CTNF 18/217,678 CTNF 78519 DETAILED ACTION Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status 07-03-aia AIA 15-10-aia The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA. Priority 02-25 AIA Acknowledgment is made of applicant’s claim for foreign priority based on an application filed in Japan on February 4, 2021 . It is noted, however, that applicant has not filed a certified copy of the JP 2021-016821 A application as required by 37 CFR 1.55. Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112 07-30-02 AIA The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b): (b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention. The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA), second paragraph: The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention. 07-34-01 Claims 3 and 7 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention. 07-34-03 AIA The term “ about ” in claim s 3 and 7 is a relative term which renders the claim indefinite. The term “ about ” is not defined by the claim, the specification does not provide a standard for ascertaining the requisite degree, and one of ordinary skill in the art would not be reasonably apprised of the scope of the invention. Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102 07-06 AIA 15-10-15 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. 07-07-aia AIA 07-07 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 – 07-08-aia AIA (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. 07-15 AIA Claim s 1-10 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102( a)(1 ) as being anticipated by U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2019/0149312 A1 to Takamine . Takamine clearly teaches a Multiplexer, Radio-Frequency Front-End Circuit, and Communication Apparatus, comprising: a crystal substrate (320); an aluminum oxide layer (328) on the crystal substrate (see Figure 4); a piezoelectric layer (327) on the aluminum oxide layer (see Figure 4); and an interdigital transducer (32a, 32b) electrode on the piezoelectric layer (see Figure 4) and including a plurality of electrode fingers (see Figure 4). With regards to claim 2, Takamine discloses: the piezoelectric layer being a lithium tantalate layer or a lithium niobate layer (see paragraphs [0093], [0094], and [0097]). With regards to claim 3, Takamine discloses: the piezoelectric layer having a cut-angle, in the range of, about 20°-rotated Y-cut X-propagation to about 60°-rotated Y-cut X-propagation (see Figures 4 and 7(c)). With regards to claim 4, Takamine discloses: a low velocity film (326) between the aluminum oxide layer and the piezoelectric layer (see Figure 4); wherein a bulk wave that propagates through the low velocity film has a lower velocity than a bulk wave that propagates through the piezoelectric layer. With regards to claim 5, Takamine discloses: the low velocity film being a silicon oxide film (see paragraph [0095]). With regards to claim 6, Takamine discloses: a bulk wave that propagates through the crystal substrate has a lower velocity than an acoustic wave that propagates through the piezoelectric layer (see Figures 5, 6, 7(a), 7(b), and 7(c)). With regards to claim 7, Takamine discloses: the crystal substrate having Euler angles (φ, θ, ψ) of (about 0° ± about 2.5°, θ, about 90° ± about 2.5°), and θ in the Euler angles of the crystal substrate satisfies about 185°≤ θ ≤ about 240° (see paragraph [0100]). With regards to claim 8, Takamine discloses: when a wavelength defined by an electrode finger pitch of the plurality of electrode fingers of the IDT electrode is denoted with λ and a thickness of the aluminum oxide layer is denoted with t, a relationship between θ in the Euler angles of the crystal substrate and the thickness t is, as shown in Figures 5, 6, 7(a), 7(b), and 7(c), any of combinations in Table 1: Table 1 PNG media_image1.png 923 1430 media_image1.png Greyscale With regards to claim 9, Takamine discloses: the low velocity film including glass (see paragraph [0097]), a silicon oxynitride (see paragraph [0097]), a lithium oxide, a tantalum pentoxide, or a compound obtained by adding fluorine, carbon, or boron to a silicon oxide as a main component. With regards to claim 10, Takamine discloses: a pair of reflectors (32c) on both sides of the IDT electrode in a propagation direction (see Figure 4). Conclusion Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to PEDRO J CUEVAS whose telephone number is (571)272-2021. The examiner can normally be reached 9:00 AM - 6:00 PM. Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice. If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Tulsidas Patel can be reached at 571-272-2098. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300. Information regarding the status of published or unpublished applications may be obtained from Patent Center. Unpublished application information in Patent Center is available to registered users. To file and manage patent submissions in Patent Center, visit: https://patentcenter.uspto.gov. Visit https://www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/patent-center for more information about Patent Center and https://www.uspto.gov/patents/docx for information about filing in DOCX format. For additional questions, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000. /PEDRO J CUEVAS/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2834 May 6, 2026 Application/Control Number: 18/217,678 Page 2 Art Unit: 2834 Application/Control Number: 18/217,678 Page 3 Art Unit: 2834 Application/Control Number: 18/217,678 Page 5 Art Unit: 2834 Application/Control Number: 18/217,678 Page 6 Art Unit: 2834
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