DETAILED ACTION
This Office Action is in response to Restriction/Elected, filed on 12/04/2025, on the application filed on 09/28/2023. Claims 1-4, 7-8, 11-12, and 15 are presented for examination consideration.
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Claims 5-6, 9-10, and 13-14 are withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b) as being drawn to nonelected Species 2-4. There being no allowable generic or linking claims. Election was made without traverse in the reply filed on 12/04/2025.
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.
Claims 1, 2, 3, 7, 8, and 15 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Ishigami et al. (JP2022127586A and Ishigami hereinafter, cited in the 10/11/2024 IDS and the 09/10/2024 Japanese Office Action).
Regarding claim 1, Ishigami discloses a circuit board unit (Fig. 11C and ¶[0079-0080] from Espacenet Translation shows and indicates circuit board unit of Fig. 11C {fourth embodiment structure of Fig. 11C}) comprising: a first circuit board having a first ground layer (items 101C, 120C of Fig. 11C and ¶[0079-0082_0085-0086 & 0088-0089] from Espacenet Translation shows and indicates first circuit board 101C {rigid wiring board 101C, indicated in ¶[0079-0082_0086 & 0089]} having first ground layer 120C {ground line 120C, indicated in ¶[0082_0085-0086 & 0088]}); a second circuit board having a second ground layer and arranged so as to be opposed to the first circuit board (items 200C, 210C of Fig. 11C and ¶[0079-0080_0083-0084_0086 & 0089] from Espacenet Translation shows and indicates second circuit board 200C {flexible wiring board 200C, indicated in ¶[0079-0080_0083-0084_0086 & 0089]} having second ground layer 210C {shielding member 210C, indicated in ¶[0083-0084 & 0086]} and arranged so as to be opposed to first circuit board 101C); a connector unit having a first connector attached to the first circuit board, and a second connector attached to the second circuit board and coupled to the first connector (item 901C, 111C, 212C of Fig. 11C and ¶[0079-0088] from Espacenet Translation shows and indicates where connector unit 901C {signal terminals 901C, indicated in ¶[0085 & 0088]} has first connector 111C_901C {connector formed by signal terminals 901C connected to signal lines 111C, indicated in ¶[0081-0082_0085 & 0088]} attached to first circuit board 101C; and where connector unit 901C has second connector 212C_901C {connector formed by signal terminals 901C connected to signal lines 212C, indicated in ¶[0083-0087]} attached to second circuit board 200C and coupled to first connector 111C_901C); and a metal member arranged between the first circuit board and the second circuit board, and configured to electrically couple the first ground layer and the second ground layer to each other, wherein the metal member is arranged so as to be adjacent to the connector unit (item 902C of Fig. 11C and ¶[0086-0087 & 0089] from Espacenet Translation shows and indicates metal member 902C {metal connection members 902C} arranged between first circuit board 101C and second circuit board 200C; where metal member 902C is configured to electrically couple first ground layer 120C and second ground layer 210C to each other; and where metal member 902C is arranged so as to be adjacent to connector unit 901C).
Regarding claim 2, Ishigami discloses a circuit board unit, wherein a first distance between the metal member and the connector unit adjacent to each other is shorter than a second distance between the first circuit board and the second circuit board opposed to each other (Fig. 11C and ¶[0079-0089] from Espacenet Translation shows where the first distance between metal member 902C and connector unit 901C adjacent to each other is shorter than a second distance between first circuit board 101C and second circuit board 200C opposed to each other).
Regarding claim 3, Ishigami discloses a circuit board unit, wherein the connector unit has a shape elongated in a predetermined direction when viewed in a coupling direction in which the first connector and the second connector are coupled to each other, and the metal member is arranged so as to be adjacent in the predetermined direction to the connector unit (Fig. 11C and ¶[0079-0089] from Espacenet Translation shows where connector unit 901C has a shape elongated in a predetermined direction when viewed in a coupling direction in which first connector 111C_901C and second connector 212C_901C are coupled to each other; and where and metal member 902C is arranged so as to be adjacent in the predetermined direction to connector unit 901C).
Regarding claim 7, Ishigami discloses a circuit board unit, wherein the metal member includes a first coupling surface extending along the first ground layer, and electrically coupled to the first ground layer, and a second coupling surface extending along the second ground layer, and electrically coupled to the second ground layer (Fig. 11C and ¶[0082-0089] from Espacenet Translation shows where metal member 902C includes first coupling surface 902C-surface-120C {surface between metal connection members 902C and ground line 120C} extending along the first ground layer, and electrically coupled to first ground layer 120C; and where second coupling surface 902C-surface-210C {surface between metal connection members 902C and shielding member 210C} extending along second ground layer 210C, and electrically coupled to second ground layer 210C).
Regarding claim 8, Ishigami discloses a circuit board unit, wherein the metal member includes a main body part extending in a coupling direction in which the first connector and the second connector are coupled to each other, a first coupling part having the first coupling surface, and protruding from one end of the main body part in the coupling direction, and a second coupling part having the second coupling surface, and protruding from another end of the main body part in the coupling direction along a direction different from a direction in which the first coupling part protrudes, and the main body part is shaped like a plate, and has a side surface arranged so as to be opposed to the connector unit (Fig. 11C and ¶[0082-0089] from Espacenet Translation shows where metal member 902C includes main body part 902C-body {body of metal connection members 902C} extending in the coupling direction in which first connector 111C_901C and second connector 212C_901C are coupled to each other; and where first coupling part 902C_120C {coupling established between metal connection members 902C to ground line 120C} having first coupling surface 902C-surface-120C, and protruding from one end of main body part 902C-body in the coupling direction; and where second coupling part 902C_210C {coupling established between metal connection members 902C to shielding member 210C} having second coupling surface 902C-surface-210C, and protruding from another end of main body part 902C-body in the coupling direction along the direction different from a direction in which first coupling part 902C_120C protrudes; and where main body part 902C-body is shaped like a cylindrical plate, and has the side surface arranged so as to be opposed to connector unit 901C).
Regarding claim 15, Ishigami discloses an electronic apparatus comprising: the circuit board unit according to claim 1 (Fig. 11C and Title & claims 1 & 19 from Espacenet Translation indicates where an electronic apparatus is comprised of circuit board unit of Fig. 11C, according to claim 1).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 4 and 11-12 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:
Regarding claim 4, the primary reason for allowance is due to a circuit board unit, wherein the first circuit board is provided with a plurality of signal lines arranged side by side in the predetermined direction, the plurality of signal lines being each electrically coupled to the first connector, the plurality of signal lines includes a first signal line and a second signal line through which a signal higher in frequency than a signal flowing through the first signal line, and the second signal line is arranged at a position closer to the metal member than the first signal line in the predetermined direction.
Regarding claim 11, the primary reason for allowance is due to a circuit board unit, wherein the first circuit board has a pair of the first ground layers disposed as respective layers different from each other, and the pair of first ground layers are electrically coupled to each other.
Regarding claim 12, the primary reason for allowance is due to dependency on claim 11.
Conclusion
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/GUILLERMO J EGOAVIL/Examiner, Art Unit 2847