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 § 103
In the event the determination of the status of the application as subject to AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103 (or as subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103) is incorrect, any correction of the statutory basis (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) for the rejection will not be considered a new ground of rejection if the prior art relied upon, and the rationale supporting the rejection, would be the same under either status.
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 1-3, 7-9 and 13-16 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Toso et al. (US 9490745 B1) in view of Park et al. (US 10749468 B1).
Regarding claim 1, Toso teaches an apparatus for oscillating signal generation, comprising: a voltage-controlled oscillator (VCO) (Fig. 3 and Col. 9 Lines 35-50, “two cross-coupled transistor pairs 304, 310 interconnect with a main tank 302” (VCO) oscillates voltage); and a first filter coupled to the VCO (Fig. 3, filter 322), wherein the first filter comprises: a first inductive element (Fig. 3, inductor 324) including a first terminal (Fig. 3, terminal C) coupled to a voltage rail (Fig. 3, Vdd) and a second terminal (Fig. 3, terminal A) coupled to the VCO (Fig. 3); a first capacitor bank (Fig. 3 and Col. 7 Line 8-15, filter 322 uses a single capacitor bank 336) coupled between the second terminal of the first inductive element and a reference potential node (Fig. 3, ground 338);
However, Toso does not teach the apparatus further comprising: a bypass capacitive element coupled between the first terminal of the first inductive element and the reference potential node.
Park teaches such feature (Fig. 4, bypass capacitor 440).
Therefore, it would have been obvious for one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to incorporate the above teaching as taught by Park into Toso for reduce phase noise.
Regarding claim 2, the modified Toso teaches previous claim. The modified Toso further teaches the apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a switch or current source coupled between the voltage rail and the first terminal of the first inductive element (Fig. 3, Current source 206).
Regarding claim 3, the modified Toso teaches previous claim.
The modified does not disclose “the capacitor bank 336 as taught above” comprises: one or more switches; and one or more capacitive elements, each of the one or more capacitive elements being selectively coupled between terminals of the first capacitor bank via a respective one of the one or more switches.
However, the capacitor bank is well-known as switchable capacitor bank and cannot be considered new or novel in the presence of Park. Park teaches the capacitor bank includes multiple capacitors that can be selectively coupled in parallel and/or series using a network of switches (Fig. 3 and Col 5 Lines 50-65).
Therefore, it would have been obvious for one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to incorporate the above teaching as taught by Park into Toso for selectively provide fine oscillation frequency adjustment.
Regarding claim 7, the modified Toso teaches previous claim. The modified Toso further teaches the apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a second filter coupled between the VCO and the reference potential node (Fig. 3, filter 326).
Regarding claim 8, the modified Toso teaches previous claim. The modified Toso further teaches the apparatus of claim 7, wherein the second filter comprises a second inductive element coupled in parallel with a second capacitor bank (Col. 7 Line 8-15, filter 326 uses a single capacitor bank 330).
Regarding claim 9, the modified Toso teaches previous claim.
The modified does not disclose “the capacitor bank 330 as taught above” comprises: one or more switches; and one or more capacitive elements, each of the one or more capacitive elements being selectively coupled between terminals of the first capacitor bank via a respective one of the one or more switches.
However, the capacitor bank is well-known as switchable capacitor bank and cannot be considered new or novel in the presence of Park. Park teaches the capacitor bank includes multiple capacitors that can be selectively coupled in parallel and/or series using a network of switches (Fig. 3 and Col 5 Lines 50-65).
Therefore, it would have been obvious for one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to incorporate the above teaching as taught by Park into Toso for selectively provide fine oscillation frequency adjustment.
Regarding claims 13-14, the modified Toso teaches previous claim. The modified Toso further teaches the apparatus of claim 7, wherein the first filter is configured to attenuate a signal with a frequency that is twice an oscillating frequency of the VCO and the second filter is configured to attenuate a signal with a frequency that is twice an oscillating frequency of the VCO (Col. 9 Lines 50-65).
