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 .
Continued Examination Under 37 CFR 1.114
A request for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, including the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e), was filed in this application after final rejection. Since this application is eligible for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114. Applicant's submission filed on September 3, 2026 has been entered.
Response to Amendment
Applicant’s amendments to claims 1 and 6 overcome the objection to claims 1 and 6. Accordingly, the objection to claims 1 and 6 is withdrawn.
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claims 1, and 3 - 8 have been considered, but they are not persuasive. Please see the grounds of rejection(s) below.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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, and 3 – 8 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Baba et al. (JP 2008-227052A)
Regarding claim 1, in Figure 2, Baba discloses a flexible printed wiring board having a bent region (left side, comprising top and bottom bent regions A) provided with an air layer (the opening within left top bent region A; Figures 1 – 2), the flexible printed wiring board comprising: a signal line (1) passing through the bent region; guard ground wirings (top ground wirings 2 on the same layer as signal line 1; on left and right sides of bent region A) provided in the same layer as the signal line so as to sandwich the signal line; and a ground layer (bottom ground wirings 2 disposed below insulating layer 5; on left and right sides of bent region A) provided in a layer different from the layer in which the signal line and the guard ground wirings are provided, the ground layer being separated from the signal line and the guard ground wirings via an insulating layer (5; insulating layer 5 separates the top ground wirings 2 and the bottom ground wirings 2), wherein the ground layer has, in the bent region, a ground opening (opening between left bottom ground wirings 2 and right bottom ground wirings 2 that spans the bottom bent region A in the longitudinal direction, Figure 2) that at least partially overlaps the signal line when the flexible printed wiring board is viewed in a thickness direction (Figure 2), and the ground opening extends along the signal line over an entire longitudinal direction of the bent region (Figures 1 – 2).
Regarding claim 3, Baba discloses wherein a width of the ground opening is equal to a width of the signal line (Figures 1 – 2).
Regarding claim 4, Baba discloses wherein the ground opening is opened up to a side end portion of the guard ground wiring on a side facing the signal line when the flexible printed wiring board is viewed in the thickness direction (Figures 1 – 2).
Regarding claim 5, Baba discloses wherein the ground opening is opened up to a middle of the guard ground wiring when the flexible printed wiring board is viewed in the thickness direction (Figures 1 – 2).
Regarding claim 6, Baba discloses wherein a plurality of the signal lines are provided so as to run in parallel, and the ground opening is opened such that at least a part of the ground opening overlaps the plurality of signal lines when the flexible printed wiring board is viewed in the thickness direction (Figures 1 – 2).
Regarding claim 7, Baba discloses wherein the ground opening is opened up to a position 50 to 100 µm away from the side end portion of the signal line in the width direction of the signal line (Figures 1 – 2).
Regarding claim 8, Baba discloses wherein the ground layer has a first ground layer and a second ground layer sandwiching the bent region (Figures 1 – 2).
Conclusion
All claims are identical to or patentably indistinct from, or have unity of invention with claims in the application prior to the entry of the submission under 37 CFR 1.114 (that is, restriction (including a lack of unity of invention) would not be proper) and all claims could have been finally rejected on the grounds and art of record in the next Office action if they had been entered in the application prior to entry under 37 CFR 1.114. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL even though it is a first action after the filing of a request for continued examination and the submission under 37 CFR 1.114. See MPEP § 706.07(b). Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to TREMESHA W BURNS whose telephone number is (571)270-3391. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 8am - 4:30 pm EST.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Timothy Thompson can be reached at (571) 272-2342. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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TREMESHA W. BURNS
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 2847
/TREMESHA W BURNS/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2847
