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.
The factual inquiries for establishing a background for determining obviousness under 35 U.S.C. 103 are summarized as follows:
1. Determining the scope and contents of the prior art.
2. Ascertaining the differences between the prior art and the claims at issue.
3. Resolving the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art.
4. Considering objective evidence present in the application indicating obviousness or nonobviousness.
1. Claim(s) 1-2 and 4-6 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Tamura (U.S. Patent Pub. # US 2009/0278629 A1) in view of Yuanzhu (U.S. Patent Pub. # US 2011/0057829 A1).
Regarding claim 1, Tamura discloses an acoustic wave filter module (figure 1-3, a surface acoustic wave filter 12; paragraph 0039), comprising: a metal plate (figure 2, a substrate 11; paragraph 0036*); a piezoelectric substrate mounted on the metal plate (figure 1-2, a piezoelectric substrate 10; paragraph 0035); a first surface acoustic wave filter mounted on the piezoelectric substrate and coupled between a first input and an output of the acoustic wave filter module (paragraph 0039); at least one capacitor mounted on the piezoelectric substrate (figure 7, capacitors 15a and 15b; paragraph 0048); and at least two inductors formed on the metal plate (figure 7, inductors 16a-16c; paragraph 0048), the at least two inductors and the at least one capacitor electrically connected to implement a π-type high pass filter coupled between the first surface acoustic wave filter and the output of the acoustic wave filter module( paragraph 0048),except for the metal plate. it would have been obvious to one ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to use the metal plate, since it has been held to be within the general skill of a worker in the art to select a known material on the basis of its suitability for the intended use as a matter of obvious design choice. In re Leshin, 125 USPQ 416.
Tamura does not disclose the π-type high pass filter
Yuanzhu discloses a wireless device includes a π-type high pass filter (paragraph 0033).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to incorporate the teachings of Yuanzhu in to the apparatus of Tamura, such that a π-type high pass filter could be included in the wireless device in order to have a variable range (the height of the chopping wave) of the oscillation frequency of the high frequency transmission signal as taught by Yuanzhu (paragraph 0033).
Regarding claim 2, Tamura in view of Yuanzhu discloses the apparatus of claim 1. Tamura discloses wherein the piezoelectric substrate is a lithium tantalate or lithium niobate substrate (paragraph 0035, piezoelectric substrate 10 made from lithium tantalate (LiTaO3))
Regarding claim 4, Tamura in view of Yuanzhu discloses the apparatus of claim 1. Yuanzhu discloses wherein the π-type high pass filter induces a phase shift of a radio frequency signal filtered by the first surface acoustic wave filter(paragraph 0033).
Regarding claim 5, Tamura in view of Yuanzhu discloses the apparatus of claim 1. Yuanzhu discloses wherein the at least two inductors have the same inductivity (paragraph 0048).
Regarding claim 6, in view of Yuanzhu discloses the apparatus of claim 1.
Tamura discloses the acoustic wave filter module further comprising a second surface acoustic wave filter coupled in parallel to the first surface acoustic wave filter between a second input and the output of the acoustic wave filter module (see figure 1, acoustic wave resonators 14; paragraph 0039).
2. Claim(s) 3 and 8-21 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Forster et al (U.S. Patent Pub. # US 2023/0261641 A1) in view of Tamura (U.S. Patent Pub. # US 2009/0278629 A1) further in view of Yuanzhu (U.S. Patent Pub. # US 2011/0057829 A1).
Regarding claim 3, Tamura in view of Yuanzhu discloses the apparatus of claim 2. Tamura in view of Yuanzhu does not disclose wherein the metal plate is a copper plate.
Forster et al discloses a metal plate is a copper plate (paragraph 0038)
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to use the teachings of Forster et al in to the apparatus of Tamura in view of Yuanzhu, such that the metal plate could be a copper plate by material choice.
