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 .
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments have been fully considered but they are not persuasive.
Applicant contends in pages 13-14 of the remarks:
Lasiter does not disclose that fanout panel package 210 (the alleged first passive module) does not comprise other kinds of electronic components excepting a passive component". Therefore, Lasiter fails to teach or suggest "the first passive component module does not comprise other kinds of electronic components excepting a passive component" recited in amended claim 1.
…
Since Lasiter and Dang, either individually or in combination, fails to teach or suggest "the first passive component module does not comprise other kinds of electronic components excepting a passive component" as set forth in amended claim 1, there is no teaching, suggestion, or motivation in the applied references that would have led one of ordinary skill to modify the applied references or to combine applied reference teachings to arrive at the claimed invention.
Examiner respectfully disagrees.
Lasiter in Fig. 2 discloses an antenna-on-package (AOP) 200, which is often controlled actively by an external controller such as a transceiver. The only “electronic component” Lasiter’s fanout panel package 210 has is a die 212. A skilled artisan would appreciate that such a die in an AOP is a passive component in that it does NOT operate unless excited by an external transmit/receive antenna and/or an external transceiver. Lasiter’s fanout panel package 210 is unambiguosly analogous to the instant invention’s “passive component module” 200 as depicted in Fig. 1 (reproduced below), having a passive die/RFIC component 240, various conductive vias 220, electrical routings 210 and coupling pads.
PNG
media_image1.png
518
576
media_image1.png
Greyscale
Nevertheless, gist of the invention appears to be, inter alia, employing multi-band stacked antenna elements (322, 324) in an antenna package 500 (Fig. 1 above), for operation in a first low frequency band between 24.25-29.5 GHZ, and a second high frequency band between 37-43.5 GHZ. See, e.g., ¶¶ [0029-0031] of the printed publication.
However, merely pieces of the invention have been claimed.
Absent specific structural limitations recited to clearly discern the invention, prior art reads well on the breadth of claim 1.
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.
Claim 1 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over “Yeon” (US 20210091017).
Claim 1: Yeon discloses an antenna package 200 (Fig. 2), comprising:
a first passive component module (202, 222) having a top surface, a bottom surface and a first side surface between the top surface and the bottom surface, wherein the first passive component module has a first size (see Fig. 2), and the first passive component module does not comprise other kinds of electronic components excepting a passive component 222 (a skilled artisan would appreciate that interconnects 222 are inherently passive);
a first antenna module 250 separated from the first passive component module and stacked on the top surface of the first passive component module, wherein the first antenna module has a second size (see Fig. 2);
a first conductive structure 252 in contact with the top surface of the first passive component module and electrically connected to the first antenna module (¶ 35); and
a second conductive structure 230-232 in contact with the bottom surface of the first passive component module (see Fig. 2 and ¶ 31).
Claims 1, 3, 14 and 20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over “Lasiter” (US 10685924).
Claim 1: Lasiter discloses an antenna package, comprising:
a first component module 210 (Fig. 2) having a top surface, a bottom surface and a first side surface between the top surface and the bottom surface, wherein the first component module has a first size (see Fig. 2), and the first passive component module does not comprise other kinds of electronic components excepting a passive component (see Fig. 2 and col. 4, second para.);
a first antenna module 250 separated from the first component module and stacked on the top surface of the first component module, wherein the antenna module has a second size (see Fig. 2);
a first conductive structure 232 in contact with the top surface of the first component module and electrically connected (via 252) to the first antenna module (col. 4, ll. 60-64); and
a second conductive structure 220 in contact with the bottom surface of the first component module.
Lasiter is silent regarding the component module being passive.
However, it can be seen in Fig. 2 that the component module 210 doesn’t have active antenna elements (262, 282) of the antenna module 250 required for electromagnetic transmission and/or reception.
Nevertheless, Lasiter teaches “For example, the antenna package 250, the antenna package 350, the antenna package 450, the antenna package 550, the antenna package 650, and/or the antenna package 750 may constitute means for transmitting and receiving electromagnetic radiation.” (Col. 12, ll. 33-38.)
Lasiter further teaches “The die 212, the die 312, the die 412, the die 512, and/or the die 612 may constitute means for processing.” (Col. 13, ll. 1-3.)
Before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, it would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art to use Lasiter’s component module as a passive module, in order to process electromagnetic radiation actively communicated by the antenna module.
Claim 3: Lasiter teaches the antenna package as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first antenna module extends from the top surface of the first passive component module to the first side surface of the first passive component module (see Fig. 2).
Claim 14: Lasiter teaches the antenna package as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:
a molding compound 234 filling a space between the passive component module 210 and the first antenna module 250, wherein the first conductive structure 232 passes through the molding compound.
