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 .
Priority
Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
2. 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.
The factual inquiries for establishing a background for determining obviousness under 35 U.S.C. 103 are summarized as follows:
1. Determining the scope and contents of the prior art.
2. Ascertaining the differences between the prior art and the claims at issue.
3. Resolving the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art.
4. Considering objective evidence present in the application indicating obviousness or nonobviousness.
3. Claims 1, 12 and 13 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Lee KR 20220126352 A1 (cited by applicant) in view of Pan CN 114301492A (cited by applicant).
4. Consider claim 1. Lee teaches an electronic device (fig 1) comprising: a processor (120); a first radio frequency (RF) module (path including 221); a second RF module (path including 223); a coupler switch (240) operatively connected to the first RF module (path including 221) and the second RF module (path including 223); and a transceiver (210) operatively connected to the processor (120), the coupler switch (240), and the first RF module (path including 221), and the second RF module (path including 223), wherein the first RF module (path including 221) comprises: a first amplifier (221) configured to amplify signals of a first frequency band, and a first coupler (241) configured to generate a first feedback signal (via 301) with respect to the signals of the first frequency band, wherein the second RF module (path including 223) comprises: a second amplifier (223) configured to amplify signals of a second frequency band, and a second coupler (243) configured to generate a second feedback signal with respect to the signals of the second frequency band (… the transceiver 210 transmits a radio transmission signal for each operable radio frequency band…). Lee fails to teach wherein the coupler switch comprises: a filter configured to pass the signals of the first frequency band and to attenuate the signals of the second frequency band, and a plurality of switches, wherein the coupler switch is configured to selectively switch between a first path in which the first feedback signal passes through the filter, the first feedback signal being transferred to the transceiver and a second path in which the second feedback signal is transferred to the transceiver without passing through the filter, and wherein the processor is configured to alternately connect the coupler switch to the first path or the second path, based on an operation mode for transmitting the signals of the first frequency band and the signals of the second frequency band. However, Pan (figs 8-10) clear teaches such (…as shown in FIG. 10, CPL 1 the SA signal and ENDC signal (e.g., B3, B1 or B39) for FBRX detection, CPL 2 only to detect N41 or N77 or N78 signal. when in SA connection, the radio frequency link only has one signal, will not generate FBRX interference, the selectable frequency multi-path selection device is set as a through state (not shown in the figure signal path....). It would have been obvious before the effective date to substitute the coupler switch of Pan for that in Lee in order to filter on demand thus giving a cleaner signal.
5. Regarding claim 12. Lee teaches wherein the coupler switch (240) is separate from the first RF module and the second RF module.
6. Regarding claim 13. Lee teaches wherein the coupler switch is a switch module (…the coupler switch 240 may selectively provide a coupling signal to the transceiver 210 or the RF connector 250 ...)
7. Claims 11 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Lee KR 20220126352 A1 in view of Pan CN 114301492A further in view of Kim 20210083755 A1.
8. Regarding claim 11. The combination of Lee and Pan fail to teach the coupler switch is provided in the first RF module or the second RF module. However, Kim (fig 3) from the same field of endeavor teaches a coupler switch 314) in RF module 310. It would have been obvious to include it inside a RF module as taught by Kim since it would allow for faster switching.
9. Claims 14-20 are allowed.
Regarding claim 14. The prior art of record fails to teach or make obvious a communication device for supporting multiple frequency bands, the communication device comprising: a first radio frequency (RF) module; a second RF module; a coupler switch operatively connected to the first RF module and the second RF module; and a transceiver operatively connected to the first RF module, the second RF module, and the coupler switch, wherein the first RF module comprises: a first amplifier configured to amplify signals of a first frequency band, and a first coupler configured to generate a first feedback signal with respect to the signals of the first frequency band; wherein the second RF module comprises: a second amplifier configured to amplify signals of a second frequency band, and a second coupler configured to generate a second feedback signal with respect to the signals of the second frequency band; and wherein the coupler switch is configured to selectively transfer the first feedback signal or the second feedback signal to the transceiver based on a time division condition, wherein the coupler switch comprises: a filter configured to pass the signals of the first frequency band to pass, and attenuate the signals of the second frequency band; a first switch configured to selectively connect an output end with a first path that passes through the filter and a second path that does not pass through the filter, wherein the output end is connected to the transceiver; a second switch configured to selectively connect an input end with the first path that passes through the filter and the second path that does not pass through the filter; a third switch configured to selectively connect the first coupler and the input end; and a fourth switch configured to selectively connect the second coupler and the input end. Dependent claims 15-20 are allowable since they depend upon independent claim 14.
