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 .
Claim Objections
Claim 15 is objected to because of the following informalities:
Claim 15, lines 2-4, the examiner suggests removing the recitation of “wherein each of the first impedance element and the second impedance element has a longitudinal direction and a lateral direction parallel to the main surface and” since such recitation if redundant based on the chain of dependency (see claim 2, lines 2-4, from which this claim directly depends from).
Appropriate correction is required.
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.
Claims 1-4, 6 and 11 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Takashi et al. (JP2008251808A, Cited by Applicant, Machine English Translation Provided by Applicant).
In regards to claim 1, Takashi et al. teaches based on figs. 3(A) and 5(A) an element mounting substrate comprising:
A substrate (present but labeled);
A first impedance element (Fig. 3(A): 601 and Fig. 5(A):61) and a second impedance element (Fig. 3(A): 602 and Fig. 5(A):62) on a main/top surface of the substrate and each having an electrode (Fig. 3(A): 301/302 and Fig. 5(A):31/32;
A transmission line (Fig. 3(A): P20 and Fig. 5(A):P20) on the substrate and having a first end connected to the electrode of the first impedance element and a second end connected to the electrode of the second impedance element, wherein the first impedance element and the second impedance element are electrically connected in series via the transmission line (Fig. 3(A): P20 and Fig. 5(A): P20) on the substrate, and based on Fig. 3(A) and Fig. 5(A) a line length between the first end and the second end in the transmission line is longer than a shortest distance (i.e. straight line between the first and second impedance element) between the first end and the second end.
In regards to claim 2, based on Fig. 5(A), each of the first impedance element (61) and the second impedance element (62) has a longitudinal direction (left to right direction) and a lateral direction (up and down direction) parallel to the main surface and orthogonal to each other, and when a straight line parallel to the longitudinal direction and passing through a center in the lateral direction is defined as a central axis, a first central axis that is the central axis of the first impedance element (61) and a second central axis that is the central axis of the second impedance element (62) are on the same straight line when viewed from a direction orthogonal to the main surface of the substrate (based on Fig. 5(A) the first and second impedance element are disposed in a manner in which their respective central axis are on a same straight line crossing each other in the longitudinal direction).
In regards to claims 3 and 4, based on Fig. 3(A), wherein each of the first impedance element (601) and the second impedance element (602) has a longitudinal direction (left to right direction) and a lateral direction parallel (up and down direction) to the main surface and orthogonal to each other, and when a straight line parallel to the longitudinal direction and passing through a center in the lateral direction is defined as a central axis, an extension line of a first central axis that is the central axis of the first impedance element and an extension line of a second central axis that is the central axis of the second impedance element intersect at one point when viewed from a direction orthogonal to the main surface of the substrate (based on machine English Paragraph [0040], both the first and second impedance elements are disposed at 135 degrees facing each other, therefore their respective central axis will intersect at a orthogonal angle to the main surface of the substrate).
In regards to claims 6 and 11, based on Fig. 3(A) and Fig. 5(A), the transmission line (P20) is located on the main/top surface of the substrate.
Claims 1, 2, 5, 7, 12 and 20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Katsuhiko (JPH05145364A, Cited by Applicant, Machine English Translation Provided by Applicant).
In regards to claim 1, Katsuhiko teaches in Figs. 4, 5(A), 5(B), 6(A) and 6(B) an element mounting substrate comprising:
A substrate (1-1, 1-2 and 1-3);
A first impedance element (C2) and a second impedance element (C8) on a main surface of the substrate and each having an electrode/pad; and
A transmission line (combination of all line segments between C2 and C4 including L3) on the substrate and having a first end (upper unlabeled pad) connected to the electrode of the first impedance element (C2) and a second end (upper unlabeled pad) connected to the electrode of the second impedance element (C8), wherein the first impedance element (C2) and the second impedance element (C8) are electrically connected in series (see Fig. 5(A), series connection formed through C3 and L3) via the transmission line on the substrate, and a line length between the first end and the second end in the transmission line is longer than a shortest distance between the first end and the second end (transmission line twist and turns within the substrate, therefore the transmission line length will be longer than a shortest distance between the first and second end).
In regards to claim 2, based on Fig 4, each of the first impedance element (C2) and the second impedance element (C8) has a longitudinal direction (up and down direction) and a lateral (left and right direction) direction parallel to the main surface and orthogonal to each other, and when a straight line parallel to the longitudinal direction and passing through a center in the lateral direction is defined as a central axis, a first central axis that is the central axis of the first impedance element and a second central axis that is the central axis of the second impedance element are on the same straight line when viewed from a direction orthogonal to the main surface of the substrate (based on Fig. 4, both the first and second impedance elements are arranged in the same direction, therefore they will both have their respective central axis facing the same straight line direction).
In regards to claim 5, based on Fig. 4, each of the first impedance element (C2) and the second impedance element (C8) has a longitudinal direction (up and down direction) and a lateral direction (left and right direction) parallel to the main surface and orthogonal to each other, when a straight line parallel to the longitudinal direction and passing through a center in the lateral direction is defined as a central axis, a first central axis that is the central axis of the first impedance element and a second central axis that is the central axis of the second impedance element are parallel to each other when viewed from a direction orthogonal to the main surface of the substrate, and the first impedance element and the second impedance element are not lined up in a direction orthogonal to the first central axis and the second central axis when viewed from a direction orthogonal to the main surface of the substrate (based on Fig. 4 the first and second impedance elements are offset from each other in the longitudinal direction, resulting in the first and second impedance elements being not lined up in a direction orthogonal to the first central axis and the second central axis when viewed from a direction orthogonal to the main surface of the substrate).
