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 .
Election/Restrictions
Applicant's election with traverse of Species A1 (claims 1, 2, 20) in the reply filed on 4/7/26 is acknowledged. The traversal is on the ground(s) that the species share a common inventive core: an acoustic filter having one or more structural layers forming curved domes that define cavities, with one or more IPD layers formed on those structural layers, and that no serious examination burden to search all additional features of the identified species. This is not found persuasive because the species would require a different field of search (e.g., searching different classes/subclasses or electronic resources, or employing different search strategies or search queries). Neither the specification nor the reply filed on 4/7/26 provides indication that the species are clearly unpatentable (obvious) over each other; thus, the requirement is still deemed proper and is therefore made FINAL.
Claims 3-19 are withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b), as being drawn to a nonelected species, there being no allowable generic or linking claim. Applicant timely traversed the restriction (election) requirement in the reply filed on 4/7/26.
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, 20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Inoue US 11,637,543.
1. Inoue discloses an acoustic filter device (Fig. 2) comprising: an acoustic filter (12); one or more structural layers (14) forming one or more curved domes that define a one or more cavities (17) of the acoustic filter; and one or more integrated passive device (IPD) layers (16) on the one or more structural layers.
2. The acoustic filter device of claim 1, wherein the one or more IPD layers are contoured to correspond to a shape of the one or more curved domes (see Fig. 2).
20. Inoue discloses a method of fabricating (realized by) an acoustic filter device (Fig. 2), the method comprising: forming one or more structural layers (14) on an acoustic filter (12); forming one or more curved domes (the shape of item 14) in at least one of the one or more structural layers, the one or more curved domes defining one or more cavities (17) of the acoustic filter; and forming one or more integrated passive device (IPD) layers (16) on the one or more structural layers.
Claim(s) 1, 20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Liu US 2023/0121565.
1. Liu discloses an acoustic filter device (Fig. 5C) comprising: an acoustic filter (510; Fig. 3; [0034]); one or more structural layers forming one or more curved domes that define a one or more cavities of the acoustic filter (see Fig. 3; corresponding layer formed the acoustic dome structures 360 that define cavities above the piezoelectric layer 350); and one or more integrated passive device (IPD) layers (Fig. 5C,D item 585) on the one or more structural layers.
20. Inoue discloses a method of fabricating (realized by) an acoustic filter device (Fig. 5C), the method comprising: forming one or more structural layers (layer for the dome 360 on Fig. 3) on an acoustic filter (510; Fig. 3; [0034]); forming one or more curved domes (Fig. 3 item 360) in at least one of the one or more structural layers, the one or more curved domes defining one or more cavities of the acoustic filter; and forming one or more integrated passive device (IPD) layers (Fig. 5C,D item 585) on the one or more structural layers.
Conclusion
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/A.W/Examiner, Art Unit 2843
/ANDREA LINDGREN BALTZELL/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2843
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