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 § 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.
This application currently names joint inventors. In considering patentability of the claims the examiner presumes that the subject matter of the various claims was commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the claimed invention(s) absent any evidence to the contrary. Applicant is advised of the obligation under 37 CFR 1.56 to point out the inventor and effective filing dates of each claim that was not commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the later invention in order for the examiner to consider the applicability of 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(2)(C) for any potential 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) prior art against the later invention.
Claim 1 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Yasuda et al. (US 2019/0386634) in view of Khlat (US Patent #8,903,333), and further in view of Kaufman et al. (US Patent #6,060,949).
Regarding claim 1, Yasuda teaches an apparatus, comprising: a first filter comprising at least one reactive component (Paragraph 0095….. As is apparent from FIGS. 20 and 21, the reactive component in the complex impedance at 2.620 GHz represented by point M1 has a negative (capacitive) polarity in the second filter 212, while the reactive component in the complex impedance at 2.620 GHz represented by point M1 has a positive (inductive) polarity in the first filter 211), but does not specifically teach an antenna tuner comprising a capacitor bank selectively coupled in parallel with the at least one reactive component; and a first set of switches coupled to at least the first filter, wherein the first set of switches is configured to switch among at least a first mode and a second mode, wherein the first mode is configured to bypass the first filter across a signal path, and the second mode is configured to apply the first filter across the signal path.
However, in related art, Khlat teaches an antenna tuner comprising a capacitor bank selectively coupled in parallel with the at least one reactive component (Col 9, lines 9-15…… the antenna tuner 14 may include various programmable capacitor arrays coupled to other reactive components and configured to provide a pass band that admits the transmission frequency of the physical uplink channel and receive frequency of the physical downlink channel within the antenna tuner 14). Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, at the time the invention was made to use (pre-AIA ) or before the effective filing date of the claimed invention (AIA ) to use Khlat’s teaching about an antenna tuner comprising a capacitor bank selectively coupled in parallel with the at least one reactive component with Yasuda’s invention in order to altering the impedance response of the antenna tuner 14 (See Khlat, Col 9, lines 18-19).
The combination of Yasuda and Khlat fail to teach a first set of switches coupled to at least the first filter, wherein the first set of switches is configured to switch among at least a first mode and a second mode, wherein the first mode is configured to bypass the first filter across a signal path, and the second mode is configured to apply the first filter across the signal path.
However, in related art, Kaufman teaches a first set of switches coupled to at least the first filter, wherein the first set of switches is configured to switch among at least a first mode and a second mode, wherein the first mode is configured to bypass the first filter across a signal path, and the second mode is configured to apply the first filter across the signal path (Col 5, lines 11-20……. FIG. 5 shows a third embodiment of the present invention having a driver amplifier 280 and a band-pass filter 298 for filtering the amplified signal before a first switch 20. The output from the band pass filter 298 is switched by the first switch 20 which switches between an amplifier path 28 and a bypass path 30. The power amplifier 32 in the amplifier path amplifies and transmits the signal to a circulator 55, which routes the signal towards an RF-output port 54. The first switch 20 alternates between transmitting the filtered signal to the amplifier path 28 or the bypass path 30). Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, at the time the invention was made to use (pre-AIA ) or before the effective filing date of the claimed invention (AIA ) to use Kaufman’s teaching about a first set of switches coupled to at least the first filter, wherein the first set of switches is configured to switch among at least a first mode and a second mode, wherein the first mode is configured to bypass the first filter across a signal path, and the second mode is configured to apply the first filter across the signal path with Yasuda’s and Khlat’s invention for bypassing an RF-input signal around the power amplifier when excess gain and output power are not needed (See Kaufman, abstract).
Claim 2 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Yasuda et al. (US 2019/0386634) in view of Khlat (US Patent #8,903,333) in view of Kaufman et al. (US Patent #6,060,949), and further in view of Coronel Arredondo et al. (US Patent #6,567,654).
Regarding claim 2, the combination of Yasuda, Khlat, and Kaufman teach all the claimed elements in claim 1. In addition, Yasuda teaches bandpass filter (Paragraphs 0096-0104. Also see Khlat, Col 6, lines 41-43), but does not specifically teach the apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first filter comprises a low pass filter.
