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 .
Oath/Declaration
The Oath or Declaration is being considered by examiner and complies with PTO requirements.
Drawings
The drawings were received on 11/13/2024. These drawings are reviewed and accepted by the Examiner.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS), submitted on 11/13/2024, is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CRR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
Double Patenting
The nonstatutory double patenting rejection is based on a judicially created doctrine grounded in public policy (a policy reflected in the statute) so as to prevent the unjustified or improper timewise extension of the “right to exclude” granted by a patent and to prevent possible harassment by multiple assignees. A nonstatutory double patenting rejection is appropriate where the conflicting claims are not identical, but at least one examined application claim is not patentably distinct from the reference claim(s) because the examined application claim is either anticipated by, or would have been obvious over, the reference claim(s). See, e.g., In re Berg, 140 F.3d 1428, 46 USPQ2d 1226 (Fed. Cir. 1998); In re Goodman, 11 F.3d 1046, 29 USPQ2d 2010 (Fed. Cir. 1993); In re Longi, 759 F.2d 887, 225 USPQ 645 (Fed. Cir. 1985); In re Van Ornum, 686 F.2d 937, 214 USPQ 761 (CCPA 1982); In re Vogel, 422 F.2d 438, 164 USPQ 619 (CCPA 1970); In re Thorington, 418 F.2d 528, 163 USPQ 644 (CCPA 1969).
A timely filed terminal disclaimer in compliance with 37 CFR 1.321(c) or 1.321(d) may be used to overcome an actual or provisional rejection based on nonstatutory double patenting provided the reference application or patent either is shown to be commonly owned with the examined application, or claims an invention made as a result of activities undertaken within the scope of a joint research agreement. See MPEP § 717.02 for applications subject to examination under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA as explained in MPEP § 2159. See MPEP § 2146 et seq. for applications not subject to examination under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA . A terminal disclaimer must be signed in compliance with 37 CFR 1.321(b).
The filing of a terminal disclaimer by itself is not a complete reply to a nonstatutory double patenting (NSDP) rejection. A complete reply requires that the terminal disclaimer be accompanied by a reply requesting reconsideration of the prior Office action. Even where the NSDP rejection is provisional the reply must be complete. See MPEP § 804, subsection I.B.1. For a reply to a non-final Office action, see 37 CFR 1.111(a). For a reply to final Office action, see 37 CFR 1.113(c). A request for reconsideration while not provided for in 37 CFR 1.113(c) may be filed after final for consideration. See MPEP §§ 706.07(e) and 714.13.
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U.S. Pat. 12,170,589
US Appl. 18/945,640
19. A transmitting device, comprising: an output node; an encoder configured to encode (n−1) bitstreams, where: (i) n is an integer equal to or greater than 3, (ii) the encoder converts the (n−1) bitstreams into n driver control signals, (iii) the n driver control signals include first to n-th driver control signals, and (iv) the first to n-th driver control signals are configured to sequentially transition one-by-one with respect to the (n−1) bitstreams and include a driver control signal that does not transition; an output driver including a plurality of driver circuits therein that drive a plurality of multi-level signals onto the output node, wherein the plurality of multi-level signals are driven based on the first to n-th driver control signals and pulse signals associated with the first to n-th driver control signals, respectively, and the multi-level signals have 2 (n−1) levels; and a logic circuit configured to detect a direction of a pull-up or pull-down operation of each of the plurality of driver circuits by transitions of the first to n-th driver control signals and generate the pulse signal; and wherein the logic circuit provides the pulse signal to at least one static driver circuit connected to the driver control signal that does not transition, from among the plurality of driver circuits.
20. The transmitting device of claim 19, wherein, when the first to n-th driver circuits respectively perform the pull-up operation by transitions of the plurality of driver control signals, the logic circuit generates the pulse signal as a pull-up pulse signal having a certain low level; and wherein the at least one static driver circuit performs the pull-up operation by the pull-up pulse signal.
