DETAILED ACTION
Claims 1-20 of U.S. Patent Application No. 18/515,157, filed on 20 November, 2023, were presented for examination. In a preliminary amendment filed 11 May, 2026, claims 1-20 were canceled and new claims 21-40 were added. Claims 21-40 are currently pending in the application.
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.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statements (IDS) submitted on 20 February, 2024 (two items), 21 June, 2024, and 3 March, 2026, were filed before the mailing date of this Office Action. The submissions are in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statements are being considered by the examiner.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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.
Claims 21-40 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Hu (CN 114039460 A, provided herein with machine translation) in view of Liang (CN 209545264 U, provided herein with machine translation).
With respect to claim 21, Hu teaches a motor assembly [combined shaft 1, bottom plate 4, rotor 21, yoke 22, etc.] for a light detection and ranging (LiDAR) system (see ¶ 0015 of the translation which recites “a lidar comprising the lidar outer rotor motor…”), the motor assembly [1/21/22/etc.] comprising:
a mounting bottom plate [bottom case 4] provided with a stator seat positioning groove (labeled by the Examiner in the joint annotated excerpt of figs. 1 and 3 attached below – basically, the mounting aperture for the shaft 1);
a circuit board [6 including first portion 61] assembled in a positioning manner to the mounting bottom plate [4] (¶ 0021 recites “the circuit board 6 includes three portions, namely, a first portion 61 disposed on the bottom case 4… …and the first portion 61 is locked in the first recess 42…”);
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a stator seat [shaft 1] located in the stator seat positioning groove and assembled in a positioning manner to the stator seat positioning groove {claim 1 recites “an upper shell (3) and a bottom shell (5) which are respectively arranged at two ends of the motor shaft (1)…” – see fig. 1, which shows the seat/shaft seated in the bottom plate}, the stator seat [1] being provided with a stator positioning protrusion (labeled by the Examine in fig. 1) protruding away from (upward in fig. 1) the mounting bottom plate [4]; and
a stator [9] sleeved on the stator positioning protrusion [1] and assembled in a positioning manner to the stator positioning protrusion (it is above it in fig. 1 – also, see ¶ 0020, which recites “the stator assembly 9 is fixed on one end of the motor shaft 1 close to the bottom shell 4…”).
Hu omits wherein the stator is a wound stator.
Liang discloses an outer-rotor motor system (see title) comprising a bottom plate [1] provided with a stator seat positioning groove [12], a stator seat [sleeve 3 including upper bearing seat 32, lower bearing seat 33, and axle tube 34] located in the stator seat positioning groove [12] and assembled to the stator seat positioning groove [12], the stator seat [3/32/33/34] being provided with a stator positioning protrusion [34] protruding away from the bottom plate [1], and a stator [iron core 2 plus coil winding] (see translation ¶ 0004) sleeved on the stator positioning protrusion [34]. Thus Liang is deemed analogous art.
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Liang teaches wherein the stator is a wound stator (¶ 0004 recites “the stator component comprises a stator core, an end insulation and a coil winding…”)
It would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to make the system of Hu, while utilizing a wound stator, as taught by Liang, in order to advantageously provide electromagnetic flux in the area around the stator to reactively spin the rotor of the LiDAR mirror via permanent magnets on the rotor, as is well known in the art. Hu simply omits discussing the individual components of the stator – its authors were clearly more focused on the inventive aspects and not the banal. Hu even shows the gaps (blank rectangles in 9) where the windings belong. Liang is not needed to establish that Hu’s system has windings, but it serves as more direct evidence than if the Examiner invoked Official Notice (or it can be seen as reinforcing Official Notice). If Hu’s stator was not wound, it would not function as described in the translation.
With respect to claim 22/21, Hu in view of Liang teaches the assembly of claim 21, Hu further teaches wherein
the mounting bottom plate [4] is provided with a suspected first positioning pin and a suspected second positioning pin (labeled by the Examiner in the joint excerpt of figs. 3 and 5 attached below); and
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the circuit board [6/61] is provided with a suspected first positioning hole and a second positioning hole (also labeled by the Examiner).
