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 .
OFFICE ACTION
This is a response to the application filed on 11/14/2023.
Claims 1-20 are pending
Drawings
The drawing are objected to because the text, i.e., figures 2-3, 13-14, 16-19, 27 and 29-33 are not legible. These figures should be replaced. Correction is required.
The Examiner suggests the Applicant to replace the whole set of drawings with legible text.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
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.
Claims 1-20 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.
Claim 1 is rejected because:
“conventional layer” as presented is unclear regarding:
conventional in what way, how a layer is considered conventional or not conventional.
What is the function of the conventional layer; and
What is the relationship of the conventional layer to other elements in the claim.
“bulk operation” and “separate operation” as presented is unclear and incomplete regarding how layer layout operations of layers, i.e., layout operations of multiple layers in group/stack/package, is considered bulk or individual.
“associated” as presented in a layout layer associated with the first layer or the second layers, is unclear with respect to it intended meaning, i.e., associate how, in what way. When layout/designing multi-layers in a die/chip/IC/ package/group/SOC, the layers in the die/chip/IC/ SOC/ package/group are inherently associated, i.e., associated by arrangement/ structure / layout/ stacking order, associated by names/ attributes/ area/ functions/ distance/ spacing/ interconnects, thickness/ electrical parameters/ mechanical parameters/ distribution/re-distribution/ thermal distribution, etc., in the die/chip/IC/ SOC/ package/group.
Claims 2-11 and 13-20 are rejected because they depend from claim 1.
Claim 4 is rejected because “a third type grouping rule” lacks antecedent basis. Claim 4 depends on claim 1 and claim 1 does not recite any first/second rule(s) to provide antecedent basis for “a third type grouping rule”.
Claims 5, 18 are rejected because they depend from claim 4
Claim 8 is rejected because “a sixth type grouping rule” lacks antecedent basis. Claim 8 depends on claim 1 and claim 1 does not recite any first/second/third/fourth/fifth rule(s) to provide antecedent basis for “a sixth type grouping rule”
Claim 9 is rejected because it depend from claim 8.
Claim 9 is rejected because it depend from claim 8.
Claim 12 is rejected for the same reason as claim 1.
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 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.
INSOFAR THE LIMITATIONS ARE UNDERSTOOD AND GIVEN BROADEST REASONABLE INTERPRETATIONS
Claims 1, 4, 8, 10-14 and 18 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a) (1) being anticipated by the prior art of record Wang (US 2020/0202061)
Regarding claim 1 and similarly recited claim 12, the prior art discloses:
method for grouping layout layers (layer mapping (title, fig 1-4)), comprising:
determining a first layout layer to be grouped (one on the conducting-layers, via layers, derived layers process layers, in-design layers, design layers, recognition layers (fig 1-4));
determining a second layout layer (second one of: conducting-layers, via layers, derived layers process layers, in-design layers, design layers, recognition layers (fig 1-4)); determining a target layout layer group according to a preset grouping rule (layer rules / definition(fig 2E-F, 3A-B, 4)), layer information of the first layout layer, and layer information of the second layout layer ( i.e., material, technology, power/voltage, channel, region, type, parasitic, shapes (fig 1-4)), wherein the layer information comprises at least one of the following: a layer type and grouping information (fig 1-4), wherein the layer type comprises a reference layer and a conventional layer (see another two layers of conducting-layers, via layers, derived layers process layers, in-design layers, design layers, recognition layers (fig 1-4)) , the grouping information is used for indicating a layout layer associated with the first layout layer or the second layout layer (fig 1-4), and the reference layer is configured to perform a bulk operation (i.e., dependent/ in-design/based on order/ interconnect /stack in arrangement/layout/design ) on a layout layer in the corresponding target layout layer group and configured to perform an separate operation (i.e.one-to-many mapping and one-to-one mapping (abstract/summary, fig 1-4)) on the reference layer; and
adding the first layout layer to the target layout layer group (fig 1-4).
(Claim 4) wherein, in a case that the preset grouping rule is a third-type grouping rule, determining the target layout layer group according to the preset grouping rule, the layer information of the first layout layer (fig 1-4), and the layer information of the second layout layer comprises: in a case that the grouping information of the second layout layer indicates that a third layout layer exists, establishing an association relationship between the first layout layer and the third layout layer, and determining a layout layer group where the third layout layer is located as the target layout layer group (fig 1-4).
