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 with respect to the claims have been considered but are moot because the new ground of rejection does not rely on any reference applied in the prior rejection of record for any teaching or matter specifically challenged in the argument.
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 1-2, 5-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over by Reiter et al (US 2022/0093486) in view of Toyama et al (US 20090087322)
As per claims 1 and 14, Reiter teaches the following limitations:
“first circuit carrier comprising one or more heat generating elements” at 102, 108 of Fig 1;
“second circuit carrier…” at 140 of Fig 1; and
“temperature sensor…arranged in sufficient proximity to a first one of heat generating elements...” at 126, 108 of Fig 1.
Reiter discloses multiple circuit carries spaced from each other with a temperature sensor in multiple embodiments in Figs 1-8, para 30-58, with clamping device 122 over the circuit board 106.
Reiter does not teach a housing that surround an interior volume over the first circuit carrier and encapsulant material the fills said interior volume and a second circuit contained within the encapsulant material.
However, Toyama teaches two circuit boards 15, 16 contained in a housing 11 and the interior of the housing filled with a silicone gel 53 fills a volume inside the housing containing the circuit board (para 0047, 0049).
Thus, it would have been obvious to one skilled in the art before the effective date of filing to modify Reiter with the housing and filling with encapsulant material in order to better protect from the environment and increase durability of electrical components.
As per claim 2, Reiter teaches galvanically isolated from the heat generating elements at para 28, 44.
As per claim 5, Reiter teaches power semiconductor die at 108, para 31.
As per claim 6, Reiter teaches half bridge or full bridge configuration which suggests passive elements at para 28-31.
As per claim 7, Reiter teaches sensor directly over the heat generating element at 126, 406 of Figs 5, 8.
As per claim 8, Reiter teaches a second one of the heat generating element and temperature between elements at 126 of Figs 1-3.
As per claim 9 and 15, Reiter teaches a controller mounted on an upper surface of the second circuit carrier at para 45.
As per claim 10 and 16, Reiter teaches plurality of temperature sensors attached to the second circuit carrier at 126, 406 of Figs 4-6, 8.
As per claim 11, Reiter teaches determine a temperature each of the elements and sensors outnumber the elements at para 45.
As per claim 12, Reiter teaches a first carrier is DCB, AMB or IMS substate at para 30.
As per claim 13, Reiter teaches second carrier is a printed circuit board at para 45.
As per claim 17, Reiter teaches an additional temperature sensors, more than heat generating elements at para 20, 28, 42.
As per claim 18, Reiter teaches a temperature measurement with an infrared sensor at para 20.
As per claims 19-20, Toyama teaches a dielectric gel (para 0047).
Conclusion
Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). 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 JOHN E BREENE whose telephone number is (571)272-4107. The examiner can normally be reached Monday to Friday.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Andrea Wellington can be reached at (571)272-4483. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/JOHN E BREENE/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2855
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