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114.
Applicant's submission filed on 01/02/26 has been entered. Accordingly, claims 1 and 14 are amended. Claims 2, 10 and 15 are cancelled. Claims 21 and 22 are newly added. As a result, claims 1,3-9,11-14 and 16-22 are now pending.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
3. 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.
4. Claims 3-7 and 16-20 are 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.
(i) In claim 3 and claim 16, line 2, “the integrated circuit package”, lacks antecedent basis. Examiner suggest changing to - - - an integrated circuit package - - -.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
5. 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.
6. Claims 1, 3, 14, 16, 21 and 22 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Faure et al (US 0220365135)(see IDS) in view of SANDERFORD HUGH BRITTON JR et al (WO 9633478 A1)(see IDS)
With regards to claim 1, A device (see fig. 1 A system includes a first integrated circuit including a first interface circuit with a first transmit pin and a first receive pin, and a first test circuit,) comprising:
an output pin ( see transmit pin 120a);
a computing engine configured to determine a spread spectrum sequence based on an input; and
a driver (conductive path 135a) coupled to the output pin (transmit pin 120a) ([0052] Pin map 350, as shown, is stored in memory 340 within test circuit 205b. Memory 340 may, in some embodiments, be located elsewhere in integrated circuit 201b, but remain accessible to test circuit 205b. Memory 340 may include any suitable type of memory devices. For example, memory 340 may include register circuits and/or random-access memory (RAM). In such embodiments, pin map 350 may be received and stored from other circuits in integrated circuit 201b, such as from a processor core. In other embodiments, memory 340 may be a nonvolatile memory such as fuses or read-only memory (ROM). Memory 340 and pin map 350 may, in some embodiments, correspond to a logic circuit such that an enabling of a particular test mode results in the logic circuits causing switching circuits 260b to implement pin map 350)
Faurre et al discloses in [0049] that various techniques may be utilized to route pins to one another, but not explicit about configured to generate, according to the spread spectrum sequence determined by the computing engine, spread spectrum signals to transmit data.
However, SANDERFORD HUGH BRITTON JR et al discloses in fig. 4, Figure 4, an alternative means of enhancing programming security, which may be utilized, would comprise the steps of: c. placing said sensor 4A into a mode by which it can accept data via transmitted programming information from said programming device 4D; d. transmitting said seed from said programming device 4D to said sensor/transmitter 4A as part of a programming message, which programming message may also include the sensor address/ID code, type code, property code, transmitter timing, and spread spectrum channel, as shown, for example in Figure 5. Said sensor/transmitter could include EEROM as the memory means, for example, which could be partitioned to allow for redundantly saving said seed and programming data in said EEROM, thereby providing a backup of said programming data upon corruption of part of the memory of said sensor transmitter.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effectivefiling date of the claimed invention to modify the invention of Faure et al astaught by SANDERFORD HUGH BRITTON JR et al to arrive at the claimed invention, to generate, according to the spread spectrum sequence determined by the computing engine, spread spectrum signals to transmit data with a reasonable expectation of success, thusto provide a secure means of communicating between the sensor and central processor/control panel. This secure programming may be accomplished utilizing an magnetic loop or other transmission means (see SANDERFORD HUGH BRITTON JR et al. page 3, [27]-[30]).
With regards to claim 14, a method, comprising:
determining, by a computing engine of a device based on an input, a spread spectrum sequence; and
generating, by a driver in the device according to the spread spectrum sequence determined by the computing engine, spread spectrum signals to transmit data through an output pin of the device (claim 14, recites similar limitations as in claim 1 above. See similar rejection as in claim 1 above)
With regards to claims 3 and 16, the combination of Faure et al as
and SANDERFORD HUGH BRITTON JR et al discloses the device of claim 2, further comprising: memory cells enclosed within the integrated circuit package. (see fig. 4, Figure 4, an alternative means of enhancing programming security, which may be utilized, would comprise the steps of: c. placing said sensor 4A into a mode by which it can accept data via transmitted programming information from said programming device 4D; d. transmitting said seed from said programming device 4D to said sensor/transmitter 4A as part of a programming message, which programming message may also include the sensor address/ID code, type code, property code, transmitter timing, and spread spectrum channel, as shown, for example in Figure 5. Said sensor/transmitter could include EEROM as the memory means, for example, which could be partitioned to allow for redundantly saving said seed and programming data in said EEROM, thereby providing a backup of said programming data upon corruption of part of the memory of said sensor transmitter.
With regards to claims 21 and 22, the combination of Faure et al
and SANDERFORD HUGH BRITTON JR et al discloses the device of claim 1, further comprising: an integrated circuit package configured to enclose at least the driver and the computing engine (see fig. 1, fig. 4, Figure 4, an alternative means of enhancing programming security, which may be utilized, would comprise the steps of: c. placing said sensor 4A into a mode by which it can accept data via transmitted programming information from said programming device 4D; d. transmitting said seed from said programming device 4D to said sensor/transmitter 4A as part of a programming message, which programming message may also include the sensor address/ID code, type code, property code, transmitter timing, and spread spectrum channel, as shown, for example in Figure 5. Said sensor/transmitter could include EEROM as the memory means, for example, which could be partitioned to allow for redundantly saving said seed and programming data in said EEROM, thereby providing a backup of said programming data upon corruption of part of the memory of said sensor transmitter.
Allowable Subject Matter
7. Claims 8,9 and 11-13 are allowed.
8. Claims 4-7 and 17-20 would be allowable if rewritten to overcome the rejection(s) under 35 U.S.C. 112 (b), set forth in this Office action and to include all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
Conclusion
9. The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. NA et al (US 20200365225) (See IDS) discloses a Multi-chip package.
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/HELENE E TAYONG/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2631 March 7, 2026