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 .
Response to Amendment
Applicant’s response filed on 07/08/2026 in which claims 1-6 are amended has been entered of record.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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)(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.
Claims 1-3 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Ohno (US Pub. 2021/0342242).
Regarding claim 1, Fig. 1 of Ohno discloses a semiconductor memory apparatus comprising:
a temperature detecting circuit [30] configured to detect a temperature to generate temperature detection information [paragraph 0020, temperature sensor 30 acquires operation temperature of memory 20 or controller 10] and to enable a signal included in the temperature detection information when the temperature is lower than a reference temperature [as discloses in paragraphs 00, the controller 10 control the memory device 20 in two different operations (one of the operation is when the temperature is less than threshold level (paragraph 0027). The enable signal (temperature related) output out sensor 30 helps controller to determine which operation to perform];
a heating control circuit [10] configured to operate in a forcible write mode [any writing mode that does not occurs voluntarily is considered a forcible write mode] when the signal included in the temperature detection information is enabled and to output a command control signal and a heating data signal that toggles [as discloses in paragraphs 0034 to 0037, the controller enable the memory 20 to write cumulative temperature information into 21 base on temperature signal from sensor 30]; and
a memory bank circuit [20] configured to store therein the heating data signal based on the command control signal [memory device 20 stores data corresponding to command from controller 10],
wherein the memory bank circuit [20] configured to generate heat by forcibly storing the heating data signal [cumulative temperature information] during the forcible write mode [as discloses in paragraph 0037, cumulative temperature is stored in memory section 21 during the forcible write mode (not voluntarily)].
Regarding claim 2, Fig. 1 of Ohno discloses wherein the command control signal includes a write control signal; and wherein the memory bank circuit is configured to perform a write operation including storing the heating data signal [cumulative temperature information, paragraph 0037] based on the write control signal [memory device 20 operates responsive to commands from controller 10].
Regarding claim 3, Fig. 1 Ohno discloses wherein the heating control circuit [10] includes: a write control circuit configured to generate the write control signal when the signal included in the temperature detection information [signal from temperature sensor 30]; and a data providing circuit configured to provide the heating data signal to the memory bank circuit when the signal included in the temperature detection information is enabled [controller 10 control writing operation of memory 20 base on temperature information, as steps S19 in Fig. 2].
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 4-6 are objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter:
Regarding claims 4-6, the prior art does not tech or suggest either alone or in combination: wherein the memory bank circuit is configured to perform, based on the write control signal, a write operation including storing into the memory bank circuit the heating data signal and wherein the heating control circuit is configured to operate in an inversion write mode when the signal included in the temperature detection information is enabled and to output the heating data signal, which is generated by inverting the reading out data and the command control signal repeatedly from the memory bank circuit.
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed 07/08/2026 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive.
Applicant argues that Ohno does not teach or suggest “a temperature detecting circuit configured to detect a temperature to generate temperature detection information and to enable a signal included in the temperature detection information when the temperature is lower than a reference temperature and a heating control circuit configured to operate in a forcible write mode when the signal included in the temperature detection information is enabled and to output a command control signal and a heating data signal that toggles”. As aforementioned in the new rejection, Ohno does teach the new added limitations (see above).
Therefore, all applicant’s arguments were fully considered, they are not persuasive.
Conclusion
Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ANTHAN T TRAN whose telephone number is (571)272-8709. The examiner can normally be reached MON-FRI, 9AM-5:00PM.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Alexander G Sofocleous can be reached at 571-272-0635. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/ANTHAN TRAN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2825
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