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 .
Drawings
The drawings were received on April 13, 2026. These drawings are not approved because Figures 5, 9, and 11 lack the proper cross-hatching which indicates the type of materials, which may be in an invention. Specifically, the cross hatching to indicate the conductive and insulation materials is improper. The applicant should refer to MPEP Section 608.02 for the proper cross-hatching of materials. Correction is required. The proper cross hatchings are disclosed below:
All insulative materials (i.e. insulation, jacket, etc.) shown be crosshatched as shown below:
All conductive materials (i.e. conductor, shielding, braids, etc.) should be cross-hatched as shown below:
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In addition to Replacement Sheets containing the corrected drawing figure(s), applicant is required to submit a marked-up copy of each Replacement Sheet including annotations indicating the changes made to the previous version. The marked-up copy must be clearly labeled as “Annotated Sheets” and must be presented in the amendment or remarks section that explains the change(s) to the drawings. See 37 CFR 1.121(d)(1). Failure to timely submit the proposed drawing and marked-up copy will result in the abandonment of the application.
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) 1-7 and 10-21 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Lishu (CN Pat Num 210379684U) in view of Takamatsu (Pat Num 8,138,421). Lishu discloses a flat flexible cable (Fig 1), which has the advantage of flexibility, easy bending, and folding, thinness, small size, simple connection, convenient disassembly, and easy electromagnetic shielding (EMI, Paragraph 4), while also making it easier to insert the flat flexible cable into a connector (Paragraph 11). Specifically, with respect to claim 1, Lishu discloses a flexible flat cable (Fig 1) comprising a base film (3) extending in a first direction (right to left) and having a first length (Fig 1), a conductive wire portion (1) on a first surface (top surface) of the base film (3) and extending in the first direction (right to left), a cover film (2) on the conductive wire portion (1), extending in the first direction (right to left) and exposing a part (left end, Fig 1) of the conductive wire portion (1), and a first tape (6) comprising a first tape area (61) on a surface of the cover film (2) and extending in the first direction (right to left) and a second tape area (62) folded at an acute angle (i.e. less than 90o) from the first tape area (61) and having a third length (Fig 1). With respect to claim 2, Lishu discloses that the cable (Fig 1) further comprises a connecting member (located at 5) through which the part of the conductive wire portion (1) is exposed between one end of the cover film (2) and one end of the base film (3, Fig 1), wherein the second tape area (62) is folded at the one end (right end) of the cover film (2) where the connecting member (located at 5) is located (Fig 2). With respect to claim 21, Lishu discloses that a first side of the first tape area (61) faces a first side of the second tape area (62, Fig 1).
However, Lishu doesn’t necessarily disclose the cover film having a second length which is less than the first length of the base film, wherein the first tape is conductive (claim 1), nor the length of the second tape area being in a range of 3 cm to 10 cm (claims 3 & 17), nor the first conductive tape comprises a conductive material layer extending in the first direction; and a protective layer on a surface of the conductive material layer (claim 4), nor the conductive material layer comprises at least one of aluminum, an aluminum alloy, copper, silver, or gold (claim 5), nor a first surface of the conductive material layer located in the first tape area faces the cover film, and a second surface of the conductive material layer in the second tape area is exposed to an outside (claim 6), nor each of the base film and the cover film comprises an insulating material (claim 7), nor the flexible flat cable further comprising a second conductive tape comprising a third tape area on a second surface of the base film so as to overlap the base film along the first direction and a fourth tape area extending from the third tape area in the first direction so as not to overlap the base film (claim 10), nor the length of the third tape area being in a range of 3 cm to 10 cm (claim 11), nor the second conductive tape comprises: a conductive material layer extending in the first direction; and a protective layer on a surface of the conductive material layer (claim 9), nor a first surface of the conductive material layer in the third tape area faces the base film, and wherein a second surface of the conductive material layer in the fourth tape area is exposed to an outside (claim 13), nor the flexible flat cable, further comprising a support tape on a second surface of the base film and comprising a material having an elastic force (claim 14), nor the conductive wire portion comprises a plurality of conductive wire portions, wherein the plurality of conductive wire portions comprise a first conductive wire portion configured to transmit a signal and a second conductive wire portion configured to transmit an operating voltage, and wherein the plurality of conductive wire portions do not comprise a ground conductive wire portion (claim 15), nor the flexible flat cable further comprising a connecting member through which the part of the conductive wire portion is exposed between one end of the cover film and one end of the base film, wherein the second tape area is folded at the one end of the cover film where the connecting member is located (claim 16), nor a length of the second tape area is in a range of 3 cm to 10 cm (claim 17), nor the first conductive tape comprises a conductive material layer extending in the first direction; and a protective layer on a surface of the conductive material layer (claim 18), nor the conductive material layer comprises at least one of aluminum, an aluminum alloy, copper, silver, or gold (claim 19), nor a first surface of the conductive material layer located in the first tape area faces the cover film, and a second surface of the conductive material layer in the second tape area is exposed to an outside (claim 20).
