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
This application is a continuation of International Application No. PCT/JP2022/035971, filed September 27, 2022, which claims priority to Japanese Patent Application No. 2021-159654, filed September 29, 2021.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 06/23/2024 is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
Drawings
The drawings are objected to as failing to comply with 37 CFR 1.84(p)(5) because they do not include the following reference sign(s) mentioned in the description: Paragraphs 147 and 150 describe reference numbers 181 and 182, but those numbers are not shown in figure 4. Corrected drawing sheets in compliance with 37 CFR 1.121(d) are required in reply to the Office action to avoid abandonment of the application. Any amended replacement drawing sheet should include all of the figures appearing on the immediate prior version of the sheet, even if only one figure is being amended. Each drawing sheet submitted after the filing date of an application must be labeled in the top margin as either “Replacement Sheet” or “New Sheet” pursuant to 37 CFR 1.121(d). If the changes are not accepted by the examiner, the applicant will be notified and informed of any required corrective action in the next Office action. The objection to the drawings will not be held in abeyance.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
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.
Claims 1-7 and 14-20 are 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.
Regarding claim 1, lines 10-11 state that the second integrated circuit includes a supply modulator and a pre regulator circuit, however, in the figures (fig. 4) the PR circuit is on the first IC 81. Par. 158 and the abstract also say they’re on different ICs. This makes it unclear and indefinite and contradicts with what is otherwise being shown. Appropriate correction is required. Claim 14 also has this same issue. Claims 2-7 and 15-20 inherit this rejection.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 1 and 14 would be allowable if rewritten or amended to overcome the rejection(s) under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), 2nd paragraph, set forth in this Office action. The prior art fails to teach first and second integrated circuits wherein a distance between the first integrated circuit and the capacitor is shorter than a distance between the second integrated circuit and the capacitor. The distance between these features plays an important role in the functionality of the circuit.
Claims 2-7 and 15-20 would be allowable if rewritten to overcome the rejection(s) under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), 2nd paragraph, set forth in this Office action and to include all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
Claims 8-13 are allowed.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter: The prior art fails to teach a second circuit that) includes:
a first output terminal,
a ninth switch coupled to (i) the first output terminal and (ii) the second end of the first switch, the second end of the second switch, the second end of the fifth switch, and the second end of the sixth switch, and
a tenth switch coupled to (i) the first output terminal and (ii) the second end of the third switch and the second end of the seventh switch,
the first switch, the second switch, the third switch, the fourth switch, the fifth switch, the sixth switch, the seventh switch, and the eighth switch are included in a first integrated circuit,
the ninth switch and the tenth switch are included in a second integrated circuit,
the first capacitor, the second capacitor, the first integrated circuit, and the second integrated circuit are disposed on the module laminate, and
a distance between the first integrated circuit and the first capacitor is shorter than a distance between the second integrated circuit and the first capacitor.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to NAREH SHAMIRYAN whose telephone number is (703)756-4616. The examiner can normally be reached M-F: 7:00AM-4:00PM PT.
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/NAREH SHAMIRYAN/Examiner, Art Unit 2843
/ANDREA LINDGREN BALTZELL/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2843
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