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
Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55.
Drawings
The drawings are objected to because the reference number “106” shown in FIG. 3 should be changed to “108” as described on page 10, line 3 of the specification. Corrected drawing sheets in compliance with 37 CFR 1.121(d) are required in reply to the Office action to avoid abandonment of the application. Any amended replacement drawing sheet should include all of the figures appearing on the immediate prior version of the sheet, even if only one figure is being amended. The figure or figure number of an amended drawing should not be labeled as “amended.” If a drawing figure is to be canceled, the appropriate figure must be removed from the replacement sheet, and where necessary, the remaining figures must be renumbered and appropriate changes made to the brief description of the several views of the drawings for consistency. Additional replacement sheets may be necessary to show the renumbering of the remaining figures. Each drawing sheet submitted after the filing date of an application must be labeled in the top margin as either “Replacement Sheet” or “New Sheet” pursuant to 37 CFR 1.121(d). If the changes are not accepted by the examiner, the applicant will be notified and informed of any required corrective action in the next Office action. The objection to the drawings will not be held in abeyance.
Specification
The disclosure is objected to because of the following informalities:
The block elements coupled between the mixers (102-1b and 102-2b) and the amplifier (106) and the mixers (104-1b and 104-2b) and the amplifier (108) in both Figures 1 and 4 are not described in the detailed description of the specification.
Appropriate correction is required.
Claim Objections
Claims 10 and 12-18 are objected to because of the following informalities:
10. (Proposed Amendment) The QAM transmitter of claim 6, wherein the power combining unit comprises: a first antenna connected to an output end of the first amplifier and transmitting the first QPSK signal of the first saturation power; and a second antenna connected to an output end of the second amplifier and transmitting the second QPSK signal of the second saturation power, and the power combining unit synthesizes a 16-QAM signal by combining the transmitted first QPSK signal and a second QPSK signal in space.
12. (Proposed Amendment) A quadrature amplitude modulation (QAM) transmitter comprising:
a first quadrature phase shift keying (QPSK) generator configured to generate a first QPSK signal having a preset reference magnitude;
a second QPSK generator configured to generate a second QPSK signal having the preset reference magnitude;
a first amplifier configured to receive the first QPSK signal, amplify power thereof, and output the power amplified signal, but operate in a saturation region;
a second amplifier configured to receive the second QPSK signal, amplify power thereof, and output the power amplified signal, but operate in a saturation region; and
a power combining unit configured to synthesize a QAM signal by combining the first QPSK signal output from the first amplifier and the second QPSK signal output from the second amplifier at a terminating end.
15. (Proposed Amendment) The QAM transmitter of claim 13, wherein the power combining unit comprises:
a first antenna connected to an output end of the first amplifier and transmitting the first QPSK signal having the first saturation power; and
a second antenna connected to the output end of the second amplifier and transmitting the second QPSK signal of the second saturation power, and the power combining unit synthesizes a 16-QAM signal by combining the transmitted first QPSK signal and a second QPSK signal in space.
17. (Proposed Amendment) A high-order quadrature amplitude modulation (QAM) transmitter comprising:
M quadrature phase shift keying (QPSK) generators each of which is configured to generate an independent QPSK signal, wherein M is a natural number greater than or equal to 2;
M amplifiers each of which is configured to receive an independent QPSK signal, amplify the power thereof, and output a preset saturation power; and
a power combining unit configured to synthesize a QAM signal by combining M QPSK signals that respectively from the M amplifiers at a terminating end, wherein each of the M amplifiers is set to output a saturation power of 4k (k = 0, 1, …, M-1).
Claims 13, 14, and 16 depend either directly or indirectly from claim 12, therefore they are also objected.
Claim 18 depends from claim 17, therefore it is also objected.
Appropriate correction is required.
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 6-10 and 12-16 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 6 depends from claims 1-4 and claims 8-10 depend from claim 6, however, some of the common or same phases recited in claim 6 and claims 8-10 are already recited in claim 1 and/or claim 6. For example, the phrases “a first QPSK signal” and “a second QPSK signal” recited in lines 2 and 3 of claim 6, the phrases “a first QPSK signal” and “a second QPSK signal” recited in lines 2 and 3 of claim 9, and the phrase “a second QPSK signal” recited in line 7 of claim 10 is already recited in lines 2-3 and 4 of claim 1. Further, the phrase “first saturation power” recited in lines 5-6 of claim 8 is already recited in lines 3-4 of claim 6. Clarification is required to clarify the differences.
