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 .
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.
Election/Restrictions
Applicant’s election without traverse of Group I (Claims 1-8 and 17-19) in the reply filed on 01/13/2026 is acknowledged. Non-elected claims from Group II (Claims 9-16) have been withdrawn by Applicant.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 03/22/2024 has been considered by the examiner.
Oath/Declaration
Oath/Declaration as file 03/22/2024 is noted by the Examiner.
Claim Objections
Claim 17 is objected to because of the following informalities:
Claim 17 disclosed the limitation “…the first transmission positioned to couple a first portion of the first transmission line…”. The underlined limitation in question appears to refer to “the first transmission line” limitation disclosed earlier in Claim 1. If this is the case, then please change the underlined limitation to “the first transmission line”.
Appropriate correction is required.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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.
(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 and 3-8 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1)/102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Lin et al. US 2021/0194451 (Hereinafter Lin).
Regarding claim 1, Lin teaches a broadband balun structure (Figs. 1-3C; wideband balun), comprising:
a single-ended port (Figs. 1-3C; Port 1);
a balanced port (Figs. 1-3C; Port 2);
a first transmission line (Figs. 1-3C; first transmission line, TL1) connected between the single-ended port (Figs. 1-3C; Port 1) and one side of the balanced port (Figs. 1-3C; Port 2); and
a second transmission line (Figs. 1-3C; second transmission line, TL2) connected to the other side of the balanced port (Figs. 1-3C; Port 2),
the first transmission line (Figs. 1-3C; first transmission line, TL1) positioned to allow coupling of a first portion of the first transmission line (Figs. 1-3C; first transmission line, TL1) simultaneously to both a second portion of the first transmission line (Figs. 1-3C; first transmission line, TL1) and a portion of the second transmission line (Figs. 1-3C; second transmission line, TL2).
Regarding claim 3, Lin further teaches the broadband balun structure as claimed in claim 1, wherein the second portion of the first transmission line (Figs. 1-3C; first transmission line, TL1) is positioned to allow coupling simultaneously to a third portion of the first transmission line (Figs. 1-3C; first transmission line, TL1).
Regarding claim 4, Lin further teaches the broadband balun structure as claimed in claim 1, wherein the transmission lines comprise one of stripline or microstrip ([0028]: “…a balun can be fabricated using transmission lines rather than lumped inductors. In a first example, a coupled transmission line balun can be formed using coplanar striplines, also referred to as micro-striplines…”).
Regarding claim 5, Lin further teaches the broadband balun structure as claimed in claim 4, wherein the coupling comprises broadside coupling of parallel line portions (Figs. 1-3C; first transmission line, TL1; second transmission line, TL2).
Regarding claim 6, Lin further teaches the broadband balun structure as claimed in claim 4, wherein the coupling comprises parallel-plate coupling of at least partially overlapped line portions on different layers (Figs. 1-3C; first transmission line, TL1; second transmission line, TL2).
Regarding claim 7, Lin further teaches the broadband balun structure as claimed in claim 4, wherein coupled portions of the first and second transmission lines are narrower than uncoupled portions of the first and second transmission lines (Figs. 1-3C; first transmission line, TL1; second transmission line, TL2).
Regarding claim 8, Lin further teaches the broadband balun structure as claimed in claim 4, wherein coupled portions of the first and second transmission lines positioned to couple simultaneously to two other line portions are narrower than portions coupled to only one other line portion (Figs. 1-3C; first transmission line, TL1; second transmission line, TL2).
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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.
Claim(s) 2 and 17 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Lin in view of Knierim et al. US 2013/0022133 (Hereinafter Knierim).
Regarding claim 2, Lin teaches The broadband balun structure as claimed in claim 1, but not specifically wherein the second transmission line also connects to a termination component.
However, Knierim does teach wherein the second transmission line also connects to a termination component (Figs. 3, 4; termination resistor, 60).
It would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the wideband balun of Lin by implementing the teachings of Knierim regarding wherein the second transmission line also connects to a termination component; in order to “maintain an overall flat response without the additional noise or dynamic range penalties of active cable compensation circuits” (See Knierim; Abstract).
Regarding claim 17, Lin teaches a system (Figs. 1-3C), comprising:
at least one balun structure (Figs. 1-3C; wideband balun) comprising:
a single-ended port (Figs. 1-3C; Port 1);
a balanced port having first and second sides (Figs. 1-3C; Port 2);
a first transmission line (Figs. 1-3C; first transmission line, TL1) connected between the single-ended port (Figs. 1-3C; Port 1) and the first side of the balanced port (Figs. 1-3C; Port 2); and
a second transmission line (Figs. 1-3C; second transmission line, TL2) connected to the second side of the balanced port (Figs. 1-3C; Port 2),
the first transmission (Figs. 1-3C; first transmission line, TL1) positioned to couple a first portion of the first transmission line (Figs. 1-3C; first transmission line, TL1) simultaneously to both the second portion of the first transmission line (Figs. 1-3C; first transmission line, TL1) and a portion of the second transmission line (Figs. 1-3C; second transmission line, TL2).
Lin does not specifically teach a test and measurement system, comprising: a test and measurement instrument.
However, Knierim does teach a test and measurement system, comprising: a test and measurement instrument (Fig. 2; [0019]).
It would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the wideband balun of Lin by implementing the teachings of Knierim regarding a test and measurement system, comprising: a test and measurement instrument; in order to “maintain an overall flat response without the additional noise or dynamic range penalties of active cable compensation circuits” (See Knierim; Abstract).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 18 and 19 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.
The following is an examiner’s statement of reasons for allowance:
Regarding claim 18, the prior art does not teach or suggest, in combination with the rest of the limitations of claims 17,
“…further comprising a probe connected to the test and measurement instrument by a cable, wherein the at least one balun structure comprises one balun structure having the balanced port connected to the probe and the single-ended port connected to the cable.”
Regarding claim 19, the prior art does not teach or suggest, in combination with the rest of the limitations of claims 17,
“…the test and measurement instrument further comprising an input amplifier, and the at least one balun structure comprises one balun structure having the singled-ended port connected to an input connector and a balanced port connected to the input amplifier.”
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Hickle US 2022/0385261 - Techniques are provided for a broadband microwave/millimeter-wave balanced-to-unbalanced transformer (balun).
Kirkeby US 2007/0176707 - The present invention is directed to a balun that includes a first coupler structure having a first port of a balanced port pair and an unbalanced port.
Zhao et al. US 2004/0017266 - A balun and transformer system (201) is provided in which a balun (112) is cascaded between two 4:1 impedance transformers (102, 110) to form a 16:1 broadband impedance transformation for push-pull amplifier applications (200). The balun (112) is configured in a Marchand configuration.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to RAUL J RIOS RUSSO whose telephone number is (571)270-3459. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday: 10am-6pm, EST.
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/RAUL J RIOS RUSSO/Examiner, Art Unit 2858