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 § 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 1, 4, 6, & 9 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Wang (US 11,468,702 B1) in view of the NPL (“Designing with the SN74AHC123A and SN74AHCT123A”, October 1999, Texas Instruments), hereinafter Texas Instruments.
Regarding claim 1, Wang discloses, in figure 5B, a preamplifier with an active deadtime control circuit, comprising:
an operational amplifier to which input current and common voltage are applied (OPAMP 520 with an applied Vcm voltage and input charge signal Qin);
a feedback capacitor (Cint) of which both ends are connected to a first input terminal of the operational amplifier to which the input current is applied and an output terminal of the operational amplifier (feedback capacitor Cint connected to the first input terminal and the output terminal of the OPAMP 520);
a comparator comparing output voltage converted from the input current by the operational amplifier, and reference voltage to output a comparison signal (comparator 526 compares the output voltage from OPAMP 520 and Vref2); and
a Monostable circuit (528) outputting a switching signal for switching charging or discharging of the feedback capacitor based on the comparison signal (Col. 9, Lines 5-8, “output of the comparator is provided to reset and count logic 528…and activates the reset switch 518”…reset switch 518 is operated to zero the charge stored in the capacitor Cint 524), but does not explicitly disclose the monostable circuit.
However, Texas Instruments discloses, in figure A-1, a monostable circuit (One-shot Monostable Multivibrator, see figure A-1).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to include the monostable circuit recited by Texas Instruments in the preamplifier of Wang, to achieve the benefit of adjusting the switching voltage pulse waveform duration as desired (Texas Instruments, Appendix A).
Regarding claim 4, Wang in view of Texas Instruments discloses the preamplifier according to claim 1, and Wang continues to disclose, in figure 5B, a switch device having both ends connected to the first input terminal of the operational amplifier and the output terminal of the operational amplifier (switch device 518 connected between the input and output of OPAMP 520), and switching charging or discharging of the feedback capacitor by inputting the switching signal (Col. 9, Lines 5-8, “output of the comparator is provided to reset and count logic 528…and activates the reset switch 518”…reset switch 518 is operated to zero the charge stored in the capacitor Cint 524).
Regarding claim 6, Wang discloses, in figure 5B, a method for driving a preamplifier with an active deadtime control circuit, comprising:
applying an input current and common voltage to an operational amplifier (OPAMP 520 with an applied Vcm voltage and input charge signal Qin);
outputting a comparison signal through a comparator comparing output voltage converted from the input current by the operational amplifier, and reference voltage (comparator 526 compares the output voltage from OPAMP 520 and Vref2); and
outputting a switching signal for switching charging or discharging of a feedback capacitor (Cint) having both ends connected to a first input terminal of the operational amplifier to which the input current is applied (feedback capacitor Cint connected to the first input terminal and the output terminal of the OPAMP 520), and an output terminal of the operational amplifier based on the comparison signal through a Monostable circuit (Col. 9, Lines 5-8, “output of the comparator is provided to reset and count logic 528…and activates the reset switch 518”…reset switch 518 is operated to zero the charge stored in the capacitor Cint 524), but does not explicitly disclose the monostable circuit.
However, Texas Instruments discloses, in figure A-1, a monostable circuit (One-shot Monostable Multivibrator, see figure A-1).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to include the monostable circuit recited by Texas Instruments in the preamplifier of Wang, to achieve the benefit of adjusting the switching voltage pulse waveform duration as desired (Texas Instruments, Appendix A).
Regarding claim 9, Wang in view of Texas Instruments discloses the method according to claim 6, and Wang continues to disclose, in figure 5B, inputting the switching signal into a switch device having both ends connected to the first input terminal of the operational amplifier and the output terminal of the operational amplifier (switch device 518 connected between the input and output of OPAMP 520), and switching charging or discharging of the feedback capacitor (Col. 9, Lines 5-8, “output of the comparator is provided to reset and count logic 528…and activates the reset switch 518”…reset switch 518 is operated to zero the charge stored in the capacitor Cint 524).
