Prosecution Insights
Last updated: July 17, 2026
Application No. 18/892,745

COLLABORATIVE CONTROL OF POWER AMPLIFIER RELATED DISTORTIONS IN A RADIO TRANSMITTER DEVICE, AND RELATED DEVICES AND METHODS

Non-Final OA §103
Filed
Sep 23, 2024
Priority
Sep 26, 2023 — EU 23199662.0
Examiner
GONZALES, APRIL GUZMAN
Art Unit
Tech Center
Assignee
Nokia Corporation
OA Round
1 (Non-Final)
85%
Grant Probability
Favorable
1-2
OA Rounds
9m
Est. Remaining
91%
With Interview

Examiner Intelligence

Grants 85% — above average
85%
Career Allowance Rate
720 granted / 847 resolved
+25.0% vs TC avg
Moderate +6% lift
Without
With
+6.2%
Interview Lift
resolved cases with interview
Typical timeline
2y 7m
Avg Prosecution
26 currently pending
Career history
876
Total Applications
across all art units

Statute-Specific Performance

§101
1.5%
-38.5% vs TC avg
§103
62.0%
+22.0% vs TC avg
§102
32.5%
-7.5% vs TC avg
§112
1.6%
-38.4% vs TC avg
Black line = Tech Center average estimate • Based on career data from 847 resolved cases

