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). The certified copy has not been filed in present Application filed on April 04, 2024.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statements filed April 04, 2024 have been submitted for consideration by the Office. It has been placed in the application file and the information referred to therein has been considered.
Applicants must continue to submit prior art references throughout the patent application process. A supplemental IDS must be submitted if prior art is discovered through a foreign patent application or an International Patent Search, or a related application before a prosecution closes.
Election/Restrictions
Applicant's election of Group II encomssing claims 6-8 without traverse in the reply filed on December 01, 2025 is acknowledged.
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.
Claims 6-8 are 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.
Rejection of claim 6, the term “ the PCB” lacks antecedent basis in line 5 of claim 6, because there are two PCB mentioned in the claims. the PCB should be clarify as the first PCB.
Therefore, claim 6 is unclear or indefinite.
Rejection of claims 7-8, claims 7-8 are rejected by the same reason applied to rejection of claim 6 above.
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-AlA) 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.
Note: The rejection under USC 102 and USC 103 below with modified language are given to advance prosecution; however, proper clarification is required under rejection of USC 112 above to consider the rejection under USC 102 and USC 103.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 102 which forms the basis for all rejections set forth 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.
Claims 6-7 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1)/(a)(2) (whichever apply) as being anticipated by Junichi et al. (JPH11330661, herein referred to as Junichi).
Rejection of claim 6, Junichi discloses an electronic module (figs. 1-9 of Junichi) comprising;
a first printed circuit board (a top circuit board (board 30) in figure 3 as first circuit board) comprising:
a top surface, a bottom surface (see top and bottom surfaces of the first circuit board in figures 1-9 wherein connection side surface to substrate 1 is top surface or consider upside down figure of figure 3 ),
a series of M castellated orifices on at least one of the edges of the first PCB (see castellated orifices on at least one edge of first circuit board )
a series of N conductive pads on the top surface connecting to the M orifices at respective connection edges, M and N being integers greater than 1 (see pads on first circuit board) , wherein each of the pads on the top surface is partially covered by a respective spacer such that an area between the connection edge and a border of a remaining pad area is completely covered by the spacer (see connection edge portion and remaining portion covered by resist 10), and the connection edge and the border of the remaining pad area have a minimum distance of D, D being a positive number (see figure 3), and
a second PCB (substrate 13 as second PCB), wherein the second PCB is overlaid on top of the first PCB (see figure 3), a bottom surface of the second PCB faces a top surface of the first PCB ( see upside down figure 3), the bottom surface of the second PCB comprises a series of N conductive pads in land grid array form that are respectively coupled with the N pads on the top surface of the first PCB, and the coupled pads are soldered together (see pads of the first PCB and the second PCB are connected by solder 14).
Rejection of claim 7, Junichi discloses the electronic module according to claim 6, wherein the coupled pads are soldered together via a solder paste being applied on the remaining pad area of each pad on the top surface of the first PCB or on the N pads of the second PCB (see solder 14 in figure 3(a) of Junichi) .
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 8 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Junichi.
Rejection of claim 8, Junichi discloses the electronic module according to claim 6,but fails to disclose wherein at least one electronic component is disposed on the bottom surface of the second PCB.
Examiner makes official notice that at least one electronic component is disposed on the bottom surface of the second PCB so that the at least one electronic component is between and covered by two printed circuit boards which further increase protection of the electronic components.
It would have been obvious to ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the electronic module of Junichi to have at least one electronic component is disposed on the bottom surface of the second PCB for the reason mentioned above in the official notice.
Pertinent Prior Arts
The prior arts made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Please refer to the enclosed PTO-892 form for the citation of pertinent arts in the present case, all of which disclose various board to board interconnects assemblies.
Communication
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to PARESH PAGHADAL whose telephone number is (571)272-5251. The examiner can normally be reached 7:00AM-4:00PM, Monday - Thursday.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Timothy Thompson can be reached on (571)272-2342. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/PARESH PAGHADAL/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2847