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
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.
Claim(s) 1-2 and 7 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Roberg (US 2018/0082778).
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Figure 2 of Roberg annotated by the examiner and referenced in the rejection below.
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Figure 3 of Roberg annotated by the examiner and referenced in the rejection below.
In regard to Claim 1:
Roberg discloses, in Figure 3, an impedance adaptor (10) comprising a first transmission line (A) and a second transmission line (B), each of the first transmission line (A) and the second transmission line (B) being provided by an arm (18) and having a first conductor (14) and a second conductor (12), the conductors (12, 14) of each of the first transmission line (A) and the second transmission line (B) being aligned such that one is on top of another (12 and 14 are arranged on top of another), with:
a first end (Figure 2: Y end) of the first conductor (14) of the first transmission line (A) being proximate a first end (Figure 2: Y end) of the second conductor (12) of the first transmission line (A) and a second end (E1) of the first conductor (14) of the first transmission line (A) being proximate a second end (E2) of the second conductor (12) of the first transmission line (A), and
a first end (Figure 2: Y end) of the first conductor (14) of the second transmission line (B) being proximate a first end (Figure 2: Y end) of the second conductor (12) of the second transmission line (B) and a second end (E3) of the first conductor (14) of the second transmission line (B) being proximate a second end (E4) of the second conductor (12) of the second transmission line (B),
wherein respective arms (18) providing the first transmission line (A) and the second transmission line (B) are spaced apart and arranged such that the first conductor of the first transmission line is adjacent and co-planar with the first conductor of the second transmission line (the first conductors 14 of A and B are adjacent, co-planar, and spaced apart) and the second conductor of the first transmission line is adjacent and co-planar with the second conductor of the second transmission line (the first conductors 12 of A and B are adjacent, co-planar, and spaced apart),
wherein the first end (Figure 2: Y end) of the first conductor (14) of the first transmission line (A) is electrically coupled to the first end (Figure 2: Y end) of the first conductor (14) of the second transmission line (B) by way of a continuation of the conductor between these ends (Figure 2: A and B are connected at the Y end via the u-shaped continuation of the conductor 14), and wherein the first end (Figure 2: Y end) of the second conductor (12) of the first transmission line (A) is electrically coupled to the first end (Figure 2: Y end) of the second conductor (12) of the second transmission line (B) by way of a continuation of the conductor between these ends (Figure 2: A and B are connected at the Y end via the u-shaped continuation of the conductor 12), and
wherein the impedance adaptor (10) is provided for integration in a form in which the second ends (E1-E4) of the conductors (12, 14) of the transmission lines (A, B) are not connected to any of the other conductors of the impedance adaptor (the second ends of the conductors are not connected to another other conductors).
In regard to Claim 2:
Roberg discloses, in Figure 3, the impedance adaptor as claimed in claim 1, wherein the transmission lines (A, B) are supported by a support forming a set of spaced apart arms (arms 18 that are spaced along the transmission lines A and B) on which each of the respective transmission lines are provided (A and B are supported by arms 18).
In regard to Claim 7:
Roberg discloses, in Figure 3, the impedance adaptor as claimed in claim 1, wherein each of the first conductor (14) and the second conductor (12) of each of the first transmission line (A) and the second transmission line (B) is provided by a conductive trace (Paragraph 0023).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 3-6 and 8-18 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.
Claims 19 and 20 are allowed.
In regard to Claim 19:
None of the prior art or combination thereof teaches or fairly suggests the following features in combination with the other limitations of the claims:
wherein the second end of the first conductor of the first transmission line is electrically coupled to the second end of the second conductor of the second transmission line, and wherein the impedance adaptor is a 4:1 impedance transformer.
However Roberg (US 2018/0082778) discloses, in Figure 3, an impedance adaptor (10) comprising a first transmission line (A) and a second transmission line (B), each of the first transmission line (A) and the second transmission line (B) being provided by an arm (18) and having a first conductor (14) and a second conductor (12), the conductors (12, 14) of each of the first transmission line (A) and the second transmission line (B) being aligned such that one is on top of another (12 and 14 are arranged on top of another), with: a first end (Figure 2: Y end) of the first conductor (14) of the first transmission line (A) being proximate a first end (Figure 2: Y end) of the second conductor (12) of the first transmission line (A) and a second end (E1) of the first conductor (14) of the first transmission line (A) being proximate a second end (E2) of the second conductor (12) of the first transmission line (A), and a first end (Figure 2: Y end) of the first conductor (14) of the second transmission line (B) being proximate a first end (Figure 2: Y end) of the second conductor (12) of the second transmission line (B) and a second end (E3) of the first conductor (14) of the second transmission line (B) being proximate a second end (E4) of the second conductor (12) of the second transmission line (B), wherein respective arms (18) providing the first transmission line (A) and the second transmission line (B) are spaced apart and arranged such that the first conductor of the first transmission line is adjacent and co-planar with the first conductor of the second transmission line (the first conductors 14 of A and B are adjacent, co-planar, and spaced apart) and the second conductor of the first transmission line is adjacent and co-planar with the second conductor of the second transmission line (the first conductors 12 of A and B are adjacent, co-planar, and spaced apart), wherein the first end (Figure 2: Y end) of the first conductor (14) of the first transmission line (A) is electrically coupled to the first end (Figure 2: Y end) of the first conductor (14) of the second transmission line (B) by way of a continuation of the conductor between these ends (Figure 2: A and B are connected at the Y end via the u-shaped continuation of the conductor 14), and wherein the first end (Figure 2: Y end) of the second conductor (12) of the first transmission line (A) is electrically coupled to the first end (Figure 2: Y end) of the second conductor (12) of the second transmission line (B) by way of a continuation of the conductor between these ends (Figure 2: A and B are connected at the Y end via the u-shaped continuation of the conductor 12), but does not disclose wherein the second end of the first conductor of the first transmission line is electrically coupled to the second end of the second conductor of the second transmission line, and wherein the impedance adaptor is a 4:1 impedance transformer. It would not have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art to combine any prior art to teach or fairly suggest the features not disclosed by Roberg.
