DETAILED ACTION
Response to Amendment
1. Applicant's amendment filed on 06/23/26 has been received and entered in the c ase. The arguments against the previous rejections based on Lai et al are found to be persuasive and therefore these rejections are withdrawn. Claims 1-4 are not allowable, however, in view of newly discovered prior art, i.e., Tai et al (USP 4,496,448), specifically figure 2 of this reference. Any inconvenience caused by the delay in citing this new prior art is regretted.
Drawings
2. 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 metal oxide varistor (MOV) coupled between the transmission line input and the common potential, as recited on lines 8-9 of claim 1, must be shown or the feature canceled from the claims. Although paragraph [0059] of the specification indicates that capacitor C1 can be implemented as an MOV, such is not illustrated in any of the drawing figures, which is improper under 37 CFR 1.83(a). 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.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
3. 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.
Claims 1-4 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Tai et al, U.S. Patent No. 4,496,448.
As to claim 1, Tai et al discloses, in figure 2,
a system comprising:
a chamber (chamber 12) configured to produce and contain a plasma;
a transmission line (the transmission line coupled to the output of signal source 23) positioned in the chamber, the transmission line including a transmission line input and an output, wherein the output is coupled to a common potential (ground potential);
a signal source (signal source 23) coupled to the transmission line input, wherein the signal source feeds an input signal to the transmission line; and
a metal oxide varistor (MOV 38 shown in figure 4, note that Tai et al indicates that diode 34 shown in figure 2 can be replaced by MOV 38) coupled between the transmission line input and the common potential, wherein an impedance of the MOV is inversely related to a voltage level at the transmission line input.
As to claim 2, note that MOV 38 has a low impedance if the voltage level at the transmission line input is greater than an over-voltage limit, and wherein the MOV has a high impedance if the voltage level at the transmission line input is less than the over-voltage limit.
As to claim 3, note that MOV 38 is operable to provide a short circuit path between the transmission line input and the common potential if the voltage level at the transmission line input is greater than an over-voltage limit.
As to claim 4, note that chamber 12 comprises first and second regions, i.e., a first region between elements 22 and 18, and a second region above element 20, and note further that the plasma is contained in the first region, and the above-noted transmission line is positioned in the second region.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
4. 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.
The factual inquiries for establishing a background for determining obviousness under 35 U.S.C. 103 are summarized as follows:
1. Determining the scope and contents of the prior art.
2. Ascertaining the differences between the prior art and the claims at issue.
3. Resolving the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art.
4. Considering objective evidence present in the application indicating obviousness or nonobviousness.
This application currently names joint inventors. In considering patentability of the claims the examiner presumes that the subject matter of the various claims was commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the claimed invention(s) absent any evidence to the contrary. Applicant is advised of the obligation under 37 CFR 1.56 to point out the inventor and effective filing dates of each claim that was not commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the later invention in order for the examiner to consider the applicability of 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(2)(C) for any potential 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) prior art against the later invention.
Claims 5-9 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Tai et al, supra, in view of any one of Herkel et al (USPAP 2022/0017330), Song et al (USPAP 2022/0149615), Barker et al (USPAP 2021/0328422) and Dima et al (USPAP 2024/0192717).
The limitations of claims 5-9 are rejected using the same analysis as set forth above in the rejection of claims 1-4, and the resistor recited on lines 8-9 of claim 5, although not disclosed by Tai et al, would have been obvious to add in series with MOV 38, the reason being that it was old and well-known in the art before the effective filing date of applicant's invention to couple a resistor in series with an MOV, four examples of this well-known concept being disclosed by Herkel et al (note resistor 46 in series with MOV 32 shown in figure 6C), Song et al (note resistor 20 in series with MOV 18 shown in figure 1A), Barker et al (note resistor 804 in series with MOVs 806 and 808 shown in figure 8) and Dima et al (note resistor 142 in series with MOVs 122, 124 and 126 shown in figure 1). The motivation for adding such a resistor in series with MOV 38 is to obtain the advantage of limiting the current flowing through the MOV in figure 2 of Tai et al.
Allowable Subject Matter
5. Claims 10-20 are allowed.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter: none of the prior art of record discloses or suggests the system of independent claims 10 and 13, specifically the limitation of an inductor including a first terminal and the second terminal, wherein the first terminal of the inductor is coupled to the transmission line input and the second terminal of the inductor is coupled to the second terminal of MOV, as recited on the last three lines of independent claim 10 and on lines 12-14 of independent claim 13.
Prior Art Not Relied Upon
6. The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Figure 3C of Block et al and figure 14 of Jones et al disclosed two further examples of coupling an MOV between a signal path and a common potential, i.e., ground potential, for the purpose of providing protection from over-voltages which may exist on the signal path. Also note paragraph [0008] of Kauffman which also discloses using an MOV for protecting an RF transmission line, such as the RF transmission line in Tai et al, where the MOV is coupled between the RF transmission line and a common potential, i.e., ground potential.
Action is Non-Final
7. In view of the above-noted new grounds of rejection, not necessitated by applicant's amendments to the claims, this action is non-final.
Conclusion
8. Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to KENNETH B WELLS whose telephone number is (571)272-1757. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday, 8:30am-5pm.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, REGIS J BETSCH, can be reached at (571)270-7101. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/KENNETH B WELLS/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2836 July 2, 2026
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