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 7/29/2024 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. Claim 1 is objected to because of the following informalities: Regarding claim 1, line 1, “A configurable radio frequency, RF, system” should be changed to --- A configurable radio frequency (RF) system ---. Line 5, “a device-under-test, DUT;” should be changed to --- “a device-under-test (DUT);”. Lines 6-7“at least a first and a second auxiliary port” should be changed to --- at least a first and a second auxiliary ports ---.
Line 9, “the first and the second auxiliary port” should be changed to --- the first and the second auxiliary ports ---.
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, 5-7, and 17-19 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Adamian (US. Pat. 5578932; hereinafter “Adamian”).
Regarding claim 1, Adamian discloses a configurable radio frequency, RF, system (a RF test system in Figs. 14A-B), comprising: a first RF module (310) which comprises a signal path (a signal path, see annotated Fig. 14A) and an RF port (301, 305, or 307); wherein the RF port (307, 309, or 303) is arranged for being connected to a further RF module (312) or to a device-under-test, DUT;
wherein the first RF module (310) further comprises at least a first and a second auxiliary port (such as first and seconds RF ports 301 and 305) which are accessible from outside the first RF module (see Figs. 14A-14B); wherein the first and the second auxiliary port (309 and 303) are arranged for being connected to each other via: a first bridging element (a switching connection 324) or a first extension module of the configurable RF system (316); wherein the signal path is connected to the RF port and passes through: the first auxiliary port, the first bridging element or the first extension module, and the second auxiliary port (as shown in Figs. 14A or 14B, a signal path from 114 through a series of RF ports 301, 305, 311, 313, 309, and 303 ).
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Regarding claim 5, Adamian discloses the configurable RF system of claim 1, wherein the first extension module (316) comprises at least one of the following elements: the first bridging element, an amplifier stage, a switching unit configured to connect at least one of the auxiliary ports to another auxiliary port, an attenuator unit, a filter unit, a phase shifter, an isolator, a circulator, a power detector, a mixer, a signal and/or noise source, a modulator, a coupler unit, a splitter, a combiner, and/or a DUT port (see Figs. 14A-14B).
Regarding claim 6, Adamian discloses the configurable RF system of claim 1, wherein the first extension module (316) comprises a feeding port configured to receive an RF signal; and wherein the first extension module is configured to transmit the RF signal to the RF port of the first RF-module (see Figs. 14A-14B).
Regarding claim 7, Adamian discloses the configurable RF system of claim 1, wherein the first RF module (310) is a transmitter module and/or a receiver module (receiving a signal from 114 and transmitting the signal to 116, see Figs. 14A-B).
Regarding claim 17, Adamian discloses the configurable RF system of claim 1, wherein the first extension module is removably attached to the first RF module by means of a plug-in connection, a screw connection or a magnetic connection (see Fig. 5).
Regarding claim 18, Adamian discloses the configurable RF system of claim 1, wherein the first RF module comprises a plurality of sub-modules (328, 314. 316 in Figs. 14AB).
Regarding claim 19, Adamian discloses the configurable RF system of claim 1, wherein the first bridging element or the first extension module can be swapped with a different bridging element or extension module during operation of the configurable RF system (see Figs. 14A-B).
6. Claim 1 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Rohde and Schwarz (NPL: “R&S ZVA Vector Network Analyzer” cited from IDS; hereinafter “Rohde and Schwarz”).
Regarding claim 1, Rohde and Schwarz discloses a configurable radio frequency, RF, system (page 19: fig. "The R&S®ZVA with external amplifier and harmonic filter"), comprising: a first RF module which comprises a signal path and an RF port (in the figure on
page 19: see the path: "generator-output"-amplifier-filter-"bias-T"-"directionalcoupler"-
port); wherein the RF port is arranged for being connected to a further RF module or to a device-under-test, DUT (in the figure on page 19: see the path: "generator output"- amplifier-filter-"bias-T"-"directional-coupler"-port; said port being a measurement port, i.e. arranged for being connected to a DUT);
wherein the first RF module further comprises at least a first and a second auxiliary port which are accessible from outside the first RF module (in the figure on page 19: the ports where the chain amplifier-filter is connected); wherein the first and the second auxiliary port are arranged for being connected to each other via: a first bridging element or a first extension module of the configurable RF system (in the figure on page 19: the chain amplifier-filter); wherein the signal path is connected to the RF port and passes through: the first auxiliary port, the first bridging element or the first extension module, and the second auxiliary port (in the figure on page 19: see the path: "generator output"-amplifier-filter-bias-T-port).
Allowable Subject Matter
7. Claims 2-4 and 8-16 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.
Regarding claim 2, the cited references, alone or in combination, do not disclose nor fairly suggest:
“ … the first RF module comprises at least a third and a fourth auxiliary port which are accessible from outside the first RF module; wherein the third and the fourth auxiliary port are arranged for being connected to each other via: a second bridging element (53) or the first extension module or a second extension module of the configurable RF system; wherein the signal path further passes through: the third auxiliary port, the second bridging element or the first extension module or the second extension module, and the fourth auxiliary port.” in combination with all other elements as claimed in claim 1.
As to claim(s) 3-4, the claims are allowable as they are further limitation of claim 2.
Regarding claim 8, the cited references, alone or in combination, do not disclose nor fairly suggest:
“ … a further signal path and a further RF port; wherein the further RF port of the second RF module is arranged for being connected to the further RF module or to the DUT or to another DUT; wherein the second RF module further comprises at least a further first and a further second auxiliary port which are accessible from outside the second RF module; wherein the further first and the further second auxiliary port are arranged for being connected to each other via: a third bridging element or a third extension module of the configurable RF system; wherein the further signal path is connected to the further RF port and passes through: the further first auxiliary port, the third bridging element or the third extension module, and the further second auxiliary port” in combination with all other elements as claimed in claim 1.
As to claim(s) 9-16, the claims are allowable as they are further limitation of claim 8.
Prior Art of Record
8. The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Harms (U.S Pub. 2025/0052807) discloses a test and measurement system (see specification for more details). Hantsch (U.S Pat. 11913987) discloses an automated test equipment (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
2/21/2026