Hu omits explicitly teaching that the suspected first positioning pin is a first positioning pin, that the suspected second positioning pin is a second positioning pin, that the first suspected positioning hole is a first positioning hole in a position fit with the first positioning pin, and the suspected second positioning hole is a second positioning hole in a position fit with the second positioning pin.
It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, when attempting to make Hu in view of Liang, to interpret the suspected elements in the drawings to be the claimed ones, and consequentially manufacture the system with a first positioning pin, a second positioning pin, a first positioning hole in a position fit with the first positioning pin, and a second positioning hole in a position fit with the second positioning pin, in order to lock the circuit board in the groove (¶ 0021 of Hu translation recites “the first portion 61 is locked in the first recess 42…”) such that such that it cannot slip out during operation of the system. Hu’s omission of the description of what obviously are mutually engaging pins and holes was probably due to its authors focusing on elements more relevant to the claims of the reference.
With respect to claim 23/22/21, Hu in view of Liang teaches the assembly of claim 22, Hu further teaches wherein
the mounting bottom plate [4] is further provided with a circuit board receiving groove [first recess 42] (¶ 0021 recites “the first portion 61 is locked in the first recess 42…”) matched in shape (see the enlarged excerpts of figs. 5 and 3, attached below, wherein it is easily observable that the shapes are matched) with an edge (labeled by the Examiner in fig. 5) of the circuit board [6/61], at least a part of the circuit board [6/61] is located in the circuit board receiving groove [42] (¶ 0021 recites “the first portion 61 is locked in the first recess 42…”),
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and the first positioning pin and the second positioning pin (it has been established in the rejection of claim 35 that Hu’s suspected pins are positioning pins to a person of ordinary skill in the art) are arranged in the circuit board receiving groove [42] (see fig. 3).
With respect to claim 24/21, Hu in view of Liang teaches the assembly of claim 21, Hu further teaches wherein a plurality of position sensors [speed measuring devices 8] are provided on the circuit board [6/61] (speed can be used by a controller to determine position and vice versa – see ¶ 0020).
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With respect to claim 25/21, Hu in view of Liang teaches the assembly of claim 21, Hu omits teaching wherein the stator seat positioning groove is provided with a first positioning portion and a second positioning portion in a circumferential direction thereof; and the stator seat is provided with a third positioning portion in a positioning fit with the first positioning portion, and a fourth positioning portion in a positioning fit with the second positioning portion.
Liang teaches wherein
the stator seat positioning groove [12] is provided with a first positioning portion [notch 121a] (the letters “a” and “b” have been added by the Examiner to the annotated excerpt of fig. 2 below) and a second positioning portion [notch 121b] in a circumferential direction thereof; and
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the stator seat [3/33/34/32] is provided with a third positioning portion [lug 331a] in a positioning fit with the first positioning portion [121a] (see ¶ 0043), and a fourth positioning portion [lug 331b] in a positioning fit with the second positioning portion [121b] (again, see ¶ 0043).
It would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to make the system of Hu in view of Liang, as established in the rejection of claim 21 above, while incorporating the third and fourth positioning portions in respective fits with the first and second positioning portions, as taught by Liang, in order to achieve circumferential positioning (Liang translation, last line of ¶ 0043) to prevent the stator seat from rotating circumferentially relative to the bottom plate (Liang ¶ 0020).
With respect to claim 26/25/21, Hu in view of Liang teaches the assembly of claim 25, Liu further teaches wherein the first positioning portion [121a] and the second positioning portion [121b] are distributed in a radial direction (from inward to outward in fig. 2) of the stator seat positioning groove [12] (still referring to the fig. 2 excerpt attached above).
With respect to claim 27/25/21, Hu in view of Liang teaches the assembly of claim 25, Liu further teaches wherein
the first positioning portion [121a] is a first positioning recess (121 are “notches” according to ¶ 0043), and the second positioning portion [121b] is a second positioning recess; and
the third positioning portion [331a] is a first positioning projection (331 are “lugs” according to ¶ 0043) matched in shape with the first positioning recess [121a], and the fourth positioning portion [331b] is a second positioning projection matched in shape with the second positioning recess [121b] (see ¶ 0043 which recites “a lug 331 correspondingly matched with the notches 121 is formed…”).
