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 .
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed on 4/30/2026 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive.
Regarding Applicant’s argument that Haque does not teach “the set of resonators including a first reflector and a second reflector on two opposing ends of the set of resonators”.
Reference Branch et al. (U.S. Publication No. 20170052174) teaches (as best understood by the Examiner) the set of resonators (Fig.7A, 701-704) including a first reflector (Fig.7A, 740) and a second reflector (Fig.7A, 745) on two opposing ends of the set of resonators (Fig.7A, 701-704).
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 1-10, 13-18, 21-24 and 28-30 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.
Regarding claim 1, the limitation “the set of resonators including a first reflector and a second reflector on two opposing ends of the set of resonators” is indefinite. Since the set of resonators including a first reflector and a second reflector, how could the first reflector and the second reflector also on two opposing ends of the set of resonators?
Regarding claims 10 and 15, claims 10 and 15 are rejected under 112(b) for the similar reasons as claim 1.
The remaining claims are rejected due to their dependence.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 103 which forms the basis for all obviousness rejections set forth in this Office action:
A patent for a claimed invention may not be obtained, notwithstanding that the claimed invention is not identically disclosed as set forth in section 102, if the differences between the claimed invention and the prior art are such that the claimed invention as a whole would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a person having ordinary skill in the art to which the claimed invention pertains. Patentability shall not be negated by the manner in which the invention was made.
Claims 1-4, 8-9, 15, 21, 23-24, 26-27 and 29 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Haque et al. (U.S. Publication No. 20210124044) in view of Branch et al. (U.S. Publication No. 20170052174).
Regarding claim 1, Haque teaches an apparatus, comprising: a substrate (Fig.5, 540) including a semiconductor material; an interconnect region (Fig.5, center of the substrate 540) on the substrate, a set of resonators (Fig.5, first row of piezoelectric elements 104, furthermore paragraph 106 states “the piezoelectric elements 104 have a suspended membrane associated with them that vibrates at a center frequency and several other frequencies when exposed to stimulus at that frequency and as such behave like resonators”) within the interconnect region (Fig.5, center of the substrate 540).
Haque is silent about the set of resonators including a first reflector and a second reflector on two opposing ends of the set of resonators.
Branch teaches (as best understood by the Examiner) the set of resonators (Fig.7A, 701-704) including a first reflector (Fig.7A, 740) and a second reflector (Fig.7A, 745) on two opposing ends of the set of resonators (Fig.7A, 701-704).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to incorporate reflectors into Haque’s transducers because reflectors bounce the acoustic waves back and forth, containing them within a confined cavity to create a high-Q resonator.
Regarding claim 2, Haque teaches a transmitter circuit (Figs.1 and 5, 106 and paragraph 33) in the substrate and coupled to the set of resonators (Fig.5, first row of piezoelectric elements 104, furthermore paragraph 106 states “the piezoelectric elements 104 have a suspended membrane associated with them that vibrates at a center frequency and several other frequencies when exposed to stimulus at that frequency and as such behave like resonators”), the transmitter circuit configurable to transmit a first signal using the set of the resonators (Paragraphs 52-53), wherein the first signal is transmitter circuit is a first ultrasonic signal (Paragraphs 52-53).
Regarding claim 3, Haque teaches a detector circuit (Figs.1 and 5, 108 and paragraph 33) in the substrate and coupled to the set of resonators (Fig.5, second row of piezoelectric elements 104), the detector circuit configurable to detect a second signal using the set of resonators (Paragraphs 52-53); and a first multiplexer circuit and a second multiplexer circuit in the substrate, wherein the first multiplexer circuit is coupled between the transmitter circuit and the set of resonators, and the second multiplexer circuit is coupled between the detector circuit and the set of resonators (Paragraph 72).
Regarding claim 4, Haque teaches wherein the transmitter circuit is a first transmitter circuit, the detector circuit is a first detector circuit, the set of resonators including a first subset of resonators configurable to couple to the first transmitter circuit (Figs.1 and 5, 106 and paragraph 33) and a second subset of resonators configurable to couple to the first detector circuit (Figs.1 and 5, 108 and paragraph 33),and the apparatus further comprises: a second transmitter circuit in the substrate and coupled to at least a third subset of resonators of the set of resonators; and a second detector circuit in the substrate and coupled to at least a fourth subset of resonators of the set of resonators (Paragraphs 53-54, “the imaging device may have up to 128 transmit channels and up to 128 receive channels”).
