DETAILED ACTION
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed 9/16/25 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive.
Applicant argues that Endo does not teach the amended limitation of claim 1 requiring that “a first end portion and a second end portion [of the antenna] … are at different height positions relative to the packaging member” because Endo discloses the antenna is formed “substantially parallel to a substantially flat surface” and as formed substantially on a plane (Remarks, p. 2).
In Fig. 8 of Endo, reproduced below, the coil antenna winding around the packaging member is depicted, clearly showing that the antenna wraps over itself to form the coil, requiring that the ends of the wire are formed at different height positions. The small diameter of the wire relative to the packaging allows the coil to be formed substantially in a plane while the ends are at different heights. The rejection is maintained.
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Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
In the event the determination of the status of the application as subject to AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103 (or as subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103) is incorrect, any correction of the statutory basis for the rejection will not be considered a new ground of rejection if the prior art relied upon, and the rationale supporting the rejection, would be the same under either status.
The following is a quotation of the appropriate paragraphs of 35 U.S.C. 102 that form the basis for the rejections under this section made in this Office action:
A person shall be entitled to a patent unless –
(a)(1) the claimed invention was patented, described in a printed publication, or in public use, on sale or otherwise available to the public before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
(a)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claims 1, 3, and 9 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Endo (JP 2013-080324 A).
Regarding claim 1, Endo teaches a chip packaging structure comprising a miniature antenna; a radio frequency identification chip electrically connected to the miniature antenna; and a packaging member adapted to encapsulate the miniature antenna and the radio frequency identification chip, wherein the packaging member has a top surface, a bottom surface, and a plurality of lateral surfaces; the top surface is opposite to the bottom surface, and the lateral surfaces all connect the top surface and the bottom surface; the top surface, the bottom surface, and the lateral surfaces substantially form a hexahedron (Fig. 4, 20, 30, 10, [0021]), and a linear antenna, which comprises a first extension portion, a second extension portion, and a winding portion, wherein the first extension portion is linked to the winding portion, the second extension portion is linked to the winding portion, and the winding portion winds around the lateral surfaces of the packaging member (100, Fig. 8(2), [0038]), wherein a first end portion and second end portion of the winding portion, respectively connecting to the first extension portion and to the second end portion, are at different height positions relative to the packaging member (See Figs. 8(1)-(3) below; one end portion of the wire is clearly depicted as passing over the other end portion in each figure).
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Regarding claim 3, Endo teaches wherein the top surface and the bottom surface are substantially parallel to each other, and all of the lateral surfaces connect the top surface and the bottom surface in a substantially orthogonal manner (Fig. 4, [0021]).
Regarding claim 9, Endo teaches wherein a junction of each two adjacent ones of the lateral surfaces is defined as a corner portion; the first extension portion leaves the packaging member from one of the corner portions, and the second extension portion leaves the packaging member from another one of the corner portions; said corner portion and said another corner portion are adjacent to each other (100, Fig. 8(2)).
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
In the event the determination of the status of the application as subject to AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103 (or as subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103) is incorrect, any correction of the statutory basis for the rejection will not be considered a new ground of rejection if the prior art relied upon, and the rationale supporting the rejection, would be the same under either status.
The text of those sections of Title 35, U.S. Code not included in this action can be found in a prior Office action.
This application currently names joint inventors. In considering patentability of the claims the examiner presumes that the subject matter of the various claims was commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the claimed invention(s) absent any evidence to the contrary. Applicant is advised of the obligation under 37 CFR 1.56 to point out the inventor and effective filing dates of each claim that was not commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the later invention in order for the examiner to consider the applicability of 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(2)(C) for any potential 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) prior art against the later invention.
Claim 10 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Endo (JP 2013-080324 A) in view of Ishida (U.S. PGPub 2014/0326791).
Regarding claim 10, Endo does not explicitly teach an adhesive which is adapted to adhere the winding portion of the linear antenna to the packaging member; wherein a part of the winding portion of the linear antenna linked to the first extension portion abuts against one of the lateral surfaces, and another part of the winding portion linked to the second extension portion also abuts against the same one of the lateral surfaces; the adhesive at least covers: said lateral surface which is abutted against by the part of the winding portion linked to the first extension portion and the another part of the winding portion linked to the second extension portion; the corner portion from where the first extension portion leaves the packaging member; the another corner portion from where the second extension portion leaves the packaging member; and at least a part of each of two of the lateral surfaces which are adjacent to said lateral surface.
Ishida teaches a chip package, linear antenna, and adhesive adapted to adhere the chip package to the portion of the linear antenna adjacent to the chip package, wherein the adhesive fully surrounds the chip package (Fig. 3, [0055], 20, 28a, 30).
Therefore it would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the time of the effective filing date to combine the teachings of Ishida with Endo such that the device comprises an adhesive which is adapted to adhere the winding portion of the linear antenna to the packaging member; wherein a part of the winding portion of the linear antenna linked to the first extension portion abuts against one of the lateral surfaces, and another part of the winding portion linked to the second extension portion also abuts against the same one of the lateral surfaces; the adhesive at least covers: said lateral surface which is abutted against by the part of the winding portion linked to the first extension portion and the another part of the winding portion linked to the second extension portion; the corner portion from where the first extension portion leaves the packaging member; the another corner portion from where the second extension portion leaves the packaging member; and at least a part of each of two of the lateral surfaces which are adjacent to said lateral surface, for the purpose of keeping the interval between the miniature antenna and the linear antenna constant to improve the electromagnetic coupling (Ishida, [0055]).
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.
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/ALIA SABUR/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2812
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