Regarding claim 15, method of claim 15 is performed by the apparatus of claim 1. They recite same scope of limitations. Applicant is kindly advised to refer to rejection of claim 1.
Regarding claim 16, method of claim 16 is performed by the apparatus of claim 3. They recite same scope of limitations. Applicant is kindly advised to refer to rejection of claim 3.
Claims 4-5, 10-11, and 17-18 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Toso et al. (US 9490745 B1) in view of Park et al. (US 10749468 B1) and in further view of Miao et al. (US 20080252376 A1).
Regarding claim 4, the modified Toso teaches previous claim.
The modified Toso does not disclose the apparatus of claim 3, wherein the one or more switches comprise one or more n-type metal-oxide-semiconductor (NMOS) transistors.
However, the switch is very well-known comprising thin oxide NMOS transistor and cannot be considered new or novel in the presence of Miao (Par. 84).
Therefore, it would have been obvious for one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to incorporate the above teaching as taught by Miao into Toso for low core voltage reliability switch.
Regarding claim 5, the modified Toso teaches previous claim. The modified Toso further teaches the apparatus of claim 4, wherein the one or more NMOS transistors comprise thin-oxide NMOS transistors (See rejection of claim 4).
Regarding claims 10-11, apparatus of claims 10-11 are performed by the apparatus of claims 4-5. They recite same scope of limitations. Applicant is kindly advised to refer to rejection of claims 4-5.
Regarding claims 17-18, method of claims 17-18 are performed by the apparatus of claims 4-5. They recite same scope of limitations. Applicant is kindly advised to refer to rejection of claims 4-5.
Claims 6, 12 and 19 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Toso et al. (US 9490745 B1) in view of Park et al. (US 10749468 B1) and in further view of Black et al. (US 20140055210 A1).
Regarding claim 6, the modified Toso teaches previous claim.
The modified Toso does not disclose the apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first filter comprises a notch filter.
However, the filter is very well-known comprising a notch filter and cannot be considered new or novel in the presence of Black (Par. 46).
Therefore, it would have been obvious for one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to incorporate the above teaching as taught by Black into Toso for remove noise.
Regarding claim 12, apparatus of claim 12 is performed by the apparatus of claim 6. They recite same scope of limitations. Applicant is kindly advised to refer to rejection of claim 6.
Regarding claim 19, method of claim 19 is performed by the apparatus of claim 6. They recite same scope of limitations. Applicant is kindly advised to refer to rejection of claim 6.
Claim 20 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Toso et al. (US 9490745 B1) in view of Park et al. (US 10749468 B1) and in further view of Farazian et al. (US 20170244361 A1).
Regarding claim 20, the combination of Toso and Park teaches a wireless device (See rejection of claim 1); and a filter coupled to the VCO (See rejection of claim 1), wherein the filter comprises: an inductive element including a first terminal coupled to a voltage rail and a second terminal coupled to the VCO (See rejection of claim 1); a capacitor bank coupled between the second terminal and a reference potential node (See rejection of claim 1); and a bypass capacitive element coupled between the first terminal of the inductive element and the reference potential node (See rejection of claim 1).
The modified Toso does not disclose the wireless device: comprising: one or more antennas; a transmitter or a receiver coupled to the one or more antennas and including a frequency synthesizer, wherein the frequency synthesizer includes the VCO.
However, these components are very well-known in wireless communication art and cannot be considered new or novel in the presence of Farazian (Fig. 3 and Par. 45).
Therefore, it would have been obvious for one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to incorporate the above teaching as taught by Farazian into the modified Toso for providing a wireless communication device with a wide tuning range, low phase noise, low power consumption, and low area occupation.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to CINDY HUYEN TRANDAI whose telephone number is (571)270-1914. The examiner can normally be reached 8am -4:30pm.
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/Cindy Trandai/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2648 2/25/2026