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 .
This communication is in response to amendment received on 12/23/2025.
Claims 1 – 27 are presented for examination.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claim(s) 1 - 27 have been considered but are moot because the new ground of rejection does not rely on any reference applied in the prior rejection of record for any teaching or matter specifically challenged in the argument.
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) 1 - 4, 9 – 14, 16 – 23 and 26 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Latham et al. (10,132,879).
As to claim 1, Latham et al. (hereinafter Latham) discloses a gain equalization for multiple axis magnetic field sensing comprising a first magnetic field sensor unit (808a) having a first sensor output (812a); a second magnet field sensor unit (808b) having a second sensor output (812b); one or more coils (810) having one or more footprints overlapping the first (808a) and second (808b) magnetic field sensor units; and a processing circuit (814, 816, 804) having a first sensor input (812a), a second (812b) sensor input, a current terminal (830), and a sensing output (806, 842), the first sensor input coupled to the first sensor output, the second sensor input coupled to the second sensor output, and the current terminal (830) coupled to the one or more coils (810), (Fig. 8, Col. 19, line 54 – Col. 20, line 60).
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As to claim 2, Latham discloses that the processing circuit is configurable to: provide a current (830) through the one or more coils (810) via the current terminal to cause the one or more coils to provide one or more first magnetic fields; receive a first sensor signal at the first input (812a); receive a second sensor signal at the second input (812b); determine one or more gains (822, 826) of the first magnetic field sensor unit (808a) and the second magnetic field sensor unit (808b) responsive to the first sensor signal (812a) and the second sensor signal (812b); and provide a signal representing a measurement result at the sensing output (806, 842) based on the one or more gains (822, 834), (Fig. 8).
As to claim 3, Latham discloses that the one or more gains include an average gain of the first and second magnetic field sensor units (822, 834, Fig. 8).
As to claim 4, Latham discloses that the one or more gains include a first gain of the first magnetic field sensor unit (808a) and a second gain of the second magnetic field sensor unit (808b), (Note Claim 1).
As to claim 9, Latham discloses that the one or more coils includes a single coil (810) having a single footprint that overlaps the first (808a) and second (808b) magnetic field sensor units (Fig. 8).
As to claim 10, Latham discloses that the single coil (810) surrounds a core region, and the first (808a) and second (808b) magnetic field sensor units overlap the core region (Fig. 8).
As to claim 11, Latham discloses that the first (706a) and second (702c) magnetic field sensor units overlap the single coil (704) (Fig. 7).
As to claims 12 and 13, Latham discloses that the one or more coils includes: a first coil (721a) having a first footprint that overlaps the first magnetic field sensor unit (722b); and a second coil (724b) having a second footprint that overlaps the second magnetic field sensor unit (722d); and wherein the first coil (724a) and the second coil (724b) are connected in series (Fig. 7A).
As to claim 14, Latham discloses that the first magnetic field sensor unit (722b) overlaps the first coil (724a), and the second magnetic field sensor unit (722d) overlaps the second coil (724b) (Fig. 7A).
As to claim 16, Latham discloses that the first (702a) and second (702c) magnetic field sensor units are on opposing sides of a semiconductor die (Col. 5, lines 26 – 36), and the one or more coils (704) are on the semiconductor die (Col. 5, lines 26 – 36).
As to claim 17, Latham discloses that each of the first (702a) and second (702c) magnetic field sensor includes in-plane hall-effect elements (Fig. 7).
As to claim 18, Latham discloses that each of the first (702b) and second (702d) magnetic field sensor includes out-of-plane hall-effect elements (Fig. 7).
As to claim 19, Latham discloses that the first magnetic field sensor includes an in-plane hall-effect element (702a), and the second magnetic field sensor includes an out-of-plane hall-effect element (702d), (Fig. 7).
