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 Objections
Claims 2, 13, and 15 are objected to because of the following informalities:
In claims 2 and 13, the last line, “analog combination circuits” should read “the plurality of analog combination circuits”.
In claim 15, the last line, “circuits;” should read “circuits.”.
Appropriate correction is required.
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 USPTO Internet website contains terminal disclaimer forms which may be used. Please visit www.uspto.gov/patent/patents-forms. The filing date of the application in which the form is filed determines what form (e.g., PTO/SB/25, PTO/SB/26, PTO/AIA /25, or PTO/AIA /26) should be used. A web-based eTerminal Disclaimer may be filled out completely online using web-screens. An eTerminal Disclaimer that meets all requirements is auto-processed and approved immediately upon submission. For more information about eTerminal Disclaimers, refer to www.uspto.gov/patents/process/file/efs/guidance/eTD-info-I.jsp.
Claims 2- 19 are rejected on the ground of nonstatutory double patenting as being unpatentable over claims 1-9 and 11-14 of U.S. Patent No. 12207972.
Although the claims at issue are not identical, they are not patentably distinct from each other because Claim 2 of the instant application corresponds to the parent claim 1 while Claim 13 of the instant application corresponds to the parent claim 9.
19010512
2. (New) An ultrasound device, comprising: an ultrasonic transducer array including a plurality of ultrasonic transducers; a plurality of analog receive circuits each configured to receive and /or process an analog ultrasound signal from one or more corresponding ultrasonic transducers of the plurality of ultrasonic transducers;
U.S. Patent No. 12207972
1. An ultrasound device, comprising:
an ultrasonic transducer array comprising a plurality of ultrasonic transducers;
a plurality of analog receive circuits each configured to receive and/or process an analog ultrasound signal from one or more corresponding ultrasonic transducers of the plurality of ultrasonic transducers;
19010512
a plurality of analog combination circuits each configured to output a single analog output by combining multiple analog inputs;
a plurality of analog combination circuits each configured to output a single analog output by combining multiple analog inputs;
19010512
and switching circuitry comprising a plurality of switches each switchably coupling an output of a particular analog receive circuit of the plurality of analog receive circuits to an input of a particular analog combination circuit of the plurality of analog combination circuits;
switching circuitry comprising a plurality of switches each switchably coupling an output of a particular analog receive circuit of the plurality of analog receive circuits to an input of a particular analog combination circuit of the plurality of analog combination circuits;
19010512
wherein an output of a first analog receive circuit of the plurality of analog receive circuits is switchably coupled to inputs of a portion of analog combination circuits.
wherein an output of a first analog receive circuit of the plurality of analog receive circuits is switchably coupled to inputs of multiple but not all analog combination circuits of the plurality of analog combination circuits.
19010512
#13. (New) A method of controlling an ultrasound device including an ultrasonic transducer array having a plurality of ultrasonic transducers, a plurality of analog receive circuits each configured to receive and /or process an analog ultrasound signal from one or more corresponding ultrasonic transducers of the plurality of ultrasonic transducers, a plurality of analog combination circuits each configured to output a single analog output by combining multiple analog inputs,
U.S. Patent No. 12207972
9. A method of controlling an ultrasound device comprising an ultrasonic transducer array comprising a plurality of ultrasonic transducers, a plurality of analog receive circuits each configured to receive and/or process an analog ultrasound signal from one or more corresponding ultrasonic transducers of the plurality of ultrasonic transducers, a plurality of analog combination circuits each configured to output a single analog output by combining multiple analog inputs,
19010512
and switching circuitry comprising a plurality of switches each switchably coupling an output of a particular analog receive circuit of the plurality of analog receive circuits to an input of a particular analog combination circuit of the plurality of analog combination circuits, the method comprising:
and switching circuitry comprising a plurality of switches each switchably coupling an output of a particular analog receive circuit of the plurality of analog receive circuits to an input of a particular analog combination circuit of the plurality of analog combination circuits, the method comprising:
19010512
