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 .
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claims 1-14 (see pages 6-9 of the
remarks filed 3/13/2026) have been considered but are not persuasive. In response to arguments, page 6; Applicant contends, essentially, that:
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Examiner disagrees, please note that the rejection to independent claims 1 and 8 have been revised (using the same prior art – Tsai) to clarify or expand on citations in the previous Office action, particular clarification about what constitutes: the at least on group of connector pins, the first industrial specification, the transmission signal, the second industrial specification, and the processor, for example. Examiner believes each and every element as claimed are in fact taught by Tsai, including the conformity of the first and second industrial specifications. As it stands, the current recitation of the features applicant argues as not being taught, has not gone far enough to overcome Tsai. Note further that, examiner does not find applicant’s remarks persuasive because it is not commensurate with the scope of the claims as presented.
Examiner suggests including more positive recitation that further limit the structure of at least, the groups of connector pins and the recited industrial specifications, in relation to other features of the claim that are firmly distinct from Tsai—if so intended. No new matter unsupported by the written specification shall be included. In response to remarks pertaining to dependent claims 2, 4-7 and 9, 11-14, respectively. Note, these claims directly depend from respective independent claims 1 and 8, and therefore rejected for at least the same reason. Claims 3 and 10 were canceled. Please see revised interpretation of the claims below.
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.
(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) 1-2, 4-9 and 11-14 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Tsai 2022/0255253.
Regarding claim 1, Tsai discloses an expansion board (1, Fig 5) adapted to be electrically connected in parallel (inherent - expansion boards electrically connect to other circuit boards in parallel, Figs 1-5) to a motherboard (5, Fig 5), the expansion board comprising: at least one group of connector pins (pins disposed on 10 in the form of 13, 17, 20, 21, 23 or 25 for example, Fig 2) coupled to a first connector (at 20, as depicted in Fig 3) that conforms to a first industrial specification (portion 21 follows a male plug connector end specification, see par 0027 and Figs 3-4) to receive a transmission signal from the motherboard (once device is electrically connected/assembled, transmission signals flow in the form of driving signal, see par 0016, for example), wherein pin definitions (pins/gold fingers, see par 0026) of the at least one group of connector pins conform to pin definitions of a second industrial specification (second industrial spec includes enclosed portions at 51 within broken line, as well as, portion 53, see Fig 5; note at least pin set 17 from first group of connector will conform/plug into female receptacle [second industrial specification] on portion 5, see par 0026), and the transmission signal conforms to the second industrial specification (once device is electrically connected/assembled, transmission signals conform and flow in the form of driving signal, see middle of par 0033, for example); and a processor (driving chip -15 and/or including 500, 600 electrically connected thereto once fully assembled to motherboard 5, Figs 1, 5) coupled to the at least one group of connector pins to receive or send the transmission signal (processor 15 is electrically coupled to connector pins of the one group being part of broader transmission interface 10, see par 0026), wherein dimensions of the first connector are less than dimensions of a second connector that conforms to the second industrial specification (plug portion 17 made to fit inside second connector disposed on portion 5, therefore has smaller dimension, see Fig 0026), and wherein the second industrial specification is a PCle transmission specification (second industrial specification includes portion 53 which includes a PCIe transmission spec, see par 0033).
Regarding claim 2, Tsai discloses the expansion board as claimed in claim 1,
wherein the first connector is a USB Type- C connector (see par 0007).
Regarding claim 4, Tsai discloses the expansion board as claimed in claim 1,
wherein a direction of extension of the first connector and a plane where the expansion board lies are perpendicular to each other (at least 20 or 25 perpendicular to 10 or 30, Fig 2).
Regarding claim 5, Tsai discloses the expansion board as claimed in claim 1,
wherein the second industrial specification supports a plurality of transmission
channels (high speed 55 and/or PCle 53, Fig 5), and pin definitions of the connector pins support at least one of the transmission channels, respectively
(once coupled, Fig 5).
Regarding claim 6, Tsai discloses the expansion board as claimed in claim 1,
wherein the first connector is a male connector plug or a female connector jack
(male plug connector, par 0026).
Regarding claim 7, Tsai discloses the expansion board as claimed in claim 1,
wherein the processor is a PCle processor or a USB processor (see par 0033).
Regarding claim 8, Tsai discloses a mainframe apparatus (as depicted in Figs 1-5), comprising: a motherboard (5, Fig 5) electrically connected in parallel (inherent - motherboards electrically connect to other circuit boards in parallel, Figs 1-5) to an expansion board (1, Fig 5); at least one group of connector pins (pins disposed on 10 in the form of 13, 17, 20, 21, 23 or 25 for example, Fig 2) disposed on the motherboard (disposed thereon once assembled/connected with 5, Fig 5) and coupled to a connector (at 20, as depicted in Fig 3) that conforms to a first industrial specification (portion 21 follows a male plug connector end specification, see par 0027 and Figs 3-4) to receive a transmission signal from the expansion board (once device is electrically connected/assembled, transmission signals flow in the form of driving signal, see par 0016, for example), wherein pin definitions (pins/gold fingers, see par 0026) of the at least one group of connector pins conform to pin definitions of a second industrial specification (second industrial spec includes enclosed portions at 51 within broken line, as well as, portion 53, see Fig 5; note at least pin set 17 from first group of connector will conform/plug into female receptacle [second industrial specification] on portion 5, see par 0026), wherein the transmission signal conforms to the second industrial specification (once device is electrically connected/assembled, transmission signals conform and flow in the form of driving signal, see middle of par 0033, for example); and a processor (driving chip -15 and/or including 500, 600, Figs 1, 5) coupled to the at least one group of connector pins to receive or send the transmission signal
(processor 15 is electrically coupled to connector pins of the one group being part of broader transmission interface 10, see par 0026), wherein dimensions of the connector are less than dimensions of a second connector that conforms to the second industrial specification (plug portion 17 made to fit inside second connector disposed on portion 5, therefore has smaller dimension, see Fig 0026), and wherein the second industrial specification is a PCle transmission specification (second industrial specification includes portion 53 which includes a PCIe transmission spec, see par 0033).
Regarding claim 9, Tsai discloses the mainframe apparatus as claimed in
claim 8, wherein the connector is a USB Type-C connector (see par 0007).
Regarding claim 11, Tsai discloses the mainframe apparatus as claimed in claim 8, wherein a direction of extension of the connector and a plane where the motherboard lies are perpendicular to each other (at least 20 or 25 perpendicular
to 10 or 30, Fig 2).
Regarding claim 12, Tsai discloses the mainframe apparatus as claimed in claim 8, wherein the second industrial specification supports a plurality of transmission channels (high speed 55 and/or PCle 53, Fig 5), and pin definitions of the connector pins support at least one of the transmission channels, respectively
(once coupled, Fig 5).
Regarding claim 13, Tsai discloses the mainframe apparatus as claimed in claim 8, wherein the connector 1s a male connector plug or a female connector jack (male plug connector, par 0026).
Regarding claim 14, Tsai discloses the mainframe apparatus as claimed in claim 8, wherein the processor is a PCle processor or a USB processor (see par 0033).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure: see PTO 892.
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.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to RASHEN E MORRISON whose telephone number is (571)272-8852. The examiner can normally be reached 9-5.
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/RASHEN E MORRISON/Examiner, Art Unit 2841 /IMANI N HAYMAN/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2841
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