DETAILED ACTION
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of the first paragraph of 35 U.S.C. 112(a):
(a) IN GENERAL.—The specification shall contain a written description of the invention, and of the manner and process of making and using it, in such full, clear, concise, and exact terms as to enable any person skilled in the art to which it pertains, or with which it is most nearly connected, to make and use the same, and shall set forth the best mode contemplated by the inventor or joint inventor of carrying out the invention.
Claims 1-9 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(a) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, first paragraph, because the claim purports to invoke 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph, but fails to recite a combination of elements as required by that statutory provision and thus cannot rely on the specification to provide the structure, material or acts to support the claimed function. As such, the claim recites a function that has no limits and covers every conceivable means for achieving the stated function, while the specification discloses at most only those means known to the inventor. Accordingly, the disclosure is not commensurate with the scope of the claim.
Is the amplifier's function properly performed solely by providing a diagnostic parameter?
Where does the circuitry provide the diagnostic parameter?
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 of this title, 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.
Claims 1-6, 8, and 10-15, and 17-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Zhang et al. (US 2018/02195577, “Zhang”) in view of Pisoni et al. (US 2005/0180559, “Pisoni”).
Regarding claim 1, Zhang discloses an amplifier for a cable network (See 308 Fig.3 and 416 Fig.4, a power amplifier (PA); See Fig.1 shows a Full Duplex (FDX) data over cable service interface specification (DOCSIS); See ¶.32, performing echo cancellation in a coax cable), the amplifier comprising:
- circuitry configured to provide a diagnostic parameter (See 308 Fig.3, ¶.8, and ¶.45, a power amplifier (PA) coupled to the DAC1 receives the DAS, and amplifies the DAS to generate an amplified downstream analog signal (ADAS). The ADAS includes the DAS and a downstream analog noise signal. An echo canceler control (ECC) is coupled to the downstream signal path and receives the DDS. A first digital echo canceler (H1) is coupled to the ECC. H1 receives equalization estimate coefficients and the DDS from the ECC. H1 produces a first digital cancelation signal for canceling the downstream signal portion of the downstream echo signal from a first contaminated analog upstream signal; See ¶.11, the echo canceler includes a downstream noise canceling circuit path that includes an H3, a S1, and an ADC1; See ¶.29, the estimate can be a coefficient of each echo canceller or a response of the whole echo channel. In an embodiment, the echo monitoring and cancellation system also monitors a location, strength, and frequency response of each partial echo using the echo channel estimate coefficient; Examiner’s Note: a certain value and/or a parameter monitoring a location, strength, and frequency response of each partial echo using the echo channel estimate coefficient is considered as one of the diagnostic parameter as defined in claim 2).
Zhang discloses the method of estimating a coefficient of each echo canceller or a response of the whole echo channel within the amplifier. Also, the echo monitoring and cancellation system also monitors a location, strength, and frequency response of each partial echo using the echo channel estimate coefficient (Zhang, See ¶.29). Any one of the frequency response, notch in the frequency domain, downstream echo signal, and/or upstream echo signal is considered as one of the parameters cited in claim 2. However, the examiner provides the secondary prior art by Pisoni to suggest and/or meet the claim limitation “a diagnostic parameter (Pisoni, See ¶.7, echo cancellers efficacy is sensitively dependent upon their ability to efficiently and accurately generate echo parameters. The generating of echo parameters is usually performed solely in the time-domain by emulating e.g. the echo path impulse response, with echo signal emulation subsequently employing Finite Impulse Response (FIR) filters to apply those echo parameters; See ¶.30, preferably the frequency-domain echo parameters represent the frequency response of an echo path through the transceiver from the multi-carrier transmitter to the multi-carrier receiver).”
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to apply the method of “providing a diagnostic parameter” as taught by Pisoni into the system of Zhang, so that it provides a way of avoiding the computational complexity inherent in time-domain echo parameter generation. Once generated, the echo parameters may be applied to echo signal emulation in either the frequency-domain or in the time-domain (Pisoni, See ¶.9).
