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 .
Specification
The lengthy specification has not been checked to the extent necessary to determine the presence of all possible minor errors. Applicant’s cooperation is requested in correcting any errors of which applicant may become aware in the specification.
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 1-15 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.
Claims 1-15, which are based on Figs. 3 or 4, contains a plurality of circuitries wherein each circuitry comprises at least “first”, “second”, “third”, or “fourth” terminals”. Therefore, it is unclear which are “first”, “second”, “third”, or “fourth” terminals of the claimed circuitry and how they are connected. Appropriate clarification is needed.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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.
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.
Claim 16 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Sun (cited by the applicant), hereafter referred to as “Sun”.
Regarding claim 16, in the embodiment of Fig. 2, Sun discloses:
An apparatus (Fig. 2) comprising:
amplifier circuitry (amplifier circuit 200) having an input (node N1 connected to input voltage IN) and an output (OUT, connected to output stage 230 as shown in Fig. 2), the amplifier circuitry configured to generate an output signal at the output responsive to an input signal received at the input;
a resistor (feedback resistor RF) coupled between the input of the amplifier circuitry and the output of the amplifier circuitry; and
common mode regulator circuitry (transconductance (gm) circuit 250) coupled to the input of the amplifier circuitry and to the resistor (250 is connected to RF through N1 as seen in Fig. 2), the common mode regulator circuitry configured to:
set a common mode voltage (common mode voltage VCM) of the input of the amplifier circuitry;
supply a first current to compensate the common mode voltage responsive to currents of the resistor (paragraph [0015], 250 can stabilize the first voltage at the common mode voltage); and
sink a second current to compensate the common mode voltage responsive to currents of the resistor (paragraph [0016], 250 may be functioned as a bias current source for sinking the compensate current at 210].
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 1-15 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.
Claims 17-20 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 a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter:
Regarding claims 17 and 20:
the cited prior art of record, Sun (US 20200220501 A1), either singly or in proper combination, does not teach or make obvious, along with the other claimed features,
“a third current proportional to a current of the resistor responsive to no input signal being received at the input of the amplifier circuitry” and
“a fourth current proportional to a current of the resistor responsive to the amplifier circuitry generating the output signal” per claim 17, and
“the common mode regulator circuitry is further configured to:
determine an amplitude of the input signal;
compare the amplitude of the input signal to a threshold noise level” per claim 20.
Claims 18 and 19 are objected to as being dependent on objected claim 17.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to MALANE LIENG whose telephone number is (571)272-5739. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 6:30 - 4:00 CST.
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, Andrea 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 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.
/Malane Lieng/Examiner, Art Unit 2843
/ANDREA LINDGREN BALTZELL/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2843
Prosecution Insights