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With respect to claim 28/27/25/21, Hu in view of Liang teaches the assembly of claim 27, Liu further teaches wherein orthographic projections of the first positioning recess [121a] and the second positioning recess [121b] on a reference plane parallel to the mounting bottom plate [1] (still referring to the fig. 2 excerpt attached above) are each in the shape of a semi-circular arc, and the first positioning recess [121a] and the second positioning recess extend in a depth direction (outward from center in fig. 2) of the stator seat positioning groove [12] and are provided with arc-shaped surfaces.
With respect to claim 29/21, Hu in view of Liang teaches the assembly of claim 21, Hu omits teaching wherein the stator positioning protrusion is provided with a fifth positioning portion and a sixth positioning portion in a circumferential direction thereof; and the wound stator is provided with a seventh positioning portion in a positioning fit with the fifth positioning portion, and an eighth positioning portion in a positioning fit with the sixth positioning portion.
Liu teaches wherein
the stator positioning protrusion [34] is provided with a fifth positioning portion [groove 343a] and a sixth positioning portion [groove 343b] (letters “a” and “b” have been added by the Examiner to the joint annotated excerpt of figs. 2 and 6 below) in a circumferential direction thereof; and
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the wound stator [2] is provided with a seventh positioning portion [convex rib 23a] in a positioning fit with the fifth positioning portion [343a], and an eighth positioning portion [convex rib 23b] in a positioning fit with the sixth positioning portion [343b] (see fig. 6 and ¶ 0045).
It would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to make the system of Hu in view of Liang, as established in the rejection of claim 21 above, while incorporating the seventh and eighth positioning portions in respective fits with the fifth and sixth positioning portions, as taught by Liang, in order to achieve circumferential positioning (Liang translation, last line of ¶ 0045) and prevent the stator positioning protrusion from rotating circumferentially relative to the stator (Liang ¶ 0021-0022).
With respect to claim 30/29/21, Hu in view of Liang teaches the assembly of claim 29, Liu further teaches wherein the fifth positioning portion [343a] and the sixth positioning portion [343b] are distributed in a radial direction (from inward to outward in fig. 6) of the stator seat positioning protrusion [34] (still referring to the excerpt of figs. 2 and 6 attached above).
With respect to claim 31/29/21, Hu in view of Liang teaches the assembly of claim 29, Liu further teaches wherein
the fifth positioning portion [343a] is a third positioning recess (¶ 0045 calls 343 a “groove”), and the sixth positioning portion [343b] is a fourth positioning recess; and
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the seventh positioning portion [23a] is a third positioning protrusion (¶ 0045 calls 23 a “rib”) matched in shape with the third positioning recess [343a] and the eighth positioning portion [23b] is a fourth positioning protrusion matched in shape with the fourth positioning recess [343b] (¶ 0045 recites “a second convex rib 23 correspondingly matched with the second groove 343...”).
With respect to claim 32/31/29/21, Hu in view of Liang teaches the assembly of claim 31, Liu further teaches wherein the seventh positioning portion [23a] and the eighth positioning portion [23b] are each a positioning key (see ¶ 0043-0045).
With respect to claim 33/21, Hu in view of Liang teaches the assembly of claim 21, Hu further teaches wherein
the motor assembly is a rotating mirror motor assembly, and further comprises a permanent magnet outer rotor [rotor assembly 2 including rotor yoke 21, optical mirror 22, light shielding ring 23, and magnetic steel 10] (machine translations from Chinese publications often call permanent magnets “magnetic steels”] and a reflecting mirror [22] fixed to a surface of the permanent magnet outer rotor [2/21/etc.] (see ¶ 0020 which recites “the optical mirror 22 is fixed to the outer periphery of the rotor yoke 21 and overlaps the lower step surface of the rotor yoke 21… the magnetic steel 10 is provided on the inner wall of the rotor yoke 21…”).
