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.
(a)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claim(s) 1, 3-8, and 10 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by US 2022/0028761 A1 (Yamada).
Yamada discloses, referring primarily to figures 1 and 2, a metal wiring board (4) for connecting a semiconductor element (3) to a circuit board (2), comprising: a first joining portion (40) having a rectangular shape in a plan view of the metal wiring board and being configured to be joined to an upper surface of a main electrode of the semiconductor element, a second joining portion (41) having a rectangular shape in the plan view and being configured to be joined to an upper surface of the circuit board, and a coupling portion (42, 43, 44) having a first joining side (43) and a second joining side (44), respectively connected to a coupling side of the first joining portion and a coupling side of the second joining portion so as to couple the first joining portion to the second joining portion such that the coupling side of the first joining portion and the coupling side of the second joining portion face each other, wherein the first joining side of the coupling portion is coupled to the coupling side of the first joining portion approximately at a center thereof in a first direction parallel to the coupling side of the first joining portion (figure 1) [claim 1], wherein a center of the first joining side of the coupling portion in a second direction parallel to the first joining side of the coupling portion is located at the center of the coupling side of the first joining portion (figure 1) [claim 3], wherein the center of the coupling side of the first joining portion and a center of the coupling side of the second joining portion in the first direction are not aligned in a line perpendicular to the first direction, and the coupling portion includes a plate-shaped part that has a plurality of bends to have a shape of a crank in the plan view (figure 7) [claim 4], wherein the coupling portion includes a first rising portion (43) rising upward from the coupling side of the first joining portion, a second rising portion (45) rising upward from the coupling side of the second joining portion, and a horizontal portion (42) having a first rising side and a second rising side, respectively connected to an upper side of the first rising portion and an upper side of the second rising portion so as to couple the first rising portion to the second rising portion, the horizontal portion has a plurality of bends to have a shape of a crank in the plan view (figure 7) [claim 5], wherein the horizontal portion includes a first extending portion extending from the first rising side of the horizontal portion in a direction perpendicular to a direction in which the first rising portion rises, a second extending portion extending continuously from the first extending portion in a direction perpendicular to a direction in which the first extending portion extends and a third extending portion extending from the second rising side of the horizontal portion in a direction perpendicular to a direction in which the second rising portion rises and being connected to the second extending portion (figure 7) [claim 6], wherein the horizontal portion has a fillet to have in the plan view a rounded corner at each of the bends (figure 7) [claim 7], wherein the second joining side of the coupling portion is coupled to approximately a center of the coupling side of the second joining portion in a third direction parallel to the coupling side of the second joining portion (figure 1) [claim 8], wherein a center of the second joining side of the coupling portion in a fourth direction parallel to the second joining side of the coupling portion is located at the center of the coupling side of the second joining portion [claim 10].
Claim(s) 1, 8, and 11-15 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by US 2024/0021569 A1 (Nakamura).
The applied reference has a common assignee with the instant application. Based upon the earlier effectively filed date of the reference, it constitutes prior art under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2). This rejection under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) might be overcome by: (1) a showing under 37 CFR 1.130(a) that the subject matter disclosed in the reference was obtained directly or indirectly from the inventor or a joint inventor of this application and is thus not prior art in accordance with 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(2)(A); (2) a showing under 37 CFR 1.130(b) of a prior public disclosure under 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(2)(B) if the same invention is not being claimed; or (3) a statement pursuant to 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(2)(C) establishing that, not later than the effective filing date of the claimed invention, the subject matter disclosed in the reference and the claimed invention were either owned by the same person or subject to an obligation of assignment to the same person or subject to a joint research agreement.