Claim 20: Lasiter teaches the antenna package as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first antenna module is fabricated without any passive component disposed therein, and the first passive component module is fabricated without any antenna disposed therein (see Fig. 2).
Claims 9-10, 13, 16 and 19 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Lasiter (cited above) in view of “Dang” (US 9472859).
Claims 9-10: Lasiter fails to expressly teach a second antenna module disposed on the first passive component module and separated from the second conductive structure by the first passive component module;
wherein the first antenna module and the second antenna module are arranged side-by-side along a first direction, and the first direction is substantially parallel to the top surface of the first passive component module.
Dang discloses a second antenna module 110B (Fig. 2) disposed on the first passive component module and separated from the second conductive structure 150 by the first passive component module 120A;
wherein the first antenna module 110A and the second antenna module 110B are arranged side-by-side along a first direction, and the first direction is substantially parallel to the top surface of the first passive component module (see Fig. 2).
Dang teaches “The embodiments discussed herein are compatible with wafer scale level fabrication and integration, thereby enabling ease of manufacture of large phase array antenna structures. Moreover, multiple wafer level integration can be tiled (e.g., FIG. 2) to readily increase a number of antenna for use in phase-array antenna applications using a multitude of different chips integrated on a given carrier or application board to implement a phase-array antenna.” (Col. 9, second para.)
Before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, it would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art to modify Lasiter’s invention to have a second antenna module disposed on the first passive component module and separated from the second conductive structure by the first passive component module, wherein the first antenna module and the second antenna module are arranged side-by-side along a first direction, and the first direction is substantially parallel to the top surface of the first passive component module, in order to obtain an antenna array for communication diversity.
Claim 13: Lasiter is silent regarding wherein the second antenna module has a third size, and the third size is different from the first size or the second size.
However, such a modification would have involved a mere change in the size of a component. A change in size is generally recognized as being within the level of ordinary skill in the art. In re Rose, 105 USPQ 237 (CCPA 1955).
Before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, it would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art to modify Lasiter’s invention such that the second antenna module has a third size, and the third size is different from the first size or the second size, in order to obtain desired dimensions of the antenna package for effective transmit/receive operation.
Claim 16: Lasiter fails to expressly teach a second passive component module arranged side-by-side with the first passive component module, wherein the first antenna module overlaps and is electrically connected to the second passive component module, and wherein the second passive component module is electrically connected to a second antenna module arranged beside the first antenna module.
Dang discloses a second passive component module 120B (Fig. 2) arranged side-by-side with the first passive component module 120A, wherein the first antenna module 110A overlaps and is electrically connected to the second passive component module (via 130), and wherein the second passive component module is electrically connected to a second antenna module arranged beside the first antenna module (see Fig. 2).
Dang teaches “In the embodiment of FIG. 2, each package structure 202A, 202B, and 202C comprises a respective antenna package 110A, 110B, and 110C, bonded to a backside of a respective RFIC chip 120A, 120B and 120C. Each package structure 202A, 202B, and 202C is conceptually similar in design to the package structure (antenna package 110 and RFIC chip 120) discussed above with reference to FIG. 1. However, in the embodiment of FIG. 2, each package structure 202A, 202B, and 202C is a separate package that is bonded to the application board 130 so as to maintain antenna elements 114-1, 114-2, 114-3 and 114-4 at half-wavelength spacing. The embodiment of FIG. 2 is useful for a large antenna array SOI implementation by allowing the tiling of separate chips with half wavelength spacing. While some package structures (e.g., 202A and 202C) are formed with one antenna element (e.g., 114-1 and 114-4), other package structures (e.g., 202B) are formed with multiple antenna elements (e.g., 114-2 and 114-3).” (Col. 7, last para.)
Before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, it would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art to modify Lasiter’s invention to include a second passive component module arranged side-by-side with the first passive component module, wherein the first antenna module overlaps and is electrically connected to the second passive component module, and wherein the second passive component module is electrically connected to a second antenna module arranged beside the first antenna module, in order to obtain an antenna array having desired (e.g., half-wavelength) spacing.
Claim 19: Lasiter teaches the antenna package as claimed in claim 16, wherein the first antenna module and the second antenna module are operated in different frequency bands and/or radiated directions, and wherein the first passive component module and the second antenna module comprises interconnect structures formed of different numbers of dielectric layers (col. 5, ll. 22-45 of Dang).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 4-8, 11-12 and 15 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.
Conclusion
THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. 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 HASAN ISLAM whose telephone number is (571)270-1719. The examiner can normally be reached Mon-Thu 9AM-7PM EST.
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, DAMEON LEVI can be reached at (571)272-2105. 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.
/HASAN ISLAM/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2845
Prosecution Insights