Office Action

§103
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 Applicant’s claim for domestic priority under 35 U.S.C. 119(e) is acknowledged. Preliminary Amendment The present Office Action is based upon the original patent application filed on 09/23/2024 as modified by the preliminary amendment filed on 09/23/2024. Claims 1-10 have been amended. Claims 11-20 have been canceled. Claims 1-10 are now pending in the present application. Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103 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 1-10 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Falempin et al. (US 2023/0020369 herein Falempin), and further in view of Love et al. (US 8,145,251 herein Love). Regarding claim 1, Falempin teaches a radio transmitter device (read as radio frequency transmitter 16) (Falempin – Figure 1, [0055], [0058]-[0059]), comprising: a power amplifier (read as power amplifier 20) (Falempin – Figure 1, [0057]-[0058], [0061]); at least one processor (read as one or more processors) (Falempin – [0046]); and instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the radio transmitter device at least to perform (read as a computer program comprising software instructions, which, when carried out by a computer, implement a method) (Falempin – [0044]): generating a transmission signal comprising an orthogonal frequency division multiplexing, OFDM, modulated information bit stream (read as OFDM (Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing) waveform generator; OFDM transmitter 16 is used in the transmission chain) (Falempin – [0056], [0059]); applying a first distortion operation to the generated transmission signal to be introduced at least by the power amplifier (read as a linearising device 18 employing digital predistortion DPD; such a linearising device 18, by digital predistortion (DPD), is suitable for compensating for the distortion introduced by a power amplifier 20 itself placed upstream of at least on transmission antenna in the communication system’s transmission chain) (Falempin – [0057]-[0058]); providing the transmission signal to the power amplifier for power amplification after the application of the first distortion operation (read as input of linearising device 18 employing digital predistortion DPD is connected to the output of the radio frequency transmitter 16, and its output is located upstream of the power amplifier 20, so that the signal, provided at the output of the combination of this linearising device 18 employing digital predistortion DPD followed by the power amplifier 20, is substantially linear; power amplifier 20 has an input denoted x and an output denoted y, and is suitable for generating an amplitude distortion; a first neural network 32 configured to correct an amplitude distortion produced by the power amplifier 20) (Falempin – [0057]-[0058], [0061], and [0065]); and transmitting the power-amplified transmission signal to a radio receiver device (read as communication system 10 comprises a reception chain comprising a radio frequency receiver 24 reciprocally associated with the radio frequency transmitter 16 of the transmission chain) (Falempin – [0059]) over a wireless channel for collaborative processing via a second distortion operation (read as a second neural network 34 configured to correct a phase distortion produced by the power amplifier 20) (Falempin – [0065]). However, Falempin fails to teach at least one memory storing instructions; the first distortion to control out-of-band distortion; and the second distortion operation to control in-band distortion. In the related art, Love teaches at least one memory storing instructions (read as memory 220) (Love – column 2 lines 65-67, column 3 lines 1-12); the first distortion to control out-of-band distortion (read as transmissions with larger occupied bandwidth (OBW) create more out-of-band emissions resulting in larger adjacent or neighbor channel leakage ratio (ACLR) than transmissions with smaller OBW; increase in out-of-band emissions from transmissions with larger OBW is due largely to increased adjacent channel occupancy) (Love – column 5 lines 38-55, column 7 lines 47-67); and the second distortion operation to control in-band distortion (read as given a specific rated maximum output or input power level designed to achieve a given level of interference into an adjacent frequency band, or level of in-band distortion, a mobile terminal may elect to adjust, reduce its input power level in order to reduce such unwanted effects) (Love – column 7 lines 47-67). Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to incorporate the teachings of Love into the teachings of Falempin for the purpose of allowing mobile terminals to control their out-of-band emission levels by limiting the power to the power amplifier to achieve a given level of interference into an adjacent frequency band and allow a mobile terminal to reduce its input power level in order to reduce unwanted effects; and furthermore, maintaining linear power amplification operation wherein a specified and controllable level of distortion are both within the signal bandwidth generally occupied by the desired waveform and in neighboring frequencies. Regarding claim 2 as applied to claim 1, Falempin as modified by Love further teaches wherein the out-of-band distortion comprises an adjacent channel leakage ratio, ACLR (read as for a given carrier band and band separation, transmissions with larger occupied bandwidth OBW create more out-of-band emissions resulting in a larger adjacent or neighbor channel leakage ratio (ACLR) than transmissions with smaller OBW) (Love – column 5 lines 38-55). Regarding claim 3 as applied to claim 1, Falempin as modified by Love further teaches wherein the application of the first distortion operation is performed at least partially with a first neutral network, NN (read as the predistortion module 30 comprising: a first neural network 32 configured to correct an amplitude distortion produced by the power amplifier 20) (Falempin – [0065], [0070]-[0072]). Regarding claim 4 as applied to claim 1, Falempin as modified by Love further teaches wherein the first distortion operation comprises a digital pre-distortion, DPD, operation (read as digital predistortion (DPD); predistortion module 30 comprising: a first neural network 32 configured to correct an amplitude distortion produced by the power amplifier 20) (Falempin – [0057]-[0058], [0065]), and the second distortion operation comprises a digital post-distortion, PDoD, operation (read as second neural network 34 configured to correct a phase distortion produced by the power amplifier 20) (Falempin – [0057]-[0058], [0065]). Regarding claim 5, Falempin teaches a method comprising: generating by a radio transmitter device (read as radio frequency transmitter 16) (Falempin – Figure 1, [0055], [0058]-[0059]), a transmission signal comprising an orthogonal frequency division multiplexing, OFDM, modulated information bit stream (read as OFDM (Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing) waveform generator; OFDM transmitter 16 is used in the transmission chain) (Falempin – [0056], [0059]); applying by the radio transmitter device, a