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 .
DETAILED ACTION
This Office Action is in response to the Applicants’ communication filed on 12/18/2023. In virtue of this communication, claims 1-20 are currently pending in the instant application.
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 1-7, 11-13 and 16-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Briseno-Vidrios (US 2022/0286154 A1), hereinafter Skyworks.
Regarding Claim 1 Skyworks teaches the limitations "An apparatus comprising: configuration management hardware operative to: apply configuration settings to test operation of a first capacitive coupled communication link; (see abstract, fig. 2, 4, 17 and par. 0058-0059, where a capacitively coupled communication link is configured with settings to diagnose);
via amplitude monitoring, detect a respective performance of the first capacitive coupled communication link conveying communications for each of the applied configuration settings; and (see par. 0059 “processor 630 sweeps through all of the configurations of the receiver signal path and selects the configuration that results in an amplitude of digital code D[n:0] that is closest to zero, which corresponds to the minimum effect of the mismatch.” (i.e. monitors amplitude of diagnostic output signal to detect performance);
select a first configuration setting amongst the applied configuration settings to control the operation of the first capacitive coupled communication link based on the determined performances" (see par. 0059 “…all settings are tested…” and “processor 630 implements an iterative calibration and compares the digital code D[n:0] to a target level of mismatch that is less than the predetermined failure threshold level an acceptable threshold level of mismatch. If digital code D[n:0] does not exceed the target level of mismatch, which corresponds to an acceptable threshold level of mismatch (1208), then processor 630 does not update any settings of programmable receiver signal path 601 and processor 630 stores the current configuration (which may be default settings of programmable receiver signal path 601) in storage 620 (1218) and ends calibration (1222).”).
Claim 16 is rejected for the same reasons set forth above because the claims have similar limitations or have been addressed.
Regarding Claim 13 Skyworks teaches the limitations "An apparatus comprising: configuration management hardware operative to:
apply configuration settings to test operation of a first capacitive coupled communication link; (see abstract, fig. 2, 4, 17 and par. 0058-0059, where a capacitively coupled communication link is configured with settings to diagnose);
monitor performance of conveying first communications over the first capacitive coupled communication link for each of the applied configuration settings with respect to conveying second communications over a second capacitive coupled communication link; and (see fig. 5 (demodulator includes comparator) and par. 0036 and par. 0051 “demodulator/detector 622 detects the lesser signal of the differential pair of signals V.sub.P and V.sub.N. In at least one embodiment, measurement circuit 624 includes a minimum selector (or a maximum selector) that identifies which signal has the minimum (or the maximum, as the case may be) of greater magnitude.”);
select a first configuration setting amongst the configuration settings to control operation of the first capacitive coupled communication link based on the monitored performance" (see par. 0063 “For example, processor 630 compares a digitized version of measurement signal V.sub.TEST corresponding to the test signal having frequency F.sub.C+Δ to a threshold voltage and compares a digitized version of measurement signal V.sub.TEST corresponding to the test signal having frequency F.sub.C−Δ to the threshold voltage. If both measurements exceed the threshold voltage level, then the gain code is stored for later use in normal mode of operation.”).
Regarding Claim 2 Skyworks teaches the limitations "The apparatus as in claim 1, wherein the amplitude monitoring includes generation of a respective peak-to-peak measurement associated with the communications conveyed over the first capacitive coupled communication link for each of the applied configuration settings" (see par. 0041 “ isolator 104 includes a diagnostic mode of operation that measures and calibrates for mismatch in the isolation channel in the diagnostic mode of operation. In at least one embodiment, isolator 104 includes a diagnostic mode of operation that calibrates the transfer function (e.g., the peak and gain) of the isolation channel..”).
Claim 17 is rejected for the same reasons set forth above because the claims have similar limitations or have been addressed.