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With respect to claim 34, Hu teaches a light detection and ranging (LiDAR) system (see ¶ 0015 of the translation which recites “a lidar comprising the lidar outer rotor motor…”), comprising a motor assembly [combined shaft 1, rotor 21, yoke 22, etc.] (see ¶ 0018) comprising:
a mounting bottom plate [bottom case 4] provided with a stator seat positioning groove (labeled by the Examiner in the joint annotated excerpt of figs. 1 and 3 attached below – basically, the mounting opening for the shaft 1);
a circuit board [6 including first portion 61] assembled in a positioning manner to the mounting bottom plate [4] (¶ 0021 recites “the circuit board 6 includes three portions, namely, a first portion 61 disposed on the bottom case 4… …and the first portion 61 is locked in the first recess 42…”);
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a stator seat [shaft 1] located in the stator seat positioning groove and assembled in a positioning manner to the stator seat positioning groove {claim 1 recites “an upper shell (3) and a bottom shell (5) which are respectively arranged at two ends of the motor shaft (1)…” – see fig. 1, which shows the seat/shaft seated in the bottom plate}, the stator seat [1] being provided with a stator positioning protrusion (labeled by the Examine in fig. 1) protruding away from (upward in fig. 1) the mounting bottom plate [4]; and
a stator [9] sleeved on the stator positioning protrusion [1] and assembled in a positioning manner to the stator positioning protrusion (it is above it in fig. 1 – also, see ¶ 0020, which recites “the stator assembly 9 is fixed on one end of the motor shaft 1 close to the bottom shell 4…”).
Hu omits wherein the stator is a wound stator.
Liang discloses an outer-rotor motor system (see title) comprising a bottom plate [1] provided with a stator seat positioning groove [12], a stator seat [sleeve 3 including upper bearing seat 32, lower bearing seat 33, and axle tube 34] (reference numeral 3 borrowed from fig. 2 which represents an alternative embodiment whose only distinction is that element 342 bulges inward instead of outward) located in the stator seat positioning groove [12] and assembled to the stator seat positioning groove [12], the stator seat [3/32/33/34] being provided with a stator positioning protrusion [34] protruding away from the bottom plate [1], and a stator [iron core 2 plus coil winding] (see translation ¶ 0004) sleeved on the stator positioning protrusion [34]. Liang is deemed analogous art.
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Liang teaches wherein the stator is a wound stator (¶ 0004 recites “the stator component comprises a stator core, an end insulation and a coil winding…”)
It would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to make the system of Hu, while utilizing a wound stator, as taught by Liang, in order to advantageously provide electromagnetic flux in the area around the stator to reactively spin the rotor of the LiDAR mirror via permanent magnets on the rotor, as is well known in the art. Hu simply omits discussing the individual components of the stator, its authors were clearly more focused on the inventive aspects and not the banal. Hu even shows the gaps (blank rectangles in 9) where the windings belong. Liang is not needed to establish that Hu’s system has windings, but it serves as more direct evidence than if the Examiner invoked Official Notice (or it can be seen as reinforcing Official Notice). If Hu’s stator was not wound, it would not function as described in the translation.
With respect to claim 35/34, Hu in view of Liang teaches the system of claim 34, Hu further teaches wherein
the mounting bottom plate [4] provided with a suspected first positioning pin and a suspected second positioning pin (labeled by the Examiner in the joint excerpt of figs. 3 and 5 attached below); and
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the circuit board [6/61] is provided with a suspected first positioning hole and a second positioning hole (also labeled by the Examiner).
Hu omits explicitly teaching that the suspected first positioning pin is a first positioning pin, that the suspected second positioning pin is a second positioning pin, that the first suspected positioning hole is a first positioning hole in a position fit with the first positioning pin, and the suspected second positioning hole is a second positioning hole in a position fit with the second positioning pin.
It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, when attempting to make Hu in view of Liang, to interpret the suspected elements in the drawings to be the claimed ones, and consequentially manufacture the system with a first positioning pin, a second positioning pin, a first positioning hole in a position fit with the first positioning pin, and a second positioning hole in a position fit with the second positioning pin, in order to lock the circuit board in the groove (¶ 0021 of Hu translation recites “the first portion 61 is locked in the first recess 42…”) such that such that it cannot slip out during operation of the system. Again, Hu’s omission of the description of what obviously are mutually engaging pins and holes was probably due to its authors focusing on elements more relevant to the claims of the reference.
