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 .
Claim Objections
Claims 5 and 16 are objected to because of the following informalities:
Regarding claim 5, lines 3 and 5, please, change “a first printed circuit board unit having a first connecting portion….a second printed circuit board unit having a second connecting portion” to - - the first printed circuit board unit having the first connecting portion…the second printed circuit board unit having the second connecting portion - - for proper reading.
Claim 16, line 8, please, change “the printed circuit board units” to - - the at least two printed circuit board units - - for proper reading.
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.
Claim(s) 1-2, 5, 9, 11-16, and 20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102a(1) as being anticipated by Trobough (U.S. 2005/0286239).
As to claim 1, Trobough discloses a printed circuit board assembly as shown in figures 1-4 comprising:
a plurality of printed circuit board units (108, 112, para-0021+) comprising:
a first printed circuit board unit (108) having a first connecting portion (the right portion on the package substrate 109, hereafter A) and a first set of connecting portion openings; and
a second printed circuit board unit (112) having a second connecting portion (414) and a second set of connecting portion openings; and
a board-connector (100) for joining at least two of the plurality of printed circuit board units (108, 112), the board connector (100) comprises: a first surface (top
surface) and an opposing second surface (bottom surface);
a plurality of openings (114), wherein the plurality of openings (114) comprises a
first set of connector openings (the openings 114 in the first socket 102) for providing electrical connections between at least two of the plurality of printed circuit board units (108, 112), and a second set of connector openings (the openings 114 in the first socket 104),
wherein the first set of connecting portion openings, the second set of connector
openings, and the second set of connecting portion openings are aligned to form a set of stacked openings; and
a plurality of alignment members (118), positioned in the set of stacked openings, see figure 4.
As to claim 2, Trobough discloses in figure 4B the plurality of printed circuit board units (108, 112) comprise:
the first printed circuit board unit (108), wherein the first connecting portion (A)
of the first printed circuit board unit (108) is electrically coupled to the first surface (top
surface) of the board connector (100); and
the second printed circuit board unit (112) having a second connecting portion (414), wherein the second connecting portion (414) of the second printed circuit board
unit (112) is electrically coupled to the second surface (bottom surface) of the board
connector (100).
As best understood to claim 5, Trobough discloses the plurality of printed circuit
board units (108, 112) comprise:
[a] the first printed circuit board (108) unit having [a] the first connecting portion (the right portion on the package substrate 109, hereafter A), wherein the first connecting portion is electrically coupled to the first surface (top surface) of the board connector (100); and
[a] the second printed circuit board unit (112) having [a] the second connecting portion (414), wherein the second connecting portion is electrically coupled to the second surface of the board connector.
As to claim 9, Trobough discloses the first printed circuit board unit (108)
comprises a central processing unit (CPU, para-0021).
As to claim 11, Trobough discloses the plurality of printed circuit board units
comprises at least three printed circuit board units (108, 112, and 106 or 516, figure 5A)
for providing electrical connections and mechanical support to electrical components for
parallel pre-fix scan operations.
As to claim 12, Trobough further comprises an electrically conductive material
(406) filling the first set of openings (114) in the board connector (100), wherein the
electrically conductive material protrudes beyond the first and second surfaces of the
board connector (100), see figures 4A-4E
As to claim 13, Trobough discloses a method of forming/making a printed circuit board assembly as shown in figures 1-4 comprising:
forming a first printed circuit board unit (108) with a first connecting portion (A) and a first set of connecting portion openings;
forming a second printed circuit board unit (112) with a second connecting portion (414) and a second set of connecting portion openings;
forming a printed circuit board connector (100) having a first surface (top surface), an opposing second surface (bottom surface), and a plurality of openings (114);
wherein the plurality of openings (114) comprises a first set of connector
openings (the openings 114 in the first socket 102) and a second set of connector openings (the openings 114 in the first socket 104);
electrically coupling the first connecting portion (A) of the first printed circuit
board (108) unit with the first surface of the printed circuit board connector (100); and
electrically coupling the second connection portion (414) of the second printed circuit
board unit (112) with the first surface or the second surface of the printed circuit board
connector (100).
aligning the first and second set of connecting portion openings, the second set of connector openings (the openings 114 in the first and second sockets 102, 104), in a set of stacked openings; and
positioning a plurality of alignment members (118) in the set of stacked openings.
