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 filed 07-08-2024
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 07/08/2024 and 01/10/2025 was filed on and after the mailing date of the application on 07/08/2024. The submission is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
Drawings
The drawings are objected to as failing to comply with 37 CFR 1.84(p)(4) because reference characters "108 (attenuator)" and "110 (wafer)" have both been used to designate the same shape in Fig 1. Corrected drawing sheets in compliance with 37 CFR 1.121(d) are required in reply to the Office action to avoid abandonment of the application. Any amended replacement drawing sheet should include all of the figures appearing on the immediate prior version of the sheet, even if only one figure is being amended. Each drawing sheet submitted after the filing date of an application must be labeled in the top margin as either “Replacement Sheet” or “New Sheet” pursuant to 37 CFR 1.121(d). If the changes are not accepted by the examiner, the applicant will be notified and informed of any required corrective action in the next Office action. The objection to the drawings will not be held in abeyance.
The drawings are objected to as failing to comply with 37 CFR 1.84(p)(4) because reference characters "404B (cavity)” & 408 (exterior wall)" and "406 (post)" have both been used to designate for figure 5. Corrected drawing sheets in compliance with 37 CFR 1.121(d) are required in reply to the Office action to avoid abandonment of the application. Any amended replacement drawing sheet should include all of the figures appearing on the immediate prior version of the sheet, even if only one figure is being amended. Each drawing sheet submitted after the filing date of an application must be labeled in the top margin as either “Replacement Sheet” or “New Sheet” pursuant to 37 CFR 1.121(d). If the changes are not accepted by the examiner, the applicant will be notified and informed of any required corrective action in the next Office action. The objection to the drawings will not be held in abeyance.
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.
Claims 1-22 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Terashima US 2022/0353606 A1.
Regarding claim 1, Terashima teaches an apparatus comprising: a microelectromechanical system (MEMS) chip (Fig 1, 8 [10], microphone, para [110]) having a movable member (Fig 1,8 [102], Diaphragm, para [64]) coupled to a front chamber (Fig 1,8 [121] through hole, the mems chip and movable are connected to the hole, para [66, 68]); and
an attenuator chip (Figure 1, 8 [14A, 14B], Helmholtz resonator, para [112]) coupled to the MEMS chip (Fig 1,8 (102) and having an array of attenuators arranged around a port (Fig 1, 8 (101), hole, para 68) that is open to the front chamber (Fig 1, 8 [121], the mems chip is attached to the resonator through the substrate and more than one resonator is formed around the pathway to the front chamber. See para 64 and 70).
Regarding claim 2, wherein each attenuator (Fig 8 [14A,B]) of the array of attenuators comprises a neck (Fig 8 [141A & 141B], opening, para [115,117) having a first open end coupled to the port (Fig 8 (121) and a second open end coupled to a cavity (Fig 8, para [115,119] formed within the attenuator chip (Fig 8[14 A,B], each resonator has a neck (141 [A,B]) and cavity (142 [A,B]) formed within their respective structure. See para 115 and 117).
Regarding claim 3, wherein the neck (Fig 8 (141[A, B])) and the cavity (Fig 8 (142[A, B])) have different heights (each cavity has a different volume size with respect to their neck portion formed. See para [119]).
Regarding claim 4, wherein at least one attenuator (Fig8[14 A, B]) of the array of attenuators comprises a different characteristic than another attenuator that is selected attenuate different ultrasonic frequencies (Fig3[301,302], Figure 3, relative sensitivity v. frequency, the specific frequency of the resonator in the second substrate (Fig1[13]) absorbs 20 kHz or more resonance from the ultrasonic band. The result of this action is that most resonance generate (Peak) is reduced. In para 82, as sound transvers through the sound channel (Fig1,8[131]), either resonator changes the frequencies that it encounters. The formations between the different necks and cavities within the resonator contribute).
Regarding claim 5, wherein the different characteristic comprises a length of a neck (Fig 8, 9[141A, B], para 127,) between the port (fig 8 [101], fig 9 [131]) and cavity (Fig 8 [142 A, B]) formed within the attenuator chip (Fig 8 [14 A, B], the horizontal length between neck and cavity portions are different as they move further from the port. See para 127,).
