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 .
Examiner Notes
Examiner cites particular columns and line numbers in the references as applied to the claims below for the convenience of the applicant. Although the specified citations are representative of the teachings in the art and are applied to the specific limitations within the individual claim, other passages and figures may apply as well. It is respectfully requested that, in preparing responses, the applicant fully consider the references in entirety as potentially teaching all or part of the claimed invention, as well as the context of the passage as taught by the prior art or disclosed 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 recited limitations such as “a control circuit configured to generate, in response to the detected failure on the signal originating from the reference frequency generator, a first reset signal that causes a resetting of the reference frequency generator”, as recited in Claim 1; “said flip-flop having a reset input coupled to an output of the first flip-flop”, as recited in Claim 2; “a flip-flop circuit having a clock input coupled to receive a clock failure signal output by the detection circuit;”; “a first logic circuit configured to logically combine a first reset signal indicating a circuit block reset and a second reset signal indicating a reset of only the reference frequency generator;”; and “a controlling circuit configured to receive the clock status signal and control a logic state of an enable signal applied to the enable input of the oscillator circuit”, as recited in Claim 14, 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.
The drawings are objected to as failing to comply with 37 CFR 1.84(p)(5) because they do not include the following reference sign(s) mentioned in the description: “Control unit 270, which has received bit ClkFail set to 1, modifies the state of signal ClkReArm or resetn. The selection of the signal to be modified is for example performed according to the type of transient or permanent failure” (see paragraph [0056] ). 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. 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.
Specification
The title of the invention is not descriptive. A new title is required that is clearly indicative of the invention to which the claims are directed.
The specification is objected to as failing to provide proper antecedent basis for the claimed subject matter. See 37 CFR 1.75(d)(1) and MPEP § 608.01(o). Correction of the following is required: “a control circuit configured to generate, in response to the detected failure on the signal originating from the reference frequency generator, a first reset signal that causes a resetting of the reference frequency generator”, as recited in Claim 1, which is not disclosed in the specification. Correction and/or clarification is required.
The specification is objected to as failing to provide proper antecedent basis for the claimed subject matter. See 37 CFR 1.75(d)(1) and MPEP § 608.01(o). Correction of the following is required: “said flip-flop having a reset input coupled to an output of the first flip-flop”, as recited in Claim 2, which is not disclosed in the specification. Correction and/or clarification is required.
The specification is objected to as failing to provide proper antecedent basis for the claimed subject matter. See 37 CFR 1.75(d)(1) and MPEP § 608.01(o). Correction of the following is required: “a flip-flop circuit having a clock input coupled to receive a clock failure signal output by the detection circuit;”; “a first logic circuit configured to logically combine a first reset signal indicating a circuit block reset and a second reset signal indicating a reset of only the reference frequency generator;”; and “a controlling circuit configured to receive the clock status signal and control a logic state of an enable signal applied to the enable input of the oscillator circuit”, as recited in Claim 14, which is not disclosed in the specification. Correction and/or clarification is required.
Claim Objections
Claim 6 is objected to because of the following informalities: on the last line, “the reset input is enabled” should be changed to --the reset input is activated--. Appropriate correction is required.
Claim 7 is objected to because of the following informalities: “the reset input of the flip-flop is enabled” should be changed to --the reset input of the flip-flop is activated--. Appropriate correction is required.
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.
Claims 1-17 are 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 1 is indefinite because the recited limitation “a control circuit configured to generate, in response to the detected failure on the signal originating from the reference frequency generator, a first reset signal that causes a resetting of the reference frequency generator, wherein the first reset signal is different from a second reset signal for causing a resetting that is common to said functional circuits and to said reference clock signal generator circuit.” (emphasis added). It is not clear how the recited control circuit can perform the above function due to the control circuit does not have any specific element(s)/structure for supporting the claim limitation such as “generate, in response to the detected failure on the signal originating from the reference frequency generator, a first reset signal that causes a resetting of the reference frequency generator wherein the first reset signal is different from a second reset signal for causing a resetting that is common to said functional circuits and to said reference clock signal generator circuit” (emphasis added). Furthermore, the recited term “a second reset signal” is unclear because it is not clear what type of the second reset signal is and how it is related with other recited elements of the electronic circuit.
Claims 2-13 are rejected due to their dependencies on the base Claim 1.
Claims 1-13 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being incomplete for omitting essential structural cooperative relationships of elements, such omission amounting to a gap between the necessary structural connections. See MPEP § 2172.01. The omitted structural cooperative relationships are the structural connections between the reference clock signal generator circuit, functional circuits, a control circuit, and a second reset signal must be clearly defined. Note that the recited term “An electronic circuit” in the base claim 1 is an apparatus claim and thus the apparatus claim should be defined as what it is. Therefore, the structural cooperative relationships between the elements of the electronic circuit is required because the electrical interconnections between the elements are crucial for the apparatus claim.
Furthermore, Claims 2-13 are rejected due to their dependencies on the base Claim 1.
Claim 2 is indefinite because of the limitation such as “said flip-flop having a reset input coupled to an output of the first flip-flop”. It cannot be determined what is being claimed here because the specification does not support the above recitation in Claim 2. Correction and/or clarification is required.
Furthermore, claim 2 recites the limitation "the first flip-flop" in line 5. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
Claim 4 is indefinite because of the recited limitation “a flip-flop having: a clock input coupled to the output of the detection circuit” (emphasis added ), as recited in line 3. The claim appears to be misdescriptive because the claim inaccurately describes the connection of the flip-flop's clock input (210b) in Figure 2. The claim's assertion regarding the connection of the clock input (210b) of the flip-flop (210) is not supported by Figure 2, which unequivocally demonstrates a coupling to the output of AND gate 212, not the detection circuit (204).
Claim 5 is indefinite because of the recited limitation “a control circuit”, as recited in line 2, lacks clear antecedent basis. It is unclear whether this “control circuit” is the same as the “control circuit” recited in the base claim 1 (line 6) or different. Furthermore, claims 6-10 are rejected due to their dependencies on the base Claim 5.
Claim 14 recites the limitation "the reference frequency generator" in line 8. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim. Furthermore, Claim 14 is indefinite because the recitation such as “a first logic circuit configured to logically combine a first reset signal indicating a circuit block reset and a second reset signal indicating a reset of only the reference frequency generator;” (emphasis added) is unclear. It is unclear what is being claimed here because that recitation is neither described in the specification nor shown in the drawings of the instant application. Clarification and appropriate correction are required.
Furthermore, Claims 15-17 are rejected due to their dependencies on the base Claim 14.
Claim 17 is indefinite because the recitation such as “wherein each functional circuit block is reset in response to said first reset signal,” (emphasis added) is unclear. It is unclear what is being claimed here because that recitation is neither described in the specification nor shown in the drawings of the instant application. Clarification and appropriate correction are required.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to HAI L NGUYEN whose telephone number is (571)272-1747. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday from 09:00am to 06:00pm Eastern time.
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/HAI L NGUYEN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2842 January 13, 2026