Regarding claim 8, Forster et al discloses a multi-chip module for a mobile device (figures 1-2, a computing device 102 with a multiple surface-acoustic-wave filters 124; paragraphs 0024, 0031 and 0034) , the multi-chip module comprising: a first die including an acoustic wave filter module (figure 3, SAW filter 124, the acoustic wave filter module including a metal plate (figure 3, substrate layer 306; paragraph 0041), a piezoelectric substrate mounted on the metal plate (figure 3, a piezoelectric layer 304; paragraph 0041, 0050 and 0053), a first surface acoustic wave filter mounted on the piezoelectric substrate and coupled between a first input and an output of the acoustic wave filter module (paragraphs 0056 and 0064-0065), at least one capacitor mounted on the piezoelectric substrate, and at least two inductors formed on the metal plate, the at least two inductors and the at least one capacitor electrically connected to implement a π-type high pass filter coupled between the first surface acoustic wave filter and the output of the acoustic wave filter module; a second die including an antenna switch module coupled to the output of the acoustic wave filter module (figure 2, antenna with a duplexer; paragraph 0034); and a third die including a power amplifier module coupled to an input of the acoustic wave filter module (figure 2a power amplifier 210; paragraph 0034) .
Forster et al does not disclose at least one capacitor mounted on the piezoelectric substrate, and at least two inductors formed on the metal plate, the at least two inductors and the at least one capacitor electrically connected to implement a π-type high pass filter coupled between the first surface acoustic wave filter and the output of the acoustic wave filter module;
Tamura discloses at least one capacitor mounted on the piezoelectric substrate (figure 7, capacitors 15a and 15b; paragraph 0048) , and at least two inductors formed on the metal plate (figure 7, inductors 16a-16c; paragraph 0048) , the at least two inductors and the at least one capacitor electrically connected to implement a π-type high pass filter coupled between the first surface acoustic wave filter and the output of the acoustic wave filter module (paragraph 0048).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to use the teachings of Tamura in to the apparatus of Forster et al in view of Tamura, at least one capacitor mounted on the piezoelectric substrate, and at least two inductors formed on the metal plate, the at least two inductors and the at least one capacitor electrically connected to implement a π-type filter coupled between the first surface acoustic wave filter and the output of the acoustic wave filter module by design preference to ensures consistent performance
Forster et al in view of Tamura does not disclose the π-type high pass filter
Yuanzhu discloses a wireless device includes a π-type high pass filter (paragraph 0033).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to incorporate the teachings of Yuanzhu in to the apparatus of Forster et al in view of Tamura, such that a π-type high pass filter could be included in the wireless device in order to have a variable range (the height of the chopping wave) of the oscillation frequency of the high frequency transmission signal as taught by Yuanzhu (paragraph 0033).
Regarding claim 9, and as applied to the claim 8 above, claim 9 is similar in scope to the claim 2 and thus the rejection to claim 2 hereinabove is also applicable to claim 9.
Regarding claim 10, and as applied to the claim 9 above, claim 10 is similar in scope to the claim 3 and thus the rejection to claim 3 hereinabove is also applicable to claim 10.
Regarding claim 11, and as applied to the claim 8 above, claim 11 is similar in scope to the claim 4 and thus the rejection to claim 4 hereinabove is also applicable to claim 11.
Regarding claim 12, and as applied to the claim 8 above, claim 12 is similar in scope to the claim 6 and thus the rejection to claim 6 hereinabove is also applicable to claim 12.
Regarding claim 13, and as applied to the claim 12 above, claim 13 is similar in scope to the claim 7 and thus the rejection to claim 7 hereinabove is also applicable to claim 13.
Regarding claim 14, Forster et al discloses a mobile device (figure 1, a computing device 102), comprising: an antenna configured to receive and transmit radio frequency signals (figure 1, antenna 122; paragraph 0030); a front end module including an antenna switch module electrically connected to an acoustic wave filter module (figure 2, RFFE circuit 238; paragraphs 0034-0035), the acoustic wave filter module including a metal plate (figure 3, substrate layer 306; paragraph 0041), a piezoelectric substrate mounted on the metal plate (figure 3, a piezoelectric layer 304; paragraph 0041, 0050 and 0053), a first surface acoustic wave filter mounted on the piezoelectric substrate and coupled between a first input and an output of the acoustic wave filter module(paragraphs 0056 and 0064-0065), at least one capacitor mounted on the piezoelectric substrate, and at least two inductors formed on the metal plate, the at least two inductors and the at least one capacitor electrically connected to implement a π-type high pass filter coupled between the first surface acoustic wave filter and the output of the acoustic wave filter module; and a transceiver coupled to the front end module and configured to process radio frequency signals received or transmitted by the antenna (figure 2, antenna 122 and transceiver circuit 236; paragraph 0034)..
