CTNF 18/629,634 CTNF 91895 DETAILED ACTION 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 § 103 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. 07-23-aia AIA The factual inquiries set forth in Graham v. John Deere Co. , 383 U.S. 1, 148 USPQ 459 (1966), that are applied 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. Claims 1-4 and 13-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable Wang (US 2016/0013757) in view of Tseng (US 9,985,590) and the common knowledge of a person having ordinary skill in the art. To avoid repetition, independent claims 1, 14, and 17 are grouped together as they share substantially similar core limitations directed to a system or method for receiving a signal indicating an increase in expected power/modulation, increasing power at a power amplifier in response, and subsequently reducing the power after processing. PNG media_image1.png 393 823 media_image1.png Greyscale Fig. 2 of Wang reproduced for ease of reference. Wang teaches a system and method comprising a power amplifier (PA 212) and a controller (PA controller 208) configured to control the operation of the power amplifier. Wang discloses receiving a first signal indicating an increase in expected power or modulation; specifically, the PA controller 208 includes a receiving mechanism 302 that receives baseband signal level information (expected power) from a baseband DSP 202 (FIG. 3; paragraph [0028]). Wang teaches that in response to receiving the signal indicating the level exceeds a predetermined threshold (an increase in expected power/modulation), the controller outputs a control signal to increase the bias voltage or bias current at the power amplifier to place it in a high power back-off mode (increasing power) (FIG. 4, acts 406, 408; paragraphs [0025], [0029]). Finally, Wang teaches reducing power at the power amplifier after the processing is complete; specifically, when the signal level returns to normal, the PA controller decreases the bias voltage, returning the PA to its normal mode (FIG. 4, act 410; paragraphs [0025], [0030]). Wang, however, does not explicitly use the term "Front-End Module (FEM)" to describe the housing of the power amplifier. Furthermore, Wang does not explicitly describe the transmissions in discrete units of "packets" (e.g., increasing power for one or more packets, or processing a first packet and then reducing power). Finally, regarding dependent claim 4 , Wang does not explicitly specify that the increased modulation is "Modulation and Coding Scheme (MCS) 0". Tseng, which is in the same field of endeavor (adaptive power amplifier supplies), teaches dynamically adjusting power supplied to a PA for specific, discrete transmission phases. Specifically, Tseng teaches actively identifying a "target transmit power level" prior to a transmission and adjusting the power supply for the PA during "gap periods" when the communication system is not actively transmitting (Col. 7, lines 54-58; Col. 8, lines 34-42). Regarding the missing terminology, it is common knowledge in the art of RF circuit design that a PA and its immediate associated circuitry are routinely integrated into a single "Front-End Module (FEM)." Furthermore, it is common knowledge that modern digital wireless communication systems—such as the OFDM systems explicitly discussed by Wang (paragraph [0019])—inherently transmit data in discrete units known as "packets." Thus, Tseng's teaching of adjusting power during a "gap period" for an upcoming "transmit phase 303" (Col. 7, lines 43-46) perfectly corresponds to adjusting power on a per-packet basis. Finally, regarding claim 4, it is well known in the art that 802.11 OFDM standards utilize Modulation and Coding Scheme (MCS) indices (such as MCS 0) to define modulation states, and tracking these specific indices to anticipate Peak-to-Average Power Ratios (PAPR) is a standard implementation detail. It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the adaptive power amplifier system of Wang to integrate the PA into a Front-End Module (FEM) and to apply the dynamic power/bias adjustment on a discrete packet-by-packet basis. Specifically, it would have been obvious to apply Wang's bias increase to specific packets having increased expected modulation (such as MCS 0) and to execute these increases and subsequent reductions during the gap periods between packets, as taught by Tseng. The motivation to integrate the PA into an FEM is to reduce physical footprint and minimize parasitic signal losses, which is standard industry practice. The motivation to modify Wang's dynamic power back-off system to operate on a discrete, packet-by-packet basis during gap periods (as taught by Tseng) is to "reduce the possibility of distorting the signal being amplified by the power amplifier during transmission" (Col. 8, lines 36-39). A person of ordinary skill in the art would recognize that combining Wang's dynamic bias tracking with Tseng's packet-by-packet gap-period adjustment yields the predictable result of maximizing the overall power efficiency of the transmitter for specific high-PAPR modulation schemes (like MCS 0), without clipping or distorting the active wireless transmission