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 Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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 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) 1-20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Horita et al., US2021/0135693 A1, and further in view of Shinozaki et al., US2021/0091807 A1.
Regarding claim 1, Horita teaches A radio-frequency module (Fig. 2 item 1; Radio frequency module 1) comprising: a module substrate including a first major surface and a second major surface, the second major surface being opposite to the first major surface (par. 0043; mounting board 5 includes first principal surface 51 and second principal surface 52. First principal surface 51 and second principal surface 52 are on opposite sides of mounting board 5 in thickness direction D1 of mounting board 5.); a first acoustic wave filter disposed at the module substrate (Fig. 8, par. 0116; the transceiving filter 33 (i.e., first acoustic wave filter) located at the RF module.); a duplexer disposed at the module substrate (Fig. 3, par. 0026; the RF module 1 having a duplexer (i.e., transmission filter 31 and reception filter 32).), the duplexer including a second acoustic wave filter and a third acoustic wave filter (par. 0151; the transmission filter 31 is a SAW filter (i.e., second acoustic wave filter) and the reception filter 32 is also a SAW filter (i.e., third acoustic wave filter).); an antenna switch configured to selectively couple the first acoustic wave filter or the duplexer (Fig. 8, par. 0116; the first switch 91 (i.e., antenna switch) selectively couples the transceiving filter 33 (i.e., first acoustic wave filter) or the duplexer (i.e., filters 31A 32A or 31B 32B)); and a transmit switch configured to selectively couple the first acoustic wave filter or the second acoustic wave filter (Fig. 8, par. 0120; clearly shows the switch 94 (i.e., transmit switch) selectively couple to the transceiving filter 33 (i.e., first acoustic wave filter) or transmission filter 31B (i.e., second acoustic wave filter).), wherein the first acoustic wave filter includes a pass band that includes an uplink operating band of a first band for frequency division duplex (FDD) (par. 0030; The transmission signals and the reception signals are, for example, frequency division duplex (FDD) signals. FDD is a wireless communication technique in which transmission and reception in wireless communication are assigned with different frequency bands, and transmission and reception are performed.), the second acoustic wave filter includes a pass band that includes the uplink operating band of the first band (par. 0030; The transmission signals and the reception signals are, for example, frequency division duplex (FDD) signals. FDD is a wireless communication technique in which transmission and reception in wireless communication are assigned with different frequency bands, and transmission and reception are performed.), the third acoustic wave filter includes a pass band that includes a downlink operating band of the first band (par. 0030; TDD is a wireless communication technique in which transmission and reception in wireless communication are assigned with the same frequency band, and transmission and reception are switched based on time slots.).
Horita fails to teach the following recited limitation. However, Shinozaki teaches the first acoustic wave filter and the third acoustic wave filter are stacked together and positioned beside the first major surface (Fig. 2B, par. 0078; shows duplexers 61 to 64 (i.e., first acoustic wave filter and third acoustic wave filter) being disposed on the principal surface 91a (i.e., the duplexers 61 to 64 contains both a transmit and receive filters).). Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to combine Horita’s teachings with Shinozaki’s teachings in order to provide a radio frequency module that suppresses deterioration of reception sensitivity (Shinozaki, par. 0006).
Regarding claim 2, Horita and Shinozaki teach all the limitations in claim 1. Horita further teaches further comprising: a power amplifier coupled to the first acoustic wave filter and the second acoustic wave filter via the transmit switch (par. 0032).
Regarding claim 3, Horita and Shinozaki teach all the limitations in claim 2. Horita further teaches wherein in plan view of the first major surface, a distance between the power amplifier and the first acoustic wave filter is longer than a distance between the power amplifier and the second acoustic wave filter (par. 0059).
Regarding claim 4, Horita and Shinozaki teach all the limitations in claim 1. Horita further teaches further comprising: a resin member that covers the first acoustic wave filter, the third acoustic wave filter, and the first major surface (par. 0041); and a shielding film that covers a surface of the resin member, wherein the first acoustic wave filter is in contact with the shielding film (par. 0041).
Regarding claim 5, Horita and Shinozaki teach all the limitations in claim 4. Horita further teaches wherein the third acoustic wave filter is positioned between the module substrate and the first acoustic wave filter, and the first acoustic wave filter includes a surface and another surface that is opposite to the surface and that faces the third acoustic wave filter, and the surface of the first acoustic wave filter is in contact with the shielding film (par. 0056).
