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.
Claim 1 is 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.
Claim 1, the claim recited “the magnetic core is positioned at a region excluding a specific region which is positioned just below the coil” is vague and unclear as it depends on how the antenna device is positioned whether the region is below the coil. Further, it appears that the feature “ is positioned at a region excluding a specific region which is positioned just below the coil” does not limit the position of the magnetic core as there always exists a region which is below the coil that does not comprise respect magnetic core. Clarification is required.
Claims 2-14 are rejected as dependent on claim 1.
Claim 10, the claim recited “vicinity” is unclear. It is not defined how far away from the edge the slit extends to qualify as being in the vicinity of the edge. Clarification is required.
Claims 11-13 are rejected as dependent on claim 10.
Claim 14, the claim recited “inner periphery” is unclear as it is no defined what exactly defined the inner periphery of a coil. Clarification is required.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
In the event the determination of the status of the application as subject to AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103 (or as subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103) is incorrect, any correction of the statutory basis (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) for the rejection will not be considered a new ground of rejection if the prior art relied upon, and the rationale supporting the rejection, would be the same under either status.
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.
Claim(s) 1-2 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Yosui (US 2014/0203991).
Claim 1, Yosui discloses an antenna device comprising a circuit board, a coil antenna and a resonance circuit (see P[0042]-[0044], [0059], Figs. 1-3, 7) wherein:
the circuit board (110, Figs. 1-3, and see P[0043]… a printed wiring substrate 110…) has a conductive portion with a flat shape (a planar conductor 111, Figs. 1-2 and see P[0042]-[0044]);
the conductive portion is formed with an opening (aperture AP, Fig. 1) and a slit SL, Fig. 1 and see P[0042]-[0044]);
the conductive portion has a first path which goes around the opening and the slit; the first path forms a part of the resonance circuit (for example, see P[0052] and Fig. 4B, current flow and encircling the opening and the slit);
the slit is coupled with the opening (see Fig. 1, AP and SL are connected);
the coil antenna (magnetic core 101 and coil conductor 102, Fig. 1) is mounted on the circuit board so that the coil antenna at least overlaps with the opening when the coil antenna is viewed along an up-down direction perpendicular to the circuit board (see P[0042]-[0045]);
the coil antenna comprises a coil (coil conductor 102) and a magnetic core (magnetic core 101);
the coil has a winding axis extending in the up-down direction; the magnetic core partially forms a magnetic path of the coil; the magnetic core is positioned at a region excluding a specific region which is positioned just below the coil (see magnetic core 101 and coil conductor 102, Fig. 1 and P[0042]-[0045]);
the magnetic core at least has a center core (in a middle of the magnetic core 101); and
the center core is at least partially positioned inside the coil (see P[0042]-[0044]… a coil conductor 102 is wound around a magnetic core 101…).
Claim 2, Yosui discloses antenna device as recited in claim 1, wherein: the circuit board has an edge; and the slit extends toward the edge (see Fig. 1, the slit SL is extended toward an edge).
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
In the event the determination of the status of the application as subject to AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103 (or as subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103) is incorrect, any correction of the statutory basis (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) for the rejection will not be considered a new ground of rejection if the prior art relied upon, and the rationale supporting the rejection, would be the same under either status.
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) 6-7 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Yosui (US 2014/0203991) in view of Lee et al. (US 2019/0372202).
Yosui discloses the invention substantially as claimed, but does not disclose wherein: the coil has a lower end in the up-down direction; and the center core extends downward in the up-down direction beyond the lower end or wherein: the coil has an upper end in the up-down direction; and the center core extends upward in the up-down direction beyond the upper end.
In the same field of endeavor, Lee discloses wherein: the coil has a lower end in the up-down direction; and the center core extends downward in the up-down direction beyond the lower end and wherein: the coil has an upper end in the up-down direction; and the center core extends upward in the up-down direction beyond the upper end (see ref. 320b, 321b, 322b, Fig. 5B and P[0072]).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill before the effective filing date of the claimed invention was made to provide the core extends downward in the up-down direction beyond the lower end of the coil and extends upward in the up-down direction beyond the upper end of the coil, as taught by Lee, in order to achieve excellent performance of the antenna.
