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 .
Priority
Foreign priority is claimed for the examining Application
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 05/13/2024. The submission is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
Drawings
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 “another of the first transistor and the second transistor comprises an n-channel metal oxide semiconductor transistor” in Claim 5; and “the first transistor and the second transistor comprise different types of transistors” in Claim 17 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 § 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 6 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.
In Claim 6, lines 1-3, the recitation of “the second current source is configured to provide a second current based on a process variation, a voltage variation, or a temperature variation associated with the second transistor” is unclear because the second current source is appear operating independently and does not appear depend on a process variation, a voltage variation, or a temperature variation associated with the second transistor. Further clarification is needed.
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.
Claim(s) 1-2, 5-8, 10-16 & 18-20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Leifso et al. (US 20030193370 A1, hereinafter Leifso).
Regarding claim 1:
Leifso discloses in Fig. 5, gain adjustment circuitry comprising:
a first transistor (transistor 158, p-channel, where drain connected to supply source VDD);
a first amplifier (162) having a first input (positive terminal) coupled to a source of the first transistor (158) and a first current source (e.g. transistor 160);
a second transistor (transistor 156) having a gate coupled to an output of the first amplifier (162) and a gate of the first transistor (transistor 158); and a resistance (resistor 164) coupled to a second input of the first amplifier, the resistance being coupled to a second current source (e.g. transistor 166).
Regarding claim 2:
Leifso discloses in Fig. 5, the gain adjustment circuitry of claim 1, wherein the first transistor and the second transistor comprise a same type of transistors (transistors 158 and 156 are same type p-channel).
Regarding claim 5:
Leifso discloses in Fig. 5, the gain adjustment circuitry of claim 1, wherein one of the first transistor and the second transistor comprises a p-channel metal oxide semiconductor transistor (see transistor 158, p-channel), and another of the first transistor and the second transistor comprises an n-channel metal oxide semiconductor transistor.
Regarding claim 6 as best understood:
Leifso discloses in Fig. 5, the gain adjustment circuitry of claim 1, wherein the second current source (transistor 166) is configured to provide a second current based on a process variation (see paragraph 0034, process variation), a voltage variation (see control signal BCTRL), or a temperature variation (surrounding temperature) associated with the second transistor.
Regarding claims 7 & 8:
Leifso discloses in Fig. 5, the gain adjustment circuitry of claim 6, wherein the second current (current produces by transistor 166) changes linearly with respect to the process variation (see paragraph 0034, process variation), the voltage variation (BCTRL, control signal), or the temperature variation ( surrounding temperature or temperature adjusted control voltage, see claim 2) associated with the second transistor; (regarding Claim 8) wherein the second current changes nonlinearly with respect to the process variation (see paragraph 0034, process variation), the voltage variation (control signal (BCTRL), or the temperature variation (surrounding temperature, temperature adjusted control voltage) associated with the second transistor.
Regarding claim 10:
Leifso discloses in Fig. 5, a transceiver (Mobile communication devices, cellular phones, and wireless two-way data communications devices, collectively referred to herein as mobile devices) comprising:
a filter (resistor 164); and
circuitry coupled to the filter comprising a first amplifier (162), a second amplifier (includes transistors 108, 110), a first transistor (158) coupled to a first current source (transistor 160) at a first input (positive terminal) of the first amplifier, the first current source being configured to provide a first current, a second transistor (transistor 156) coupled to an output of the first amplifier (162) and the first transistor (158), the second transistor (156) being coupled to the second amplifier, and a resistance (resistor 164) coupled to a second input (negative terminal) of the first amplifier (162), the resistance being coupled to a second current source (transistor 166) configured to provide a second current based on a process variation (see paragraph 0034, process variation), a voltage variation (control signal BCTRL), or a temperature variation (surrounding temperature) of the second transistor.
Regarding claim 11:
Leifso discloses in Fig. 5, the transceiver of claim 10, wherein a gain of the second amplifier (includes transistors 108, 110) varies corresponding to the process variation (see paragraph 0034, process variation), the voltage variation (control signal BCTRL), or the temperature variation (surrounding temperature) of the second transistor.