Regarding claim 6, Horita and Shinozaki teach all the limitations in claim 2. Horita further teaches wherein the transmit switch includes a first common terminal coupled to an output end of the power amplifier, a first selection terminal coupled to an input end of the first acoustic wave filter, and a second selection terminal coupled to an input end of the second acoustic wave filter, the antenna switch includes a second common terminal coupled to an antenna, a third selection terminal coupled to an output end of the first acoustic wave filter, and a fourth selection terminal coupled to an output end of the second acoustic wave filter and an input end of the third acoustic wave filter, and in a case that the first common terminal is connected to the first selection terminal, the second common terminal is connected to the third selection terminal and not to the fourth selection terminal (Fig. 9).
Regarding claim 7, Horita and Shinozaki teach all the limitations in claim 6. Horita further teaches wherein, in a case that the first common terminal is connected to the second selection terminal, the second common terminal is connected to the fourth selection terminal and not to the third selection terminal (Fig. 9).
Regarding claim 8, Horita and Shinozaki teach all the limitations in claim 1. Horita further teaches wherein the first acoustic wave filter corresponds to Power Class 2 (par. 0048) and the second acoustic wave filter corresponds to Power Class 3 (par. 0049).
Regarding claim 9, Horita and Shinozaki teach all the limitations in claim 1. Horita further teaches wherein an electric power handling capability of the first acoustic wave filter is higher than an electric power handling capability of the second acoustic wave filter (par. 0067).
Regarding claim 10, Horita and Shinozaki teach all the limitations in claim 1. Horita further teaches wherein a size of the first acoustic wave filter is larger than a size of the second acoustic wave filter (par. 0024).
Regarding claim 11, Horita and Shinozaki teach all the limitations in claim 1. Horita further teaches wherein the third acoustic wave filter is positioned between the module substrate and the first acoustic wave filter, and the third acoustic wave filter is smaller than the first acoustic wave filter in plan view of the first major surface (par. 0059).
Regarding claim 12, Horita and Shinozaki teach all the limitations in claim 1. Horita further teaches further comprising: a low-noise amplifier coupled to the third acoustic wave filter (par. 0035).
Regarding claim 13, Horita and Shinozaki teach all the limitations in claim 1. Horita further teaches wherein the second acoustic wave filter is disposed at the first major surface, and the antenna switch and the transmit switch are disposed at the second major surface (par. 0142).
Regarding claim 14, Horita and Shinozaki teach all the limitations in claim 1. Horita further teaches wherein the second acoustic wave filter, the antenna switch, and the transmit switch are disposed at the first major surface (par. 0142).
Regarding claim 15, Horita and Shinozaki teach all the limitations in claim 1. Horita further teaches wherein the module substrate includes a low temperature co-fired ceramic (LTCC) substrate (par. 0098).
Regarding claim 16, Horita and Shinozaki teach all the limitations in claim 1. Horita further teaches wherein the module substrate includes a high temperature co-fired ceramic (HTCC) substrate (par. 0098).
Regarding claim 17, Horita and Shinozaki teach all the limitations in claim 1. Horita further teaches wherein the module substrate includes a redistribution layer (par. 0064).
Regarding claim 18, Horita and Shinozaki teach all the limitations in claim 1. Horita further teaches wherein at least one of the first, second, and third acoustic wave filters include a surface acoustic wave (SAW) filter (par. 0151).
Regarding claim 19, Horita and Shinozaki teach all the limitations in claim 1. Horita further teaches wherein at least one of the first, second, and third acoustic wave filters includes a bulk acoustic wave (BAW) filter (par. 0151).
Regarding claim 20, Horita and Shinozaki teach all the limitations in claim 1. Horita further teaches A communication device (Fig. 8 item 8c; communication device 8c) comprising: the radio-frequency module according to Claim 1 (Fig. 8 item 1c; radio frequency module 1c); and a signal processing circuit configured to process a radio-frequency signal transferred or to be transferred through the radio-frequency module (par. 0083; Signal processing circuit 82 includes RF signal processing circuit 83 and baseband signal processing circuit 84. Signal processing circuit 82 processes transmission signals and reception signals.).
Conclusion
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/AYODEJI O AYOTUNDE/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2649