first distortion operation to the generated transmission signal to be introduced at least by a power amplifier comprised in the radio transmitter device (read as a linearising device 18 employing digital predistortion DPD; such a linearising device 18, by digital predistortion (DPD), is suitable for compensating for the distortion introduced by a power amplifier 20 itself placed upstream of at least on transmission antenna in the communication system’s transmission chain) (Falempin – [0057]-[0058]); providing, by the radio transmitter device, the transmission signal to the power amplifier for power amplification after the application of the first distortion operation (read as input of linearising device 18 employing digital predistortion DPD is connected to the output of the radio frequency transmitter 16, and its output is located upstream of the power amplifier 20, so that the signal, provided at the output of the combination of this linearising device 18 employing digital predistortion DPD followed by the power amplifier 20, is substantially linear; power amplifier 20 has an input denoted x and an output denoted y, and is suitable for generating an amplitude distortion; a first neural network 32 configured to correct an amplitude distortion produced by the power amplifier 20) (Falempin – [0057]-[0058], [0061], and [0065]); and transmitting, by the radio transmitter device, the power-amplified transmission signal to a radio receiver device (read as communication system 10 comprises a reception chain comprising a radio frequency receiver 24 reciprocally associated with the radio frequency transmitter 16 of the transmission chain) (Falempin – [0059]) over a wireless channel for collaborative processing via a second distortion operation (read as a second neural network 34 configured to correct a phase distortion produced by the power amplifier 20) (Falempin – [0065]). However, Falempin fails to teach the first distortion to control out-of-band distortion; and the second distortion operation to control in-band distortion. In the related art, Love teaches the first distortion to control out-of-band distortion (read as transmissions with larger occupied bandwidth (OBW) create more out-of-band emissions resulting in larger adjacent or neighbor channel leakage ratio (ACLR) than transmissions with smaller OBW; increase in out-of-band emissions from transmissions with larger OBW is due largely to increased adjacent channel occupancy) (Love – column 5 lines 38-55, column 7 lines 47-67); and the second distortion operation to control in-band distortion (read as given a specific rated maximum output or input power level designed to achieve a given level of interference into an adjacent frequency band, or level of in-band distortion, a mobile terminal may elect to adjust, reduce its input power level in order to reduce such unwanted effects) (Love – column 7 lines 47-67). Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to incorporate the teachings of Love into the teachings of Falempin for the purpose of allowing mobile terminals to control their out-of-band emission levels by limiting the power to the power amplifier to achieve a given level of interference into an adjacent frequency band and allow a mobile terminal to reduce its input power level in order to reduce unwanted effects; and furthermore, maintaining linear power amplification operation wherein a specified and controllable level of distortion are both within the signal bandwidth generally occupied by the desired waveform and in neighboring frequencies. Regarding claim 6, Falempin teaches a radio receiver device (read as communication system 10 comprises a reception chain comprising a radio frequency receiver 24 reciprocally associated with the radio frequency transmitter 16 of the transmission chain) (Falempin – [0059]), comprising: at least one processor (read as one or more processors) (Falempin – [0046]); and instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor cause the radio receiver device at least to perform (read as a computer program comprising software instructions, which, when carried out by a computer, implement a method) (Falempin – [0044]): receiving a power-amplified transmission signal from a radio transmitter device (read as radio frequency transmitter 16) (Falempin – [0055], [0058]-[0059]) over a wireless channel for collaborative processing, the received transmission signal having been processed via a first distortion operation (read as input of linearising device 18 employing digital predistortion DPD is connected to the output of the radio frequency transmitter 16, and its output is located upstream of the power amplifier 20, so that the signal, provided at the output of the combination of this linearising device 18 employing digital predistortion DPD followed by the power amplifier 20, is substantially linear; power amplifier 20 has an input denoted x and an output denoted y, and is suitable for generating an amplitude distortion; a first neural network 32 configured to correct an amplitude distortion produced by the power amplifier 20) (Falempin – [0057]-[0058], [0061], and [0065]); demodulating the received transmission signal (read as the output of the radio frequency modulator 14, the transmission chain comprises a radio frequency transmitter 16 capable of transmitting at least one frame of symbols obtained from the moduled signal supplied at the output by the radio frequency modulator 14) (Falempin – [0055]); and applying a second distortion operation to the demodulated transmission signal introduced at least by the power amplification (read as a second neural network 34 configured to correct a phase distortion produced by the power amplifier 20) (Falempin – [0065]). However, Falempin fails to teach at least one memory storing instructions; the first distortion operation to control out-of-band distortion; and the second distortion operation to control in-band distortion. In the related art, Love teaches at least one memory storing instructions (read as memory 220) (Love – column 2 lines 65-67, column 3 lines 1-12); the first distortion operation to control out-of-band distortion (read as transmissions with larger occupied bandwidth (OBW) create more out-of-band emissions resulting in larger adjacent or neighbor channel leakage ratio (ACLR) than transmissions with smaller OBW; increase in out-of-band emissions from transmissions with larger OBW is due largely to increased adjacent channel occupancy) (Love – column 5 lines 38-55, column 7 lines 47-67); and the second distortion operation to control in-band distortion (read as given a specific rated maximum output or input power level designed to achieve a given level of interference into an adjacent frequency band, or level of in-band distortion, a mobile terminal may elect to adjust, reduce its input power level in order to reduce such unwanted effects) (Love – column 7 lines 47-67). Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to incorporate the teachings of Love into the teachings of Falempin for the purpose of allowing mobile terminals to control their out-of-band emission levels by limiting the power to the power amplifier to achieve a given level of interference into an adjacent frequency band and allow a mobile terminal to reduce its input power level in order to reduce unwanted effects; and furthermore, maintaining linear power amplification operation wherein a specified and controllable level of distortion are both within the signal bandwidth generally occupied by the desired waveform and in neighboring frequencies. Regarding claim 7 as applied to claim 6, Falempin as modified by Love further teaches wherein the in-band distortion comprises an error vector magnitude, EVM (read as the required conducted power level must be achieved within a specified lower bound on in-band signal quality, or error vector magnitude (EVM) of the desired waveform, and an upper bound of signal power leakage out of the desired signal bandwidth and into the receive signal band of adjacent or alternate carrier receivers) (Love – column 1 lines 27-33). Regarding claim 8 as applied to claim 6, Falempin as modified by Love further teaches wherein the application of the second distortion operation is performed at least partially with a second neural network, NN (read as second neural network 34 configured to correct a phase distortion produced by the power amplifier 20) (Falempin – [0057]-[0058], [0065]). Regarding claim 9 as applied to claim 9, Falempin as modified by Love further teaches wherein the first distortion operation comprises a digital pre-distortion, DPD, operation (read as digital predistortion (DPD); predistortion module 30 comprising: a first neural network 32 configured to correct an amplitude distortion produced by the power amplifier 20) (Falempin – [0057]-[0058], [0065]), and the second distortion operation comprises a digital post-distortion, DPoD, operation (read as second neural network 34 configured to correct a phase distortion produced by the power amplifier 20) (Falempin – [0057]-[0058], [0065]). Regarding claim 10, Falempin teaches a method, comprising: receiving, at a radio receiver device (read as communication system 10 comprises a reception chain comprising a radio frequency receiver 24 reciprocally associated with the radio frequency transmitter 16 of the transmission chain) (Falempin – [0059]), a power-amplified transmission signal from a radio transmitter device (read as radio frequency transmitter 16) (Falempin – [0055], [0058]-[0059]) over a wireless channel for collaborative processing, the received transmission signal having been processed via a first distortion operation (read as input of linearising device 18 employing digital predistortion DPD is connected to the output of the radio frequency transmitter 16, and its output is located upstream of the power amplifier 20, so that the signal, provided at the output of the combination of this linearising device 18 employing digital predistortion DPD followed by the power amplifier 20, is substantially linear; power amplifier 20 has an input denoted x and an output denoted y, and is suitable for generating an amplitude distortion; a first neural network 32 configured to correct an amplitude distortion produced by the power amplifier 20) (Falempin – [0057]-[0058], [0061], and [0065]); demodulating, by the radio receiver device, the received transmission signal (read as the output of the radio frequency modulator 14, the transmission chain comprises a radio frequency transmitter 16 capable of transmitting at least one frame of symbols obtained from the moduled signal supplied at the output by the radio frequency modulator 14) (Falempin – [0055]); and applying, by the radio receiver device, a second distortion operation to the demodulated transmission signal introduced at least by the power amplification (read as a second neural network 34 configured to correct a phase distortion produced by the power amplifier 20) (Falempin – [0065]). However, Falempin fails to teach the first distortion operation to control out-of-band distortion; and the second distortion operation to control in-band distortion. In the related art, Love teaches the first distortion operation to control out-of-band distortion (read as transmissions with larger occupied bandwidth (OBW) create more out-of-band emissions resulting in larger adjacent or neighbor channel leakage ratio (ACLR) than transmissions with smaller OBW; increase in out-of-band emissions from transmissions with larger OBW is due largely to increased adjacent channel occupancy) (Love – column 5 lines 38-55, column 7 lines 47-67); and the second distortion operation to control in-band distortion (read as given a specific rated maximum output or input power level designed to achieve a given level of interference into an adjacent frequency band, or level of in-band distortion, a mobile terminal may elect to adjust, reduce its input power level in order to reduce such unwanted effects) (Love – column 7 lines 47-67). Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to incorporate the teachings of Love into the teachings of Falempin for the purpose of allowing mobile terminals to control their out-of-band emission levels by limiting the power to the power amplifier to achieve a given level of interference into an adjacent frequency band and allow a mobile terminal to reduce its input power level in order to reduce unwanted effects; and furthermore, maintaining linear power amplification operation wherein a specified and controllable level of distortion are both within the signal bandwidth generally occupied by the desired waveform and in neighboring frequencies. Conclusion Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to APRIL GUZMAN GONZALES whose telephone number is (571)270-1101. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Friday 8:00 am to 4:00 pm EST. The examiner’s email address is april.guzman@uspto.gov. Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice. If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Wesley L. Kim can be reached at (571) 272-7867. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300. Information regarding the status of published or unpublished applications may be obtained from Patent Center. Unpublished application information in Patent Center is available to registered users. To file and manage patent submissions in Patent Center, visit: https://patentcenter.uspto.gov. Visit https://www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/patent-center for more information about Patent Center and https://www.uspto.gov/patents/docx for information about filing in DOCX format. For additional questions, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000. /APRIL G GONZALES/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2648
Read full office action

Prosecution Timeline

Sep 23, 2024
Application Filed
Jul 01, 2026
Non-Final Rejection mailed — §103 (current)

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Study what changed to get past this examiner. Based on 5 most recent grants.

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Prosecution Projections

1-2
Expected OA Rounds
85%
Grant Probability
91%
With Interview (+6.2%)
2y 7m (~9m remaining)
Median Time to Grant
Low
PTA Risk
Based on 847 resolved cases by this examiner. Grant probability derived from career allowance rate.

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