Regarding claim 8, Haque teaches wherein the set of resonators are configurable to transmit a first signal and receive a second signal via the interconnect region (Paragraphs 52-53).
Regarding claim 9, Haque teaches wherein the set of resonators are configurable to transmit a first signal and receive a second signal via the substrate (Paragraphs 52-53).
Regarding claim 15, Haque teaches a system, comprising: a device (Paragraphs 46-47), including: a substrate (Paragraph 33); an interconnect region (Fig.5, center of the substrate 540) on the substrate, a set of resonators (Fig.5, first row of piezoelectric elements 104, furthermore paragraph 106 states “the piezoelectric elements 104 have a suspended membrane associated with them that vibrates at a center frequency and several other frequencies when exposed to stimulus at that frequency and as such behave like resonators”) in the interconnect region (Fig.5, center of the substrate 540); a transmitter circuit (Figs.1 and 5, 106 and paragraph 33) in the substrate and coupled to at least a first subset of the set of resonators and configurable to transmit a first signal using the first subset of the set of resonators into a fluid flow channel (Fig.5, first row of piezoelectric elements 104, furthermore paragraph 106 states “the piezoelectric elements 104 have a suspended membrane associated with them that vibrates at a center frequency and several other frequencies when exposed to stimulus at that frequency and as such behave like resonators”); and a detector circuit (Figs.1 and 5, 108 and paragraph 33) in the substrate, and coupled to at least a second subset of the set of resonators (Fig.5, second row of piezoelectric elements 104) and configurable to detect a second signal using the second subset of the set of resonators, the second signal being a reflection of the first signal from the fluid flow channel (Paragraphs 46-47 and 52-53).
Haque is silent about the set of resonators including a first reflector and a second reflector on two opposing ends of the set of resonators.
Branch teaches (as best understood by the Examiner) the set of resonators (Fig.7A, 701-704) including a first reflector (Fig.7A, 740) and a second reflector (Fig.7A, 745) on two opposing ends of the set of resonators (Fig.7A, 701-704).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to incorporate reflectors into Haque’s transducers because reflectors bounce the acoustic waves back and forth, containing them within a confined cavity to create a high-Q resonator.
Regarding claim 21, Haque teaches wherein resonators are ferroelectric resonators (Paragraph 33).
Regarding claim 23, Haque teaches wherein the fluid flow channel is a blood vessel (Paragraph 47).
Regarding claim 24, Haque teaches wherein the set of resonators are ferroelectric resonators (Fig.5, first row of piezoelectric elements 104, furthermore paragraph 106 states “the piezoelectric elements 104 have a suspended membrane associated with them that vibrates at a center frequency and several other frequencies when exposed to stimulus at that frequency and as such behave like resonators”).
Regarding claim 26, the combination of Haque and Branch teaches all the features of claim 1 as outlined above, Branch further teaches wherein a subset of the set of resonators (Fig.7A, 701-704) form the first reflector (Fig.7A, 740).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to incorporate reflectors into Haque’s transducers because reflectors bounce the acoustic waves back and forth, containing them within a confined cavity to create a high-Q resonator.
Regarding claim 27, Haque teaches wherein each of the resonators includes a first electrode, a second electrode, and a piezoelectric material between the first and second electrodes, and the interconnect region includes vias coupled between the second electrodes of the resonators and the substrate (Paragraph 109).
Regarding claim 29, Haque teaches a processing circuit in the substrate coupled to the transmitter circuit and the detector circuit, the processing circuit configurable to provide a third signal indicative of a flow velocity responsive to the first and second signals (Paragraph 47).
Claims 10 and 30 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Haque et al. (U.S. Publication No. 20210124044) in view of Branch et al. (U.S. Publication No. 20170052174) and Haque et al. (U.S. Publication No. 20210278530, hereinafter Haque530’).