Claims 5 & 10 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Wang in view of Texas Instruments as applied to claims 1, 4, 6, & 9 above, and further in view of Jordanov (US 2002/0153957 A1).
Regarding claim 5, Wang in view of Texas Instruments disclose the preamplifier according to claim 1, and Wang continues to disclose, in figure 5B, wherein the operational amplifier receives the common voltage through a second input terminal of the operational amplifier (Vcm input 522 to the second input terminal of the OPAMP 520), but does not explicitly disclose wherein the operational amplifier receives the input current generated from a radiation instrument through the first input terminal of the operational amplifier.
However, Jordanov discloses, in figure 1, wherein the operational amplifier receives the input current generated from a radiation instrument through the first input terminal of the operational amplifier (Para [0033], “charge sensitive amplifier 22, connected to receive a pulse from a radiation detector 24”).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to include the radiation instrument input of Jordanov in the preamplifier of Wang and Texas Instruments, to achieve the benefit of utilizing the preamplifier to re-balance the circuit via charge injected at the input node when used to convert a charge input from a radiation instrument to a voltage pulse for further shaping, amplification, and analysis (Jordanov, Para [0004]).
Regarding claim 10, Wang in view of Texas Instruments disclose the method according to claim 6, and Wang continues to disclose, in figure 5B, wherein the operational amplifier receives the common voltage through a second input terminal of the operational amplifier (Vcm input 522 to the second input terminal of the OPAMP 520), but does not explicitly disclose wherein the operational amplifier receives the input current generated from a radiation instrument through the first input terminal of the operational amplifier.
However, Jordanov discloses, in figure 1, wherein the operational amplifier receives the input current generated from a radiation instrument through the first input terminal of the operational amplifier (Para [0033], “charge sensitive amplifier 22, connected to receive a pulse from a radiation detector 24”).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to include the radiation instrument input of Jordanov in the preamplifier of Wang and Texas Instruments, to achieve the benefit of utilizing the preamplifier to re-balance the circuit via charge injected at the input node when used to convert a charge input from a radiation instrument to a voltage pulse for further shaping, amplification, and analysis (Jordanov, Para [0004]).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 2-3 & 7-8 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.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Mader (US 6,169,428 B2) [Figure 1. Discloses A voltage to frequency converter using a charge pump to restore the output voltage of the input integrator. The charge pump implementation allows the voltage to frequency converter's input to sense voltage above and below ground with a single supply using a charge pump, which can provide either a positive charge or a negative charge as the restoring force to the integrator. Inclusion of an interleaved charge pump provides advantages of implementation simplicity and of high performance. The voltage to frequency converter concentrates all offset and leakage errors at the input of the integrator amplifier, which in the preferred embodiment is a chopper stabilized amplifier providing very low offset. The voltage to frequency converter is intended for realization in integrated circuit form, providing very high performance in an integrated circuit having very low power requirements.]
Townsend (US 5,548,833) [Figure 2. Discloses a data independent AGC control circuit for telecommunication applications is provided and includes an AGC amplifier, a fixed gain amplifier, a capacitor, and first, second, and third control circuits. The AGC amplifier has a data input, a control input, and a data output. The capacitor is coupled to the control input, and the charge on the capacitor effectively controls the gain of the AGC amplifier. The first control circuit is coupled to the data output of the fixed gain amplifier and to the capacitor and increases the stored charge on the capacitor when the data output exceeds a desired peak voltage level. The second control circuit is similarly coupled between the data output of the fixed gain amplifier and the capacitor, and decreases the stored charge on the capacitor when the data output exceeds a threshold voltage (typically 1/2 the desired peak voltage level). The third control circuit is coupled to the second control circuit and to the capacitor, and decreases the charge on the capacitor after the data output falls below the threshold voltage for a predetermined length of time. With the provided circuit, data values of zero will not trigger either the first or second control circuit, and the capacitor voltage and hence control voltage to the AGC amplifier will not change.]
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to TYLER J PERENY whose telephone number is (571)272-4189. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 7:30-5.
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, Taelor Kim can be reached at (571) 270-7166. 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.
/TYLER J PERENY/ Examiner, Art Unit 2836
Prosecution Insights