CTNF 18/619,743 CTNF 81182 DETAILED ACTION Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status 07-03-aia AIA 15-10-aia 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 07-30-02 AIA 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. 07-34-01 Claims 5-7 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. With respect to claim 5, the recitation of “wherein the distortion compensation amplifier circuit comprises: a first amplifier circuit configured to output a first amplified signal obtained by amplifying a first input signal distributed from the input signal, and a second amplifier circuit configured to output a second amplified signal obtained by amplifying a second input signal distributed from the input signal, a phase of the second input signal being different from a phase of the first input signal by 90 degrees” wherein the output amplifier circuit comprises: a peak amplifier circuit configured to amplify the first amplified signal, and a carrier amplifier circuit configured to amplify the second amplified signal, and wherein the first amplifier circuit comprises: a third amplifier configured to amplify a third signal distributed from the first input signal with a third gain, a fourth amplifier configured to amplify a fourth signal distributed from the first input signal with a fourth gain, the fourth amplifier being connected in parallel to the third amplifier, and a phase of the fourth signal being different from a phase of the third signal, and a first control circuit configured to control the third gain and the fourth gain based on the power of the input signal, thereby compensating for a change in a phase of the peak amplifier circuit with respect to a change in the power of the signal input to the peak amplifier circuit” cannot be understood. It cannot be understood if the recitation of “a first amplifier circuit” is the same, or different, than the recited “first amplifier” of claim 1. It cannot be understood if “a second amplifier circuit” is the same, or different, than the recited “second amplifier” of claim 1. Furthermore, it cannot be determined how the “distortion compensation amplifier circuit” of claim 1 is capable of having additional amplifying elements connected to peak amplifier as recited in claim 5, wherein the peak amplifier is included within the output amplifier of claim 1. Additionally, it cannot be determined how the “distortion compensation amplifier circuit” of claim 1 is capable of having additional amplifying elements connected to carrier amplifier as recited in claim 5, wherein the carrier amplifier is included within the output amplifier of claim. For instance, claim 1 requires “the distortion compensation is configured to output an amplified signal obtained by combining a signal output from the first amplifier and a signal output from the second amplifier” and claim 1 further requires the output amplifier circuit is “configured to output an output signal obtained by amplifying the amplified signa l”. The only circuitry capable of operating as required is disclosed in Figs. 1, 2A, 9 and 13. The only circuitry that includes both peak and carrier amplifiers are that of Figs. 10, 11 and 12. The above figures do not include the first and second amplifier and output amplifier of claim 1 and an additional first and second amplifier circuit in the distortion compensation circuit in combination with a peak and a carrier amplifier connected and operative as cited in claim 5. There is no circuitry connected and operative as recited in claim 5. Thus, claim 5 cannot be understood. It seems that Applicant may be attempting to claim a different invention from the originally presented invention of claim 1. It is noted that there are distinct inventions disclosed in the current application and future amendments may require a restriction of inventions and/or election of species. As presently claimed it cannot be understood if distinct inventions and/or species are claimed. With respect to claim 6, claim 6 is rejected for the same reasons as claim 5. Additionally, it cannot be understood which embodiment of Applicant’s invention includes the second amplifier comprising the fifth and sixth amplifiers connected as claimed in combination with the circuitry as recited in claim 1. It is further noted that the amplifier of 140a of Figs. 10, 11 and 12 “does not have the function of adjusting phase characteristic” according to paragraph 0090 of the instant specification. There is no disclosure of six distinct amplifiers of the distortion compensation circuit as required by claims 1, 5 and 6. Claim 7 is rejected for essentially the same reasons as claims 5 and 6. Drawings 06-36 AIA The drawings are objected to under 37 CFR 1.83(a). The drawings must show every feature of the invention specified in the claims. Therefore, the claimed amplifier circuitry of claims 5-7 in combination with the claimed amplifier circuitry as recited (see above rejection of claims 5-7 under 35 U.S.C. section 112) must be shown or the feature(s) canceled from the claim(s). No new matter should be entered. 