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.
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.
Claim(s) 1-6,10,12 and 15-20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by US 2012/0190219 A1 (Pai).
Pai discloses a communication apparatus, comprising: an apparatus enclosure (20) comprising a substrate seating surface (21, 23) and at least one or more connection grooves (26) formed on the substrate seating surface; a first printed circuit board (10) disposed on the substrate seating surface; a second printed circuit board (30) disposed on the substrate seating surface on one side of the first printed circuit board; and at least one or more connectors (22, 24) disposed within the connection groove and configured to electrically connect the first printed circuit board and the second printed circuit board ([0011]) [claim 1], wherein the connector comprises: a support member in contact with at least a portion of the apparatus enclosure within the connection groove; and an elastic connection member that is electrically conductive and disposed between the support member and the first printed circuit board, or between the support member and the second printed circuit board (figure 3) [claim 2], wherein the elastic connection member comprises: a plate-shaped base; a first sidewall formed at one end of the plate-shaped base; a first contact portion formed at one end of the first sidewall; a second sidewall formed at an other end of the plate-shaped base; and a second contact portion formed at one end of the second sidewall ([0011]) [claim 3], wherein the support member comprises: a support base; a protruding seat projecting from one side of the support base and configured to receive the elastic connection member; and a retaining member formed on the protruding seat to secure the elastic connection member (figures 1 and 3) [claim 4], wherein the connector comprises: a deformation gap (25) formed between the support base and the elastic connection member when the first printed circuit board or the second printed circuit board is seated on the substrate seating surface to allow the elastic connection member to elastically deform [claim 5], wherein the retaining member includes a retaining protrusion formed on the protruding seat, and the elastic connection member includes a through-hole into which the retaining protrusion is inserted (figure 3) [claim 6], wherein the apparatus enclosure comprises an outer housing configured to house one or both of the first printed circuit board and the second printed circuit board (figure 3) [claim 10], wherein the connector is configured to transfer radio frequency (RE) signals between the first printed circuit board and the second printed circuit board ([0012]) [claim 12], wherein each of the first printed circuit board and the second printed circuit board is in direct contact with the apparatus enclosure (figure 3) [claim 16], wherein the substrate seating surface comprises a first seating surface (21) on which the first printed circuit board is seated and a second seating surface (23) on which the second printed circuit board is seated, wherein the first printed circuit board and the second printed circuit board are formed to have a common thickness, wherein the first seating surface and the second seating surface are formed to have a common height, and wherein the first side wall and the second side wall of the elastic connection member are formed to have a common height (figure 3) [claim 17].
Regarding claim 15, the Examiner notes that the limitation wherein the support member and the elastic connection member are integrally formed by multi-component injection molding [claim 15] is a process limitation in a device claim and thus has been considered only to the extent to which said process impacts the structure of the device.
Additionally, Pai discloses a radio frequency (RF) connector, comprising: an elastic connection member (20) comprising a plate-shaped base, a first sidewall (associated with 21) formed at one end of the plate-shaped base, a first contact portion (24) formed at one end of the first sidewall, a second sidewall (associated with 23) formed at an other end of the plate-shaped base, and a second contact portion (24) formed at one end of the second sidewall; and a support member configured to support the elastic connection member [claim 18], wherein the support member comprises: a support base; a protruding seat projecting from one side of the support base and configured to receive the elastic connection member; and a retaining member formed on the protruding seat to secure the elastic connection member (figure 3) [claim 19], further comprising: a deformation gap (25) formed between the support base and the elastic connection member [claim 20].
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 7-9, 11, 13, and 14 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.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter: Claims 7 and 14 state the limitation “wherein the substrate seating surface comprises a first seating surface on which the first printed circuit board is seated and a second seating surface on which the second printed circuit board is seated, wherein the first seating surface and the second seating surface are formed to have an off-set, and wherein the first sidewall and the second sidewall of the elastic connection member have different lengths to correspond to the offset between the first seating surface and the second seating surface.” This limitation, in conjunction with the other claimed features, was neither found to be disclosed in, nor suggested by the prior art. Claim 8 states the limitation “wherein the elastic connection member is made of beryllium copper or stainless steel alloy.” This limitation, in conjunction with the other claimed features, was neither found to be disclosed in, nor suggested by the prior art. Claim 9 states the limitation “wherein the support member is made of polycarbonate, Lusep, or Teflon.” This limitation, in conjunction with the other claimed features, was neither found to be disclosed in, nor suggested by the prior art. Claim 11 states the limitation “wherein the apparatus enclosure includes at least a portion formed with a plurality of heat sink fins.” This limitation, in conjunction with the other claimed features, was neither found to be disclosed in, nor suggested by the prior art. Claim 13 states the limitation “wherein the apparatus enclosure is made of an aluminum alloy or a stainless steel alloy.” This limitation, in conjunction with the other claimed features, was neither found to be disclosed in, nor suggested by the prior art.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to JEREMY C NORRIS whose telephone number is (571)272-1932. The examiner can normally be reached 7:15-15:15 M-F.
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, 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.
Information regarding the status of published or unpublished applications may be obtained from Patent Center. Unpublished application information in Patent Center is available to registered users. To file and manage patent submissions in Patent Center, visit: https://patentcenter.uspto.gov. Visit https://www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/patent-center for more information about Patent Center and https://www.uspto.gov/patents/docx for information about filing in DOCX format. For additional questions, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000.
JEREMY C. NORRIS
Examiner
Art Unit 2847
/JEREMY C NORRIS/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2847