Takamatsu teaches a flat flexible cable (Figs 1-5) having good flexibility and bending strength (Col 3, lines 34-40), while also enhancing cost effectiveness by controlling characteristic impedance (Col 3, lines 60-63). Specifically, with respect to claim 1, Takamatsu teaches a flexible flat cable (1, Figs 1-2) comprising a base film (13) extending in a first direction and having a first length (Fig 2), a conductive wire portion (11) on a first surface (top surface) of the base film (13) and extending in the first direction (left to right), a cover film (12) on the conductive wire portion (11), extending in the first direction (left to right) and exposing a part (left and right ends, Fig 2) of the conductive wire portion (11), wherein the cover film (12) has a second length which is less than the first length of the base film (13, Fig 2) and a first conductive tape (23) comprising a first tape area (left end portion of 23 horizontally extending on cover film 12) on a surface of the cover film (12) and extending in the first direction (left to right) and a second tape area (left end portion of 23 vertically extending away from horizontally extending portion of 23) folded at a certain angle (i.e. 90 degrees) from the first tape area (left end portion of 23 horizontally extending on cover film 12) and having a third length (Fig 2). With respect to claim 2, Takamatsu teaches that the cable (1) further comprises a connecting member (located at exposed left and right ends of 11) through which the part of the conductive wire portion (11) is exposed between one end of the cover film (12) and one end of the base film (13, Fig 2), wherein the second tape area (left end portion of 23 vertically extending away from horizontally extending portion of 23) is folded at the one end (left end) of the cover film (12) where the connecting member (located at exposed left and right ends of 11) is located (Fig 2). With respect to claim 4, Takamatsu teaches that the first conductive tape (23, as shown in Fig 4) may comprises a conductive material layer (26) extending in the first direction (Fig 4) and a protective layer (25) on a surface (top surface) of the conductive material layer (26, Cols 5-6, lines 60-67 & 1-5). With respect to claim 5, Takamatsu teaches that the conductive material layer (26) may comprises at least one of aluminum, an aluminum alloy, copper, silver, or gold (i.e. silver, Col 5-6, lines 60-67 & 1-5). With respect to claim 6, Takamatsu teaches that a first surface (bottom surface) of the conductive material layer (26) located in the first tape area (left end portion of 23 horizontally extending on cover film 12) faces the cover film (12), and a second surface (top surface) of the conductive material layer (26) in the second tape area left end portion of 23 vertically extending away from horizontally extending portion of 23) is exposed to an outside (i.e. the vertically extending portion of 23 extends away from the cover layer to the outside of the cable, Fig 2). With respect to claim 7, Takamatsu teaches that each of the base film (13) and the cover film 12) may comprises an insulating material (Col 5, lines 5-7). With respect to claim 10, Takamatsu teaches that the cable (1) further comprises a second conductive tape (19) comprising a third tape area (left end portion of 19 horizontally extending on base film 13) on a second surface (bottom surface) of the base film (13) so as to overlap the base film (13) along the first direction (left to right) and a fourth tape area (left end portion of 19 vertically extending away from horizontally extending portion of 19) extending from the third tape area (left end portion of 19 horizontally extending on base film 13) in the first direction (bottom to top) so as not to overlap the base film (13, i.e. the vertically extending portion of 19 extends away from the base layer (13) downward to the outside of the cable, Fig 2). With respect to claim 12, Takamatsu teaches that the second conductive tape (19, as shown in Fig 3) comprises a conductive material layer (20) extending in the first direction (left to right) and a protective layer (21) on a surface (bottom surface) of the conductive material layer (20, Col 5, lines 40-42). With respect to claim 13, Takamatsu teaches that the first surface (top surface) of the conductive material layer (20) in the third tape area (left end portion of 19 horizontally extending on base film (13) faces the base film (13, Fig 