However, in related art, Coronel Arredondo teaches the apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first filter comprises a low pass filter (Col 3, lines 29-46). Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, at the time the invention was made to use (pre-AIA ) or before the effective filing date of the claimed invention (AIA ) to use Coronel Arredondo’s teaching about wherein the first filter comprises a low pass filter with Yasuda’s, Khlat’s, and Kaufman’s invention in order to keep the total gain of the tuner 10 in a predetermined range of values (See Coronel Arredondo, Col 3, lines 33-34).
Claim 3 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Yasuda et al. (US 2019/0386634) in view of Khlat (US Patent #8,903,333) in view of Kaufman et al. (US Patent #6,060,949), and further in view of Karmaker (US 2020/0274522).
Regarding claim 3, the combination of Yasuda, Khlat, and Kaufman fail to teach the apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first filter is configured to suppress at least one harmonic frequency associated with a local oscillator frequency.
However, in related art, Karmaker teaches the apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first filter is configured to suppress at least one harmonic frequency associated with a local oscillator frequency (Paragraph 0046). Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, at the time the invention was made to use (pre-AIA ) or before the effective filing date of the claimed invention (AIA ) to use Karmaker’s teaching about wherein the first filter is configured to suppress at least one harmonic frequency associated with a local oscillator frequency with Yasuda’s, Khlat’s, and Kaufman’s invention in order to attenuate one or more harmonic frequencies.
Claim 4 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Yasuda et al. (US 2019/0386634) in view of Khlat (US Patent #8,903,333) in view of Kaufman et al. (US Patent #6,060,949), and further in view of Tabatabaei (US 2015/0102871).
Regarding claim 4, the combination of Yasuda, Khlat, and Kaufman fail to teach the apparatus of claim 1, wherein: the at least one reactive component comprises a first inductive component and a first capacitive component; and the first inductive component is coupled in parallel with the first capacitive component.
However, in related art, Tabatabaei teaches the apparatus of claim 1, wherein: the at least one reactive component comprises a first inductive component and a first capacitive component; and the first inductive component is coupled in parallel with the first capacitive component (Paragraph 0029). Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, at the time the invention was made to use (pre-AIA ) or before the effective filing date of the claimed invention (AIA ) to use Tabatabaei’s teaching about the at least one reactive component comprises a first inductive component and a first capacitive component; and the first inductive component is coupled in parallel with the first capacitive component with Yasuda’s, Khlat’s, and Kaufman’s invention in order to achieve a predetermined impedance.
Claim 12 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Yasuda et al. (US 2019/0386634) Khlat (US Patent #8,903,333) in view of Kaufman et al. (US Patent #6,060,949), and further in view of Berdy et al. (US 2018/0167054).
Regarding claim 12, the combination of Yasuda, Khlat, and Kaufman fail to teach the apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a radio frequency (RF) receive chain circuit comprising the first filter, the antenna tuner, and the first set of switches.
However, in related art, Berdy teaches the apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a radio frequency (RF) receive chain circuit comprising the first filter (Fig. 1, item 140 or 150), the antenna tuner 102 or 106, and the first set of switches 110 (Paragraph 0026). Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, at the time the invention was made to use (pre-AIA ) or before the effective filing date of the claimed invention (AIA ) to use Berdy’s teaching about a radio frequency (RF) receive chain circuit comprising the first filter, the antenna tuner, and the first set of switches with Yasuda’s, Khlat’s, and Kaufman’s invention for rejecting harmonics in communication signals.
Claims 13 and 15 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Yasuda et al. (US 2019/0386634) Khlat (US Patent #8,903,333) in view of Kaufman et al. (US Patent #6,060,949), and further in view of Koyama et al. (US 2010/0227579).
Regarding claim 13, Yasuda teaches a radio frequency (RF) chain circuit, comprising: a first filter comprising at least one reactive component (Paragraph 0095….. As is apparent from FIGS. 20 and 21, the reactive component in the complex impedance at 2.620 GHz represented by point M1 has a negative (capacitive) polarity in the second filter 212, while the reactive component in the complex impedance at 2.620 GHz represented by point M1 has a positive (inductive) polarity in the first filter 211), but does not specifically teach an antenna tuner comprising a capacitor bank selectively coupled in parallel with the at least one reactive component; a first set of switches coupled to at least the first filter, wherein the first set of switches is configured to switch among at least a first mode and a second mode, wherein the first mode is configured to bypass the first filter across a signal path, and the second mode is configured to apply the first filter across the signal path; an amplifier having an input selectively coupled to an output of the antenna tuner; and a second filter having an output selectively coupled to the amplifier.
