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 .
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on April 27, 2026, is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner
Response to Arguments
New ground(s) of rejection is made in light of the amended claims.
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.
Claim(s) 1-3, 5-7, 9, 11-12 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Mohr et al. (US 20190045639 A1) and in further view of Kim et al. (US 20220304147 A1) and Kodama et al. (US 20090010594 A1) and Chang et al. (US 8013289 B2)
Regarding Claim 1 – Mohr teaches an arrangement, comprising: a component carrier (Fig 9B; 900) including a stack (shown in annotated Fig 9B); wherein the stack of the component carrier has at least one central stack section (shown in Fig 9B), and at least one vertical opening formed in the cavity stack section (shown in Fig 9B); wherein the cavity stack section at least partially surrounds the central stack section (shown in Fig 9B); wherein the thickness of the central stack section is greater than the thickness of the cavity stack section (shown in Fig 9B); wherein the component carrier is a laminate-type component carrier comprising multiple layer structures (Fig 9B; Mohr [0017]).
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Mohr does not explicitly disclose at least one cavity stack section with at least one through connection; wherein an optical element is embedded in or mounted on the component carrier; wherein at least a part of the optical element extends through at least part of the at least one vertical opening; and wherein the stack of the component carrier has a functional coating layer covering at least one vertical side wall delimiting the vertical opening, the functional coating layer having an optically advantageous effect.
Kim teaches at least one cavity stack section arranged with at least one through connection (shown in annotated Fig 24).
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It would have been obvious for a person with ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have provided the device of Mohr with at least one cavity stack section arranged with at least one through connection as taught by Kim because Kim [0311] expressly states “vias 441, 442, 443, 444, 445, 446, 446, 448, and 449 for electrically connecting circuit patterns disposed on different layers may be disposed in each insulating layer” and that such vias “may be disposed through each insulating layer, thereby, circuit patterns disposed on the surfaces of different insulating layers may be electrically connected to each other”.
Kodama teaches an optical element (Fig 13B; 15) is embedded in or mounted on the component carrier (Fig 13B; 14, 31-33, 55); wherein at least a part of the optical element extends through at least part of the at least one vertical opening (Fig 13B; 61).
It would have been obvious to one skilled in the art at the time of the invention to use an optical element is embedded in or mounted on the component carrier; wherein at least a part of the optical element extends through at least part of the at least one vertical opening as shown by Kodama, with the circuit board of Mohr, since as shown by Kodama using a an optical element is embedded in or mounted on the component carrier; wherein at least a part of the optical element extends through at least part of the at least one vertical opening is commonly done so as to increase the functionality of the circuit board.
Chang teaches the stack of the component carrier has a functional coating layer covering at least one vertical side wall delimiting the vertical opening, the functional coating layer having an optically advantageous effect (Fig 4B; 115).
It would have been obvious to one skilled in the art at the time of the invention to use an anti-reflective coating in the stack of the component carrier with the functional coating layer covering at least one vertical side wall delimiting the vertical opening, the functional coating layer having an optically advantageous effect as shown by Chang et al., with the circuit board of Mohr, since as shown by Chang et al. using an anti-reflective coating in the stack of the component carrier with the functional coating layer covering at least one vertical side wall delimiting the vertical opening, the functional coating layer having an optically advantageous effect is commonly done so as to better focus the light pinging on the lens.
Regarding Claim 2 – Mohr in view of Kim, Kodama, and Chang teaches the arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the central stack section is arranged between at least two cavity stack sections (Mohr Fig 9B); wherein a portion of one of the cavity stack sections arranged between the at least one central stack section and the at least one vertical opening includes at least one vertical through connection (Kim Fig 24).
Regarding Claim 3 – Mohr in view of Kim, Kodama, and Chang teaches the arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the at least one vertical opening is at least partially void (shown in Mohr Fig 9B).
Regarding Claim 5 – Mohr in view of Kim, Kodama, and Chang teaches the arrangement according to claim 1 wherein the functional coating layer comprises at least one of the following features: wherein the functional coating layer comprises a black coating; wherein the functional coating layer has a thickness of 25 μm or less (Chang Fig 4B; 115); wherein the functional coating layer is configured to prevent light scattering or wherein the functional coating layer is configured to enhance light scattering; wherein the functional coating layer is optically opaque or transparent; wherein the functional coating layer is electrically insulating or electrically conductive; wherein the functional coating layer is magnetic or non-magnetic; wherein the functional coating layer is anticorrosive.
Regarding Claim 6 – Mohr in view of Kim, Kodama, and Chang teaches the arrangement according to claim 1, further comprising at least one of the following features: wherein the stack comprises a plurality of vertical through connections extending through the central stack section to an external surface of the central stack section (Kodama Fig 5B; 30, 41, 42, 36, 37); wherein the stack comprises a plurality of vertical through connections extending through the cavity stack section to an external surface of the cavity stack section.
Regarding Claim 7 – Mohr in view of Kim, Kodama, and Chang teaches the arrangement according to claim 1, wherein a portion of the cavity stack section furthest removed from the central stack section is free of vertical through connections. (shown in Mohr Fig 9B).
Regarding Claim 9 – Mohr in view of Kim, Kodama, and Chang teaches the arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the component carrier is configured as one of the group which consists of a printed circuit board and a substrate (Fig 9B; Mohr [0074]).
Regarding Claim 11 – Mohr in view of Kim, Kodama, and Chang teaches the arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the optical element is not integrally formed with the component carrier (Chang Fig 4B; 68a-d, 86a,b, 64a,b).
Regarding Claim 12 – Mohr in view of Kim, Kodama, and Chang teaches the arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the optical element is physically separate from the component carrier (Chang Fig 4B; 68a-d, 86a,b, 64a,b).
Claim 8 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Mohr et al. (US 20190045639 A1) in view of Kim et al. (US 20220304147 A1) and Kodama et al. (US 20090010594 A1) and Chang et al. (US 8013289 B2) and in further view of Gottwald et al. (US 20130329370 A1)
Regarding Claim 8 – Mohr in view of Kim, Kodama, and Chang teaches the arrangement according to claim 1, but fails to teach wherein an angle between one vertical side wall delimiting the vertical opening and a first main surface of the cavity stack section is in the range between 80° and 100°.
Gottwald teaches an angle between one vertical side wall delimiting the vertical opening and a first main surface of the cavity stack section is in the range between 80° and 100° (Gottwald [0022] states “the cutout has right angles and vertical surfaces”).
It would have been obvious for a person with ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have provided the component carrier as taught by Mohr in view of Kim, Kodama, and Chang wherein an angle between one vertical side wall delimiting the vertical opening and a first main surface of the cavity stack section is in the range between 80° and 100° as taught by Gottwald to get the benefit of
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.
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 ADITYA SHARMA whose telephone number is (571)270-7246. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Friday 8:30 - 5:30.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Timothy Thompson can be reached at (571) 272-2342. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/ADITYA SHARMA/Examiner, Art Unit 2847
/TIMOTHY J THOMPSON/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2847
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