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 8 and 18 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 8 recites the limitation "the third inductor" and “the fourth inductor” in lines 3 and 4 respectively. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
Claim 18 recites the limitation "the third inductor" and “the fourth inductor” in lines 3 and 4 respectively. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
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)(1) the claimed invention was patented, described in a printed publication, or in public use, on sale, or otherwise available to the public before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claim(s) 1-2, 4-5, 7-8, 10-12, and 15-18 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Wang et al. (US 2019/0074862).
In regard to Claim 1:
Wang discloses, in Figure 4B, a radio frequency switch circuit, comprising:
a power amplifier (PA) output matching network (412, 414, 416, 420) and a low noise amplifier (LNA) input matching network (430, 442, 444, 450, 452, 454, 456), wherein an output end of the PA output matching network (412, 414, 416, 420) is configured to connect to an antenna (470), and an input end of the PA output matching network (412, 414, 416, 420) is configured to connect to a PA(410); and
the LNA input matching network (430, 442, 444, 450, 452, 454, 456) comprises: a first coupling device (452), a second coupling device (454, 456), and a switching device (450), wherein the first coupling device and the second coupling device are mutually coupled (452, 454, 456 are coupled together);
a first end of the first coupling device (452) is configured to connect to the antenna (470 via 420), a second end of the first coupling device (452) is connected to a first end of the switching device (450) and a first end of an LNA (460 via 450), a second end of the switching device (452) is connected to a first end of the second coupling device (456 via 454), a second end of the second coupling device (456) is grounded (GND), and a third end of the second coupling device is connected to a second end of the LNA (454 is connected to 460 output via 450 and 460); and
wherein during signal transmission, the switching device is turned on, so that the first coupling device and the second coupling device are connected in series (¶ 0053); and during signal reception, the switching device is turned off (¶ 0047-0048).
In regard to Claim 2:
Wang discloses, in Figure 4B, the radio frequency switch circuit according to claim 1, wherein the first coupling device comprises a first inductor (452), the second coupling device comprises a second inductor (456), and the first end of the first coupling device and the first end of the second coupling device are dotted terminals (452 and 456 have dotted terminals).
In regard to Claim 4:
Wang discloses, in Figure 4B, the radio frequency switch circuit according to claim 1, wherein the LNA input matching network (430, 442, 444, 450, 452, 454, 456) further comprises a direct-current blocking capacitor (454); and the second end of the first coupling device (452) is connected to the first end of the LNA (460) through the direct-current blocking capacitor (454).
In regard to Claim 5:
Wang discloses, in Figure 4B, the radio frequency switch circuit according to claim 1, wherein the LNA comprises a switching transistor(460), the second end of the first coupling device is connected to a first end of the switching transistor (460 source), the third end of the second coupling device is connected to a third end of the switching transistor (454 is connected to 460 via 450), and a second end of the switching transistor is used as a signal output end of the LNA (460 drain is the output of the LNA).
In regard to Claim 7:
Wang discloses, in Figure 4B, the radio frequency switch circuit according to claim 1, wherein the PA output matching network (412, 414, 416, 420) comprises a transformer (420) including a first winding (420 winding connected to 410) and a second winding (420 winding connected to 430); and two ends of the first winding are configured to connect to an output end of the PA (410 is connected to both ends of the first winding of 420), a first end of the second winding is configured to connect to the antenna (420 second winding connected to 470), and a second end of the second winding is grounded (420 second winding connected to ground via 430).
In regard to Claim 8:
Wang discloses, in Figure 4B, the radio frequency switch circuit according to claim 7, wherein the PA output matching network (412, 414, 416, 420) further comprises: a first matching capacitor (412) and a second matching capacitor (414); and the first matching capacitor (412) is connected in parallel to two ends of the third inductor (first winding of 420), and the second matching capacitor (414) is connected in parallel to two ends of the fourth inductor (second winding of 420).
In regard to Claim 10:
Wang discloses, in Figure 4B, an apparatus comprising a power amplifier (PA) (410) and a low noise amplifier (LNA) (460), a PA output matching network (412, 414, 416, 420) and an LNA input matching network (430, 442, 444, 450, 452, 454, 456), wherein an output end of the PA output matching network (412, 414, 416, 420) is configured to connect to an antenna (470), and an input end of the PA output matching network (412, 414, 416, 420) is configured to connect to the PA (410);
the LNA (460) is connected to the antenna (470) through the LNA input matching network (430, 442, 444, 450, 452, 454, 456);
the PA (410) is configured to send a wireless signal to the antenna (470) through the PA output matching network (412, 414, 416, 420);
the LNA (460) is configured to receive a wireless signal from the antenna (470) through the LNA input matching network (430, 442, 444, 450, 452, 454, 456); and
the LNA input matching network (430, 442, 444, 450, 452, 454, 456) comprises: a first coupling device (452), a second coupling device (454, 456), and a switching device (450), wherein the first coupling device and the second coupling device are mutually coupled (452, 454, 456 are coupled together);
a first end of the first coupling device (452) is configured to connect to the antenna (470 via 420), a second end of the first coupling device (452) is connected to a first end of the switching device (450) and a first end of an LNA (460 via 450), a second end of the switching device (452) is connected to a first end of the second coupling device (456 via 454), a second end of the second coupling device (456) is grounded (GND), and a third end of the second coupling device is connected to a second end of the LNA (454 is connected to 460 output via 450 and 460); and
wherein during signal transmission, the switching device is turned on, so that the first coupling device and the second coupling device are connected in series (¶ 0053); and during signal reception, the switching device is turned off (¶ 0047-0048).