Nakamura discloses, referring primarily to figures 1 and 2, a metal wiring board (4) for connecting a semiconductor element (3) to a circuit board (2), comprising: a first joining portion (40) having a rectangular shape in a plan view of the metal wiring board and being configured to be joined to an upper surface of a main electrode of the semiconductor element, a second joining portion (41) having a rectangular shape in the plan view and being configured to be joined to an upper surface of the circuit board, and a coupling portion (42, 43, 44) having a first joining side (43) and a second joining side (44), respectively connected to a coupling side of the first joining portion and a coupling side of the second joining portion so as to couple the first joining portion to the second joining portion such that the coupling side of the first joining portion and the coupling side of the second joining portion face each other, wherein the first joining side of the coupling portion is coupled to the coupling side of the first joining portion approximately at a center thereof in a first direction parallel to the coupling side of the first joining portion (figure 1) [claim 1], wherein the second joining side of the coupling portion is coupled to approximately a center of the coupling side of the second joining portion in a third direction parallel to the coupling side of the second joining portion (figure 1) [claim 8], wherein each of the first joining portion and the second joining portion includes a plate-shaped portion having an upper surface and a lower surface, a plurality of bosses (45, 47) formed on the lower surface of the plate-shaped portion and protruding downward, and a plurality of recesses (46, 48) formed in the upper surface of the plate-shaped portion at positions respectively corresponding to respective positions directly above the plurality of bosses [claim 11], wherein two of the plurality of bosses are aligned parallel to the coupling side of the first joining portion such that a center of the first joining side of the coupling portion in a second direction parallel to the first joining side of the coupling portion is located between the two of the plurality of bosses (figure 1) [claim 12], wherein two of the plurality of bosses are aligned parallel to the coupling side of the first joining portion in the plan view, and the first joining side of the coupling portion is entirely disposed between the two of the plurality of bosses (figure 1) [claim 13], wherein two of the plurality of bosses are aligned parallel to the second coupling side of the second joining portion such that a center of the second joining side of the coupling portion in a fourth direction parallel to the second joining side of the coupling portion is disposed between the two of the plurality of bosses (figure 1) [claim 14], wherein two of the plurality of bosses are aligned parallel to the coupling side of the second joining portion, and the second joining side of the coupling portion is entirely disposed between the two of the plurality of bosses (figure 1) [claim 15].
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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 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.
The factual inquiries for establishing a background for determining obviousness under 35 U.S.C. 103 are summarized as follows:
1. Determining the scope and contents of the prior art.
2. Ascertaining the differences between the prior art and the claims at issue.
3. Resolving the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art.
4. Considering objective evidence present in the application indicating obviousness or nonobviousness.
This application currently names joint inventors. In considering patentability of the claims the examiner presumes that the subject matter of the various claims was commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the claimed invention(s) absent any evidence to the contrary. Applicant is advised of the obligation under 37 CFR 1.56 to point out the inventor and effective filing dates of each claim that was not commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the later invention in order for the examiner to consider the applicability of 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(2)(C) for any potential 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) prior art against the later invention.
Claim(s) 2 and 9 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over US 2022/0028761 A1 (Yamada)
Regarding claim 2, Yamada discloses the claimed invention as described above with respect to claim 1 except Yamada does not specifically state that a center of the first joining side of the coupling portion in a second direction parallel to the first joining side of the coupling portion is set within a range of 10% or smaller of a length of the coupling side of the first joining portion in the first direction from the center of the coupling side of the first joining portion [claim 2]. However, such a modification would amount to a mere change in size of the existing part of the invention of Yamada which has been held to be within the skill of the ordinary artisan (MPEP 2144). Therefore, it would have been obvious, to one having ordinary skill in the art, to incorporate the claimed features into the invention of Yamada. The motivation for doing so would have been to fit within desired size constraints.
Regarding claim 9, Yamada discloses the claimed invention as described above with respect to claim 8 except Yamada does not specifically state that a center of the second joining side of the coupling portion is set within a range of 10% or smaller of a length of the coupling side of the second joining portion in the third direction from a center of the coupling side of the second joining portion in the third width direction [claim 9]. However, such a modification would amount to a mere change in size of the existing part of the invention of Yamada which has been held to be within the skill of the ordinary artisan (MPEP 2144). Therefore, it would have been obvious, to one having ordinary skill in the art, to incorporate the claimed features into the invention of Yamada. The motivation for doing so would have been to fit within desired size constraints.
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
Prosecution Insights