Regarding Claim 3 Skyworks teaches the limitations "The apparatus as in claim 1, wherein the amplitude monitoring includes generation of a respective envelope detection measurement associated with the communications conveyed over the first capacitive coupled communication link for each of the applied configuration settings" (see par. 0032 “An exemplary demodulator includes a rectifier circuit that generates a full-wave-rectified (FWR) signal and removes the carrier signal to provide a root mean square (RMS) proportional signal. In at least one embodiment, integrated circuit die 108 includes a comparator that resolves the RMS output of the rectifier circuit into a recovered digital signal.” i.e. extracting the modulated signal from carrier signal is equated to the envelope detection). Also see par. 0036 “Demodulator/detector 204 removes the carrier signal and recovers the digital data transmitted using the carrier signal.”).
Claim 18 is rejected for the same reasons set forth above because the claims have similar limitations or have been addressed.
Regarding Claim 4 Skyworks teaches the limitations "The apparatus as in claim 1 further comprising:
a first transmitter circuit and a first receiver circuit, the first transmitter circuit operative to transmit the communications over the first capacitive coupled communication link to the first receiver circuit; and (see par. 0006 “an isolator product includes a transmitter in a first integrated circuit die. The transmitter is selectively configured to transmit a common mode test signal having a frequency of a carrier signal used to transmit data via an isolation channel in a normal mode of operation of the isolator product. The isolator product includes a differential pair of nodes in a receiver in a second integrated circuit die.”);
wherein the configuration management hardware is further operative to apply the selected first configuration setting to the first capacitive coupled communication link, application of the selected first configuration setting substantially aligning a peak resonant frequency setting of the first receiver circuit with respect to a carrier frequency of the conveyed communications" (see par. 0041 “In at least one embodiment, isolator 104 includes a diagnostic mode of operation that calibrates the transfer function (e.g., the peak and gain) of the isolation channel.”).
Claim 19 is rejected for the same reasons set forth above because the claims have similar limitations or have been addressed.
Regarding Claim 5 Skyworks teaches the limitations "The apparatus as in claim 4, wherein the first transmitter circuit is operative to transmit the communications over the first capacitive coupled communication link at the carrier frequency" (see par. 0006 “The transmitter is selectively configured to transmit a common mode test signal having a frequency of a carrier signal used to transmit data via an isolation channel in a normal mode of operation of the isolator product.”
Claim 20 is rejected for the same reasons set forth above because the claims have similar limitations or have been addressed.
Regarding Claim 6 Skyworks teaches the limitations "The apparatus as in claim 1 further comprising: a first transmitter circuit and a first receiver circuit; and wherein the configuration management hardware is operative to determine a respective performance of the first capacitive coupled communication link for each respective configuration setting of the applied configuration settings (see par. 0059 “…all settings are tested…” and “processor 630 sweeps through all of the configurations of the receiver signal path and selects the configuration that results in an amplitude of digital code D[n:0] that is closest to zero, which corresponds to the minimum effect of the mismatch.” (i.e. monitors amplitude of diagnostic output signal to detect performance);
based on a corresponding peak-to-peak measurement associated with the communications conveyed over the first capacitive coupled communication link, the communications transmitted by the first transmitter circuit over the first capacitive coupled communication link to the first receiver circuit" (see par. 0041 “ isolator 104 includes a diagnostic mode of operation that calibrates the transfer function (e.g., the peak and gain) of the isolation channel. However, the gain of the receiver signal path 202 and the peak frequency of the passband of the receiver signal path 202 are non-orthogonal. That is, adjustments to the receiver signal path 202 (e.g., adjustments to front-end circuit 402) that compensate for the actual peak frequency being different from a target peak frequency (e.g., a carrier frequency used in the normal mode of operation) cause corresponding adjustments to the gain of receiver signal path 202. For example, referring to FIGS. 7 and 8, if calibration configures receiver signal path 202 to shift frequency response 1302, with peak frequency f1 and gain g1, to frequency response 1304 having target peak frequency f2, the reduction in capacitance that increases the peak frequency from frequency f1 to frequency f2 lowers the gain at the target peak frequency and at frequencies below the target peak frequency, e.g., resulting in frequency response 1304 having target peak frequency f2 and gain g2. Accordingly, the diagnostic mode of operation identifies the mismatch in the receiver signal path that causes a shift in the carrier frequency and configures the receiver signal path to compensate for that shift and then measures the received signal to calibrate the gain of the receiver signal path.”).
