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 application has not been checked to the extent necessary to determine the presence of all possible typographical and grammatical errors. Applicant’s cooperation is requested in correcting any errors of which he/she may become aware in the application.
The Information Disclosure Statements filed 08/09/2024 has been considered.
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 are 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.
Claim 1, on lines 4-5 recite “applies it to one end of the first capacitive element, and in a hold mode after the sampling mode, maintains the generated first voltage and applies it to one end of the first capacitive element”. This limitation is not clear”. Clarification and correction are required.
Claim 1 recites on line 12 “an output signal corresponding to the voltage at the other end of the first capacitive element”. This limitation is unclear because “one end” and “the other end” fail to particularly point out the subject matter the applicant regards as the invention. Clarification and correction are required.
Claim 2 recites on lines 2-7 “a second capacitive element connected at one end to the other end of the first capacitive element…the other end of the second capacitive element”. This limitation is unclear because “one end” and “the other end” fail to particularly point out the subject matter the applicant regards as the invention. Clarification and correction are required.
Claim 6 recites on lines 2 and 4 the limitation “one end of the first capacitive element”. This limitation is unclear because “one end” fails to particularly point out the subject matter the applicant regards as the invention. Clarification and correction are required.
Claim 7 on lines 1-2 recites the limitation “the first voltage”. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
Claim 8 recites on line 3 the limitation “the other end of the first capacitive element”. This limitation is unclear because “the other end” fails to particularly point out the subject matter the applicant regards as the invention.
Claim 10 on line 4 recites the limitation “the potential difference”. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
Claim 15 recites on lines 2, 5 and 9 respectively the limitations “the first sampling mode” and “the second sampling mode”. There is insufficient antecedent basis for these limitations in the claims.
Claim 15 recites on line 7 the limitation “the intermediate voltage”. There is insufficient antecedent basis for these limitations in the claims.
Claims 16 and 17 recite on lines 3 respectively the limitation “the voltage at the other end”. There is insufficient antecedent basis for these limitations in the claims.
Claim 18 recites on lines 6 and 7 respectively the limitations “the potential difference” and “the reference voltage”. There is insufficient antecedent basis for these limitations in the claims.
Claim 19 recites on line 2 the limitation “a third capacitive element”. This limitation is unclear, as there is no previously stated 2nd capacitive element.
Claim 19 recites on line 4 the limitation “the second input voltage”. There is insufficient antecedent basis for these limitations in the claims.
Claim 19 recites on line 7 the limitation “the second input voltage”. There is insufficient antecedent basis for these limitations in the claims.
Claim 19 recites on line 7 the limitation “a second sampling circuit”. This limitation is unclear as there is no previously stated first sampling circuit. Clarification and correction are required.
Claim 19 recites on line 11 the limitation “the potential difference”. This limitation is unclear as there is no previously stated first sampling circuit. Clarification and correction are required.
Claim 19 recites on line 14 the limitation “a second feedback signal”. This limitation is unclear as there is no previously stated first feedback signal. Clarification and correction are required.
Claim 20 on line 2 recites the limitation “connected at one end to the other end…”. This limitation is unclear and fails to particularly point out the subject matter the applicant regards as the invention. Clarification and correction are required.
Claim 20 on line 5 recites the limitation “the other end of the second capacitive element. This limitation is unclear because the terms “one end” and “the other end” fail to specifically point out the subject matter which applicant regards as the invention. Clarification and correction are required.
Claim 20 on line 11 recites the limitation “a fourth capacitive element”. This limitation is unclear as there is no prior mention of a third capacitive element. Clarification and correction are required.
Claim 20 on line 30 recites the limitation “a second sub-AD converter””. This limitation is unclear as there is no prior mention of a first sub-AD converter. Clarification and correction are required.
Claim 20 on line 37 recites the limitation “a second selection circuit””. This limitation is unclear as there is no prior mention of a first selection circuit. Clarification and correction are required.
Claims 3-5, 9 and 11-14 are also rejected due to their dependency on independent claim 1, which has been rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b).
Citation of Relevant Prior Art
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure:
Quinn (US 6,784,824) teaches A semiconductor device comprising: a first capacitive element; a signal cancellation circuit that generates a first voltage corresponding to a first input voltage in a sampling mode, applies it to one end of the first capacitive element, and in a hold mode after the sampling mode, maintains the generated first voltage and applies it to one end of the first capacitive element; a sampling circuit that samples the first input voltage in the sampling mode, and in the hold mode, maintains a second voltage corresponding to the sampled first input voltage and applies it to the other end of the first capacitive element; a negative feedback circuit that generates an output signal corresponding to the voltage at the other end of the first capacitive element in the hold mode.
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/JOSEPH J LAUTURE/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2845