However, in related art, Khlat teaches an antenna tuner comprising a capacitor bank selectively coupled in parallel with the at least one reactive component (Col 9, lines 9-15…… the antenna tuner 14 may include various programmable capacitor arrays coupled to other reactive components and configured to provide a pass band that admits the transmission frequency of the physical uplink channel and receive frequency of the physical downlink channel within the antenna tuner 14). Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, at the time the invention was made to use (pre-AIA ) or before the effective filing date of the claimed invention (AIA ) to use Khlat’s teaching about an antenna tuner comprising a capacitor bank selectively coupled in parallel with the at least one reactive component with Yasuda’s invention in order to altering the impedance response of the antenna tuner 14 (See Khlat, Col 9, lines 18-19).
The combination of Yasuda and Khlat fail to teach a first set of switches coupled to at least the first filter, wherein the first set of switches is configured to switch among at least a first mode and a second mode, wherein the first mode is configured to bypass the first filter across a signal path, and the second mode is configured to apply the first filter across the signal path; an amplifier having an input selectively coupled to an output of the antenna tuner; and a second filter having an output selectively coupled to the amplifier.
However, in related art, Kaufman teaches a first set of switches coupled to at least the first filter, wherein the first set of switches is configured to switch among at least a first mode and a second mode, wherein the first mode is configured to bypass the first filter across a signal path, and the second mode is configured to apply the first filter across the signal path (Col 5, lines 11-20……. FIG. 5 shows a third embodiment of the present invention having a driver amplifier 280 and a band-pass filter 298 for filtering the amplified signal before a first switch 20. The output from the band pass filter 298 is switched by the first switch 20 which switches between an amplifier path 28 and a bypass path 30. The power amplifier 32 in the amplifier path amplifies and transmits the signal to a circulator 55, which routes the signal towards an RF-output port 54. The first switch 20 alternates between transmitting the filtered signal to the amplifier path 28 or the bypass path 30). Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, at the time the invention was made to use (pre-AIA ) or before the effective filing date of the claimed invention (AIA ) to use Kaufman’s teaching about a first set of switches coupled to at least the first filter, wherein the first set of switches is configured to switch among at least a first mode and a second mode, wherein the first mode is configured to bypass the first filter across a signal path, and the second mode is configured to apply the first filter across the signal path with Yasuda’s and Khlat’s invention for bypassing an RF-input signal around the power amplifier when excess gain and output power are not needed (See Kaufman, abstract).
The combination of Yasuda, Khlat, and Kaufman fail to teach an amplifier having an input selectively coupled to an output of the antenna tuner; and a second filter having an output selectively coupled to the amplifier.
However, in related art, Koyama teaches an amplifier (Fig. 1, item 6) having an input selectively coupled to an output of the antenna tuner 2; and a second filter 7 having an output selectively coupled to the amplifier 6 (Paragraph 0025…... The audio apparatus 100 includes an antenna 1, a tuner 2, an IF (Intermediate Frequency) amplifier 6, a separator SEP, an IF filter 7). Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, at the time the invention was made to use (pre-AIA ) or before the effective filing date of the claimed invention (AIA ) to use Koyama’s teaching about an amplifier having an input selectively coupled to an output of the antenna tuner; and a second filter having an output selectively coupled to the amplifier with Yasuda’s, Khlat’s, and Kaufman’s invention in order to ensure that control was consistent throughout the system.
Regarding claim 15, the combination of Yasuda, Khlat, Kaufman, and Koyama teach all the claimed elements in claim 13. In addition, Khlat teaches the RF chain circuit of claim 13, further comprising a circuit package comprising the first filter (Fig. 1, item 16) and the antenna tuner (Fig. 1, antenna tuner 14) (Col 5, lines 15-34…. he multiplexer 16 is coupled between the antenna tuner 14 and the transmitter circuit 18 and also between the antenna tuner 14 and the receiver circuit 20…… The illustrated multiplexer 16 operates as a duplexer and includes filtering that may be tuned to the physical uplink channel and physical downlink channel).
