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 .
Response to Amendment
The amendment filed July 31, 2026 has been entered. Claims 1, 4-10, and 12-20 remain pending in the application. Applicant’s amendments to the claims and specification have overcome each and every objection and 35 U.S.C. § 112 rejection previously presented in the Non-Final Office Action mailed June 26, 2026, with one exception outlined below.
Regarding the objection to the specification about the improper trademark usage in the specification, applicant has not amended the specification to correct the objection, and has not provided any arguments that the objection is invalid, therefore, the objection remains.
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed July 31, 2026 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive. Applicant argues, see pages 8-10, that the previously presented prior art references fail to disclose the AM-AM predistortion circuit adjusting the bias circuit and the AM-PM predistortion circuit coupled to the power amplifier stage. Examiner respectfully disagrees.
In response to applicant's arguments against the references individually, one cannot show nonobviousness by attacking references individually where the rejections are based on combinations of references. See In re Keller, 642 F.2d 413, 208 USPQ 871 (CCPA 1981); In re Merck & Co., 800 F.2d 1091, 231 USPQ 375 (Fed. Cir. 1986).
In this case, the combination of previously presented prior art references Khlat (Patent Publication Number US 2022/0231640 A1), hereafter referred to as Khlat, and Lyalin (Patent Publication Number US 2022/0231640 A1), hereafter referred to as Lyalin, discloses the AM-AM predistortion circuit adjusting the bias circuit, as Khlat discloses an AM-AM predistortion circuit adjusting a supply voltage (Khlat, Fig. 2, see connection between AM-AM predistortion circuit 74 and Vcc1), while Lyalin teaches a bias circuit incorporating the supply voltage into the bias voltage (Lyalin, Fig. 5, see connection between bias circuit 120 and V_supply). Therefore, the combination of Khlat in view of Lyalin discloses the AM-AM predistortion circuit adjusting the bias circuit.
Furthermore, as shown in Lyalin, Fig. 5, AM-PM predistortion circuit 110 is shown as being coupled to power amplifier 104, so therefore Lyalin discloses the AM-PM predistortion circuit coupled to the power amplifier stage. Therefore, applicant’s arguments are unconvincing and the rejections of claims 1, 4-10, and 12-20 are maintained.
Specification
The use of the term BLUETOOTH® (see Paragraph 27, line 4), which is a trade name or a mark used in commerce, has been noted in this application. The term should be accompanied by the generic terminology; furthermore the term should be capitalized wherever it appears or, where appropriate, include a proper symbol indicating use in commerce such as ™, SM , or ® following the term.
Although the use of trade names and marks used in commerce (i.e., trademarks, service marks, certification marks, and collective marks) are permissible in patent applications, the proprietary nature of the marks should be respected and every effort made to prevent their use in any manner which might adversely affect their validity as commercial marks.
Claim Objections
Claims 19-20 are objected to because of the following informalities: On claim 19, lines 10-11, replace “coupling an amplitude modulation-to-amplitude modulation (AM-AM) predistortion circuit coupled to the bias circuit” with “coupling an amplitude modulation-to-amplitude modulation (AM-AM) predistortion circuit to the bias circuit”. Claim 20 is objected to under this logic by virtue of its dependency on claim 20.
Appropriate correction is required.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
In the event the determination of the status of the application as subject to AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103 (or as subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103) is incorrect, any correction of the statutory basis (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) for the rejection will not be considered a new ground of rejection if the prior art relied upon, and the rationale supporting the rejection, would be the same under either status.
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, 4-8, 12, 14-17, and 19-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Khlat in view of Lyalin.
Regarding claim 1, Khlat discloses:
A power amplifier circuit (Khlat, Fig. 2, 60) comprising: an amplifier stage (Fig. 2, 42N(1)) configured to receive a transmit signal (Fig. 2, 36(N)) and amplify the transmit signal (Fig. 2, see connection between 36(N) and 42N(1)); a supply voltage input (Fig. 2, see connection between 42N(1) and Vcc1) configured to receive a signal from a power management circuit (Fig. 2, see connection between 42N(1) and 68), the signal containing information relating to a supply voltage being provided to the power amplifier circuit (Fig. 2, consider that Vcc1 is the supply voltage); an analog predistortion (APD) circuit (Fig. 2, 74) comprising: an amplitude modulation (AM-AM) predistortion circuit (Fig. 2, 74); but fails to disclose a bias circuit coupled to the amplifier stage and configured to provide a bias signal to the amplifier stage based at least in part on the signal, [the AM-AM predistortion circuit] coupled to the bias circuit and configured to adjust a bias signal provided to the amplifier stage; and an amplitude modulation-to-phase modulation (AM-PM) predistortion circuit coupled to the amplifier stage and configured to adjust a phase of the amplifier stage.
