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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 .
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The information disclosure statement filed on 01/29/2025 has been considered and placed of record in the file.
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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).
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Claims 1-4, 12-15 and 18 provisionally rejected on the ground of nonstatutory double patenting as being unpatentable over claims 1-4, 6, and 13-17 of copending Application No. 18/978,386 (reference application). Although the claims at issue are not identical, they are not patentably distinct from each other because
Application #18/960,509
Co-pending Application #18/978,386
Claim 1: A method of correcting errors in an IQ signal generator system, the IQ signal generator system comprising a baseband circuit, an IQ modulator circuit, an analysis circuit, and a control circuit, wherein the method comprises:
generating, by the baseband circuit, a baseband IQ signal having a baseband I signal part and a baseband Q signal part;
modulating, by the IQ modulator circuit, the baseband IQ signal, thereby obtaining a modulated IQ signal;
determining, by the analysis circuit, a level curve of the modulated IQ signal, wherein the level curve is associated with a signal level of the modulated IQ signal over time;
determining, by the analysis circuit, at least one error quantity based on the level curve, wherein the at least one error quantity is indicative of at least one error in the IQ signal generator system, wherein the level curve multiplied with a spectral factor is integrated in order to determine the at least one error quantity;
and
controlling, by the control circuit, the baseband circuit and/or the IQ modulator circuit in dependence of the at least one error quantity determined, thereby correcting the at least one error in the IQ signal generator system
Claim 1: A method of suppressing unwanted signal portions in an IQ signal generated by an IQ signal generator system, the IQ signal generator system comprising a baseband circuit, an IQ modulator circuit, an analysis circuit, and a control circuit, wherein the method comprises:
generating, by the baseband circuit, a baseband IQ signal having a baseband I signal part and a baseband Q signal part, wherein the baseband IQ signal is a multi-tone signal;
modulating, by the IQ modulator circuit, the baseband IQ signal, thereby obtaining a modulated IQ signal;
determining, by the analysis circuit, a level function describing a signal level of the modulated IQ signal over time and/or over a phase of the multi-tone signal;
determining, by the analysis circuit, at least one error quantity based on the level function, wherein the at least one error quantity is indicative of at least one error in the IQ signal generator system;
Claim 6: wherein the level function multiplied with a spectral factor is integrated over time in order to determine the at least one error quantity.
Claim 1: and
controlling, by the control circuit, the baseband circuit and/or the IQ modulator circuit in dependence of the at least one error quantity determined, thereby correcting the at least one error in the IQ signal generator system.
Claim 2: The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one error quantity is indicative of an I-offset, a Q-offset, an IQ gain imbalance, and/or an IQ quadrature error.
Claim 2: The method according to claim 1, wherein the at least one error quantity is indicative of an IQ gain imbalance, and/or of an IQ quadrature error.
Claim 3: The method of claim 1, wherein the level curve is an envelope of the modulated IQ signal.
Claim 3: The method according to claim 1, wherein the level function is an envelope of the modulated IQ signal.
Claim 4: The method according to claim 3, wherein the analysis circuit comprises an envelope detector, and wherein the level curve is determined by the envelope detector.
Claim 4: The method according to claim 1, wherein the analysis circuit comprises an envelope detector, and wherein the level function is determined by the envelope detector.
Claim 12: The method according to claim 1, wherein a gain applied to the baseband I signal part and/or a gain applied to the baseband Q signal part are/is adjusted in order to correct the at least one error.
Claim 13: The method according to claim 1, wherein a gain applied to the baseband I signal part and/or a gain applied to the baseband Q signal part are/is adjusted in order to correct the at least one error.
Claim 13: The method according to claim 1, wherein an adapted baseband I signal part is determined, wherein the adapted baseband I signal part is a linear combination of the baseband I signal part and the baseband Q signal part.
Claim 14: The method according to claim 1, wherein an adapted baseband I signal part is determined, wherein the adapted baseband I signal part is a linear combination of the baseband I signal part and the baseband Q signal part.
Claim 14: The method of claim 1, wherein an adapted baseband Q signal part is determined, wherein the adapted baseband Q signal part is a linear combination of the baseband I signal part and the baseband Q signal part.
