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)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claim(s) 16, 24 and 30 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by [Kingsley (Figs 1B, 7); 2015/0180426].
Regarding claims 16 and 24, Kingsley discloses an amplifier Integrated Circuit (Fig. 1B) comprising a power amplifier (106) having an output (112), a output node (output terminal of 106) coupled to the output (112) of the power amplifier (106), and a tunable impedance matching network (116) comprising a tunable inductor (210, 206, 201) coupled to the output node (output terminal of 106) and the tunable inductor (210, 206, 201) comprising a plurality of switches (206, 201) configured to selectively modify the tunable inductor to have a first inductance (inductance of 210 when the switches 201 and 206 are ON) in a test mode (when the switches 201 and 206 are ON) and a second inductance (inductance of 210 when the switches 201 and 206 are OFF) in a functional mode (when the switches 201 and 206 are OFF).
Regarding claim 30, Kingsley discloses an amplifier Integrated Circuit (Fig. 1B) comprising a signal source (the element generating the input signal RF IN) configured to generate a signal (RF IN), Fig. 1B of Kingsley inherently includes an antenna since it (Fig. 1B) would not work without a load (antenna), an integrated circuit (Fig. 1B) coupled between the signal source (the element generating the input signal RF IN) and the antenna (load connecting to the output terminal 122), the Integrated Circuit (Fig. 1B) comprising a power amplifier (106) having an output (112), a output node (output terminal of 106) coupled to the output (112) of the power amplifier (106), and a tunable impedance matching network (116) comprising a tunable inductor (210, 206, 201) coupled to the output node (output terminal of 106) and the tunable inductor (210, 206, 201) comprising a plurality of switches (206, 201) configured to selectively modify the tunable inductor to have a first inductance (inductance of 210 when the switches 201 and 206 are ON) in a test mode (when the switches 201 and 206 are ON) and a second inductance (inductance of 210 when the switches 201 and 206 are OFF) in a functional mode (when the switches 201 and 206 are OFF).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 17-23, 25-29 and 31-35 are 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.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
9,143,172 teaches an amplifier circuit with the tunable matching circuit.
9,083,294 teaches an amplifier circuit with the tunable matching inductor circuit.
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/HENRY CHOE/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2843
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