10. Claims 2-10 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.
Regarding claim 2. The prior art of record fails to teach of make obvious wherein the plurality of switches comprises: a first switch configured to selectively connect an output end of the coupler switch with the first path that passes through the filter and the second path that does not pass through the filter, wherein the output end of the coupler switch outputs the first feedback signal or the second feedback signal to the transceiver; a second switch configured to selectively connect an input end with the first path that passes through the filter and the second path that does not pass through the filter, wherein the first feedback signal or the second feedback signal is input to the input end; a third switch configured to selectively connect the first coupler and the input end; and a fourth switch configured to selectively connect the second coupler and the input end.
Dependent claims 3-10 are objected to since they depend upon claim 2.
11. The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Honda WO 2019044704A1 teaches (fig 5) a block diagram showing an example of a functional configuration of the amplification module disclosed in Patent Document 1. As shown in FIG. As shown in fig 5, the amplification module 900 may include a first switch 910, filters 921, 922, 923, amplifiers 931, 932, 933, and a second switch 940, and may further include a bypass path 924. The bypass path 924 bypasses the amplifiers 931, 932, 933 and provides a path in which the input signal from the first switch 910 to the second switch 940 is not amplified. The output end of the amplification module 900 is connected to an FEM (front end module) 950 by a single wiring, and the FEM 950 is connected to a radio frequency integrated circuit (RFIC) 960.
Pehlke CN 11511337 A teaches in fig 8 an electronic system 86C, which includes a switch assembly 96C and does not include a first B3 coupler 89 and a third B41 coupler 93. The switch assembly 96C includes a fifth notch filter 96E and a sixth notch filter 96F. A selectable notch filter is provided in the switch assembly 96C to provide the following tradeoff for each power detector: or (i) selecting a corresponding notch filter to reduce undesired signals at the cost of increasing the loss, or (ii) bypassing (bypassing) the corresponding notch filter at the expense of the undesired signal detected by the power detector.
Wu CN 108075803 A teaches (fig 4) the first switch 31, the second switch 32, the control circuit 33 and the filter module 34 can be packaged together so as to avoid increasing the printed circuit board (Printed Circuit Board, PCB) of the occupation and insertion loss reduction device better. for example, original filtering module is 1.1*0.9 * 0.8 mm of 34, but in practical application, the filtering module 34 may only occupy a portion of the whole PCB, therefore, in this embodiment the remaining space to package control circuit 33 and bypass passage. the packaging of the whole is also kept at 1.1*0.9 * 0.8 mm, such as outside than the switch and bypass circuit to save PCB area, additional reservation of pad pins can be the same, different from the conventional output control pin 333, and first switch 31 and second switch 32 between the bypass passage and the passage filter module 34 to switch.
Freisleben US 20190305831 teaches a wireless communication apparatus has multiple antennas (130) which include first and second antennas. A switched extractor (302) is coupled to the first antenna. An extractor is provided with multiple filters (222). The extractor extracts an extraction frequency band using the multiple filters. The switching circuitry is coupled to the extractor and a bypass line (212). The multiple transceiver units include a first transceiver unit and a second transceiver unit. The first transceiver unit is coupled to first antenna through switched extractor. The second transceiver unit is coupled to first antenna through switched extractor and coupled to second antenna. A processor is configured to cause the switching circuitry to selectively connect the first transceiver unit to the first antenna through the bypass signal path or through the concurrent signal path based on the extraction frequency band and an operational frequency band associated with the first transceiver unit.
Conclusion
12. Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to CURTIS A KUNTZ whose telephone number is (571)272-7499. The examiner can normally be reached on M-Th from 530am to 330pm and Fri from 530am to 10am.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Matthew D Anderson, can be reached at telephone number 5712724177. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/CURTIS A KUNTZ/Primary examiner, Art Unit 2646