Regarding claim 12:
Leifso discloses in Fig. 5, the transceiver of claim 11, wherein a variation of the gain (a change in gain, see paragraph 0008) is associated with a signal to noise distortion ratio of the second amplifier.
Regarding claim 13:
Leifso discloses in Fig. 5,
13. The transceiver of claim 11, wherein the second current (transistor 166) changes linearly with respect to the process variation (see paragraph 0034, process variation), the voltage variation (control signal BCTRL), or the temperature variation (surrounding temperature) associated with the second transistor.
Regarding claim 14:
Leifso discloses in Fig. 5, the transceiver of claim 11, wherein the second current changes nonlinearly with respect to the process variation (see paragraph 0034, process variation), the voltage variation (control signal BCTRL), or the temperature variation (surrounding temperature) associated with the second transistor.
Regarding claim 15:
Leifso discloses in Fig. 5, the transceiver of claim 10, wherein the first current (which produces by transistor 160, where the transistor 160 being control signal BCTRL for maintaining current) has a constant value.
Regarding claim 16:
Leifso discloses in Fig. 5, the transceiver of claim 10, wherein the first transistor (158) and the second transistor (156) comprise a same type of transistors (both are p-channel).
Regarding claim 18:
Leifso discloses in Fig. 5, a method comprising: receiving a characteristic parameter associated with a process (see paragraph 0034, process variation), a voltage (control voltage signal BCTRL), or a temperature (page 6, continue paragraph 0042, room temperature) of a first transistor (158) coupled to a first amplifier (162), the first transistor being coupled to a second transistor (156) and an output of a second amplifier, the second transistor being coupled to a first current source (160) at a first input of the second amplifier, a resistance (resistor 164) being coupled to a second input of the second amplifier (162) and a second current source (166) that is configured to provide a second current; and adjusting (control signal BCTRL) the second current source to provide the second current based on the characteristic parameter.
Regarding claim 19:
Leifso discloses in Fig. 5, the method of claim 18, comprising determining a value to adjust the second current source (166) from a plurality of predetermined values based on the characteristic parameter.
Regarding claim 20:
Leifso discloses in Fig. 5, the method of claim 18, comprising determining a value for the second current (transistor 166 which control by control signal BCTRL) based on the characteristic parameter and a predetermined algorithm (it is noted that no specific predetermined algorithm disclosed by the applicant).
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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.
This application currently names joint inventors. In considering patentability of the claims the examiner presumes that the subject matter of the various claims was commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the claimed invention(s) absent any evidence to the contrary. Applicant is advised of the obligation under 37 CFR 1.56 to point out the inventor and effective filing dates of each claim that was not commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the later invention in order for the examiner to consider the applicability of 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(2)(C) for any potential 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) prior art against the later invention.
Claim(s) 17 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Leifso in view of Caresosa (US 7034606 B2).
Regarding claim 17:
Leifso discloses the limitations as applied in 10 except for the first transistor and the second transistor comprise different types of transistors.
Caresosa discloses in Fig. 3 an amplifier circuit (50) comprising n-channel type transistors 51, 51’.
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have replaced transistors 150 and 156 of Leifso with n-channel type transistors as taught by Caresosa. Such a modification would have imparted the advantageous benefit of adjusting gain and load resistance to improve gain and DC bias point, see abstract, Col. 3, lines 60-65, as taught by Caresosa to Leifso reference, thereby suggesting the obviousness of such a modification.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 3-4 & 9 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 & 4 are allowable since the closest prior art (i.e., Leifso) does not disclose a voltage detector configured to detect a voltage value of a power supply coupled to the first transistor and the second transistor, and a protection circuit configured to protect the gain adjustment circuitry based on the voltage value; and wherein the protection circuit comprises one or more transistors configured to receive a voltage having the voltage value.
Claim 9 is allowable since the closest prior art (i.e., Leifso) does not disclose
comprising a process-tracking device configured to selectively track a process variation.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to KHIEM D NGUYEN whose telephone number is (571)270-3941. The examiner can normally be reached Mon-Fri 8:00 AM-5:00 PM EST.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Jessica Han can be reached at (571) 272-2078. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/KHIEM D NGUYEN/Examiner, Art Unit 2843
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