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 .
Introduction
This is a response to the applicant’s filing filed on 10/29/2024. In virtue of this filing, claims 1-20 are currently presented in the instant application.
Priority
Receipt is acknowledged of papers submitted under 35 U.S.C 119(a)-(d), which papers have been placed of record in the file.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 10/29/2024 has been considered by Examiner and made of record in the application file.
Drawings
The drawing submitted on 10/29/2026 has been considered by Examiner and made of record in the application file.
Specification
The specification submitted on 10/29/2026 has been considered by Examiner and made of record in the application file.
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.
Claim(s) 1, 11 and 14-17 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by King et al. (US Pub. No.: 2022/0182084, hereinafter, “King”).
Regarding claim 1, King teaches a radio frequency circuit comprising (see figure 10A, RF front end 310, [0152]):
a first switch having a first selection terminal and a second selection terminal (see figure 10A, first switch 710, switching between filters 706 and 708, [0154-0155]);
a second switch (see figure 10A, second switch 712, [0154-0155]);
a first filter connected to the first selection terminal (see figure 10A, select the first filter 706, [0154-0155]);
a second filter connected to the second selection terminal (see figure 10A, select the second filter 708, [0154-0155]); and
a third filter (see figure 10A, third filter 716, [0154-0155]),
wherein the second switch is connected in series to and between the third filter and a path connecting the second selection terminal and the second filter (see figure 10A, second switch 712 select the third filter 716, first switch 710 select the second filter 708, [0154-0155]).
Regarding claim 11, King teaches a radio frequency circuit comprising (see figure 10A, RF front end 310, [0152]):
a first switch having a first selection terminal and a second selection terminal (see figure 10A, first switch 710, switching between filters 706 and 708, [0154-0155]);
a second switch (see figure 10A, second switch 712, [0154-0155]);
a first filter connected to the first selection terminal (see figure 10A, select the first filter 706, [0154-0155]);
a second filter connected to the second selection terminal (see figure 10A, select the second filter 708, [0154-0155]); and
an external connection terminal (see figures 1 and 10A, front end 803 or 310, it is clearly seen that the front end 803 connect to external transceiver 802),
wherein the second switch is connected in series to and between the external connection terminal and a path connecting the second selection terminal and the second filter (see figures 1 and 10A, front end 803 or 310).
Regarding claims 14-15, King further teaches a radio frequency (RF) signal processing circuit that processes a radio frequency signal transmitted through the radio frequency circuit (see figure 3, BB 841, [0097]).
Regarding claim 16, King further teaches the first switch has a common terminal and is capable of performing switching between connection between the common terminal and the first selection terminal and connection between the common terminal and the second selection terminal, and wherein the second switch is configured to conduct at a time of the connection between the common terminal and the second selection terminal (see figure 10A, first switch 710, [0154-0155]).
Regarding claim 17, King further teaches a fourth filter having an end connected to a path connecting the second switch and the third filter (see figure 10A, fourth filter 718, [0154-0155]).
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.
The factual inquiries for establishing a background for determining obviousness under 35 U.S.C. 103 are summarized as follows:
1. Determining the scope and contents of the prior art.
2. Ascertaining the differences between the prior art and the claims at issue.
3. Resolving the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art.
4. Considering objective evidence present in the application indicating obviousness or nonobviousness.
This application currently names joint inventors. In considering patentability of the claims the examiner presumes that the subject matter of the various claims was commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the claimed invention(s) absent any evidence to the contrary. Applicant is advised of the obligation under 37 CFR 1.56 to point out the inventor and effective filing dates of each claim that was not commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the later invention in order for the examiner to consider the applicability of 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(2)(C) for any potential 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) prior art against the later invention.
Claim(s) 2-5, 7, 12-13 and 18 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over King et al. (US Pub. No.: 2022/0182084, hereinafter, “King”) in view of See (US Pub. No.: 2013/0273861).
Regarding claim 2, King disclosed invention, but fails to teach the third filter has a pass band including a supplementary downlink (SDL) band. However, See teaches the third filter has a pass band including a supplementary downlink (SDL) band (see figure 12, supplementary downlink (SDL) filter on SD Rx 1222e, [0052, 0126-0127]).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to incorporate the teaching of See into view of King in order to provide capacity boost, cost efficiency, coverage extension and unpaired spectrum utilization.
Regarding claim 3, King further teaches the first switch has a common terminal and is capable of performing switching between connection between the common terminal and the first selection terminal and connection between the common terminal and the second selection terminal, and wherein the second switch is configured to conduct at a time of the connection between the common terminal and the second selection terminal (see figure 10A, first switch 710, second switch 712, [0052, 0154-0155]).
Regarding claim 4, King further teaches a fourth filter having an end connected to a path connecting the second switch and the third filter (see figure 10A, fourth filter 718, second switch 712, third filter 716, [0052, 0154-0157]).