However, Lyalin teaches a bias circuit (Lyalin, Fig. 5, 120) coupled to the amplifier stage (Fig. 5, see connection between 120 and 104) and configured to provide a bias signal to the amplifier stage based at least in part on the signal (Fig. 5, see connection between V_supply and 120), [the AM-AM predistortion circuit] coupled to the bias circuit and configured to adjust a bias signal provided to the amplifier stage (Fig. 5, consider that bias circuit receives supply voltage, and that in Khlat, Fig. 2, APD circuit 74 adjusts supply voltage); and an amplitude modulation-to-phase modulation (AM-PM) predistortion circuit (Fig. 5, 110, consider also that Fig. 6 shows AM-PM modulation provided by APD circuit 110) coupled to the amplifier stage (Fig. 5, see connection between 110 and 104) and configured to adjust a phase of the amplifier stage (Paragraph 6, lines 6-10).
Khlat and Lyalin are both considered to be analogous to the claimed invention because they are in the same field of improving power amplifiers used in radio frequency communications. Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of filing to have modified Khlat to incorporate the teachings of Lyalin to include the bias circuit and AM-PM predistortion circuit of Lyalin in the circuit of Khlat, which would have the effects of providing a temperature-dependent bias signal to the power amplifier of Lyalin (Khlat, Paragraph 58, lines 1-5) and providing AM-PM predistortion for the circuit of Lyalin (Khlat, Fig. 6, see AM-PM modulation provided by APD circuit 110).
Regarding claim 4, Khlat in view of Lyalin further discloses:
further comprising a supply voltage correction circuit (Khlat, Fig. 2, 68) configured to receive the signal (Fig. 2, consider input of 68) and provide control signals to the bias circuit and the APD circuit based on the signal (Fig. 2, consider that output of 68 provides supply signal for APD circuit and that the bias circuit of Lyalin, Fig. 5 takes the supply voltage as an input).
Regarding claim 5, Khlat further discloses:
wherein the amplifier stage comprises an output amplifier stage (Khlat, Fig. 2, 38(N)).
Regarding claim 6, Khlat further discloses:
wherein the amplifier stage comprises a driver amplifier stage (Khlat, Fig. 2, 42N(1)).
Regarding claim 7, Khlat further discloses:
wherein the signal comprises the supply voltage (Khlat, Fig. 2, see Vcc1).
Regarding claim 8, Khlat further discloses:
wherein the signal comprises a predistorted version of the supply voltage (Khlat, Fig. 2, consider that Vcc1 is formed from predistortion circuit 74).
Regarding claim 12, Khlat discloses:
A mobile communication device (Khlat, Fig. 2, 60) comprising, a transmit circuit (Fig. 2, 60) comprising: a power management circuit (Fig. 2, 64) configured to: receive a signal (Fig. 2, see connection between 64 and 70) from a baseband processor (Fig. 2, 70) relating to a power level for a transmit signal (Fig. 2, consider power level of signal 14); and output a supply voltage signal (Fig. 2, consider output of envelope detector 72); a power amplifier circuit (Fig. 2, 60) comprising: an amplifier stage (Fig. 2, 42N(1)) configured to: receive the transmit signal (Fig. 2, 36(N)) and amplify the transmit signal (Fig. 2, see connection between 36(N) and 42N(1)); and receive the supply voltage signal (Fig. 2, see connection between Vcc1 and envelope detector 72 via 68); and an analog predistortion (APD) circuit (Fig. 2, 74) comprising: an amplitude modulate-to-amplitude modulation (AM-AM) predistortion circuit (Fig. 2, 74); but fails to disclose a bias circuit coupled to the amplifier stage and configured to provide a bias signal to the amplifier stage based at least in part on the supply voltage signal, [the AM-AM predistortion circuit] coupled to the bias circuit and configured to adjust a bias signal provided to the amplifier stage; and an amplitude modulation-to-phase modulation (AM-PM) predistortion circuit coupled to the amplifier stage and configured to adjust a phase of the amplifier stage.
