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 with traverse of Group I (claims 1-16) in the reply filed on 05/19/2026 is acknowledged. The traversal is on the ground(s) that Applicant further submits that the Examiner has not provided any indication that the content of the claims interpreted in light of the description was considered in making the assertion of a lack of unity and therefore has not met the burden necessary to support the assertion. This is not found persuasive because The groups of inventions listed above do not relate to a single general inventive concept under PCT Rule 13.1 because, under PCT Rule 13.2, they lack the same or corresponding special technical features. In this case, the containing claims drawn to process and apparatus (i.e., heater module and a method of manufacturing a heater module). Groups I-IV lack unity of invention because even though the inventions of these groups require the technical feature of "a substrate supporting the heating conductor and the temperature sensor", this technical feature is not a special technical feature as it does not make a contribution over the prior art in view of Wang et al. (US 2019/0141789).
The requirement is still deemed proper and is therefore made FINAL.
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)(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.
Claim(s) 1-8, 11, 13 and 15-16 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102 a1 as being anticipated by Wang et al. (US 20190141789).
Regarding claim 1, Wang et al. discloses "a heater module" (Fig. 10 shows a
heater module. figs. 6-10. [0029], i.e., FIGS. 6-10 illustrate successive process steps for
manufacturing an integrated circuit according to one embodiment) comprising "a thick-film heating element" (fig.9 except for 54), the heating element comprising:
"a heating conductor" (fig.8, 52);
"a temperature sensor" (32); and
"a substrate" (48 and 50 forms a substrate) supporting "the heating conductor"
(52) and "the temperature sensor" (32);
wherein "the heater module" (fig.10) comprises "a resistive conductor" (54)
having "at least one trimming cut" (the shape of 54) "formed by a trimming process"
(MPEP 2113. Product by process) and "the resistive conductor" (54) is mounted on "the
heating element" (fig.9).
Regarding claim 2, Wang et al. discloses “the temperature sensor comprises a sensing conductor” (32) that is electrically coupled to “the resistive conductor” (54).
Regarding claim 3, Wang et al. discloses “the heating conductor” (52) is electrically coupled to “the resistive conductor” (54).
Regarding claim 4, Wang et al. discloses “the resistive conductor” (54) is mounted within “a recess in a surface of the heating element” (figs.9-10, 36 has interior surfaces forms a recess in a surface of the heating element).
Regarding claim 5, Wang et al. discloses “the recess is formed into the substrate of the heating element” (fig.10 shows a portion of recess is formed into the substrate of the heating element 36).
Regarding claim 6, Wang et al. discloses “the resistive conductor” (54) is mounted to “a discrete resistor module” (56 and 58 includes the connection lines to each of the conductor) that is configured to connect to “the heating element” (fig.9 except for 54).
Regarding claim 7, Wang et al. discloses “the resistor module” (56 and 58 includes the connection lines to each of the conductor) comprises “an opening” (56 has at least one opening or cavity for receiving the heating element 36) configured to receive a portion of the heating element”.
Regarding claim 8, Wang et al. discloses “vias” (refers to the holes too allow 54 and 52 coupled to each other. See fig.10 shows vias or through holes and fig.8 shows 52 and 54) configured to couple “the resistive conductor” (54) electrically to the temperature sensor or “the heating conductor” (52).
Regarding claim 11, Wang et al. discloses “the temperature sensor comprises the resistive conductor” ([0062], i.e., The resistive temperature sensor 32. Examiner noted that resistive temperature sensor inherently and necessarily includes resistor or resistive conductor).
Regarding claim 13, Wang et al. discloses “the heating conductor comprises the resistive conductor” (Wang et al., metal lines 54 can be acted as resistor).
Regarding claim 15, Wang et al. discloses “the heating conductor comprises a conductive trace” (52).
Regarding claim 16, Wang et al. discloses “temperature sensor comprises a conductive trace” ([0062], i.e., The resistive temperature sensor 32. Examiner noted that it is inherently and necessarily that the resistive temperature sensor includes conductive trace, wire or line).
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) 9 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Wang et al. (US 20190141789) in view of Aoike (US 20200403088).
Regarding claim 9, Wang et al. discloses the resistive conductor (multiple 54 collectively forms the resistive conductor).
Aoike teaches “the resistive conductor” (multiple 13 collectively forms the resistive conductor) is mounted by “soldered joints” (solder layers 14 which forms soldered joints). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was filed to modify Wang et al. with Aoike, by adding Aoike’s soldered joints to Wang et al.’s conductor, to facilitate connection between conductor and other components.
Claim(s) 10 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Wang et al. (US 20190141789) in view of Leung et al. (US 20120119872).
Regarding claim 10, Wang et al. discloses “the resistive conductor” (Wang et al., metal lines 54 can be acted as resistor)
However, Wang et al. is silent regarding resistive conductor comprises a trimmable resistor.
Leung et al. teaches “resistive conductor comprises a trimmable resistor” ([0124], i.e., non-active regions 638, 642 of the heat-trimmable resistor). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was filed to modify Wang et al. with Leung et al., by modifying Wang et al.’s conductor according to Leung et al.’s resistor, to fine-tune and calibrate resistance in an electronic circuit.
Claim(s) 14 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Wang et al. (US 20190141789) in view of Kaseya (US 2020/0251629).
Regarding claim 14, Wang et al. discloses the substrate of the heating element” (at least 48 is part of the substrate (i.e., semiconductor substrate) [0063], i.e., a semiconductor substrate 48).
Wang et al. is silent regarding the substrate of the heating element comprises a ceramic material.
Kaseya teaches “the substrate of the heating element comprises a ceramic material” ([0112], i.e., a semiconductor substrate, such as a SiC substrate, or a ceramic substrate). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was filed to modify Wang et al. with Kaseya, by modifying Wang et al.’s substrate portion 48 with Kaseya’s ceramic substrate, to provide electrically insulating base and exceptional thermal management to efficiently dissipating extreme heat and prevent electrical breakdowns.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claim 12 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.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to JIMMY CHOU whose telephone number is (571)270-7107. The examiner can normally be reached Mon-Friday.
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/JIMMY CHOU/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3761
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