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 § 102
In the event the determination of the status of the application as subject to AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103 (or as subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103) is incorrect, any correction of the statutory basis (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) for the rejection will not be considered a new ground of rejection if the prior art relied upon, and the rationale supporting the rejection, would be the same under either status.
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.
(a)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claim(s) 1-20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102 (a)(1)/(a)(2) as being anticipated by Pfann et al., US2019/0181907 A1.
Regarding claim 1, Pfann discloses An apparatus for processing radio frequency signals (par. 0003; system for a radio frequency filter), comprising a primary signal processing stage that is configured to process multiband radio frequency signals comprising at least a first frequency band and a second frequency band (Fig. 1 item 108, par. 0037; an RF front end utilizes wide band RF filters that group various Carrier Aggregation combinations into frequency clusters. In some embodiments, the cluster structure is selected such that a single band operates in each particular cluster.), a first signal path, and a second signal path (Fig. 1 item 102; clearly shows the switch 102 after the antenna 110 supporting different signal paths), wherein the apparatus is configured to selectively couple the primary signal processing stage a) with the first signal path to enable processing of multiband radio frequency signals associated with the first signal path using the primary signal processing stage (Fig. 1 item 102; clearly shows the upper half the second switch 102 after the antenna 110.) and/or b) with the second signal path to enable processing of multiband radio frequency signals associated with the second signal path using the primary signal processing stage (Fig. 1 item 102; clearly shows the lower half the second switch 102 after the antenna 110.).
Regarding claim 2, Pfann discloses all the limitations in claim 1. Pfann also discloses wherein the first frequency band and the second frequency band are non-contiguous (par. 0086).
Regarding claim 3, Pfann discloses all the limitations in claim 1. Pfann also discloses wherein the primary signal processing stage (110) comprises a signal processing chain comprising at least one signal processing element capable of processing the multiband radio frequency signals (par. 0036), a first switch and a second switch (Fig. 1 item 102), wherein the first switch is configured to selectively couple a first input of the primary signal processing stage or a second input of the primary signal processing stage to an input of the signal processing chain (Fig. 1 item 102; first switch after the antenna 110), wherein the second switch is configured to selectively couple an output of the signal processing chain to a first output of the primary signal processing stage or to a second output of the primary signal processing stage (Fig. 1 item 102; an output of the signal having duplexers 108 coupled to first LNA 106 output and coupled to another output of LNA 106.).
Regarding claim 4, Pfann discloses all the limitations in claim 3. Pfann also discloses wherein the at least one signal processing element comprises at least one of a) an amplifier, b) an attenuator a bias control device for applying a predetermined bias to at least one amplifier (par. 0036).
Regarding claim 5, Pfann discloses all the limitations in claim 1. Pfann also discloses comprising a frequency band separator configured to receive an output signal of the primary signal processing stage comprising a first output signal portion associated with the first frequency band and a second output signal portion associated with the second frequency band, to provide the first output signal portion to a first secondary signal processing stage, and to provide the second output signal portion to a second secondary signal processing stage (par. 0040).
Regarding claim 6, Pfann discloses all the limitations in claim 5. Pfann also discloses wherein the frequency band separator comprises a first impedance transformer associated with a wavelength of the second frequency band and a second impedance transformer associated with a wavelength of the first frequency band (par. 0128).
Regarding claim 7, Pfann discloses all the limitations in claim 5. Pfann also discloses wherein at least one of the first secondary signal processing stage and the second secondary signal processing stage comprises at least one frequency band-specific amplifier configured to amplify a signal associated with the first frequency band or the second frequency band (par. 0114).
Regarding claim 8, Pfann discloses all the limitations in claim 7. Pfann also discloses wherein at least one of the first secondary signal processing stage and the second secondary signal processing stage comprises a bypass for selectively bypassing the at least one frequency band-specific amplifier (par. 0038).
Regarding claim 9, Pfann discloses all the limitations in claim 8. Pfann also discloses wherein at least one of the first secondary signal processing stage and the second secondary signal processing stage comprises a first switch and a second switch, the first and second switches configured to selectively couple the at least one frequency band-specific amplifier or the bypass to an input and an output of the at least one of the first secondary signal processing stage and the second secondary signal processing stage (par. 0038).
