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 .
Election/Restrictions
Applicant's election with traverse of Group I in the reply filed on 10/20/2025 is acknowledged. The traversal is on the ground(s) that applicant did not provide any reason for the traversal. Therefore it is not found persuasive
The requirement is still deemed proper and is therefore made FINAL.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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 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 – 4, 6 – 9 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Schrey et al. (US 11013106 B1, “Schrey”)
Regarding claim 1, Schrey discloses (2B) a control board comprising (10): a circuit board (22) having a signal line (24) disposed on at least one of an outer surface and an inner surface of the circuit board; and an access point (18) formed on the circuit board and configured to be connectable with an external device, wherein a portion of the circuit board on which the access point is formed is separable or removable from an other portion of the circuit board (See annotated figure below).
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Regarding claim 2, Schrey discloses the control board of claim 1, wherein the separable or removable portion of the circuit board on which the access point is formed protrudes and extends from one edge of the other portion of circuit board (See annotated figure above).
Regarding claim 3, Schrey discloses the control board of claim 2, wherein the separable or removable portion of the circuit board on which the access point is formed has at least one groove (36) formed on one or both sides of the separable or removable portion of the circuit board (See Col. 7, lines: 7 - 28).
Regarding claim 4, Schrey discloses the control board of claim 3, wherein the separable or removable portion of the circuit board on which the access point is formed is configured to be separatable or removable from the other portion of the circuit board by cutting at the at least one groove formed on one or both sides of the separable or removable portion of the circuit board or along a cutout groove (See Col. 7, lines: 29 - 49).
Regarding claim 6, Schrey discloses (2B) a control apparatus (10), comprising: an electronic controller configured to execute software for controlling a vehicle (Col. 2, lines: 51 – 61, Col. 3, lines: 27 – 31); and a control board connecting between the electronic controller and an external device through a signal line (24), wherein the control board comprises a circuit board having the signal line disposed on at least one of an outer surface and an inner surface of the circuit board (22); and an access point (18) formed on the circuit board and configured to be connectable with an external device (16), wherein a portion of the circuit board on which the access point is formed is separable or removable from an other portion of the circuit board (See Col. 7, lines: 29 - 49).
Regarding claim 7, Schrey discloses the control apparatus of claim 6, wherein the separable or removable portion of the circuit board on which the access point is formed protrudes and extends from one edge of the other portion of circuit board (See annotated figure below).
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Regarding claim 8, Schrey discloses the control apparatus of claim 7, wherein the separable or removable portion of the circuit board on which the access point is formed has at least one groove formed on one or both sides of the separable or removable portion of the circuit board (See annotated figure above).
Regarding claim 9, Schrey discloses the control apparatus of claim 8, wherein the separable or removable portion of the circuit board on which the access point is formed is configured to separatable or removable from the other portion of the circuit board by cutting at the at least one groove formed on one or both sides of the separable or removable portion of the circuit board or along a cutout groove (See Col. 7, lines: 29 - 49).
Claim(s) 21 – 22 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by KIM et al. (US 20150075844 A1, “KIM”)
Regarding claim 21, KIM discloses (Fig. 1, 2E, 12) control board comprising: a multilayer circuit board having a signal line (520) disposed at an inner layer; a separable or removable portion protruding and extending from one edge of another portion of the circuit board; an access point formed on the separable or removable portion and configured to be connectable to an external device (See figure 12); and a via (150) provided in the separable or removable portion and electrically connecting the signal line in the inner layer to the access point at an outer layer, wherein separation or removal of the separable or removable portion from the other portion causes the via to be insulated or electrically disconnected, thereby blocking signal transmission between the signal line and the access point (See annotated figure below).
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Regarding claim 22, The control board of claim 21, wherein the access point is configured to receive a signal from an external device for testing software or for changing or uploading the software (See para [0154] – [0155]).
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.
Claim(s) 5 and 10 – 11 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Schrey et al. (US 11013106 B1, “Schrey”) in view of KIM et al. (US 20150075844 A1, “KIM”)
Regarding claim 5, Schrey discloses the control board of claim 2, wherein: the circuit board is multilayered, and the separable or removable portion of the circuit board on which the access point is formed further comprises a via connecting the signal line located at an inner layer of the circuit board, and the access point is located at an outer layer of the circuit board (See annotated figure below).
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Schrey is silent on circuit board being multilayer.
However, KIM discloses (Fig. 1, 2E, 12) the circuit board is multilayered, and the separable or removable portion of the circuit board on which the access point is formed further comprises a via connecting the signal line located at an inner layer of the circuit board, and the access point is located at an outer layer of the circuit board (See annotated figure below)
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Schrey and KIM are both considered to be analogous to the claimed invention because they are in the same field of control board. Therefore, it would have been obvious to someone of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified Schrey to incorporate the teachings of KIM and provide the circuit board is multilayered, and the separable or removable portion of the circuit board on which the access point is formed further comprises a via connecting the signal line located at an inner layer of the circuit board, and the access point is located at an outer layer of the circuit board (See annotated figure above) Doing so would an integrating test circuitry without occupying surface space and allowing flexible and balanced conductive routing (para [0072] – [0075] and [0081]).
Regarding claim 10, Schrey discloses the control apparatus of claim 7, wherein: the circuit board is multilayered, and the separable or removable portion of the circuit board on which the access point is formed further comprises a via connecting the signal line located at an inner layer of the circuit board and the access point is located at an outer layer of the circuit board (See annotated figure below).
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Schrey is silent on circuit board being multilayer.
However, KIM discloses (Fig. 1, 2E, 12) the circuit board is multilayered, and the separable or removable portion of the circuit board on which the access point is formed further comprises a via connecting the signal line located at an inner layer of the circuit board, and the access point is located at an outer layer of the circuit board (See annotated figure below)
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Schrey and KIM are both considered to be analogous to the claimed invention because they are in the same field of control board. Therefore, it would have been obvious to someone of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified Schrey to incorporate the teachings of KIM and provide the circuit board is multilayered, and the separable or removable portion of the circuit board on which the access point is formed further comprises a via connecting the signal line located at an inner layer of the circuit board, and the access point is located at an outer layer of the circuit board (See annotated figure above) Doing so would an integrating test circuitry without occupying surface space and allowing flexible and balanced conductive routing (para [0072] – [0075] and [0081]).
Regarding claim 11, Schrey in view of KIM discloses the control apparatus of claim 10, wherein KIM further discloses the via of the separable or removable portion of the circuit board on which the access point is formed is insulated or electrically disconnected from the signal line and the electronic controller such that signal transmission between the electronic controller and the external device is blocked by the via (See figure below).
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Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to SIDI MOHAMED MAIGA whose telephone number is (703)756-1870. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Friday 8 am 5 pm.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Timothy Thompson can be reached on 571-272-2342. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/SIDI M MAIGA/Examiner, Art Unit 2847
/STANLEY TSO/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2847