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 .
Claims 1-12 are presented for examination.
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.
Claims 1-3, 8, and 12 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Hoegerl et al (US 2018/0211917 and Hoegerl hereinafter).
As to claims 1-3, 8, and 12: Hoegerl discloses [claim 1] an electronic apparatus (Fig. 1; 10; [0021]), comprising: an insulator (11A; [0027]); a driving unit (12; [0021]), overlapped with the insulator (11A); an electronic unit (13; [0021]), overlapped with the insulator (11A); and a circuit unit (14; [0021]), electrically connected (through 17, 11C.3, 11C.4, 16.1, 16.2; [0021]-[0024]) to the driving unit (12), wherein the driving unit (12) receives a signal (driving signal) from the circuit unit (14) and drives the electronic unit (as the signal transfers from 14 to 12 and then to 13, the signal from 14 then drives the diode 13 through 12; [0021]); [claim 2] wherein the electronic unit (13) is an integrated circuit (the semiconductor chip 13 is interpreted to be an integrated circuit as it includes circuitry for semiconductor device(s); [0021]); [claim 3] wherein the electronic unit (13) is a diode (13 is a semiconductor diode chip; [0021]); [claim 8] wherein the driving unit (12) and the electronic unit (13) are disposed on a same surface (top surface) of the insulator (11A); [claim 12] wherein the circuit unit (14) is a chip (driver chip; [0021]).
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.
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 7 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Hoegerl in view of Hitora et al (US 2015/0325660 and Hitora hereinafter).
Hoegerl discloses
wherein the driving unit (12) comprises at least one transistor (IGBT; [0017]).
Hoegerl fails to expressly disclose where the driving unit comprises a glass substrate, wherein the at least one transistor is disposed on the glass substrate.
Hitora discloses a structure in Figs. 1 and 20 where an IGBT is formed on a glass substrate (5; [0072], [0091], and [0125]) with intervening layers.
Given the teachings of Hitora, a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention would have readily recognized the desirability and advantages of modifying Hoegerl by employing the well-known or conventional features of IGBT construction, such as displayed by Hitora, by employing a glass substrate under further substrate materials on which an IGBT can be formed in order to provide a substrate structure with good electrical properties ([0015]).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 4-6 and 9-11 are 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 JOSEPH C NICELY whose telephone number is (571)270-3834. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 7:30 am - 4 pm, EST.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Steven Gauthier can be reached at (571) 270-0373. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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JOSEPH C. NICELY
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 2813
/JOSEPH C. NICELY/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2813
1/8/2026