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 because the labels of the drawing pages “2/11” at the bottom of page 1 and “10/11” at the bottom of page 9 should be labeled on the top of pages 2 and 10, respectively. 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 Objections
Claims 3, 5-6, 11, 13-14, and 19 are objected to because of the following informalities:
3. (Proposed Amendment) The power amplifier device according to claim 2, wherein the first power amplifier circuit is a single-transistor power amplifier, the single-transistor power amplifier is a carrier power amplifier when biased in class AB or class B, and the power amplifier device further comprises a second coupler and a matching circuit,
wherein an input end of the carrier power amplifier is configured to input the first signal, and an output end of the carrier power amplifier is coupled to an isolation port of the first coupler,
wherein a first input port of the second coupler is configured to input the second signal, a second input port of the second coupler is coupled to a load, two output ports of the second coupler are respectively coupled to an input end of the first amplification branch and an input end of the second amplification branch, and an output end of the first amplification branch and an output end of the second amplification branch are respectively coupled to two balanced ports of the first coupler,
wherein the output port of the first coupler is coupled to a first end of the matching circuit, and a second end of the matching circuit is coupled to an isolation port of the circulator, and
wherein an input end of the third amplification branch is configured to input the third signal, an output end of the third amplification branch is coupled to an input port of the circulator, and an output port of the circulator is configured to output a signal obtained by combining power of signals of the isolation port and the input port of the circulator.
5. (Proposed Amendment) The power amplifier device according to claim [[2]] 3, further comprising:
a first power division circuit; and
a first phase compensation network,
wherein the first power division circuit is configured to output the first signal and the second signal, one end that outputs the first signal is coupled to an input end of the first phase compensation network, an output end of the first phase compensation network is coupled to the input end of the carrier power amplifier, and another end of the first power division circuit that outputs the second signal is coupled to the first input port of the second coupler.
11. (Proposed Amendment) The remote radio unit according to claim 10, wherein the first power amplifier circuit is a single-transistor power amplifier, the single-transistor power amplifier is a carrier power amplifier when biased in class AB or class B, and the power amplifier device further comprises a second coupler and a matching circuit,
wherein an input end of the carrier power amplifier is configured to input the first signal, and an output end of the carrier power amplifier is coupled to an isolation port of the first coupler,
wherein a first input port of the second coupler is configured to input the second signal, a second input port of the second coupler is coupled to a load, two output ports of the second coupler are respectively coupled to an input end of the first amplification branch and an input end of the second amplification branch, and an output end of the first amplification branch and an output end of the second amplification branch are respectively coupled to two balanced ports of the first coupler,
wherein the output port of the first coupler is coupled to a first end of the matching circuit, and a second end of the matching circuit is coupled to an isolation port of the circulator, and
wherein an input end of the third amplification branch is configured to input the third signal, an output end of the third amplification branch is coupled to an input port of the circulator, and an output port of the circulator is configured to output a signal obtained by combining power of signals of the isolation port and the input port of the circulator.
13. (Proposed Amendment) The remote radio unit according to claim [[10]] 11, further comprising:
a first power division circuit; and
a first phase compensation network,
wherein the first power division circuit is configured to output the first signal and the second signal, one end of the first power division circuit that outputs the first signal is coupled to an input end of the first phase compensation network, an output end of the first phase compensation network is coupled to the input end of the carrier power amplifier, and another end of the first power division circuit and that outputs the second signal is coupled to the first input port of the second coupler.
