Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status
1. The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
2. It would be of great assistance to the office if all incoming papers pertaining to a filed application carried the following items:
i. Application number (checked for accuracy, including series code and serial no.).
ii. Group art unit number (copied from most recent Office communication).
iii. Filing date.
iv. Name of the examiner who prepared the most recent Office action.
v. Title of invention.
vi. Confirmation number (See MPEP § 503).
3. The Examiner has pointed out particular references contained in the prior art of record within the body of this action for the convenience of the Applicant. Although the specified citations are representative of the teachings in the art and are applied to the specific limitations within the individual claim, other passages, paragraph and figures may apply. Applicant, in preparing the response, should consider fully the entire reference as potentially teaching all or part of the claimed invention, as well as the context of the passage as taught by the prior art or disclosed by the Examiner.
4. Claim interpretation: When multiple limitations are connected with “OR”, one of the limitations doesn’t have any patentable weight since both of the limitations are optional.
Claim Rejection- 35 USC § 103
5. 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 of this title, 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.
Claims 1-8, 10-11, 14-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Beppu (Pub No. 20200373947) and further in view of Srirattana (Pub No. 2018/0343001).
Regarding claim 1, Beppu discloses a radio frequency (RF) circuit (Fig. 10-11) comprising: an input node configured to receive an RF signal (Fig. 5A & Para. 56: input node-110 receives RF signals); an output node configured to output the RF signal (Fig. 5A & Para. 56: output node-120 output RF signals); and an RF switch assembly coupled between the input node and the output node (Fig. 5A & Para. 21 & 23 & 78: RF switch between input-110 & output 120), wherein the RF switch assembly is configured to selectively connect or disconnect the input node and the output node (Fig. 5A-5B: connection-T1 switch ON & Fig. 5C-5D: disconnect-T2 switch OFF), and wherein the RF switch assembly comprises: a first stage comprising a first RF switch, and a second stage comprising a second RF switch (Fig. 5A-5C: first stage with first RF switch-T1 switch & second stage with second RF switch-T2 switch), wherein the first stage is configured, in an off state of the RF switch assembly in which the first stage and the second stage are in the off state to isolate the output node from the input node (Fig. 5C-5D: OFF state isolate input-110 from output-120) & (Para. 85-88).
Beppu does not explicitly disclose off state of the RF switch to attenuate a signal power of the RF signal.
In a similar field of endeavor, Srirattana discloses off state of the RF switch to attenuate a signal power of the RF signal (Para. 3-4: off state [Wingdings font/0xE0] attenuate signal).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of the ordinary skilled in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to use the RF switching system of Srirattana’s disclosure with the front-end communication device, as taught by Beppu. Doing so would have resulted in effectively switching the RF circuit to generate higher signal strength and preserve power for the device.
Regarding claim 2 & 16, Beppu discloses the first stage and the second stage are directly coupled to one another, the first stage and the second stage being adjacent within the RF circuit (Fig. 5A-5D: The first stage and the second stage are adjacent and connected).
Regarding claim 3 & 17, Beppu discloses at least one of the first stage and the second stage comprises a shunt switch or a series switch (Para. 4: Shunt FET) & (Fig. 6A).
Regarding claim 4 & 18, Beppu discloses the first stage and the second stage comprises a shunt switch, and wherein the other one of the first stage and the second stage comprises a series switch (Para. 4: Shunt & series FET) & (Fig. 6A).
Regarding claim 5 & 19, Beppu discloses an inductor coupled in parallel to at least one of the first RF switch and the second RF switch (Fig. 6A: Inductor L1 & Para. 78).
Regarding claim 6 & 20, Beppu discloses at least one of the first stage and the second stage comprises a shunt switch and a quarter-wave transmission line (Fig. 5-6). Examiner taking official notice that a quarter-wave transmission line is well known in wireless transmitter. Using quarter-wave transmission line in a wireless system resulted in controlling and transmitting RF signal properly.
Regarding claim 7, Beppu discloses at least one of the first stage and the second stage comprises a series switch and a shunt switch (Fig. 5A-5D).
Regarding claim 8, Beppu discloses a resonator coupled between the output node and the RF switch assembly (Para. 12 & 78: resonant circuit).
Regarding claim 10, Beppu discloses a second output node configured to output the RF signal; and a second RF switch assembly coupled between the input node and the second output node, wherein the second RF switch assembly comprises: a third stage comprising a third RF switch, and a fourth stage comprising a fourth RF switch (Fig. 8-9: 1st -4th RF switch for different stage) & (Para. 8-9).