Regarding claim 5, See further teaches the first filter has a pass band including a first downlink operating band, and wherein the second filter has a pass band including a second downlink operating band different from the first downlink operating band, the radio frequency circuit further comprising: a first sending filter that has an end connected to the first selection terminal and that has a pass band including a first uplink operating band; and a second sending filter that has an end connected to the second selection terminal and that has a pass band including a second uplink operating band (see figure 12, plurality of TX filters and RX filters).
Regarding claim 7, See further teaches the third filter has a pass band including a third downlink operating band, the radio frequency circuit further comprising: a third sending filter that has an end connected to a terminal of the second switch on a second filter side of the second switch and that includes a third uplink operating band (see figure 12, plurality of TX filters and RX filters).
Regarding claim 12, King teaches a radio frequency circuit comprising (see figure 10A, RF front end 310, [0152]):
a first switch having a first selection terminal and a second selection terminal (see figure 10A, first switch 710, switching between filters 706 and 708, [0154-0155]);
a second switch (see figure 10A, second switch 712, [0154-0155]);
a first filter connected to the first selection terminal (see figure 10A, select the first filter 706, [0154-0155]);
a second filter connected to the second selection terminal (see figure 10A, select the second filter 708, [0154-0155]); and
a third filter (see figure 10A, third filter 716, [0154-0155]),
wherein the second switch is connected in series to and between the third filter and a path connecting the second selection terminal and the second filter (see figure 10A, second switch 712 select the third filter 716, first switch 710 select the second filter 708, [0154-0155]).
It should be noticed that King fails to teach the third filter has a pass band including a supplementary downlink (SDL) band. However, See teaches the third filter has a pass band including a supplementary downlink (SDL) band (see figure 12, supplementary downlink (SDL) filter on SD Rx 1222e, [0052, 0126-0127]).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to incorporate the teaching of See into view of King in order to provide capacity boost, cost efficiency, coverage extension and unpaired spectrum utilization.
Regarding claims 13, King further teaches a radio frequency (RF) signal processing circuit that processes a radio frequency signal transmitted through the radio frequency circuit (see figure 3, BB 841, [0097]).
Regarding claim 18, King further teaches a fourth filter having an end connected to a path connecting the second switch and the third filter (see figure 10A, fourth filter 718, [0154-0155]).
Claim(s) 8 and 19-20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over King et al. (US Pub. No.: 2022/0182084, hereinafter, “King”) in view of See (US Pub. No.: 2013/0273861) as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of Pehlke (US Pub. No.: 2018/0205530).
Regarding claim 8 and 19-20, King and See, in combination, fails to teach the first switch has the common terminal and is capable of performing the switching between the connection between the common terminal and the first selection terminal and the connection between the common terminal and the second selection terminal, the radio frequency circuit further comprising: a third switch having a third selection terminal and a fourth selection terminal; and a fifth filter connected to the third selection terminal, wherein the common terminal is connected to the fourth selection terminal. However, Pehlke teaches the first switch has the common terminal and is capable of performing the switching between the connection between the common terminal and the first selection terminal and the connection between the common terminal and the second selection terminal, the radio frequency circuit further comprising: a third switch having a third selection terminal and a fourth selection terminal; and a fifth filter connected to the third selection terminal, wherein the common terminal is connected to the fourth selection terminal (see figure 6C, 3rd switch 608A, first switch 606C, [0013-0015]).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to incorporate the teaching of Pehlke into view of King and See in order to support multi-mode operation.
Claim(s) 6 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over King et al. (US Pub. No.: 2022/0182084, hereinafter, “King”) in view of See (US Pub. No.: 2013/0273861) as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of Srivastava et al. (US Patent No.: 12,628,030, hereinafter, “Srivastava”).
Regarding claim 6, King and See, in combination, fails to teach the third filter has a pass band including a supplementary uplink (SUL) band. However, Srivastava teaches the third filter has a pass band including a supplementary uplink (SUL) band (see col.11, ln.5-6).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to incorporate the teaching of Srivastava into view of King and See in order to provide capacity boost, cost efficiency, coverage extension and unpaired spectrum utilization.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 9-10 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.
Regarding claim 9, the prior art made of record fails to clearly teach or fairly suggest the feature of a fourth switch; and a sixth filter, wherein the fourth switch is connected in series to and between the sixth filter and a path connecting the third selection terminal and the fifth filter.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Tuan A. Pham whose telephone number is (571) 272-8097, the fax number is (571) 273-8097 and the email is tuan.pham01@uspto.gov. The examiner can normally be reached on Monday through Friday, 8:30 AM-5:30 PM.
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, Yuwen (Kevin) Pan can be reached on (571) 272-7855. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/TUAN PHAM/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2649
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