DETAILED ACTION
Claims 1-9 are pending in the present application.
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 .
Priority
Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers submitted under 35 U.S.C. 119(a)-(d), which papers have been placed of record in the file.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 8/30/2024 was filed. The submission is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
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.
(a)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claim 9 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1)/(a)(2) as being anticipated by Ueyanagi et al. (US Pat. No. 6,332,359 B1, hereinafter Ueyanagi).
Regarding claim 9, Ueyanagi teaches a sensor module (see Fig. 3, all elements; see also col. 3, line 53 through col. 4, line 9) comprising: a substrate having a first surface and a second surface that are in a front-back relationship with each other (see Fig. 3 and col. 3, line 53 through col. 4, line 9, substrate 80 has first (upper) surface and second (lower) surface in a front-back relationship as shown), and side surfaces including a first side surface (see Fig. 3 and col. 3, line 53 through col. 4, line 9, substrate 80 includes side surface including first (left) side surface as shown); a first relay substrate having a first front surface and a first back surface and mounted on the first side surface with the first back surface facing the first side surface, the first front surface and the first back surface being in a front-back relationship with each other (see Fig. 3 and col. 3, line 53 through col. 4, line 9, first relay substrate 90 has a first front (left) surface and a first back (right) surface with front-back relationship as shown, and wherein the first back (right) surface is mounted and facing the first (left) side surface of the substrate 80); and a first inertial sensor including a first package mounted on the first front surface of the first relay substrate and a first sensor element housed in the first package (see Fig. 3 and col. 3, line 53 through col. 4, line 9, first inertial sensor includes a first package 60 mounted on the first front (left) surface of the first relay substrate 90 and a first sensor element 50 housed in the first package 60 as shown).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 1-8 are allowed.
The following is an examiner’s statement of reasons for allowance:
Regarding claims 1-8, Ueyanagi in view of Iwamoto (JP 2010-223774 A, hereinafter Iwamoto) represents the best art of record. However, Ueyanagi in view of Iwamoto fails to encompass all of the limitations of independent claim 1.
Regarding claim 1, Ueyanagi teaches a sensor module (see Fig. 3, all elements; see also col. 3, line 53 through col. 4, line 9) comprising: a substrate having a first surface and a second surface that are in a front-back relationship with each other (see Fig. 3 and col. 3, line 53 through col. 4, line 9, substrate 80 has first (upper) surface and second (lower) surface in a front-back relationship as shown), and side surfaces including a first side surface (see Fig. 3 and col. 3, line 53 through col. 4, line 9, substrate 80 includes side surface including first (left) side surface as shown); a first relay substrate having a first front surface and a first back surface and mounted on the first side surface with the first back surface facing the first side surface, the first front surface and the first back surface being in a front-back relationship with each other (see Fig. 3 and col. 3, line 53 through col. 4, line 9, first relay substrate 90 has a first front (left) surface and a first back (right) surface with front-back relationship as shown, and wherein the first back (right) surface is mounted and facing the first (left) side surface of the substrate 80); and a first inertial sensor including a first package mounted on the first front surface of the first relay substrate and a first sensor element housed in the first package (see Fig. 3 and col. 3, line 53 through col. 4, line 9, first inertial sensor includes a first package 60 mounted on the first front (left) surface of the first relay substrate 90 and a first sensor element 50 housed in the first package 60 as shown).
Ueyanagi fails to teach wherein α1 > α2 > α3, in which a thickness direction of the substrate is a first direction, α1 represents a linear expansion coefficient of the substrate in the first direction, α2 represents a linear expansion coefficient of the first relay substrate in the first direction, and α3 represents a linear expansion coefficient of the first package in the first direction.
Iwamoto teaches a physical quantity detection device (see Abstract; see also Fig. 1, all elements; see also claim 2), wherein the device includes a sensor package (12) connected to a relay substrate (20) which is connected to a substrate (18), and wherein α1 > α2 > α3, such that the linear expansion coefficient of the substrate 18 (α1) is larger than the linear expansion coefficient of the relay substrate 20 (α2), which is larger than the linear expansion coefficient of the sensor package 12 (α3) (see claim 2).
However, Iwamoto fails to specifically teach α1 > α2 > α3, in which a thickness direction of the substrate is a first direction, α1 represents a linear expansion coefficient of the substrate in the first direction, α2 represents a linear expansion coefficient of the first relay substrate in the first direction, and α3 represents a linear expansion coefficient of the first package in the first direction.
Furthermore, it is the view of the Examiner that before the effective filing date of the claimed invention it would not have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, to modify the teachings of Ueyanagi in view of the teachings of Iwamoto. This is because the teachings of Iwamoto are directed towards solving cracking problems due to lateral stress and thus are not directed to a relay substrate side mounted to the substrate such that the linear coefficients are as claimed relative to the thickness direction of the substrate.
This limitation critically allows for the mounting reliability of the velocity sensors to be improved when mounting to a side surface of a substrate as suggested by the Applicant (see instant Specification, para. [0058]).
Hence the best prior art or record fails to teach the invention as set forth in independent claim 1 and the examiner can find no teachings for a sensor module including the configuration and relative specific linear expansion coefficients of the package, relay substrate, and substrate as claimed, nor reasons within the cited prior art or on his own to combine the elements of these references other than the applicant's own reasoning to fully encompass the current pending claims.
Any comments considered necessary by applicant must be submitted no later than the payment of the issue fee and, to avoid processing delays, should preferably accompany the issue fee. Such submissions should be clearly labeled “Comments on Statement of Reasons for Allowance.”
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure:
Osugi et al., JP2004-163367A – Abstract; Fig. 4-10, packages 3 attached to relay substrates 7/7A mounted to side of substrates 2 as shown.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to NATHANIEL T WOODWARD whose telephone number is (571)270-0704. The examiner can normally be reached M-F: 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Laura Martin can be reached at (571) 272-2160. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/NATHANIEL T WOODWARD/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2855
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