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 .
Election/Restrictions
Applicant’s election of species 1 (figures 1a-1b), in the reply filed on 09/22/25 is acknowledged. Because applicant did not distinctly and specifically point out the supposed errors in the restriction requirement, the election has been treated as an election without traverse (MPEP § 818.01(a)).
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.
1 Claims 17 and 19-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Feldtkeller (US 20080290976) in view of Kawashita et al. (US 20080101097)
Regarding claim 17, Feldtkeller (figures 1a-2 and para 0019-0042) discloses a first conductive winding (20-2) in a dielectric layer (51) (see para 0020); a second substrate over the dielectric layer (see figure 1a); and a second conductive winding over the second substrate (20-2), wherein a first portion of the second conductive winding is permanently electrically connected to the first conductive winding (see para disclosing wherein the windings are in a series connection).
Feldtkeller does not expressly discloses wherein a second portion of the second conductive winding is selectively electrically connected to the first conductive winding.
Kawashita et al. (figure 8 and para 0078-0084) discloses a teaching wherein a second portion of the second conductive winding is selectively electrically connected to the first conductive winding. (see the switches Q3/Q4 selectively electrically connected a second portion N3 to N6).
Accordingly, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the applicants invention to design wherein a second portion of the second conductive winding is selectively electrically connected to the first conductive winding as taught by Kawashita et al. to the inductive device of Feldtkeller so as the allow the inductive device the capability to prevent abrupt current drops, protect components, and filter out high-frequency noise.
Regarding claim 19, Feldtkeller (figures 1e/1f and para 0034-0035) discloses further comprising an inter-level via (31_1), wherein the ILV is configured to permanently electrically connect the first conductive winding to the second conductive winding.
Regarding claim 20, Feldtkeller (figure 1a) discloses a second dielectric layer (51) over the second substrate, wherein the second conductive winding is in the second dielectric layer.
Allowable Subject Matter
1. Claims 1-16 are allowed.
2. The following is an examiner’s statement of reasons for allowance:
Regarding claim 1, the prior art of record, taken alone or in combination, fails to teach or suggest the interconnection and interrelationship, a switch in the second substrate; an inter-level via (ILV) in the second substrate; and a second conductive winding over the second substrate, wherein the second conductive winding comprises a conductive line around a central opening, the switch is electrically connected to the second conductive winding on a first side of the opening, and the ILV is electrically connected to the second conductive winding on a second side of the opening opposite the first side as claimed in combination with the remaining limitations of independent claim 1.
Regarding claim 9, the prior art of record, taken alone or in combination, fails to teach or suggest the interconnection and interrelationship, a plurality of switches in the second substrate; an inter-level via (ILV) in the second substrate; and a second conductive winding over the second substrate, wherein the ILV electrically connects a first portion of the second conductive winding to the first conductive winding, and each of the plurality of switches selectively connects a second portion of the second conductive winding to the first conductive winding as claimed in combination with the remaining limitations of independent claim 9.
The references of record do not teach or suggest the aforementioned limitation, nor would it be obvious to modify those references to include such limitation.
Claims 2-8 and 10-16 are allowed because each claim is directly or indirectly dependent of independent claims 1 or 9.
Claims 18 is 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
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to RONALD HINSON whose telephone number is (571)270-7915. The examiner can normally be reached M to F; 8 -5.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Shawki Ismail can be reached at 571-272-3985. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/RONALD HINSON/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2837