DETAILED ACTION
The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
Double Patenting
The nonstatutory double patenting rejection is based on a judicially created doctrine grounded in public policy (a policy reflected in the statute) so as to prevent the unjustified or improper timewise extension of the “right to exclude” granted by a patent and to prevent possible harassment by multiple assignees. A nonstatutory double patenting rejection is appropriate where the conflicting claims are not identical, but at least one examined application claim is not patentably distinct from the reference claim(s) because the examined application claim is either anticipated by, or would have been obvious over, the reference claim(s). See, e.g., In re Berg, 140 F.3d 1428, 46 USPQ2d 1226 (Fed. Cir. 1998); In re Goodman, 11 F.3d 1046, 29 USPQ2d 2010 (Fed. Cir. 1993); In re Longi, 759 F.2d 887, 225 USPQ 645 (Fed. Cir. 1985); In re Van Ornum, 686 F.2d 937, 214 USPQ 761 (CCPA 1982); In re Vogel, 422 F.2d 438, 164 USPQ 619 (CCPA 1970); In re Thorington, 418 F.2d 528, 163 USPQ 644 (CCPA 1969).
A timely filed terminal disclaimer in compliance with 37 CFR 1.321(c) or 1.321(d) may be used to overcome an actual or provisional rejection based on nonstatutory double patenting provided the reference application or patent either is shown to be commonly owned with the examined application, or claims an invention made as a result of activities undertaken within the scope of a joint research agreement. See MPEP § 717.02 for applications subject to examination under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA as explained in MPEP § 2159. See MPEP § 2146 et seq. for applications not subject to examination under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA . A terminal disclaimer must be signed in compliance with 37 CFR 1.321(b).
The filing of a terminal disclaimer by itself is not a complete reply to a nonstatutory double patenting (NSDP) rejection. A complete reply requires that the terminal disclaimer be accompanied by a reply requesting reconsideration of the prior Office action. Even where the NSDP rejection is provisional the reply must be complete. See MPEP § 804, subsection I.B.1. For a reply to a non-final Office action, see 37 CFR 1.111(a). For a reply to final Office action, see 37 CFR 1.113(c). A request for reconsideration while not provided for in 37 CFR 1.113(c) may be filed after final for consideration. See MPEP §§ 706.07(e) and 714.13.
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Claims 1-19 are rejected on the ground of nonstatutory double patenting as being unpatentable over claims 1-15 of copending Application No. 18479292
Although the claims at issue are not identical, they are not patentably distinct from each other because claims (1, 5), 11 and 18-19 of copending Application No. 18479192 contains all the limitations of claims 1, 9 , 14 and 18 are of the present application, respectively. Also, they are both claiming the same subject matter of a multilayer coil array comprising coils with avoidance portions and lead-out conductors.
This is a provisional nonstatutory double patenting rejection because the patentably indistinct claims have not in fact been patented.
Application No. 18480932
Co-pending Application No. 18479292
Claim 1
Claim 1
A multilayer coil array comprising: an element body including a magnetic layer; a first coil inside the element body and including a plurality of first coil conductor layers in a stacking direction; a second coil inside the element body at a position further from a bottom surface of the element body than the first coil in the stacking direction and including a plurality of second coil conductor layers in the stacking direction; a first outer electrode and a second outer electrode on the bottom surface of the element body and electrically connected to the first coil; a third outer electrode and a fourth outer electrode on the bottom surface of the element body and electrically connected to the second coil; a first lead-out conductor inside the element body and connecting, out of end portions of the first coil, an end portion of the first coil conductor layer closest to the second coil and the first outer electrode to each other; a second lead-out conductor inside the element body and connecting another end portion of the first coil and the second outer electrode to each other; a third lead-out conductor inside the element body and connecting, out of end portions of the second coil, an end portion of the second coil conductor layer closest to the first coil and the third outer electrode to each other; and a fourth lead-out conductor inside the element body and connecting another end portion of the second coil and the fourth outer electrode to each other, wherein the first coil conductor layers include an avoidance portion inward or outward from the first lead-out conductor in plan view in the stacking direction so as to avoid two or more lead-out conductors including at least the first lead-out conductor, the second coil conductor layers include an avoidance portion inward or outward from the fourth lead-out conductor in plan view in the stacking direction so as to avoid the fourth lead-out conductor, and
a width of the second coil conductor layers in parts other than the avoidance portion is larger than a width of the first coil conductor layers in parts other than the avoidance portion.