In regard to Claim 11:
Wang discloses, in Figure 4B, the apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the apparatus is a chipset system, a wireless transceiver system (¶ 0001), or an electronic device with the antenna (470).
In regard to Claim 12:
Wang discloses, in Figure 4B, the apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the first coupling device comprises a first inductor (452), the second coupling device comprises a second inductor (456), and the first end of the first coupling device and the first end of the second coupling device are dotted terminals (452 and 456 have dotted terminals).
In regard to Claim 15:
Wang discloses, in Figure 4B, the apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the LNA input matching network (430, 442, 444, 450, 452, 454, 456) further comprises a direct-current blocking capacitor (454); and the second end of the first coupling device (452) is connected to the first end of the LNA (460) through the direct-current blocking capacitor (454).
In regard to Claim 16:
Wang discloses, in Figure 4B, the apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the LNA comprises a switching transistor(460), the second end of the first coupling device is connected to a first end of the switching transistor (460 source), the third end of the second coupling device is connected to a third end of the switching transistor (454 is connected to 460 via 450), and a second end of the switching transistor is used as a signal output end of the LNA (460 drain is the output of the LNA).
In regard to Claim 17:
Wang discloses, in Figure 4B, the apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the PA output matching network (412, 414, 416, 420) comprises a transformer (420) including a first winding (420 winding connected to 410) and a second winding (420 winding connected to 430); and two ends of the first winding are configured to connect to an output end of the PA (410 is connected to both ends of the first winding of 420), a first end of the second winding is configured to connect to the antenna (420 second winding connected to 470), and a second end of the second winding is grounded (420 second winding connected to ground via 430).
In regard to Claim 18:
Wang discloses, in Figure 4B, the radio frequency switch circuit according to claim 17, wherein the PA output matching network (412, 414, 416, 420) further comprises: a first matching capacitor (412) and a second matching capacitor (414); and the first matching capacitor (412) is connected in parallel to two ends of the third inductor (first winding of 420), and the second matching capacitor (414) is connected in parallel to two ends of the fourth inductor (second winding of 420).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 3, 6, 9, 13-14, and 19 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.
In regard to Claim 3 and 14:
None of the prior art or combination thereof teaches or fairly suggests the following features in combination with the other limitations of the claims:
wherein the first coupling device and the second coupling device are coupled transmission lines.
In regard to Claim 6 and 13:
None of the prior art or combination thereof teaches or fairly suggests the following features in combination with the other limitations of the claims:
wherein the first inductor and the second inductor at least partially overlap in space.
In regard to Claim 9 and 19:
None of the prior art or combination thereof teaches or fairly suggests the following features in combination with the other limitations of the claims:
further comprising a controller, wherein the controller is configured to: during signal transmission, send a drive signal to a control end of the switching device to control the switching device to be turned on, so that the first coupling device and the second coupling device are connected in series; and during signal reception, send a drive signal to the control end of the switching device to control the switching device to be turned off.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Reja et al. (US 2019/0190560) discloses a radio frequency input/output circuit with a composite inductor structure. The composite inductor structure has a plurality of inductors that are interwound. The composite inductor structure is implemented on a chip. The plurality of inductors are magnetically coupled. The plurality of inductors are interwound around a core. A second inductor is coupled in series with a first inductor and the first inductor is coupled in series with the third inductor. The first inductor and the third inductor are coupled at a centre tap, such that the first inductor and the third inductor form a centre-tapped coil. The centre tap is coupled to an input terminal.
Callender et al. (US 2021/0044318) discloses atransmit receive switch (TRSW) system. The system has a transmission line, a transformer based matching network, a shunt switch, an amplifier and circuitry. The transmission line is connected to an antenna port. The transformer based matching network is connected to the transmission line and has a first coil and a second coil, wherein the second coil is connected to the transmission line. The amplifier can be configured as a shunt switch when inactive. The shunt switch, including the amplifier configured as the shunt switch, can be connected to the first coil of the transformer based matching network. The circuitry is configured to cause the shunt switch to be ON during an inactive mode and create a short across the first coil. Combined, the length of transmission line needed to complete the impedance transformation is reduced, thereby lowering the overall insertion loss of the transmit/receive switch.
Ehyaie et al. (US 9,026,060) discloses a bidirectional matching network. In an exemplary embodiment, an apparatus includes a first matching circuit connected in a first signal path between a node and a first amplifier, the first matching circuit configured to translate an off-state impedance of the first amplifier to a first translated off-state impedance. The apparatus also includes a second matching circuit connected in a second signal path between the node and a second amplifier. The second matching circuit configured to translate an off-state impedance of the second amplifier to a second translated off-state impedance. The second translated off-state impedance is configured to reduce power loss associated with a first signal flowing in the first signal path and the first translated off-state impedance is configured to reduce power loss associated with a second signal flowing in the second signal path.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to John W Poos whose telephone number is (571)270-5077. The examiner can normally be reached M-Th 8-5.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Jessica Han can be reached at 571-272-2078. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/JOHN W POOS/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2843
