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 .
Drawings
The drawings are objected to under 37 CFR 1.83(a). The drawings must show every feature of the invention specified in the claims. Therefore, the subrack must be shown or the feature(s) canceled from the claim(s). No new matter should be entered.
Corrected drawing sheets in compliance with 37 CFR 1.121(d) are required in reply to the Office action to avoid abandonment of the application. Any amended replacement drawing sheet should include all of the figures appearing on the immediate prior version of the sheet, even if only one figure is being amended. The figure or figure number of an amended drawing should not be labeled as “amended.” If a drawing figure is to be canceled, the appropriate figure must be removed from the replacement sheet, and where necessary, the remaining figures must be renumbered and appropriate changes made to the brief description of the several views of the drawings for consistency. Additional replacement sheets may be necessary to show the renumbering of the remaining figures. Each drawing sheet submitted after the filing date of an application must be labeled in the top margin as either “Replacement Sheet” or “New Sheet” pursuant to 37 CFR 1.121(d). If the changes are not accepted by the examiner, the applicant will be notified and informed of any required corrective action in the next Office action. The objection to the drawings will not be held in abeyance.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 4 – 6, 9 and 12 – 19 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.
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.
(a)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claim(s) 1 – 3 and 7 – 8 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Yen (US 2021/0296278 A1).
Regarding Claim 1, Yen (US 2021/0296278 A1) discloses a filtering structure (Fig 6), comprising: a chip (1031,1032; [0022]), a circuit board (102; [0029]), a filtering assembly (assembly of 1042,1043; [0030-0035,0039,0046] “filter”), and an intermediate assembly (201; [0045]) located between the chip (1031,1032) and the circuit board (102), wherein the filtering assembly comprises a first filtering assembly (assembly of 1042,1043A in 201) and a second filtering assembly (assembly of 1043B at 1022), the first filtering assembly is located in the intermediate assembly (assembly of 1042,1043A in 201; [0045-0046]), and at least a part of the second filtering assembly (assembly of 1043B at 1022) is located on a surface (1022) of the circuit board (102) that is away from the intermediate assembly (201).
Regarding Claim 2, Yen further discloses the filtering structure (Fig 6) according to claim 1, wherein the first filtering assembly (assembly of 1043A in 201) comprises a plurality of first filtering components (1043A,1043A), and the plurality of first filtering components (1043A) are evenly spaced (see Fig 6 showing a plurality of 1043A in 201 have an even space between) in the intermediate assembly (201).
Regarding Claim 3, Yen further discloses the filtering structure (Fig 6) according to claim 2, wherein the first filtering (assembly of 1043A in 201) component is a capacitor ([0030-0035,0039,0046] “filter”, “capacitors”).
Regarding Claim 7, Yen further discloses the filtering structure (Fig 6) according to claim 1, wherein the second filtering assembly (assembly of 1043B at 1022) comprises at least one third filtering component (1043B; [0030-0035,0039,0046] “filter”, “capacitors”), and the at least one third filtering component (1043B) is located on a surface (1022) of the circuit board that is away from the intermediate assembly (201).
Regarding Claim 8, Yen further discloses the filtering structure (Fig 6) according to claim 7, wherein the third filtering component is a capacitor ([0030-0035,0039,0046] “filter”, “capacitors”).
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.
The factual inquiries for establishing a background for determining obviousness under 35 U.S.C. 103 are summarized as follows:
1. Determining the scope and contents of the prior art.
2. Ascertaining the differences between the prior art and the claims at issue.
3. Resolving the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art.
4. Considering objective evidence present in the application indicating obviousness or nonobviousness.
Claim(s) 10 – 11 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Yen (US 2021/0296278 A1) as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of Kamgaing (US 20200219861 A1).
Regarding Claim 10, Yen further discloses the filtering structure (Fig 6) according to claim 1, wherein the intermediate assembly (201) comprises at least two conductive layers ([0054] “conductive trace at the surface 1021” “conductive trace at the surface 1012 of the substrate 101”) disposed in a laminated manner, and a layer (layer of 201 at 201 callout) disposed between two adjacent conductive layers ([0054]); wherein the first filtering assembly is located in the layer, and both ends of the first filtering assembly (1042) are electrically connected ([0054]) to the conductive layers located on two sides of the layer.