11. A transmitting device, comprising: an output node; an output driver comprising a plurality of driver circuits that drive a plurality of multi-level signals onto the output node, wherein the plurality of multi-level signals are driven based on a plurality of driver control signals and pulse signals associated with the plurality of driver control signals, respectively; and a logic circuit configured to detect a direction of a pull-up or pull-down operation of each of the plurality of driver circuits by transitions of the plurality of driver control signals and generate the pulse signal; and wherein the logic circuit provides the pulse signal to at least one static driver circuit connected to a driver control signal that does not transition, from among the plurality of driver circuits.
12. The transmitting device of claim 11, wherein, when the plurality of driver circuits respectively perform the pull-up operation by transitions of the plurality of driver control signals, the logic circuit generates the pulse signal as a pull-up pulse signal having a certain low level; and wherein the at least one static driver circuit performs the pull-up operation by the pull-up pulse signal.
13. The transmitting device of claim 11, wherein, when the plurality of driver circuits respectively perform the pull-down operation by transitions of the plurality of driver control signals, the logic circuit generates the pulse signal as a pull-down pulse signal having a certain high level; and wherein the at least one static driver circuit performs the pull-down operation by the pull-down pulse signal.
14. The transmitting device of claim 11, further comprising an encoder configured to generate the plurality of driver control signals for converting a bitstream to be transmitted to the output node into one of the plurality of multi-level signals.
15. The transmitting device of claim 11, wherein the logic circuit further comprises a pre-driver circuit connected in correspondence to each of the plurality of driver circuits and configured to generate a drive signal for driving each of the plurality of driver circuits; and wherein the pre-driver circuit outputs the drive signal by combining each of the plurality of driver control signals with the pulse signal.
16. The transmitting device of claim 15, wherein the logic circuit further comprises: a transition detector configured to detect a negative transition or a positive transition of each of the plurality of driver control signals; a low pulse generator configured to generate the pulse signal having a certain low level from an edge of the negative transition of each of the plurality of driver control signals; and a high pulse generator configured to generate the pulse signal having a certain high level from an edge of the positive transition of each of the plurality of driver control signals.
17. The transmitting device of claim 16, wherein each of the plurality of driver circuits comprises: a pull-up transistor connected to a power voltage and outputting the plurality of multi-level signals onto the output node by performing the pull-up operation in response to the drive signal; and a pull-down transistor connected to a ground voltage and outputting the plurality of multi-level signals onto the output node by performing the pull-down operation in response to the drive signal.
18. The transmitting device of claim 17, wherein each of the plurality of driver circuits further comprises: a first resistor connected between the pull-up transistor and the output node; and a second resistor connected between the pull-down transistor and the output node.
1. A method of operating a transmitting device, the method comprising: converting a plurality of bitstreams into a plurality of driver control signals by using an encoder, wherein the plurality of driver control signals are configured to sequentially transition one-by-one with respect to the plurality of bitstreams and comprise a driver control signal that does not transition; detecting a transition of each of the plurality of driver control signals by using a logic circuit; generating, by using the logic circuit, a certain pulse signal from the transition of each of the plurality of driver control signals; and providing, by using the logic circuit, the pulse signal to at least one static driver circuit connected to the driver control signal that does not transition, from among a plurality of driver circuits connected to an output node of the transmitting device.
2, and 3. The method of claim 1, wherein the generating of the certain pulse signal from the transition of each of the plurality of driver control signals comprises generating the pulse signal into a pull-up pulse signal having a certain low level when each of the plurality of driver circuits performs a pull-up operation due to a negative transition of each of the plurality of driver control signals; performing, by the at least one static driver circuit, the pull-up operation by the pull-up pulse signal.
