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 .
Priority
Acknowledgment is made of applicant’s claim for foreign priority under 35 U.S.C. 119 (a)-(d).
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement submitted on 02/12/2025 has been considered and made of record 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).
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Claims 1-4 and 13-17 are provisionally rejected on the ground of nonstatutory double patenting as being unpatentable over claims 1-4, 12-15, and 18 of copending Application No. 18/960,509 in view of Franca-Neto (US 2005/0223306). Claims 1-4, 12-15, and 18 of copending Application No. 18/960,509 disclose all the subject matters claimed in claims 1-4 and 13-17 of the instant application except that the baseband IQ signal is a multi-tone signal. Franca-Neto, in the same field of endeavor, discloses a communication system for generating baseband I/Q signals, where the I/Q signal is a multi-tone signal (see paragraphs 0027 and 0033-0034). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention was made to modify the teachings of claims 1-4, 12-15, and 18 of copending Application No. 18/960,509, as suggested by Franca-Neto, in order to increase the data throughput and bandwidth efficiency in the system.
This is a provisional nonstatutory double patenting rejection.
Instant Application
18/960,509
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; 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.
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.
3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the level function is an envelope of the modulated IQ signal.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
3. The method of claim 1, wherein the level curve is an envelope of the modulated IQ signal.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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 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.
Claims 1-4, 12, 13, and 17 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Matsuura (US 2014/0155006), in view of Franca-Neto.
As to claims 1 and 17, Matsuura discloses a method/apparatus for suppressing unwanted signal portions in an IQ signal generated by an IQ signal generator system (see Fig. 15 and paragraphs 0148-0152), the IQ signal generator system comprising a baseband circuit (see Fig. 15, the combination of blocks 1101, 1102, 1103, and 1104 and paragraphs 0151-0152), an IQ modulator circuit (see Fig. 15, block 1105), an analysis circuit (see Fig. 15, blocks 1106 and 1107), and a control circuit (see Fig. 15, the combination of blocks 1107 and 1108), 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 (see Fig. 15, the combination of blocks 1101, 1102, 1103, and 1104 and paragraphs 0151-0152 and 0164); modulating, by the IQ modulator circuit, the baseband IQ signal, thereby obtaining a modulated IQ signal (see Fig. 15, block 1105 and paragraph 0153); determining, by the analysis circuit, a level function describing a signal level of the modulated IQ signal (see Fig. 15, block 1106 and paragraph 0154) over time (envelope detection is inherently done over time, because envelope represents the slow variation of a signal’s amplitude, which means it cannot be determined from a single instant. It requires observing how the signal behaves across a time window); 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 (see Fig. 15, block 1107 and paragraph 0155, the “IQ imbalance” is the error quantity); and controlling, by the control circuit, the baseband circuit in dependence of the at least one error quantity determined, thereby correcting the at least one error in the IQ signal generator system (see Fig. 15, the combination of blocks 1107 and 1108 and paragraphs 0152-0154). Matsuura discloses all the subject matters claimed in claims 1 and 17, except that the baseband IQ signal is a multi-tone signal. Franca-Neto, in the same field of endeavor, discloses a communication system for generating baseband I/Q signals, where the I/Q signal is a multi-tone signal (see paragraphs 0027 and 0033-0034). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention was made to modify the teachings of Matsuura, as suggested by Franca-Neto, in order to increase the data throughput and bandwidth efficiency in the system.
As to claim 2, Matsuura discloses that the at least one error quantity is indicative of an IQ gain imbalance, and/or of an IQ quadrature error (see paragraphs 0141, 0144, and 0152).
As to claim 3, Matsuura discloses that the level function is an envelope of the modulated IQ signal (see Fig. 15, block 1106A and paragraph 0154).
As to claim 4, Matsuura discloses that the analysis circuit comprises an envelope detector, and wherein the level function is determined by the envelope detector (see Fig. 15, block 1106A and paragraphs 0154-0155).
As to claim 12, Franca-Neto further discloses that the individual tones of the baseband IQ signal are generated by different signal generator units (see paragraph 0015).
As to claim 13, Matsuura discloses that 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. 16 and paragraph 0212).
Claims 14 and 15 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Matsuura and Franca-Neto, further in view of Al-QAQ et al. (hereinafter, referred to as Al-QAQ) (WO 2021/091619).
As to claim 14, Matsuura and Franca-Neto disclose all the subject matters claimed in claim 14, except that 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. Al-QAQ, in the same field of endeavor, discloses a system for performing corrections on the baseband I/Q signal (see the abstract). Al-QAQ further discloses that 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 (see Fig. 3, block 243, the abstract, and paragraphs 0014, 0024, 0032, 0056, and 0078). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention was made to modify the teachings of Matsuura and Franca-Neto, as suggested by Al-QAQ, in order to correct the I/Q imbalance more effectively.
As to claim 15, Matsuura and Franca-Neto disclose all the subject matters claimed in claim 15, except that 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. Al-QAQ, in the same field of endeavor, discloses a system for performing corrections on the baseband I/Q signal (see the abstract). Al-QAQ further discloses 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 (see Fig. 3, block 243, the abstract, and paragraphs 0014, 0024, 0032, 0056, and 0078). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention was made to modify the teachings of Matsuura and Franca-Neto, as suggested by Al-QAQ, in order to correct the I/Q imbalance more effectively.
Claim 16 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Matsuura and Franca-Neto, further in view of Kim et al. (hereinafter, referred to as Kim) (KR 20100029667).
As to claim 16, Matsuura and Franca-Neto disclose all the subject matters claimed in claim 16, except that 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. Kim, in the same field of endeavor, discloses a system for generating I and Q signals (see the abstract). Kim further discloses that a broadband tuner is provided to control a local oscillator according to a phase difference of signals of an outputted I channel and a Q channel, thereby generating signals of I channel and Q channel with exact 90 degrees phase difference (see the abstract and paragraphs 0013 and 0033). Therefore, Kim discloses 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. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention was made to modify the teachings of Matsuura and Franca-Neto, as suggested by Kim, in order to increase the performance and reliability of the communication system.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 5-11 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
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LEILA . MALEK
Examiner
Art Unit 2632
/LEILA MALEK/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2632