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 .
Priority
Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 4/30/2025 was filed. The submission is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
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.
Claim 16 is 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.
Claim 16 recites the limitation "the radio frequency module" in line 12. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 1-15 are allowed.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter: With regards to claims 1-13 and 15, the prior art of record does not disclose or fairly teach the specific circuit configuration with emphasis on first coupling between the first inductor and the second inductor is greater in magnitude than each of second coupling between the first inductor and the main line and third coupling between the second inductor and the main line. With regards to claim 14, the prior art of record does not disclose or fairly teach the specific circuit configuration with emphasis on each of a distance between the first inductor and the main line and a distance between the second inductor and the main line is longer than a distance between the first inductor and the second inductor.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Tamaru US Patent 9,077,061 disclose a directional coupler comprising first, second, third and fourth terminals; a main line connected between the first terminal and the second terminal; a first sub line that is connected to the third terminal and electromagnetically coupled to the main line; a second sub line that is connected to the fourth terminal and electromagnetically coupled to the main line; and a phase conversion unit that is connected between the first sub line and the second sub line and that causes a phase shift to be generated in a passing signal passing therethrough; wherein a cut-off frequency of the low pass filter is not within the predetermined frequency band used in the directional coupler; and the phase conversion unit includes a low pass filter.
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Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to KIMBERLY E GLENN whose telephone number is (571)272-1761. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 8:00 AM-5:00 PM.
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August 31, 2026
/K.E.G/Examiner, Art Unit 2843
/ANDREA LINDGREN BALTZELL/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2843
