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 .
Information Disclosure Statement
1. The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 2/18/2022 and is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. According, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the Examiner. Claim Objection
2. Claims 1, 2, 7, 11-15, are objected to because of the following informalities:
Regarding claim 1, lines 1-2, the phrase “especially a vector network analyzer,” should be deleted. Lines 4-5, “especially the vector network analyzer,” should be changed to --- wherein the measurement device is a vector network analyzer ---.
Regarding claim 2, lines 1-2, the phrase “especially to the measurement device or the vector network analyzer,” should be deleted.
Claims 3-9 are also objected as they inherit the deficiencies in claim 1.
Regarding claim 7, lines 3-4, the phrase “especially one or more electronic switching elements and/or one or more mechanical switching elements” should be changed to --- wherein the one or more switching elements comprising one or more electronic switching elements and/or one or more mechanical switching elements ---.
Regarding claim 11, lines 2-3, the phrase “especially a vector network analyzer” should be changed to --- wherein the measurement device is a vector network analyzer ---.
Regarding claim 12, lines 3-4, the phrase “especially a vector network analyzer” should be changed to --- wherein the measurement device is a vector network analyzer ---. Line 6-7, phrase “the at least one connection port of the calibration device is preferably connected to the measurement device, especially the vector network analyzer” should be changed to --- the at least one connection port of the calibration device is connected to the vector network analyzer ---.
Regarding claim 13, for clarification purpose, claim 13 should recite as follow:
“wherein the vector network analyzer[,] is configured to control the calibration device in a way that the at least one passive calibration standard and the at least one active calibration standard are connected to the vector network analyzer[,] in an alternative manner”.
Regarding claim 14, lines 2-3, the phrase “wherein the measurement device, especially the vector network analyzer, is configured” should be changed to --- wherein the vector network analyzer is configured ---.
Regarding claim 15, for clarification purpose, claim 15 should recite as follow: “A method for calibrating a measurement device, comprising the steps of: connecting, by a switching unit of the calibration device, at least one connection port of a calibration device alternatively to one of at least one passive calibration standard of the calibration device and at least one active calibration standard of the calibration device , measuring, by a signal measurement unit of the at least one active calibration standard, a RF signal fed to the at least one active calibration standard via the at least one connection port and the switching unit in magnitude and/or phase , or generating and outputting, by a signal generation unit of the at least one active calibration standard, a reference signal to the at least one connection port via the switching unit .
Examiner Notes
3. Examiner cites particular paragraphs, 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.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
4. 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.
5. Claims 1-2 and 6-15 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Bradley et al. (US. Pat. 6917892 cited from IDS; hereinafter “Bradley”).
Regarding claim 1, Bradley discloses, in Figs.2-3, a calibration device (a calibration module 300) for a measurement device (400), especially a vector network analyzer (a vector network analyzer- VNA 400), comprising: at least one connection port (a RF port 302) for connecting the calibration device (300) to the measurement device (400), especially the vector network analyzer, at least one passive calibration standard (306, 308, and 310), at least one active calibration standard (320, 332, 322, 34, 314 and 326), and a switching unit (a switch assembly 304) configured to connect the at least one connection port alternatively to one of the at least one passive calibration standard (306, 308, and 310) and the at least one active calibration standard (320, 332, 322, 34, 314 and 326), wherein the at least one active calibration standard comprises a signal measurement unit configured to measure a RF signal fed to the at least one active calibration standard via the at least one connection port and the switching unit in magnitude and/or phase, or wherein the at least one active calibration standard (332, 322, 324, 314, and 326) comprises a signal generation unit (332 and 314) configured to generate and output a reference signal to the at least one connection port via the switching unit (via the switch of 332 which, together with 304, makes out the switching unit).
Regarding claim 2, Bradley discloses the calibration device according to claim 1, wherein the calibration device (300) comprises a control interface (a control interface of a microcontroller 314) configured to connect the calibration device to a control device (314), especially to the measurement device or the vector network analyzer, wherein the switching unit (304) is configured to receive a control signal via the control interface and is in turn configured to connect the at least one passive calibration standard (see Fig. 3) and/or the at least one active calibration standard to the at least one connection port in respect to the control signal.
Regarding claim 6, Bradley discloses the calibration device according to claim 1, wherein the switching unit (304 in Fig. 2) comprises one or more switching stages (306, 308, 310, 312).
Regarding claim 7, Bradley discloses the calibration device according to claim 1, wherein the switching unit comprises one or more switching elements (304, 332 in Fig. 3), especially one or more electronic switching elements and/or one or more mechanical switching elements.
Regarding claim 8, Bradley discloses the calibration device according to claim 1, wherein the calibration device comprises a housing (300 in Fig. 3, the term “housing” is implicit in this figure), wherein the at least one active calibration standard is arranged within said housing or in a housing separate to the housing of the calibration device (see Fig. 3).
Regarding claim 9, Bradley discloses the calibration device according to claim 1, wherein the at least one active calibration standard or the signal generation unit comprises or is a pulse source, a comb source, a noise source, or any combination thereof (302 in Fig 3).
Regarding claim 10, Bradley discloses the calibration device according to claim 1, wherein the at least one passive calibration standard comprises or is an open calibration standard and/or a short calibration standard and/or a match calibration standard (306, 308, 310 in Fig. 3).
Regarding claim 11, Bradley discloses a use of a calibration device according to claim 1 for calibrating a measurement device, especially a vector network analyzer.
Regarding claim 12, Bradley discloses a system comprising: a calibration device according to claim 1, and a measurement device, especially a vector network analyzer, wherein the at least one connection port of the calibration device is preferably connected to the measurement device, especially the vector network analyzer (see Figs. 2-3).