In regard to Claim 20:
None of the prior art or combination thereof teaches or fairly suggests the following features in combination with the other limitations of the claims:
wherein the second end of the first conductor of the second transmission line is electrically coupled to the first end of the second conductor of the second transmission line, and wherein the impedance adaptor is a 9:1 impedance transformer.
However Roberg (US 2018/0082778) discloses, in Figure 3, an impedance adaptor (10) comprising a first transmission line (A) and a second transmission line (B), each of the first transmission line (A) and the second transmission line (B) being provided by an arm (18) and having a first conductor (14) and a second conductor (12), the conductors (12, 14) of each of the first transmission line (A) and the second transmission line (B) being aligned such that one is on top of another (12 and 14 are arranged on top of another), with: a first end (Figure 2: Y end) of the first conductor (14) of the first transmission line (A) being proximate a first end (Figure 2: Y end) of the second conductor (12) of the first transmission line (A) and a second end (E1) of the first conductor (14) of the first transmission line (A) being proximate a second end (E2) of the second conductor (12) of the first transmission line (A), and a first end (Figure 2: Y end) of the first conductor (14) of the second transmission line (B) being proximate a first end (Figure 2: Y end) of the second conductor (12) of the second transmission line (B) and a second end (E3) of the first conductor (14) of the second transmission line (B) being proximate a second end (E4) of the second conductor (12) of the second transmission line (B), wherein respective arms (18) providing the first transmission line (A) and the second transmission line (B) are spaced apart and arranged such that the first conductor of the first transmission line is adjacent and co-planar with the first conductor of the second transmission line (the first conductors 14 of A and B are adjacent, co-planar, and spaced apart) and the second conductor of the first transmission line is adjacent and co-planar with the second conductor of the second transmission line (the first conductors 12 of A and B are adjacent, co-planar, and spaced apart), wherein the first end (Figure 2: Y end) of the first conductor (14) of the first transmission line (A) is electrically coupled to the first end (Figure 2: Y end) of the first conductor (14) of the second transmission line (B) by way of a continuation of the conductor between these ends (Figure 2: A and B are connected at the Y end via the u-shaped continuation of the conductor 14), and wherein the first end (Figure 2: Y end) of the second conductor (12) of the first transmission line (A) is electrically coupled to the first end (Figure 2: Y end) of the second conductor (12) of the second transmission line (B) by way of a continuation of the conductor between these ends (Figure 2: A and B are connected at the Y end via the u-shaped continuation of the conductor 12), but does not disclose wherein the second end of the first conductor of the second transmission line is electrically coupled to the first end of the second conductor of the second transmission line, and wherein the impedance adaptor is a 9:1 impedance transformer. It would not have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art to combine any prior art to teach or fairly suggest the features not disclosed by Roberg.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Chen et al. (US 8,558,355) discloses a shielding structure comprises first and second comb-like structures defined in a first metallization layer on an integrated circuit, each comb-like structure comprising a plurality of teeth, the teeth of each comb-like structure extending toward the other comb-like structure; a first plurality of electrically conducting vias extending upward from the first comb-like structure; a second plurality of electrically conducting vias extending upward from the second comb-like structure; first and second planar structures in a second metallization layer above the first metallization layer; a third plurality of electrically conducting vias extending downward from the first planar structure toward the first plurality of electrically conducting vias; and a fourth plurality of electrically conducting vias extending downward from the second planar structure toward the second plurality of electrically conducting vias. The first and second comb-like structures, the first and second planar structures and the first, second, third, and fourth electrically conducting vias all being at substantially the same potential, preferably ground. In one embodiment, one or more signal lines are located in the second metallization layer between the first and second planar structures; and in another embodiment they are located in a third metallization layer between the first and second metallization layers.
Wu et al. (US 10,396,419) discloses a common-mode signal absorber, which comprises an impedance-matching network and a common-mode signal reflection circuit. A differential-mode signal is inputted into input ends of the impedance-matching network, and outputted from output ends of the common-mode signal reflection circuit. When a common-mode signal is inputted into the common-mode signal absorber, the common-mode signal reflection circuit is for reflecting the common-mode signal within a specific frequency band. Afterward, the reflection of the common-mode signal within the specific frequency band will be absorbed by an impedance element of the impedance-matching network. Thus, the common-mode signal within the specific frequency band may be absorbed by the impedance-matching network so as to avoid to interfere signals transmitted on a communication system.
Brunker et al. (US 2006/0139117) discloses slot transmission lines are formed in dielectric substrates. Several of such substrates can be stacked together. When stacked together, the conductive surfaces that form the transmission lines can be terminated in the same plane whereat the conductive surfaces form contact terminals. The co-planar contact terminals can be coupled to contact points on a circuit board. Signals on the circuit board can thereby be coupled into the slot transmission lines that extend through the dielectric substrates.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to John W Poos whose telephone number is (571)270-5077. The examiner can normally be reached M-Th 8-5.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Jessica Han can be reached at 571-272-2078. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/JOHN W POOS/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2896