Claim 13 depends from claim 12 and claim 15 depends from claim 13, however, some of the common or same phases recited in claims 12 and 15 are already recited in claim 12. For example, the phrases “a first QPSK signal” and “a second QPSK signal” recited in lines 2 and 3 of claim 13, and the phrase “a second QPSK signal” recited in line 7 of claim 15 are already recited in lines 2-3 and 4 of claim 12.
Claim 8 (lines 2, 3-4, 5, and 7), claim 10 (lines 2-3, 5, and 6-7), claim 12 (lines 7 and 9), claim 14 (lines 1 and 2), and claim 15 (lines 2-3, 5, and 6-7), the phrases “the first QPSK signal”, “the second QPSK signal”, “the first saturation power”, “the transmitted first QPSK signal”, and “the power amplifier signal” all lack antecedent basis.
Claim 7 depends from claim 6, therefore it is also rejected.
Claim 16 depends from claim 12, therefore it is also rejected.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
In the event the determination of the status of the application as subject to AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103 (or as subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103) is incorrect, any correction of the statutory basis (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) for the rejection will not be considered a new ground of rejection if the prior art relied upon, and the rationale supporting the rejection, would be the same under either status.
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.
(a)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claims 1-5, 12, and 17 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Dent (US 5,815,531), hereinafter “Dent”.
Regarding claim 1, Dent illustrates a quadrature amplitude modulation (QAM) transmitter (200 in FIG. 2) comprising: a first quadrature phase shift keying (QPSK) generator (QPSK modulator 201) configured to generate a first QPSK signal; a second QPSK generator (QPSK modulator 205) configured to generate a second QPSK signal; a first amplifier (PA 203) configured to receive the first QPSK signal, amplify power thereof, and output the power amplified first QPSK signal; a second amplifier (PA 207) configured to receive the second QPSK signal, amplify power thereof, and outputs the power amplified second QPSK signal; and a power combining unit (directional coupler 209) configured to synthesize a QAM signal by combining the first QPSK signal output from the first amplifier and the second QPSK signal output from the second amplifier at a terminating end. The detail discussion of FIG. 2 is described from col. 2, line 60 to col. 4, line 67.
Regarding independent claim 12, similar to claim 1, the claim features recited in claim 12 are similar to the claim features recited in claim 1, and Dent further teaches that the PA (203) and PA (207) operate in a saturation region (col. 3, lines 1-14). It is considered inherent and well-known in the art of RF and microwave engineering that when a Power Amplifier (PA) is described as operating at or having an “output saturation” point, it implies the device is operating in a saturation region. In this state, the output power no longer increases proportionally with input power, the gain is compressed, and the transistor is driven into a highly non-linear, clipped, or maxed-out state. Therefore, each of the first amplifier and the second amplifier is configured to operate in a saturation region.
Regarding independent claim 17, similar to claim 1, the claim features recited in claim 17 are similar to the claim features recited in claim 1. For example, as shown in FIG. 2, the quadrature amplitude modulation (QAM) transmitter comprising: M quadrature phase shift keying (QPSK) generators (QPSK modulator 201 and QPSK modulator 205) each of which is configured to generate an independent QPSK signal; M amplifiers (PA 203 and PA 207) each of which is configured to receive an independent QPSK signal, amplify the power thereof, and output a preset saturation power (output saturation, col. 3, lines 10-14); and a power combining unit (directional coupler 209) configured to synthesize a quadrature amplitude modulation (QAM) signal by combining M QPSK signals that respectively from the M amplifiers at a terminating end, wherein each of the M amplifiers is set to output a saturation power of 4k (k = 0, 1, …, M-1), as described in at least column 3, lines 10-14.