However, Lyalin teaches a bias circuit (Lyalin, Fig. 5, 120) coupled to the amplifier stage (Fig. 5, see connection between 120 and 104) and configured to provide a bias signal to the amplifier stage based at least in part on the supply voltage signal (Fig. 5, see connection between V_supply and 120), [the AM-AM predistortion circuit] coupled to the bias circuit and configured to adjust a bias signal provided to the amplifier stage (Fig. 5, consider that bias circuit receives supply voltage, and that in Khlat, Fig. 2, APD circuit 74 adjusts supply voltage); and an amplitude modulation-to-phase modulation (AM-PM) predistortion circuit (Fig. 5, 110, consider also that Fig. 6 shows AM-PM modulation provided by APD circuit 110) coupled to the amplifier stage (Fig. 5, see connection between 110 and 104) and configured to adjust a phase of the amplifier stage (Paragraph 6, lines 6-10).
Khlat and Lyalin are both considered to be analogous to the claimed invention because they are in the same field of improving power amplifiers used in radio frequency communications. Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of filing to have modified Khlat to incorporate the teachings of Lyalin to include the bias circuit and AM-PM predistortion circuit of Lyalin in the circuit of Khlat, which would have the effects of providing a temperature-dependent bias signal to the power amplifier of Lyalin (Khlat, Paragraph 58, lines 1-5) and providing AM-PM predistortion for the circuit of Lyalin (Khlat, Fig. 6, see AM-PM modulation provided by APD circuit 110).
Regarding claim 14, Khlat further discloses:
wherein the power management circuit comprises an envelope tracking (ET) circuit (Khlat, Fig. 2, 72).
Regarding claim 15, Khlat in view of Lyalin further discloses:
wherein the power amplifier circuit further comprises a voltage supply correction circuit (Khlat, Fig. 2, 68) coupled to the power management circuit (Fig. 2, see connection between 68 and 64) and configured to receive the supply voltage signal (Fig. 2, consider input of 68) and send control signals to the bias circuit and the APD circuit based on the supply voltage signal (Fig. 2, consider that output of 68 provides supply signal for APD circuit and that the bias circuit of Lyalin, Fig. 5 takes the supply voltage as an input).
Regarding claim 16, Khlat further discloses:
wherein the power management circuit is further configured to provide a predistorted supply voltage signal to the power amplifier circuit (Khlat, Fig. 2, consider that Vcc1 is formed from predistortion circuit 74).
Regarding claim 17, Khlat further discloses:
wherein the power amplifier circuit further comprises a voltage supply correction circuit (Khlat, Fig. 2, 68) coupled to the power management circuit (Fig. 2, see connection between 68 and 64) and configured to receive the predistorted supply voltage signal (Fig. 2, consider signal predistortion by 74).
Regarding claim 19, Khlat discloses:
A method of managing predistortion in a transmit circuit (Khlat, Fig. 2, 60), comprising: receiving, at an amplifier stage (Fig. 2, 42N(1)), a transmit signal (Fig. 2, 36(N)); amplifying the transmit signal (Fig. 2, see connection between 36(N) and 42N(1)); receiving a signal containing information relating to a supply voltage being provided to the amplifier stage (Fig. 2, consider that Vcc1 is the supply voltage); and predistorting the transmit signal with an analog predistortion (APD) circuit (Fig. 2, 74) based at least in part on the signal (Paragraph 37, lines 1-9) by coupling an amplitude modulation-to-amplitude modulation (AM-AM) predistortion circuit (Fig. 2, 74), but fails to disclose providing a bias signal with a bias circuit to the amplifier stage based at least in part on the signal, [coupling the AM-AM predistortion circuit] coupled to the bias circuit and adjusting the bias signal provided to the amplifier stage and coupling an amplitude modulation-to-phase modulation (AM-PM) predistortion circuit to the amplifier stage and adjusting a phase of the amplifier stage.
However, Lyalin teaches providing a bias signal with a bias circuit (Lyalin, Fig. 5, 120) to the amplifier stage based at least in part on the signal (Fig. 5, see connection between V_supply and 120), [coupling the AM-AM predistortion circuit] coupled to the bias circuit and adjusting the bias signal provided to the amplifier stage (Fig. 5, consider that bias circuit receives supply voltage, and that in Khlat, Fig. 2, APD circuit 74 adjusts supply voltage) and coupling an amplitude modulation-to-phase modulation (AM-PM) predistortion circuit (Fig. 5, 110, consider also that Fig. 6 shows AM-PM modulation provided by APD circuit 110) to the amplifier stage (Fig. 5, see connection between 110 and 104) and adjusting a phase of the amplifier stage (Paragraph 6, lines 6-10).
