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 .
This communication is in response to the claim’s amendment dated 2/9/2026.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claim 1 have been considered but are moot because the new ground of rejection does not rely on the newly applied prior art (U.S. Patent 6,285,548).
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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 (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) 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.
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 1-3 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Moss U.S. Patent 6,185,093 (hereinafter D1) in view of Bird et al. U.S. Patent 6,912,128 (hereinafter D2) and Megason et al. U.S. Patent 6,381,149 (hereinafter D3) and in further view of Hamlet et al. U.S. Patent 6,285,548 (hereinafter D4).
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Regarding claim 1, D1 teaches an electronic apparatus comprising a substrate (28a; figures 6-8) and an adapter (figures 6-8; 46 + 48), and the adapter (46 + 48) includes:
a first connector (50; figures 6-8) connectable to the substrate in a second direction (see above annotated figures 6-8) perpendicular to the first direction (see above annotated figures 6-8);
a second connector (54; figures 6-8) protruding in a direction parallel (see above annotated figures 6-8) to the first direction;
a circuit (see column 3, lines 1-4) electrically connecting the first connector to the second connector;
a holding member (46; figures 6-8) holding (see figures 6-8) the first connector, the second connector (54) and the circuit.
However, D1 does not specifically teach wherein the substrate includes a flow path adjustment plate that adjusts a stream of gas in such a way that the gas flows in a first direction.
D2 suggests thermos sub-assembly comprises a heatsink (65; figure 2) as a flow path adjustment plate that adjusts (by the fins of 65) a stream of gas in such a way that the gas flows in a specific direction (gas flows along the space between the fins of heatsink 65).
It would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a person having ordinary skill in the art to further equip the substrate of D1 with a heatsink having heat fins as a flow path adjustment plate that adjusts a stream of gas in such a way that the gas flows in a longitudinal direction, as suggested by D2, to direct airflow in the longitudinal direction of D1, first direction, to help dissipate more heat.
However, D1/D2 does not teach that the holding member being in contact with a part of a periphery of the substrate due to connection of the first connector to the substrate.
D3, teaches a similar structure, comprising a circuit board guide (46; figure 2) for guiding and direct and electrical connector (44; figure 2) of a printed circuit board ( 40; figure 2) toward a respective electrical connector (45; figure 2).
It would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a person having ordinary skill in the art to further equip the adapter of D1/D2 with a guiding structure, as suggested by D3, positioned at both side of the holding member (46) of D1/D2, to guide/direct the substrate toward the first connector, such that the holding member having the guiding structure would be in contact with a part (left/right side of 28a; figures 6-8 of D1) of a periphery (left/right side of 28a; figures 6-8 of D1) of the substrate to connection of the first connector to the substrate.
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However, D1 does not specifically teach that the substrate includes an optical output unit configured to output light from an optical transceiver; and a direction in which the light is output from the optical output unit is a third direction that is not parallel to the first direction and the second direction.
D4 teaches a similar structure (42; figure 7) including an optical output unit (222; figure 7) configured to output light from an optical transceiver (118; figure 7); and a direction (diagonal direction; see figure 7) in which the light is output from the optical output unit is a third direction (diagonal direction) that is not parallel to vertical direction and horizontal direction.
It would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a person having ordinary skill in the art to further equip the substrate of D1/D2/D3 with an optical transceiver, as suggested by D4, such that a direction in which the light is output from the optical output unit is a third direction that would not be parallel to the first direction and the second direction, for communicating status indications to the user.
Regarding claim 2, the modification of D1/D2/D3 would result in the electronic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the holding member (46) includes:
a first base member unit (60; figure 6 of D1) holding the first connector (50) and the circuit;
a second base member unit (see above annotated figure 7 of D1) being connected to the first base member unit (60) and holding the second connector; and
a third base member unit (see above annotated figure 7 of D1) being connected to the first base member unit and being parallel (see above annotated figure 7) to the second base member unit; and
at least one of the second base member unit (after modified and further comprised with a card guiding structure 46 of D3) and the third base member unit (after modified and further comprised with a card guiding structure 46 of D3) is in contact with a part (left/right side of 28a; figures 6-8 of D1) of one side (left/right side of 28a of D1) of a plurality of sides (left and right side of 28a) included in the periphery of the substrate.
Regarding claim 3, as mentioned above, D1/D2/D3 teaches the electronic apparatus according to claim 1.
However, D1/D2/D3 does not specifically teach the substrate includes an interface to an outside at a part of the periphery that is not in contact with the holding member.
D4 teaches a similar substrate structure (42; figure 7) including an interface (118; figure 7) to an outside (see figure 7) at a part (see figure 7) of the periphery (see figure 7) that is not in contact with the holder member (see figure 3) that holds said substrate.
It would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a person having ordinary skill in the art to further equip the substrate of D1/D2/D3 with an interface to an outside at a part of the periphery that is not in contact with the holding member, as suggested by D4, for communicating status indications to the user.
Conclusion
Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). 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 HUNG Q DANG whose telephone number is (571)272-3069. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 10-6PM..
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Imani N Hayman can be reached at 571-270-5528. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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HUNG Q. DANG
Examiner
Art Unit 2835
/IMANI N HAYMAN/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2841