Forster et al does not disclose at least one capacitor mounted on the piezoelectric substrate, and at least two inductors formed on the metal plate, the at least two inductors and the at least one capacitor electrically connected to implement a π-type high pass filter coupled between the first surface acoustic wave filter and the output of the acoustic wave filter module;
Tamura discloses at least one capacitor mounted on the piezoelectric substrate (figure 7, capacitors 15a and 15b; paragraph 0048) , and at least two inductors formed on the metal plate (figure 7, inductors 16a-16c; paragraph 0048) , the at least two inductors and the at least one capacitor electrically connected to implement a π-type high pass filter coupled between the first surface acoustic wave filter and the output of the acoustic wave filter module (paragraph 0048).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to use the teachings of Tamura in to the apparatus of Forster et al in view of Tamura, such that at least one capacitor mounted on the piezoelectric substrate, and at least two inductors formed on the metal plate, the at least two inductors and the at least one capacitor electrically connected to implement a π-type filter coupled between the first surface acoustic wave filter and the output of the acoustic wave filter module by design preference to ensures consistent performance
Forster et al in view of Tamura does not disclose the π-type high pass filter
Yuanzhu discloses a wireless device includes a π-type high pass filter (paragraph 0033).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to incorporate the teachings of Yuanzhu in to the apparatus of Forster et al in view of Tamura, such that a π-type high pass filter could be included in the wireless device in order to have a variable range (the height of the chopping wave) of the oscillation frequency of the high frequency transmission signal as taught by Yuanzhu (paragraph 0033).
Regarding claim 15, Forster et al in view of Tamura and Yuanzhu discloses the apparatus of claim 14. Forster et al discloses wherein the front end module further includes a power amplifier module including power amplifiers configured to amplify radio frequency signals received from the transceiver (figure 2, a power amplifier 210; paragraph 0034).
Regarding claim 16, and as applied to the claim 14 above, claim 16 is similar in scope to the claim 2 and thus the rejection to claim 2 hereinabove is also applicable to claim 16.
Regarding claim 17, and as applied to the claim 16 above, claim 17 is similar in scope to the claim 3 and thus the rejection to claim 3 hereinabove is also applicable to claim 17.
Regarding claim 18, and as applied to the claim 14 above, claim 18 is similar in scope to the claim 4 and thus the rejection to claim 4 hereinabove is also applicable to claim 18.
Regarding claim 19, and as applied to the claim 14 above, claim 19 is similar in scope to the claim 5 and thus the rejection to claim 5 hereinabove is also applicable to claim 19.
Regarding claim 20, and as applied to the claim 14 above, claim 20 is similar in scope to the claim 6 and thus the rejection to claim 6 hereinabove is also applicable to claim 20.
Regarding claim 21, and as applied to the claim 20 above, claim 21 is similar in scope to the claim 7 and thus the rejection to claim 7 hereinabove is also applicable to claim 21.
3. Claim(s) 7 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Tamura (U.S. Patent Pub. # US 2009/0278629 A1) in view of Yuanzhu (U.S. Patent Pub. # US 2011/0057829 A1) further in view of Komatsu et al (U.S. Patent Pub. # US 2021/0091751 A1).
Regarding claim 7, Tamura in view of Yuanzhu discloses the apparatus of claim 6. , Tamura in view of Yuanzhu does not disclose wherein the π-type high pass filter is configured to reduce the reflection coefficient at the output of the first surface acoustic wave filter in a passband of the second surface acoustic wave filter.
Komatsu et al discloses filter is configured to reduce the reflection coefficient at the output of the first surface acoustic wave filter in a passband of the second surface acoustic wave filter (paragraph 0062).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to use the teachings of Komatsu et al in to the apparatus of Tamura in view of Yuanzhu, such that the π-type high pass filter could be configured to reduce the reflection coefficient at the output of the first surface acoustic wave filter in a passband of the second surface acoustic wave filter
Conclusion
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/FATUMA G SHERIF/Examiner, Art Unit 2649 /YUWEN PAN/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2649
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