A multilayer coil array comprising: an element body including a magnetic layer; a first coil inside the element body and including a plurality of first coil conductor layers in a stacking direction; a second coil inside the element body at a position further from a bottom surface of the element body than the first coil in the stacking direction and including a plurality of second coil conductor layers in the stacking direction; a first outer electrode and a second outer electrode on the bottom surface of the element body and electrically connected to the first coil; a third outer electrode and a fourth outer electrode on the bottom surface of the element body and electrically connected to the second coil; a first lead-out conductor inside the element body and connecting, out of end portions of the first coil, an end portion of the first coil conductor layer closest to the second coil and the first outer electrode to each other; a second lead-out conductor inside the element body and connecting another end portion of the first coil and the second outer electrode to each other; a third lead-out conductor inside the element body and connecting, out of end portions of the second coil, an end portion of the second coil conductor layer closest to the first coil and the third outer electrode to each other; and a fourth lead-out conductor inside the element body and connecting another end portion of the second coil and the fourth outer electrode to each other, wherein the first coil conductor layers include an avoidance portion and a straight portion connected to the avoidance portion, the avoidance portion being inward or outward from the first lead-out conductor in plan view in the stacking direction so as to avoid at least the first lead-out conductor, the second coil conductor layers include an avoidance portion and a straight portion connected to the avoidance portion, the avoidance portion being inward or outward from the fourth lead-out conductor in plan view in the stacking direction so as to avoid the fourth lead-out conductor, and a width of the first coil conductor layer in the avoidance portion in at least one location is smaller than a width of the first coil conductor layer in the straight portion, a width of the second coil conductor layer in the avoidance portion is smaller than a width of the second coil conductor layer in the straight portion, or a width of the first coil conductor layer in the avoidance portion in at least one location is smaller than a width of the first coil conductor layer in the straight portion and
a width of the second coil conductor layer in the avoidance portion is smaller than a width of the second coil conductor layer in the straight portion.
Claim 5
Claim 1
A multilayer coil array comprising: an element body including a magnetic layer; a first coil inside the element body and including a plurality of first coil conductor layers in a stacking direction; a second coil inside the element body at a position further from a bottom surface of the element body than the first coil in the stacking direction and including a plurality of second coil conductor layers in the stacking direction; a first outer electrode and a second outer electrode on the bottom surface of the element body and electrically connected to the first coil; a third outer electrode and a fourth outer electrode on the bottom surface of the element body and electrically connected to the second coil; a first lead-out conductor inside the element body and connecting, out of end portions of the first coil, an end portion of the first coil conductor layer closest to the second coil and the first outer electrode to each other; a second lead-out conductor inside the element body and connecting another end portion of the first coil and the second outer electrode to each other; a third lead-out conductor inside the element body and connecting, out of end portions of the second coil, an end portion of the second coil conductor layer closest to the first coil and the third outer electrode to each other; and a fourth lead-out conductor inside the element body and connecting another end portion of the second coil and the fourth outer electrode to each other, wherein the first coil conductor layers include an avoidance portion inward or outward from the first lead-out conductor in plan view in the stacking direction so as to avoid two or more lead-out conductors including at least the first lead-out conductor, the second coil conductor layers include an avoidance portion inward or outward from the fourth lead-out conductor in plan view in the stacking direction so as to avoid the fourth lead-out conductor, and a thickness from the bottom surface of the element body to the first coil in the stacking direction is greater than a thickness from a top surface, which is on an opposite side from the bottom surface, of the element body to the second coil.
A multilayer coil array comprising: an element body including a magnetic layer; a first coil inside the element body and including a plurality of first coil conductor layers in a stacking direction; a second coil inside the element body at a position further from a bottom surface of the element body than the first coil in the stacking direction and including a plurality of second coil conductor layers in the stacking direction; a first outer electrode and a second outer electrode on the bottom surface of the element body and electrically connected to the first coil; a third outer electrode and a fourth outer electrode on the bottom surface of the element body and electrically connected to the second coil; a first lead-out conductor inside the element body and connecting, out of end portions of the first coil, an end portion of the first coil conductor layer closest to the second coil and the first outer electrode to each other; a second lead-out conductor inside the element body and connecting another end portion of the first coil and the second outer electrode to each other; a third lead-out conductor inside the element body and connecting, out of end portions of the second coil, an end portion of the second coil conductor layer closest to the first coil and the third outer electrode to each other; and a fourth lead-out conductor inside the element body and connecting another end portion of the second coil and the fourth outer electrode to each other, wherein the first coil conductor layers include an avoidance portion and a straight portion connected to the avoidance portion, the avoidance portion being inward or outward from the first lead-out conductor in plan view in the stacking direction so as to avoid at least the first lead-out conductor, the second coil conductor layers include an avoidance portion and a straight portion connected to the avoidance portion, the avoidance portion being inward or outward from the fourth lead-out conductor in plan view in the stacking direction so as to avoid the fourth lead-out conductor, and a width of the first coil conductor layer in the avoidance portion in at least one location is smaller than a width of the first coil conductor layer in the straight portion, a width of the second coil conductor layer in the avoidance portion is smaller than a width of the second coil conductor layer in the straight portion, or a width of the first coil conductor layer in the avoidance portion in at least one location is smaller than a width of the first coil conductor layer in the straight portion and a width of the second coil conductor layer in the avoidance portion is smaller than a width of the second coil conductor layer in the straight portion.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. A list of pertinent prior art is attached in form 892.
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/KAZI HOSSAIN/
Examiner, Art Unit 2837
/SHAWKI S ISMAIL/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2837
