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
Priority
Acknowledgment is made of applicant’s claim for foreign priority under 35 U.S.C. 119 (a)-(d). The certified copy has been filed in parent Application No. 10-2024-0022408, filed on February 16, 2024.
Information Disclosure Statement
As required by M.P.E.P. 609 (C), the applicant’s submission of the information Disclosure Statement dated 07/17/2024 & 07/21/2025 is acknowledged by the examiner and the cited references have been considered in the examination of the claims now pending. As required by M.P.E.P. 609 C(2), a copy of the PTOL-1449 initialed and dated by the examiner is attached to the instant office action.
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 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 1, 2, 9, 10, 11, 12, 19 and 20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Hsiao et al. (Pub. No.: US 2019/0279723).
Regarding independent claims 1 and 11, Hsiao discloses a storage apparatus (Fig.1: storage device 20) comprising:
a memory device (Fig.1: rewritable non-volatile memory module 220) including a plurality of word lines ([0045]: the rewritable non-volatile memory module 220 has a plurality of word lines); and
a word line grouping device configured to group the plurality of word lines into a certain number of groups ([0048]-[0050]: the processor 211 may group a plurality of physical units into a plurality of physical unit groups based on statistical values of the physical units of the rewritable non-volatile memory module 220. The statistical value includes one of the program erase cycle, the data retention timestamp (also referred to as retention value) and the read counter value or a combination thereof. Physical units grouped into the same physical unit group may share similar physical properties), so that a read performance value, obtained by reading data of word lines included in a same group by using a representative read voltage, is satisfied with a set tolerance value ([0048]-[0057] and [0109]-[0117]: the processor 211 may choose a word line (also referred to as a target word line) of the word lines of the physical units of the rewritable non-volatile memory module 220 at a specific time point, and instruct the read voltage management circuit unit 215 to perform the read voltage optimization operation to the target word line and the optimized read voltage is selected such that the read performance metrics fall within predefined acceptable ranges, including optimization thresholds and ECC-related correct ranges. Under the BRI, the optimized read voltage selected by Hsiao functions as a representative read voltage applied to word lines within the same logical group, and ensuring that read performance metrics remain within predefined acceptable ranges corresponds to satisfying a set tolerance value, as claimed).
Regarding claims 2 and 12, Hsiao teaches wherein the word line grouping device includes:
a representative read voltage decision circuit configured to determine the representative read voltage of each group, by which the read performance value is optimized ([0055]-[0057] & [0106]-[0116]: a read voltage management circuit unit, operating in cooperation with a processor, determines optimized read voltages for a target word line or a logical group of word lines based on read performance metrics, including Gray code counts and predefined thresholds); and
a group size adjustment circuit configured to adjust a size of each group so that the read performance value of each group is satisfied with the set tolerance value ([0048]-[0050] & [0109]-[0113]: Word lines are logically grouped based on statistical and error related characteristics, and word lines are dynamically managed or regrouped based on read performance to ensure that read results fall within predefined acceptable range).
Regarding claims 9 and 19, Hsiao teaches wherein the word line grouping device is configured to reduce a size of a third group of the groups when a read performance value of the third group is not satisfied with the set tolerance value ([0048]-[0050] & [0109]-[0113]: Word lines are logically grouped based on statistical and error related characteristics, and word lines are dynamically managed or regrouped based on read performance to ensure that read results fall within predefined acceptable range).
Regarding claims 10 and 20, Hsiao teaches wherein the word line grouping device is configured to fix sizes of all groups when read performance values of all groups are satisfied with the set tolerance value ([0048]-[0057] and [0109]-[0117]: the processor 211 may choose a word line (also referred to as a target word line) of the word lines of the physical units of the rewritable non-volatile memory module 220 at a specific time point, and instruct the read voltage management circuit unit 215 to perform the read voltage optimization operation to the target word line and the optimized read voltage is selected such that the read performance metrics fall within predefined acceptable ranges, including optimization thresholds and ECC-related correct ranges. Under the BRI, the optimized read voltage selected by Hsiao functions as a representative read voltage applied to word lines within the same logical group, and ensuring that read performance metrics remain within predefined acceptable ranges corresponds to satisfying a set tolerance value).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 3-8 and 13-18 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.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter:
Claims 3 and 13 identifies the distinct features “wherein the read performance value includes a maximum fail bit count among fail bit counts of word lines of each group for a plurality of candidate read voltages when data of the word lines in each group are read by using at least a portion of the plurality of candidate read voltages", which are not taught or suggested by the prior art of records.
Claims 4 and 14, which respectively depend on objected-to claims 3 and 13 respectively, are allowable for at least the same reasons as claims 3 and 13 respectively.
Claims 5 and 15 identifies the distinct features “wherein the read performance value includes a read pass rate which is a ratio of a word line number having a fail bit count within error correction capability to a total word line number of each group for a plurality of candidate read voltages when data of the word lines in each group are read by using at least a portion of the plurality of candidate read voltages", which are not taught or suggested by the prior art of records.
Claims 6 and 16, which respectively depend on objected-to claims 5 and 15 respectively, are allowable for at least the same reasons as claims 5 and 15 respectively.
Claims 7 and 17 identifies the distinct features “wherein the word line grouping device is configured to fix a size of a first group of the groups when a read performance value of the first group is satisfied with the set tolerance value and the read performance value of the first group is satisfied with a criterion value which is set to terminate group size adjustment", which are not taught or suggested by the prior art of records.
Claims 18 and 18 identifies the distinct features “wherein the word line grouping device is configured to extend a size of a second group of the groups when a read performance value of a second group is satisfied with the set tolerance value and a read performance value of the second group is not satisfied with a criterion value which is set to terminate group size adjustment", which are not taught or suggested by the prior art of records.
Claims 3-8 and 13-18 would be allowable over the prior art of record because the claimed features as mentioned above in combination with other claimed features are not recited or suggested by the prior art of records.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication should be directed to Yong Choe at telephone number 571-270-1053 or email to yong.choe@uspto.gov. The examiner can normally be reached on M-F 10:00 am to 6:30pm. If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Rutz, Jared Ian can be reached on (571) 272-5535. Any inquiry of a general nature or relating to the status of this application should be directed to the TC 2100 whose telephone number is (571) 272-2100.
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/YONG J CHOE/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2135