Claim 16 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Smith et al. (US 2007/0008215) in view of Kaufman et al. (US Patent #6,060,949), and further in view of Yasuda et al. (US 2019/0386634).
Regarding claim 16, Smith teaches a method of suppressing a jammer signal in a radio frequency (RF) receive chain circuit: outputting, in response to detecting a jammer signal, a first control signal that triggers a first set of switches to switch from a first mode to a second mode (See abstract; Paragraphs 0008-0009, 0036; Claims 1, 19, and 20). Smith further teaches A filter following the LNA would also be required to provide sufficient rejection of the interfering signal to prevent overload of the next stage of the receiver, typically a mixer. These additional performance requirements increase the size, power consumption and cost of the filter and make implementing a highly integrated receiver design without the additional filter difficult (See Paragraph 0005, 0016-0018), but does not specifically teach filtering a signal using a first filter while the first set of switches is in the second mode, wherein the first filter comprises at least one reactive component, wherein an antenna tuner comprises a capacitor bank selectively coupled in parallel with the at least one reactive component, and wherein the first set of switches is coupled to at least the first filter.
However, in related art, Kaufman teaches filtering a signal using a first filter while the first set of switches is in the second mode and wherein the first set of switches is coupled to at least the first filter (Col 5, lines 11-20……. FIG. 5 shows a third embodiment of the present invention having a driver amplifier 280 and a band-pass filter 298 for filtering the amplified signal before a first switch 20. The output from the band pass filter 298 is switched by the first switch 20 which switches between an amplifier path 28 and a bypass path 30. The power amplifier 32 in the amplifier path amplifies and transmits the signal to a circulator 55, which routes the signal towards an RF-output port 54. The first switch 20 alternates between transmitting the filtered signal to the amplifier path 28 or the bypass path 30). Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, at the time the invention was made to use (pre-AIA ) or before the effective filing date of the claimed invention (AIA ) to use Kaufman’s teaching about filtering a signal using a first filter while the first set of switches is in the second mode and wherein the first set of switches is coupled to at least the first filter with Smith’s invention for bypassing an RF-input signal around the power amplifier when excess gain and output power are not needed (See Kaufman, abstract).
The combination of Smith and Kaufman fail to teach wherein the first filter comprises at least one reactive component, wherein an antenna tuner comprises a capacitor bank selectively coupled in parallel with the at least one reactive component.
However, in related art, Yasuda teaches wherein the first filter comprises at least one reactive component (Paragraph 0095….. As is apparent from FIGS. 20 and 21, the reactive component in the complex impedance at 2.620 GHz represented by point M1 has a negative (capacitive) polarity in the second filter 212, while the reactive component in the complex impedance at 2.620 GHz represented by point M1 has a positive (inductive) polarity in the first filter 211). Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, at the time the invention was made to use (pre-AIA ) or before the effective filing date of the claimed invention (AIA ) to use Yasuda’s teaching about wherein the first filter comprises at least one reactive component with Smith’s and Kaufman’s invention in order to tune to a particular frequency and become less effective as the device is operated outside of this frequency.
Claim 17 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Smith et al. (US 2007/0008215) in view of Kaufman et al. (US Patent #6,060,949) in view of Yasuda et al. (US 2019/0386634) in view of Karmaker (US 2020/0274522), and further in view of Tabatabaei (US 2015/0102871).
Regarding claim 17, the combination of Smith, Kaufman, and Yasuda fail to teach the method of claim 16, wherein filtering the signal comprises suppressing at least one harmonic frequency associated with a local oscillator frequency, wherein the at least one reactive component comprises a first inductive component and a first capacitive component, and the first inductive component is coupled in parallel with the first capacitive component.
However, in related art, Karmaker teaches the method of claim 16, wherein filtering the signal comprises suppressing at least one harmonic frequency associated with a local oscillator frequency (Paragraph 0046). Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, at the time the invention was made to use (pre-AIA ) or before the effective filing date of the claimed invention (AIA ) to use Karmaker’s teaching about wherein the first filter is configured to suppress at least one harmonic frequency associated with a local oscillator frequency with Smith’s, Kaufman’s, and Yasuda’s invention in order to attenuate one or more harmonic frequencies.
