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 .
Priority
Acknowledgment is made of applicant’s claim for foreign priority under 35 U.S.C. 119 (a)-(d).
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 11/07/2024. The submission is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
Claim Objections
Claim 11 is objected to because of the following informalities: In Claim 11, the recitation of “a switch-capacitor” in line 1, should correctly be ---the switch-capacitor--. Appropriate correction is required.
Drawings
The drawings are objected to under 37 CFR 1.83(a). The drawings must show every feature of the invention specified in the claims. Therefore, the “to selectively activate: both the first signal path and the second signal path” in (Claim 1) must be shown or the feature(s) canceled from the claim(s). No new matter should be entered.
Corrected drawing sheets in compliance with 37 CFR 1.121(d) are required in reply to the Office action to avoid abandonment of the application. Any amended replacement drawing sheet should include all of the figures appearing on the immediate prior version of the sheet, even if only one figure is being amended. The figure or figure number of an amended drawing should not be labeled as “amended.” If a drawing figure is to be canceled, the appropriate figure must be removed from the replacement sheet, and where necessary, the remaining figures must be renumbered and appropriate changes made to the brief description of the several views of the drawings for consistency. Additional replacement sheets may be necessary to show the renumbering of the remaining figures. Each drawing sheet submitted after the filing date of an application must be labeled in the top margin as either “Replacement Sheet” or “New Sheet” pursuant to 37 CFR 1.121(d). If the changes are not accepted by the examiner, the applicant will be notified and informed of any required corrective action in the next Office action. The objection to the drawings will not be held in abeyance.
The drawings are objected to because Fig. 1 shows primary winding 116 for output signal and it is noted that primary winding as normal receiving signal and secondary winding for output signal, hence the transformer of Fig. 1 does not appear operated. Please explain as to how the transformer as disclosed in Fig. 1 would be operated. further clarification is needed. Corrected drawing sheets in compliance with 37 CFR 1.121(d) are required in reply to the Office action to avoid abandonment of the application. Any amended replacement drawing sheet should include all of the figures appearing on the immediate prior version of the sheet, even if only one figure is being amended. The figure or figure number of an amended drawing should not be labeled as “amended.” If a drawing figure is to be canceled, the appropriate figure must be removed from the replacement sheet, and where necessary, the remaining figures must be renumbered and appropriate changes made to the brief description of the several views of the drawings for consistency. Additional replacement sheets may be necessary to show the renumbering of the remaining figures. Each drawing sheet submitted after the filing date of an application must be labeled in the top margin as either “Replacement Sheet” or “New Sheet” pursuant to 37 CFR 1.121(d). If the changes are not accepted by the examiner, the applicant will be notified and informed of any required corrective action in the next Office action. The objection to the drawings will not be held in abeyance.
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 1-15 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.
In Claims 1 & 15, the recitation of “the first signal path and the second signal path” is unclear because whether the first signal path and the second signal path are additional to “a first, positive signal path; and a second, negative signal path” as previous cited. And the first signal path and the second signal path appear lack of antecedent basis. Further clarification is needed.
Claims 2-10 & 12-13 are rejected in the same manner as discussed above.
In Claim 1 & 15, the recitation of “to selectively activate: both the first signal path and the second signal path” is unclear because it appears that one path being selected for instant, path 152 which selected and unselected by switch 162 whereas the path 150 does not appear being used to selected or unselected. Further clarification is needed.
In Claim 2, the recitation of “the first signal path has a higher efficiency than the second signal path” is unclear as how to determine that the first signal path would have a higher efficiency than the second signal path. It is noted that first positive signal path appears operate in different path from the second negative path. Further clarification is needed.
In Claim 12, the recitation of “low-noise amplifier circuit portion connected to both the primary winding and to the second terminal of the secondary winding” is unclear because the portion of the low-noise amplifier circuit does not appear clearly defined, hence which the portion of the low-noise amplifier circuit would be considered as a portion that connected to the transformer. It is noted that multiple portion of the low-noise amplifier being connected to the transformer. Further clarification is needed.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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.
Claim(s) 1-4, 10-11 & 14-15 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Murata (US 20200186110 A1, of record)
Regarding claim 1, 11 & 15 as best understood:
Murata (Fig. 1) discloses, a switched capacitor power amplifier (e.g. Fig. 1); comprising:
a first, positive signal path (Fig. 1, path includes VIP, capacitor and switch S5WB); and
a second, negative signal path (path includes VIM, capacitor and switch SW5A); wherein the switched capacitor power amplifier is arranged to receive a digital control signal (a signal from control circuit 125, paragraph 0058-0059, he control circuit 125 may comprise various logic gates and/or other circuitry suitable for generating a digital signal, and also see mode signal as disclosed in para. 0059) and, based on the digital control signal, to selectively activate: both the first positive signal path (Fig. 1, path includes VIP, capacitor and switch S5WB)and the second negative signal path (path includes VIM, capacitor and switch SW5A), in a differential mode, to provide a first peak output power level; or either the first signal path or the second signal path, to produce a second peak output power level, wherein the second peak output power level is lower than the first output power level; and (Claim 11) wherein the a switched capacitor power amplifier as discussed in claim 1 which can be used as a circuit portion for a radio transceiver (paragraph 0014, or example, the present technology may employ various sensors, analog-to-digital converters, switch elements, logic circuits, signal generators, and the like, which may carry out a variety of functions. In addition, the present technology may be practiced in conjunction with any number of electronic systems, such as sensor systems or any other systems that require a fully-differential mode and a single-ended mode, and the systems described are merely exemplary applications for the technology).
Regarding claim 2:
Murata (Fig. 1) discloses, wherein the switched capacitor power amplifier (circuit of Fig. 1) is arranged to selectively activate the first positive signal path to produce the second peak output power level, wherein the first positive signal path inherently has a higher efficiency than the second negative signal path.
Regarding claim 3:
Murata (Fig. 1) discloses wherein selectively activating both the first positive signal path and the second negative signal path in a differential mode to provide a first peak output power level comprises supplying a first control signal to the first signal path, and supplying a second control signal to the second negative signal path (see control circuit 125 for control switches), wherein the second control signal is the inverse of the first control signal.
Regarding claim 4:
Murata (Fig. 1) discloses wherein selectively activating either the first positive signal path or the second negative signal path (Fig. 1, control circuit 125 which control switches to activate or de-activate switches), to produce the second peak output power level, comprises deactivating the first positive signal path by supplying a first inactive control signal to the first positive signal path wherein the first inactive control signal is a signal having constant value, or deactivating the second signal path by supplying a second inactive control signal to the second negative signal path wherein the second inactive control signal is a signal having constant value.
Regarding claim 10:
Murata (Fig. 1) discloses further comprising at least one switch and/or logic gate arranged to deactivate either the first signal path or the second signal path (each path includes a switch and control by control circuit 125).
Regarding claim 14:
Murata (Fig. 1) discloses further comprising a processor (see paragraph 0058,The control circuit 125 may comprise various logic gates and/or other circuitry suitable for generating a digital signal), wherein the processor is arranged to supply the digital control signal to the switched capacitor power amplifier.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 5-9 & 12-13 would be allowable if rewritten to overcome the rejection(s) under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), 2nd paragraph and if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims and to include 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.
US 10,897,232 B2, Horii discloses a capacitor switch circuit comprising multi-level capacitive digital-to-analog converter and a path includes switches 118, 112 and capacitor 170 and other path includes switches 117, 111 and capacitor 160 and wherein switches are controlled by switching controller 110.
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/KHIEM D NGUYEN/Examiner, Art Unit 2843
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