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 .
DETAILED ACTION
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
1. The following is a quotation of the first paragraph of 35 U.S.C. 112(a):
(a) IN GENERAL.—The specification shall contain a written description of the invention, and of the manner and process of making and using it, in such full, clear, concise, and exact terms as to enable any person skilled in the art to which it pertains, or with which it is most nearly connected, to make and use the same, and shall set forth the best mode contemplated by the inventor or joint inventor of carrying out the invention.
The following is a quotation of the first paragraph of pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112:
The specification shall contain a written description of the invention, and of the manner and process of making and using it, in such full, clear, concise, and exact terms as to enable any person skilled in the art to which it pertains, or with which it is most nearly connected, to make and use the same, and shall set forth the best mode contemplated by the inventor of carrying out his invention.
2. Claims 1-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(a) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, first paragraph, as based on a disclosure which is not enabling. The disclosure does not enable one of ordinary skill in the art to practice the invention without further explain what does the term “average number” means, which is/are critical or essential to the practice of the invention but not included in the claim(s). See In re Mayhew, 527 F.2d 1229, 188 USPQ 356 (CCPA 1976).
The office appreciates the applicant amended the independent claim and further indicate the explanation in paragraph [0096] that the average number is
t
h
e
t
o
t
a
l
n
u
m
b
e
r
o
f
c
h
a
r
g
e
p
u
m
p
c
e
l
l
s
t
h
a
t
h
a
v
e
b
e
e
n
c
o
n
f
i
g
u
r
e
d
i
n
t
h
e
m
e
m
o
r
y
t
h
e
n
u
m
b
e
r
o
f
t
h
e
p
l
u
r
a
l
i
t
y
o
f
m
e
m
o
r
y
p
l
a
n
e
s
c
o
r
r
e
s
p
o
n
d
i
n
g
t
o
t
h
e
d
a
t
a
o
u
t
p
u
t
c
o
m
m
a
n
d
In independent claims 1, 9 and 16 claimed the “average number” without any further description. The “average number” really makes the office confused; does “average number” pointing to certain of data values, specific components? What is the relationship between output sequence and the “average number”? The independent claim is missing the critical item of the invention to explain what is the average number. Please amend and further explain about these claims.
3. 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 1-20 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.
The claims are generally narrative and indefinite, failing to conform with current U.S. practice. They appear to be a literal translation into English from a foreign document and are replete with grammatical and idiomatic errors.
The office appreciates the applicant amended the claims, however part of the claims 1, 9, and 16 still confuse the reader, and the office couldn’t understand what does “….is first sequence is greater than…” means. The reader would not know which one is greater or equal to an average number in the sentence, is the number of the charge pump or the first sequence? Lacking further explaining the term average number in the claim would lead further confusion to all readers. Please fix.
Allowable Subject Matter
4. Claims 1-20 would be allowable if rewritten or amended 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.
5. With respect to independent claims 1, there is no teaching, suggestion, or motivation for combination in the prior art to for any one of the memory planes that has been pre-charged, reading data of the any one of the memory planes, and outputting the data of the any one of the memory planes according to the data output sequence corresponding to the any one of the memory planes, wherein, when the data output sequence corresponding to the any one of the memory planes is the first, read completion time corresponding to the any one of the memory planes is the same as output start time corresponding to the any one of the memory planes.
6. With respect to dependent claims 2-8, since these claims are depending on claim 1, therefore claims 2-8 are allowable subject matter.
7. With respect to independent claims 9, there is no teaching, suggestion, or motivation for combination in the prior art to for any one of the memory planes that has been pre-charged, reading data of the any one of the memory planes, and outputting the data of the any one of the memory planes according to the data output sequence corresponding to the any one of the memory planes, wherein, when the data output sequence corresponding to the any one of the memory planes is the first, read completion time corresponding to the any one of the memory planes is the same as output start time corresponding to the any one of the memory planes.
8. With respect to dependent claims 10-15, since these claims are depending on claim 9, therefore claims 10-15 are allowable subject matter.
9. With respect to independent claims 16, there is no teaching, suggestion, or motivation for combination in the prior art to for any one of the memory planes that has been pre-charged, reading data of the any one of the memory planes, and outputting the data of the any one of the memory planes according to the data output sequence corresponding to the any one of the memory planes, wherein, when the data output sequence corresponding to the any one of the memory planes is the first, read completion time corresponding to the any one of the memory planes is the same as output start time corresponding to the any one of the memory planes.
10. With respect to dependent claims 17-20, since these claims are depending on claim 16, therefore claims 17-20 are allowable subject matter.
Response to Argument
11. Applicant’s arguments with respect to claim 1 has been considered but are not persuasive. Please see the rejection above for the explanation.
Conclusion
12. 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.
12. Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Han Yang whose telephone is (571) 270-3048. The examiner can normally be reached on Monday-Friday 8am-5pm with alternate Friday off. If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Richard Elms can be reached on (571) 272-1869. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is (571) 273-8300.
Information regarding the status of an application may be obtained from the Patent Application Information Retrieval (PAIR) system. Status information for published applications may be obtained from either Private PAIR or Public PAIR. Status information for unpublished applications is available through Private PAIR only. For more information about the PAIR system, see http://pair-direct.uspto.gov. Should you have questions on access to the Private PAIR system, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative or access to the automated information system, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000.
HY
03/23/2026
/HAN YANG/
Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2824