receiving, with control circuitry, a first indication to configure the ultrasound device in a first configuration;
receiving, with control circuitry, a first indication to configure the ultrasound device in a first configuration that includes processing data from k1% of an elevational aperture of the ultrasonic transducer array by coupling n1 output terminals from analog receive circuits of the plurality of analog receive circuits to each of multiple analog combination circuits of the plurality of analog combination circuits;
19010512
configuring, with the control circuitry, the ultrasound device in the first configuration, comprising controlling the switching circuitry to cause particular outputs of the plurality of analog receive circuits to be coupled as inputs to particular analog combination circuits of the plurality of analog combination circuits;
configuring, with the control circuitry, the ultrasound device in the first configuration, comprising controlling the switching circuitry to cause particular outputs of the plurality of analog receive circuits to be coupled as inputs to particular analog combination circuits of the plurality of analog combination circuits;
19010512
receiving, with the control circuitry, a second indication to configure the ultrasound device in a second configuration;
receiving, with the control circuitry, a second indication to configure the ultrasound device in a second configuration that includes processing data from k2% of the elevational aperture of the ultrasonic transducer array by coupling n2 output terminals from analog receive circuits of the plurality of analog receive circuits to each of multiple analog combination circuits of the plurality of analog combination circuits, wherein:
19010512
configuring, with the control circuitry, the ultrasound device in the second configuration, comprising controlling the switching circuitry to cause particular outputs of the plurality of analog receive circuits to be coupled as inputs to particular analog combination circuits of the plurality of analog combination circuits, wherein an output of a first analog receive circuit of the plurality of analog receive circuits is switchably coupled to inputs of a portion of analog combination circuits.
configuring, with the control circuitry, the ultrasound device in the second configuration, comprising controlling the switching circuitry to cause particular outputs of the plurality of analog receive circuits to be coupled as inputs to particular analog combination circuits of the plurality of analog combination circuits, wherein an output of a first analog receive circuit of the plurality of analog receive circuits is switchably coupled to inputs of multiple but not all analog combination circuits of the plurality of analog combination circuits.
Other claims correspond to each other as follows.
Claims 5 and 7-8 of the instant application correspond to claim 1 of U.S. Patent No. 12207972.
Claim 3 of the instant application correspond to claim 2 of U.S. Patent No. 12207972.
Claim 4 of the instant application correspond to claim 3 of U.S. Patent No. 12207972.
Claim 6 of the instant application correspond to claim 5 of U.S. Patent No. 12207972.
Claim 9 of the instant application correspond to claim 4 of U.S. Patent No. 12207972.
Claim 10 of the instant application correspond to claim 6 of U.S. Patent No. 12207972.
Claim 11 of the instant application correspond to claim 7 of U.S. Patent No. 12207972.
Claim 12 of the instant application correspond to claim 8 of U.S. Patent No. 12207972.
Claims 15-16 of the instant application correspond to claim 9 of U.S. Patent No. 12207972.
Claim 14 of the instant application corresponds to claim 11 of U.S. Patent No. 12207972.
Claim 17 of the instant application corresponds to claim 13 of U.S. Patent No. 12207972.
Claim 18 of the instant application corresponds to claim 14 of U.S. Patent No. 12207972.
Claim 19 of the instant application corresponds to claim 12 of U.S. Patent No. 12207972.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ALEXEI BYKHOVSKI whose telephone number is (571)270-1556. The examiner can normally be reached on Monday-Friday: 8:30am - 5:00pm.
Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Pascal Bui Pho can be reached on 571-272-2714. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
Information regarding the status of an application may be obtained from the Patent Application Information Retrieval (PAIR) system. Status information for published applications may be obtained from either Private PAIR or Public PAIR. Status information for unpublished applications is available through Private PAIR only. For more information about the PAIR system, see http://pair-direct.uspto.gov. Should you have questions on access to the Private PAIR system, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative or access to the automated information system, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000.
/ALEXEI BYKHOVSKI/
Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3798