DETAILED ACTION
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statements (IDS) submitted 11/28/2025, 12/30/2025, 3/12/2026 are in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97 and being considered by the examiner.
Response to Amendment
The amendments filed 2/2/2026 and 3/24/2026 have been entered. The applicant has amended claims 1, 2, 9, 11, and 18. Claims 1-20 remain pending in the application.
Response to Argument
Applicant's arguments, pages 8-10 of the remarks filed 2/2/2026 and pages 8-11 of the remarks filed 3/24/2026, have been fully considered but found not persuasive. Because the remarks filed 3/24/2026 (“Remarks”) include both sets of arguments, the examiner will be referring thereto.
Regarding the 102 rejection of claims 1-2, 9-11, 18-20 over Sinha PGPUB 2009/0289526 in the office action mailed 11/13/2025 (FAOM at 2-5), the Applicant argues (Remarks at 11):
Clearly, the "portion 800b" is irrelevant to the "coupled resonator filter (CRF) tuning circuit" in claim 1 as "portion 800b is referred to as the shunt filter portion." In this regard, the "device portion 800a" and the "device portion 800c" are respectively equated with the "ferroelectric input resonator" and the "ferroelectric output resonator" in claim 1, then Sinha would only disclose the "device portion 800a" and the "device portion 800c" that include the "patterned electrodes 833a, 833c" and the "common electrode 831." In this regard, Figures 10A and 10C of Sinha also fail to teach the "CRF structure" in claim 1, wherein the "ferroelectric output resonator" includes "a first output electrode different from the first input electrode and a second output electrode different from the second input electrode." (emphasis in original).
The examiner respectfully disagrees. First, the applicant’s assertion that “portion 800b is irrelevant to the coupled resonator filter (CRF) tuning circuit” is not supported by the evidence. The portion 800b was correctly identified in the FAOM as the claimed ferroelectric tuning resonator (Fig. 10A of Sinha annotated, FAOM at 4-5). Describing Figs. 10A-C, Sinha discloses that “the center frequency of the [entire] device is adjusted by controlling the bias to shunt portion [800b] defined by electrodes 832a, 833a” (¶59).
Second, as set forth in the FAOM at 4-5, Sinha also discloses “wherein the ferroelectric output resonator (800c) includes a first output electrode (833c) different from the first input electrode (833b) and a second output electrode (832c) different from the second input electrode (832b).
For the foregoing reasons, the rejection of claims 1-2, 9-11, 18-20 is maintained, as set forth below.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
The text of those sections of Title 35, U.S. Code not included in this action can be found in a prior Office action.
Claims 1-2, 9-11, 18-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2009/0289526 A1, published Nov. 26, 2009 (“Sinha”).
Sinha discloses in Figs. 10A-C and the corresponding description:
Claims 1, 9-10, 18-20
A coupled resonator filter (CRF) tuning circuit (Figs. 10A-C, ¶¶53-60) comprising:
a CRF structure (¶¶53-60) comprising:
a ferroelectric input resonator (Fig. 10A, annotated below, 800a) comprising a first input electrode (Figs. 10A-C, 833b) and a second input electrode (Figs. 10A-C, 832b) and a ferroelectric output resonator (800c) comprising a first output electrode different from the first input electrode (Figs. 10A-C, 833c) and a second output electrode different from the second input electrode (Figs. 10A-C, 832c), the first input electrode, the second input electrode, the first output electrode, and the second output electrode are coupled by a piezoelectric layer (Figs. 10A-C, layer 820; ¶¶53-54; 57-59); and
a ferroelectric tuning resonator (Fig. 10A-C, 800b) coupled to the ferroelectric input resonator and the ferroelectric output resonator via a coupling layer (Figs. 10A-C, layer 840); and
a tuning controller (¶60, “a square-wave oscillator”) configured to cause the coupling layer to be polarized relative to one of the ferroelectric input resonator and the ferroelectric output resonator to thereby modify a filter bandwidth of the CRF structure ((¶¶15,18-19, 42-43, 48-49, 53-60).
Regarding claims 9-10, Sinha discloses that the CRF tuning circuit may be used in radio receivers, microwave components, resonators, RF and IF filters, mixers, varactors and other wireless devices (¶60).
Regarding claims 18-20, Sinha discloses that “in practical operation, the circuits that apply the bias to the paraelectric material will actually limit the bandwidth of the change of state due to the rapidity with which the path length through the paraelectric material changes in response to a change in bias voltage” (¶¶15,18-19, 42-43, 48-49, 53-60).
PNG
media_image1.png
717
1234
media_image1.png
Greyscale
Claims 2 and 11
wherein the piezoelectric layer (Figs. 10A-C, 820) is provided between the first input electrode and the second input electrode (Figs. 10A-C, 820);
the piezoelectric layer is provided between the first output electrode and the second output electrode (Figs. 10A-C, 820); and
the ferroelectric tuning resonator (Fig. 10A-C, 800b) comprises:
a first tuning electrode (Figs. 10A-C, 832a) coupled to the coupling layer (Figs. 10A-C, 840);
a tuning piezoelectric layer (Figs. 10A-C, 820) coupled to the first tuning electrode (Figs. 10A-C, 833a); and
a second tuning electrode (Figs. 10A-C, 833a) coupled to the tuning piezoelectric layer.
Conclusion
THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to VICTOR COLE, telephone number (571) 272-4686. The examiner can be reached Monday-Friday, 9AM-5PM ET.
Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, ANDREA LINDGREN BALTZELL, can be reached at (571) 272-5918. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is (571) 273-8300.
Information regarding the status of published or unpublished applications may be obtained from Patent Center. Unpublished application information in Patent Center is available to registered users. To file and manage patent submissions in Patent Center, visit: https://patentcenter.uspto.gov. Visit www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/patent-center for more information about Patent Center and www.uspto.gov/patents/docx for information about filing in DOCX format. For additional questions, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at (866) 217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative, call (800) 786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or (571) 272-1000.
/VICTOR COLE/
Examiner, Art Unit 2843
/ANDREA LINDGREN BALTZELL/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2843
Prosecution Insights