In regards to claims 7 and 12, based on Fig. 6, the transmission line (combination of all line segments between C2 and C4 including L3) is in an interior of the substrate.
In regards to claim 20, Katsuhiko teaches based on Fig. 5(A), 5(B), 6(A) and 6(B) an adjustment method comprising: adjusting, by a line length of a transmission line (combination of all line segments between C2 and C4 including L3, in which the length of L3 will determine an anti-resonance frequency of the filter, see anti-resonance frequency f2 Fig. 5(B)) that electrically connects an electrode of a first impedance element (C2) and an electrode of a second impedance element (C8) in series, an anti-resonant frequency of a signal passing through the first impedance element, the transmission line, and the second impedance element in this order (i.e. anti-resonant frequency is used to form frequency f2 in Fig. 5(B) which will necessarily be determined by the length of the combination of all line segments between C2 and C4 including L3).
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.
Claims 8 and 13 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Takashi et al. (JP2008251808A, Cited by Applicant, Machine English Translation Provided by Applicant).
As disclosed above, Takashi et al. teaches the claimed invention as recited in claim 1 and 2. Takashi et al. does not disclose the specific length of the transmission line, therefore does not teach: in regards to claims 8 and 13, wherein the line length is equal to or more than 1.05 times of a shortest distance between the first end and the second end.
However, Takashi et al. teaches in Machine English Translation Paragraph [0047], that the transmission line length is long enough to bypass around an electronic component (10), in which the transmission line length will always be larger than the shorter distance between the first and second impedance elements.
At the time of filing, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to have modified the invention of Takashi et al. and have designed the transmission line length to be significantly larger than the shorter distance between the first and second impedance elements (e.g. more than 1.05 times of a shortest distance between the first end and the second end) because such a modification would have been an obvious design consideration to ensure enough transmission line length to properly route the transmission line around an electronic component as taught by Takashi et al. (See Machine English Translation Paragraph [0047]).
Claims 9 and 14 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Takashi et al. (JP2008251808A, Cited by Applicant, Machine English Translation Provided by Applicant) in view of Harada et al. (US2019/0280668 A1).
As discussed above, Takashi et al. teaches the claimed invention as recited in claims 1 and 2. Based on Fig. 5(a), a length of the transmission line is longer than a shortest distance between the first and second end of the transmission line, however Takashi et al. does not provide a specific length, therefore Takashi et al. does not teach: in regards to claims 9 and 14, wherein the line length is equal to or more than 0.2 mm.
Harada et al. exemplary teaches in Fig. 3 a circuit layout comprising a line segment (rb) used to connect an impedance element (L1) to another circuit element (filter 11). Harada et al. teaches in Paragraph [0076], that the line segment has a length of 1.5mm.
At the time of filing, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to have modified the invention of Takashi et al. and have made the length of the transmission line to be any desired length such as 1.5mm as exemplary taught by Harada et al., because such a modification would have been an obvious design consideration to achieve a desired circuit layout.
Claims 16 and 18 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Mori (US2019/0013789 A1) in view of Harada et al. (US2019/0280668 A1).
In regards to claim 16, Mori teaches in Fig. 5B an element mounting substrate comprising:
A substrate (present but not labeled);
A first impedance element (L1) and a second impedance element (capacitor FC) on the substrate and each having an electrode; and
A transmission line (wiring segment between L1 and FC) on the substrate and having a first end connected to the electrode of the first impedance element and a second end connected to the electrode of the second impedance element, wherein the first impedance element and the second impedance element are electrically connected in series via the transmission line on the substrate.
In regards to claim 18, based on Fig. 5B, the line length is the same as a shortest distance between the first end and the second end (wiring segment is straight between L1 and FC).
Mori does not teach the length of the line segment; therefore, Mori does not teach: in regards to claim 16, a line length between the first end and the second end in the transmission line is equal to or more than 0.2 mm.
Harada et al. exemplary teaches in Fig. 3 a circuit layout comprising a line segment (rb) used to connect an impedance element (L1) to another circuit element (filter 11). Harada et al. teaches in Paragraph [0076], that the line segment has a length of 1.5mm.
At the time of filing, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to have modified the invention of Mori and have made the length of the transmission line to be any desired length such as 1.5mm as exemplary taught by Harada et al., because such a modification would have been an obvious design consideration to achieve a desired circuit layout.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 10 and 15 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.
Claims 17 and 19 are allowed.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter:
In regards to claim 17, the most relevant prior art reference is Takashi et al. as disclosed above. However, Takashi et al. does not teach in regards to claim 17, wherein a line length between the first end and the second end of the transmission line in the transmission line is equal to or more than a half of a length, which is not a longer length, of a first length of the first impedance element in the longitudinal direction and a second length of the second impedance element in the longitudinal direction. Therefore, the applicant’s claimed invention has been determined to be novel and non-obvious. By virtue of dependency from claim 17, claim 19 has also been determined to be novel and non-obvious.
Conclusion
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/JORGE L SALAZAR JR/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2843