Regarding Claim 7 Skyworks teaches the limitations "The apparatus as in claim 6, wherein the corresponding peak-to-peak measurement for the respective configuration setting is based on a magnitude of an envelope signal associated with the communications conveyed over the first capacitive coupled communication link" (see par. 0051 “measurement circuit 624 includes a minimum selector (or a maximum selector) that identifies which signal has the minimum (or the maximum, as the case may be) of greater magnitude.”).
Regarding Claim 11 Skyworks teaches the limitations "The apparatus as in claim 1, wherein the configuration management hardware is operative to the test operation of the first capacitive coupled communication link during uninterrupted transmission of data over the first capacitive coupled communication link from a transmitter circuit to a receiver circuit" (see par. 0059 “…all settings are tested…” and “processor 630 implements an iterative calibration and compares the digital code D[n:0] to a target level of mismatch that is less than the predetermined failure threshold level an acceptable threshold level of mismatch. If digital code D[n:0] does not exceed the target level of mismatch, which corresponds to an acceptable threshold level of mismatch (1208), then processor 630 does not update any settings of programmable receiver signal path 601 and processor 630 stores the current configuration (which may be default settings of programmable receiver signal path 601) in storage 620 (1218) and ends calibration (1222).”);
Regarding Claim 12 Skyworks teaches the limitations "The apparatus as in claim 1, wherein the communications conveyed over the first capacitive coupled communication link is a modulated signal" (see par. 0031).
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 8-9 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Skyworks as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of Sankaran et al. (US 2018/0278229 A1).
Regarding Claim 8 Skyworks teaches the limitations "The apparatus as in claim 1, wherein the configuration settings include the first configuration setting and a second configuration setting; (see par. 0059 and fig. 6) but does not explicitly disclose “wherein the first configuration setting is a first resonant frequency setting and the second configuration setting is a second resonant frequency setting.”
In the same field of endeavor Sankaran discloses digital isolator modules, isolation circuitry and low-loss multi-order bandpass filter circuits, including a capacitive coupled galvanic isolation circuit with first and second coupling capacitors individually including a first plate and a second plate, and a bond wire connecting the first plates of the coupling capacitors, where the capacitive coupled isolation circuit 130 with first and second coupling capacitors C1 and C2 connected by a bond wire 134, as well as first and second circuits 124a, 124b with an inductor LF to create resonant tank circuits with parasitic capacitors CP1 and CP2 associated with the coupling capacitors C1 and C2, respectively. The resulting isolation circuit 120 provides a bandpass or other multi-order filter network that can be employed in digital isolators or other isolation applications to convey a data signal across a galvanic isolation barrier.” (see par. 0021, 0023-0024 and fig. 1). Also see par. 0025 “A wide variety of different resonant tank circuits can be established, including series resonant tank circuits, parallel resonant tank circuits and/or combinations thereof. In this regard, the circuits 124 can include multiple inductors, and may include one or more capacitors in order to form a variety of different resonant circuits that combine with the series resonant operation of the galvanic isolation circuit 130 in order to provide a third or higher order overall filter network in the isolation circuit 120”.
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to configure settings of first and second resonant frequencies as taught by Sankaran in the system of Skyworks, in order to provide a bandpass or other multi-order filter network that can be employed in digital isolators or other isolation applications to convey a data signal across a galvanic isolation barrier. (see par. 0021 of Sankaran).
Regarding Claim 9 Skyworks teaches the limitations "The apparatus as in claim 1, wherein the configuration settings include the first configuration setting and a second configuration setting; and (see par. 0059 and fig. 6) but does not explicitly disclose “wherein the first configuration setting is a first carrier frequency setting and the second configuration setting is a second carrier frequency setting.”
