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 § 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 1-20 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.
Independent claim 1 requires that “a number of turns of a cable wrapped around each of the first probe and the second probe is adjusted based on a frequency range of the noise source.” How are the turns of cable adjusted? Are the turns repositioned on the probe? Is more cable wrapped around the probe creating a different number of turns of the cable? Is the probe itself a coil and those turns are adjusted or changed or is there a separate cable in addition to the probe? What is the basis of the frequency that causes one to “adjust” the turns of cable wrapped around the probes? All of these questions need to be addressed to clarify the record. All subsequent dependent claims 2-8 are also rejected because of the base claim 1.
Independent claims 9 & 16 also contain the limitation addressed in claim 1. Claim 16 also has additional points to clarify. Their respective dependent claims are also rejected.
Independent claim 16 requires “measuring impedance of the measurement target device; searching for frequency sections in each of which effectiveness of a measurement result is guaranteed for each number of turns of the cable; and connecting measurement results in the found frequency sections.” How are “measurement results” “guaranteed” for each number of turns? What is the guarantee? What is making the guarantee? How are the results connected? Are the results plotted? Are numbers linked and if so, how? What makes the connections? All of these questions and more need to be addressed to clarify the record. All subsequent dependent claims 17-20 are also rejected because of the base claim 16.
Claim 2 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.
Claim 2 requires “determining the number of turns of the cable in the first probe and the second probe; adjusting the number of turns of the cable in the first probe and the second probe to the determined number of turns of the cable.” If one determines the number of turns of “the cable” in the first and second probes, why would one then adjust the number of turns in those probes to the number just determined. If you realize the probe has 4 turns, why and how would you adjust it to four turns? This appears to be circular reasoning. Clarification is required. All subsequent dependent claims 3-8 are also rejected because of the base claim 2.
Claim 10 requires “determining a number of turns of a cable in the first probe and the second probe; adjusting the number of turns of the cable in the first probe and the second probe to the determined number of turns.” If one determines the number of turns of “the cable” in the first and second probes, why would one then adjust the number of turns in those probes to the number just determined. If you realize the probe has 4 turns, why and how would you adjust it to four turns? This appears to be circular reasoning. Clarification is required. All subsequent dependent claims 17-20 are also rejected because of the base claim 16.
Claim 16 requires “determining the number of turns of the cable in the first probe and the second probe; adjusting the number of turns of the cable in the first probe and the second probe to the determined number of turns of the cable” If one determines the number of turns of “the cable” in the first and second probes, why would one then adjust the number of turns in those probes to the number just determined. If you realize the probe has 4 turns, why and how would you adjust it to four turns? This appears to be circular reasoning. Clarification is required. All subsequent dependent claims 11-14 are also rejected because of the base claim 10.
The term “effectiveness” in claims 8, 10, & 16 is a relative term which renders the claim indefinite. The term “effectiveness” is not defined by the claim, the specification does not provide a standard for ascertaining the requisite degree, and one of ordinary skill in the art would not be reasonably apprised of the scope of the invention. What defines effectiveness? Is it a percentage of usage? Is it an amount of return on investment? Clarification is required.
Dependent claim 8 requires “searching for frequency sections in each of which effectiveness of a measurement result is guaranteed for each number of turns of the cable; and connecting measurement results in the found frequency sections” How are “measurement results” “guaranteed” for each number of turns? How does one search for the frequency sections? What defines effectiveness? What is the guarantee? What is making the guarantee? How are the results connected? Are the results plotted? Are numbers linked and if so, how? What makes the connections? All of these questions and more need to be addressed to clarify the record.
Dependent claim 10 requires “searching for frequency sections in each of which effectiveness of a measurement result is guaranteed for each number of turns of the cable; and connecting measurement results in the found frequency sections.” How are “measurement results” “guaranteed” for each number of turns? How does one search for the frequency sections? What defines effectiveness? What is the guarantee? What is making the guarantee? How are the results connected? Are the results plotted? Are numbers linked and if so, how? What makes the connections? All of these questions and more need to be addressed to clarify the record. All subsequent dependent claims 11-15 are also rejected because of the base claim 10.
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 claims appear, as disclosed above, to have multiple 112 2nd rejections that render the claims indefinite. Given the number of 112 2nd rejections made above, a proper search is not possible. But, in order to advance prosecution, some claims will be rejected with art below using broadest reasonable interpretation.
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.
Claims 1, 9, & 16 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Liu et al (Liu, Yitao, Xin Ye, and Jianchun Peng. "EMI filter design for single‐phase grid‐connected inverter with noise source impedance consideration." IET Power Electronics 13.17 (2020): 3963-3974.).
Regarding Independent claim 1, Liu teaches:
A method for extracting noise source impedance of an electronic device, comprising:
calculating impedance of a noise source of a measurement target device using a first probe and a second probe (Abstract, Introduction, and Section 2 pages 3964-3965. There are more discussions elsewhere in the paper.),
wherein a number of turns of a cable wrapped around each of the first probe and the second probe is adjusted based on a frequency range of the noise source (Abstract and Section 3 pages 3966 column 1.).
