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 .
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, 2, 7, and 8 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by US 2021/0144842 A1 (Liu).
Liu discloses, referring primarily to figure 1, an apparatus comprising: a layer of a printed circuit board (1); and a trace (2) routed along the layer of the printed circuit board, wherein the trace comprises a bend partially formed by a linear segment extending parallel to an axis, the linear segment includes a first side and a second side, opposite the first side, that each extend parallel to the axis, the linear segment includes a cutout (21) formed into the first side toward the second side, and an end of the cutout overlaps with the second side along the axis [claim 1], wherein an additional end of the cutout (22), offset from the end of the cutout along the axis, overlaps with the second side along the axis [claim 2], wherein the cutout terminates prior to the second side [claim 7], wherein the trace comprises an outer segment that is outside of the bend, and the linear segment extends from the outer segment and parallel to the axis in a direction transverse to extension of the outer segment (figure 1) [claim 8].
Claim(s) 1, 2, 7, 8, 9, and 12-14 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by US 2024/0407093 A1 (Dsilva).
Dsilva discloses, referring primarily to figure 4, an apparatus comprising: a layer of a printed circuit board; and a trace (410) routed along the layer of the printed circuit board, wherein the trace comprises a bend partially formed by a linear segment extending parallel to an axis, the linear segment includes a first side and a second side, opposite the first side, that each extend parallel to the axis, the linear segment includes a cutout (480) formed into the first side toward the second side, and an end of the cutout overlaps with the second side along the axis [claim 1], wherein an additional end of the cutout, offset from the end of the cutout along the axis, overlaps with the second side along the axis [claim 2], wherein the cutout terminates prior to the second side [claim 7], wherein the trace comprises an outer segment that is outside of the bend, and the linear segment extends from the outer segment and parallel to the axis in a direction transverse to extension of the outer segment [claim 8].
Alternately, Dsilva discloses, an apparatus comprising: a layer of a printed circuit board; a first trace (440B) routed along the layer of the printed circuit board; and a second trace (440A) routed along the layer of the printed circuit board, wherein the second trace comprises a bend at least partially formed by a segment (410), wherein the second trace comprises an extension (420) extending from the segment toward the first trace [claim 9], wherein the first trace and the second trace are a differential pair ([0033]) [claim 12], wherein the first trace extends linearly along the bend of the second trace [claim 13], wherein the segment of the second trace is absent of a cutout [claim 14].
Claim(s) 1-20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by US 2023/0156913 A1 (Nishio).
Nishio discloses, referring primarily to figure 4, an apparatus comprising: a layer of a printed circuit board; and a trace (22) routed along the layer of the printed circuit board, wherein the trace comprises a bend partially formed by a linear segment (22b) extending parallel to an axis, the linear segment includes a first side and a second side, opposite the first side, that each extend parallel to the axis, the linear segment includes a cutout (222) formed into the first side toward the second side, and an end of the cutout overlaps with the second side along the axis [claim 1], wherein an additional end of the cutout, offset from the end of the cutout along the axis, overlaps with the second side along the axis [claim 2], wherein the trace comprises an extension extending from the second side of the trace (left end) [claim 3], wherein the extension is offset from each end of the cutout [claim 4], further comprising an additional trace (24) routed adjacent to the trace, wherein the extension extends between the trace and the additional trace [claim 5], wherein the extension overlaps with the cutout along the axis [claim 6], wherein the cutout terminates prior to the second side [claim 7], wherein the trace comprises an outer segment that is outside of the bend, and the linear segment extends from the outer segment and parallel to the axis in a direction transverse to extension of the outer segment [claim 8].
Additionally, Nishio discloses, referring primarily to figure 5, an apparatus comprising: a layer of a printed circuit board; a first trace (24) routed along the layer of the printed circuit board; and a second trace (22) routed along the layer of the printed circuit board, wherein the second trace comprises a bend at least partially formed by a segment (22b), wherein the second trace comprises an extension (224) extending from the segment toward the first trace [claim 9], wherein the first trace comprises an additional extension (244) extending toward the second trace [claim 10], wherein each of the first trace and the segment of the second trace extends along an axis, and the extension of the second trace and the additional extension of the first trace overlap with one another along the axis [claim 11], wherein the first trace and the second trace are a differential pair ([0072]) [claim 12], wherein the first trace extends linearly along the bend of the second trace [claim 13], wherein the segment of the second trace is absent of a cutout [claim 14].
Moreover, Nishio discloses, referring primarily to figure 4, an apparatus comprising :a layer of a printed circuit board; and a trace (22) routed along the layer of the printed circuit board, wherein the trace comprises a bend (22b) partially formed by a linear segment extending along an axis, the linear segment comprises a cutout (222) formed into a first side of the linear segment, and the linear segment comprises an extension extending from a second side (analog to 224, but left end), opposite the first side, of the linear segment, and the cutout and the extension are offset from one another along the axis [claim 15], comprising an outer segment (22c) that is outside of the bend, wherein the outer segment extends along the axis [claim 16], comprising an additional linear segment partially forming the bend, wherein the additional linear segment extends from the outer segment to the linear segment in a direction transverse to the axis (along 16b) [claim 17], wherein the trace comprises an additional extension extending from the second side of the linear segment and overlapping with the cutout along the axis [claim 18], wherein the additional extension is offset from each end of the cutout [claim 19], wherein the linear segment comprises an additional extension extending from the second side of the linear segment, and the additional extension and the cutout are offset from one another along the axis such that ends of the cutout are positioned between the extension and the additional extension along the axis [claim 20].
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.
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JEREMY C. NORRIS
Examiner
Art Unit 2847
/JEREMY C NORRIS/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2847