2) and wherein a second surface (bottom surface) of the conductive material layer (20) in the fourth tape area (left end portion of 19 vertically extending away from horizontally extending portion of 19) is exposed to an outside (13, i.e. the vertically extending portion of 19 extends away from the base layer (13) downward to the outside of the cable, Fig 2). With respect to claim 14, Takamatsu teaches that the cable (1) further comprises a support tape (15) on a second surface (bottom surface) of the base film (13) and comprising a material having an elastic force (Col 6, lines 23-31). With respect to claim 15, Takamatsu teaches that the conductive wire portion (11) comprises a plurality of conductive wire portions (11s, Fig 1, Col 4, lines 59-60), wherein the plurality of conductive wire portions (11s) comprise a first conductive wire portion (Col 4, lines 66-67) configured to transmit a signal (i.e. metallic material is capable of transmitting signals) and a second conductive wire portion (Col 4, lines 66-67) configured to transmit an operating voltage (i.e. metallic material is capable of transmitting voltage, Col 6, lines 63-67), and wherein the plurality of conductive wire portions (11s) do not comprise a ground conductive wire portion (i.e. not grounding conductors in Fig 1). With respect to claim 16, Takamatsu teaches that the cable (1) further comprises a connecting member (located at exposed left and right ends of 11) through which the part of the conductive wire portion (11) is exposed between one end of the cover film (12) and one end of the base film (13, Fig 2), wherein the second tape area (left end portion of 23 vertically extending away from horizontally extending portion of 23) is folded at the one end (left end) of the cover film (12) where the connecting member (located at exposed left and right ends of 11) is located (Fig 2). With respect to claim 18, Takamatsu teaches that the first conductive tape (23, as shown in Fig 4) may comprises a conductive material layer (26) extending in the first direction (Fig 4) and a protective layer (25) on a surface (top surface) of the conductive material layer (26, Cols 5-6, lines 60-67 & 1-5). With respect to claim 19, Takamatsu teaches that the conductive material layer (26) may comprises at least one of aluminum, an aluminum alloy, copper, silver, or gold (i.e. silver, Col 5-6, lines 60-67 & 1-5). With respect to claim 20, Takamatsu teaches that a first surface (bottom surface) of the conductive material layer (26) located in the first tape area (left end portion of 23 horizontally extending on cover film 12) faces the cover film (12), and a second surface (top surface) of the conductive material layer (26) in the second tape area left end portion of 23 vertically extending away from horizontally extending portion of 23) is exposed to an outside (i.e. the vertically extending portion of 23 extends away from the cover layer to the outside of the cable, Fig 2).
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art of cables at the time the invention was made to modify the flexible flat cable of Lishu to comprise the conductive tape configuration as taught by Takamatsu l because Takamatsu teaches a flat flexible cable (Figs 1-5) having good flexibility and bending strength (Col 3, lines 34-40), while also enhancing cost effectiveness by controlling characteristic impedance (Col 3, lines 60-63).
It also would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was made to modify the flexible flat cable of Lishu to comprise the length of the second tape area and the length of the third tape area to be in a range of 3 cm to 10 cm, since it has been held that where the general conditions of a claim are disclosed in the prior art, discovering the optimum or workable ranges involves only routine skill in the art. In re Aller, 105 USPQ 233.
Claim(s) 8-9 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Lishu (CN Pat Num 210379684U) in view of Takamatsu (Pat Num 8,138,421), as applied to claim 1 above (herein referred to as modified Lishu), further in view of Yeh (Pat Num 7,807,927). Lishu discloses a flat flexible cable (Fig 1), which has the advantage of flexibility, easy bending, and folding, thinness, small size, simple connection, convenient disassembly, and easy electromagnetic shielding (EMI, Paragraph 4), while also making it easier to insert the flat flexible cable into a connector (Paragraph 11), as applied to claim 1 above.