Claim(s) 8-9 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Yosui (US 2014/0203991) in view of Hitachi Metals LTD (JP 6493801 B2).
Yosui discloses the invention substantially as claimed, but does not disclose wherein: the coil has an outer periphery; the magnetic core further has an upper portion; the upper portion extends from the center core toward the outer periphery; and the upper portion overlaps with the coil when the upper portion is viewed in the up-down direction and wherein: the magnetic core further has a side portion; the side portion is positioned outside the coil in a plane perpendicular to the up-down direction; and the side portion extends downward in the up-down direction from the upper portion.
In the same field of endeavor, Hitachi discloses wherein: the coil (coil 20, Fig. 18) has an outer periphery; the magnetic core (magnetic core 1, Fig. 18 included flanges which is shown in Fig. 9 for more detail) further has an upper portion (flange 3a, Fig. 9); the upper portion extends from the center core (body portion 5, Fig. 9) toward the outer periphery (e.g., see ref. A, Fig. 9); and the upper portion overlaps with the coil when the upper portion is viewed in the up-down direction and wherein: the magnetic core further has a side portion (ref. 8, Fig. 18); the side portion is positioned outside the coil in a plane perpendicular to the up-down direction; and the side portion extends downward in the up-down direction from the upper portion (see ref. 8, Fig. 18).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill before the effective filing date of the claimed invention was made to provide the magnetic core of Yosui with upper flange, bottom flange, and side portions, as taught by Hitachi, in order to achieve excellent magnetic properties as well as high strength and insulation, and a coil component having excellent properties can be obtained.
Claim(s) 10 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Yosui (US 2014/0203991) in view of Nakano et al. (US 2013/0307746).
Yosui discloses the invention substantially as claimed, but does not disclose wherein: the circuit board has an edge; the slit has a predetermined portion; and the predetermined portion extends along the edge in the vicinity of the edge.
In the same field of endeavor, Nakano discloses wherein: the circuit board has an edge; the slit has a predetermined portion (slit 2S, Fig. 10); and the predetermined portion extends (a segment of slit 2S which is parallel and nearest to an edge of board 2) the edge in the vicinity of the edge.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill before the effective filing date of the claimed invention was made to provide the slit of Yosui having a meandering line shape, as taught by Nakano, in order to increase the capacitance of the slit and thus provide a necessary capacitance with high accuracy.
Claim(s) 14 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Yosui (US 2014/0203991) in view TDK CORP (JPH0289698A)
Yosui discloses the invention substantially as claimed, but does not disclose wherein: the coil has an inner periphery; and S1 and S2 satisfy 1 < S2 /S1 < 2, where S1 is a cross-sectional area of the inner periphery of the coil, and S2 is an area of the opening.
In the same field of endeavor, TDK discloses an antenna device provided with: a planar conductor section (metal reinforcement plate 5, Figs. 5-6) in which an opening (hole 5a) and a slit (slit 5b) are formed; and a coil antenna comprising a coil (coil 3b) and a core (core 3a), wherein the surface area of the opening is greater than the cross-sectional area of the inner periphery of the coil to an extent that does not exceed two times the cross-sectional area of the inner periphery of the coil (see page 3, lower left column, line 6 to right column, line 10, and see Figs. 5-6).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill before the effective filing date of the claimed invention was made to provide the surface area of the opening (aperture of Yosui) is greater than the cross-sectional area of the inner periphery of the coil to an extent that does not exceed two times the cross-sectional area of the inner periphery of the coil, as taught by TDK, in order to prevent the deterioration of electromagnetic coupling characteristics.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 3-5, and 11-13 would be allowable if rewritten to overcome the rejection(s) under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), 2nd paragraph, set forth in this Office action and to include 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 ANH Q TRAN whose telephone number is (571)272-1813. The examiner can normally be reached M-F: 9AM - 5PM.
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/ANH Q TRAN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2844 1/9/26