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.
Oath/Declaration
Oath/Declaration as file 04/26/2024 is noted by the Examiner.
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.
Claim 17 is 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.
Claim 17 recites the limitation "… wherein a programmable gain has a value selected from the group…" in lines 1-2 of Claim 17. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim. There is no prior mention of a “programmable gain” before this disclosure (either in Claim 17 or in Claim 12, which this claim is dependent upon). The “programmable gain” limitation is first introduced in Claim 16; so if the Claim in question (Claim 17) is meant to further limit Claim 16, then please make the necessary corrections in order to fix this issue. If it is not meant to further limit Claim 16, then please make the proper corrections to reflect this.
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) 1-6, 8 and 11-17 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1)/102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Cheah et al. US 2022/0365123 (Hereinafter Cheah).
Regarding claim 1, Cheah teaches a test and measurement instrument (Figs. 1, 2, 5-7; SMU-based test measurement system), comprising:
a first contact check circuit (Figs. 1, 2, 5-7; contact check circuit, 502), including:
a first contact check current source (Figs. 1, 2, 5-7; Abstract; [0032, 0035-0043]; current source, current injection) isolated from one or more power supplies (Figs. 1, 2, 5-7; [0004, 0030]; power supplies) in the test and measurement instrument (Figs. 1, 2, 5-7; SMU-based test measurement system), the first contact check current source (Figs. 1, 2, 5-7; Abstract; [0032, 0033, 0037]; current source, current injection) coupled between a first force node (Figs. 1, 2, 5-7; [0032, 0033, 0037]; HI node) and a first sense node (Figs. 1, 2, 5-7; [0030, 0032, 0033, 0037]; sense nodes (+Sense, -Sense), HS node) of the test and measurement instrument (Figs. 1, 2, 5-7; SMU-based test measurement system) and configured, in response to a first control signal (Figs. 1, 2, 5-7; Abstract; [0032, 0035-0043]; contact check circuit, current injection), to supply a first contact check current (Figs. 1, 2, 5-7; Abstract; [0032, 0035-0043]; contact check circuit, current injection) to a first contact resistance (Figs. 1, 2, 5-7; [0032, 0035-0043]; resistors, resistance) across the first force node (Figs. 1, 2, 5-7; [0032, 0033, 0037]; HI node) and first sense node (Figs. 1, 2, 5-7; [0030, 0032, 0033, 0037]; sense nodes (+Sense, -Sense), HS node), the first contact resistance (Figs. 1, 2, 5-7; [0032, 0035-0043]; resistors, resistance) present in first electrical connections between each of the first force node (Figs. 1, 2, 5-7; [0032, 0033, 0037]; HI node) and the first sense node (Figs. 1, 2, 5-7; [0030, 0032, 0033, 0037]; sense nodes (+Sense, -Sense), HS node) and a first contact node of a device under test (DUT) (Figs. 1, 2, 5-7; SMU Connectors and Cables to DUT); and
a first voltage detection circuit (Figs. 1, 2, 5-7; Abstract; [0032, 0035-0043]; discloses voltage measurement) coupled to the first force node (Figs. 1, 2, 5-7; [0032, 0033, 0037]; HI node) and first sense node (Figs. 1, 2, 5-7; [0030, 0032, 0033, 0037]; sense nodes (+Sense, -Sense), HS node), the first voltage detection circuit (Figs. 1, 2, 5-7; Abstract; [0032, 0035-0043]; discloses voltage measurement) configured to detect a first contact check voltage (Figs. 1, 2, 5-7; [0032, 0035-0043]; contact check circuit, voltage measurement) across the first contact resistance (Figs. 1, 2, 5-7; [0032, 0035-0043]; resistors, resistance) in response to the first contact check current (Figs. 1, 2, 5-7; Abstract; [0032, 0035-0043]; contact check circuit, current injection), the first contact check voltage (Figs. 1, 2, 5-7; [0032, 0035-0043]; contact check circuit, voltage measurement) having a value indicating whether a contact fault is present in the first electrical connections (Figs. 1, 2, 5-7; [0032, 0035-0043]; contact check circuit, voltage measurement).
Regarding claim 2, Cheah further teaches the test and measurement instrument of claim 1, wherein the first contact check current source comprises an optically isolated current source that is optically isolated from the one or more power supplies of the test and measurement instrument (Figs. 1, 2, 5-7; Abstract; [0032, 0035-0043]; contact check circuit, current injection).
Regarding claim 3, Cheah further teaches the test and measurement instrument of claim 2, wherein the optically isolated current source comprises a photovoltaic isolator (Figs. 1, 2, 5-7; Abstract; [0032, 0035-0043]; contact check circuit, current injection).