Regarding claim 2, although Dent does not show the detailed structure of the QPSK modulator 201 and the QPSK modulator 205, Dent teaches that “the first/second Quadrature Phase Shift Keying (QPSK) modulator 201/205 receives two information bits, and modulates these onto a carrier wave in accordance with well-known techniques. That is, the QPSK constellation encodes two bits into one of the four vector values by changing a real part (I or cosine component) between the values +1 and -1 according to a first information bit and an imaginary part (Q or sine component) between the values +j and -j according to a second information bit (col. 2, line 60 to col. 3, line 7).” It is inherently that the first and second QPSK modulators in the 16-QAM transmitter architecture consist of separate real (in-phase) and imaginary (quadrature) component generators. This structure is a known technique for creating 16-QAM by summing two 4-level QPSK signals (often referred to as 16-QASK or combined QPSK), where each QPSK generator acts as an IQ modulator.
Therefore, the structure of the first and second QPSK modulators implies the presence of dedicated real and imaginary component generators for the first QPSK modulator (201) comprises: a first real component generator configured to generate a real component of the first QPSK signal; and a first imaginary component generator configured to generate an imaginary component of the first QPSK signal, and the second QPSK modulator (207) comprises: a second real component generator configured to generate a real component of the second QPSK signal; and a second imaginary component generator configured to generate an imaginary component of the second QPSK signal.
Regarding claim 3, as shown in FIG. 2, the first QPSK modulator (201) and the second QPSK modulator (205) are operated in parallel with each other, therefore the first QPSK signal and the second QPSK signal are independent signals and are generated to respectively have a preset reference magnitude. It is also inherent and well-known in the art that QPSK modulators, particularly those implemented as In-phase/Quadrature (IQ) modulators, operate using a preset reference amplitude (or constant envelope/amplitude) for their constellation points.
Regarding claim 4, as described in col. 3, lines 10-14 (the constant envelope power amplifier 203, as well as others employed when practicing the invention, may alternatively be a power amplifier operated at output saturation, a class-C amplifier, or a class-B amplifier). It is considered inherent and well-known in the art of RF and microwave engineering that when a Power Amplifier (PA) is described as operating at or having an "output saturation" point, it implies the device is operating in a saturation region. In this state, the output power no longer increases proportionally with input power, the gain is compressed, and the transistor is driven into a highly non-linear, clipped, or maxed-out state. Therefore, each of the first amplifier and the second amplifier is configured to operate in a saturation region.
Regarding claim 5, although Dent does not explicitly show or teach that each of the first QPSK signal and the second QPSK signal is generated to have a reference magnitude in which each of coefficients of the real component and the imaginary component is 1, as shown in FIG. 2, It is inherent and well-known in the art of digital communications that a Quadrature Phase Shift Keying (QPSK) modulator produces a signal, commonly represented in complex form as
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I + jQ, where the in-phase (I) and quadrature (Q) components are mapped to specific constellation points, often normalized to a unit amplitude (1, 1) for reference. Therefore, generating QPSK signals (using one or more modulators) with defined, normalized amplitudes where the in-phase and quadrature coefficients are uniformly set (e.g., I, Q Ɛ {1, -1}) is standard, well-known practice in digital signal processing and RF systems.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
In the event the determination of the status of the application as subject to AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103 (or as subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103) is incorrect, any correction of the statutory basis (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) for the rejection will not be considered a new ground of rejection if the prior art relied upon, and the rationale supporting the rejection, would be the same under either status.
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.
The factual inquiries for establishing a background for determining obviousness under 35 U.S.C. 103 are summarized as follows:
1. Determining the scope and contents of the prior art.
2. Ascertaining the differences between the prior art and the claims at issue.
3. Resolving the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art.
4. Considering objective evidence present in the application indicating obviousness or nonobviousness.
Claims 6, 7, 9, 11, 13, 14, 16, and 18 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Dent.
Regarding claim 6, as applied to claims 1-4 described above, including claim 13 applied to claim 12, although Dent teaches in col. 3, lines 10-14, and at least col. 3, line 36 to co. 4, line 17 that the PA (203) generates a higher power signal from the QPSK modulator (201) while the PA (207) generates a lower power signal from the QPSK modulator (205) which apply to the first amplifier is configured to output a first QPSK signal having a first saturation power, the second amplifier is configured to output a second QPSK signal having a second saturation power, but Dent fails to explicitly show or teach that the magnitude of the second saturation power is four times the magnitude of the first saturation power.