Regarding claim 6, wherein the different characteristic comprises a shape (fig 10 [14A, 14B], para 138) of a neck (Fig 8 [141 B]) between the port and a cavity formed within the attenuator chip (Fig 8 [14A, B], the neck portion may have prismatic shape based on the cross section near the sound opening (Fig 8 [131]). The different neck (Fig 8 [143]) portion increase with the addition of the second substrate leading to the opening. See para 150, 151, and 153).
Regarding claim 7, wherein different characteristic comprises a volume or shape of a cavity (fig 8 [142A,142B]) coupled to the neck of the attenuator chip (Fig 8 [14A, 14B], the resonator is able to reduce the frequency’s peak due to the different volume of the cavity portion. See para 115).
Regarding claim 8, wherein the attenuator (Fig 8[14 A, B) comprises a top cap (Fig 8 [12]), a bottom cap (Fig 8 [13C]) and a wafer (Fig 8 [13C]) between the top cap and the bottom cap. (In fig. 8, with the 1st substrate (12) and the 2nd substrate (13C), two resonators are present. The sound channel (131) to the port (101) act as the boundary. The figure below, A is the top cap of the resonator, B is the linking piece between the two substrates and a part of the 2nd substrate, and C is the bottom cap of the resonator which is a part of 2nd substrate. See para 112.
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Regarding claim 9, further comprising a post (Fig 8 [13C]) between the top cap (Fig 8 [12]) and the bottom cap (Fig 8 [13C]) (following Fig 8 and Fig 10, contact between the first substrate (Fig8[12]) and second substrate (Fig8[13C] becomes larger, reinforcing the first substrate’s strength. This reinforcement in the second substrate is the post. See para 119 (different cavity size) and para 140).
Regarding claim 10, wherein the port (fig 8 [121]) comprises a number of holes (holes is synonymous with necks (fig 8 [143,145], para 115and 117) portions of the resonator due to leading toward the sound hole (Fig 8 [121]).
Regarding claim 11, wherein the movable member (Fig 8 [102]) comprise a plate (Fig 8 [102],) operable to move in response to a wave of sound or a pressure change within the front chamber (Fig 8 [121], through hole, (the diaphragm similar to a plate, vibrates on contact from acoustic pressure, which affects the electrical signal. See para 66).
Regarding claim 12, wherein the mems (Fig 1, 8 [10]) chip comprises an actuator or a sensor (Fig 1, 8 [10, 102], the microphone, a mems component, has a sensitivity range to the ultrasonic band due to receiving sound. The diaphragm is part of microphone, which is a sensor, and diaphragm vibrates on contact to acoustic pressure. This process affects electric signal and audio amplifier. See para 4 and 66).
Regarding claim 13, further comprising a package substrate (Fig 8 [12,13]) coupled to the mems chip (Fig 8 [10]). (The package of substrate is two or more substrate (Fig 8 [12 & 13]) and the mems (Fig 8 [10]) sits (coupled) on first substrate. See para 65).
Regarding claim 14, wherein the package substrate (Fig 8 [12,13C]) comprises a cavity (Fig 8 [142(A,B)]) coupled to a neck (Fig 8 [141(A,B)]) of at least one attenuator of the array of attenuators (Figure 8[14A,B], the coupled cavity and neck are within the attenuator and substrate. See para 112 and 115).
Regarding claim 15, Wherein the package substrate ((Fig 8 [12,13C]) is coupled to a top side of the attenuator (Fig 8 [14A]) chip and a bottom side of the MEMS ((Fig 8 [10], the first substrate (12) is located between the attenuator and the mems. See para 110 and 111.
Regarding claim 16, an apparatus comprising: a attenuator (Fig 8 [14 A, B]) chip comprising: a wafer (Fig 8 [12, 13C]) having a port (Fig 8 [101]) extending a top side to a bottom side of the wafer (Fig 8 [13C], the sound channel across, which extends between the substrate and resonator, through the top/bottom of the wafer (see para 111 and 112).