Regarding claim 4, Cheah further teaches the test and measurement instrument of claim 1, wherein the first contact check current source comprises an isolation transformer (Figs. 1, 2, 5-7; Abstract; [0032, 0035-0043]; contact check circuit, current injection).
Regarding claim 5, Cheah further teaches the test and measurement instrument of claim 1, wherein the first voltage detection circuit comprises a programmable amplifier (Figs. 1, 2, 5-7; [0032, 0035-0043]; differential amplifier) having inputs coupled across the first force node and first sense node and configured to generate the first contact check voltage on an output (Figs. 1, 2, 5-7; [0032, 0035-0043]; differential amplifier), and the programmable amplifier having a gain that is adjustable in response to a second control signal (Figs. 1, 2, 5-7; [0032, 0035-0043]; differential amplifier).
Regarding claim 6, Cheah further teaches the test and measurement instrument of claim 1, further comprising a first voltage limiting resistance Figs. 1, 2, 5-7; [0032, 0035-0043]; resistors, resistance) coupled in parallel with the first contact check current source between first force node and the first sense node Figs. 1, 2, 5-7; [0032, 0035-0043]; resistors, resistance).
Regarding claim 8, Cheah further teaches the test and measurement instrument of claim 1, further comprising a first analog-to-digital converter (Figs. 1, 2, 5-7; [0032, 0035-0043]; analog-to-digital converter (ADC)) coupled to the first voltage detection circuit to receive the first contact check voltage and configured to generate a corresponding digital contact check voltage (Figs. 1, 2, 5-7; [0032, 0035-0043]; analog-to-digital converter (ADC)).
Regarding claim 11, Cheah further teaches the test and measurement instrument of claim 1, wherein the test and measurement instrument is a source measure unit (Figs. 1, 2, 5-7; SMU-based test measurement system).
Regarding claim 12, Cheah teaches a method (Figs. 1, 2, 5-7; SMU-based test measurement system), comprising:
supplying a first galvanically isolated current (Figs. 1, 2, 5-7; Abstract; [0032, 0035-0043]; current source, current injection) by a test and measurement instrument (Figs. 1, 2, 5-7; SMU-based test measurement system) through a first electrical connection path from a first force node (Figs. 1, 2, 5-7; [0032, 0033, 0037]; HI node) of the test and measurement instrument (Figs. 1, 2, 5-7; SMU-based test measurement system) through a first contact node of a DUT (Figs. 1, 2, 5-7; SMU Connectors and Cables to DUT) to a first sense node (Figs. 1, 2, 5-7; [0030, 0032, 0033, 0037]; sense nodes (+Sense, -Sense), HS node) of the test and measurement instrument (Figs. 1, 2, 5-7; SMU-based test measurement system), the first galvanically isolated current being galvanically isolated from one or more power supplies (Figs. 1, 2, 5-7; [0004, 0030]; power supplies) of the test and measurement instrument (Figs. 1, 2, 5-7; SMU-based test measurement system);
sensing a first contact check voltage (Figs. 1, 2, 5-7; [0032, 0035-0043]; contact check circuit, voltage measurement) generated across the first force node (Figs. 1, 2, 5-7; [0032, 0033, 0037]; HI node) and first sense node (Figs. 1, 2, 5-7; [0030, 0032, 0033, 0037]; sense nodes (+Sense, -Sense), HS node) in response to the first galvanically isolated current (Figs. 1, 2, 5-7; Abstract; [0032, 0035-0043]; current source, current injection); and
detecting a first contact fault (Figs. 1, 2, 5-7; contact check circuit, 502) in the first electrical connection path based on the first contact check voltage (Figs. 1, 2, 5-7; [0032, 0035-0043]; contact check circuit, voltage measurement).
Regarding claim 13, Cheah further teaches the method of claim 12, wherein detecting the first contact fault further comprises: determining a first contact resistance (Figs. 1, 2, 5-7; [0032, 0035-0043]; resistors, resistance) of the first electrical connection path based on the first contact check voltage and first galvanically isolated current (Figs. 1, 2, 5-7; [0032, 0035-0043]; resistors, resistance); comparing the determined first contact resistance to a threshold (Figs. 1, 2, 5-7; [0032, 0035-0043]; resistors, resistance); and determining the first contact fault is present when the determined first contact resistance exceeds the threshold (Figs. 1, 2, 5-7; [0032, 0035-0043]; resistors, resistance).
Regarding claim 14, Cheah further teaches the method of claim 12, further comprising limiting a maximum value of the first contact check voltage (Figs. 1, 2, 5-7; [0032, 0035-0043]; contact check circuit, voltage measurement).
