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 .
This is a FINAL OFFICE ACTION in response to the Amendment/ Remarks filed 05/11/2026. Claim 17 is cancelled. Claims 1-16 and 18-20 are pending in the Application, of which Claims 1, 10 and 16 are independent.
Continuity/ Priority Information
The present Application 18785972 filed 07/26/2024 claims foreign priority to REPUBLIC OF KOREA, Application 10-2023-0133411, filed 10/06/2023.
Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments, see Amendment/ Remarks filed 05/11/2026, with respect to the rejection of claims1-16 and 18-20 under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1as being anticipated by SHIH (Pub. No. US 20210320827), have been fully considered and are persuasive. Therefore, the rejection has been withdrawn.
However, upon further consideration, a new ground(s) of rejection is made in view of Chan et al. (Pub. No. US 20180074973) Pub. Date: 2018-03-15, as set forth in the present office action.
The nonstatutory double patenting rejection is withdrawn in view of the amendment to the Claims. The claims 1-21 of the (U.S. Patent No. 11,699,469) do not recite "a storage device configured to,…..in response to receiving an asynchronous event request (AER) command from the host device, output the EOM result value within the buffer memory, as an asynchronous event request (AER), to the host device," recited in claim 1, and similarly independent claims 10 and 16.
According to Applicant’s arguments, Shih merely discloses that the calculated magnitudes representing an eye diagram is transmitted from the eye-diagram analyzer 123 to the processing unit 150, which are both within the storage device 10. Shih neither discloses outputting an EOM result value within a buffer memory of a storage device to the host device nor outputting an EOM result value as an asynchronous event request (AER) in response to an asynchronous event request (AER) command from the host device.
However, under a new ground(s) of rejection, Chan discloses the above limitations as described in the office action below.
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 (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) 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, 10 and 11 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1as being anticipated by Chan et al. (Pub. No. US 20180074973).
Regarding independent Claims 1 and 15, Chan discloses a method for storage devices, comprising:
a host device; and a storage device configured to, based on being powered-on, perform an eye open monitor (EOM) operation with respect to a signal received from the host device to generate an EOM result value, configured to store the EOM result value in a buffer memory; [0018] FIG. 1 Storage device 6 may include power supply 11, which may provide power to one or more components of storage device 6 “storage device being powered-on”. When operating in a standard mode, power supply 11 may provide power to the one or more components using power provided by an external device, such as host device 4. For instance, power supply 11 may provide power to the one or more components using power received from host device 4 via interface 14.
[0022] FIG. 1 In some examples, controller 8 may generate telemetry data, corresponding to EOM result value, associated with storage device 6 and store the telemetry data in a memory device (e.g., ancillary memory 13 “buffer memory”) of storage device 6. For example, controller 8 may generate telemetry data that includes internal event logs corresponding to operations performed by storage device 6 and store the telemetry data within a designated portion of ancillary memory 13 (e.g., a location within volatile memory 12, in a location within non-volatile memory 10, or some combination of both).
[0020] Storage device 6 uses ancillary memory 13 “buffer memory”) to support the primary activity of storing information, e.g., for host device 4. For example, storage device 6 may use ancillary memory 13 to temporarily store telemetry data generated during operations of storage device 6, as described in greater detail below.
in response to receiving an asynchronous event request (AER) command from the host device, output the EOM result value within the buffer memory, as an asynchronous event request (AER), to the host device; [0045] FIG. 3 In some examples, in response to determining the telemetry data loss warning condition (e.g., “YES branch of decision block 304), controller 8 may transmit, to host device 4, an asynchronous event notification 203 indicating the telemetry data loss warning condition (306). For example, the asynchronous event notification may include a Non-Volatile Memory Express (NVMe™) specification protocol message. In some examples, controller 8 receives, from host device 4, a request to register for an asynchronous event notification.
Regarding Claim 11, Chan discloses storing the EOM result value in the buffer memory, and transmitting the EOM result value stored in the buffer memory to the host device. [0045] FIG. 3 In some examples, in response to determining the telemetry data loss warning condition (e.g., “YES branch of decision block 304), controller 8 may transmit, to host device 4, an asynchronous event notification 203 indicating the telemetry data loss warning condition (306). For example, the asynchronous event notification may include a Non-Volatile Memory Express (NVMe™) specification protocol message. In some examples, controller 8 receives, from host device 4, a request to register for an asynchronous event notification.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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, 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.
