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 .
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 1-17 are rejected on the ground of nonstatutory double patenting as being unpatentable over claims 1-17 of U.S. Patent No. 12,272,523 (hereinafter ‘523). Although the claims at issue are not identical, they are not patentably distinct from each other because the content of the claims in ‘523 overlaps with the claims in the current application.
Current application
US Patent 12,272,523
A method for extremum-seeking frequency control of a radio frequency (RF) generator including a RF power source, the method comprising:
generating a frequency control signal having an adjustable frequency, the frequency control signal varying an output frequency of the RF power source;
receiving frequency values of the frequency control signal and corresponding output response values; and
generating a gradient signal based on the frequency values and the output response values, wherein a frequency of the frequency control signal is adjusted based on the gradient signal.
A radio frequency (RF) generator for powering a load, the RF generator comprising:
a RF power source configured to
generate an output signal at an output frequency;
an extremum-seeking frequency controller configured to generate a frequency control signal, the frequency control signal varying the output frequency of the RF power source, the frequency control signal is formed from a gradient signal; and
a gradient estimator configured to generate the gradient signal, wherein a frequency of the frequency control signal is adjusted based on the gradient signal, wherein the gradient estimator is configured to receive frequency values of the frequency control signal and corresponding output response values, and wherein the gradient signal is generated based on the frequency values and the output response values.
2. The method of claim 1, further comprising storing the frequency values in a first buffer and the output response values in a second buffer.
2. The RF generator of claim 1, further comprising a first buffer configured to store the frequency values and a second buffer configured to store the output response values.
3. The method of claim 2, further comprising purging at least one of the frequency values in the first buffer and at least one of the output response values in the second buffer.
3. The RF generator of claim 2, wherein the first buffer and the second buffer are configured to purge at least one of the frequency values and at least one of the output response values.
4. The method of claim 2, wherein storing the frequency values in a first buffer and the output response values in a second buffer includes storing a defined number of the frequency values in the first buffer and a defined number of the output response values in the second buffer.
4. The RF generator of claim 2, wherein the first buffer and the second buffer are configured to store a defined number of the frequency values and the output response values.
5. The method of claim 4, wherein the defined number is a number from five to twenty.
5. The RF generator of claim 4, wherein the defined number is a number from five to twenty.
6. The method of claim 2, further comprising generating a pulse to modulate an output signal of the RF power source, wherein storing the frequency values in the first buffer and the output response values in the second buffer includes storing the frequency values and the output response values for the pulse.
6. The RF generator of claim 2, further comprising a power controller coupled to the RF power source, the power controller configured to generate a pulse to modulate the output signal of the RF power source, wherein the first buffer and the second buffer are configured to store the frequency values and the output response values for the pulse.
7. The method of claim 2, further comprising generating a pulse to modulate an output signal of the RF power source, the pulse including a first state and a second state, wherein storing the frequency values in the first buffer and the output response values in the second buffer includes storing the frequency values and the output response values for the first state of the pulse.
7. The RF generator of claim 2, further comprising a power controller coupled to the RF power source, the power controller configured to generate a pulse to modulate the output signal of the RF power source, wherein: the pulse includes a first state and a second state; and the first buffer and the second buffer are configured to store the frequency values and the output response values for the first state of the pulse.
8. The method of claim 7, further comprising storing the frequency values for the second state of the pulse in a third buffer and the output response values for the second state of the pulse in a fourth buffer.
8. The RF generator of claim 7, further comprising a third buffer configured to store the frequency values for the second state of the pulse and a fourth buffer configured to store the output response values for the second state of the pulse.
9. The method of claim 7, further comprising purging at least one of the frequency values in the first buffer and at least one of the output response values in the second buffer, and storing the frequency values in the first buffer and the output response values in the second buffer for the second state of the pulse after purging the at least one of the frequency values and the at least one of the output response values for the first state of the pulse.
