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
Claims 14-30 are withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b) as being drawn to a nonelected invention, there being no allowable generic or linking claim. Election was made without traverse in the reply filed on 5 August 2026.
Applicant’s election without traverse of the invention of group I in the reply filed on 5 August 2026 is acknowledged.
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 1-4 and 7-13 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Takahashi et al. (US 2013/0328450) in view of Morita (US 2012/0025672).
With respect to claim 1, Takahashi et al. discloses a resonance device (Figs 1-2) comprising: a first substrate (item 130) including a resonator (item 131) including an upper electrode and a lower electrode (items 134); and a second substrate (item 120) bonded on a side of the first substrate (Figs 1-2), the second substrate including: a plate-shaped base member (item 120), a first power supply terminal (items 124) on a side of the base member opposite to the first substrate and electrically connected to the upper electrode (Fig 1-2), wherein the first substrate includes: a first inner wire (items 133) that electrically connects the upper electrode to the first power supply terminal, and a first coupling wire (items 135) connected to the first inner wire and having an end portion located at an outer edge of the first substrate (Figs 1-2).
Takahashi et al. does not disclose a ground terminal on the side of the base member opposite to the first substrate and electrically connected to the lower electrode.
While Takahashi et al. discusses the use of a ground terminal (paragraph 75), it is silent with respect to location and arrangement of the ground terminal. Morita teaches a piezoelectric resonator device that includes a ground terminal on the side of the base member opposite to the first substrate and electrically connected to the lower electrode (Paragraph 37).
Before the effective filing, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to combine the ground terminal arrangement of Morita with the resonator device of Takahashi et al. for the benefit of providing improved protection from electrical damage by providing a ground for the resonator device (Fig 1 an paragraph 37 of Morita) and as Takahashi et al. itself recognizes the desirability for a ground terminal (paragraph 76 of Takahashi et al.).
With respect to claim 2, the combination of Takahashi et al. and Morita discloses the resonance device according to claim 1. Takahashi et al. discloses that the first substrate further includes a piezoelectric thin film (item 131) between the upper electrode and the lower electrode.
With respect to claim 3, the combination of Takahashi et al. and Morita discloses the resonance device according to claim 2. Takahashi et al. discloses that the upper electrode and the first coupling wire are integrally provided on the piezoelectric thin film Figs 1-2).
With respect to claim 4, the combination of Takahashi et al. and Morita discloses the resonance device according to claim 1. Takahashi et al. discloses that the first coupling wire is continuous from one end to the other end (Figs 1-2)
With respect to claim 7, the combination of Takahashi et al. and Morita discloses the resonance device according to claim 1. Takahashi et al. discloses that the second substrate further includes a second power supply terminal on the side of the base member opposite to the first substrate (Figs 1-2), electrically connected to the upper electrode, and insulated from the first power supply terminal (Figs 1-2)
With respect to claim 8, the combination of Takahashi et al. and Morita discloses the resonance device according to claim 7. Takahashi et al. discloses that the first substrate includes: a second inner wire that electrically connects the upper electrode to the second power supply terminal, and a second coupling wire connected to the second inner wire and having an end portion located at the outer edge of the first substrate (Figs 1-2).
With respect to claim 9, the combination of Takahashi et al. and Morita discloses the resonance device according to claim 1. Takahashi et al. discloses a frame-shaped bonding portion (item 132) that bonds the first substrate to the second substrate to each other, wherein the first substrate further includes a protective film (item 140) covering the upper electrode and the first coupling wire (Figs 1-2).
With respect to claim 10, the combination of Takahashi et al. and Morita discloses the resonance device according to claim 9. Takahashi et al. discloses that the first coupling wire intersects the bonding portion with the protective film interposed therebetween (Figs 1-2).
With respect to claim 11, the combination of Takahashi et al. and Morita discloses the resonance device according to claim 10. Takahashi et al. discloses that the bonding portion includes a coupling member (item 133) extending to an outer edge of the resonance device, and wherein the lower electrode is electrically connected to the coupling member (Figs 1-2).
With respect to claim 12, the combination of Takahashi et al. and Morita discloses the resonance device according to claim 1. Takahashi et al. discloses a bonding portion (item 132) that comprises a rectangular ring shape and bonds the first substrate to the second substrate (Figs 1-2).
With respect to claim 13, the combination of Takahashi et al. and Morita discloses the resonance device according to claim 12. Takahashi et al. discloses that the bonding portion includes a coupling member (item 140) disposed at a corner portion of the bonding portion and that extends to the outer edge of the first substrate (Figs 1-2).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 5 and 6 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.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter: the prior art does not disclose or suggest “wherein the first coupling wire is discontinuous” in combination with the remaining elements of claim 5.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Derek John Rosenau whose telephone number is (571)272-8932. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Thursday 7 am to 5:30 pm Central Time.
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, Dedei Hammond can be reached at (571) 270-7938. 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.
/DEREK J ROSENAU/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2837
Prosecution Insights