Regarding claim 2,
The method of claim 1, wherein the method further includes: measuring initial impedance of the measurement target device using the first probe and the second probe; determining the number of turns of the cable in the first probe and the second probe; adjusting the number of turns of the cable in the first probe and the second probe to the determined number of turns of the cable; and measuring impedance of the measurement target device.
Regarding claim 3,
The method of claim 2, wherein measuring the initial impedance and measuring the impedance includes: injecting an input signal through the first probe; receiving an output signal fed back from the measurement target device through the second probe; and calculating the impedance of the measurement target device based on an S-parameter that is a ratio between the input signal and the output signal.
Regarding claim 4,
The method of claim 2, wherein measuring the initial impedance comprises measuring the impedance when the number of turns of the cable wrapped around the probe is 1.
Regarding claim 5,
The method of claim 2, wherein determining the number of turns includes: determining an increment in an S-parameter when measuring the initial impedance; and calculating the number of turns of the cable using the determined increment in the S-parameter.
Regarding claim 6,
The method of claim 5, wherein the increment is determined depending on a request of a user or specifications of measurement equipment.
Regarding claim 7,
The method of claim 2, wherein operations from determining the number of turns to measuring the impedance are repeatedly performed.
Regarding claim 8,
The method of claim 2, wherein the method further includes: searching for frequency sections in each of which effectiveness of a measurement result is guaranteed for each number of turns of the cable; and connecting measurement results in the found frequency sections.
Regarding Independent claim 9, Han teaches:
An apparatus for extracting noise source impedance of an electronic device, comprising:
a first probe and a second probe that are connected to a measurement target device (See Fig. 7 & 8 and associated text.); and
a measurement control unit for injecting an input signal through the first probe (See Fig. 7 & 8 and associated text.), receiving an output signal fed back from the measurement target device through the second probe (See Fig. 7 & 8 and associated text.), and calculating impedance of the measurement target device based on a ratio between the input signal and the output signal (Abstract, Introduction, and Section 2 pages 3964-3965. There are more discussions elsewhere in the paper.),
wherein a number of turns of a cable wrapped around each of the first probe and the second probe is adjusted based on a frequency range of a noise source (Abstract and Section 3 pages 3966 column 1.).
Regarding claim 10,
The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the number of turns of the cable wrapped around each of the first probe and the second probe is adjusted by a result of performing: measuring initial impedance of the measurement target device using the first probe and the second probe; determining the number of turns of the cable in the first probe and the second probe; adjusting the number of turns of the cable in the first probe and the second probe to the determined number of turns of the cable; measuring impedance of the measurement target device; searching for frequency sections in each of which effectiveness of a measurement result is guaranteed for each number of turns of the cable; and connecting measurement results in the found frequency sections.
Regarding claim 11,
The apparatus of claim 10, wherein measuring the initial impedance comprises measuring the impedance when the number of turns of the cable wrapped around the probe is 1.
Regarding claim 12,
The apparatus of claim 11, wherein determining the number of turns includes: determining an increment in an S-parameter when measuring the initial impedance; and calculating the number of turns of the cable using the determined increment in the S-parameter.
Regarding claim 13,
The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the increment is determined depending on a request of a user or specifications of measurement equipment.
Regarding claim 14,
The apparatus of claim 10, wherein operations from determining the number of turns to measuring the impedance are repeatedly performed.
Regarding claim 15,
The apparatus of claim 9, further comprising: a line impedance stabilization network for stabilizing line impedance depending on a frequency and isolating a power network from the measurement target device.
Regarding Independent claim 16, Han teaches:
A method for extracting noise source impedance of an electronic device, comprising:
measuring initial impedance of a measurement target device using a first probe and a second probe (Abstract, Introduction, and Section 2 pages 3964-3965. There are more discussions elsewhere in the paper.);
determining a number of turns of a cable in the first probe and the second probe (Abstract and Section 3 pages 3966 column 1.);
adjusting the number of turns of the cable in the first probe and the second probe to the determined number of turns (Abstract and Section 3 pages 3966 column 1.);
measuring impedance of the measurement target device (Abstract, Introduction, and Section 2 pages 3964-3965. There are more discussions elsewhere in the paper. See Fig. 7-8.);
searching for frequency sections in each of which effectiveness of a measurement result is guaranteed for each number of turns of the cable (Abstract, Introduction, and Section 2 pages 3964-3965. There are more discussions elsewhere in the paper. See Fig. 9-11.); and
connecting measurement results in the found frequency sections (See Fig. 9-11.).
Regarding claim 17,
The method of claim 16, wherein measuring the initial impedance comprises measuring the impedance when the number of turns of the cable wrapped around the probe is 1.
Regarding claim 18,
The method of claim 16, wherein determining the number of turns includes: determining an increment in an S-parameter when measuring the initial impedance; and calculating the number of turns of the cable using the determined increment in the S-parameter.
Regarding claim 19,
The method of claim 18, wherein the increment is determined depending on a request of a user or specifications of measurement equipment.
Regarding claim 20,
The method of claim 16, wherein operations from determining the number of turns to measuring the impedance are repeatedly performed.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. The prior art listed but not cited represents art that teaches some of the limitations claimed by applicant.
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/CHRISTOPHER P MCANDREW/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2858