itself. Regarding claims 2, 3, 15, 16, 19, and 20 (Receiving a second signal and reducing power), Wang teaches generating a control signal (a second signal) to place the power amplifier in a normal mode, which reduces the bias/power, in response to determining that the baseband signal level no longer exceeds the threshold (indicating a decrease in expected power or modulation) (FIG. 4, act 410; paragraph [0030]). Wang, however, does not explicitly use the terminology of a "second packet" corresponding to the decreased modulation signal. Tseng, in a similar field of endeavor, teaches continuously adjusting the power supply dynamically for different target transmit power levels. It is common knowledge in the art that modern digital baseband signals (like OFDM) are transmitted in discrete packets. It would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art to apply Wang's control mechanism on a packet-by-packet basis, generating a second control signal to reduce power for a subsequent second packet that has decreased modulation. To ensure the power amplifier operates with high efficiency (low DC power consumption) during periods (or packets) where the peak-to-average power ratio (PAPR) is low, maximizing overall system efficiency. Regarding claim 13 (Increasing saturation power), Wang teaches increasing the bias voltage of the power amplifier to place it in a high-power back-off mode to accommodate high signal peaks (paragraph [0025]). Wang does not explicitly use the exact phrase "increasing saturation power." A person of ordinary skill in the art recognizes that increasing the bias voltage or supply voltage of an RF power amplifier inherently increases its 1-dB compression point, which is the definition of increasing its saturation power. It would have been obvious to configure the bias increase taught by Wang to actively increase the saturation power of the power amplifier to prevent the amplifier from compressing or saturating the signal during high peak-to-average power ratio (PAPR) events, thereby avoiding non-linear signal distortion. Regarding claim 18 (Increasing power prior to receiving the first packet) Wang teaches adjusting the power amplifier's operation point based on the incoming baseband signal. Wang, however, does not explicitly specify the timing of the power increase occurring prior to the amplifier receiving the packet. Tseng teaches executing a "power supply adjustment phase 301" during gap periods prior to the active "transmit phase 303" (Col. 7, lines 36-46). It would have been obvious to modify Wang's system to apply the power/bias increase during a gap period prior to the arrival of the high-modulation packet at the power amplifier, as taught by Tseng. Adjusting the power supply or bias prior to the active transmission phase avoids causing transient disruptions, which serves to "reduce the possibility of distorting the signal being amplified by the power amplifier during transmission" (Col. 8, lines 36-39). Allowable Subject Matter 07-43 Claims 5-12 are objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim 1 but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all the limitations of the base claim 5 and any intervening claims. Claims 5, 6, and 12 (Varying a load line) require varying a "load line" applied to the power amplifier to increase power. Changing a load line inherently requires actively tuning the load impedance (e.g., via a tunable matching network) seen at the output of the amplifier. Wang and Tseng only teach altering DC bias/supply voltages, which does not alter the RF load line itself. Claim 7 (Inter-stage matching circuit transforming impedance) requires an inter-stage matching circuit configured to actively transform impedance to increase power. Neither Wang nor Tseng discloses dynamic inter-stage impedance transformation networks. Claims 8, 9, 10, and 11 (Multiple parallel sections) require an output stage comprising "multiple parallel sections" (each having an inductor and two transistors) that are selectively enabled or disabled to increase or decrease power. Neither Wang nor Tseng discloses a segmented, parallel-stage power amplifier architecture; they operate strictly on single, unified amplifier topologies by adjusting the global supply voltage or bias. Conclusion Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to HAFIZUR RAHMAN whose telephone number is (571)270-0659. The examiner can normally be reached M-F: 10-6. 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, Jessica Han can be reached on (571) 272-2078 . 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. /HAFIZUR RAHMAN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2843. Application/Control Number: 18/629,634 Page 2 Art Unit: 2843 Application/Control Number: 18/629,634 Page 3 Art Unit: 2843 Application/Control Number: 18/629,634 Page 4 Art Unit: 2843 Application/Control Number: 18/629,634 Page 5 Art Unit: 2843 Application/Control Number: 18/629,634 Page 6 Art Unit: 2843 Application/Control Number: 18/629,634 Page 7 Art Unit: 2843 Application/Control Number: 18/629,634 Page 8 Art Unit: 2843 Application/Control Number: 18/629,634 Page 9 Art Unit: 2843
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