However, based on standard, well-established principles in RF and optical engineering, it is considered obvious (or a straightforward, standard design choice) that a system using two separate QPSK modulators followed by two power amplifiers (PAs) would be configured with a power ratio of 4:1 (6 dB difference) in their saturation powers to generate higher-order modulation, specifically 64-QAM, with the same error vector magnitude (EVM).
Therefore, it would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a person having ordinary skill in the art as shown in FIG. 2 and taught by Dent to modify the design of the second PA to have four times the saturation power of the first in this setup in order to direct implementation of a 4-to-1 power ratio for creating multi-level modulation signals, and essentially allowing for the construction of a hierarchical or combined signal where the second PA contributes 6 dB (4x) more power than the first, creating specific constellation points for high-order modulation.
Regarding claim 7, as applied to claim 6, it is well-known in the art of power amplifier (PA) design that a PA module or stage can consist of a single amplification unit or a chain of amplifier stages, such as, the first amplifier includes one power amplification unit, and the power amplification unit has a gain preset so that the first amplifier outputs the first saturation power.
Regarding claim 9, as applied to claim 6, including claim 14 applied to claim 13 ,based on standard communication theory and electrical engineering principles, the concept of constructing a 16-QAM signal by combining two quadrature phase-shift keying (QPSK) signals of the 16-QAM transmitter with a 4:1 power ratio (or 2:1 amplitude ratio) is a well-known method in the art because a 16-QAM constellation can be viewed as the superposition of two QPSK constellations, one of which is scaled in amplitude relative to the other to form the characteristic 16-QAM grid.
Regarding claim 11, as applied to claim 1, claim 16, as applied to claim 12, and claim 18, as applied to claim 17, although Dent does nor explicitly show or teach that a wireless communication device comprising the QAM transmitter as shown in FIG. 2, it is well known in the art that a modern wireless communication device comprises a Quadrature Amplitude Modulation (QAM) transmitter. QAM is a cornerstone, foundational technology in modern radio, cellular (4G/5G), and Wi-Fi (802.11) systems. It is used extensively to achieve high spectral efficiency by modulating both the amplitude and phase of a carrier wave, allowing more data to be transmitted within a given bandwidth because QAM is considered a foundational, standard-driven, and widely deployed technology in wireless communications for over 30 years, it is universally recognized as “well-known in the art”.
Claims 10 and 15 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Dent in view of CHO et al. (US 2021/0014796 A1), hereinafter “Cho”.
Regarding claim 10, as applied to claim 6, and claim 15, as applied to claim 13 described above, Dent fails to show or teach the directional coupler (combiner 209) comprises: a first antenna connected to an output end of the first amplifier (203) and transmitting the first QPSK signal having the first saturation power; and a second antenna connected to the output end of the second amplifier (207) and transmitting the second QPSK signal of the second saturation power, and the power combining unit synthesizes a 16-QAM signal by combining the transmitted first QPSK signal and second QPSK signal in space.
Cho illustrates alternative electronic devices in Figures 5, 7, 8, 12A, 13, and 16-18, for example, the electronic device (500) shown in Figure 5 includes similar circuitries of Dent’s QAM transmitter, as shown in Figure 5, the electronic device further includes a first antenna (570a) coupled to an output of a first power amplifier (PA1 540a) through a first coupler (560a), and a second antenna (570b) coupled to an output of a second power amplifier (PA2 540b) through a second coupler (560b) .
Therefore, it would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a person having ordinary skill in the art as taught by Cho to modify Dent’s directional coupler (209) to include separate first and second antennas with spatial power combining (transmitting two separate QPSK signals from two antennas to combine in the air) in order to perform efficiency, power handling, and design flexibility at high frequencies.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claim 8 would be allowable if rewritten to overcome the rejection(s) under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), 2nd paragraph, set forth in this Office action and to include 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.
The references cited in the PTO-892 are related to QAM transmitters each including quadrature transmission circuits, amplifier circuits, and a combining circuit.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Young T. Tse whose telephone number is (571)272-3051. The examiner can normally be reached Mon-Fri 10:30am-7pm.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Chieh M Fan can be reached at 571-272-3042. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/Young T. Tse/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2632