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 .
Election/Restrictions
In response to the requirement for restriction dated on 5/19/2026, applicant has elected claims 1 and 3 corresponding to species A for further examination. Claims 2 and 4 are withdrawn from consideration.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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 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.
Claim(s) 1 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Toshiyuki (W0 2016203512A1).
Regarding claim 1, Toshiyuki’s figure 7 shows a Doherty amplifier comprising: a transistor for main amplifier (1T) having a source-to-drain parasitic capacitance (92, figure 5) and operating in class AB; a transmission line (5) whose input end is connected to an output end of the transistor for main amplifier and whose output end is connected to a composite point; a transistor for auxiliary amplifier (2T) having a source-to-drain parasitic capacitance and operating in class C; a series capacitor (44) whose input end is connected to an output end of the transistor for auxiliary amplifier and whose output end is connected to the composite point, and to reduce a capacitance value of impedance seen from the composite point toward the output end of the transistor for auxiliary amplifier at a time of a backoff operation (MPEP 2114 (II), the manner of operating device does not differentiate apparatus claim from the prior. : A Doherty amplifier comprising: a transistor for main amplifier having a source-to-drain parasitic capacitance and operating in class AB; a transmission line whose input end is connected to an output end of the transistor for main amplifier and whose output end is connected to a composite point; a transistor for auxiliary amplifier having a source-to-drain parasitic capacitance and operating in class C; a series capacitor whose input end is connected to an output end of the transistor for auxiliary amplifier and whose output end is connected to the composite point, and to reduce a capacitance value of impedance seen from the composite point toward the output end of the transistor for auxiliary amplifier at a time of a backoff operation; and an output matching circuit connected between the composite point and a point of connection to an output load, and to match impedance at the composite point to impedance of the output load. “Apparatus claim cover what a device is, not what a device does”. See Hewlett-packard Co. V. Bausch & Lomb Inc., 909 F.2d 1464, 1469, 15 USPQ2d1525, 1528 (Fed. Cir. 1990). A claim containing a “recitation with respect to the manner in which a claimed apparatus is intended to be employed does not differentiate the claimed apparatus from a prior art apparatus” if the prior art apparatus teaches all the structure limitation of the claim. Ex Parte Masham, 2 USPQ2d 1647 (Bd. Pat. App. & Inter. 1987); and an output matching circuit (4) connected between the composite point and a point of connection to an output load, and to match impedance at the composite point to impedance of the output load as called for in claim 1.
(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) 1 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Lamy et al. (USP 11,784,610).
Regarding claim 1, Lamy’s figure 3 shows a Doherty amplifier comprising: a transistor for main amplifier (210) having a source-to-drain parasitic capacitance (Cds_1) and operating in class AB; a transmission line (218) whose input end is connected to an output end of the transistor for main amplifier and whose output end is connected to a composite point (2400; a transistor for auxiliary amplifier (220) having a source-to-drain parasitic capacitance (Cds_2) and operating in class C; a series capacitor (252) whose input end is connected to an output end of the transistor for auxiliary amplifier and whose output end is connected to the composite point, and to reduce a capacitance value of impedance seen from the composite point toward the output end of the transistor for auxiliary amplifier at a time of a backoff operation (MPEP 2114 (II), the manner of operating device does not differentiate apparatus claim from the prior. : A Doherty amplifier comprising: a transistor for main amplifier having a source-to-drain parasitic capacitance and operating in class AB; a transmission line whose input end is connected to an output end of the transistor for main amplifier and whose output end is connected to a composite point; a transistor for auxiliary amplifier having a source-to-drain parasitic capacitance and operating in class C; a series capacitor whose input end is connected to an output end of the transistor for auxiliary amplifier and whose output end is connected to the composite point, and to reduce a capacitance value of impedance seen from the composite point toward the output end of the transistor for auxiliary amplifier at a time of a backoff operation; and an output matching circuit connected between the composite point and a point of connection to an output load, and to match impedance at the composite point to impedance of the output load. “Apparatus claim cover what a device is, not what a device does”. See Hewlett-packard Co. V. Bausch & Lomb Inc., 909 F.2d 1464, 1469, 15 USPQ2d1525, 1528 (Fed. Cir. 1990). A claim containing a “recitation with respect to the manner in which a claimed apparatus is intended to be employed does not differentiate the claimed apparatus from a prior art apparatus” if the prior art apparatus teaches all the structure limitation of the claim. Ex Parte Masham, 2 USPQ2d 1647 (Bd. Pat. App. & Inter. 1987); and an output matching circuit (266) connected between the composite point and a point of connection to an output load, and to match impedance at the composite point to impedance of the output load as called for in claim 1.
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.
Claim(s) 3 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Toshiyuki (W0 2016203512A1) in view of JP 2006-245273A (prior art cited by the applicant).
Regarding claim 3, Toshiyuki reference discloses a Doherty amplifier comprising all the aspects of the present invention as noted above except the transmission line is a T-type circuit having a first serial transmission line whose end is connected to the input end thereof, a second serial transmission line whose first end is connected to the first serial transmission line and whose second end is connected to the output end thereof, and a parallel transmission line whose first end is connected to a point of connection between the first serial transmission line and the second serial transmission line and whose second end is short-circuited at high frequencies.
JP’s273’s figures 10-11 teaches that T configuration transmission line is configured to reduce occupancy area (see paragraphs 0060-0063). Therefore, it would have been obvious to person skilled in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to use T configuration transmission line in Toshiyuki’s circuit arrangement for the purpose of reducing occupancy area as taught by JP’s 273 reference.
Claim(s) 3 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Lamy (USP 11,784,610) in view of JP 2006-245273A (prior art cited by the applicant).
Regarding claim 3, Lamy reference discloses a Doherty amplifier comprising all the aspects of the present invention as noted above except the transmission line is a T-type circuit having a first serial transmission line whose end is connected to the input end thereof, a second serial transmission line whose first end is connected to the first serial transmission line and whose second end is connected to the output end thereof, and a parallel transmission line whose first end is connected to a point of connection between the first serial transmission line and the second serial transmission line and whose second end is short-circuited at high frequencies.
JP’s273’s figures 10-11 teaches that T configuration transmission line is configured to reduce occupancy area (see paragraphs 0060-0063). Therefore, it would have been obvious to person skilled in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to use T configuration transmission line in Lamy’s circuit arrangement for the purpose of reducing occupancy area as taught by JP’s 273 reference.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. In this regard, applicant’s cited prior art has been carefully considered. Kim et al. (USP 7,663,435) discloses a Doherty power amplifying apparatus includes a harmonic-controlled Doherty amplifier; and an input matching unit and an output matching unit for input matching and output matching the harmonic-controlled Doherty amplifier, respectively. The harmonic-controlled Doherty amplifier includes a carrier amplifier; a peaking amplifier arranged in parallel to the carrier amplifier; and a harmonic control circuit, arranged in front of the output matching unit, for controlling a harmonic component of an output of the Doherty amplifier to enable the Doherty amplifier to perform a switching or saturation operation.
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/TUAN T LAM/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2836 8/13/2026
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