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 § 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.
Claims 1, 9 and 12 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being incomplete for omitting essential steps, such omission amounting to a gap between the steps. See MPEP § 2172.01. The omitted steps are: the steps by which
“a clock duty cycle control circuit configured to control a duty cycle of the plurality of switches to control a trade-off between a settling time and a noise of the demodulated gyroscope signal”. The claims appear to be directed to a desired result without providing the steps to achieve that result.
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.
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.
Claim(s) 1-4 and 9-17 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over US 20130160544 to Hsu in view of US 20080197919 to Prandi.
Regarding Claim 1, Hsu discloses a demodulation circuit for a gyroscope (Figs. 1-2 and 5, reading circuit 100/demodulator 530 to demodulate output of gyroscope 10; ¶¶ [0015]-[0019], [0024]-[0026], [0036]-[0040]), the demodulation circuit comprising: a plurality of switches configured to receive a modulated gyroscope signal (Figs. 1-2 and 5, demodulator 530 to demodulate modulated output of gyroscope 10 having first switch 531, a second switch 532, a third switch 533, and a fourth switch 534; ¶¶ [0036]-[0040]); an output capacitor coupled to the plurality of switches, wherein the output capacitor is configured to output a demodulated gyroscope signal; (Figs. 1-2 and 5, first switch 531, a second switch 532, a third switch 533, and a fourth switch 534 coupled to low pass filter 140 having resistor 141 and capacitor 142; ¶¶ [0036]-[0040]); and a clock duty cycle control circuit configured to control a duty cycle of the plurality of switches to control a trade-off between a settling time and a noise of the demodulated gyroscope signal (Figs. 1-2 and 5, first switch 531 and second switch 532 controlled by clock signal CL, and third switch 533 and fourth switch 534 are controlled by inverting clock signal CLB; ¶¶ [0036]-[0040]).
However, although Hsu discloses modulation using Vref signals, Hsu is silent regarding an amplitude modulated (AM) gyroscope signal. Prandi discloses an amplitude modulated (AM) gyroscope signal (Figs. 1-3, Signal inputs 3a, 3b of demodulator 3 connected to outputs of device 2 for receiving amplitude modulated signal S.sub.M; ¶¶ [0026]-[0046]; Note also timing signal generator 18 for generation of clock/switching signals). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing of the application to modify the invention of Hsu by providing an amplitude modulated (AM) gyroscope signal as in Prandi in order to provide for a well-known alternative type of modulation in a gyroscope. See, e.g., "substitution of art-recognized equivalents" as discussed in MPEP 2144.06II "An express suggestion to substitute one equivalent component or process for another is not necessary to render such substitution obvious. In re Fout, 675 F.2d 297, 213 USPQ 532 (CCPA 1982)."
Regarding Claim 2, Hsu discloses a high pass filter configured to filter the AM gyroscope signal prior to being received by the plurality of switches (Figs. 1-2 and 5, high pass filter 120; ¶¶ [0015]-[0020]).
Regarding Claim 3, Hsu discloses an amplifier configured to amplify the AM gyroscope signal prior to being filtered by the high pass filter (Figs. 1-2 and 5, amplifier 410/520; ¶¶ [0015]-[0025], [0033]-[0037]).
Regarding Claim 4, Hsu discloses a low pass filter configured to filter the demodulated gyroscope signal, wherein the low pass filter comprises the output capacitor and a resistor connected between the output capacitor and the plurality of switches (Figs. 1-2 and 5, low pass filter 140 having resistor 141 and capacitor 142; ¶¶ [0036]-[0040]).
Regarding Claims 9-11, the method of the claims appears to be met byt the operation of the circuit of claims 1-3.
Regarding Claim 12, Hsu discloses a gyroscope demodulation system (Figs. 1-2 and 5, reading circuit 100/demodulator 530 to demodulate output of gyroscope 10; ¶¶ [0015]-[0019], [0024]-[0026], [0036]-[0040]), comprising: a microelectromechanical sensor configured to output a modulated gyroscope signal (Figs. 1-2 and 5, gyroscope 10 with modulated output; ¶¶ [0015]-[0019], [0024]-[0026], [0036]-[0040]); and a demodulation circuit comprising: a plurality of switches configured to receive the gyroscope signal (Figs. 1-2 and 5, demodulator 530 to demodulate modulated output of gyroscope 10 having first switch 531, a second switch 532, a third switch 533, and a fourth switch 534; ¶¶ [0036]-[0040]); an output capacitor coupled to the plurality of switches, wherein the output capacitor is configured to output a demodulated gyroscope signal (Figs. 1-2 and 5, first switch 531, a second switch 532, a third switch 533, and a fourth switch 534 coupled to low pass filter 140 having resistor 141 and capacitor 142; ¶¶ [0036]-[0040]); and a clock duty cycle control circuit configured to control a duty cycle of the plurality of switches to control a trade-off between a settling time and a noise of the demodulated gyroscope signal (Figs. 1-2 and 5, first switch 531 and second switch 532 controlled by clock signal CL, and third switch 533 and fourth switch 534 are controlled by inverting clock signal CLB; ¶¶ [0036]-[0040]).
However, although Hsu discloses modulation using Vref signals, Hsu is silent regarding an amplitude modulated (AM) gyroscope signal. Prandi discloses an amplitude modulated (AM) gyroscope signal (Figs. 1-3, Signal inputs 3a, 3b of demodulator 3 connected to outputs of device 2 for receiving amplitude modulated signal S.sub.M; ¶¶ [0026]-[0046]; Note also timing signal generator 18 for generation of clock/switching signals). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing of the application to modify the invention of Hsu by providing an amplitude modulated (AM) gyroscope signal as in Prandi in order to provide for a well-known alternative type of modulation in a gyroscope. See, e.g., "substitution of art-recognized equivalents" as discussed in MPEP 2144.06II "An express suggestion to substitute one equivalent component or process for another is not necessary to render such substitution obvious. In re Fout, 675 F.2d 297, 213 USPQ 532 (CCPA 1982)."
Regarding Claim 13, Hsu discloses an analog-to-digital converter (ADC) configured to generate a multi-bit digital output signal based on digitizing the demodulated gyroscope signal (¶ [0019]).
Regarding Claim 14, Hsu discloses the demodulation circuit further comprises a high pass filter configured to filter the AM gyroscope signal prior to being received by the plurality of switches (Figs. 1-2 and 5, high pass filter 120; ¶¶ [0015]-[0020]).
Regarding Claim 15, Hsu discloses the demodulation circuit further comprises an amplifier configured to amplify the AM gyroscope signal prior to being filtered by the high pass filter (Figs. 1-2 and 5, amplifier 410/520; ¶¶ [0015]-[0025], [0033]-[0037]).
Regarding Claim 16, Hsu discloses the demodulation circuit further comprises a low pass filter configured to filter the demodulated gyroscope signal, wherein the low pass filter comprises the output capacitor and a resistor connected between the output capacitor and the plurality of switches (Figs. 1-2 and 5, low pass filter 140 having resistor 141 and capacitor 142; ¶¶ [0036]-[0040]).
Regarding Claim 17, Prandi discloses a signal path from an output of the microelectromechanical sensor to the output capacitor is fully differential (Title, ¶¶ [0002], [0030]).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 5-8 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.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to DAVID J BOLDUC whose telephone number is (571)270-1602. The examiner can normally be reached M-F, 10am-6pm.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Walter Lindsay, Jr. can be reached at (571) 272-1672. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/DAVID J BOLDUC/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2852