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 .
Election/Restrictions
Claims 7-14 and 21-34 are pending and are under examination.
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 14 is 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.
In claim 14, the recitation of “the plurality of threshold voltages” (line 1) lacks proper antecedent basis, thus, the metes and bounds of the claim cannot be determined renders the claim indefinite.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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 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) 7, 8, 11-14, 27-34 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticiapted by Zhang (US 2016/0248378).
Regarding claim 7, Zhang’s figure 9 shows An electronic device comprising: an amplifier (904) configured to operate in a plurality of modes; a blocker detection circuit (mode control, see paragraph 0042) coupled to the amplifier configured to detect a presence of a blocking signal (control mode detects input power and the operating modes dependent on the detected input power (paragraph 0042)); and a switch (938) coupled to the amplifier and configured to select a mode of the plurality of modes based on the presence of the blocking signal (mode signal) as called for in claim 7.
Regarding claim 8, Zhang’s figure 9 shows a transistor (416) coupled to the amplifier and to ground.
Regarding claim 11, Zhang’s figure 9 shows a coupler (430) configured to receive an input signal and couple an amount of power from the input signal.
Regarding claim 12, wherein the blocker detection circuit is configured to determine a voltage based on the amount of power (see paragraph 0042).
Regarding claim 13, Zhang’s figure 9 shows a comparator (940 compares input signal against its threshold voltage, i.e., when the input signal is at logic high than its threshold voltage, the output of the circuit 940 assumes a logic low; and vice versa) coupled to the blocker detection circuit and the switch
Regarding claim 14, insofar as being understood, the comparator 940 compares input signal against its threshold voltage.
Regarding claim 27, Zhang’s 9 shows A method comprising: receiving an indication of a presence of a signal blocker (input power) from a blocker detection circuit (mode control detects input power) coupled to an amplifier (904); and activating a switch (416) coupled to the amplifier to cause the amplifier to operate in a mode of operation based on the presence of the signal blocker.
Regarding claim 28, wherein the mode of operation comprises a first mode of operation based on a signal blocker not being present (multi modes LNA operation).
Regarding claim 29, wherein the mode of operation comprises a second mode of operation based on the signal blocker being present and a received signal corresponding to a first radio access technology (LTE or GSM).
Regarding claim 30, wherein the mode of operation comprises a third mode of operation based on the signal blocker being present and the received signal corresponding to a second radio access technology (multi-modes LNA; LTE and GSM).
Regarding claim 31, wherein the first mode of operation comprises operating the amplifier to consume lower current and achieve higher gain than operating the amplifier in the second mode or the third mode (multi mode; high gain, low gain, LTE and GSM technology).
Regarding claim 32, the second mode of operation comprises operating the amplifier to achieve higher linear performance than operating the amplifier in the first mode (see abstract).
Regarding claim 33, the third mode of operation comprises operating the amplifier to achieve higher linear performance than operating the amplifier in the first mode (LNA is multi-modes LNA).
Regarding claim 34, the first radio access technology comprises Long Term Evolution (LTE) and the second radio access technology comprises Global System for Mobile (GSM) (see paragraph 0036).
(a)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claim(s) 21-26 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Tripurari Jayaraman et al. (US 2023/0327693).
Regarding claim 21, Tripurari Jayaraman et al.’s figure 6 shows a circuitry comprising: a blocker detection circuit (circuit detects when it is a low gain or a high gain modes and provide signal to turn on/off switch 616, paragraph 0046); an amplifier (412, 414) coupled to the blocker detection circuit, the amplifier comprising a first transistor (612), an inductor and a capacitor (424) coupled in parallel and coupled to the first transistor, a second transistor (618a) coupled to the first transistor, the inductor, and the capacitor, and a third transistor (618b) coupled to the first transistor, the inductor, and the capacitor; and a switch (616) coupled to the amplifier as called for in claim 21.
Regarding claim 22, wherein the blocker detection circuit (circuit not shown that detects when a low gain or high gain is requested) is configured to detect a presence of a blocking signal (request signal for a high gain or a low gain mode).
Regarding claim 23, the switch is configured to select a mode of operation based on the presence of the blocking signal (blocking signal construes to be a signal determines low gain and high gain).
Regarding claim 24, the amplifier comprises switching circuitry (404, 430) coupled to the second transistor and the third transistor.
Regarding claim 25, Tripurari Jayaraman et al.’s figure 6 show the inductor, the capacitor, the second transistor, and the third transistor are coupled to a first terminal of the first transistor (“coupled” here is to construe as a connection via intermediate elements).
Regarding claim 26, the first terminal of the first transistor is coupled to an input terminal of the amplifier (606).
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.
Claim(s) 9-10 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Zhang (US 2016/0248378) in view of Choi et al. (US 2021/0067191)
Regarding claim 9, Zhang’s figure 9 shows an electronic circuit comprising all the aspects of the present invention as noted above except a temperature sensor configured to detect a temperature of the amplifier or the electronic device as called for in claim 9.
Choi et al. reference discloses a temperature sensor for detecting temperature of a power amplifier in a transceiver for controlling input power. Therefore, it would have been obvious to person skilled in the art to have Choi et al.’s temperature sensor in Zhang’s circuit arrangement for the purpose of controlling input power as taught by Choi et al. reference.
Regarding claim 10, the combination of Zhang and Choi references shows a bias network (408, 410, 412, 418) provides a constant bias voltage to the amplifier. Choi et al. reference discloses a temperature sensor for detecting temperature of a power amplifier in a transceiver for controlling the amplifier. Therefore, it would have been obvious to person skilled in the art to have Choi et al.’s temperature sensor in Zhang’s circuit arrangement for the purpose of controlling amplifier by variably tunning the bias voltage at a desired level in response to the temperature sensor. Therefore, outside of any non-obvious results, the obviousness of using temperature sensor for the controlling the amplifier via a tunnalbe bias network will not be patenble under 35USC 103.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Ye at al. discloses a wireless communication device. The wireless communication device includes a low noise amplifier including a mode control circuit configured to operate the low noise amplifier in a selected mode chosen from a plurality of modes including a first gain mode and a bypass mode.
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/TUAN T LAM/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2836
8/16/2026
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