Regarding claim 11, Beppu discloses a radio frequency (RF) system (Fig. 10-11) comprising: an input node configured to receive an RF signal (Fig. 5A & Para. 56: input node-110 receives RF signals); an output node configured to output the RF signal (Fig. 5A & Para. 56: output node-120 output RF signals); and an RF switch assembly coupled between the input node and the output node (Fig. 5A & Para. 21 & 23 & 78: RF switch between input-110 & output 120), wherein the RF switch assembly is configured to selectively connect or disconnect the input node and the output node (Fig. 5A-5B: connection-T1 switch ON & Fig. 5C-5D: disconnect-T2 switch OFF), and wherein the RF switch assembly comprises: a first stage comprising a first RF switch, and a second stage comprising a second RF switch (Fig. 5B-5C: first stage with first RF switch-T1 switch & second stage with second RF switch-T2 switch), wherein the first stage is configured, in an off state of the RF switch assembly in which the first stage and the second stage are in the off state to isolate the output node from the input node (Fig. 5C-5D: OFF state isolate input-110 from output-120) & (Para. 85-88); and an antenna coupled to one of the output node and the input node, wherein the antenna is configured to receive or provide the RF signal (Fig. 10-11: Antenna-2 & Abstract & Para. 27).
Beppu does not explicitly disclose off state of the RF switch to attenuate a signal power of the RF signal.
In a similar field of endeavor, Srirattana discloses off state of the RF switch to attenuate a signal power of the RF signal (Para. 3-4: off state [Wingdings font/0xE0] attenuate signal).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of the ordinary skilled in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to use the RF switching system of Srirattana’s disclosure with the front-end communication device, as taught by Beppu. Doing so would have resulted in effectively switching the RF circuit to generate higher signal strength and preserve power for the device.
Regarding claim 14, Beppu is silent regarding a time division duplex switch. Examiner taking official notice that a time division duplex switch is well known in wireless transmitter and can be used in RF device. Using time division duplex switch in a wireless system resulted in controlling and transmitting RF signal properly.
Regarding claim 15, Beppu discloses a method for a radio frequency (RF) circuit (Fig. 10-11), the RF circuit comprising an RF switch assembly comprising a first stage and a second stage coupled between an input node and an output node (Fig. 5A & Para. 56: input node-110 & output node-120), the first stage comprising a first RF switch and the second stage comprising a second RF switch (Fig. 5A-5C), the method comprising: receiving, at the input node, an RF signal (Fig. 5A & Para. 56: input node-110 receives RF signals); selectively connecting or disconnecting, by the RF switch assembly, the input node and the output node (Fig. 5A-5D: first stage with first RF switch-T1 switch & second stage with second RF switch-T2 switch. Switch ON/ OFF- connecting/ disconnecting); selectively outputting, at the output node, the RF signal (Fig. 5A & Para. 56: output node-120 output RF); and in an off state of the RF switch assembly in which the first stage and the second stage are in the off state, isolating, at the first stage, the output node against the input node (Fig. 5C-5D: OFF state isolate input-110 from output-120) & (Para. 85-88).
Beppu does not explicitly disclose off state of the RF switch to attenuate a signal power of the RF signal.
In a similar field of endeavor, Srirattana discloses off state of the RF switch to attenuate a signal power of the RF signal (Para. 3-4: off state [Wingdings font/0xE0] attenuate signal).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of the ordinary skilled in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to use the RF switching system of Srirattana’s disclosure with the front-end communication device, as taught by Beppu. Doing so would have resulted in effectively switching the RF circuit to generate higher signal strength and preserve power for the device.
Claims 9 & 12-13 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Beppu (Pub No. 20200373947), in view of Srirattana (Pub No. 2018/0343001) and further in view of Srirattana (Pub No. 2018/0343001).
Regarding claim 9, Beppu is silent regarding comprising a transformer coupled between the output node and the RF switch assembly.
Yan et al discloses comprising a transformer coupled between the output node and the RF switch assembly (Para. 38 & Fig. 3: Transformer-48).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of the ordinary skilled in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to use transformer in the RF circuit to process and transfer RF signals properly.
Regarding claim 12, Beppu is silent regarding at least one of an amplifier circuit and a passive mixer coupled to the other one of the output node and the input node.
Yan et al discloses at least one of an amplifier circuit and a passive mixer coupled to the other one of the output node and the input node (Fig. 2: Amplifier and mixer).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of the ordinary skilled in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to use a mixer in the RF circuit adjust and transmit RF signals properly.
Regarding claim 13, Beppu discloses a plurality of RF circuits according to claim 1 coupled to the at least one of the amplifier circuit; and a plurality of antennas, each of the plurality of antennas coupled to a respective RF circuit of the plurality of RF circuits (Fig. 10-11).
Beppu is silent regarding a passive mixer.
Yan et al discloses a passive mixer (Fig. 2: mixer).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of the ordinary skilled in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to use a mixer in the RF circuit adjust and transmit RF signals properly.
Other Prior Art
6. Other prior art of record, CEBI et al (Pub No. 2016/0134284) discloses multiple RF switches for RF front end to control RF signals and generating RF isolation in the system. Radio signal processing for wireless communication. Another prior art, Pfann et al (Pub 2019/0181907) discloses RF system with switch and filter to process RF signals for wireless communication.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to MD K TALUKDER whose telephone number is (571)270-3222. The examiner can normally be reached Mon-Thur from 10 am to 6 pm.
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/MD K TALUKDER/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2648
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