9. The RF generator of claim 7, wherein: the first buffer and the second buffer are configured to purge at least one of the frequency values and at least one of the output response values for the first state of the pulse; and the first buffer and the second buffer are configured to store the frequency values and the output response values for the second state of the pulse after purging the at least one of the frequency values and the at least one of the output response values for the first state of the pulse.
10. The method of claim 9, wherein: the pulse is a first pulse; and the method further comprises generating a second pulse including the first state and the second state, and recalling the at least one of the frequency values and the at least one of the output response values purged for the first state of the first pulse into the first buffer and the second buffer for the first state of the second pulse.
10. The RF generator of claim 9, wherein: the pulse is a first pulse; the power controller is configured to generate a second pulse including the first state and the second state; and the at least one of the frequency values and the at least one of the output response values purged for the first state of the first pulse are recalled into the first buffer and the second buffer for the first state of the second pulse.
11. The method of claim 1, further comprising estimating a gradient of a cost function of the RF generator based on the frequency values and the output response values, wherein generating the gradient signal includes generating the gradient signal based on the estimated gradient.
11. The RF generator of claim 1, wherein: the gradient estimator is configured to estimate a gradient of a cost function of the RF generator based on the frequency values and the output response values; and the gradient estimator is configured to generate the gradient signal based on the estimated gradient.
12. The method of claim 11, wherein estimating the gradient includes estimating the gradient based on a minimum value of the output response values, a maximum value of the output response values, one of the frequency values corresponding to the minimum value of the output response values, and another one of the frequency values corresponding to the maximum value of the output response values.
12. The RF generator of claim 11, wherein the gradient estimator is configured to estimate the gradient based on a minimum value of the output response values, a maximum value of the output response values, one of the frequency values corresponding to the minimum value of the output response values, and another one of the frequency values corresponding to the maximum value of the output response values.
13. The method of claim 11, wherein estimating the gradient includes estimating the gradient based on a sum of the frequency values and a sum of the output response values.
13. The RF generator of claim 11, wherein the gradient estimator is configured to estimate the gradient based on a sum of the frequency values and a sum of the output response values.
14. The method of claim 11, further comprising setting the estimated gradient to zero in response to the estimated gradient being less than or equal to a defined threshold value.
14. The RF generator of claim 11, wherein the gradient estimator is configured to set the estimated gradient to zero in response to the estimated gradient being less than or equal to a defined threshold value.
15. The method of claim 14, further comprising estimating the gradient again based on at least one of: one of the output response values corresponding to when the estimated gradient was set to zero, one or more defined operating parameters of the RF generator, or a perturbation signal.
15. The RF generator of claim 14, wherein the gradient estimator is configured to estimate the gradient again based on at least one of: one of the output response values corresponding to when the estimated gradient was set to zero, one or more defined operating parameters of the RF generator, or a perturbation signal.
16. The method of claim 11, further comprising clamping the estimated gradient to a defined threshold value in response to the estimated gradient being less than or equal to the defined threshold value.
16. The RF generator of claim 11, wherein the gradient estimator is configured to clamp the estimated gradient to a defined threshold value in response to the estimated gradient being less than or equal to the defined threshold value.
17. The method of claim 1, further comprising estimating a gradient at startup of the RF generator based on one or more defined operating parameters of the RF generator or a perturbation signal, wherein generating the gradient signal includes generating the gradient signal based on the estimated gradient.
17. The RF generator of claim 1, wherein: the gradient estimator is configured to estimate a gradient at startup of the RF generator based on one or more defined operating parameters of the RF generator or a perturbation signal; and the gradient estimator is configured to generate the gradient signal based on the estimated gradient.
Correspondence
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Examiner Wilson Lee whose telephone number is (571) 272-1824. Proposed amendment and interview agenda can be submitted to Examiner’s direct fax at (571) 273-1824.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, examiner’s supervisor, Alexander Taningco can be reached at (571) 272-8048. Papers related to the application may be submitted by facsimile transmission. Any transmission not to be considered an official response must be clearly marked "DRAFT". The official fax number is (571) 273-8300.
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/WILSON LEE/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2845
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