With respect to claim 36/35/34, Hu in view of Liang teaches the system of claim 35, Hu further teaches wherein
the mounting bottom plate [4] is further provided with a circuit board receiving groove [first recess 42] (¶ 0021 recites “the first portion 61 is locked in the first recess 42…”) matched in shape (see the enlarged excerpts of figs. 5 and 3, attached below, wherein it is easily observable that the shapes are matched) with an edge (labeled by the Examiner in fig. 5) of the circuit board [6/61], at least a part of the circuit board [6/61] is located in the circuit board receiving groove [42] (¶ 0021 recites “the first portion 61 is locked in the first recess 42…”),
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and the first positioning pin and the second positioning pin (it has been established in the rejection of claim 35 that Hu’s suspected pins are positioning pins to a person of ordinary skill in the art) are arranged in the circuit board receiving groove [42] (see fig. 3).
With respect to claim 37/34, Hu in view of Liang teaches the system of claim 34, Hu further teaches wherein a plurality of position sensors [speed measuring devices 8] are provided on the circuit board [6/61] (speed can be used by a controller to determine position and vice versa).
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With respect to claim 38/34, Hu in view of Liang teaches the system of claim 34, Hu omits teaching wherein the stator seat positioning groove is provided with a first positioning portion and a second positioning portion in a circumferential direction thereof; and the stator seat is provided with a third positioning portion in a positioning fit with the first positioning portion, and a fourth positioning portion in a positioning fit with the second positioning portion.
Liang teaches wherein
the stator seat positioning groove [12] is provided with a first positioning portion [notch 121a] (the letters “a” and “b” have been added to the annotated excerpt of fig. 2 below) and a second positioning portion [notch 121b] in a circumferential direction thereof; and
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the stator seat [3/33/34/32] is provided with a third positioning portion [lug 331a] in a positioning fit with the first positioning portion [121a] (see ¶ 0043), and a fourth positioning portion [lug 331b] in a positioning fit with the second positioning portion [121b] (again, see ¶ 0043).
It would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to make the system of Hu in view of Liang, as established in the rejection of claim 21 above, while incorporating the third and fourth positioning portions in respective fits with the first and second positioning portions, as taught by Liang, in order to achieve circumferential positioning (Liang translation, last line of ¶ 0043) to prevent the stator seat from rotating circumferentially relative to the bottom plate (Liang ¶ 0020).
With respect to claim 39/34, Hu in view of Liang teaches the system of claim 34, Hu omits teaching wherein the stator positioning protrusion is provided with a fifth positioning portion and a sixth positioning portion in a circumferential direction thereof; and the wound stator is provided with a seventh positioning portion in a positioning fit with the fifth positioning portion, and an eighth positioning portion in a positioning fit with the sixth positioning portion.
Liu teaches wherein
the stator positioning protrusion [34] is provided with a fifth positioning portion [groove 343a] and a sixth positioning portion [groove 343b] (letters “a” and “b” have been added to the joint annotated excerpt of figs. 2 and 6 below) in a circumferential direction thereof; and
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the wound stator [2] is provided with a seventh positioning portion [convex rib 23a] in a positioning fit with the fifth positioning portion [343a], and an eighth positioning portion [convex rib 23b] in a positioning fit with the sixth positioning portion [343b] (see fig. 6 and ¶ 0045).
It would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to make the system of Hu in view of Liang, as established in the rejection of claim 21 above, while incorporating the seventh and eighth positioning portions in respective fits with the fifth and sixth positioning portions, as taught by Liang, in order to achieve circumferential positioning (Liang translation, last line of ¶ 0045) and prevent the stator positioning protrusion from rotating circumferentially relative to the stator (Liang ¶ 0021-0022).
