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 .
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 1-14 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
Claim 1 recites the limitation “the transmission interface is transmitted along one or more transmission path” in lines 4-5, and “receiving interface signal receiving interface is transmitted along one or more transmission path" in lines 5-6.
There is a lack of clarity where the claim recites “one or more transmission path” and contains another recitation of the limitation “one or more transmission path”. The claim is indefinite because it would be unclear if the limitation is making reference to the same “one or more transmission path” or a different transmission paths. Therefore the claim is indefinite for containing limitation whose meaning is unclear.
For purpose of examination and based on the specification (para [0062]), the Office will consider the second recitation of the “one or more transmission path” as being different transmission path from the first recitation.
Claim 5 recites the limitation “one or more transmission paths of the transmission interface” in lines 7-8, and “one or more transmission paths of the receiving interface" in lines 9-10.
There is a lack of clarity where the claim recites “one or more transmission paths” and contains another recitation of the limitation “one or more transmission paths”. The claim is indefinite because it would be unclear if the limitation is making reference to the same “one or more transmission path” or a different transmission paths. Therefore the claim is indefinite for containing limitation whose meaning is unclear.
For purpose of examination and based on the specification (para [0062]), the Office will consider the second recitation of the “one or more transmission paths” as being different transmission path from the first recitation.
Claims 2-4 and 6-14 are also rejected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
In the event the determination of the status of the application as subject to AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103 (or as subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103) is incorrect, any correction of the statutory basis (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) for the rejection will not be considered a new ground of rejection if the prior art relied upon, and the rationale supporting the rejection, would be the same under either status.
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) 1-3 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Chen et al (US 2011/0256857 A1) in view of DiFonzo (US 20120127034 A1).
As per claim 1 Chen et al teaches a noise suppression circuit (see fig.1 ) disposed between a transmission interface (see fig.1 element 105) and a receiving interface (see fig.1 element 175), wherein the transmission interface includes a digital interface, a power transmission interface (see fig.1 element 110) or a combination thereof, a transmission interface signal of the transmission interface is transmitted along one or more transmission path, and a receiving interface signal of the receiving interface is transmitted along one or more transmission path, the noise suppression circuit comprising (see fig.1 element 100 and para [0025] for….The exemplary communication system 100 also includes an interference compensation…..The interference compensation circuit 190 delivers an interference compensation signal into or onto the receive signal path 102 to cancel, suppress, mitigate, or otherwise compensate for the imposed interference): a first noise suppression component (see fig.1 element 125) connected to the one or more transmission path of the transmission interface (see fig.1 element 105), wherein the transmission interface signal (see element 101) on the one or more transmission path of the transmission interface is transmitted (see para [0022] for…The first transmitter 105 is electrically coupled to the first duplexer 115 via a transmit path 101 that includes a power amplifier 110) through the first noise suppression component (see element 125 and para [0038] for….on the transmit path 101 where the coupler 125 samples the transmitted signal); and a second noise suppression component (see fig.1 element 155) connected to the one or more transmission path of the receiving interface (see fig.1 element 175), wherein the receiving interface signal (see fig.1 element 102) on the one or more transmission path of the receiving interface is transmitted through the second noise suppression component (see para [0023] for…the second receiver 175 is electrically coupled to the second duplexer 160 via a receive signal path 102 that includes a low noise amplifier 170 and para [0031] for….the coupler 155 applies the interference compensation signal to the receive signal path 102 of the second receiver 175); wherein the second noise suppression component (see fig.1 element 155) is connected to the first noise suppression component (see fig.1 element 125) through a attenuator/phase/amplitude adjusting compensation (see fig.1 element 190 and abstract for … The interference compensation signal is generated by adjusting at least one of amplitude, phase and para [0028] for…. the interference compensation circuit 190 generates an interference compensation signal by adjusting in magnitude, phase,), and the transmission interface signal (see fig.1 element 101) and the receiving interface signal (fig.1 element 102) are partly transmitted through the first noise suppression component (see fig.1 element 115), the phase adjusting component (see fig.1 element 190) and the second noise suppression component (see fig.1 element 155) to the receiving interface (see fig.1 element 175) for suppressing interference from the transmission interface to the receiving interface (see para [0028] for….the interference compensation circuit 190 generates an interference compensation signal by adjusting in magnitude, phase, and or delay the sampled signals such that the interference compensation signal cancels at least a portion of the interference signal imposed on the second antenna 165 by signals transmitted by the first antenna 120.).
However Chen et al does not explicitly teach the second noise suppression component is connected to the first noise suppression component through phase adjusting component.
DiFonzo teaches a second noise suppression component (see fig.5 element 14H or 14V) is connected to the first noise suppression component (see fig.5 element 14-18) through phase adjusting component (see element 15 and para [0049] for….. for example, by the frequency dependence of the impedances of the phase control devices 15 and the directional couplers 14 operating at two different frequency bands (e.g., Rx and Tx bands). and para [0058] for….. two hybrid couplers and two phase control devices in FIG. 5 looks superficially like that shown in the architecture of FIG. 1. However, the components of FIG. 5 may be designed to work over both Tx and Rx bands,).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, at the time of filing or before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Chen to include second noise suppression component is connected to the first noise suppression component through phase adjusting component in order to control phase polarization between the transmit side and receive side. Furthermore transmit signal entering the directional coupler would emerge from the antenna element and radiate a transmit signal with a polarization orthogonal to the receive signal. Such modification would enhance the suppression circuit to produce a common phase shift to both ports of the circuit with respect to the other array elements for polarization and subsequently compensate for other phase offsets.