Khlat and Lyalin are both considered to be analogous to the claimed invention because they are in the same field of improving power amplifiers used in radio frequency communications. Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of filing to have modified Khlat to incorporate the teachings of Lyalin to include the bias circuit and AM-PM predistortion circuit of Lyalin in the circuit of Khlat, which would have the effects of providing a temperature-dependent bias signal to the power amplifier of Lyalin (Khlat, Paragraph 58, lines 1-5) and providing AM-PM predistortion for the circuit of Lyalin (Khlat, Fig. 6, see AM-PM modulation provided by APD circuit 110).
Regarding claim 20, Khlat further discloses:
wherein amplifying the transmit signal comprises imposing a distortion on the transmit signal that is offset at least in part by the predistorting (Khlat, Paragraph 21, lines 1-6).
Claims 9-10 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Khlat in view of Lyalin as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of Su et al. (Patent Publication Number US 2022/0416730 A1), hereafter referred to as Su.
Regarding claim 9, Khlat and Lyalin fail to disclose:
wherein the APD circuit comprises a diode varactor.
However, Su teaches wherein the APD circuit comprises a diode varactor (Su, Fig. 1, D0).
Khlat, Lyalin, and Su are all considered to be analogous to the claimed invention because they are in the same field of improving power amplifiers used in radio frequency communications. Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of filing to have modified Khlat to incorporate the teachings of Su to include the diode varactor of Su in the circuit of Khlat, which would have the effect of providing AM-PM compensation for the circuit of Khlat (Su, Paragraph 66, lines 13-20).
Regarding claim 10, Khlat and Lyalin fail to disclose:
wherein the APD circuit comprises a field effect transistor (FET) varactor.
However, Su teaches wherein the APD circuit comprises a field effect transistor (FET) varactor (Su, Fig. 4, D1).
Khlat, Lyalin, and Su are all considered to be analogous to the claimed invention because they are in the same field of improving power amplifiers used in radio frequency communications. Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of filing to have modified Khlat to incorporate the teachings of Su to include the FET varactor of Su in the circuit of Khlat, which would have the effect of providing AM-PM compensation for the circuit of Khlat (Su, Paragraph 96, lines 1-5).
Claim 13 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Khlat in view of Lyalin as applied to claim 12 above, and further in view of Peng et al. (Patent Publication Number US 2015/0236877 A1), hereafter referred to as Peng.
Regarding claim 13, Khlat and Lyalin fail to disclose:
wherein the power management circuit comprises an average power tracking (APT) circuit.
However, Peng teaches wherein the power management circuit comprises an average power tracking (APT) circuit (Peng, Fig. 1, 110).
Khlat, Lyalin, and Peng are all considered to be analogous to the claimed invention because they are in the same field of improving power amplifiers used in radio frequency communications. Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of filing to have modified Khlat to incorporate the teachings of Peng to include the average power tracking circuit of Peng in the circuit of Khlat, which would have the effect of improving efficiency and linearity of the circuit of Khlat (Peng, Paragraphs 7-8).
Claim 18 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Khlat in view of Lyalin as applied to claim 12 above, and further in view of Tsfaty et al. (Patent Publication Number US 2007/0223365 A1), hereafter referred to as Tsfaty.
Regarding claim 18, Khlat and Lyalin fail to disclose:
wherein the power management circuit is configured to receive the signal during a cyclic prefix (CP) time before a symbol in the transmit signal.
However, Tsfaty teaches wherein the power management circuit is configured to receive the signal during a cyclic prefix (CP) time before a symbol in the transmit signal (Tsfaty, Paragraph 11, lines 6-11).
Khlat, Lyalin, and Tsfaty are all considered to be analogous to the claimed invention because they are in the same field of improving power amplifiers used in radio frequency communications. Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of filing to have modified Khlat to incorporate the teachings of Tsfaty to include a cyclic prefix time in the signal of Khlat, which would have the effect of reducing signal interference (Tsfaty, Paragraph 11, lines 6-11).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Woo et al. (Patent Publication Number US 2009/0174473 A1) discloses (Fig. 1B) a predistortion and envelope tracking for a power amplifier circuit.
Omid-Zohoor et al. (Patent Number US 10,796,629 B2) discloses (Fig. 3) a supply voltage correction circuit.
THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Lance T Bartol whose telephone number is (703)756-1267. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Thursday 6:30 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. CT, Alternating Fridays 6:30 - 3:00.
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/LANCE TORBJORN BARTOL/Examiner, Art Unit 2843
/ANDREA LINDGREN BALTZELL/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2843
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