Claim 15: The method of claim 1, wherein an adapted baseband Q signal part is determined, wherein the adapted baseband Q signal part is a linear combination of the baseband I signal part and the baseband Q signal part.
Claim 15: The method according to claim 1, wherein a phase difference between a local oscillator signal being applied to the I signal part and the local oscillator signal being applied to the Q signal part is adapted in order to correct the at least one error.
Claim 16: The method according to claim 1, wherein a phase difference between a local oscillator signal being applied to the I signal part and the local oscillator signal being applied to the Q signal part is adapted in order to correct the at least one error.
Claim 18: An IQ signal generator system, comprising: a baseband circuit, an IQ modulator circuit, an analysis circuit, and a control circuit, wherein the IQ signal generator system is configured to perform the method according to claim 1.
Claim 17: An IQ signal generator system, comprising: a baseband circuit, an IQ modulator circuit, an analysis circuit, and a control circuit, wherein the IQ signal generator system is configured to perform the method according to claim 1.
This is a provisional nonstatutory double patenting rejection because the patentably indistinct claims have not in fact been patented.
Claims 5 and 11-12 are provisionally rejected on the ground of nonstatutory double patenting as being unpatentable over claims 1-4, 6, and 13-17 of copending Application No. 18/978,386 in view of Zhang et al. US 2025/0385742.
Consider claim 5, copending Application No. 18/978,386 discloses every claimed limitation in claim 1.
However copending Application No. 18/978,386 does not explicitly disclose wherein the baseband IQ signal is a single-tone signal. Zhang teaches wherein the baseband IQ signal is a single-tone signal (see ¶ [0163]). Zhang further discloses improving phase modulation resolution and phase modulation accuracy (see ¶ [0004]). Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention was made to modify the invention of copending Application No. 18/978,386, and to include wherein the baseband IQ signal is a single-tone signal, as taught by Zhang for the purpose of improving phase modulation resolution and phase modulation accuracy.
Consider claim 11, Zhang discloses wherein an offset is added to the baseband I signal part and/or to the baseband Q signal part in order to correct the at least one error (see FIG. 4B and ¶ [0197-0199], wherein the pre-compensation coefficient i.e. offset, is added to the baseband signal to correct at least one error).
Consider claim 12, Zhang discloses wherein a gain applied to the baseband I signal part and/or a gain applied to the baseband Q signal part are/is adjusted in order to correct the at least one error (see FIG. 4B and ¶ [0197-0199], wherein the pre-compensation coefficient i.e. gain, is multiplied to the baseband signal in order to correct the error).
This is a provisional nonstatutory double patenting rejection.
Claim 16 is provisionally rejected on the ground of nonstatutory double patenting as being unpatentable over claims 1-4, 6, and 13-17 of copending Application No. 18/978,386 in view of Chakraborty et al. US 2024/0413801.
Consider claim 16, copending Application No. 18/978,386 discloses every claimed limitation in claim 1.
However copending Application No. 18/978,386 does not explicitly disclose wherein the control circuit automatically adapts operational parameters of the IQ signal generator system in order to correct the at least one error. Chakraborty teaches wherein the control circuit automatically adapts operational parameters of the IQ signal generator system in order to correct the at least one error (see FIG. 1 and ¶ [0105]). Chakraborty further discloses reducing supply voltage for low power consumption (see ¶ [0004]). Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention was made to modify the invention of copending Application No. 18/978,386, and to include wherein the control circuit automatically adapts operational parameters of the IQ signal generator system in order to correct the at least one error, as taught by Chakraborty for the purpose of reducing supply voltage for low power consumption.
This is a provisional nonstatutory double patenting rejection.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 6-10 and 17 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. Kushnir US 10,693,687; Sakamoto US 2013/0163656; Lin et al. US 2013/0128931; Otaka et al. US 2011/0116558; Matsuno et al. US 2010/0239056; Yanagisawa et al. US 2010/0195706; and Yanagisawa et al. US 2010/0198540.
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/JANICE N TIEU/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2633
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