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
Applicant’s election without traverse of Species II, Figures 3-6, claims 1-6 and 17-20 in the reply filed on 2/4/2026 is acknowledged.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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)(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.
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)(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.
Claim(s) 1, 5-6 and 17 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Leitch et al. [US 5,781,077].
Regarding claim 1, Leitch et al. discloses an apparatus [figure 5], comprising:
- a substrate [506];
- a first conductive layer [S4] on the substrate, the first conductive layer including a first electromagnetic interference (EMI) shield;
- a second conductive layer [L2] over the first conductive layer opposite the substrate, the second conductive layer comprising a first winding of a transformer;
- a third conductive layer [S2 or S1] over the second conductive layer opposite the first conductive layer, the third conductive layer including a second EMI shield; and
- a fourth conductive layer [L1] over the third conductive layer opposite the second conductive layer, the fourth conductive layer comprising a second winding of the transformer.
Regarding claim 17, Leitch et al. discloses an apparatus [figure 5], comprising:
- a substrate [506];
- a first conductive layer [S4] on the substrate, the first conductive layer including a first electromagnetic interference (EMI) shield;
- a second conductive layer [L2] over the first conductive layer opposite the substrate, the second conductive layer comprising a first winding of a transformer, wherein the first EMI shield is configured to transfer heat from the first winding;
- a third conductive layer [S1 or S2] over the second conductive layer opposite the first conductive layer, the third conductive layer including a second EMI shield; and
- a fourth conductive layer [L1] over the third conductive layer opposite the second conductive layer, the fourth conductive layer comprising a second winding of the transformer, wherein the second EMI shield is configured to transfer heat from the second winding.
Regarding claim 5, Leitch et al. further discloses the first EMI shield is configured to transfer heat from the first winding, and the second EMI shield is configured to transfer heat from the second winding [the EMI shields formed of conducting material such as copper which would transfer heat, column 4, lines 56-58].
Regarding claim 6, Leitch et al. further discloses the first winding has a first pair of terminals, the second winding has a second pair of terminals, and the first pair of terminals is on an opposite side of the transformer from the second pair of terminals [figure 5].
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 2-4 and 18-20 are objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter
The prior art of record do not teach or disclose, in the claimed combination thereof, the first conductive layer includes a first set of conductive segments and a second set of conductive segments; the first set of conductive segments comprises the first EMI shield; and the second set of conductive segments is coupled to the second conductive layer by vias, and the second set of conductive segments is part of the first winding.
Conclusion
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/TUYEN T NGUYEN/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2837
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