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 .
Drawings
The drawings are objected to under 37 CFR 1.83(a). The drawings must show every feature of the invention specified in the claims. Therefore, the inverter block comprises an inverter circuit having: an input node configured to receive the reference voltage; a first power supply node coupled to the output node of the charge pump circuit; a second power supply node coupled to the first node; and an output node of the inverter block coupled to the control node of the first transistor, as claimed in claim 13 must be shown or the feature(s) canceled from the claim(s). No new matter should be entered.
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.
The drawings are objected to under 37 CFR 1.83(a) because they fail to show “Switch 322 is formed, for example, by a PMOS-type transistor. This transistor is designated with reference 322 because it has the same function as switch 322. Inverter 318 has a first power supply node configured to receive signal TX Enable and a second power supply node coupled, preferably connected, to node N2. Inverter 318 is configured to receive, on an input node, voltage VDD. Inverter 318 has an output node coupled to a control node of transistor 322. A conduction node of transistor 322, as well as its substrate node, are coupled, preferably connected, to node N2. Another conduction node of transistor 322 is coupled, preferably connected, to a voltage rail configured to receive voltage VDD” as described in paragraph [0076] of the specification. Any structural detail that is essential for a proper understanding of the disclosed invention should be shown in the drawing. MPEP § 608.02(d). 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.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of the first paragraph of 35 U.S.C. 112(a):
(a) IN GENERAL.—The specification shall contain a written description of the invention, and of the manner and process of making and using it, in such full, clear, concise, and exact terms as to enable any person skilled in the art to which it pertains, or with which it is most nearly connected, to make and use the same, and shall set forth the best mode contemplated by the inventor or joint inventor of carrying out the invention.
The following is a quotation of the first paragraph of pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112:
The specification shall contain a written description of the invention, and of the manner and process of making and using it, in such full, clear, concise, and exact terms as to enable any person skilled in the art to which it pertains, or with which it is most nearly connected, to make and use the same, and shall set forth the best mode contemplated by the inventor of carrying out his invention.
Claims 16-19 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(a) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), first paragraph, as failing to comply with the written description requirement. The claim(s) contains subject matter which was not described in the specification in such a way as to reasonably convey to one skilled in the relevant art that the inventor or a joint inventor, or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the inventor(s), at the time the application was filed, had possession of the claimed invention.
a) regarding claim 16:
The limitations, “a first output node coupled to a first power supply node of the second inverter, and …a second power supply node of the second inverter coupled to the first output node,” fails to comply with the written description requirement. There is no description in the specification of an inverter having both its first and second power supply nodes connected to the same node.
b) regarding claims 17-19:
The claims are rejected based on their dependence on claim 16.
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 7-9 and 11-13 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.
a) regarding claim 7:
Claim 7 recites the limitation "the first transistor" in line 1. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
b) regarding claims 8-9:
The claims are rejected based on their dependence on claim 7.
c) regarding claim 11:
Claim 11 recites the limitation "the first transistor" in line 1. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
d) regarding claims 12-13:
The claims are rejected based on their dependence on claim 11.
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 1-5, 10, 14-15 and 20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Hidaka et al. (US Pub. No. 2004/0242182).
a) regarding claims 1 and 20:
Hidaka et al. discloses a radio frequency switch (Figure 1) and method comprising:
a control circuit (3) configured to:
in a radio frequency signal transmit mode, control a switching circuit (2 and 17) with a first state originating from an output of a charge pump circuit (16); and
in a radio frequency signal receive mode, disable the charge pump circuit (16) and control the switching circuit (2 and 17) with a second state originating from a reference voltage (31, paragraph [0121]).
b) regarding claim 2:
Hidaka et al. discloses the radio frequency switch according to claim 1, wherein the control circuit (3) comprises:
a first node (29) configured to receive a signal for enabling the transmit mode (INA); and
an inverter block (32) coupling the first node to a control node of a first transistor (201) having a first conduction node configured to receive the reference voltage (31).
c) regarding claim 3:
Hidaka et al. discloses the radio frequency switch according to claim 1, wherein an output node of the charge pump circuit (16) is coupled to a control node of the switching circuit (2 and 17).
d) regarding claim 4:
Hidaka et al. discloses the radio frequency switch according to claim 2, wherein a second conduction node of the first transistor (201) is coupled to an output node of the charge pump circuit (16).
e) regarding claim 5:
Hidaka et al. discloses the radio frequency switch according to claim 2, wherein the control circuit (3) comprises an oscillator (18) coupling the first node (29) to an input node of the charge pump circuit (16).
f) regarding claim 10:
Hidaka et al. discloses the radio frequency switch according to claim 1, wherein the reference voltage (31) is VDD (paragraph [0087]).
g) regarding claim 14:
Hidaka et al. discloses the radio frequency switch according to claim 1, wherein the switching circuit comprises transistors of silicon-on-insulator type (paragraph [0007].
h) regarding claim 15:
Hidaka et al. discloses the radio frequency switch according to claim 1, wherein an output node of the charge pump circuit (16) is coupled to the switching circuit (2) via a voltage level shifting circuit (17) reconfigurable in accordance with the charge pump circuit (paragraph [0121]).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claim 6 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.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter:
The prior art of record fails to disclose or make obvious a radio frequency switch, wherein the reference voltage is ground, along with all the other limitations as required by claim 6.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Jo et al. (US 2025/0119123) discloses a radio frequency switch circuit and method of operating of a RF switch circuit. Crandall (US 2016/0094207) discloses a semiconductor-on-insulator radio frequency switch configured to receive a signal from a level shifter.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Patrick O'Neill whose telephone number is (571)270-1677. The examiner can normally be reached Monday- Friday 9AM-5PM EST.
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/PATRICK O NEILL/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2836
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