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 Objections
Claim 1 is objected to because of the following informalities: - claim 1, line 5, it appears “with an in-controller ECC codes” should be amended to remove the “an”.- claim 9, it appears, “wherein in-controller ECC codes are…” should be amended to “wherein the in-controller ECC codes are…” for proper antecedent basis. Appropriate correction is required
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claims 1-5, 9-11, and 13-17 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
Claims 1-5, 9-11, and 13-17 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being incomplete for omitting essential steps, such omission amounting to a gap between the steps. See MPEP § 2172.01. The omitted steps are: claim 1 recites the preamble “a method for correcting errors in data stored in a memory…”, however, the body of claim doesn’t reference the “data” of the preamble in any of error correction performing steps. The term “data” is only found recited in “…modified the data” in claims 13 and 15, however, it is not clear overall through the claims as to how data is being corrected for errors?
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 1-5 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by US 2019/0042358 A1 to Criss et al (herein referred to as Criss, cited in Applicant’s IDS filed on January 18, 2024).
Referring to claim 1, Criss discloses for correcting errors in data stored in a memory comprising a memory chip having an on-die ECC decoder (Figure 1, element 102) and an external memory controller having an in-controller ECC decoder (Figure 1, element 104) coupled to the memory chip, the method comprising: configuring the memory chip with on-die error correction (ECC) codes (Figure 1, on-die ECC component 110); configuring the memory controller with an in-controller ECC codes (Figure 1, component 114); performing on-die error correction in the memory chip; and performing coupled with in-controller error correction with knowledge of the on-die error correction performed in the memory chip SO as and configuring on die ECC codes to avoid all error miscorrections introduced by the on-die error correction an in controller ECC decoder (see paragraphs [0015] & [0022-0023]).
Referring to claim 2, Criss discloses further including configuring the in-controller ECC codes with knowledge of the on-die ECC codes (see paragraphs [0023-0025], [0049-0050]).
Referring to claim 3, Criss discloses wherein configuring the on-die ECC codes further guarantees no silent data corruption when a double-bit error happens within the memory chip (see paragraphs [0023-0025], [0049-0050], “silent data corruption”).
Referring to claim 4, Criss discloses wherein the on-die ECC comprises SEC (see paragraphs [0023-0025], [0049-0055], SEC).
Referring to claim 5, Criss discloses wherein the in-controller ECC comprises SECDED (paragraph [0040], component 114 can correct multi-bit errors which means it can detect multiple errors).
Conclusion
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.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Justin Knapp whose telephone number is (571)270-3008. The examiner can normally be reached 8:00 am - 4:30 pm (ET).
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Justin R. Knapp
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 2112
/JUSTIN R KNAPP/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2112
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