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 .
Specification
The disclosure is objected to because of the following informalities:
Throughout the specification the term “stages” is used in the context of “stages of read voltages”, which causes much confusion due to indefiniteness as what is meant by such a word or term or phrase.
For example, in the summary portion, perhaps “each page corresponds to a plurality of stages of read voltages” is meant to mean “each page corresponds to a set of read voltages needed to read the respective page or bit value of a row of memory cells”. Perhaps, “different pages among the n pages share at least one stage of read voltages” is meant to mean “different pages among the n pages share at least one read voltage”.
Perhaps “two stages of read voltages”, “three stages of read voltages”, and “four stages of read voltages” is meant to mean “two read voltages”, “three read voltages”, and “four read voltages”, respectively. Perhaps “different stages of read voltages” is meant to mean “different sets of read votlages”.
The lengthy specification has not been checked to the extent necessary to determine the presence of all possible minor errors. Applicant’s cooperation is requested in correcting any errors of which applicant may become aware in the specification.
Appropriate correction is required.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claims 1-20 rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
Regarding claim 1: The claim is indefinite since each of the phrase “stages of read voltages” and “different pages among the n pages share at least one stage of read voltages” is not a standard term used in the art, is not defined in the disclosure, and is indefinite in plain English. Various interpretations in plain English may be taken here. One example would be interpreting sharing a stage of read voltages as being an application of a corresponding read voltage value to the pages concurrently (sharing in the context of time). A second example would be interpreting a stage of read voltages as being a step during ramp-up to a final read voltage level., wherein each step is a read voltage value corresponding to a stage and is commonly applied to each page when reading the corresponding page at its respective time (sharing a wave form having a stepped pulse). It is also possible that other interpretations may exist for such an unusual and undefined phrase. It is not known if a single read voltage can have a plurality of stages or does a plurality of stages require a plurality of read voltages. If a single stage corresponds to a single read voltage, then “share at least one stage of read voltages” should be changed to “share at least one read voltage”. If each page is meant to refer to a logical page or bit position within a multibit per cell flash memory then maybe a stage of reading voltages is to refer to a set of read voltages but the claim does not make this definite due to the word “stage”. Claims 2-10 depend on claim 1.
Regarding claim 11: The claim is indefinite since each of the phrase “stages of read voltages” and “different pages among the n pages share at least one stage of read voltages” is not a standard term used in the art, is not defined in the disclosure, and is indefinite in plain English. Various interpretations in plain English may be taken here. One example would be interpreting sharing a stage of read voltages as being an application of a corresponding read voltage value to the pages concurrently (sharing in the context of time). A second example would be interpreting a stage of read voltages as being a step during ramp-up to a final read voltage level., wherein each step is a read voltage value corresponding to a stage and is commonly applied to each page when reading the corresponding page at its respective time (sharing a wave form having a stepped pulse). It is also possible that other interpretations may exist for such an unusual and undefined phrase. It is not known if a single read voltage can have a plurality of stages or does a plurality of stages require a plurality of read voltages. If a single stage corresponds to a single read voltage, then “share at least one stage of read voltages” should be changed to “share at least one read voltage”. If each page is meant to refer to a logical page or bit position within a multibit per cell flash memory then maybe a stage of reading voltages is to refer to a set of read voltages but the claim does not make this definite due to the word “stage”. Claims 12 depends on claim 11.
Regarding claim 13: The claim is indefinite since each of the phrase “stages of read voltages” and “different pages among the n pages share at least one stage of read voltages” is not a standard term used in the art, is not defined in the disclosure, and is indefinite in plain English. Various interpretations in plain English may be taken here. One example would be interpreting sharing a stage of read voltages as being an application of a corresponding read voltage value to the pages concurrently (sharing in the context of time). A second example would be interpreting a stage of read voltages as being a step during ramp-up to a final read voltage level., wherein each step is a read voltage value corresponding to a stage and is commonly applied to each page when reading the corresponding page at its respective time (sharing a wave form having a stepped pulse). It is also possible that other interpretations may exist for such an unusual and undefined phrase. It is not known if a single read voltage can have a plurality of stages or does a plurality of stages require a plurality of read voltages. If a single stage corresponds to a single read voltage, then “share at least one stage of read voltages” should be changed to “share at least one read voltage”. If each page is meant to refer to a logical page or bit position within a multibit per cell flash memory then maybe a stage of reading voltages is to refer to a set of read voltages but the claim does not make this definite due to the word “stage”. Claims 14-20 depend on claim 13.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Two examples of references using “a set of read voltages” to read a corresponding page in a multi-bit per cell flash memory:
US 2021/0133025: see [0027] and claim 14, for example.
US 20110235415: see [0008, 0010] and claim 1, for example.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to JAY W RADKE whose telephone number is (571)270-1622. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 9-6 EST.
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JAY W. RADKE
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 2827
/JAY W. RADKE/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2827
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