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 .
Response to Amendment
Applicant’s response filed on 07/02/2026 in which claims 1-6 and 14-20 are pending and claims 7-13 are withdrawn, and claim 21 is canceled has been entered of record.
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, 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 and 14-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Jung (US Pub. 2018/0082736) in view of Kim et al. (US Pub. 2017/0133085).
Regarding claims 1 and 14-15, Fig. 1 and 2B of Jung discloses an apparatus comprising:
a command control circuit [since first fresh signal ENP and second refresh signal AREFP are generated, a command control circuit (can be a combination of multiple circuits) is inherent] configured to provide a first refresh signal [AREFP] and a second refresh signal [ENP];
a refresh control circuit [combination of 110 and 120] configured to receive the first refresh signal [AREFP] and the second refresh signal [ENP] perform a plurality of first refresh operations [NORMAL REFRESH, Fig. 1] in sequence responsive to the first refresh signal [AREFP] and a plurality of second refresh operations [TARGET ROW REFRESH] in sequence responsive to the second refresh signal [AX<0:N>], wherein each of the plurality of first and second refresh operations is either a first type [NORMAL REFRESH] of refresh operation or a second type [TARGET ROW REFRESH] of refresh operation, wherein a first number [refresh 1, Fig. 2B] of the first refresh operations of the first type [NORMAL REFRESH] is different than a second number [refresh 4, Fig. 2B] of the second refresh operations of the first type [NORMAL REFRESH], wherein a third number [Refresh 2, Fig. 2B] of the first refresh operations of the second type [TARGET ROW REFRESH] is different than a fourth number [Refresh 3, Fig. 2B] of the second refresh operations of the second type [TARGET ROW REFRESH], and wherein each of the first [refresh 1], second [refresh 4], third [2] and fourth [3] numbers is more than zero.
Jung discloses all claimed invention, but does not specifically disclose wherein the command control circuit is further configured to receive an external refresh command and provide the first refresh signal, the second refresh signal, or both responsive to the external refresh command. However, Fig. 4 of Kim discloses wherein the command control circuit [combination of 240 and 220] is further configured to receive an external refresh command [CMD] and provide the first refresh signal [REF_ADD_N], the second refresh signal [REF_ADD_T], or both responsive to the external refresh command [CMD].
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to apply the teachings of Kim’s memory device with command control circuit to the teachings of Jung’s memory having command control circuit such that Jung command control circuit can generate first and second refresh signal responsive to an external command according to Kim’s teachings for the purpose of preventing data loss.
Regarding claims 2 and 16, Fig. 1 of Jung discloses wherein the first type of refresh operation is an auto-refresh operation [NORMAL REFRESH] and the second type of refresh operation is a targeted refresh operation [TARGET ROW REFRESH].
Regarding claims 3 and 17, Fig. 2B of Jung discloses wherein the refresh control circuit is configured to receive the second refresh signal [TARGET ROW REFRSH] following the first refresh signal [as shows in Fig. 2B, NORMAL REFRESH perform first, and then TARGET ROW REFRESH follows], and wherein a first one of the plurality of first refresh operation is the auto-refresh operation [NORMAL REFRESH].
Regarding claims 4 and 18, Fig. 2B of Jung discloses wherein the plurality of first refresh operations include a first targeted refresh operation [refresh 2] and a second targeted refresh [refresh 3] operation performed after the first targeted refresh operation, wherein the plurality of second refresh operations include a third targeted refresh operation [refresh 10], and wherein a number of second type of refresh operations performed between the first and second targeted refresh operations is equal to a number of second type of refresh operations performed between the second and third targeted refresh operation [the interval between first and second type of refresh are the same].
Regarding claims 5 and 19, Fig. 1 of Jung discloses wherein the refresh control circuit is configured to generate a number of activations of a pump signal [NRAX<0:N>] responsive to the first refresh signal [AREFP] and the number of activations of the pump signal[NRAX<0:N>] responsive to the second refresh signal, wherein each of the plurality of first and second refresh operations is associated with one of the activations of the pump signal.
Regarding claims 6 and 20, Fig. 1 of Jung discloses wherein the refresh control circuit [110] is further configured to identify an aggressor address [TRR_FLAG], wherein at least one of the first refresh operations of the first type and at least one of the second refresh operations of the first type are associated with the aggressor address [TRR_FLAG].
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed 07/02/2026 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive.
Applicant argued that “while ENP triggers the generation of targeted refresh address, the ENP signal does not trigger actual refresh operation. Therefore, “ENP can not correspond to the second refresh signal”. Applicant is reminded that the claims are examined in light of broadest reasonable interpretation. In addition, although the claims are examined in light of specification, limitations from specification are not read into claims. As discloses in paragraphs 0048 and 0055 of Jung, circuit 160 either generates Target Row Refresh Address (in response to ENP) or Normal Refresh Address (in response to AREFP). As discloses in paragraphs 0048 to 0055, refreshing operations are performed either on a specific memory cell (selected by row address) or auto refresh (also for selected by word line addresses). Therefore, the refreshing operations can’t carried out without row addresses. Since ENP signal enables generating Targeted Row Address for a targeted refreshing operation, it can be considered a second refresh signal. Applicant claims first and second refresh operations are performed based on first and second refresh signals. Applicant does not claim second refresh signal to trigger a refresh operations. ENP does not required to trigger a refresh operation, but it is generated to perform a second refresh operation. Without ENP, targeted refresh operation won’t be able to perform.
Applicant also argues that Jung fails “teach or suggest perform a plurality of first refresh operations in sequence responsive to the first refresh signal, and a plurality of second refresh operations in sequence responsive to the second refresh signals”. Examiner agrees that AREFP refreshing operation are performed on AREFP and TRR_FLAG. However, they are not the only signals that the refresh controller depended on. In order to perform refresh operation on a specific memory cell (targeted refresh), targeted row address of a specific cell must be generated. ENP enabled generating targeted row address, therefore, ENP is considered a second refresh signal which a targeted refresh operation is depended on. In order to perform normal refresh operations, normal row address must be generated. Since AREFP enables generation row address for normal refresh operation, it can be considered a first refresh signal.
Therefore, all applicant’s arguments were fully considered, they are not persuasive.
Conclusion
THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ANTHAN T TRAN whose telephone number is (571)272-8709. The examiner can normally be reached MON-FRI, 9AM-5:00PM.
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/ANTHAN TRAN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2825