19. (Proposed Amendment) The base station according to claim 18, wherein the first power amplifier circuit is a single-transistor power amplifier, the single-transistor power amplifier is a carrier power amplifier when biased in class AB or class B, and the power amplifier device further comprises a second coupler and a matching circuit,
wherein an input end of the carrier power amplifier is configured to input the first signal, and an output end of the carrier power amplifier is coupled to an isolation port of the first coupler,
wherein a first input port of the second coupler is configured to input the second signal, a second input port of the second coupler is coupled to a load, two output ports of the second coupler are respectively coupled to an input end of the first amplification branch and an input end of the second amplification branch, and an output end of the first amplification branch and an output end of the second amplification branch are respectively coupled to two balanced ports of the first coupler,
wherein the output port of the first coupler is coupled to a first end of the matching circuit, and a second end of the matching circuit is coupled to an isolation port of the circulator, and
wherein an input end of the third amplification branch is configured to input the third signal, an output end of the third amplification branch is coupled to an input port of the circulator, and an output port of the circulator is configured to output a signal obtained by combining power of signals of the isolation port and the input port of the circulator.
Claim 6 depends from claim 5, therefore it is also objected.
Claim 14 depends from claim 13, 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 5-6, 8, 13-14, 16, and 20 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.
Last two lines of both claims 5 and 13, the phrase “the first input port of the second coupler” lacks antecedent basis. See the proposed claim objections to the claims.
The claim subject matters recited in claims 8, 16, and 20 are unclear because the phrases like “works first,” “works later,” and “works last” are relative, functional terms that do not specify structural or temporal boundaries. For example, does “later” mean 1 millisecond after, 1 minute after, or at a specific threshold? In other words, there are no explicit parameters (e.g., input signal levels, temperature changes, or trigger events) dictating when the transition from one amplifier to the next occurs.
Claim 6 depends from claim 5, therefore it is also rejected.
Claim 14 depends from claim 13, therefore it is also rejected.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 1-2, 4, 7, 9-10, 12, 15, and 17-18 are allowed.
Claims 3, 5-6, 11, 13-14, and 19 would be allowable if rewritten or amended to overcome the objection(s) set forth in this Office action.
Claims 5-6, 8, 13-14, 16, and 20 would be allowable if rewritten or amended 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.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Hellberg relates to a Doherty power amplifier includes at least one carrier power amplifier and at least one peak power amplifier connected in parallel, each carrier power amplifier includes at least one carrier power amplifier unit connected in parallel for power combination, and each peak power amplifier includes at least one peak power amplifier unit connected in parallel for power combination, each of the carrier power amplifier unit and the peak power amplifier unit includes two power amplifier circuits connected in parallel for power combination, and each of the two power amplifier circuits includes a medium-low power amplifier transistor having saturation power less than or equal to a preset threshold.
CHEN et al. illustrates an amplifier circuit in FIG. 5 comprises a first amplifier (502) configured to receive a first signal (502), a balanced amplifier (506) comprising second and third amplifiers (508 and 510) and configured to receive a second signal (512), and a first directional coupler (514).
EP 2 541762 A1 illustrates a power amplifier apparatus in FIG. 3, wherein the drive stage uses two-path Doherty structure circuit and uses Lateral double-diffused metal-oxide semiconductor field effect transistor (LDMOS) power amplifiers to achieve the functions of the main power amplifier and the auxiliary power amplifier, the final stage uses the two-path Doherty structure circuit and uses a High Voltage Heterojunction Bipolar Transistor (HVHBT) power amplifier to achieve the function of the main power amplifier and uses a High Electron Mobility Transistor (HEMT) power amplifier to realize the function of the auxiliary power amplifier.
WO 2021/194402 A1 illustrates an amplifier circuit 600 in FIG. 6 comprises: a first amplifier 502 including an amplifier circuit that comprises a third amplifier 602 configured to receive a first signal 504 and provide a third amplified signal 604 to a first port 606 of a second circulator 608 and a fourth amplifier 610 configured to receive a fourth signal 612 and provide a fourth amplified signal 614 to a second port 616 of the second circulator 608; and a second amplifier 512 configured to receive a second signal 514 and provide a second amplified signal 516 to a second port 518 of a first circulator 510, a third port 618 of the second circulator 608 is connected to a first port 508 of the first circulator 510 which is configured to provide a second amplified signal 516 provided to the second port 518 of the first circulator 510 from a third port 520 of the first circulator 510.
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
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