Regarding claim 15, Cheah further teaches the method of claim 12, wherein limiting a maximum value of the first contact check voltage comprises coupling a resistance across the first force node and the first sense node (Figs. 1, 2, 5-7; [0032, 0035-0043]; contact check circuit, voltage measurement).
Regarding claim 16, Cheah further teaches the method of claim 12, further comprising amplifying the first contact check voltage by a programmable gain (Figs. 1, 2, 5-7; [0032, 0035-0043]; differential amplifier).
Regarding claim 17, Cheah further teaches the method of claim 12, wherein a programmable gain has a value selected from the group consisting of 1, 10, 100, and 1000 (Figs. 1, 2, 5-7; [0032, 0035-0043]; differential amplifier).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 7, 9, 10 and 18 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 7, the prior art does not teach or suggest, in combination with the rest of the limitations of claims 1 and 5,
“…wherein the first contact check circuit further comprises first switching circuitry coupled between the first contact check current source and first voltage detection circuit, the first switching circuitry configured to selectively couple the first contact check current source and first voltage detection circuit to the first force node and first sense node or to isolate the first contact check current source and first voltage detection circuit from the first force node and first sense node.”
Regarding claim 9, the prior art does not teach or suggest, in combination with the rest of the limitations of claims 1,
“…further comprising a second contact check circuit, the second contact check circuit including: a second contact check current source that is galvanically isolated from the one or more power supplies in the test and measurement instrument, the second contact check current source coupled between a second force node and a second sense node of the test and measurement instrument and configured, in response to the first control signal, to supply a second contact check current to a second contact resistance across the second force node and second sense node, the second contact resistance present in second electrical connections between each of the second force node and second sense node and a second contact node of the DUT; and a second voltage detection circuit coupled to the second force node and second sense node to detect a second contact check voltage across the second contact resistance in response to the second contact check current, the second contact check voltage having a value indicating a fault in the second electrical connections.”
Claim 10 is also allowed as it further limits objected claim 9.
Regarding claim 18, the prior art does not teach or suggest, in combination with the rest of the limitations of claims 12,
“…further comprising: supplying a second galvanically isolated current by the test and measurement instrument through a second electrical connection path from a second force node of the test and measurement instrument through a second contact node of the DUT to a second sense node of the test and measurement instrument; sensing a second contact check voltage generated across the second force node and second sense node in response to the second galvanically isolated current; and detecting a second contact fault in the second electrical connection path based on the second contact check voltage.”
The following is an examiner’s statement of reasons for allowance:
Regarding claim 19, the prior art does not teach or suggest, in combination with the rest of the limitations of claims 19,
“… a second contact check circuit, including: a second contact check current source coupled between a second force node and a second sense node of the test and measurement instrument, the second contact check current source being galvanically isolated from the one or more power supplies in the test and measurement instrument; and a second voltage detection circuit configured to detect a second contact check voltage across the second force node and second sense node… a second electrical connection path including a first electrical connection between the second force node and a second contact node of the device under test and a second electrical connection between the second sense node and the second contact node; and a controller coupled to the first and second contact check circuits, the controller configured to control the first and second contact check current sources to supply the first and second contact check currents to the first and second electrical connection paths and, based on the first and second contact check currents and first and second contact check voltages detected by the first and second voltage detection circuits, the controller configured to determine first and second contact resistances of the first and second electrical connection paths and to detect faults in the first and second electrical connection paths based on the determined first and second contact resistances.”
Claim 20 is also allowed as it further limits allowed claim 19.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Knierim et al. US 2018/0313870 - A test system can include a probe suitable to be coupled between a test measurement device and a device under test (DUT).
Knierim et al. US 2024/0159797 - A test and measurement system includes one or more remote heads, each of the one or more remote heads configured to be coupled to a respective device under test (DUT) to receive an electrical test signal from the DUT and each of the one or more remote heads including an electrical-to-optical (EOM) configured to convert the received electrical test signal into an optical test signal.
O’Brien et al. US 2022/0334144 - A measurement probe for producing a test signal for a measurement instrument includes a probe head structured to be connected to at least a first testing point and a second testing point of a Device Under Test (DUT), a current detector in the measurement probe structured to determine a current flowing between the first testing point and the second testing point of the DUT, a first selectable signal path that causes a voltage signal from the first testing point or a voltage signal from the second testing point to be routed to the measurement instrument as a selected voltage test signal, and a second selectable signal path that causes a current signal from an output of the current detector to be routed to the measurement instrument as a selected current test signal.
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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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Huy Phan can be reached at 571-272-7924. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/RAUL J RIOS RUSSO/Examiner, Art Unit 2858