DETAILED ACTION
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 .
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(s) 1, 2, 9-11, 16, 17 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Drogi (US 2011/0148519).
Claim 1: Drogi discloses A transmitter circuit, comprising:
a power amplifier to provide a transmission signal (fig 2, 3 element 104); and
a mixer calibration circuit to communicate with the power amplifier, the mixer calibration circuit to: receive an incident signal of the transmission signal and a reflected signal of the transmission signal (fig 2, 3, element 232 and elements “forward power sense” and “reverse power sense”, para 0027 “Detectors 312, 313 detect the forward power 213 and the reverse power 210”);
based on an amplitude of the reflected signal and on a phase difference between the incident and reflected signals, determine an amplitude of a standing wave signal (para 0027 “Detectors 312, 313 detect the forward power 213 and the reverse power 210” and “Differential amplifier 311 amplifies the difference of logarithms between the detected forward power 213 and the reverse power 210 of the RF output signal 110 and feeds this difference signal 314 into limit/control shape block 232. The limit/control shape block 232 may low-pass filter the difference signal 314 output from differential amplifier 311. The resulting signal represents the ratio of reverse power 213 to forward power 210 sensed by directional coupler 212, and thus accurately estimates the degree of impedance mismatch as seen by PA 104 at its output 110.”, para 0029 “dependent on the angle of mismatch between the forward power 213 and the reverse power 210, which may be measured by phase comparator 315. Specifically, phase comparator 315 measures the phase difference between forward power 213 and reverse power 210, and generates phase difference signal 316 representing such phase difference”); and
based on the amplitude of the standing wave signal, cause recalibration of an output voltage of the power amplifier (para 0030 “limit/control shape block 232 controls TXIC power feedback module 230 in combination with PA gain adjust module 231 to adjust and optimize the maximum transmit power levels of the PA 104”)
Claim 2: Drogi discloses a comparator coupled to the mixer calibration circuit, the comparator to compare the amplitude of the standing wave signal with a threshold value, and output a calibration mode signal (fig 2, 3, element 232, para 0022, 0028 “limit/control shape block 232 may be programmable and include limit detectors which set a threshold for the applied sense inputs” and “above this threshold of 1:10, limit/control shape block 232 causes PA gain adjust module 231 to send a signal 216 to reduce the PA gain”, 0032)
Claim 9: Drogi discloses a bi-directional coupler coupled to the power amplifier, the bi-directional coupler to provide the incident signal and the reflected signal to the mixer calibration circuit (fig 2, 3, element 212)
Claim 10: Drogi discloses A method comprising: providing, by a power amplifier of a transmitter circuit, a transmission signal (fig 2, 3 element 104); receiving, by a mixer calibration circuit of the transmitter circuit, an incident signal of the transmission signal and a reflected signal of the transmission signal (fig 2, 3, element 232 and elements “forward power sense” and “reverse power sense”, para 0027 “Detectors 312, 313 detect the forward power 213 and the reverse power 210”);
based on an amplitude of the reflected signal and on a phase difference between the incident and reflected signals, determining an amplitude of a standing wave signal (para 0027 “Detectors 312, 313 detect the forward power 213 and the reverse power 210” and “Differential amplifier 311 amplifies the difference of logarithms between the detected forward power 213 and the reverse power 210 of the RF output signal 110 and feeds this difference signal 314 into limit/control shape block 232. The limit/control shape block 232 may low-pass filter the difference signal 314 output from differential amplifier 311. The resulting signal represents the ratio of reverse power 213 to forward power 210 sensed by directional coupler 212, and thus accurately estimates the degree of impedance mismatch as seen by PA 104 at its output 110.”, para 0029 “dependent on the angle of mismatch between the forward power 213 and the reverse power 210, which may be measured by phase comparator 315. Specifically, phase comparator 315 measures the phase difference between forward power 213 and reverse power 210, and generates phase difference signal 316 representing such phase difference”) and
based on the amplitude of the standing wave signal, recalibrating an output voltage of the power amplifier (para 0030 “limit/control shape block 232 controls TXIC power feedback module 230 in combination with PA gain adjust module 231 to adjust and optimize the maximum transmit power levels of the PA 104”)