Regarding claim 10, Haque teaches an apparatus comprising: a set of resonators (Fig.5, 104) in an interconnect region over a substrate (Fig.5, 540); a transmitter circuit (Figs.1 and 5, 106 and paragraph 33) coupled to at least a first subset of the set of resonators and configurable to transmit a first signal at an angle relative to the substrate via the first subset of the set of resonators (Fig.5, first row of piezoelectric elements 104, furthermore paragraph 106 states “the piezoelectric elements 104 have a suspended membrane associated with them that vibrates at a center frequency and several other frequencies when exposed to stimulus at that frequency and as such behave like resonators”, also Fig.6 shows the angle); a detector circuit (Figs.1 and 5, 108 and paragraph 33) coupled to at least a second subset of the set of resonators and configurable to detect a second signal via the second subset of the set of resonators (Fig.5, second row of piezoelectric elements 104); and a processing circuit coupled to the transmitter circuit and the detector circuit and configurable to provide a third signal indicative of a flow velocity (Paragraph 47).
Haque is silent about the set of resonators including a first reflector and a second reflector on two opposing ends of the set of resonators and the flow velocity is based on the angle and at least one of: a frequency difference between the first and second signals, or a delay between transmission of the first signal and reception of the second signal.
Branch teaches (as best understood by the Examiner) the set of resonators (Fig.7A, 701-704) including a first reflector (Fig.7A, 740) and a second reflector (Fig.7A, 745) on two opposing ends of the set of resonators (Fig.7A, 701-704).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to incorporate reflectors into Haque’s transducers because reflectors bounce the acoustic waves back and forth, containing them within a confined cavity to create a high-Q resonator.
The combination of Haque and Branch is silent about the flow velocity is based on the angle and at least one of: a frequency difference between the first and second signals, or a delay between transmission of the first signal and reception of the second signal.
Haque530’ teaches the flow velocity is based on the angle and at least one of: a frequency difference between the first and second signals, or a delay between transmission of the first signal and reception of the second signal (Paragraphs 45 and 55-65).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to determine a frequency shift of the ultrasonic signal in Haque because it would be used to determine flow velocity and direction as taught by Haque530’.
Regarding claim 30, the combination of Haque and Branch teaches all the features of claim 29 as outlined above, Haque further teaches wherein the transmitter circuit is configurable to transmit the first signal at an angle relatively to a surface of the substrate (Fig.6 shows the angle).
The combination of Haque and Branch is silent about the processing circuit is configurable to provide the third signal based on the angle and on at least one of: a frequency difference between the first and second signals, or a delay between a transmission of the first signal and a reception of the second signal.
Haque530’ teaches the processing circuit is configurable to provide the third signal based on the angle and on at least one of: a frequency difference between the first and second signals, or a delay between a transmission of the first signal and a reception of the second signal (Paragraphs 45 and 55-65).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to determine a frequency shift of the ultrasonic signal in Haque because it would be used to determine flow velocity and direction as taught by Haque530’.
Claims 16, 22 and 28 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Haque et al. (U.S. Publication No. 20210124044) in view of Branch et al. (U.S. Publication No. 20170052174).
Regarding claim 16, the combination of Haque and Branch teaches all the features of claim 15 as outlined above, the combination of Haque and Branch is silent about wherein the device is permanently attached to the fluid flow channel.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to attach Haque’s device permanently to the fluid flow channel, since it has been held that forming in one piece an article which has formerly been formed in two pieces and put together involves only routine skill in the art. Howard v. Detroit Stove Works, 150 U.S. 164 (1893).
Regarding claim 22, the combination of Haque and Branch teaches all the features of claim 15 as outlined above, the combination of Haque and Branch is silent about wherein the set of resonators, the transmitter circuit, and the detector circuit are part of a wearable device.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to make Haque’s set of resonators, transmitter circuit, and detector circuit into a part of a wearable device, since it has been held to be within the general skill of a worker in the art to apply a known technique to a known device (method, or product) ready for improvement to yield predictable results is obvious. KSR International Co. v Teleflex Inc., 550 U.S. 398, 82 USPQ2d 1385 (2007).
Regarding claim 28, the combination of Haque and Branch teaches all the features of claim 1 as outlined above, Haque further teaches a package material encapsulating the substrate and the interconnect region (As shown in Fig.3, the transducer 102 is encapsulated by a housing).