(Claim 8) wherein, in a case that the preset grouping rule is a sixth-type grouping rule, determining the target layout layer group according to the preset grouping rule, the layer information of the first layout layer (fig 1-4), and the layer information of the second layout layer comprises: in a case that the grouping information of the second layout layer indicates that a third layout layer exists, establishing an association relationship between the first layout layer and the third layout layer, and determining a layout layer group where the third layout layer is located as the target layout layer group (fig 1-4).
(Claim 10) wherein after the first layout layer is added to the target layout layer group, the method for grouping layout layer further comprises: performing a bulk operation on at least two associated layout layers in the target layout layer (one-to-many mapping (abstract, fig 1-4)).
(Claims 11, 18) wherein after the first layout layer is added to the target layout layer group, the method for grouping layout layer further comprises: performing an operation on at least one associated layout layer in the target layout layer (fig 1-4).
(Claims 13-14) program/processor/electronic device to perform the method for grouping layout layer as claimed in claim 1.
Claims 1, 4, 8, 10-14 and 18 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a) (1) being anticipated by the prior art of record Zhang (US 2021/01100095)
Regarding claim 1 and similarly recited claim 12, the prior art discloses:
method for grouping layout layers ( grouping /mapping table multiple design rules corresponding to a particular layer (par 37-38, fig 3)), comprising:
determining a first layout layer to be grouped (a first layout layer is one of the layers in fig 2-5);
determining a second layout layer (a second layers is another layer of the layers in fig 2-5);
determining a target layout layer group according to a preset grouping rule (see group mapping rules in fig 1-6), layer information of the first layout layer, and layer information of the second layout layer (see information/ data/ description of layers in group/ mapping/tables in fig 2-5), wherein the layer information comprises at least one of the following: a layer type and grouping information (fig 2-5), wherein the layer type comprises a reference layer and a conventional layer (see another two layers of the layers in group/ mapping/tables in fig 2-5), the grouping information is used for indicating a layout layer associated with the first layout layer or the second layout layer (fig 2-5), and the reference layer is configured to perform a bulk operation (i.e., combination/relationship between/within layers in the layout (par 21-22), multiple design rules, set of design rules (par 33, 54, interlayer interconnections (par 86), multi-level interconnects (par 96)) on a layout layer in the corresponding target layout layer group and configured to perform an separate operation (i.e., isolation operation, single rule/criteria (par 36, 47, 52)) on the reference layer; and
adding the first layout layer to the target layout layer group (fig 2-5).
(Claim 4) wherein, in a case that the preset grouping rule is a third-type grouping rule, determining the target layout layer group according to the preset grouping rule (fig 1-6 and related text), the layer information of the first layout layer, and the layer information of the second layout layer comprises: in a case that the grouping information of the second layout layer indicates that a third layout layer exists, establishing an association relationship between the first layout layer and the third layout layer, and determining a layout layer group where the third layout layer is located as the target layout layer group (fig 1-6 and related text)
(Claim 8) wherein, in a case that the preset grouping rule is a sixth-type grouping rule, determining the target layout layer group according to the preset grouping rule, the layer information of the first layout layer(fig 1-6 and related text), and the layer information of the second layout layer comprises: In a case that the grouping information of the second layout layer indicates that a third layout layer exists, establishing an association relationship between the first layout layer and the third layout layer, and determining a layout layer group where the third layout layer is located as the target layout layer group (fig 1-6 and related text).
(Claim 10) wherein after the first layout layer is added to the target layout layer group, the method for grouping layout layer further comprises: performing a bulk operation on at least two associated layout layers in the target layout layer (fig 2-5 and related text).
(Claims 11, 18) wherein after the first layout layer is added to the target layout layer group, the method for grouping layout layer further comprises: performing an operation on at least one associated layout layer in the target layout layer (fig 1-6 and related text).
(Claims 13-14) program/computer/processor to perform the method (fig 7)
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 2-3, 5-7, 9, 15-17 and 19-20 are objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim , but would be allowable if rewritten to overcome the rejection(s) under 35 USC 112, 2nd paragraph, set forth in this Office action and to include all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
Claims 2-3, 5-7, 9, 15-17 and 19-20 would be allowable because the prior art of record does not teach or suggest the limitations in claim 2 and similar language/variants subject matter in claims 2, 3, 5-7 and 9
Correspondence Information
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to PAUL DINH whose telephone number is 571-272-1890. If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s Supervisor, Jack Chiang can be reached on 571-272-7483. The fax number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/PAUL DINH/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2851
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