As to claim 14, Trobough further comprises filling the openings with an electrically conductive material (406, para-0024+), wherein the electrically conductive material protrudes beyond the first and second surfaces of the printed circuit board connector (100), see figures 4A-4E.
As to claim 15, Trobough further comprises:
aligning the openings (114) in the first connecting portion of the first printed circuit board unit (108) with the openings in the printed circuit board connector (100); and
aligning the openings (114) in the second connecting portion of the second printed circuit board unit (112) with the openings (114) in the printed circuit board connector (100).
As to claim 16, Trobough discloses a printed circuit board connector (100)
comprising:
a first surface (top surface) and an opposing second surface (bottom surface);
a plurality of openings (114) formed in the printed circuit board connector (100),
wherein the plurality of openings (114) comprises a first set of connector openings (the openings 114 in the first socket 102), wherein the first set of connector openings (114) is provided with an electrically conductive material (406) for coupling at least two printed circuit board units (108, 112).
a second set of connector openings (the openings 114 in the first socket 104), wherein the second set of connector openings (114) is aligned with openings in the printed circuit board units in a stacked set and connected with a plurality of alignment members (118, para-0024+).
As to claim 20, Trobough discloses the printed circuit board connector (100) is a
molded array solder connection interposer.
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.
Claim(s) 10 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over
Trobough in view of Goh et al. (U.S. 2018/0331081).
Regarding claim 10, Trobough discloses all of the limitations of claimed invention
except for the second printed circuit board unit comprises a discrete graphics
processing unit or d-GPU.
Goh teaches integrating system in package comprising a SiP device having a
substrate (figure 3) comprises a discrete graphics processing unit or d-GPU, para-
0019+.
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the
effective filling date to have a teaching of Goh employed in the PCB assembly of
Trobough in order to provide higher performance and processing power than integrated
graphics, resulting in smoother gameplay, faster frame rates, and better graphics quality.
Claim(s) 18-19 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over
Trobough in view of Roth et al. (U.S. 2021/0249952).
Regarding claim 18, Trobough discloses all of the limitations of claimed invention
except for the printed circuit board connector is made of a composite material
composed of woven fiberglass cloth with an epoxy resin binder.
Roth teaches a semiconductor structure (100) as shown in figure 1 comprising
the printed circuit board connector (101) is made of a composite material composed of
woven fiberglass cloth with an epoxy resin binder, para-0025.
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the
effective filling date to have a teaching of Roth employed in the PCB assembly of
Trobough in order to provide excellent flammable resistance, low thermal
conductivity, and high tensile and dielectric strength.
Regarding claim 19, Trobough in view of Roth teaches the composite material
has a coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) that is compatible with the two printed
circuit board units.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 3, 6-8 objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claims, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claim(s) 1-3, 5-16, and 18-20 have been considered but are moot because the new ground of rejection does not rely on any reference applied in the prior rejection of record for any teaching or matter specifically challenged in the argument.
Applicant's arguments filed 07/29/26 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive. Applicant argues:
The subject matter of amended claim 1 seeks to distinguish the claimed printed circuit board (PCB) assembly by incorporating subject matter from allowable claim 4, and Trobough does not disclose the plurality of PCB units comprises a first PCB unit having a first connecting portion and a first set of connecting portion openings, and a second PCB unit having a second connecting portion and a second set of connecting portion openings. The PCB connector (board connector) further comprises a second set of connector openings. The first set of connecting portion openings, the second set of connector openings, and the second set of connecting portion openings are aligned in a set of stacked openings. The PCB assembly further comprises a plurality of alignment members, which are positioned in the set of stacked openings.
After carefully review, first, claim 4 previously depended on claim 3 and claim 3 depended on claim 1; therefore claim 4 would be allowable subject matter if rewritten to combine claims 3-4 into claim 1.
Second, as in figures 1-4, Trobough clearly discloses in page 3 of the Office action as above.
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.
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/TUAN T DINH/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2847
