DETAILED ACTION
Claims 1, 9, 15, and 17 are pending in the present application.
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 .
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments, see pages 6-8, filed 04/28/2026, with respect to claims 1, 9, and 15 have been fully considered and are persuasive. The 35 U.S.C. 102 rejections of claims 1, 9, and 15 have been withdrawn.
Claim Objections
Claims 1, 9, and 15 are objected to because of the following informalities:
Claim 1, line 9, should read as, “. . . receive unit, a second input terminal connected to the voltage generator, . . .” to maintain consistency with “the first input terminal.”
Claim 9, lines 13-14, should read as, “. . . first receive unit, a second input terminal connected to the voltage adjustment circuit . . .” to maintain consistency with “the first input terminal.” (also see the following 112(b) rejection)
Applicant is advised to amend claim 15, lines 15-16, to read as. “. . . in response to the first adjustment signal, performing a primary adjustment based on the first adjustment signal so as to generate the second reference potential; and . . .” Otherwise, “performing a primary adjustment” may be interpreted as an open-ended limitation and a potentially unclear, if not vastly broad.
Appropriate correction is required.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of the first paragraph of 35 U.S.C. 112(a):
(a) IN GENERAL.—The specification shall contain a written description of the invention, and of the manner and process of making and using it, in such full, clear, concise, and exact terms as to enable any person skilled in the art to which it pertains, or with which it is most nearly connected, to make and use the same, and shall set forth the best mode contemplated by the inventor or joint inventor of carrying out the invention.
Claims 1, 9, and 17 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(a) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), first paragraph, as failing to comply with the written description requirement. The claim(s) contains subject matter which was not described in the specification in such a way as to reasonably convey to one skilled in the relevant art that the inventor or a joint inventor, or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the inventor(s), at the time the application was filed, had possession of the claimed invention.
Claim 1 recites, “a first receive unit configured to receive a first toggle signal, a first adjustment signal and a second adjustment signal, the first toggle signal, the first adjustment signal and the second adjustment signal being supplied outside of the semiconductor [storage] device.” The semiconductor storage device 2 (FIGs. 1-3) is interpreted to map to “the semiconductor storage device” in claim 1. The semiconductor storage device 2 is illustrated to comprise an input/output pad group 31 including pads 311 and 312 (FIG. 21), and a control pad group 32. The pad 311 in FIG. 21 is described to only receive the first toggle signal DQ0 (para. [0128]), not a first or second adjustment signal, and is interpreted to map to the first receive unit in claim 1. As best understood by the examiner, the first and second adjustment signals are intended to map to the first control signal and the second control signal disclosed in para. [0185]. These signals are transmitted from the memory controller 1 and must, presumably, be received by the control group pad 32—which is distinct from input/output pad group 31 and the pad 311 included. According the specification, it does not appear the first and second adjustment signals may be received by the same first receive unit (pad 311) that also receives the toggle signal DQ0. Claim 9 contains a similar defect.
Claims 1 recites “a first comparison circuit having . . . a second terminal connected to the voltage generator, . . .” and “a second comparison circuit having . . . a second input terminal connected to the voltage generator, . . .“ As best understood by the examiner, the second input terminals of both the first and second comparison circuits are connected to the voltage adjustment circuit, according to FIG. 21 and the arguments supplied on 4/28/2026. Applicant is advised to amend the limitations to, “the voltage adjustment circuit, . . .”
Claim 9 recites “a first comparison circuit having . . . a second terminal connected to a voltage generator generating a reference potential, . . .” and “a second comparison circuit having . . . a second input terminal connected to the voltage generator, . . .“ As best understood by the examiner, the second input terminals of both the first and second comparison circuits should be expressed as connected to the voltage adjustment circuit, according to FIG. 21 and the arguments supplied on 4/28/2026. Applicant is advised to amend the limitations to, “the voltage adjustment circuit, . . .”
Claim 17 is rejected because it depends on claim 1; therefore, claim 17 contains at least the same defect(s).
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.
Claims 1, 9, 15, and 17 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.
Claim 1 recites the limitation "the semiconductor device" in line 7. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim. This should read as, “the semiconductor storage device” for proper antecedent basis.
Claim 1 recites the limitation "the relative reference potential" in 21. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim. This should read as, “the second reference potential.”
Claim 17 is rejected because it depends on claim 1; therefore, claim 17 contains at least the same defect(s).
Claim 9 recites the limitation "the relative reference potential" in 25. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim. See recommendation above.
Claim 15 recites the limitation "the relative reference potential" in 12. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim. See recommendation above.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 1, 9, and 15 would be allowable if rewritten or amended to overcome the rejection(s) under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), 2nd paragraph, set forth in this Office action.
Claim 17 would be allowable if rewritten to overcome the rejection(s) under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), 2nd paragraph, set forth in this Office action and to include all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to JUSTIN BRYCE HEISTERKAMP whose telephone number is (703)756-1095. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 0800-1700.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Amir Zarabian can be reached at (571) 272-1852. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/JUSTIN BRYCE HEISTERKAMP/Examiner, Art Unit 2827 /AMIR ZARABIAN/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2827
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