6. A transmitting device, comprising: an output node; an output driver comprising a plurality of driver circuits that drive a plurality of multi-level signals onto the output node, wherein the plurality of multi-level signals are driven based on a plurality of driver control signals and drive signals for driving the plurality of driver circuits based on the plurality of driver control signals, respectively; and a logic circuit configured to detect a direction of a pull-up or pull-down operation of each of the plurality of driver circuits by transitions of the plurality of driver control signals and generate the drive signals; and wherein, in response to detecting the direction of the pull-up or the pull-down operation of each of the plurality of driver circuits, the logic circuit provides a first drive signal from among the drive signals to at least one static driver circuit corresponding to a driver control signal that does not transition having a first logic value, from among the plurality of driver circuits; and wherein the first drive signal has a second logic value different from the first logic value during a pulse period and has the first logic value after a lapse of the pulse period.
7. The transmitting device of claim 6, wherein, when the plurality of driver circuits respectively perform the pull-up operation by transitions of the plurality of driver control signals, the logic circuit generates a pulse signal as a pull-up pulse signal having a certain low level; and wherein the at least one static driver circuit performs the pull-up operation by the pull-up pulse signal.
8. The transmitting device of claim 6, wherein, when the plurality of driver circuits respectively perform the pull-down operation by transitions of the plurality of driver control signals, the logic circuit generates a pulse signal as a pull-down pulse signal having a certain high level; and wherein the at least one static driver circuit performs the pull-down operation by the pull-down pulse signal.
9. The transmitting device of claim 6, further comprising an encoder configured to generate the plurality of driver control signals for converting a bitstream to be transmitted to the output node into one of the plurality of multi-level signals.
10. The transmitting device of claim 6, wherein the logic circuit further comprises a plurality of pre-driver circuits configured to generate the drive signals based on the plurality of driver control signals.
11. The transmitting device of claim 10, wherein the logic circuit further comprises: a transition detector configured to detect a negative transition or a positive transition of each of the plurality of driver control signals; a low pulse generator configured to generate a first pulse signal having a certain low level from an edge of the negative transition of each of the plurality of driver control signals; and a high pulse generator configured to generate a second pulse signal having a certain high level from an edge of the positive transition of each of the plurality of driver control signals.
12. The transmitting device of claim 11, wherein each of the plurality of driver circuits comprises: a pull-up transistor connected to a power voltage and outputting the plurality of multi-level signals onto the output node by performing the pull-up operation; and a pull-down transistor connected to a ground voltage and outputting the plurality of multi-level signals onto the output node by performing the pull-down.
13. The transmitting device of claim 12, wherein each of the plurality of driver circuits further comprises: a first resistor connected between the pull-up transistor and the output node; and a second resistor connected between the pull-down transistor and the output node.
Claims 1-3, 6-13 are rejected on the ground of nonstatutory double patenting as being unpatentable over claims 11-20 of U.S. Patent No. 12,170,589. Although the claims at issue are not identical, they are not patentably distinct from each other because claims 1-3, 6-13 of the instant application merely broadens the scope of the claims 11-20 of U.S. Patent No. 12,170,589 by eliminating the elements and their functions of the claims 11-20 of U.S. Patent No. 12,170,589. It has been held that the omission an element and its function is an obvious expedient if the remaining elements perform the same function as before. In re Karlson, 136 USPQ 184 (CCPA). Also note Ex parte Rainu, 168 USPQ 375 (Bd.App.1969); omission of a reference element whose function is not needed would be obvious to one skilled in the art.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 4-5 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
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Jordanger et al (US 2006/0170451) disclose systems and methods for reducing electromagnetic emissions from a controller area network transceiver.
Kitamura (US 2025/0392292) discloses a data processing device and data processing method.
Hollis et al (US 2017/0212695) disclose apparatuses and methods for encoding and decoding of signal lines for multi-level communication architectures.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to KHAI TRAN whose telephone number is (571)272-3019. The examiner can normally be reached until 4:00PM.
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/KHAI TRAN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2632
KT
March 10, 2026