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 § 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) 1-16, 19 and 20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over IIkov et al. (US 20160079649) in view of Djakovic (US 6351539).
As to claim 1, IIKo et al.’s figure 9a shows an electronic device, comprising: a radio frequency element (902), a first electronic element (912) electrically connected to the radio frequency element; a first coupler (904) configured to generate a first coupling output signal (at Isolated port, see figure 2) in response to a first input coupling signal (at input port or at Coupled port when connected to 208) and generate a second coupling output signal (at the Coupled port) in response to a second input coupling signal (reflected from Tuner 906 at Transmitted port or at Isolated port when coupled to 206); a detector (908) electrically connected to the first coupler and configured to generate a first determination signal according to the first coupling output signal and the second coupling output signal; a controller (910) electrically connected to the detector, and configured to generate a first control signal according to the first determination signal; and a first impedance matching circuit (906) electrically connected to the controller, and configured to provide an impedance for a transmission path between the radio frequency element and the first electronic element in response to the first control signal. The figure fails to show that the claimed elements, except for the controller, are arranged on a substrate. However, Djakovic’s col. 6, lines 4-35, teaches the advantages of arranging components on separate chips and on a single chip. It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art to arrange McKinzie, III et al.’s elements as claimed for the purpose of ensuring optimum performance, further see MPEP 2144.04, V, B. and C.
As to claim 2, the modified IIkov et al.’s figures show that during a first matching period (Output port is coupled to the Isolated port), the first coupler receives the first input coupling signal and performs current dividing on the first input coupling signal to generate the first coupling output signal and a first coupling signal (at Transmitted port).
As to claim 3, the modified IIkov et al.’s figures show that the first coupler comprises (IIKov et al.’s 102): a first connection point (Isolated port or Coupled port), electrically connected to the detector; a second connection point (Coupled port or Isolated port), electrically connected to the detector; and a third connection point (Input port), electrically connected to the first electronic element.
As to claim 4, the modified IIkov et al.’s figures show that the first coupler receives the first input coupling signal (generated by one of IIkov et al.’s 206 and 208) through the first connection point, provides the first coupling output signal to the detector through the second connection point, and provides the first coupling signal to the first electronic element through the third connection point.
As to claim 5, the modified IIkov et al.’s figures show that a numerical value of the first coupling output signal reflects an impedance ratio at the second connection point and the third connection point.
As to claim 6, the modified IIkov et al.’s figures show that during a second matching period, the first coupler receives the second input coupling signal (generated by the other one of IIkov et al.’s 206 and 208) and performs current dividing on the second input coupling signal to generate the second coupling output signal and a second coupling signal.
As to claim 7, the modified IIkov et al.’s figures show that the first coupler comprises: a fourth connection point (IIkov et al.’s Transmitted port), electrically connected to the radio frequency element.
As to claim 8, the modified IIkov et al.’s figures show that the first coupler receives the second input coupling signal through the second connection point, provides the second coupling output signal to the detector through the first connection point, and provides the second coupling signal to the radio frequency element through the fourth connection point.
As to claim 9, the modified IIkov et al.’s figures show that a numerical value of the second coupling output signal reflects an impedance ratio at the first connection point and the fourth connection point.
As to claim 10, the modified IIkov et al.’s figures show that the first electronic element is one of an antenna element and a power divider (see IIkov et al.’s figure 9a).
As to claims 11-16, IIkov et al.’s figure 6b further shows a second electronic element (624), arranged on the substrate; a second couple (that comprises Input port 2 and Transmitted port 2, see figure 4c), arranged on the substrate, electrically connected to the detector (see figure 9a), and configured to generate a third coupling output signal in response to a third input coupling signal and generate a fourth coupling output signal in response to a fourth input coupling signal (see figure 4c). Furthermore, it has been held that mere duplication of parts has no patentable significance unless a new and unexpected result is produced, MPEP 2144.4,VI,B. It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art to duplicate the devices in IIkov et al.’s figure 9a for the purpose of improving communication power. Thus, the modified IIkov et al.’s figure 9a shows the duplicated elements function as claimed.
As to claim 19, the modified IIkov et al.’s figures show that when the first determination signal is greater than a threshold value (any value), the controller changes the first control signal, so that the first impedance matching circuit changes the impedance for the transmission path between the radio frequency element and the first electronic element according to the first control signal.
As to claim 20, the modified IIkov et al.’s figures show that the first impedance matching circuit changes at least one of a resistance, a capacitance, and an inductance of the first impedance matching circuit in response to the first control signal.
Claim(s) 17-20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over IIkov et al. (US 20160079649) in view of Djakovic (US 6351539) and Greene et al. (US 9374113).
As to claim 17, IIkov et al.’s figures 9a fails to show the internal structure of the Tunable Matching Network 906. However, Greene et al.’s figure 18 shows a tunable matching network 18. It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art to use Greene et al.’s tunable matching network 18 for IIkov et al.’s tunable matching network 906 for the purpose of providing more precise selected impedance. Thus, the modified IIkov et al.’s figure shows a switch element (Greene et al.’s 1802), arranged on the substrate, wherein a first terminal of the first impedance matching circuit is electrically connected to the first electronic element and the radio frequency element through the switch element.
As to claim 18, the modified IIkov et al.’s figures show that a second terminal of the first impedance matching circuit is electrically connected to a reference low voltage.
As to claim 19, the modified IIkov et al.’s figures show that when the first determination signal is greater than a threshold value (any value), the controller changes the first control signal, so that the first impedance matching circuit changes the impedance for the transmission path between the radio frequency element and the first electronic element according to the first control signal.
As to claim 20, the modified IIkov et al.’s figures show that the first impedance matching circuit changes at least one of a resistance, a capacitance, and an inductance of the first impedance matching circuit in response to the first control signal.
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/QUAN TRA/
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 2843
Prosecution Insights