While modified Lishu teaches that the flexible flat cable (1) may be utilized in notebook computers, flat screen televisions, etc., (see Takamatsu, Col 6, lines 63-67), modified Lishu doesn’t illustrate the connection wherein a tape area contacts a first ground portion provided on a first component and contacts a second ground portion provided on a third component (claim 8), nor the first component comprising a printed circuit board, and wherein the third component comprising at least one of a frame portion, a heat dissipation portion, a metal case, or a surface-mounted device gasket (claim 9).
Yeh teaches a known flexible flat cable (Figs 1-2B) utilized for connecting an LCD interface (i.e. display screen) to a motherboard interface (i.e. circuit board) for the purpose of transmission at a required characteristic impedance (Col 1, lines 11-57). Specifically, with respect to claims 8-9, Yeh discloses a flexible flat cable (9, Figs 1-2) comprising a base film (bottom portion of 91, Fig 2B) extending in a first direction (left to right) and having a first length (Fig 2B), a conductive wire portion (not numbered, Fig 2B) on a first surface (top surface) of the base film (bottom portion of 91) and extending in the first direction (left to right), a cover film (911) on the conductive wire portion (not numbered), extending in the first direction (left to right) and exposing a part (Fig 2A) of the conductive wire portion (not numbered), wherein a first conductive tape (93) comprising an area on a surface of the cover film (911, Fig 2B), wherein the cable (9) further comprises a connecting member (located at exposed left and right ends of 9, Fig 1) through which the part of the conductive wire portion (not shown) is exposed between one end of the cover film (911) and one end of the base film (bottom portion of 91, Figs 1 & 2A), wherein a tape area (located left and right ends) contacts a first ground portion (located in 71) provided on a first component (7) and contacts a second ground portion (located at 8) provided on a third component (6, i.e. it is known that the connectors shown must contain grounding pins in order for the signal to be transmitted across the cable from the motherboard (7) to the LCD (6)), wherein the first component (7) comprising a printed circuit board (i.e. motherboard, Col 1, lines 1-20), and wherein the third component (6) comprising at least one of a frame portion (i.e. frame of an LCD, Col 1, lines 26-37).
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art of cables at the time the invention was made to modify the flexible flat cable of modified Lishu to comprise the connection of a tape area to contacts a first ground portion provided on a first component and a second ground portion provided on a third component , wherein the first component comprising a printed circuit board, and wherein the third component comprising at least one of a frame portion configuration as taught by Yeh because Yeh teaches that such a flexible flat cable configuration is known and commonly utilized for connecting an LCD interface (i.e. display screen) to a motherboard interface (i.e. circuit board) for the purpose of transmission at a required characteristic impedance (Col 1, lines 11-57) and since it appears that modified Lishu would perform equally well with the modification, as modified Lishu discloses that the its flexible flat cable may be utilized in notebook computers, flat televisions, etc., (see Takamatsu, Col 6, lines 63-67).
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claim(s) 1-21 have been considered but are moot because the new ground of rejection does not rely on any reference applied in the prior rejection of record for any teaching or matter specifically challenged in the argument.
Conclusion
The prior art 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 art in the present case, all of which disclose flexible flat cables.
Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). 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.
Communication
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to WILLIAM H MAYO III whose telephone number is (571)272-1978. The examiner can normally be reached on M-Thurs (5:30a-3:00p) Fri 5:30a-2p (w/alternating Fridays off).
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Imani Hayman can be reached on (571) 270-5528. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
Information regarding the status of an application may be obtained from the Patent Application Information Retrieval (PAIR) system. Status information for published applications may be obtained from either Private PAIR or Public PAIR. Status information for unpublished applications is available through Private PAIR only. For more information about the PAIR system, see http://pair-direct.uspto.gov. Should you have questions on access to the Private PAIR system, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative or access to the automated information system, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000.
/William H. Mayo III/
William H. Mayo III
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 2847
WHM III
June 26, 2026
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