Prosecution Insights
Last updated: October 26, 2026
Application No. 18/778,709

Amplifier Noise Cancellation

Final Rejection §102
Filed
Jul 19, 2024
Examiner
CHOE, HENRY
Art Unit
2843
Tech Center
2800 — Semiconductors & Electrical Systems
Assignee
Apple Inc.
OA Round
2 (Final)
92%
Grant Probability
Favorable
3-4
OA Rounds
0m
Est. Remaining
91%
With Interview

Examiner Intelligence

Grants 92% — above average
92%
Career Allowance Rate
1271 granted / 1379 resolved
+24.2% vs TC avg
Minimal -2% lift
Without
With
+-1.6%
Interview Lift
resolved cases with interview
Fast prosecutor
1y 10m
Avg Prosecution
22 currently pending
Career history
1401
Total Applications
across all art units

Statute-Specific Performance

§101
1.0%
-39.0% vs TC avg
§103
38.7%
-1.3% vs TC avg
§102
46.9%
+6.9% vs TC avg
§112
3.8%
-36.2% vs TC avg
Black line = Tech Center average estimate • Based on career data from 1379 resolved cases

Office Action

§102
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 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 § 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. Claim(s) 16-19 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by [Fujimoto et al (Fig. 7); 7,190,239]. Regarding claim 16, Fujimoto et al discloses an amplifier circuit comprising a first amplifier (51, 55) having a first input (gate terminal of the transistor 51) and a first passive electrical component (La) which is directly coupled to a power supply line (Vdd), and a second amplifier (52, 56b) having a second input (gate terminal of the transistor 52) shorted to the first input (gate terminal of the transistor 51) and having a second passive electrical component (Lc) which is directly coupled to the power supply line (Vdd) and magnetically coupled to the first passive electrical component (La) for cancelling differential noise associated with the first (51, 55) and second (52, 56b) amplifiers. Regarding claim 17, wherein the first passive electrical component (La) comprises a first inductor and wherein the second passive electrical component (Lc) comprises a second inductor. Regarding claim 18, wherein the first inductor (La) has a first footprint (footprint of La) and wherein the second inductor (Lc) has a second footprint (footprint of Lc) that at least partially overlaps with the first footprint (footprint of La). Regarding claim 19, wherein the first amplifier (51, 55) further comprises a first input transistor (51) coupled in series with the first passive electrical component (La), and wherein the second amplifier (52, 56b) further comprises a second input transistor (52) coupled in series with the second passive electrical component (Lc). Allowable Subject Matter Claim 20 is 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. Reasons for Allowance Claims 1-5, 8-12 and 15 are allowed. The following is an examiner’s statement of reasons for allowance: Regarding claim 1, the closest prior art of record, Granger-Jones does not disclose the following limitation: a second transformer having a second primary coil coupled to a drain terminal of the second input transistor. Regarding claim 11, the closest prior art of record, Granger-Jones does not disclose the following limitation: a second transformer coupled in series with the second input transistor. Regarding claim 20, the closest prior art of record, Granger-Jones does not disclose the following limitation: the first amplifier further comprises a first transformer --------------------------------------------------- the second input transistor. Any comments considered necessary by applicant must be submitted no later than the payment of the issue fee and, to avoid processing delays, should preferably accompany the issue fee. Such submissions should be clearly labeled “Comments on Statement of Reasons for Allowance.” Response to Arguments Applicant’s arguments with respect to claims 1-5, 8-12 and 15-20 have been considered but are moot in view of the new grounds of rejection. Conclusion Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). 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. Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Henry Choe whose telephone number is (571)272-1760. The examiner can normally be reached MONDAY-FRIDAY 5AM-11:00PM. Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice. If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Jessica Han can be reached at 571-272-2078. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300. Information regarding the status of published or unpublished applications may be obtained from Patent Center. Unpublished application information in Patent Center is available to registered users. To file and manage patent submissions in Patent Center, visit: https://patentcenter.uspto.gov. Visit https://www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/patent-center for more information about Patent Center and https://www.uspto.gov/patents/docx for information about filing in DOCX format. For additional questions, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000. /HENRY CHOE/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2843
Read full office action

Prosecution Timeline

Jul 19, 2024
Application Filed
Jul 17, 2026
Non-Final Rejection mailed — §102
Sep 23, 2026
Response Filed
Sep 23, 2026
Applicant Interview (Telephonic)
Oct 13, 2026
Examiner Interview Summary
Oct 14, 2026
Final Rejection mailed — §102 (current)

Precedent Cases

Applications granted by this same examiner with similar technology

Patent 12771303
DYNAMIC CURRENT MIRROR EMPLOYING MILLER EFFECT
2y 8m to grant Granted Oct 20, 2026
Patent 12771298
DOHERTY AMPLIFIER
2y 10m to grant Granted Oct 20, 2026
Patent 12763740
POWER AMPLIFIER CIRCUIT
2y 9m to grant Granted Oct 13, 2026
Patent 12756368
POWER AMPLIFIER AND RADIO FREQUENCY MODULE
3y 1m to grant Granted Oct 06, 2026
Patent 12750014
RF CIRCUIT FOR PREVENTING DAMAGE TO POWER AMPLIFIER
3y 0m to grant Granted Sep 29, 2026
Study what changed to get past this examiner. Based on 5 most recent grants.

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Prosecution Projections

3-4
Expected OA Rounds
92%
Grant Probability
91%
With Interview (-1.6%)
1y 10m (~0m remaining)
Median Time to Grant
Moderate
PTA Risk
Based on 1379 resolved cases by this examiner. Grant probability derived from career allowance rate.

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