As per claim 2, Chen et al and DiFonzo in combination would teach wherein each or any one of the first noise suppression component and the second noise suppression component includes a first conductor (transmission line component) (see Chen para [0026] for….. the couplers 125, 155 can each include one or more capacitor(s), (e.g., sniffer or sampling capacitors), resistor(s), couplers, coils, transformers, signal traces, or transmission line component) ; wherein the first conductor (resistor or capacitor or transmission line) of the first noise suppression component is connected to the one or more transmission path of the transmission interface (see fig.1 element 101) and the phase adjusting component (see Chen fig.1 element 190 and para [0026] for.. an input of the interference compensation circuit 190 is electrically coupled to signal path 117 that connects the first antenna 120) in order to control phase polarization between the transmit side and receive side. Furthermore transmit signal entering the directional coupler would emerge from the antenna element and radiate a transmit signal with a polarization orthogonal to the receive signal. Such modification would enhance the suppression circuit to produce a common phase shift to both ports of the circuit with respect to the other array elements for polarization and subsequently compensate for other phase offsets.
As per claim 3, Chen et al and DiFonzo in combination would teach wherein each or any one of the first noise suppression component and the second noise suppression component includes a second conductor and a third conductor (see Chen para [0026] for…. The couplers 125, 155 can each include more capacitors, (e.g., sniffer or sampling capacitors), resistors, couplers, coils, transformers, signal traces, or transmission line components. In certain exemplary embodiments, one or both of the couplers 125, 155 are directional couplers); wherein the second conductor (transmission line component connected) of the first noise suppression component (see Chen fig.1 directional coupler 125) is connected to the one or more transmission path of the transmission interface (Examiner note: see Chen fig.1 the signal path 117 of the first antenna 120 linking the directional coupler 125 to element 120 antenna 1), the second conductor (transmission line component connected) of the second noise suppression component (see Chen fig.1 directional coupler 155) is connected to the one or more transmission path of the receiving interface (see fig.1 the signal path 163 of the first antenna 165 linking directional coupler 155 to element 165 antenna 2), the third conductor (see fig.1 adjacent transmission line component connection) of the first noise suppression component (see fig.1 directional coupler 125) is disposed at one side of the second conductor of the first noise suppression component (see fig.1 transmission line component adjacent to the directional coupler 125), the third conductor (adjacent transmission line component connection) of the second noise suppression component (see fig.1 directional coupler 155) is disposed at one side of the second conductor of the second noise suppression component (see fig.1 transmission line component adjacent to the directional coupler 155), and the third conductor of the first noise suppression component (see fig.1 transmission line component linking the other side of directional coupler 155) or the third conductor of the second noise suppression component is connected to the phase adjusting component (see Chen fig.1 adjacent transmission line component linking the other side of directional couplers 125 or 155 to element 190) in order to control phase polarization between the transmit side and receive side. Furthermore transmit signal entering the directional coupler would emerge from the antenna element and radiate a transmit signal with a polarization orthogonal to the receive signal. Such modification would enhance the suppression circuit to produce a common phase shift to both ports of the circuit with respect to the other array elements for polarization and subsequently compensate for other phase offsets.
----Claim(s) 4 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Chen et al (US 2011/0256857 A1) in view of DiFonzo (US 20120127034 A1) and in further view of Kouki et al (US 20070015468 A1).
As per claim 4, Chen et al and DiFonzo do not explicitly teach wherein one or more of the first noise suppression component and the second noise suppression component is connected to an impedance component, and the impedance component includes a resistor.
Kouki et al teaches first noise suppression component (see fig.5 element 50) and the second noise suppression (see fig.5 element 58) component is connected to an impedance component (see fig.3 resistor connected to each coupler and para [0047] for…. The impedance tuner 55 simulates the behavior of the antenna to which the filter-based duplexer 52 is connected. Having the impedance tuner 55 enables to address the problem raised when the antenna is not properly impedance matched.).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, at the time of filing or before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Chen to include an impedance component in order to control phase polarization between the transmit side and receive side and address the problem raised when the coupling antennas are not properly impedance matched. Furthermore transmit signal entering the directional coupler would emerge from the antenna element and radiate a transmit signal with a polarization orthogonal to the receive signal. Such modification would enhance the suppression circuit to produce a common phase shift to both ports of the circuit with respect to the other array elements for polarization and subsequently compensate for other phase offsets.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 5-14 would be allowable if rewritten or amended to overcome the rejection(s) under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), 2nd paragraph, set forth in this Office action.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter:
wherein, inside the second noise suppression component, the one or more signal output ports are connected to the one or more signal input ports of the second noise suppression component through the one or more transmission paths of the receiving interface; wherein, outside the second noise suppression component, the one or more signal input ports of the second noise suppression component is connected to one part of the one or more transmission paths of the receiving interface, the one or more signal output ports of the second noise suppression component is connected to another part of the one or more transmission paths of the receiving interface, and the second noise suppression component obtains or replicates parts or all of power from the one or more coupling ports of the second noise suppression component and outputs the power to the one or more signal output ports of the second noise suppression component; wherein the one or more coupling ports of the first noise suppression component are partly or completely connected to the one or more coupling ports of the second noise suppression component through the one or more coupling paths, and one or more phase adjusting component is disposed on the one or more coupling paths for providing a predetermined phase at a predetermined frequency.
Any comments considered necessary by applicant must be submitted no later than the payment of the issue fee and, to avoid processing delays, should preferably accompany the issue fee. Such submissions should be clearly labeled “Comments on Statement of Reasons for Allowance.”
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
US 20200228159 A1 or US 20200161755 A1 or US 10581155 B1 or US 20190207633 A1 or US 20170264327 A1 or US 20160094331 A1.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to EMMANUEL BAYARD whose telephone number is (571)272-3016. The examiner can normally be reached 6-9.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Ahn K Sam can be reached at 571-272-3044. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/EMMANUEL BAYARD/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2633