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 .
Priority
Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55.
Election/Restrictions
Applicant’s election without traverse of claims 1-3, 6-8, 10-12, 14, 16-23, 25-33, 36-38, 40-43, and 45 in the reply filed on June 17, 2026 is acknowledged.
Drawings
The drawings are objected to as failing to comply with 37 CFR 1.84(p)(5) because they include the following reference character(s) not mentioned in the description: Vcc in Figures 3A-3C and 4A-4C. Corrected drawing sheets in compliance with 37 CFR 1.121(d), or amendment to the specification to add the reference character(s) in the description in compliance with 37 CFR 1.121(b) 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. 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.
The drawings are objected to because of the following informalities:
In Figure 4C, change 12 to 22 and 14 to 24. Compare with Figure 4A and 4B.
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The reverse recovery current irr is not shown passing through circuit plate 36 in Figure 3D, as described in paragraph 106, last sentence.
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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.
Specification
The disclosure is objected to because of the following informalities:
Page 9, paragraph 55, line 5: Delete “about”.
Page 11, paragraph 60, line 1: Delete “about”.
Appropriate correction is required.
Claim Objections
Claim 14 is objected to because of the following informalities:
Claim 14, line 2: Add “is” before “provided”.
Appropriate correction is required.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claims 1-3, 6-8, 10-12, 14, 16-23, 25-33, 36-38, 40-43, and 45 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
Regarding claim 1: Claim 1, lines 6-7, refer to “a predetermined first direction and a predetermined second direction;….” However, the language is unclear how to determine a “predetermined” first direction and a “predetermined” second direction. Because the claim is unclear on this point, claim 1 is rejected as indefinite.
Claims 2, 3, 6-8, 10-12, 14, and 28-30 are rejected for depending from rejected base claim 1.
Regarding claim 16: Claim 16, lines 6-7, refer to “a predetermined first direction and a predetermined second direction;….” However, the language is unclear how to determine a “predetermined” first direction and a “predetermined” second direction. Because the claim is unclear on this point, claim 16 is rejected as indefinite.
Claims 17-23 and 25-27 are rejected for depending from rejected base claim 16.
Regarding claim 29, which depends from claim 1: Claim 1 defines a first switching device, a second switching device, an upper arm, and a lower arm. Claim 29 requires: “multiple upper arms and multiple lower arms, wherein switching devices of the multiple upper arms and switching devices of the multiple lower arms are alternately arranged one by one in the second direction.” However, the relationship between claim 29’s newly defined multiple upper arms and multiple lower arms and claim 1’s existing upper arm and lower arm is not clear. Furthermore, the relationship between the newly defined switching devices of claim 29 and claim 1’s existing first and second switching devices is unclear. Because claim 29’s language is unclear, claim 29 is rejected as indefinite.
Regarding claim 31: Claim 31, lines 6-7, refer to “a predetermined first direction and a predetermined second direction;….” However, the language is unclear how to determine a “predetermined” first direction and a “predetermined” second direction. Because the claim is unclear on this point, claim 31 is rejected as indefinite.
Claims 32, 33, 36-38, 40-43, and 45 are rejected for depending from rejected base claim 31.
Remarks
The Office has reviewed the claim language of both the elected species and the unelected species. No further Section 112(b) rejections or claim objections were identified with respect to the unelected species, which are expected to be re-joined on allowance of the claims.
The Office notes the following language in claim 16:
multiple gate external terminals provided in a first placement region extending in the second direction, and electrically connected to a gate electrode of the first switching device or a gate electrode of the second switching device;
multiple auxiliary source external terminals provided in the first placement region, and electrically connected to a source electrode of the first switching device or a source electrode of the second switching device;
a first gate wiring member which connects the gate electrode of the first switching device and a corresponding gate external terminal among the multiple gate external terminals;
a first auxiliary source wiring member which connects the source electrode of the first switching device and a corresponding auxiliary source external terminal among the multiple auxiliary source external terminals;
a second gate wiring member which connects the gate electrode of the second switching device and a corresponding gate external terminal among the multiple gate external terminals; and
a second auxiliary source wiring member which connects the source electrode of the second switching device and a corresponding auxiliary source external terminal among the multiple auxiliary source external terminals,….
(emphasis added).
