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)(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.
Claims 1-10, and 12- 20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102 (a) (1) as being US2021/0225614 A1 by De Chambriner (Chambriner).
Referring to claim 1 Chambirier Fig 1-20 teaches: A signal processing system (Fig 20 item 1901 processing system and paragraph [0133] and abstract) comprising
an acquisition device (item CPU 1906 paragraph [0134]) configured to acquire a repeating signal trace in a specified time interval (see paragraph [0038]), wherein the signal trace varies as a function of a plasma process state of a plasma process (See paragraph [0026] and Fig 1),
a determining device configured to generate a data stream describing the plasma process, based on at least two signal traces acquired in one time interval each (See paragraphs [0028] and [0035] and where De Chambirier discloses tracing the electrical signals of the plasma process parameters),
wherein the data stream contains a continuously determined stability indicator for the plasma process (see paragraph [0037]), and
De Chambirier further teaches wherein the specified time interval of the repeating signal trace and/or a data stream interval are predetermined by process fluctuations of the plasma process. (See paragraph [0041] and/or [0072]).
Referring to claim 2 Chambirier teaches the signal processing system according to claim 1, wherein the time interval is specified externally. (Fig 5 paragraph [0070] and [0081] and Fig 18 and [0104]).
Referring to claim 3 Chambirier teaches the signal processing system according to claim 1, wherein the time interval is determined internally by the signal processing system, using the acquisition device or the determining device. (See paragraph [0014] and[0110]).
Referring to claim 4 Chambirier teaches the signal processing system according to claim 1, wherein the data stream is generated based on a comparison of the at least two signal traces of consecutive time intervals (see paragraph [0052]-[0054]).
Referring to claim 5 Chambirier teaches the signal processing system according to claim 1, wherein the data stream is generated based on a comparison of the at least two signal traces acquired in one time interval each. (See paragraph [0074] [0075] and [0111]).
Referring to claim 6 Chambirier teaches the signal processing system according to claim 4, wherein the stability indicator is determined based on a plurality of the comparisons with a plurality of acquired signal traces. (See Fig 17 and paragraphs [0102] –[0107]).
Referring to claim 7 Chambirier teaches the signal processing system according to claim 6, wherein the stability indicator is determined as a mean value or a maximum value, from the plurality of comparisons. (See Fig 17, Fig 18 paragraph [0020] and [0104]).
Referring to claim 8 Chambirier teaches the signal processing system according to claim 1, wherein the determining device is configured to generate multiple data streams with multiple different stability indicators determined according to different statistical evaluations. (See abstract and claims 1, 12).
Referring to claim 9 Chambirier teaches the signal processing system according to claim 8, wherein the determined stability indicators are used alone or in combination with other data for machine learning, as test data and as training data. (See paragraph [0078] where Chambirier suggests using machine learning during operation/ collecting the data).
Referring to claim 10 Chambirier teaches the signal processing system according to claim 1, wherein, for generating the data stream, a time window used for determining the stability indicator is at least as long as a data stream interval. ( See Fig 1 and paragraph [0037] and Fig 17 and steady state paragraph [0102]).
Claim 11 (Cancelled).
Referring to claim 12 Chambirier teaches the signal processing system according to claim 1, further comprising a memory device for recording the signal traces. (See Fig 2 paragraph [0052]).
Referring to claim 13 Chambirier teaches the signal processing system according to claim 12, wherein the memory device is configured as a ring buffer. (see Fig 20 item 1920 paragraph [0134] ) is configured as a ring buffer (item 1948 is local storage or buffer paragraph [0135]).
Referring to claim 14 Chambirier teaches the signal processing system according to claim 1, further comprising a synchronization device (Fig 2 item 285/275 matching or tuning network ) for synchronizing the acquisition device to a signal trace frequency. (See Fig 18 and paragraph [0052]).
Referring to claim 15 Chambirier teaches the signal processing system according to claim 1, further comprising a comparison device configured to compare recorded signal traces, and/or to compare values determined from the recorded signal traces, with one another or with a reference. (See paragraph [0052]).
Referring to claim 16 Chambirier teaches the signal processing system according to claim 1, wherein the determining device is configured to determine a mean signal trace over multiple time intervals. (See paragraph [0030]).
Referring to claim 17 Chambirier teaches the signal processing system according to claim 1, wherein the determining device is configured to determine a deviation of a sample of a signal trace from a mean signal trace. (See Fig 18 and paragraph [0104])
Referring to claim 18 Chambirier teaches the signal processing system according to claim 1, wherein the determining device is configured to determine an envelope, including minimum and maximum values of corresponding samples of multiple time intervals, and wherein the stability indicator is determined from the minimum and maximum values. (See Fig 14-18 paragraphs [0100] to [0107]).
Referring to claim 19 Chambirier teaches the A power supply device for generating a pulsed electrical high- frequency power signal for a plasma (See claim 12), comprising a power generator (Fig 1 item 105/110 pararaph [0027]), an impedance matching arrangement (item 115/120 paragraph [0028]) connected to the power generator (105/11), and the signal processing system according to claim 1. (abstract and claim 12).
Referring to claim 20 Chambirier teaches A process control arrangement for a plasma process (See Fig 20 and abstract) , configured to use the stability indicator from the signal processing system of claim 1 (See Fig 18 and paragraph [0104]) for controlling the plasma process (see claim 1, 12).
Conclusion
Claims 1-20 are rejected.
Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). 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.
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/SRINIVAS SATHIRAJU/Examiner, Art Unit 2844 2/15/2026