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 .
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement filed on 10/28/2024 and 06/04/2025 has been considered and placed of record in the file.
Oath/Declaration
The Oath or Declaration is being considered by examiner and complies with PTO requirements.
Claim Objections
Claim 1 is objected to because of the following informalities:
Regarding claim 1, -- frequency mixing – should be added before “signal” in line 15.
Appropriate correction is required.
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)(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.
Claim(s) 1-2, 4-6, 14-15, and 16-18 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Frick et al. US 2018/0372839.
Consider claim 1, Frick discloses A receiver (see FIG. 1-2), configured to receive a first signal (see FIG. 2 and ¶ [0033], wherein antenna 204 is used to receive signals), wherein the receiver comprises a frequency mixer (see FIG. 2, mixer 216), a phase switching device (see FIG. 2, switch 210), and an intermediate frequency processor (see FIG. 2, combination of low pass filter 220, amplifier 222 and baseband ADC 224), wherein:
the phase switching device is coupled to the frequency mixer (see FIG. 2, switch 210 coupled to mixer 216 via coupler 212), the phase switching device is configured to provide a first local oscillator signal for the frequency mixer or provide a second local oscillator signal for the frequency mixer (see FIG. 1-2 and ¶ [0031-0033], wherein the selectable phase shifter 106/ switch 210 configured to provide either in-phase or in-quadrature signal to the mixer 216), and a difference between a phase of the first local oscillator signal and a phase of the second local oscillator signal is a first phase difference (see ¶ [0032] and ¶ [0034]);
the frequency mixer is coupled to the intermediate frequency processor (see FIG. 2, wherein the mixer 216 is couple to combination of low pass filter 220, amplifier 222 and baseband ADC 224), and the frequency mixer is configured to:
receive a signal provided by the phase switching device (see FIG. 2 and ¶ [0032-0033], wherein switch 210 provides either in-phase or in-quadrature signal to the mixer 216);
perform frequency mixing on the first signal based on the signal provided by the phase switching device (see FIG. 2 and ¶ [0033], wherein mixer 216 perform frequency mixing on the signals received by the antenna 204 and outputs from switch 210); and
provide a frequency mixing signal obtained through frequency mixing for the intermediate frequency processor (see FIG. 2, wherein mixer 216 output is provided to low pass filer 220); and
the intermediate frequency processor is configured to amplify the signal provided by the frequency mixer (see FIG. 2 and ¶ [0033], wherein amplifier 222 configured to amplify the output from mixer 216).
Consider claim 14, Frick discloses A device for communication, wherein the device comprises a receiver, a transmitter, and a circuit board (see FIG. 4 and ¶ [0036], wherein the device comprises transceiver system 200 i.e. receiver and transmitter, and radar system 400), wherein the receiver is configured to receive a first signal (see FIG. 2 and ¶ [0033], wherein antenna 204 is used to receive signals), wherein the receiver comprises a frequency mixer (see FIG. 2, mixer 216), a phase switching device (see FIG. 2, switch 210), and an intermediate frequency processor (see FIG. 2, combination of low pass filter 220, amplifier 222 and baseband ADC 224), and wherein:
the phase switching device is coupled to the frequency mixer (see FIG. 2, switch 210 coupled to mixer 216 via coupler 212), the phase switching device is configured to provide a first local oscillator signal for the frequency mixer or provide a second local oscillator signal for the frequency mixer (see FIG. 1-2 and ¶ [0031-0033], wherein the selectable phase shifter 106/ switch 210 configured to provide either in-phase or in-quadrature signal to the mixer 216), and a difference between a phase of the first local oscillator signal and a phase of the second local oscillator signal is a first phase difference (see ¶ [0032] and ¶ [0034]);
the frequency mixer is coupled to the intermediate frequency processor (see FIG. 2, wherein the mixer 216 is couple to combination of low pass filter 220, amplifier 222 and baseband ADC 224), and the frequency mixer is configured to:
receive a signal provided by the phase switching device (see FIG. 2 and ¶ [0032-0033], wherein switch 210 provides either in-phase or in-quadrature signal to the mixer 216);
perform frequency mixing on the first signal based on the signal provided by the phase switching device (see FIG. 2 and ¶ [0033], wherein mixer 216 perform frequency mixing on the signals received by the antenna 204 and outputs from switch 210); and
provide a frequency mixing signal obtained through frequency mixing for the intermediate frequency processor (see FIG. 2, wherein mixer 216 output is provided to low pass filer 220); and
the intermediate frequency processor is configured to amplify the signal provided by the frequency mixer (see FIG. 2 and ¶ [0033], wherein amplifier 222 configured to amplify the output from mixer 216);
the transmitter is disposed on the circuit board and is configured to transmit a transmitter signal (see FIG. 2 and 4 and ¶ [0033], wherein the transceiver system 200 disposed on the radar system and configured to transmit signal via antenna 204); and
the receiver is disposed on the circuit board (see FIG. 2 and 4 and ¶ [0033]), and the receiver is configured to:
receive the first signal (see FIG. 2 and ¶ [0033], wherein antenna 204 is used to receive signals); and
perform frequency mixing on the first signal, wherein the first signal is coupled to the transmitter signal output by the transmitter (see FIG. 2 and ¶ [0033], wherein the mixer 216 performs frequency mixing on the received signal).
