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 .
Status of claim(s) to be treated in this office action:
a. Independent: 1, 11 and 18
b. Pending: 1-9, 11-16 and 18-20
Per MPEP 2111 and 2111.01, the claims are given their broadest reasonable interpretation and the words of the claims are given their plain meaning consistent with the specification without importing claim limitations from the specification.
Election/Restrictions
Applicant's election with traverse of claims 1-9,11-16 and 18-20 in the reply filed on 6/9/2026 is acknowledged. The traversal is on the ground(s) that “search and examination of all the claims in an application can be made without serious burden”. This is not found persuasive.
The requirement is still deemed proper and is therefore made FINAL.
Priority
Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) is submitted on 9/27/2024. The submission is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
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.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claims 11-16, 18-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being incomplete for omitting essential structural cooperative relationships of elements, such omission amounting to a gap between the necessary structural connections. See MPEP § 2172.01. The omitted structural cooperative relationships are:
Independent device claim 11 recites:
“search for a number of fail bits of the output data to determine a coarse offset reference resistance”, --- how coarse offset reference resistance is determined, and what is the relationship between number of fail bits and coarse offset reference resistance is not clarified.
“detect a number of fail bits of first output data within a first reference resistance range based on the coarse offset reference resistance to determine a first fine offset reference resistance”, --- how first fine offset reference resistance is determined, and what is the relationship between number of fail bits of first output data and first fine offset reference resistance is not clarified.
“search for a number of fail bits of second output data within a second reference resistance range based on the coarse offset reference resistance to determine a second fine offset reference resistance”, --- how second fine offset reference resistance is determined, and what is the relationship between number of fail bits of second output data and second fine offset reference resistance is not clarified.
All the dependent claims 12-16 carry the same deficit and henceforth rejected.
Independent method claim 18, similarly omits the above relationships between essential elements and henceforth rejected.
All the dependent claims 19-20 carry the same deficit and henceforth rejected.
Independent claim 11 further recites “the source line voltage and the reference voltage” in line: 7. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
All the dependent claims 12-16 carry the same deficit and henceforth rejected.
Examiner is unable to apply prior art unless the metes and bounds of claims are asserted.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 1-9 are allowed.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter:
Independent claim 1 include allowable subject matter since the prior art made of record and considered pertinent to the applicant’s disclosure, taken individually or in combination, does not teach or suggest the claimed invention to:
determine coarse offset reference resistance based on number of fail bits from output data and reference value; determine first fine offset reference resistance based on number of fail bits from first output data and the reference value; determine second fine offset reference resistance based on number of fail bits from second output data and the reference value and adjust reference resistance for read operation.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure:
Antonyan (US 11488641) --- from IDS
Sharon et al. (US 20170271031) --- from IDS
Huang (CN 114927152 A)
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to SULTANA BEGUM whose telephone number is (571)431-0691. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 8 am - 5 pm.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Richard Elms can be reached at 571272 1869. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/SULTANA BEGUM/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2824 7/21/2026
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