As to claim 20, Latham et al. (hereinafter Latham) discloses a gain equalization for multiple axis magnetic field sensing comprising a semiconductor die (Col. 5, lines 26 - 36); a first magnetic field sensor unit (808a) having a first sensor output (812a) on a first side of the semiconductor die; a second magnet field sensor unit (808b) having a second sensor output (812b) on a second side of the semiconductor die opposing the first side; one or more coils (810) having one or more footprints overlapping the first (808a) and second (808b) magnetic field sensor units; and a processing circuit (814, 816, 804) having first and second inputs , a current terminal (830), and a processing output (806, 842), the first sensor input coupled to the first sensor output, (812a) the second sensor input coupled to the second sensor output (812b), and the current terminal (830) coupled to the one or more coils (810), (Fig. 8), (Col. 19, line 54 – Col. 20, line 60).
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As to claim 21, Latham discloses that the one or more coils includes: a first coil having a first footprint that overlaps the first magnetic field sensor unit (808a); and a second coil having a second footprint that overlaps the second magnetic field sensor unit (808b), wherein the first coil and the second coil are connected in series (Fig. 8).
As to claim 22, Latham discloses that the one or more coils (810) overlap at least a portion of the first magnetic field sensor unit (808a) or the second magnetic field sensor unit (808b).
As to claim 23, Latham discloses that the one or more coils (810) surrounds one or more core regions, and the first magnetic field sensor unit (808a) and the second magnetic field sensor unit (808b) overlap the one or more core regions (Fig. 8).
As to claim 26, Latham discloses that the measurement result is a position measurement result (Col. 6, lines 29 - 36).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 24 – 25 and 27 are allowed.
Claims 5 – 8 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.
As to claims 5 – 8, the prior art fails to show that the first magnetic field sensor is configurable to provide the first sensor signal responsive to the one or more first magnetic fields and a second magnetic field, and the second magnetic field sensor is configurable to provide the second sensor signal responsive to one or more first magnetic fields and a third magnetic field; and wherein the processing circuit is configurable to: determine a first measurement of the one or more first magnetic fields from the first sensor signal; determine a second measurement of the one or more first magnetic fields from the second sensor signal; determine one or more magnitudes of the one or more first magnetic fields from the current; and determine the one or more gains responsive to determining the first and second measurements and the one or more magnitudes. These features taken together with the other limitations of the claim renders the claims allowable over prior art.
As to claim 15, the prior art fails to show that a third magnetic field sensor unit having a third sensor output; and a fourth magnet field sensor unit having a third sensor output; wherein the one or more coils further includes: a third coil having a third footprint that overlaps the third magnetic field sensor unit; and a fourth coil having a fourth footprint that overlaps the fourth magnetic field sensor unit; and wherein the first, second, third, and fourth coils are connected in series. These features taken together with the other limitations of the claim renders the claim allowable over prior art.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter: As to claims 24 – 25 and 27, the prior art fails to show receiving a first sensor signal from the first magnetic field sensor unit, the first sensor signal representing one or more calibration magnetic fields provided by the one or more coils responsive to the calibration current and a second magnetic field; receiving a second sensor signal from the second magnetic field sensor unit, the second sensor signal representing the one or more calibration magnetic fields and a third magnetic field; determining a first measurement of the one or more calibration magnetic fields and a second measurement of the second magnetic field from the first sensor signal based on different frequency characteristics of the first and second measurements; determining a third measurement of the one or more calibration magnetic fields and a fourth measurement of the third magnetic field from the second sensor signal based on different frequency characteristics of the third and fourth measurements; and providing a signal representing a measurement result responsive to determining the first, second, third, and fourth measurements. These features taken together with the other limitations of the claim renders the claims allowable over prior art.
Prior Art of Record
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant s disclosure.
Sui et al. (20250370072) is cited for its disclosure of Hall sensor with complementary coil system.
Yamashita et al. (20100117638) is cited for its disclosure of a magnetic sensor and sensitivity measuring method thereof.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to REENA AURORA whose telephone number is (571)272-2263. The examiner can normally be reached M-F: 8:00AM-5:00PM.
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/REENA AURORA/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2858