Claim 11: Drogi discloses comparing, by a comparator of the transmitter circuit, the amplitude of the standing wave signal with a threshold value; and outputting, by the comparator, a calibration mode signal (fig 2, 3, element 232, para 0022, 0028 “limit/control shape block 232 may be programmable and include limit detectors which set a threshold for the applied sense inputs” and “above this threshold of 1:10, limit/control shape block 232 causes PA gain adjust module 231 to send a signal 216 to reduce the PA gain”, 0032)
Claim 16: Drogi discloses A transmitter circuit, comprising:
a power amplifier to provide a transmission signal (fig 2, 3 element 104); and
a mixer calibration circuit to communicate with the power amplifier, the mixer calibration circuit to: receive an incident signal of the transmission signal and a reflected signal of the transmission signal (fig 2, 3, element 232 and elements “forward power sense” and “reverse power sense”, para 0027 “Detectors 312, 313 detect the forward power 213 and the reverse power 210”)
based on an amplitude of the reflected signal (para 0027 “Detectors 312, 313 detect the forward power 213 and the reverse power 210” and “Differential amplifier 311 amplifies the difference of logarithms between the detected forward power 213 and the reverse power 210 of the RF output signal 110 and feeds this difference signal 314 into limit/control shape block 232. The limit/control shape block 232 may low-pass filter the difference signal 314 output from differential amplifier 311. The resulting signal represents the ratio of reverse power 213 to forward power 210 sensed by directional coupler 212, and thus accurately estimates the degree of impedance mismatch as seen by PA 104 at its output 110.”) and
on a phase difference between the incident and reflected signals (para 0029 “dependent on the angle of mismatch between the forward power 213 and the reverse power 210, which may be measured by phase comparator 315. Specifically, phase comparator 315 measures the phase difference between forward power 213 and reverse power 210, and generates phase difference signal 316 representing such phase difference”),
determine an amplitude of a standing wave signal (para 0027, 0028, 0029); and
based on the amplitude of the standing wave signal, adjust one or more of a voltage or a current provided to a driver of the power amplifier to recalibrate an output voltage of the power amplifier (para 0030 “limit/control shape block 232 controls TXIC power feedback module 230 in combination with PA gain adjust module 231 to adjust and optimize the maximum transmit power levels of the PA 104”)
Claim 17: Drogi discloses a comparator coupled to the mixer calibration circuit, the comparator to: compare the amplitude of the standing wave signal with a threshold value; and output a calibration mode signal based on the comparison (fig 2, 3, element 232, para 0022, 0028 “limit/control shape block 232 may be programmable and include limit detectors which set a threshold for the applied sense inputs” and “above this threshold of 1:10, limit/control shape block 232 causes PA gain adjust module 231 to send a signal 216 to reduce the PA gain”, 0032)
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 3-8, 12-15, 18-20 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.
Claims 3-6, 12-15, 18 include limitations drawn to choosing a first or second control mode based on a threshold comparison. The prior art cited in the Office Action includes embodiments of power amplifier control by adjusting parameters such as bias voltage or current. However, the prior art does not specifically disclose selection of the first or second control modes based on a threshold comparison wherein the first control mode adjusts a bias current and the second control mode adjusts a voltage supply.
Claims 7, 8, 19, 20 discuss circuitry configurations in which first and second phase controllers impart a 0 degree or 90 degree phase shift to the incident/reverse/reflected transmission signal. The prior art fails to disclose this feature in combination with the further claimed circuitry. For example, several of the cited references such as Bal (US 8045643) disclose imparting a +45 or -45 degrees phase shift in order to generate signals for in-phase and quadrature processing.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. The additionally cited prior art comprises additional embodiments of VSWR reduction for impedance matching in transmitters.
Arfaei (US 2020/0266777), Traeger (US 2008/0212712), Gunzer (US 2020/0144973), Behzad (US 2008/0139144) each disclose embodiments for correcting for reverse signals on a transmit line for impedance matching wherein a transmit signal and reverse/reflected signal on the line are detected and mixed to correct for a voltage standing wave ratio. In general, it is desirable to transfer a maximum amount of signal strength to a transmitting antenna, in cases of impedance mismatch such signal will reflect. It is therefore a known challenge in the art to correct for such a mismatch by adjusting power amplifier parameters.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to PETER M BYTHROW whose telephone number is (571)270-1468. The examiner can normally be reached on Monday-Friday 830am-5pm.
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/PETER M BYTHROW/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3648
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