Regarding claim 13, Bradley discloses the system according to claim 12, wherein the measurement device, especially the vector network analyzer, is configured to control the calibration device preferably in such a way that the at least one passive calibration standard and the at least one active calibration standard are connected to the measurement device, especially the vector network analyzer, in an alternative manner (see the rejection of claim 1 and Figs. 2-3).
Regarding claim 14, Bradley discloses the system according to claim 12, wherein the measurement device, especially the vector network analyzer, is configured to measure at least one corresponding S-parameter (see abstract).
Regarding claim 15, Bradley discloses, in Figs. 2-3, a method for calibrating a measurement device (400), especially a vector network analyzer (a vector network analyzer -VNA 400), comprising the steps of: connecting at least one connection port (302) of a calibration device (300) alternatively to one of at least one passive calibration standard (306, 308, and 310) especially of the calibration device and at least one active calibration standard (320, 332, 322, 34, 314 and 326) especially of the calibration device preferably with the aid of a switching unit (304), more preferably with the aid of a switching unit of the calibration device, measuring a RF signal fed to the at least one active calibration standard via the at least one connection port and especially the switching unit in magnitude and/or phase preferably with the aid of a signal measurement unit, more preferably with the aid of a signal measurement unit of the at least one active calibration standard, or generating and outputting a reference signal to the at least one connection port especially via the switching unit preferably with the aid of a signal generation unit (332 and 314), more preferably with the aid of a signal generation unit of the at least one active calibration standard (via the switch of 332 which, together with 304, makes out the switching unit).
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
6. 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 of this title, 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.
7. Claims 3-5 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Bradley in view of Reck et al. (EP 3232218 cited from IDS; hereinafter “Reck”).
Regarding claim 3, Bradley discloses the calibration device according to claim 1, except for explicitly specifying wherein the calibration device comprises at least one DUT connection port for connecting the calibration device to a DUT, wherein the switching unit is configured to connect the at least one connection port to the at least one DUT connection port.
Reck discloses, in Figs. 3 and 5, a calibration module (10) coupled to a vector network analyzer (51) via a connection port (14), the calibration module (10) comprising at least one DUT (15) connection port for connecting the calibration device (10) to a DUT (54), wherein the switching unit (33) is configured to connect the at least one connection port to the at least one DUT connection port (15).
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to employ the calibration device having at least one DUT connection port for connecting the calibration device to a DUT, and the switching unit is configured to connect the at least one connection port to the at least one DUT connection port as taught by Reck, for purpose of wiring complexity is reduced, when large number of calibration modules is controlled by the same control device via the control bus. The calibration is performed at two reference levels of the calibration module at first reference plane at the input and at second reference plane at the output. Hence calibration is improved.
Regarding claim 4, Bradley discloses the calibration device according to claim 1, except for explicitly specifying wherein the calibration device comprises at least one further connection port, wherein the switching unit is configured to alternatively connect the at least one further connection port to the at least one passive calibration standard and the at least one active calibration standard, or to at least one further passive calibration standard, especially comprised by the calibration device, and at least one further active calibration standard, especially comprised by the calibration device, or to at least one further passive calibration standard, especially comprised by the calibration device, and the at least one active calibration standard.
Reck discloses, in Figs. 3 and 5, a calibration module (10) coupled to a vector network analyzer (51), the calibration module (10) comprising at least one further connection port (ports 15-16 in Fig. 3), wherein the switching unit (33) is configured to alternatively connect the at least one further connection port to the at least one passive calibration standard and the at least one active calibration standard (see Fig. 3).
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to employ the calibration device having at least one further connection port, wherein the switching unit is configured to alternatively connect the at least one further connection port to the at least one passive calibration standard and the at least one active calibration standard as taught by Reck, for purpose of wiring complexity is reduced, when large number of calibration modules is controlled by the same control device via the control bus. The calibration is performed at two reference levels of the calibration module at first reference plane at the input and at second reference plane at the output. Hence calibration is improved.
Regarding claim 5, Bradley discloses the calibration device according to claim 1, except for explicitly specifying wherein the switching unit is configured to connect the at least one connection port to the at least one further connection port.
Reck discloses, in Figs. 3 and 5, a calibration module (10) coupled to a vector network analyzer (51), the calibration module (10) comprising the switching unit (33 in Fig. 3) is configured to connect the at least one connection port (16) to the at least one further connection port (15, see Fig. 3).
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to employ the calibration device having the switching unit is configured to connect the at least one connection port to the at least one further connection port as taught by Reck, for purpose of wiring complexity is reduced, when large number of calibration modules is controlled by the same control device via the control bus. The calibration is performed at two reference levels of the calibration module at first reference plane at the input and at second reference plane at the output. Hence calibration is improved.
Prior Art of Record
8. The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Maestle (U.S Pub. 20090160458) discloses a calibration kit (100) for calibrating a connectable network analyzer (102), including a converter (104, 106) adapted for performing a conversion between an electrical signal and an optical signal, a calibration standard (108, 110) for calibrating the network analyzer (102), and a switch array (112) adapted for switching the converter (104, 106) and the calibration standard (108, 110) in a manner to enable an electrical calibration of the network analyzer (102) and a calibration of the converter (104, 106) coupled to the network analyzer (102). (see specification for more details).
Adamian (U.S Pub. 5552714) discloses an electronic calibration apparatus (see specification for more details).
Rowell (U.S Pat. 6417674) discloses n-port network analyzer system is calibrated (see specification for more details).
Conclusion
9. Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to THANG LE whose telephone number is (571)272-9349. The examiner can normally be reached on Monday thru Friday 7:30AM-5:00PM EST.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Huy Phan can be reached on (571) 272-7924. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/THANG X LE/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2858
2/14/2026