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 § 102
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)(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.
Claims 1-3, 7, 8, 16-20, 22, 23, are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by PAL (Pub. No.: US 2025/0167824 A1).
With respect to claim 1:
PAL discloses a switch system comprising: a first hybrid coupler having a first node coupled to a termination terminal (fig. 8B, 3502 with termination terminal ISO), a second node coupled to an antenna terminal ((fig. 8B, item 3502 with IN coupled to antenna 150), a third node coupled to a quadrature terminal (fig. 8B, item 3502 with having DIR), and a fourth node coupled to an in-phase terminal (fig. 8B, item 3502 having CPL), and a radio frequency (RF) switch having a first switch coupled between the quadrature terminal and ground (fig. 8B, item ENRx), and a second switch coupled between the in-phase terminal and ground (fig. 8B, item ENRx), wherein the termination terminal is configured for coupling to a load (fig. 8B, item 3502 with ISO coupled to load) wherein the load and the RF switch dissipate RF power due to a transmit mode insertion loss, and wherein a majority of the RF power is reflected into the load by the first hybrid coupler (parag. 0046 and 0068).
With respect to claims 2, 17:
PAL discloses the switch system of claim 1, wherein at least 90% of the RF power is reflected into the load and less than 3% of the RF power is dissipated in the RF switch. (Parag. 0046 discloses that the RF signal is transmitted directly through the antenna and destructively cancel at the ISO port, the residual is terminated or dissipated into the resistance R 50).
With respect to claim 3:
PAL discloses the switch system of claim 1, wherein the first switch and the second switch are closed in a transmit mode of operation (fig. 5E, parag. 0049).
With respect to claims 7, 18, 22:
PAL discloses the switch system of claim 1, wherein the first hybrid coupler comprises two coupled lines of a multi-layer laminated hybrid coupler (fig. 8B with coupler 3501, 3502).
With respect to claims 8, 19:
PAL discloses the switch system of claim 7, wherein the RF switch comprises an integrated circuit affixed to the multi-layer laminated hybrid coupler (parag. 0075).
With respect to claim 16:
PAL discloses a method of operating a switch system, the switch system including a hybrid coupler having a first node configured for coupling to a load (fig. 8B, ISO coupled to load), a second node configured for coupling to an antenna (fig. 8B, IN connected to antenna 150), a third node, and a fourth node (fig. 8B, CPL and DIR are the third and fourth node); and a radio frequency (RF) switch having a first switch coupled between the third node and ground (fig. 8B, ENRx), and a second switch coupled between the fourth node and ground (fig. 8B, ENRx), the method comprising: turning off the first switch and the second switch such that RF power is dissipated in the load and the RF switch due to a transmit mode insertion loss, and such that a majority of the RF power is reflected into the load (fig. 5E, parag. 0049).
With respect to claim 20:
PAL discloses a receive path for a radio frequency (RF) frontend comprising: a hybrid coupler having a first input configured for coupling to a load (fig. 8B, ISO coupled to load), a second input configured for coupling to an antenna (fig. 8B, IN connected to antenna 150), a first output, and a second output (fig. 8B with CLP and DIR); an RF switch configured for selectively coupling the first output and the second output to ground (fig. 8B with ENRx); and a low noise amplifier circuit coupled to the RF switch (fig. 5D, item 120 is a LNA), wherein the load and the RF switch dissipate RF power due to a transmit mode insertion loss, and wherein a majority of the RF power is dissipated by the hybrid coupler (parag. 0046 and 0068).
With respect to claim 23:
PAL discloses the receive path of claim 20, wherein the RF switch comprises a first integrated circuit, and wherein the low noise amplifier circuit comprises a second integrated circuit (fig. 6C, 8A and 8C).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 4-6, 9-15, 21 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.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to AJIBOLA A AKINYEMI whose telephone number is (571)270-1846. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 8:00am-5:00pm, EST.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, YUWEN PAN can be reached at (571)-272-7855. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/AJIBOLA A AKINYEMI/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2649