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 § 112
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claims 15-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
Regarding claim 15, the limitation “In response to determining”, is unclear. It is unclear if it requires a coupled differential pair with tabbed routing. In order to further prosecution the examiner is interpreting the limitation to require a coupled differential pair with tabbed routing.
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.
Claim(s) 1-6, 8-13, 15-19 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Sides et al. (Pub. No. US 2026/0025911) in view of Abbott et al. (Pub. No. US 2010/0327989).
As to claim 1, Sides discloses a printed circuit board (fig. 1) comprising:
a coupled differential trace pair (fig. 1), wherein the coupled differential trace pair includes a differential trace pair (fig. 1); and the differential trace pair comprising a trace (fig. 1), wherein the trace includes a skew compensation structure 116, 118, 126 at a portion of the trace.
However, Sides does not disclose a coupled differential trace pair with a tabbed routing.
Abbott discloses a coupled differential trace pair 12a, 12b, 12c with a tabbed 26 routing.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have the PCB of Sides have tabbed routing after the skew compensation structure as similarly taught by Abbott in order to compensate for crosstalk.
As to claim 2, Sides does not that the trace is a microstrip.
Abbott discloses that the trace is a microstrip (¶0002).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have the trace of Sides be a microstrip as similarly taught by Abbott in order to provide transmission lines capable of high frequency communication.
As to claim 3, Sides discloses that the skew compensation structure is configured to lengthen the trace (fig. 1).
As to claim 4, Sides discloses that wherein the skew compensation structure is configured to increase width of the trace (¶0023).
As to claim 5, Sides discloses that the skew compensation structure is a serpentine structure (fig. 1; ¶0017).
As to claim 6, Sides does not disclose that the coupled differential trace pair includes another differential trace pair adjacent to the differential trace pair.
Abbott disclsoes that the coupled differential trace pair includes another differential trace pair adjacent to the differential trace pair (fig. 1A).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have the differential pair of Sides include another differential trace pair as similarly taught by Abbott in order to provide multiple differential signal traces.
As to claim 8, Sides discloses an information handling system (fig. 1) comprising:
a printed circuit board 400 (fig. 4) further comprising:
a coupled differential trace pair (fig. 1), wherein the coupled differential trace pair includes a differential trace pair (fig. 1); and the differential trace pair comprising a trace (¶0020-0021), wherein the trace includes a skew compensation structure 116, 126 at a portion of the trace.
However, Sides does not disclose a coupled differential trace pair with a tabbed routing.
Abbott discloses a coupled differential trace pair 12a, 12b, 12c with a tabbed 26 routing.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have the PCB of Sides have tabbed routing after the skew compensation structure as similarly taught by Abbott in order to compensate for crosstalk.
As to claim 9, Sides does not disclose that the trace is a microstrip.
Abbott discloses that the trace is a microstrip (¶0002).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have the trace of Sides be a microstrip as similarly taught by Abbott in order to provide transmission lines capable of high frequency communication.
As to claim 10, Sides discloses that the skew compensation structure is configured to lengthen the trace (fig. 1).
As to claim 11, Sides disclsoes that the skew compensation structure is configured to increase width of the trace (¶0023).
As to claim 12, Sides discloses that the skew compensation structure is a serpentine structure (fig. 1).
As to claim 13, Sides does not disclose that the coupled differential trace pair include another differential trace pair adjacent to the differential trace pair.
Abbott disclsoes that the coupled differential trace pair includes another differential trace pair adjacent to the differential trace pair (fig. 1A).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have the differential pair of Sides include another differential trace pair as similarly taught by Abbott in order to provide multiple differential signal traces.
As to claim 15, Sides disclsoes a method (fig. 5) comprising:
determining, by a processor, a skew associated with a printed circuit board 506;
in response to determining that the printed circuit board includes a coupled differential trace pair,
wherein the coupled differential trace pair include a differential trace pair 504; and
forming a skew compensation structure 508, 510, 512 on a trace of the differential trace pair.
Sides does not disclose a coupled differential trace pair with a tabbed routing, forming a skew compensation structure on a trace of the differential trace pair before the tabbed routing.
Abbott discloses a coupled differential trace pair 12a, 12b, 12c, with a tabbed routing, forming a skew compensation structure on a trace of the differential trace pair before the tabbed routing.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have the PCB of Sides have tabbed routing after the skew compensation structure as similarly taught by Abbott in order to compensate for crosstalk.
As to claim 16, Sides discloses that the skew compensation structure is configured to lengthen the trace (fig. 1).
As to claim 17, Sides discloses that the skew compensation structure is configured to increase width of the trace (¶0023).
As to claim 18, Sides disclsoes that the skew compensation structure is a serpentine structure.
As to claim 19, Sides does not disclose that the coupled differential trace pair include another differential trace pair adjacent to the differential trace pair.
Abbott disclsoes that the coupled differential trace pair includes another differential trace pair adjacent to the differential trace pair (fig. 1A).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have the differential pair of Sides include another differential trace pair as similarly taught by Abbott in order to provide multiple differential signal traces.
Claim(s) 7 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Sides et al. (Pub. No. US 2026/0025911) and Abbott et al. (Pub. No. US 2010/0327989) as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of Kong (Pub. No. US 2023/0345625).
As to claim 7, Sides does not disclose that the another differential trace pair includes another trace with another skew compensation structure at another portion of the other trace before the tabbed routing.
Kong discloses a plurality of differential trace pairs having skew compensation structures (fig. 2).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have the plurality of differential trace pairs of sides in view of Abbott have skew compensation structures as similarly taught by Kong in order to provide reliable signal communication.
Claim(s) 14 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Sides et al. (Pub. No. US 2026/0025911) and Abbott et al. (Pub. No. US 2010/0327989) as applied to claim 8 above, and further in view of Kong (Pub. No. US 2023/0345625).
As to claim 14, Sides does not disclose that the another differential trace pair includes another trace with another skew compensation structure at another portion of the other trace before the tabbed routing.
Kong discloses a plurality of differential trace pairs having skew compensation structures (fig. 2).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have the plurality of differential trace pairs of sides in view of Abbott have skew compensation structures as similarly taught by Kong in order to provide reliable signal communication.
Claim(s) 20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Sides et al. (Pub. No. US 2026/0025911) and Abbott et al. (Pub. No. US 2010/0327989) as applied to claim 15 above, and further in view of Kong (Pub. No. US 2023/0345625).
As to claim 20, Sides does not disclose that the other differential trace pair includes a second trace with another skew compensation structure at a portion of the second trace before the tabbed routing.
Kong discloses a plurality of differential trace pairs having skew compensation structures (fig. 2).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have the plurality of differential trace pairs of sides in view of Abbott have skew compensation structures as similarly taught by Kong in order to provide reliable signal communication.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Chandra et al. (Pub. No. US 2019/0239339) discloses a stubbed differential trace system.
Weibezahn (Pub. No. US 2011/0030996) discloses a tabbed trace.
Wang et al. (Pub. No. US 2021/0378089) discloses a differential pair tabbed trace.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to AMOL H PATEL whose telephone number is (571)270-7833. The examiner can normally be reached 9:30AM-6:00PM.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, TIMOTHY THOMPSON can be reached at (571) 272-2342. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/AMOL H PATEL/Examiner, Art Unit 2847
/TIMOTHY J THOMPSON/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2847
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