Yen does not explicitly disclose a dielectric layer disposed between two adjacent conductive layers; wherein the first filtering assembly is located in the dielectric layer, and both ends of the first filtering assembly are electrically connected to the conductive layers located on two sides of the dielectric layer.
Kamgaing (US 20200219861 A1) teaches of a structure (Fig 1) wherein an assembly (108) comprises at least two conductive layers (168,170,177) disposed in a laminated manner, and a dielectric layer (176; [0026]) disposed between two adjacent conductive layers (168,170,177); wherein a filtering assembly (180,182; [0002,0013]) is located in the dielectric layer (176), and both ends of the filtering assembly (180,182) are electrically connected ([0016,0018,0020,0025-0028]) to the conductive layers located on two sides of the dielectric layer.
It would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the structure as disclosed by Yen, comprising a dielectric layer disposed between two adjacent conductive layers; wherein the first filtering assembly is located in the dielectric layer, and both ends of the first filtering assembly are electrically connected to the conductive layers located on two sides of the dielectric layer as taught by Kamgaing, in order to provide an inorganic structure, in order to provide an organic structure, in order to provide separation between metallization layers (Kamgaing, [0016,0018,0026]). Furthermore a structure as taught by Yen in view of Kamgaing comprising a dielectric layer would prevent unwanted electrical shorting between electrically conductive layers within the intermediate assembly.
Regarding Claim 11, Yen in view of Kamgaing teaches the limitations of the preceding claim and Kamgaing further teaches the filtering structure (Fig 1) according to claim 10, wherein the at least two conductive layers (168 ,177) comprise a first conductive layer (168,170,177) and a second conductive layer (170,177), a first dielectric layer (176) is disposed between the first conductive layer and the second conductive layer, and the first filtering assembly (180,182) is located in the first dielectric layer (176); and one of the first conductive layer and the second conductive layer is electrically connected ([0020-0025]) to the chip (102), and the other of the first conductive layer and the second conductive layer is electrically connected ([0025]) to the circuit board ([0020-0025]).
Claim(s) 20 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Yen (US 2021/0296278 A1) in view of Malmberg (US 2011/0286176 A1).
Regarding Claim 20, Yen discloses an electronic device (Fig 6), comprising a filtering structure (assembly as seen in Fig 6), comprising: a chip (1031,1032; [0022]), a circuit board (102; [0029]), a filtering assembly (assembly of 1042,1043; [0030-0035,0039,0046] “filter”), and an intermediate assembly (201; [0045]) located between the chip (1031,1032) and the circuit board (102), wherein the filtering assembly comprises a first filtering assembly (assembly of 1042,1043A in 201) and a second filtering assembly (assembly of 1043B at 1022), the first filtering assembly is located in the intermediate assembly (assembly of 1042,1043A in 201; [0045-0046]), and at least a part of the second filtering assembly (assembly of 1043B at 1022) is located on a surface (1022) of the circuit board (102) that is away from the intermediate assembly (201).
Yen does not disclose a subrack, wherein the filtering structure is disposed in the subrack. Note that the claim has not structurally defined nor described the subrack.
Malmberg (US 2011/0286176 A1) teaches of an electronic device (Fig 1-2) comprising a subrack (10), wherein a filtering structure ([0024]) is disposed in the subrack.
It would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the structure as disclosed by Yen, comprising a subrack, wherein the filtering structure is disposed in the subrack as taught by Malmberg, in order to provide a telecommunications device, provide space, provide power filtering, secure power feed, and filter noise (Malmberg, Abstract, [0006-0024]).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure: Cho (US 2020/0058569 A1) teaches of a structure (Fig 12), comprising a plurality of first filtering components (115a-115c) and a plurality of second filtering components (115d-115f); and along a thickness direction of a circuit board (100D), the plurality of first filtering components (115a-115c) and the plurality of second filtering components (115d-115f). This prior art could be used in a 103 Rejection.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ROSHN K VARGHESE whose telephone number is (571)270-7975. The examiner can normally be reached M-Th: 900 am-300 pm.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Jessica Han can be reached at 571-272-2078. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/ROSHN K VARGHESE/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2896
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