Claims 2-9, 12-16 and 18-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Chan et al. (Pub. No. US 20180074973) in view of Chan et al. (Pub. No. US 20180074973).
Regarding independent Claim 16, Chan discloses the same limitations as applied to independent Claims 1 and 10, above
Chan additionally discloses an error count signal based on a count of an error.…., and a sampling count signal based on a count of a comparison between the first output and the second output; [0023] Controller 8 may be configured to generate asynchronous events to notify host device 4 of status, error, and health information related to storage device 6 as such events occur. According to some examples of the present disclosure, controller 8 may determine a telemetry data loss warning condition indicating that a portion of the telemetry data is predicted to be overwritten in the memory device (e.g., ancillary memory 13) by more recent telemetry data. [0039] As shown in Table 1, an asynchronous event notification 203 may include an asynchronous event information field and an asynchronous event type field. Asynchronous events may be characterized and grouped into different event types, such as an error event type (indicating a general error not associated with a specific command), a health status event type (e.g., indicating an issue with reliability, temperature, or spare space), and a notice event type (indicating an issue internally detected by storage device 6).
Chan does not explicitly disclose “an equalizer configured to adjust a gain of a received signal to generate equalized serial bits”.
However, SHIH (Pub. No. US 20210320827), in analogous art, discloses, Fig. 1, para. [0024] The equalizer 122 includes a register 1225 and the processing unit 150 adjusts the parameters of the equalizer 122 in operation by setting the value of the register 1225. Refer to FIG. 2. [0036] Step S540: Registers 1225 are set to adjust the parameters of the equalizer 122 by using algorithms known by those skilled in the art according to the magnitudes calculated by the eye-diagram analyzer 123.
It would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a person having ordinary skill in the art to add an equalizer as taught by SHIH in the system of Chan, to address technical problems that data is vulnerable by jitters, voltage fluctuations on the motherboard, and Inter-Symbol Interference (ISI) during high-speed transmission between a host side and a device side, see SHIH, para. [0024].
Regarding Claims 2-4, 12-14, 18, 19, Chan does not explicitly disclose an equalizer configured to adjust a gain of the received signal to generate equalized serial bits; a clock (CDR) block configured to use the equalized serial bits to recover the received signal; and an analog front end (AFE) controller configured to generate an AFE control signal for controlling the equalizer based on the EOM result value.
However, SHIH (Pub. No. US 20210320827), in analogous art, discloses, FIG. [0024] The equalizer 122 includes a register 1225 and the processing unit 150 adjusts the parameters of the equalizer 122 in operation by setting the value of the register 1225. Refer to FIG. 2. For example, the equalizer 122 includes a first-order Continuous Time Linear Equalizer (CTLE) 210 and a 1-tap Decision Feedback Equalizer (DFE) 230.
It would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a person having ordinary skill in the art to add an equalizer as taught by SHIH in the system of Chan, to address technical problems that data is vulnerable by jitters, voltage fluctuations on the motherboard, and Inter-Symbol Interference (ISI) during high-speed transmission between a host side and a device side, see SHIH, para. [0024].
Regarding Claims 5-7, 15, Chan discloses an EOM block configured to generate an error count signal based on a count of an error between the first output and the second output. [0056] In another example, host device 4 may request a second portion of telemetry data from storage device 6 in response to determining that an error associated with storage device 6 has occurred subsequent to receiving a first portion of telemetry data (e.g., at 415). Host device 4 may retry a request for a first portion of telemetry data if an error occurred (e.g., at 411).
Regarding Claims 8, 9, 20, Chan does not explicitly disclose a first deserializer configured to generate the first output by deserializing the data of the equalized serial bits.
SHIH, in analogous art, discloses, [0023] The PHY 110 includes a deserializer 124, which converts high-speed serial signals received through an equalizer 122 into low-speed parallel signals. Signals received from the transmitter of the host and flew to the receiver of the storage device 10 may also be referred to as host data.
It would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a person having ordinary skill in the art to add deserializer as taught by SHIH in the system of Chan, which converts serial signals into parallel signals.
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 JAMES C KERVEROS whose telephone number is (571)272-3824. The examiner can normally be reached 9-5.
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, MARK FEATHERSTONE can be reached at (571) 270-3750. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/JAMES C KERVEROS/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2111
Date: May 22, 2026
Final Rejection 20260522
JAMES C. KERVEROS
Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2111
James.Kerveros@USPTO.GOV
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