Regarding claim 2, Zhang discloses “wherein the parameter is one or more of: measurements of a frequency response, sickouts in the frequency domain, north upstream echo signal or power, north downstream signal or power, north upstream echo to downstream power ratio, north upstream echo to residual echo power ratio and/or, south downstream signal or power, upstream information, south downstream echo signal or power, south upstream signal or power, south downstream echo to upstream power ratio, south downstream echo to residual echo power ratio, and north upstream signal or power (See ¶.7, transform the EC estimate coefficients from frequency domain to time domain to generate the impulse response using an Inverse Discrete Fourier Transform (IDFT). Optionally, in the preceding aspects, the method may transform the EC estimate coefficients from frequency domain to time domain to generate the impulse response using an Inverse Fast Fourier Transform (IFFT); See ¶.8, an echo canceler is disclosed for canceling a downstream echo signal from a contaminated upstream signal. The downstream echo signal includes a downstream signal portion and a downstream noise signal portion. In one embodiment, the echo canceler includes a downstream interface configured to receive a downstream digital signal (DDS) and forward the DDS along a downstream signal path; See ¶.29, the echo monitoring and cancellation system also monitors a location, strength, and frequency response of each partial echo using the echo channel estimate coefficient; See 710 Fig.7, dip or notch in the signal’s magnitude response in the frequency domain).”
Regarding claim 3, Zhang discloses “one or more echo cancellers (See ¶.29, echo cancellers).”
Regarding claim 4, Zhang discloses “the one or more echo cancellers uses echo canceller coefficients in a frequency domain and in a time domain, wherein the coefficients are used for detecting impairments in respective cable segments (See ¶.7, EC estimate coefficients from frequency domain to time domain. Optionally, in the preceding aspects, the method may transform the EC estimate coefficients from frequency domain to time domain to generate the impulse response; See ¶.76, delay of frequency response; See ¶.78, time delay of the echo).”
Regarding claim 5, Zhang discloses “the parameter is communicated to a diagnostic server using a control channel provided using a cable of the cable network (See ¶.6, obtaining echo channel (EC) estimate coefficients from a cable node. The method includes determining a location and strength of each partial echo in an impulse response using the EC estimate coefficients; See Fig.1 and ¶.32, FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating a Full Duplex (FDX) Data over Cable Service Interface Specification (DOCSIS) system; See ¶.46, an echo canceller controller; See ¶.62, echo cancellation control component).”
Regarding claim 6, Zhang does not explicitly disclose what Pisoni discloses “the parameter is sampled over time (Pisoni, See ¶.18, a predetermined number of time domain data samples; See further ¶.22; See ¶.217, time domain samples at evenly spaced intervals; See ¶.308, storing for a predetermined period).”
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to apply “the parameter is sampled over time” as taught by Pisoni into the system of Zhang, so that it provides a way of obtaining echo parameters merely by sampling the spectrum of the echo path rather than having to sample the response of the echo path which is relatively more computationally intensive (Pisoni, See ¶.8).
Regarding claim 8, it is a claim corresponding to the claim 2 and is therefore rejected for the similar reasons set forth in the rejection of the claim.
Regarding claim 10, Zhang discloses a circuitry, comprising:
- a first port; a second port (See Fig.1-3, ports (not shown); See ¶.28, upstream and downstream data traffic can be sent bi-directionally at the same frequency. In a coaxial (coax) cable plant that implements a FDX, there are several impedance mismatch points, such as, but not limited to, bad or rusted connectors, damaged cables, short connecting ports, or open connecting ports);
- a circuit (See Fig.2-5, circuit; See ¶.83, application specific integrated circuits (ASICs)) configured to amplify a first signal provided from the first port to the second port (See 308 Fig.3 and 416 Fig.4, PA (power amplifier) receives signal from an input port to send to an output port; See ¶.8, a power amplifier (PA) coupled to the DAC1 receives the DAS, and amplifies the DAS to generate an amplified downstream analog signal (ADAS)); a second signal provided from the second port to the first port (See Fig.1, upstream echo signal via the ports), wherein the circuit is configured to provide echo cancellation (See ¶.9, an echo canceler for canceling a downstream echo signal from a contaminated upstream signal), wherein the circuit is configured to provide a diagnostic parameter (as rejected in claim 1 over Zhang in view of Pisoni), and wherein the first signal and the second signal may partially share the same frequency at the same time (See ¶.28, data traffic can be carried over a single communications line (link or channel) in two directions simultaneously in full duplex system (FDX). Upstream and downstream data traffic can be sent bi-directionally at the same frequency; See ¶.6, determines a frequency response of each partial echo in the impulse response; See Fig.8 and ¶.23, calculating the frequency response of each partial echo in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure). Therefore, this claim is rejected with the similar reasons and motivation set forth in the rejection of claim 1.