Sankaran teaches “the isolation circuit 120 is designed to provide a passband centered around the carrier frequency f.sub.0 associated with the isolator 116 of the transmit circuit 102. It is noted that, for a given desired data rate, the circuits 124 and the galvanic isolation circuit 130 can be designed to provide a suitable passband for low-loss reliable transmission using any suitable carrier frequency f.sub.0 to accommodate a desired transmission data rate associated with the transmit signal TX (see fig. 1, 6 and par. 0030).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to configure settings of first and second carrier frequencies as taught by Sankaran in the system of Skyworks, in order to to accommodate a desired transmission data rate associated with the transmit signal TX (see par. 0030 of Sankaran).
Claims 10 and 14 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Skyworks as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of Applicant’s admitted prior art.
Regarding Claim 10 Skyworks teaches the limitations "The apparatus as in claim 1, wherein the configuration settings include the first configuration setting and a second configuration setting; (see par. 0059 “…all settings are tested…” and “processor 630 implements an iterative calibration and compares the digital code D[n:0] to a target level of mismatch that is less than the predetermined failure threshold level an acceptable threshold level of mismatch. If digital code D[n:0] does not exceed the target level of mismatch, which corresponds to an acceptable threshold level of mismatch (1208), then processor 630 does not update any settings of programmable receiver signal path 601 and processor 630 stores the current configuration (which may be default settings of programmable receiver signal path 601) in storage 620 (1218) and ends calibration (1222).”);
However, Skyworks does not teach “and wherein application of the first configuration setting results in a first time delay of conveying the communications over the first capacitive coupled communication link; wherein application of the second configuration setting results in a second time delay of conveying the communications over the first capacitive coupled communication link; and wherein the first time delay is less than the second time delay.”
Applicant’s admitted prior art teaches “Most commercial solutions of such architectures employ the use of blanking times to mask disturbances created by CMT events. This blanking time is added to the whole chain propagation delay of the system and is effective as long as the event duration is shorter than the blanking time.” (see par. 0001-0002).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to apply time delays on the capacitive coupled paths as taught by Applicant’s admitted prior art in the system of Skyworks, in order to to reduce CMT events (see par. 0002 of AAPA).
Claim 14 is rejected for the same reasons set forth above as the claim limitations have been addressed.
Claims 15 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Skyworks and AAPA as applied to claim 14 above, and further in view of Charthad et al. (US 2024/0348482 A1).
Regarding Claim 15 Skyworks and AAPA teaches the limitations "The apparatus as in claim 14, wherein the configuration management hardware is further operative to:” but do not disclose “measure a time difference between a first time of a receiver circuit of the second capacitive coupled communication link receiving the time delayed input signal with respect to a second time of a receiver circuit of the first capacitive coupled communication link receiving the input signal.”
In the same field of endeavor Charthad teaches a capacitive transducer where “the timing of the rising edge of one or more of the link scan signal (e.g., a feedback signal pulse) and the first data signal may be detected (e.g., using envelope detection and comparing the envelope to a predetermined threshold), and the time duration for processing the link scan signal and the first data signal may be selected based on predetermined fixed time offsets before and after the time of the rising edge. The fixed time offset before the timing of the rising edge may be determined based on the difference between the minimum and maximum propagation delays of wireless signals between the first device and different transducer elements of the second device.” (see abstract, fig. 1, par. 0117 and par. 0271).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to measure a time difference between two capacitive coupled links as taught by Sankaran in the system of Skyworks and AAPA, in order to establish a reliable and efficient wireless link between two or more wireless devices of a wireless system (see par. 0003 of Charthad)
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to DAVID BILODEAU whose telephone number is (571)270-3192. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Thursday 6:00am-4:00pm Eastern Standard Time. 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, Wesley Kim can be reached at (571) 272-7867. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/David Bilodeau/
Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2648