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 .
Election/Restrictions
Claims 8-16 and 18-19 remain withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b), as being drawn to a nonelected invention, there being no allowable generic or linking claim.
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 1-7, 21, 22, and 25-27 remain rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Schwarz et al. (US 6,402,553) in view of Aoki et al. (US 7,575,454).
Regarding claim 1, Schwarz discloses an apparatus comprising: a first plurality of signal pins (27) comprised within a shell (31); and at least a first signal pin of the first plurality of signal pins is electrically connected to the shell via a spring pin (35) having a resilient contact portion (at 37); wherein the apparatus is configured to receive a mating connector (Figs. 3 and 4) such that: the resilient contact portion (37) remains in electrical contact with the at least one signal pin (27) during an initial portion of mating of the mating connector (intended use, i.e. during initial alignment with mating connector), and further insertion of the mating connector mechanically displaces the spring pin to disconnect the spring pin from the at least one signal pin; and wherein the at least one signal pin electrically connects with a corresponding signal pin of the mating connector while the resilient contact portion remains in electrical contact with the at least one signal pin (intended use).
Aoki teaches a shell (5) mounted on a printed circuit board (not shown), wherein: the shell is electrically connected to a ground reference voltage level of the printed circuit board (col. 4, lines 40-43). It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the invention was effectively filed to ground the shell to the circuit board, as taught by Aoki, in order to provide improved ESD protection.
Regarding claim 2, Schwarz, as modified by Aoki, discloses one or more of the first plurality of signal pins that are electrically connected to a functional block on the printed circuit board (intended use). Please note that a recitation with respect to the manner in which a claimed apparatus is intended to be employed does not differentiate the claimed apparatus from the prior art apparatus satisfying the claimed structural limitations.
Regarding claim 3, Schwarz discloses the spring pin configured such that mechanical displacement of the spring pin by the mating connector causes the resilient contact portion to move away from the at least one signal pin to terminate electrical contact therewith (intended use, Fig. 3).
Regarding claim 4, Schwarz, as modified by Aoki, discloses the apparatus configured to receive a mating connector comprising a second plurality of pins that includes at least a second signal pin that is floating (intended use).
Regarding claim 5, Schwarz, as modified by Aoki, discloses the second signal pin set to the ground reference voltage level, in response to the second signal pin being physically connected to the first signal pin (intended use).
Regarding claim 6, Schwarz, as modified by Aoki, discloses the spring pin configured to be pushed by the mating connector causing physical disconnection of the spring pin from the first signal pin (intended use, see Schwarz).
Regarding claim 7, Schwarz, as modified by Aoki, discloses each of the first signal pin and the second signal pin is configured to transmit data, in response to the spring pin being disconnected from the first signal pin (intended use).
Regarding claim 21, Schwarz, as modified by Aoki, discloses the first signal pin configured to be electrically connected to a second signal pin that comes into contact with the first signal pin during insertion into the shell (intended use).
Regarding claim 22, Schwarz, as modified by Aoki, discloses the apparatus configured to perform data transmission with the second signal pin that is included within a head contact of a cable (intended use).
Regarding claim 25, Schwarz, as modified by Aoki, discloses the head contact of the cable is configured to push the spring pin, thereby causing physical electrical disconnection of the spring pin from the second signal pin (intended use).
Regarding claim 26, Schwarz, as modified by Aoki, discloses each of the first signal pin and the second signal pin is configured to transmit data, in response to the spring pin being disconnected from the second signal pin (intended use).
Regarding claim 27, Schwarz, as modified by Aoki, discloses that the first plurality of signal pins are electrically connected to a functional block (by Aoki 34) on the printed circuit board (intended use).
Claims 23 and 24 remain rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Schwarz in view of Aoki, and further in view of Ko et al, (US 11,043,774).
Regarding claim 23, while Schwarz does not specify whether the first signal pin connects to the second signal pin before the spring is disconnected from the second pin. Ko teaches each of the first signal pin (24) and the second signal pin (14) electrically connected to the ground reference voltage level via the spring pin (25) prior to the head contact being fully inserted in the shell. It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the invention was effectively filed to connect the pins before disconnection of the spring, as taught by Ko, in order to provide proper ground protection before full connection of the pins.
Regarding claim 24, Schwarz, as modified, discloses substantially the claimed invention except for the material of the signal pins. It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was made to use copper as the preferred material, in order to provide an efficient and reliable transmission, and 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 preference. In re Leshin, 125 USPQ 416.
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed 7/31/2026 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive.
Please note that Schwarz discloses the apparatus configured to receive a mating connector (Figs. 3 and 4) such that: the resilient contact portion (37) remains in electrical contact with the at least one signal pin (27) during an initial portion of mating of the mating connector (intended use, i.e. during initial alignment with mating connector).
In response to applicant's argument that claim 1 requires an overlapping electrical condition, it is noted that the features upon which applicant relies are not recited in the rejected claims. Although the claims are interpreted in light of the specification, limitations from the specification are not read into the claims. See In re Van Geuns, 988 F.2d 1181, 26 USPQ2d 1057 (Fed. Cir. 1993).
Please note that a recitation of the intended use of the claimed invention (i.e. configured to) must result in a structural difference between the claimed invention and the prior art in order to patentably distinguish the claimed invention from the prior art. If the prior art structure is capable of performing the intended use, then it meets the claim. In this case, the claims are drawn to an apparatus. However, the intended use recitation purports to define the apparatus by it’s relationship of a mating connector that is not part of the of the claimed invention. Since the apparatus of Schwarz is capable of performing the intended functions when used with an appropriate mating connector, then it meets the claimed language.
Conclusion
THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to FELIX O FIGUEROA whose telephone number is (571)272-2003. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 9am-6pm.
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/FELIX O FIGUEROA/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2833
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