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
Acknowledgment is made of applicant’s claim for foreign priority under 35 U.S.C. 119 (a)-(d) to foreign application KR10-2023-0166651 filed on 11/27/2023 The foreign application is not in English. The certified copy of the foreign priority application KR10-2023-0166651 has been received.
Filing Dates for the Claims — All Claims Not Entitled to Priority Date
To be entitled to the filing date of the foreign priority application KR10-2023-0166651 that is not in English, an English translation of the non-English language foreign application KR10-2023-0166651 and a statement that the translation is accurate in accordance with 37 CFR 1.55 is required to perfect the claim for priority under 35 U.S.C. 119 (a)-(d). The foreign application must adequately support the claimed subject matter, meaning satisfy the written description and enablement requirements of 35 U.S.C. 112(a). See MPEP §§ 215 and 216. 37 C.F.R. 1.55(g)(3)(ii)-(iii). To demonstrate compliance with 35 U.S.C. 112(a), applicant should point to support for their claimed subject matter in their translations.
Claim Objections
Claims 1 and 6 are objected to under 37 CFR 1.75 (e) as being in improper form because any independent claim should contain in the following order:
(1) A preamble comprising a general description of all the elements or steps of the claimed combination which are conventional or known,
(2) A phrase such as "wherein the improvement comprises," and
(3) Those elements, steps, and/or relationships which constitute that portion of the claimed combination which the applicant considers as the new or improved portion.
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.
Claim 5 is 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.
Claim 5 recites the limitation "the electrically insulating adhesive" in line 4. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
For the purpose of this Action, the above limitation of claim 5 will be interpreted and examined as --an electrically insulating adhesive--.
Appropriate correction is required.
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 1-3 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Yang et al. (US Pub. 20240179845) in view of Farrell et al. (US Pub. 20020076948).
Regarding claim 1, Yang et al. discloses in Fig. 1, Fig. 7, Fig. 16-Fig. 17 a bonding structure in which a terminal [52a] of a flexible circuit board [50] is bonded to a conductive pad [411a] disposed at an end of an electrically conductive pattern on a substrate,
wherein the terminal [52a] is electrically and physically bonded to the conductive pad by an electrically conductive adhesive [61] interposed therebetween,
the terminal [52a] is constituted by a through-hole [53] defined at the flexible printed circuit board [50] and an electrically conductive layer integrated with top and bottom surfaces of the flexible printed circuit board [50] along an edge of the through-hole [53] and integrated with a sidewall of the through-hole [53], and
the electrically conductive adhesive [61] is filled into the through-hole [53] and is laminated on the electrically conductive layer in contact therewith.
Yang et al. fails to disclose
the substrate comprises a fabric for a suit.
Farrell et al. discloses in Fig. 3, Fig. 6, paragraph [0053]
the substrate [48] comprises a fabric for a suit.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the invention to incorporate the teachings of Farrell et al. into the method of Yang et al. to include the substrate comprises a fabric for a suit. The ordinary artisan would have been motivated to modify Yang et al. in the above manner for the purpose of providing suitable substrate for forming a wearable fabric article [paragraph [0002], [0053] of Farrell et al.].
Regarding claim 2, Yang et al. discloses in Fig. 1
wherein the electrically conductive adhesive [61] extends over a width of the electrically conductive layer and is bonded to top and bottom surfaces of the flexible circuit board [50a].
Regarding claim 3, Yang et al. discloses in Fig. 1, Fig. 17
wherein an electrically conductive pattern portion including the conductive pad [411], a flexible circuit board portion [50] including the terminal [52], and the electrically conductive adhesive [61/70] are covered by a protective cover [90a].
Claim 4 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Yang et al. (US Pub. 20240179845) in view of Farrell et al. (US Pub. 20020076948) as applied to claim 3 above and further in view of Vesce, III et al. (US Pub. 20210068250).
Regarding claim 4, Yang et al. and Farrell et al. fails to disclose
wherein the protective cover is bonded onto the fabric by an electrically insulating adhesive interposed therebetween.
Vesce, III et al. discloses in Fig. 2, paragraph [0039]
wherein the protective cover [5] is bonded onto the fabric [2] by an electrically insulating adhesive [3 and 4] interposed therebetween.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the invention to incorporate the teachings of Vesce, III et al. into the method of Yang et al. and Farrell et al. to include wherein the protective cover is bonded onto the fabric by an electrically insulating adhesive interposed therebetween. The ordinary artisan would have been motivated to modify Yang et al. and Farrell et al. in the above manner for the purpose of providing an encapsulated flexible or semi-flexible or rigid printed circuit board with enhanced environmental and reliability capabilities [paragraph [0035], [0045] of Vesce, III et al.]
Claim 5 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Yang et al. (US Pub. 20240179845) in view of Farrell et al. (US Pub. 20020076948) as applied to claim 3 above and further in view of Vesce, III et al. (US Pub. 20210068250) and Zhao (US Pat. 5302807) and Morin et al. (US Pub. 20040222661).
Regarding claim 5, Yang et al. and Farrell et al. fails to disclose
wherein the protective cover is constituted by a cotton material base sheet and a polyurethane film heat-pressed on and bonded to the base sheet, and the base sheet is bonded to the fabric by an electrically insulating adhesive interposed therebetween.
Vesce, III et al. discloses in Fig. 2, paragraph [0039]
a bottom portion of the protective cover [5] is bonded onto the fabric [2] by an electrically insulating adhesive [3 and 4] interposed therebetween.
Vesce, III et al. also discloses in paragraph [0037] protective cover [5] may be composite fabric.
Morin et al. discloses in paragraph [0028]
a protective cover is constituted by a cotton material base sheet and a polyurethane film bonded to the base sheet.
