DETAILED ACTION
Response to Election/Restriction
This communication is responsive to the provisional election made without traverse on 02/02/2026 to prosecute the invention of Group I, including claims 1-14 and 26-36. Other Groups, including claims 15-25 are withdrawn from further consideration, as being drawn to a non-elected invention. A complete reply to a future final office action must include cancellation of non-elected claims or other appropriate action (37 CFR 1.144). See MPEP § 821.01.
Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status
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.
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.
Claims 1-2, 4-5, 7-8, 26, 28, 30 and 36 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Schlarmann et al. (U. S. Pat. App. Pub. No. – 2012/0175747).
Regarding claim 1, Schlarmann et al. disclose a semiconductor chip package (260), comprising: a substrate (336) with a first surface (upper) and a second surface (bottom) opposite to the first surface, wherein the substrate comprises a first opening (336); an electronic device (222) disposed on the first surface of the substrate, wherein the electronic device comprises a second opening (in 242) aligned with the first opening of the substrate; and a molding compound layer (234) disposed on the second surface (bottom) of the substrate, wherein the molding compound layer comprises a third opening (338) aligned with the second opening of the electronic device (Fig. 28).
Regarding claim 2, Schlarmann et al. further disclose the structure semiconductor chip package, comprising: another molding compound layer disposed on the first surface (upper) of the substrate, wherein the other molding compound layer comprises a fourth opening (342) aligned with a fifth opening (in 340) of the electronic device, and wherein the fifth opening is on an opposite surface of the electronic device to that of the second opening (Fig. 28).
Regarding claim 4, Schlarmann et al. further disclose the structure semiconductor chip package, comprising: a guide structure (340) disposed along sidewalls of the third opening of the molding compound layer (Figs. 28-29).
Regarding claim 5, Schlarmann et al. further disclose the structure semiconductor chip package, wherein the guide structure comprises an L-shaped structure disposed on the second surface of the substrate (Figs. 28-29).
Regarding claim 7, Schlarmann et al. further disclose the structure semiconductor chip package, wherein the substrate comprises a printed circuit board (Fig. 28).
Regarding claim 8, Schlarmann et al. further disclose the structure semiconductor chip package, wherein the electronic device comprises a microphone device (MEMS, 222).
Regarding claim 26, Schlarmann et al. disclose an integrated circuit (IC) package, (334) comprising: a substrate (336) with a first surface (upper surface) and a second surface (bottom surface) opposite to the first surface, wherein the substrate comprises a first opening (338); a sensor device (222) disposed on the first surface of the substrate, wherein the sensor device comprises an inlet opening (242) and a relief opening (242) on an opposite surface to that of the inlet opening, wherein the inlet opening is aligned with the first opening of the substrate; and a molding compound layer (234) disposed on the second surface of the substrate, wherein the molding compound layer comprises a third opening (342) aligned with the inlet opening (Fig. 28).
Regarding claim 28, Schlarmann et al. further disclose the IC package, comprising: another molding compound layer (234) disposed on the first surface of the substrate, wherein the other molding compound layer comprises a fourth opening (338) aligned with the relief opening (Fig. 28).
Regarding claim 30, Schlarmann et al. further disclose the IC package, comprising: a guide structure disposed along sidewalls of the third opening of the molding compound layer (Figs. 28-29).
Regarding claim 36, Schlarmann et al. further disclose the IC package, comprising: a passive device, an integrated circuit chip (224), or a combination thereof on the first surface or the second surface of the substrate (Fig. 28).
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 103(a) 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.
This application currently names joint inventors. In considering patentability of the claims under 35 U.S.C. 103 (a), the examiner presumes that the subject matter of the various claims was commonly owned at the time any inventions covered therein were made absent any evidence to the contrary. Applicant is advised of the obligation under 37 CFR 1.56 to point out the inventor and invention dates of each claim that was not commonly owned at the time a later invention was made in order for the examiner to consider the applicability of 35 U.S.C. 103(c) and potential 35 U.S.C. 102(e), (f) or (g) prior art under 35 U.S.C. 103(a).
Claims 27 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103(a) as being unpatentable over Liu et al. (U. S. Pat. App. Pub. No. - 6,175,635).
Regarding claim 27, Schlarmann et al. may not specially teach that the first opening comprises angled sidewalls as claimed. Since providing suitable shaped inlet means for a microphone device is very well known in the art (Official Notice), and Schlarmann et al. do suggest for modification the invention ([0120]), it therefore would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to be motivated to provide suitable shaped inlet means, such as a taped sidewalls, for IC package taught by Schlarmann et al., in order to provide better gathering incoming acoustic signal.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 9-14 are allowed.
Claims 3, 6, 29 and 31-35 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.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to SUHAN NI whose telephone number is (571)272-7505. The examiner can normally be reached on Monday to Friday from 10:00 am to 6:30 pm.
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/SUHAN NI/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2691
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