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 § 103
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.
Claims 1-3 and 7-9 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Tanaka (US 20190296148 A1)
Regarding Claim 1 – Tanaka teaches electronic device, comprising: a substrate comprising a peripheral region (Fig 7 shows the device outline (100) and pads placed on the outer edge (peripheral region)); a first conductive structure disposed in the peripheral region and comprising a first conductive layer and a second conductive layer, wherein the first conductive layer and the second conductive layer are arranged along a first direction (Fig 7; 161a and 161b are both conductive pads in the peripheral region and they are both arranged along one direction (vertically)); a second conductive structure disposed in the peripheral region and comprising a third conductive layer (Fig 7; 101b), wherein the first conductive structure and the second conductive structure are arranged along a second direction perpendicular to the first direction (Fig 7 shows first conductive structure (161a/161b) and second conductive structure 101b arranged across the layout horizontally); a first wire disposed in the peripheral region and electrically connected between the first conductive layer and the third conductive layer (Fig 7 shows wire leaving in the horizontal direction from layer 161a to 101b); and a second wire disposed in the peripheral region and electrically connected to the second conductive layer (Fig 7 shows the wire leaving in the horizontal direction from layer 161b to 101b). However, Tanaka does not explicitly disclose wherein the first wire is adjacent to the second wire along the first direction. Tanaka discloses joining the two wires into a single wire traveling in the horizontal direction.
It would have been obvious for a person with ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have provided the device of Tanaka with the first wire is adjacent to the second wire along the first direction. Regardless of providing both the wires traveling in vertical direction to the second conductive structure or joining both wires into a single wire. The first conductive structure and the second conductive structure are electrically connected in the same fashion regardless of whether we use one wire or two wires. The circuit would operate in exactly the same way regardless of whether we use one or two wires so then it would have been obvious to use two wires instead of one where the first wire is adjacent to the second wire along the first direction and further, it has been held to be within the general skill of a worker in the art to make singular part as plural parts as a matter of obvious engineering choice. Nerwin v. Erlichman, 168 USPQ 177, 179 (PTO Bd. Of Int. 1969).
Regarding Claim 2 – Tanaka teaches the electronic device as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a third conductive structure disposed in the peripheral region, wherein the first conductive structure and the third conductive structure are arranged along the first direction (Fig 7; 151).
Regarding Claim 3 – Tanaka teaches the electronic device as claimed in claim 2, further comprising a fourth conductive structure disposed in the peripheral region, wherein the third conductive structure and the fourth conductive structure are arranged along the second direction (Fig 7 shows 151 and 152 arranged across the layout in the peripheral region horizontally).
Regarding Claim 7 – Tanaka teaches the electronic device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the second wire electrically connects to the second conductive structure (Fig 7; wire connecting 161b and 101b).
Regarding Claim 8 – Tanaka teaches the electronic device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first wire comprises a plurality of turning portions (Fig 7; the wire leaving conductive layer 161a showing several directions by branching).
Regarding Claim 9 – Tanaka teaches the electronic device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the second wire comprises a plurality of turning portions (Fig 7; the wire leaving conductive layer 161b showing several directions by branching).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 4-6, and 10 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 ADITYA SHARMA whose telephone number is (571)270-7246. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Friday 8:30 - 5:30.
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/ADITYA SHARMA/ Examiner, Art Unit 2847
/TIMOTHY J THOMPSON/ Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2847