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 § 112
2. 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.
3.Claim 14 is 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.
4. Regarding claim 14, the phrase “for instance” renders the claim indefinite because it is unclear whether the limitation(s) following the phrase are part of the claimed invention. See MPEP § 2173.05(d).
Claim Rejections – 35 USC § 102
5. 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.
6. 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.
7. Claim(s) 1-12 and 14-19 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Saeki (US 5218313 A).
For claim 1. Saeki discloses A signal generator system (Abstract, figures 1, 5 and 6, column 21 lines 31-50; column 23 lines 43-53) for generating a high frequency output signal, the signal generator system comprising: a base device (figure 1, the reference signal generator 105), wherein the base device comprises a radio frequency output port via which a radio frequency signal is outputted (i.e. output 100MHz signal); a frequency extension device (figures 5 and 6, signal generator 11), wherein the frequency extension device comprises: exactly one radio frequency input port that is connected with the radio frequency output port of the base device (figure 6, port of 11a receiving the 100MHz signal); at least one high frequency output port (figure 6, output port coupled to switches S23, S24 and S25), a low frequency path (figure 6, path via S1) and at least one high frequency path (figure 6, path via S2); a signal distribution circuit (figure 6, splitter node before S1 and S2) that is connected to the radio frequency input port of the frequency extension device, the low frequency path and the at least one high frequency path; a switch located in the low frequency path (figure 6, switch S1); and a combining circuit (figure 6, combining node at the output of switches S23, S24 and S25) connected with the low frequency path, the at least one high frequency path and the at least one high frequency output port of the frequency extension device.
For claim 2. The signal generator system according to claim 1, Saeki discloses wherein the low frequency path and the at least one high frequency path both originate from the signal distribution circuit and both end at the combining circuit, and wherein the low frequency path and the at least one high frequency path are parallel to each other (figure 6).
For claim 3. The signal generator system according to claim 1, Saeki discloses wherein the combining circuit is configured to combine a low frequency signal forwarded via the low frequency path and a high frequency signal forwarded via the at least one high frequency path, thereby obtaining a combined signal that is forwarded to the at least one high frequency output port of the frequency extension device (column 16, lines 16-31: “combining the outputs of the first and the second signal generator”, figure 5 generator 11 and generator 12 as the high and low paths with single input of the 100MHz, and combiner/mixer 13).
For claim 4. The signal generator system according to claim 1, Saeki discloses wherein the switch located in the low frequency path is an isolator switch (figure 6, switch S1).
For claim 5. The signal generator system according to claim 1, Saeki discloses wherein the switch has an open switching state in which signal forwarding via the low frequency path is interrupted and a closed switching state in which signal forwarding via the low frequency path is permitted (figure 6, switch S1).
For claim 6. The signal generator system according to claim 1, Saeki discloses wherein the switch is a single pole multiple throw switch or a shunt switch (figure 6, switch S1).
For claim 7. The signal generator system according to claim 1, Saeki discloses wherein the switch is located between the signal distribution circuit and the combining circuit (figure 6, switch S1 or S3).
For claim 8. The signal generator system according to claim 1, Saeki discloses wherein the switch is separately formed with respect to the signal distribution circuit and the combining circuit (figure 6, switch S1 or S3).
For claim 9. The signal generator system according to claim 1, Saeki discloses wherein the signal distribution circuit (figure 6, splitter node before S1 and S2) separates the low frequency path and the at least one high frequency path from each other in a galvanic manner (figure 6, column 11 lines 16-27).
For claim 10. The signal generator system according to claim 1, Saeki discloses wherein the signal distribution circuit comprises a coupling circuit via which the low frequency path and the at least one high frequency path both are connected to the radio frequency input port of the frequency extension device (figure 6, splitter node before S1 and S2 for coupling signals into the paths).
For claim 11. The signal generator system according to claim 1, Saeki discloses wherein the signal distribution circuit comprises a switching circuit having a first switching position in which the input port of the frequency extension device is connected to the at least one high frequency path and a second switching position in which the input port of the frequency extension device is connected to the low frequency path (figure 6, splitter node plus switches S1 and S2).
For claim 12. The signal generator system according to claim 1, Saeki discloses wherein the base device and the frequency extension device are separately formed devices which are connected with each other by a single radio frequency line (figures 1 and 5-6, base device 105, frequency extension device 106 or 11 with one connected line for transmitting 100MHz reference signal).
For claim 14. The signal generator system according to claim 1, Saeki discloses wherein the combining circuit comprises a switch, a mixer and/or a coupler, for instance a forward coupler (figure 6, combining node at the output of switches S23, S24 and S25 for coupling signals from the paths).
For claim 15. The signal generator system according to claim 1, Saeki discloses wherein at least one of an amplifier and a frequency multiplier is located in the at least one high frequency path (figure 6: multiplier 11f, amplifier 11a; figure 5 generator 11 and generator 12 as the high and low frequency paths with single input of the 100MHz, and combiner/mixer 13).
For claim 16. The signal generator system according to claim 1, Saeki discloses wherein the base device comprises a control interface and/or a power supply interface (figures 5 and 9, control section 27).
For claim 17. The signal generator system according to claim 16, Saeki discloses wherein the base device is connected with the frequency extension device via the control interface and/or the power supply interface in order to forward a control signal for controlling frequency output range of the frequency extension device and/or a power supply to the frequency extension device (figures 5 and 9, control section 27 outputs Control Data P and Q to the first and second signal generators 11 and 12).
For claim 18. The signal generator system according to claim 17, Saeki discloses wherein the base device comprises an internal control circuit configured to control the control signal and/or the power supply to be forwarded to the frequency extension device via the control interface and/or the power supply interface (figures 5 and 9, control sections 27 and 28 as the base device).
For claim 19. The signal generator system according to claim 16, Saeki discloses wherein the control interface is a Local Area Network interface and/or wherein the power supply interface is a Local Area Network interface (figures 5 and 9, circuitry network interface between control section 27 and generator 11).
Claim Rejections – 35 USC § 103
8. 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.
9. 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.
10. 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.
11. Claim(s) 13 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Saeki (US 5218313 A) in view of Kapetanic (US 6163223 A).
For claim 13. The signal generator system according to claim 1, Saeki fails to mention wherein the at least one high frequency output port of the frequency extension device is a coaxial output port or a waveguide output port.
Kapetanic discloses (column 6 lines 1-10) a circuit transmission line is a typical coaxial transmission line segment, a waveguide segment, a strip line segment or a microstrip segment, depending upon the frequency range of the PLL output signal.
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to incorporate the selection techniques taught by Kapetanic into the art of Saeki as to improve signal transmission at the output of the frequency extension device by using well known coaxial or waveguide transmission line.
Conclusion
Any response to this Office Action should be faxed to (571) 273-8300, submitted online via the USPTO's Electronic Filing System-Web (EFS-Web) (Registered eFilers only, Registered users of the USPTO's EFS-Web system may submit a response electronically through EFS-Web at https://efs.uspto.gov/TruePassSample/AuthenticateUserLocalEPF.html), or mailed to:
Commissioner for Patents
P.O. Box 1450
Alexandria, VA 22313-1450
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Rui Meng Hu whose telephone number is 571-270-1105, email is ruimeng.hu@uspto.gov. The examiner can normally be reached on Monday - Friday, 8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m., EST.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Jinsong Hu can be reached on (571)272-3965. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/Rui Meng Hu/
R.H./rh
June 2, 2026
/JINSONG HU/ Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2643
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