Zhao discloses in Abstract and Fig. 2
a composite fabric is constituted by a cotton material base sheet [1] and a polyurethane film [4] heat-pressed on and bonded to the base sheet [1].
Incorporating the configuration of the protective cover/ composite fabric disclosed by Morin et al. and Zhao in the method of Vesce, III et al. would result to “wherein the protective cover is constituted by a cotton material base sheet and a polyurethane film heat-pressed on and bonded to the base sheet, and the base sheet is bonded to the fabric by an electrically insulating adhesive interposed therebetween.”
It is noted that “heat-pressed” directed to product-by-process limitation. “[E]ven though product-by-process claims are limited by and defined by the process, determination of patentability is based on the product itself. The patentability of a product does not depend on its method of production. If the product in the product-by-process claim is the same as or obvious from a product of the prior art, the claim is unpatentable even though the prior product was made by a different process.” In re Thorpe, 777 F.2d 695, 698, 227 USPQ 964, 966 (Fed. Cir. 1985). Furthermore, "[b]ecause validity is determined based on the requirements of patentability, a patent is invalid if a product made by the process recited in a product-by-process claim is anticipated by or obvious from prior art products, even if those prior art products are made by different processes." Amgen Inc. v. F. Hoffman-La Roche Ltd., 580 F.3d 1340, 1370 n 14, 92 USPQ2d 1289, 1312, n 14 (Fed. Cir. 2009). (MPEP 2113).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the invention to incorporate the teachings of Morin et al., Zhao, Vesce, III et al. into the method of Yang et al. and Farrell et al. to include wherein the protective cover is constituted by a cotton material base sheet and a polyurethane film heat-pressed on and bonded to the base sheet, and the base sheet is bonded to the fabric by an electrically insulating adhesive interposed therebetween. The ordinary artisan would have been motivated to modify Yang et al. and Farrell et al. in the above manner for the purpose of providing an encapsulated flexible or semi-flexible or rigid printed circuit board with enhanced environmental and reliability capabilities; providing suitable configuration of a flexible protective cover to protect the user against the cold [paragraph [0035], [0045] of Vesce, III et al., paragraph [0028] of Morin et al., abstract of Zhao].
Claim 6 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Cho et al. (US Pub. 20190110748) in view of Chou (US Pub. 20210345961) and Yang et al. (US Pub. 20240179845).
Regarding claim 6, Cho et al. discloses in Figs. 1-3 a smart clothing fabric with a plurality of electrically conductive patterns [110] respectively bonded to a plurality of terminals [220] of a circuit board [200 or 300],
the terminals [220] are electrically and physically bonded to conductive pads disposed at opposite ends of the electrically conductive patterns [110].
Cho et al. fails to disclose
the circuit board is a flexible circuit board.
Chou discloses in Figs. 1-2, Figs. 3a-3c, paragraph [0011], [0033], [0059]
the circuit board [12 or 13] is a flexible circuit board.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the invention to incorporate the teachings of Chou into the method of Cho et al. to include the circuit board is a flexible circuit board. The ordinary artisan would have been motivated to modify Cho et al. in the above manner for the purpose of providing suitable circuit board of a smart garment so that the flexible circuit board can be cleaned with the textile fabric at the same time, which can further improve the convenience of the user [paragraph [0059] of Chou].
Cho et al. and Chou fail to disclose
wherein the terminals are electrically and physically bonded to the conductive pads disposed at opposite ends of the electrically conductive patterns by an electrically conductive adhesive interposed therebetween,
each of the terminals is constituted by a through-hole defined at the flexible printed circuit board and an electrically conductive layer integrated with top and bottom surfaces of the flexible printed circuit board along an edge of the through-hole and integrated with a sidewall of the through-hole, and
the electrically conductive adhesive is filled into the through-hole and is laminated on the electrically conductive layer in contact therewith.
Yang et al. discloses in Fig. 1, Fig. 7, Fig. 12, Fig. 16-Fig. 17
wherein the terminals [52a] are electrically and physically bonded to conductive pads disposed at opposite ends of the electrically conductive patterns [43] by an electrically conductive adhesive [61] interposed therebetween,
each of the terminals [52a] is constituted by a through-hole [53] defined at the flexible printed circuit board [50] and an electrically conductive layer integrated with top and bottom surfaces of the flexible printed circuit board [50] along an edge of the through-hole [53] and integrated with a sidewall of the through-hole [53], and
the electrically conductive adhesive [61] is filled into the through-hole [53] and is laminated on the electrically conductive layer in contact therewith.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the invention to incorporate the teachings of Yang et al. into the method of Cho et al. and Chou to include wherein the terminals are electrically and physically bonded to the conductive pads disposed at opposite ends of the electrically conductive patterns by an electrically conductive adhesive interposed therebetween, each of the terminals is constituted by a through-hole defined at the flexible printed circuit board and an electrically conductive layer integrated with top and bottom surfaces of the flexible printed circuit board along an edge of the through-hole and integrated with a sidewall of the through-hole, and the electrically conductive adhesive is filled into the through-hole and is laminated on the electrically conductive layer in contact therewith. The ordinary artisan would have been motivated to modify Cho et al. and Chou in the above manner for the purpose of providing suitable method for forming improved electrically connection between the flexible printed circuit board and conductive pads and ensuring stability of the circuit board assembly [paragraph [0004], [0051] of Yang et al.].
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. The cited art discloses similar materials, devices and methods.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to SOPHIA T NGUYEN whose telephone number is (571)272-1686. The examiner can normally be reached 9:00am -5:00 pm, Monday-Friday.
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, BRITT D HANLEY can be reached at (571)270-3042. 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.
/SOPHIA T NGUYEN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2893