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.
Claim(s) 1-4, 12, 13, 15, 19, and 20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Camuffo (US 2024/0364366) in view of Hietala (US 2012/0306572) in view of Sivasubramaniam (US 2019/0288647).
Regarding claims 12 and 19, fig. 3 of Camuffo discloses an electrical environment, comprising: a programmable controller, including: a processing system [26, 60, 70] configured to generate a digital first internal signal [output of 60] at least partially according to (a) programming instructions provided to the processing system [instructions to processor 26] and (b) a digital first feedback signal [output of 66], a first amplifier [62, 50] configured to amplify the digital first internal signal to generate a digital first output signal [output of 50], a first filter [45] configured to filter the digital first output signal to generate an analog first output signal [output of 45], first circuitry [64] configured to receive the analog first output signal to generate an analog first feedback signal [input to 66], and a first analog-to-digital converter (ADC) [66] (par. 44) configured to convert the analog first feedback signal to the digital first feedback signal; and a first load [of 42] powered by the analog first output signal. Camuffo does not explicitly describe where the coupler 64 senses. However, Hietala describes where an RF coupler senses voltage (par. 43). In view of such teaching, it would have been obvious to the ordinary artisan before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the invention as indicated above by incorporating the coupler design as taught in Hietala for the purpose of utilizing a suitable and well-known type of coupler implementation. Camuffo in view of Hietala teaches the invention as described above except where the first amplifier is a class-D amplifier. However, Sivasubramaniam describes using a class-D power amplifier in an RF device (par. 11). In view of such teaching, it would have been obvious to the ordinary artisan before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the invention as indicated above by incorporating the class-D amplifier design as taught in Sivasubramaniam for the purpose of utilizing a suitable and well-known type of amplifier design.
Regarding claim 13, the combination as indicated above discloses wherein the processing system is configured to generate the digital first internal signal at least partially according to the digital first feedback signal to configure the first Class-D amplifier for an impedance of a first load receiving the analog first output signal.
Regarding claim 15, the combination as indicated above discloses wherein the processing system is further configured to generate the digital first internal signal at least partially according to one or more input signals received by the programmable controller.
Regarding claim 20, the combination as indicated above discloses an electrical cable electrically coupling the first load to the programmable controller (indirectly from 26 to 42).
Regarding claims 1-4, these claims are merely methods to operate the circuit having structure recited in claims 12, 13, 15, 19, and 20. Since the combination described above teaches the structure, the methods to operate such a circuit are similarly disclosed.
Claim(s) 14 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Camuffo in view of Hietala in view of Sivasubramaniam, further in view of Lee (US 2012/0049982).
Regarding claim 14, Camuffo in view of Hietala in view of Sivasubramaniam teaches the device as claimed except wherein the first filter comprises an inductive-capacitive filter. However, Lee describes an RF filter with inductive and capacitive components (par. 3). In view of such teaching, it would have been obvious to the ordinary artisan before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the invention as indicated above by incorporating the filter design as taught in Lee for the purpose of utilizing a suitable and well-known type of filter implementation.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 5-11 and 16-18 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.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to SIBIN CHEN whose telephone number is (571)270-5768. The examiner can normally be reached 9:00am - 5:00pm.
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, 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.
/SIBIN CHEN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2836
Prosecution Insights