An array of attenuators (Fig 8 [14 A,B]) formed within the wafer (Fig 8 [12, 13C]) and arranged around the port (Fig 8 [101]). The attenuator, which is the resonator are connected to the port (Fig 8 [101]). (The array of attenuators are formed around pathway that sound travels, comprising 101, 121, and 131 in Fig 8.)
Regarding claim 17, wherein each attenuator of the array of attenuators (Fig8 [14 A,B]) comprises a neck (Fig 8 [141A, 141B]) having a first open end coupled to the port (Fig 8 [121]) and a second open end coupled to a cavity (Fig 8 [142A, 142B]) formed with the wafer(Fig 8 [12, 13C], each resonator has an open end neck leading toward the through hole and sound channel. The resonance specific frequencies are reduced as a result. See para 114 and 115).
Regarding claim 18, wherein at least one attenuator of the array of attenuators (Fig 8 [14 A,B]) comprises a different characteristic than another attenuator that is selected attenuate different ultrasonic frequencies (Fig 3 [301,302]). In Fig 8-10, both 1st and 2nd resonators have different resonance frequencies after being formed with first substrate (12) and second substrate (13C). As a result, the frequencies are reduced due to their respective neck and cavity portions. For the 2nd resonator (14 B), the signal characteristic can be altered by the amount of neck portions. See para 131, 139, and 140).
Regarding claim 19, wherein the attenuator chip comprises a first attenuator (Fig 8 [14B] chip, and a second attenuator (Fig 8 [14A]) chip having an array of attenuators arranged around the port (Fig 8 [121]) is coupled to the first attenuator chip (In Fig 8, within first substrate (12) and second substrate(13C), two resonators are positioned on both sides of the port. See para 114 and 115).
Regarding claim 20, wherein the attenuator (Fig 8 [14 A,B) comprises a top cap, a bottom cap and a wafer (Fig 8 [12, 13C] between the top cap and bottom cap (The wafer and substrate have similar meanings, the resonators are formed with the 1st substrate (12) and 2nd substrate (13C), and the wafer includes the sound channel (Fig 8 [131]) as part of the boundary (see para 110, 112, 114).
Regarding claim 21, Wherein the port (Fig 12 [131], para 150) comprises a cross shape (Fig12, para 149. Based on the applicant’s specification, the wafer shares the same meaning as the attenuator and substrate. In figure B [para 32], the attenuator chip is the complete structure with four attenuators (114, 115, 116, 118) and one port (112A) with a cross-shaped pattern opening. Terashima shows quadrangular cross section within the substrate, where the neck portions are connected the opening forming a cross shape See para 150.)
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Applicant (figure B) Terashima (Figure C)
Regarding claim 22, wherein the attenuator chip is coupled to a microelectromechanical system (MEMS) (Fig 8 [10]) chip having a movable member (Fig 8 [102], Diaphragm) coupled to a front chamber (Fig 8 [121], through hole, and the movable member comprises a plate operable to move in response to a wave of sound or a pressure change (Fig 8 [102]) within the front chamber. (The diaphragm vibrates, by definition experiences movement, according to acoustic pressure of input sound leading into the front chamber. See para 66.)
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Christensen (U.S Patent No. 20220210547A1) teaches a MEMS microphone with acoustic filter.
Hoffmann (U.S Patent No. 20220030377A1) teaches a filter system for users of MEMS audio devices.
Tsuchihashi (U.S Patent No. 20210266656A1) teaches a headphone design with resonator design.
Bradt (U.S Patent No. 20210204056A1) teaches a microphone assembly with a resonator.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to MARCUS A. BARBOZA whose telephone number is (571)272-9626. The examiner can normally be reached on 7:30 AM - 5:00 PM.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Carolyn R Edwards can be reached on 571-270-7136. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/MARCUS A BARBOZA/Examiner, Art Unit 2692
/CAROLYN R EDWARDS/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2692