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. The figure or figure number of an amended drawing should not be labeled as “amended.” If a drawing figure is to be canceled, the appropriate figure must be removed from the replacement sheet, and where necessary, the remaining figures must be renumbered and appropriate changes made to the brief description of the several views of the drawings for consistency. Additional replacement sheets may be necessary to show the renumbering of the remaining figures. 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 § 102 07-06 AIA 15-10-15 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. 07-07-aia AIA 07-07 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 – 07-08-aia AIA (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. 07-12-aia AIA (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. 07-15-aia AIA Claim(s) 1 and 2 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102 (a)(1) as being anticipated by Bingham (USPN 7,541,868) . With respect to claim 1, Bingham discloses, in Fig. 1, a power amplifier circuit (Fig. 1) comprising: a distortion compensation amplifier circuit (56, 54, 30, 44, 36, 36, 46, 38 and 40) that comprises: a first amplifier (44, which is a variable gain amplifier, see Col. 3 lines 46-48, or, alternatively, 44 with 36 and 39) configured to amplify a first signal (32) distributed from an input signal (INPUT via 24 and 30) with a first gain (gain set by 54, i.e., gain of A), a second amplifier (46, or, alternatively, 44 with 38) configured to amplify a second signal (34) that is distributed from the input signal (INPUT via 24 and 30) with a second gain (gain set by 56, i.e., 1-A), a phase of the second signal being different from a phase of the first signal (due to the difference in delay times of 36 and 38, see Col. 4 lines 4-10, and/or the shift from phase shifter of 39), and the second amplifier being connected in parallel to the first amplifier (the amplifiers are split in parallel paths), and a control circuit (58, 66, 64, 50 and 48), wherein the distortion compensation is configured to output an amplified signal (42/OUT) obtained by combining (combining provided by 40) a signal output from the first amplifier (output of 44/39) and a signal output from the second amplifier (output 46/38); and an output amplifier circuit (20) configured to output an output signal (output of 20) obtained by amplifying the amplified signal (20 amplifies OUT), wherein the control circuit is configured to control the first gain and the second gain based on power of the input signal (INPUT is split by 24 into 52, wherein 50 and 48 control 56 and 54 to control the gain of 44 and 46 based, at least in part, on the power/level of the input signal provided to 52), thereby compensating for a change in a phase of the output amplifier circuit with respect to a change in the power of the signal input to the output amplifier circuit (the circuit controls the gain to adjust for phase distortion according to changes in the input signal power/level, see Col. 2 lines 11-18). With respect to claim 2, the power amplifier circuit according to Claim 1, wherein the distortion compensation amplifier circuit further comprises a bias circuit (56 and 54) configured to supply a first bias to the first amplifier (output of 56) and a second bias to the second amplifier (output of 54), and wherein the control circuit is further configured to control the first bias and the second bias based on the power of the input signal (58, 66, 64, 58 and 48 control 56 and 54 to provide the bias voltages according to the power/level of the input signal) . Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103 07-06 AIA 15-10-15 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. 07-20-aia AIA 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. 07-21-aia AIA Claim (s) 4 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Bingham (USPN 7,541,868) in view of Iwai et al. (USPN 6,114,911) . With respect to claim 4, Bingham merely discloses that the output amplifier (20) is a generic power amplifier circuit (see Col. 2 lines 21-26) and fails to disclose the specific details of the power amplifier circuit. Thus Bingham fails to disclose, the power amplifier circuit according to Claim 1, wherein the output amplifier circuit comprises: a second distribution circuit configured to distribute the amplified signal into a first amplified signal and a second amplified signal, a phase of the second amplified signal being different from a phase of the first amplified signal by 180 degrees, a third amplifier configured to output a first output signal obtained by amplifying the first amplified signal, a fourth amplifier configured to output a second output signal obtained by amplifying the second amplified signal, and a combining circuit configured to output the output