Consider claim 16, Frick discloses A method for processing a signal (see FIG. 2), wherein the method comprises:
providing, by a phase switching device, a first local oscillator signal or a second local oscillator signal for a frequency mixer (see FIG. 1-2 and ¶ [0031-0033], wherein the selectable phase shifter 106/ switch 210 configured to provide either in-phase or in-quadrature signal to the mixer 216), wherein a difference between a phase of the first local oscillator signal and a phase of the second local oscillator signal is a preset first phase difference (see ¶ [0032] and ¶ [0034]);
performing, by the frequency mixer, frequency mixing on a received first signal based on a phase switching signal provided by the phase switching device (see FIG. 2 and ¶ [0033], wherein mixer 216 perform frequency mixing on the signals received by the antenna 204 and outputs from switch 210); and
amplifying, by an intermediate frequency processor, a frequency mixer signal provided by the frequency mixer (see FIG. 2 and ¶ [0033], wherein amplifier 222 configured to amplify the output from mixer 216).
Consider claim 2, Frick discloses wherein the first signal is coupled to a transmitted signal output by a transmitter (see FIG. 2, wherein the received signal is coupled to a transmitted signal via coupler 206).
Consider claim 4, Frick discloses wherein the first phase difference is 90˚ (see ¶ [0032]).
Consider claims 5 and 17, Frick discloses wherein: the phase switching device comprises an in-phase (I)/quadrature (Q) generation network and an amplifier; the IQ generation network is configured to generate a local oscillator in-phase signal and a local oscillator quadrature signal based on a local oscillator signal provided by a local oscillator; and the amplifier is configured to amplify the local oscillator signal provided by the IQ generation network (see FIG. 1-2, and ¶ [0031-0032]).
Consider claims 6 and 18, Frick discloses wherein the amplifier is configured to perform at least one of: amplify the local oscillator in-phase signal to obtain the first local oscillator signal; or amplify the local oscillator quadrature signal to obtain the second local oscillator signal (see FIG. 1-2 and ¶ [0032-0033], wherein amplifier 222 is configured to amplify the local oscillator in-phase signal when the in-phase is selected by the selectable phase shifter 106; or amplify the local oscillator in-quadrature signal when the in-quadrature is selected by the selectable phase shifter 106).
Consider claim 15, Frick discloses a signal processor, and wherein the signal processor is configured to calibrate the transmitter signal from the transmitter based on a receiver signal provided by the receiver (see FIG. 4 and ¶ [0036]).
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.
Claim(s) 3 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Frick et al. US 2018/0372839 as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of Sabouri et al. US 2015/0280946.
Consider claim 3, Frick discloses every claimed limitation in claim 1.
However Frick does not explicitly disclose the receiver further comprises a low noise amplifier; and the low noise amplifier is coupled to the frequency mixer, and the low noise amplifier is configured to: amplify the received first signal; and provide an amplified first signal for the frequency mixer. Sabouri teaches the receiver further comprises a low noise amplifier (see FIG. 2 and ¶ [0024], low noise amplifier 252); and the low noise amplifier is coupled to the frequency mixer (see FIG. 2, wherein LNA 252 coupled to mixer 240 and 241), and the low noise amplifier is configured to: amplify the received first signal; and provide an amplified first signal for the frequency mixer (see FIG. 2 and ¶ [0024]). Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention was made to modify the invention of Frick, and to include the receiver further comprises a low noise amplifier; and the low noise amplifier is coupled to the frequency mixer, and the low noise amplifier is configured to: amplify the received first signal; and provide an amplified first signal for the frequency mixer, as taught by Sabouri for the purpose of boosting weak incoming signal from the antenna in a common receiver system.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 7-13 and 19-20 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.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to JANICE N TIEU whose telephone number is (571)270-1888. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 9:00-5:30.
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/JANICE N TIEU/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2633
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