DETAILED ACTION
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 .
Information Disclosure Statement
2. The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 09/26/24 has been considered by the examiner.
Priority
3. Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55.
Specification
4. The disclosure is objected to because of the following informalities: on the first line of paragraph [0015], "a phase detector" should be changed to
--the phase detector-- (and note that the same change should also be made on the first line of paragraph [0017]). On the penultimate line of paragraph [0030], --these terms-- should be inserted after the word "and". On the first line of paragraph [0035], the word "an" at the end of the line should be changed to --the--. On line 5 of paragraph [0037], "able to know whether there is the interface chip 105 in the memory chip" should be changed to --able to determine whether the interface chip 105 is included in the memory chip--. On the penultimate line of paragraph [0048], a comma should be inserted before the word "may". On the second line of paragraph [0055], "as each other in the first pad" should be changed to --on the first pad--, or alternatively, --at the first pad--. On lines 6, 9 and 10, the word "manner" should be changed to --process-- (all four occurrences). On the last line of paragraph [0105], the word "with" should be changed to --to--. On the first line of paragraph [0106], the word "an" should be changed to --the--. On line 5 of paragraph [0116], the word "manner" should again be changed to --process--.
Appropriate correction is required.
Drawings
5. 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 second counter receiving the first and second reverse signals, as recited on lines 14-15 of claim 9, must be shown or the feature canceled from the claims. 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 Objections
6. Claims 6-9 and 17 are objected to because of the following informalities:
In each of claims 6-8, on the first line of each, "Claim" should be changed to
--claim-- (note what is recited on the first line of each of claims 2-5).
On line 12 of claim 9, the word "signal" should be deleted (note that in each of figures 4, 6, 7 and 9 of the originally filed drawings, circuit element 150 is illustrated as being a phase generator, not a phase signal generator).
On line 10 of claim 17, "and generator" should be deleted (note that in each of figures 4, 6, 7 and 9 of the originally filed drawings, circuit element 120 is illustrated as being a phase generator, not a phase detector and generator).
On line 18 of claim 17, the word "signal" should be deleted (note that in each of figures 4, 6, 7 and 9 of the originally filed drawings, circuit element 150 is illustrated as being a phase generator, not a phase signal generator).
Appropriate correction is required.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112(a)
7. The following is a quotation of the first paragraph of 35 U.S.C. 112(a):
(a) IN GENERAL.—The specification shall contain a written description of the invention, and of the manner and process of making and using it, in such full, clear, concise, and exact terms as to enable any person skilled in the art to which it pertains, or with which it is most nearly connected, to make and use the same, and shall set forth the best mode contemplated by the inventor or joint inventor of carrying out the invention.
Claims 9-16 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(a) as failing to comply with the enablement requirement. The claims contain subject matter which was not described in the specification in such a way as to enable one skilled in the art to which it pertains, or with which it is most nearly connected, to make and/or use the invention.
The originally filed specification and drawings do not provide enablement for the storage device recited in independent claim 9, specifically the limitation set forth on lines 14-15 of this claim, i.e., a second counter configured to receive the first reverse signal and the second reverse signal (note that in each of figures 4, 6, 7 and 9 of the originally filed drawings, as well as the supporting description of these figures in the originally filed specification, second counter 160 only receives the second comparison signal D2 output from phase detector 120, i.e., there is no support for the recitation that second counter 160 is configured to receive the first reverse signal SB1 and the second reverse signal SB2). Thus, claim 9 is not enabled under 35 USC 112(a).
Claims 10-16 are rejected in view of their dependencies, directly or indirectly, on non-enabled claim 9.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112(b)
8. 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.
Claims 9-16 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
As noted above, the originally filed specification and drawings do not support the above-noted limitation in independent claim 9, specifically the limitation set forth on lines 14-15, i.e., a second counter configured to receive the first reverse signal and the second reverse signal (note that in each of figures 4, 6, 7 and 9 of the originally filed drawings, as well as the supporting description of these figures in the originally filed specification, second counter 160 only receives the second comparison signal D2 output from phase detector 120, i.e., there is no support for the recitation that second counter 160 is configured to receive the first reverse signal SB1 and the second reverse signal SB2). Therefore, independent claim 9 is misdescriptive of the invention and thus indefinite under 35 USC 112(b).
Claims 10-16 are rejected in view of their dependencies, directly or indirectly, on indefinite claim 9.
Allowable Subject Matter
9. Claims 1-8 and 17-20 are allowed.
Claims 9-16 would be allowable if rewritten or amended to overcome the rejections under 35 U.S.C. 112(a) and 35 U.S.C. 112(b) set forth in this Office action.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter: none of the prior art of record discloses or suggests a memory device comprising a memory chip which includes first and second loop circuits configured as recited in independent claim 1, nor does any of the prior art of record disclose or suggest a storage device comprising a controller and a memory device wherein the memory device comprises a phase detector, first and second counters, a delay cell, a phase generator, and a duty correction circuit, configured as recited in claim 9, nor does any of the prior art of record disclose or suggest a memory device comprising a plurality of memory chips and an interface chip wherein the interface chip comprises first and second loop circuits configured as recited in independent claim 17.
Conclusion
10. 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.
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, LINCOLN DONOVAN can be reached at (571)272-1988. 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 2842 January 16, 2026