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 .
DETAILED ACTION
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.
Claims 1-5, 9-11, 15, 17, 20, 21 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by SONG et al. US 20210399493 A1.
In reference to claim 1, SONG teaches an electrical connector system (shown in figure 2) comprising: a receptacle connector (200) including a receptacle housing (5; fig. 25) holding a receptacle contact assembly (8), the receptacle housing having walls (53) forming a receptacle, the receptacle contact assembly including receptacle signal contacts (62; fig. 48) and receptacle ground contacts (6721; fig. 48), the receptacle signal contacts arranged in pairs, the receptacle signal contacts arranged in receptacle signal rows (see fig. 48 for an example of a row of signal contacts), the receptacle ground contacts arranged in receptacle ground rows (see fig. 48 for an example of a row of ground contacts) offset from the receptacle signal rows; a plug connector (100; fig. 2) configured to be plugged into the receptacle, the plug connector including a plug housing (2; fig. 3) holding a plug contact assembly (20; fig. 13), the plug housing having shield walls (i.e. 23, 24; fig. 13. See 260; fig. 13 which is fit onto the shields 23, 24; fig. 13 and form part of the plug housing 2; fig. 3. Therefore 23, 24 are seen as shield walls of the plug housing), arranged parallel to each other and shield spaces (i.e. the space between shield 23, 24) between the shield walls, the plug contact assembly including plug signal contacts (22; fig. 13) arranged in pairs, the plug signal contacts located in the shield spaces in plug signal rows; wherein the receptacle signal contacts are mated with the corresponding plug signal contacts, and wherein the receptacle ground contacts are mated (i.e. electrically mated) with the corresponding shield walls of the plug housing.
In reference to claim 2, SONG teaches wherein air gaps are defined between the pairs of the receptacle signal contacts in the receptacle signal rows and air gaps are defined between the pairs of the plug signal contacts in the plug signal rows.
In reference to claim 3, SONG teaches the receptacle signal contacts are arranged in the receptacle signal rows without any receptacle ground contacts arranged between the pairs of the receptacle signal contacts.
In reference to claim 4, SONG teaches the receptacle signal contacts include broadsides (i.e. the broadside of contact 62. See ‘near lead line 621’ in fig. 48) and edgesides (i.e. the distal ends of 62), the receptacle signal contacts in the receptacle signal rows being edgeside coupled (i.e. the edgesides facing each other) to each other, the receptacle signal contacts being broadside coupled (i.e. the broadsides facing each other) to the receptacle ground contacts.
In reference to claim 5, SONG teaches the receptacle signal contacts include mating interfaces (i.e. the distal end of 62), the mating interfaces of the receptacle signal contacts in each pair face in opposite directions.
In reference to claim 9, SONG teaches the receptacle signal rows of the receptacle signal contacts are separated by the corresponding shield walls (66).
In reference to claim 10, SONG teaches wherein the receptacle ground contacts in each receptacle ground row are connected by corresponding connecting beams (6734, 6735, 6731; fig. 48) to electrically common the receptacle ground contacts.
In reference to claim 11, SONG teaches wherein the walls of the receptacle housing include a front wall (53; fig. 35) and a rear wall (53; fig. 35), the receptacle signal rows and the receptacle ground rows extending parallel to the front wall and the rear wall, each receptacle signal rows being flanked by corresponding receptacle ground rows both forward and rearward of the receptacle signal rows.
In reference to claim 15, SONG teaches wherein the receptacle contact assembly includes at least one contact holder (69; fig. 44) holding the corresponding receptacle signal contacts and the receptacle ground contacts, the at least one contact holder being coupled to the receptacle housing to position the corresponding receptacle signal contacts and receptacle ground contacts in the receptacle for mating with the plug connector.
In reference to claim 17, SONG teaches wherein the plug connector includes cables (25; fig. 11) coupled to the plug contact assembly, the cables including conductors and cable shields surrounding the conductors, the conductors terminated to the corresponding plug signal contacts, the cable shields being electrically connected to the plug housing (i.e. the shields 23, 24 are a part of the plug housing 2; fig. 11 and connect to the shielding layer 253; fig. 13 of the cable, therefore the shielding layer 253; fig. 13 of the cable is electrically connected to the plug housing), wherein the cables extend from the housing generally perpendicular to the plug signal contacts (regarding the limitation “the cables extend from the housing generally perpendicular to the plug signal contacts” if the cable 25 extends in length then the user can bend the cable to be “generally perpendicular” to the plug signal contacts. Therefore, SONG is seen to read on this limitation).
In reference to claim 20, SONG teaches a receptacle connector (200; figure 35) configured to be mated with a plug connector of an electrical connector system, the receptacle connector comprising: receptacle housing (5) having walls forming a receptacle, the walls including a front wall (53; fig. 35) and a rear wall (53; fig. 35), a receptacle contact assembly (6) held in the receptacle housing, the receptacle contact assembly including receptacle signal contacts (62; fig. 48) and receptacle ground contacts (6721; fig. 48), the receptacle signal contacts arranged in pairs, the receptacle signal contacts arranged in receptacle signal rows (see fig. 48 for an example of pairs of signal contacts 62 arranged in a row) without any receptacle ground contacts (6721) arranged between the pairs of the receptacle signal contacts, the receptacle ground contacts (6721) arranged in receptacle ground rows (see fig. 48 for an example of the ground contacts 6721 arranged in a row) offset from the receptacle signal rows.
In reference to claim 21, SONG teaches a plug connector (100; fig. 2) configured to be mated with a receptacle connector (200; fig. 2) of an electrical connector system, the plug connector comprising: a plug housing (2; fig. 11) having shield walls (23, 24; fig. 13) arranged parallel to each other and shield spaces (i.e. the space between 23, 24) between the shield walls; a plug contact assembly (20; fig. 13) held in the plug housing, the plug contact assembly including plug signal contacts (22; fig. 13) arranged in pairs, the plug signal contacts located in the shield spaces in plug signal rows, wherein air gaps are defined between the pairs of the plug signal contacts in the plug signal rows; and cables (25; fig. 13) coupled to the plug contact assembly (20), the cables including conductors and cable shields surrounding the conductors, the conductors terminated to the corresponding plug signal contacts, the cable shields being electrically connected to the plug housing (i.e. the shields 23, 24 are a part of the plug housing 2; fig. 11 and connect to the shielding layer 253; fig. 13 of the cable, therefore the shielding layer 253; fig. 13 of the cable is electrically connected to the plug housing), wherein the cables extend from the housing.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 6, 7, 8, 12, 13, 14, 16, 18, 19 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.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to TRAVIS SLOAN CHAMBERS whose telephone number is (571)272-6813. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 8:30a.m.-5:00p.m..
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, Abdullah A Riyami can be reached at 571-270-3119. 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.
/TRAVIS S CHAMBERS/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2831 02/17/2026