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 § 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.
Claims 1-8, 10-16, 18, and 19 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Valcore, Jr. et al (USPAP 2017/0084432).
Regarding claim 1, Valcore’s Fig. 10F shows a method for multi-state pulsing, comprising:
receiving a synchronization signal (TTL);
identifying a plurality of cycles from the synchronization signal (two cycles are shown); and
generating a radio frequency (RF) signal having four or more variable levels (S1-S4) during one of the plurality of cycles, wherein each of the four or more variable levels provides a maximum amplitude
of the RF signal (at any one moment it is the maximum amplitude since there are no other concurrent signals), wherein the four or more variable levels repeat during another one of the plurality
of cycles (clearly shown).
As to claim 2, Valcore’s Fig. 10F shows the method of claim 1, wherein said receiving is performed by an RF generator (shown in Fig. 2), wherein the synchronization signal is a digital pulsed signal that repeats periodically and has the plurality of cycles (clearly shown in Fig. 10F), wherein each of the plurality of cycles has a duty cycle (e.g., whenever the signal is non-zero such as from S2-S4).
As to claim 3, Valcore’s Fig. 10F shows the method of claim 1, wherein said identifying the plurality of cycles includes identifying a first one of the plurality of cycles and a second one of the plurality of cycles, wherein said identifying the first one of the plurality of cycles and the second one of the plurality of cycles includes identifying a start time (the first instance of S1) and a stop time (the first instance of S4) of the first one of the plurality of cycles and a start time (the second instance of S1) and a stop time (the second instance of S4) of the second one of the plurality of cycles.
As to claim 4, Valcore’s Fig. 10F shows the method of claim 1, wherein each of the four or more variable levels is a parameter level (e.g., amplitude), wherein each of the four or more parameter levels has a plurality of amplitudes (since they are variable), wherein the maximum amplitude (e.g., S4) is a maximum of the plurality of amplitudes at said each of the four or more parameter levels, wherein the maximum amplitude is an envelope of the RF signal (since it represents the outer limits of the signal).
As to claim 5, Valcore’s Fig. 10F shows the method of claim 1, wherein each of the four or more variable levels is a distinct horizontal level (S1-S4 are all horizontal), wherein the RF signal is an oscillating signal (since the signal goes up and then back down in a repetitive fashion).
As to claim 6, Valcore’s Fig. 10F shows the method of claim 1, wherein said each of the four or more variables (S1-S4) is power (since it represents an amplitude of the signal).
As to claim 7, Valcore’s Fig. 10F shows the method of claim 1, wherein during the one of the plurality of cycles, the RF signal transitions from a first one of the four or more variable levels to a second one of the four or more variable levels (from S1 to S2), transitions from the second one of the four or more variable levels to a third one of the four or more variable levels (from S2 to S3), transitions from the third one of the four or more variable levels to a fourth one of the four or more variable levels (from S3 to S4).
As to claim 8, Valcore’s Fig. 10F shows the method of claim 1, wherein each of the four or more variable levels (S1-S4) provides a minimum amplitude of the RF signal, wherein the minimum amplitude of a first one of the four or more variable levels is greater than the maximum amplitude of a second one of the four or more variable levels (since they are all variable).
Regarding claim 10, Valcore’s Figs. 2 and 10F shows a radio frequency (RF) generator for multi-state pulsing, comprising:
a processor (180, 166, or 178) configured to receive a synchronization signal,
wherein the processor is configured to identify a plurality of cycles from the synchronization
signal; and
an RF power supply (x MHz RF Generator or y MHz),
wherein the processor is configured to control the RF power supply to generate a radio
frequency (RF) signal (110/196) having four or more variable levels during one of the plurality of cycles (see Fig. 10F), wherein each of the four or more variable levels provides a maximum amplitude of the RF signal (at any one moment it is the maximum amplitude since there are no other concurrent signals), wherein the four or more variable levels repeat during another one of the plurality of cycles (clearly shown).
As to claims 11-13, these claims are rejected for the same reasons as claims 2-4, respectively.
As to claim 14, this claim is rejected for the same reasons as claims 5 and 6.
As to claims 15 and 16, these claims are rejected for the same reasons as claims 7 and 8, respectively.
As to claim 18, this claim is rejected for the same reasons as claim 10.
As to claim 19, this claim is rejected for the same reasons as claims 2, 3, and 4.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 9, 17, and 20 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
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to WILLIAM HERNANDEZ whose telephone number is (571)272-8979. The examiner can normally be reached Mon to Fri; 10am to 6pm.
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/WILLIAM HERNANDEZ/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2836
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