The combination of Haque and Branch is silent about wherein the package material includes at least one of: an epoxy, or filler particles.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to use epoxy or filler particles as the package material, since it has been held to be within the general skill of a worker in the art to select a known material on the basis of its suitability for the intended use as a matter of obvious design choice. In re Leshin, 227 F.2d 197, 125 USPQ 416 (CCPA 1960).
Claims 17-18 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Haque et al. (U.S. Publication No. 20210124044) in view of Branch et al. (U.S. Publication No. 20170052174) and Barkin et al. (U.S. Publication No. 20160025537).
Regarding claim 17, the combination of Haque and Branch teaches all the features of claim 15 as outlined above, the combination of Haque and Branch is silent about the fluid flow channel has one fluid inlet and one fluid outlet; the device is located between the fluid inlet and the fluid outlet; and the transmitter circuit is configurable to transmit the first signal via the first subset of the set of resonators into the fluid flow channel in a direction toward the fluid inlet and to transmit a third signal via the first subset of the set of resonators into the fluid flow channel in a direction toward the fluid outlet.
Barkin teaches the fluid flow channel (Fig.5, 50) has one fluid inlet and one fluid outlet (As shown in Fig.6); the device (Fig.5, 140) is located between the fluid inlet and the fluid outlet; and the transmitter circuit is configurable to transmit the first signal via the first subset of the set of resonators into the fluid flow channel in a direction toward the fluid inlet and to transmit a third signal via the first subset of the set of resonators into the fluid flow channel in a direction toward the fluid outlet (As shown in Fig.6, transducer 140 transmit ultrasonic signals in both directions).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to transmit Haque’s ultrasonic signals in both directions because it would more accurately determine flow rate.
Regarding claim 18, the combination of Haque and Branch teaches all the features of claim 15 as outlined above, the combination of Haque and Branch is silent about the fluid flow channel has one fluid inlet, a first fluid outlet, and a second fluid outlet; the device is located between the fluid inlet and the first fluid outlet; and the transmitter circuit is configurable to transmit the first signal via the first subset of the set of resonators into the fluid flow channel in a direction toward the fluid inlet and to transmit a third signal via the first subset of the set of resonators into the fluid flow channel in a direction toward the second fluid outlet.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to make Haque’s fluid flow channel to have one fluid inlet, a first fluid outlet, and a second fluid outlet and place the device between the fluid inlet and the first fluid outlet; and the transmitter circuit is configurable to transmit the first signal via the first subset of the resonators into the fluid flow channel in a direction toward the fluid inlet and to transmit a third signal via the first subset of the resonators into the fluid flow channel in a direction toward the second fluid outlet, since it has been held that choosing from a finite number of identified, predictable solutions, with a reasonable expectation of success is obvious. KSR International Co. v Teleflex Inc., 550 U.S. 398, 82 USPQ2d 1385 (2007).
Claim 25 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Haque et al. (U.S. Publication No. 20210124044) in view of Branch et al. (U.S. Publication No. 20170052174) and Lal et al. (U.S. Publication No. 20210003534).
Regarding claim 25, the combination of Haque and Branch teaches all the features of claim 15 as outlined above, the combination of Haque and Branch is silent about one or more reflectors.
Lal teaches one or more reflectors (Paragraph 52).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to incorporate Lal’s reflector into Haque’s resonators because it would increase accuracy of Haque’s system.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 5-7 and 13-14 would be allowable if rewritten 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 and to include all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
The following is an examiner’s statement of reasons for allowance: The primary reasons for allowance of dependent claim 5 is the inclusion of the specific limitations of “a first grating between the first and third subsets of resonators in the interconnect region, and a second grating between the second and fourth subsets of resonators in the interconnect region”, in combination of with all other recited associated elements in a transducer
The primary reasons for allowance of dependent claim 13 is the inclusion of the specific limitations of “a first grating between the first and third subsets of the set of resonators; and a second grating between the second and fourth subsets of the set of resonators”, in combination of with all other recited associated elements in an ultrasonic fluid flow measurement system.
Any comments considered necessary by applicant must be submitted no later than the payment of the issue fee and, to avoid processing delays, should preferably accompany the issue fee. Such submissions should be clearly labeled “Comments on Statement of Reasons for Allowance.”
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to XIN Y ZHONG whose telephone number is (571)272-3798. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 9 a.m. - 6 p.m..
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/XIN Y ZHONG/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2855
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