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.
Claims 12-13 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Gu (US Pat Pub# 2022/0149793).
Regarding claim 12, Gu teaches a circuit comprising a first antenna port (Fig. 1, as shown ANT1 with a port etc.); a first plurality of radio frequency signal paths (Fig. 1 and Sections 0029-0037, radio frequencies with plurality paths as shown); first antenna switching circuitry 106/111 (Fig. 1) configurable to selectively couple one or more of the first plurality of RF signal paths to the first antenna port (Fig. 1, as shown switching to couple with one of the plurality of signal paths etc.); and sounding reference signal switching circuitry 106/111 (Fig. 1) coupled, directly or indirectly, between an SRS amplifier 101-104 (Fig. 1) and one of the first plurality of RF signal paths, the SRS switching circuitry configurable to selectively route an SRS signal from the SRS amplifier to the first antenna port through one of the first plurality of RF signal paths (Fig. 1 and Sections 0029-0038, plurality of sound reference signal paths going through the amplifiers, switches, and antennas and integrated in the components etc.).
Regarding claim 13, Gu teaches selectively switching, using second antenna switching circuitry, each of a second plurality of radio frequency signal paths to a second antenna port, at least one of the second plurality of RF signal paths comprising a second RF signal filter 107-110 (Fig. 1); and wherein selectively coupling using the SRS switching circuitry, further comprises selectively routing the SRS transmission signal from the SRS amplifier to the second antenna port through the second RF signal filter 107-110 (Fig. 1 and Sections 0029-0038, plurality of sound reference signal paths going through the plurality of amplifiers, switches, and antennas etc.).
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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 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.
Claim 14 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Gu (US Pat Pub# 2022/0149793) in view of Ibrahim et al. (US Pat Pub# 2021/0400654).
Regarding claim 14, Gu teaches the limitations in claim 12. However, Gu fails to teach an FDD path and a TDD path.
Ibrahim teaches an FDD path and a TDD path; and wherein selectively switching, using first antenna switching circuitry, each of a first plurality of radio frequency signal paths to the first antenna port, further comprises simultaneous operating, through the first antenna port, in both FDD and TDD modes (Section 0084, simultaneous performing the TDD and FDD operations etc.).
Therefore, it would have been obvious at the time of the invention to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to incorporate an FDD path and a TDD path as taught by Ibrahim into Gu’s circuit in order to improve functionality.
Allowable Subject Matter
The following is an examiner’s statement of reasons for allowance: Regarding claims 1 and 15, claims 1 and 15 are allowed over applicant’s amendments to the claims and remarks filed on 7/30/2026.
The prior art of record fails to teach the claimed subject matter as claimed and substantially connected in claims 1-11 and 15-20.
Any comments considered necessary by applicant must be submitted no later than the payment of the issue fee and, to avoid processing delays, should preferably accompany the issue fee. Such submissions should be clearly labeled “Comments on Statement of Reasons for Allowance.”
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s Remarks
Examiner’s Response
“Gu does not disclose this limitation of claim 12 for the reasons discussed with
respect to claim 1. Accordingly, claim 12 and its dependent claim 13 are not anticipated by Gu. Accordingly, Applicant respectfully requests reconsideration and withdrawal of the rejections under 35 U.S.C. §102(a)(1).”
See Interview Summary filed on 7/16/2026. Further, claim 12 was not amended like claim 1 therefore the remarks can not apply to claim 12.
Conclusion
THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ANDREW WENDELL whose telephone number is (571)272-0557. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 8:30AM-5PM.
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, Wesley Kim can be reached at 571-272-7867. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/ANDREW WENDELL/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2648 8/11/2026
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