Regarding claim 11, it is a claim corresponding to the claim 2 and is therefore rejected for the similar reasons set forth in the rejection of the claim.
Regarding claim 12, Zhang discloses “wherein the circuit is an integrated circuit (See ¶.83, integrated circuits).”
Regarding claims 13-15, they are claims corresponding to claims 5, 4, & 8, respectively and are therefore rejected for the similar reasons set forth in the rejection of the claims.
Regarding claim 17, Zhang discloses a method, comprising:
- providing a first signal from a downstream port to an upstream port using a circuit (See 104 Fig.1 and ¶.32, the FDX Node 110 receives and transmits upstream signals (US) 102 and downstream signals (DS) 104 using the same spectrum at the same time to a plurality of cable modems (CMs) 106A-106F, doubling the efficiency of spectrum use; See ¶.28, connecting ports), the circuit comprising the downstream port and the upstream port, the upstream port being configured to be coupled to a first communication medium (See 101 Fig.1, and ¶.33, the downstream signal passes through a two-way splitter and into a coaxial cable or other transmission medium), the downstream port being configured to be coupled to a second communication medium (See Fig.1 and ¶.9, a medium and/or a cable coupled for upstream signal);
- providing a second signal from the upstream port to the downstream port using the circuit (See Fig.1-5, DS signal and US signal via ports);
- performing echo cancellation using the circuit (See Fig.2-3 and ¶.8-9, echo cancellers such as H1-H3).
Zhang shows that the method of “determining a frequency response of each partial echo. In one embodiment, the frequency response of each partial echo is determined by adding a window to each echo peak in the impulse response to select the partial echo in the impulse response and then transforming each partial echo impulse response into frequency response by a Discrete Fourier Transform (DFT) or a Fast Fourier Transform (FFT).” (Zhang, See ¶.79). As shown in Fig.2-5, the FFT component (not shown) implementing the method is inherently located between the downstream port and the upstream port. That is, Zhang discloses the limitation “sampling by FFT at a location between the downstream port and the upstream port.
Zhang does not explicitly disclose if the FFT is for sampling a diagnostic parameter, but Pisoni discloses that the method of “sampling by FFT” (Pisoni, See ¶.8, In frequency-domain echo cancellation, one may obtain echo parameters merely by sampling the spectrum of the echo path; See ¶.222, a fast Fourier transform block (FFT) receives the output of the cyclic prefix extractor 8 and de-modulates each of the N real-valued time-domain samples of the echo-cancelled prefix-extracted time-domain samples so as to produce as output therefrom a frequency-domain echo-cancelled receive block "E;" comprising N complex-valued data samples).” Therefore, this claim is rejected with the similar reasons and motivation set forth in the rejection of claim 1.
Regarding claims 18-20, they are claims corresponding to claims 2, 12, & 6, respectively and are therefore rejected for the similar reasons set forth in the rejection of the claims.
Allowable Subject Matters
Claims 7 and 9 are objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim would be allowable if rewritten or amended to overcome the rejection(s) under 35 U.S.C. 112, set forth in this Office action and if the rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
Claim 16 is 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.
Contact Information
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Jung H Park whose telephone number is 571-272-8565. The examiner can normally be reached M-F: 7:00 AM-3:00 PM.
Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Derrick Ferris can be reached on 571-272-3123. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
Information regarding the status of published or unpublished applications may be obtained from Patent Center. Unpublished application information in Patent Center is available to registered users. To file and manage patent submissions in Patent Center, visit: https://patentcenter.uspto.gov. Visit https://www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/patent-center for more information about Patent Center and https://www.uspto.gov/patents/docx for information about filing in DOCX format. For additional questions, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000.
/JUNG H PARK/
Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2411