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 not claimed to the examining application.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 12/23/2025 and 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.
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 19 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 19, the recitations of “the third switch is an embedded field effect transistor” is not clear because the third switch is not defined in claim 14, it is also lack of antecedent basis. 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.
(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, 10-11 & 14 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Wang et al. (US 20250096754 A1, filed Sep. 20, 2023), hereinafter Wang.
Regarding claim 1 & 10:
Wang discloses in Fig. 2, a transformer or method comprising:
a first coil (coil 148) electrically coupled to a pre-power amplifier (amplifier 120) that is configured to receive an input signal (signal 122);
a second coil (coil 220) inductively coupled to the first coil (148) and configured to be electrically coupled to a first power amplifier( 160);
a third coil (coil 146) inductively coupled to the first coil and electrically coupled to a second power amplifier (LNA 130); and
a first switch (136) configured to alternately connect and disconnect the third coil (146) from a ground.
Regarding claim 6:
Wang discloses in Fig. 2, the transformer of claim 1,
wherein the second power amplifier (LNA 130) is external to the transformer, the transformer further comprising an output pad (node between switch 136 and input 132) coupled to the third coil (146) and configured to connect to the second power amplifier.
Regarding claim 11:
Wang discloses the method of claim 10, further comprising alternately opening and closing a break (switch 136) in the third coil (146) with the alternately connecting and disconnecting the third coil from the ground to alternately connect and disconnect the second power amplifier (amplifier 132).
Regarding claim 14:
a reconfigurable amplifier system comprising:
a pre-power amplifier (amplifier 120) having an input port configured to receive an input signal (signal 122);
an internal power amplifier (130);
a transformer having a first coil (coil 148) electrically coupled to the pre-power amplifier (120), a second coil (220) inductively coupled to the first coil (148) and configured to be electrically coupled to an external power amplifier(160), and a third coil (146) inductively coupled to the first coil (148) and electrically coupled to the internal power amplifier (130); and a switch (switch 136) to alternately connect and disconnect the third coil from a ground to connect and disconnect the internal power amplifier.
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) 20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Wang in view of Lehtola et al. (US 20220385237 A1), hereinafter Lehtola.
Wang discloses the limitations as applied in claim 14 except for a semiconductor substrate and wherein the pre-power amplifier, the transformer, the internal power amplifier and the switch are formed on the semiconductor substrate and the external power amplifier is not formed on the semiconductor substrate.
Lehtola discloses in Fig. 4A, 12A an amplifier circuit comprising power die (101 of Fig. 4A, semiconductor die 902 which includes amplifier 945) wherein the power die includes amplifiers 31, 33, 34 and transformer 32 and capacitor 7 and wherein amplifier 106 is not formed on the same die 101.
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 modified the circuit of Wang to have a semiconductor substrate and wherein the pre-power amplifier, the transformer, the internal power amplifier and the switch are formed on the semiconductor substrate and the external power amplifier is not formed on the semiconductor substrate, as taught by Lehtola. Such a modification would have imparted the advantageous benefit of heat dissipation and improving the circuit durability, efficiency (paragraph 0078) and performance (see paragraph [0036], which is beneficial for modulated efficiency, as taught by Lehtola to Wang reference, thereby suggesting the obviousness of such a modification.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 2-5, 7-9, 12-13 & 15-18 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 2-5 are allowable since the closest prior art (i.e., Wang) does not disclose wherein the first switch alternately connects and disconnects the third coil on one side of an output of the third coil, the transformer further comprising a first pair of switches including the first switch and a second switch of the first pair of switches to alternately connect and disconnect the third coil from the ground with the first switch at another side of the output of the third coil.
Claims 7-9 are allowable since the closest prior art (i.e., Wang) does not disclose
further comprising a center tap of the third coil coupled to a bias gate of the second power amplifier to provide a bias voltage to the second power amplifier when the switch disconnects the third coil from ground.
Claim 12 & 13 are allowable since the closest prior art (i.e., Wang) does not disclose further comprising activating a first and a second cell of the pre-power amplifier to supply the first power amplifier when a switch connects the third coil to the ground.
Claims 15-17 are allowable since the closest prior art (i.e., Wang) does not disclose wherein the pre-power amplifier comprises a first cell and a second cell and wherein the first and second cell are active to supply the external power amplifier when the switch connects the third coil to the ground.
Claim 18 is allowable since the closest prior art (i.e., Wang) does not disclose further comprising a third switch to alternately open and close a break in the third coil such that the break is opened when the third coil is connected to the ground.
Claim 19 would be allowable if rewritten 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 and to include all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
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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