The Office considered a Section 112(b) rejection of claim 16 based on unclear language in the first two clauses above, because the claim was unclear whether multiple gate terminals were electrically connected to one gate electrode of the first switching device or one gate electrode of the second switching device. In other words, was the relationship multiple-to-1 or 1-to-1? A similar issue exists with respect to the second clause and its multiple auxiliary source external terminals and the source electrode of the first switching device and the source electrode of the second switching device. However, the third through sixth clauses clarify the relationship as being 1-to-1. For this reason, the Section 112(b) rejection was not made.
Another issue relates to the definition, twice, of “a corresponding gate external terminal” and the definition, twice, of “a corresponding auxiliary source external terminal”. However, given the context of the language, one having ordinary skill in the art would know that these are different corresponding gate external terminals and different corresponding auxiliary source external terminals. Again, for this reason, a Section 112(b) rejection was not made.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 1-3, 6-8, 10-12, 14, 16-23, 25-33, 36-38, 40-43, and 45 would be allowable if rewritten or amended to overcome the rejection(s) under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), 2nd paragraph, set forth in this Office action, and, in the case of claim 14, if the informality were addressed.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter:
With regard to claim 1: The claim has been found allowable because the prior art of record does not disclose “a gate external terminal and an auxiliary source external terminal which are provided farther toward a negative side of the first direction than the upper arm and the lower arm, and arranged in the second direction; a P type wiring portion connected to a positive electrode terminal; and an N type wiring portion connected to a negative electrode terminal, wherein the first switching device, the second switching device, the first diode device, and the second diode device are provided on the laminated substrate, at least one of the first switching device or the first diode device is provided facing at least one of the second switching device or the second diode device in the second direction, and the first switching device and the second switching device are placed between the P type wiring portion and the N type wiring portion in the first direction”, in combination with the remaining limitations of the claim.
With regard to claims 2, 3, 6-8, 10-12, 14, and 28-30: The claims have been found allowable due to their dependency from claim 1 above.
With regard to claim 16: The claim has been found allowable because the prior art of record does not disclose “multiple gate external terminals provided in a first placement region extending in the second direction, and electrically connected to a gate electrode of the first switching device or a gate electrode of the second switching device; multiple auxiliary source external terminals provided in the first placement region, and electrically connected to a source electrode of the first switching device or a source electrode of the second switching device; a first gate wiring member which connects the gate electrode of the first switching device and a corresponding gate external terminal among the multiple gate external terminals; a first auxiliary source wiring member which connects the source electrode of the first switching device and a corresponding auxiliary source external terminal among the multiple auxiliary source external terminals; a second gate wiring member which connects the gate electrode of the second switching device and a corresponding gate external terminal among the multiple gate external terminals; and a second auxiliary source wiring member which connects the source electrode of the second switching device and a corresponding auxiliary source external terminal among the multiple auxiliary source external terminals, wherein the first switching device and the second switching device are provided facing each other in the second direction, and the first switching device and the second switching device are provided such that the second wiring portion is sandwiched between the first switching device and the second switching device, and the first placement region”, in combination with the remaining limitations of the claim.
With regard to claims 17-23 and 25-27: The claims have been found allowable due to their dependency from claim 16 above.
With regard to claim 31: The claim has been found allowable because the prior art of record does not disclose “a gate external terminal and an auxiliary source external terminal which are provided farther toward a negative side of the first direction than the upper arm and the lower arm, and arranged in the second direction; a P type wiring portion connected to a positive electrode terminal and the upper arm; an N type wiring portion connected to a negative electrode terminal and the lower arm; and an output terminal connected to the upper arm and the lower arm, wherein the first switching device, the second switching device, the first diode device, and the second diode device are provided on the laminated substrate, at least one of the first switching device or the first diode device is provided facing at least one of the second switching device or the second diode device in the second direction, the semiconductor module has a first side extending in the first direction, a second side facing the first side and extending in the first direction, a third side extending in the second direction, and a fourth side facing the third side and extending in the second direction in a planar view, the positive electrode terminal and the negative electrode terminal are provided on the first side, the gate external terminal and the auxiliary source external terminal are provided on the third side, and the output terminal is provided on the fourth side”, in combination with the remaining limitations of the claim.
With regard to claims 32, 33, 36-38, 40-43, and 45: The claims have been found allowable due to their dependency from claim 31 above.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to VICTORIA KATHLEEN HALL whose telephone number is (571)270-7567. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday, 8 a.m.-5 p.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, Fernando Toledo can be reached at 571-272-1867. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/Victoria K. Hall/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2897
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