The combination of Smith, Kaufman, Yasuda, and Karmaker fail to teach wherein the at least one reactive component comprises a first inductive component and a first capacitive component, and the first inductive component is coupled in parallel with the first capacitive component.
However, in related art, Tabatabaei teaches wherein the at least one reactive component comprises a first inductive component and a first capacitive component, and the first inductive component is coupled in parallel with the first capacitive component (Paragraph 0029). Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, at the time the invention was made to use (pre-AIA ) or before the effective filing date of the claimed invention (AIA ) to use Tabatabaei’s teaching about wherein the at least one reactive component comprises a first inductive component and a first capacitive component, and the first inductive component is coupled in parallel with the first capacitive component with Smith’s, Kaufman’s, Yasuda’s, and Karmaker’s invention in order to achieve a predetermined impedance.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 5-11, 14, and 18-20 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.
Regarding claim 5, the prior art of record fails to teach the apparatus of claim 4, wherein the first set of switches comprises: a first switch coupled between a first node and a second node; a second switch coupled to at least the second node; a third switch coupled between the first node and a first terminal of the first inductive component; and a fourth switch coupled between a second terminal of the first inductive component and the second switch, the second switch being coupled between the second node and the fourth switch.
Regarding claim 9, the prior art of record fails to teach the apparatus of claim 1, further comprising an amplifier circuit comprising: an amplifier having an input selectively coupled to an output of the antenna tuner; a second filter having an output selectively coupled to the amplifier; and a second set of switches coupled to at least the second filter, wherein the second set of switches is configured to switch among at least the first mode and the second mode, wherein the first mode further bypasses the second filter between the antenna tuner and the amplifier, and the second mode further couples the output of the second filter to input of the amplifier.
Regarding claim 14, the prior art of record fails to teach the RF chain circuit of claim 13, further comprising a second set of switches coupled to at least the second filter, wherein the second set of switches is configured to switch among at least the first mode and the second mode, wherein the first mode further bypasses the second filter between the antenna tuner and the amplifier, and the second mode further couples the output of the second filter to input of the amplifier.
Regarding claim 18, the prior art of record fails to teach the method of claim 17, wherein: the first set of switches comprises: a first switch coupled between a first node and a second node; a second switch coupled to at least the second node; a third switch coupled between the first node and a first terminal of the first inductive component; and a fourth switch coupled between a second terminal of the first inductive component and the second switch, the second switch being coupled between the second node and the fourth switch; and outputting the first control signal comprises outputting the first control signal that is configured to close the first switch, the third switch, and the fourth switch and open the second switch in response to detecting the jammer signal in a received signal.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Hindy et al. (US 2025/0260450), Higashi et al. (US Patent #12,317,413), Bryant (US 2025/0047247), Shao et al. (US 2024/0137201), Oh et al. (US 2024/0014689), Pehike (US 2023/0336193), Khlat et al. (US 2023/0315662), Tsuda et al. (US Patent #11,483,019), Harrison (US 2022/0255574), Wyckoff (US 2021/0143543), Lim et al. (US 2021/0036722), Farahvash et al. (US 2020/0287583), Furuya (US 2020/0161972), Ichitsubo et al. (US Patent #10,643,962), Lesso (US 2020/0099388), Pehike et al. (US Patent #10,103,772), Onaka et al. (US 2017/0353287), Knutson (US 2017/0237450), Pehike (US 2017/0195106), Langer et al. (US 2017/0063404), Pagnanelli (US 2016/0226509), Koeneman et al. (US Patent #9,340,885), Yan (US 2015/0229348), Hoffman et al. (US 2014/0062303), Alberth, JR. et al. US 2014/0044021), Khlat (US Patent #8,615,209), Lee et al. (US 2013/0135060), Mann et al. (US 2007/0249292), Kang et al. (US 2007/0042732), and Tomizawa et al. (US Patent #4,500,921).
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to DOMINIC E REGO whose telephone number is (571)272-8132. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday, 8:00am-4:30pm.
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/DOMINIC E REGO/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2648 Tel 571-272-8132