signal obtained by combining the first output signal and the second output signal”. However, Iwai et al. discloses, in Fig. 1, a specific power amplifier (Fig. 1) comprising: a second distribution circuit (2) configured to distribute the amplified signal (1) into a first amplified signal (output of 2 to 3) and a second amplified signal (output of 2 to 9), a phase of the second amplified signal being different from a phase of the first amplified signal by 180 degrees (see Col. 3 liens 32-36), a third amplifier configured to output a first output signal obtained by amplifying the first amplified signal (5 amplifying the first output signal and providing an output to 8), a fourth amplifier configured to output a second output signal obtained by amplifying the second amplified signal (10 amplifying the second output signal and providing an output 8) a combining circuit configured to output the output signal obtained by combining the first output signal and the second output signal (8 combines the amplified signals, see Col. 4 lines 43-47). The power amplifier of Iwai et al. has a high efficiency. It would have been obvious to replace the generic power amplifier 20 of Bingham with the specific power amplifier of Fig. 1 of Iwai et al. for purpose of having a highly efficient power amplifier . 07-21-aia AIA Claim (s) 13 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Bingham (USPN 7,541,868) in view of Ichitsubo et al. (USPN 11,515,617) . With respect to claim 13, Bingham fails to disclose the details of the construction of the integrated circuit of Fig. 1. Thus, Bingham fails to disclose, the power amplifier circuit according to Claim 1, “wherein the distortion compensation amplifier circuit is on a silicon substrate, and wherein the output amplifier circuit is on a compound semiconductor substrate.” However, Ichitsubo et al. discloses, in Figs. 9, 18A and 18D, that it is obvious to separate circuit elements (e.g., power amplifiers, see 830/1804 of Figs. 9, 18A and 18D, and phase shifters/bias circuits, i.e., circuits similar to the distortion compensation circuit of Bingham, see Figs. 816/806 of Figs. 9, 18 and 19D) onto separate chips and/or circuit substrates. Furthermore, Ichitsubo et al. discloses constructing the chips/substrates from silicon (i.e., SOI) and/or a compound substrate (i.e., GaAs), (see Col. 19 lines 18-22. It would have been obvious to construct the distortion compensation amplifier circuit of Bingham on a first chip and the power amplifier on a second chip, as since it has been held that constructing a formerly integral structure in various elements involves only routine skill in the art, Nerwin v. Erlichman, 168 USPQ 177, 179. Furthermore, Ichitsubo et al. further evidences that it is known to construct circuitry on separate chips. One would have been motivated to do so to make it easier to replace/repair damaged circuit components. Additionally, it would have been obvious to construct the distortion compensation amplifier circuit of Bingham on a silicon substrate (SOI) and the power amplifier on a compound (GaAs) substrate, since such technologies are commonly used to construct such devices as evidenced by Ichitsubo et al. It would have been obvious to do so for the purpose of having a specific/desired substrate characteristics and according to the circuitry/chips available at the time of construction of the circuit of Bingham . Allowable Subject Matter 12-151-08 AIA 07-43 12-51-08 Claim s 3 and 8-12 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. Conclusion Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Thomas J. Hiltunen whose telephone number is (571)272-5525. The examiner can normally be reached 9:00AM-5:30PM EST M-F. 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 http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice. If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Menatoallah Youssef can be reached at (571)270-3684. 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 https://www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/patent-center for more information about Patent Center and https://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. /THOMAS J. HILTUNEN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2836 Application/Control Number: 18/619,743 Page 2 Art Unit: 2836 Application/Control Number: 18/619,743 Page 3 Art Unit: 2836 Application/Control Number: 18/619,743 Page 4 Art Unit: 2836 Application/Control Number: 18/619,743 Page 5 Art Unit: 2836 Application/Control Number: 18/619,743 Page 6 Art Unit: 2836 Application/Control Number: 18/619,743 Page 7 Art Unit: 2836 Application/Control Number: 18/619,743 Page 8 Art Unit: 2836 Application/Control Number: 18/619,743 Page 9 Art Unit: 2836 Application/Control Number: 18/619,743 Page 10 Art Unit: 2836 Application/Control Number: 18/619,743 Page 11 Art Unit: 2836 Application/Control Number: 18/619,743 Page 12 Art Unit: 2836
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