With respect to claim 40, Hu teaches a carrier system, comprising:
a light detection and ranging (LiDAR) system (see ¶ 0015 of the translation which recites “a lidar comprising the lidar outer rotor motor…”), comprising a motor assembly [combined shaft 1, rotor 21, yoke 22, etc.] (see ¶ 0018) comprising:
a mounting bottom plate [bottom case 4] provided with a stator seat positioning groove (labeled by the Examiner in the joint annotated excerpt of figs. 1 and 3 attached below – basically, the seat of the shaft 1);
a circuit board [6 including first portion 61] assembled in a positioning manner to the mounting bottom plate [4] (¶ 0021 recites “the circuit board 6 includes three portions, namely, a first portion 61 disposed on the bottom case 4… …and the first portion 61 is locked in the first recess 42…”);
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a stator seat [shaft 1] located in the stator seat positioning groove and assembled in a positioning manner to the stator seat positioning groove {claim 1 recites “an upper shell (3) and a bottom shell (5) which are respectively arranged at two ends of the motor shaft (1)…” – see fig. 1, which shows the seat/shaft seated in the bottom plate}, the stator seat [1] being provided with a stator positioning protrusion (labeled by the Examine in fig. 1) protruding away from (upward in fig. 1) the mounting bottom plate [4]; and
a stator [9] sleeved on the stator positioning protrusion [1] and assembled in a positioning manner to the stator positioning protrusion (it is above it in fig. 1 – also, see ¶ 0020, which recites “the stator assembly 9 is fixed on one end of the motor shaft 1 close to the bottom shell 4…”).
Hu omits wherein the stator is a wound stator.
Liang discloses an outer-rotor motor system (see title) comprising a bottom plate [1] provided with a stator seat positioning groove [12], a stator seat [sleeve 3 including upper bearing seat 32, lower bearing seat 33, and axle tube 34] (reference numeral 3 borrowed from fig. 2 which represents an alternative embodiment whose only distinction is that element 342 bulges inward instead of outward) located in the stator seat positioning groove [12] and assembled to the stator seat positioning groove [12], the stator seat [3/32/33/34] being provided with a stator positioning protrusion [34] protruding away from the bottom plate [1], and a stator [iron core 2 plus coil winding] (see translation ¶ 0004) sleeved on the stator positioning protrusion [34]. Liang is deemed analogous art.
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Liang teaches wherein the stator is a wound stator (¶ 0004 recites “the stator component comprises a stator core, an end insulation and a coil winding…”)
It would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to make the system of Hu, while utilizing a wound stator, as taught by Liang, in order to advantageously provide electromagnetic flux in the area around the stator to reactively spin the rotor of the LiDAR mirror via permanent magnets on the rotor, as is well known in the art. Hu simply omits discussing the individual components of the stator, its authors were clearly more focused on the inventive aspects and not the banal. Hu even shows the gaps (blank rectangles in 9) where the windings belong. Liang is not needed to establish that Hu’s system has windings, but it serves as more direct evidence than if the Examiner invoked Official Notice (or it can be seen as reinforcing Official Notice). If Hu’s stator was not wound, it would not function as described in the translation.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Fig. 1B of US 2017/0168261 A1 anticipates claims 21, 34, and 40. The reference teaches a LiDAR system (rotating mirror) with a motor having a mounting bottom plate provided with a stator seat positioning groove, a circuit board [28] assembled to the bottom plate, a stator seat [24] located in the stator seat positioning groove and provided with a stator positioning protrusion protruding away from the bottom plate, and a wound stator [27b with windings 27c] sleeved on the stator positioning protrusion and assembled in a positioning manner to the stator positioning protrusion.
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The Examiner did not make a rejection based on this reference because he predicts Hu and Liang will be more consequential in the prosecution overall. Overlapping rejections on the independent claims would unnecessarily lengthen this Office Action as well as the ensuing response by Applicant. Applicant is requested to make sure to amend the independent claims around this reference in addition to Hu in view of Liang.
US 2004/0189113 A1 is also very relevant to the claimed invention. 90 is a circuit board, 42 is a locating groove, and 67 is a corresponding locating rib.
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EP 3002855 B1 was included in one of the IDS submissions. Since there were hundreds of references cited in the IDS’s, the Examiner is including its fig. 3 herein as a reminder to Applicant that it is of record.
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Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to DANIEL K SCHLAK whose telephone number is (703)756-1685. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Friday, 9:30 am - 6:00 pm EST.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Seye Iwarere can be reached at (571) 270 - 5112. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/Daniel K Schlak/Examiner, Art Unit 2834
/OLUSEYE IWARERE/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2834
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