Regarding claim 10, Pfann discloses all the limitations in claim 5. Pfann also discloses wherein at least one of the first secondary signal processing stage and the second secondary signal processing stage comprises a third switch configured to selectively couple a) a first port of the at least one of the first secondary signal processing stage and the second secondary signal processing stage with a second port of the at least one of the first secondary signal processing stage and the second secondary signal processing stage or b) the second port of the at least one of the first secondary signal processing stage and the second secondary signal processing stage with a third port of the at least one of the first secondary signal processing stage and the second secondary signal processing stage (par. 0041).
Regarding claim 11, Pfann discloses all the limitations in claim 5. Pfann also discloses further comprising at least one circulator configured to perform at least one of: a) providing a signal processed by at least one of the first secondary signal processing stage and the second secondary signal processing stage to at least one antenna, b) providing a signal received from at least one antenna to the primary signal processing stage (par. 0164).
Regarding claim 12, Pfann discloses all the limitations in claim 1. Pfann also discloses comprising at least one combiner for combining a first signal associated with the first frequency band and a second signal associated with the second frequency band to a multiband signal (par. 0165).
Regarding claim 13, Pfann discloses all the limitations in claim 1. Pfann also discloses comprising at least one filter for filtering at least one signal associated with a single one of the first frequency band, the second frequency band (par. 0166).
Regarding claim 14, Pfann discloses all the limitations in claim 1. Pfann also discloses comprising at least one phase shifter for modifying a phase of at least one signal associated with the apparatus (par. 0128).
Regarding claim 15, Pfann discloses all the limitations in claim 3. Pfann also discloses wherein the apparatus is configured to: receive a first signal at the first input of the primary signal processing stage, provide the first signal via the first switch to the input of the signal processing chain, process the first signal by means of the signal processing chain, provide a processed first signal via the second switch either a) to the first output of the primary signal processing stage or b) to the second output of the primary signal processing stage (par. 0040).
Regarding claim 16, Pfann discloses all the limitations in claim 3. Pfann also discloses wherein the apparatus is configured to: receive a second signal at the second input of the primary signal processing stage, provide the second signal via the first switch to the input of the signal processing chain, process the second signal by means of the signal processing chain, provide a processed second signal via the second switch to the second output of the primary signal processing stage (par. 0040).
Regarding claim 17, Pfann discloses all the limitations in claim 1. Pfann also discloses A transceiver device comprising at least one apparatus (par. 0040).
Regarding claim 18, Pfann discloses A method of processing radio frequency signals associated with an apparatus (Abstract; a method of operating an RF system), the apparatus comprising a primary signal processing stage that is configured to process multiband radio frequency signals comprising at least a first frequency band and a second frequency band (Fig. 1 item 108, par. 0037; an RF front end utilizes wide band RF filters that group various Carrier Aggregation combinations into frequency clusters. In some embodiments, the cluster structure is selected such that a single band operates in each particular cluster.), a first signal path, and a second signal path (Fig. 1 item 102; clearly shows the switch 102 after the antenna 110 supporting different signal paths), wherein the method comprises: selectively coupling the primary signal processing stage a) with the first signal path to enable processing of multiband radio frequency signals associated with the first signal path using the primary signal processing stage (Fig. 1 item 102; clearly shows the upper half the second switch 102 after the antenna 110.) or b) with the second signal path to enable processing of multiband radio frequency signals associated with the second signal path using the primary signal processing stage (Fig. 1 item 102; clearly shows the lower half the second switch 102 after the antenna 110.).
Regarding claim 19, Pfann discloses all the limitations in claim 1. Pfann also discloses A base station comprising at least one apparatus (par. 0004; portable wireless devices (i.e., base station).).
Regarding claim 20, Pfann discloses all the limitations in claim 1. Pfann also discloses A user equipment comprising at least one apparatus (par. 0004; portable wireless devices (i.e., user equipment).).
Conclusion
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/AYODEJI O AYOTUNDE/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2649
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