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 .
Prior Art of Record
The applicant's attention is directed to additional pertinent prior art cited in the accompanying PTO-892 Notice of References Cited, which, however, may not be currently applied as a basis for the following rejections. While these references were considered during the examination of this application and are deemed relevant to the claimed subject matter, they are not presently being applied as a basis for rejection in this Office action. The pertinence of these documents, however, may be revisited, and they may be applied in subsequent Office actions, particularly in light of any amendments or further clarification of the claimed invention.
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, 4-18 and 20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Fuergut et al. (US 12094793 B2).
CLAIM 1. Fuergut teaches an electronic device comprising:
a body having a first side opposite and spaced apart from a second side, the body including third and fourth sides extending between the first and second sides and further including a top surface that extends between the first, second, third, and fourth sides, and wherein a central axis extends from the first side to the second side (Figs. 4–8, 26; Col. 14, lines 10–67 – Fuergut discloses mold package body 100/114 having opposite sides, extending side walls 144/150, top main face 184, and a longitudinal central axis extending therethrough.);
wherein each of the third and fourth sides have a plurality of first extending portions and a plurality of second extending portions, each first extending portion extending a first distance from the central axis and each second extending portion extending a second distance from the central axis, wherein the first distance is greater than the second distance (Figs. 4–8, 26–29; Col. 15, lines 1–34 – Fuergut discloses package side walls 144/150 having extending side projections and notched indentations/recesses providing stepped lateral distances from the package axis.);
wherein the body defines first and second grooves disposed in the top surface that each extend between the first and second sides, the first and second grooves each having a groove base surface that is recessed from the top surface (Figs. 4–8, 26; Col. 14, lines 10–25 – Fuergut discloses steps/grooves 130 and 132 formed in upper main face 184.);
wherein the top surface defines a base plate aperture; and a base plate positioned within the base plate aperture; and wherein the first groove is positioned between the third side and the base plate aperture and wherein the second groove is positioned between the fourth side and the base plate aperture (Figs. 4–8, 26; Col. 14, lines 10–56– Fuergut discloses step/groove 130 between side wall 144 and carrier 106, and step/groove 132 between side wall 150 and carrier 106.).
CLAIM 2. Fuergut teaches the electronic device of claim 1, wherein the base plate is coplanar with the top surface or extends above the top surface (Fig. 21; Col. 14, lines 47–60 – Fuergut discloses carrier 106 positioned coplanar with or extending above top surface 184.).
CLAIM 4. Fuergut teaches the electronic device of claim 1, wherein the body further includes a bottom surface positioned opposite the top surface, wherein the body has a first thickness defined between the top and the bottom surface and wherein the first and second extending portions have a second thickness that is less than the first thickness (Figs. 26–29; Col. 15, lines 1–34 – Fuergut discloses lead exit shoulders/extending portions having reduced thickness compared to total package thickness.).
CLAIM 5. Fuergut teaches the electronic device of claim 1, wherein the second extending portions of the plurality of second extending portions disposed on the third side are directly opposite the first extending portions of the plurality of first extending portions disposed on the fourth side (Figs. 26–29; Col. 15, lines 10–34 – Fuergut discloses second extending portions (notched sections) on side 144 positioned directly opposite first extending portions.).
CLAIM 6. Fuergut teaches the electronic device of claim 1, wherein the body defines a plurality of recesses, wherein a respective recess is defined between each respective first extending portion and each adjacent respective second extending portion (Fig – Fuergut discloses a plurality of recesses defined between adjacent first and second extending portions along side walls 144/150.).
CLAIM 7. Fuergut teaches the electronic device of claim 6, wherein each recess of the plurality of recesses has a recessed surface positioned a third distance from the central axis and wherein the second distance is greater than the third distance (Figs. 4–8, 26; Col. 14, line 60 to Col. 15, line 34 – Fuergut discloses recessed surfaces of the notches positioned at a smaller distance from the central axis than the second extending portions.).
CLAIM 8. Fuergut teaches the electronic device of claim 6, wherein the first extending portions, the second extending portions, and the plurality of recesses have coplanar surfaces that are recessed from the top surface (Figs. 4–8, 26; Col. 14, lines 44–67 – Fuergut discloses extending portions and recesses having coplanar surfaces recessed relative to top surface 184.).
CLAIM 9. Fuergut teaches the electronic device of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of first extending portions include a first set of electrical pins and each of the plurality of second extending portions include a second set of electrical pins (Figs. 4–8, 26; Col. 14, line 60 to Col. 15, line 34 – Fuergut discloses first lead group 138 extending from first extending portions and second lead group 140 extending from second extending portions.).
CLAIM 10. Fuergut teaches an electronic device comprising: a body having a first side opposite and spaced apart from a second side, the body including third and fourth sides extending between the first and second sides wherein a central axis extends from the first side to the second side (Figs. 4–8, 26; Col. 14, line 44 to Col. 15, line 34); and
wherein each of the third and fourth sides have a plurality of first extending portions and a plurality of second extending portions, each first extending portion extending a first distance from the central axis and each second extending portion extending a second distance from the central axis, wherein the first distance is greater than the second distance (Figs. 4–8, 26; Col. 14, line 44 to Col. 15, line 34 – The structure as set forth above in Claim 1 regarding the body, first/second/third/fourth sides, central axis, and first/second extending portions.).
CLAIM 11. Fuergut teaches the electronic device of claim 10, wherein the body includes a top surface that extends between the first, second, third, and fourth sides, and wherein the top surface defines a base plate aperture, the electronic device further comprising a base plate positioned within the base plate aperture, wherein the base plate is coplanar with the top surface or extends above the top surface (Fig. 21; Col. 14, lines 47–60 – Fuergut discloses carrier 106 positioned coplanar with or extending above top surface 184.).
CLAIM 12. Fuergut teaches the electronic device of claim 10, wherein the second extending portions of the plurality of second extending portions disposed on the third side are directly opposite the first extending portions of the plurality of first extending portions disposed on the fourth side (Figs. 26–29; Col. 15, lines 10–34 – Fuergut discloses second extending portions (notched sections) on side 144 positioned directly opposite first extending portions.).
CLAIM 13. Fuergut teaches the electronic device of claim 10, wherein the body includes a top surface that extends between the first, second, third, and fourth sides, the body further defining a plurality of recesses, wherein a respective recess is defined between each respective first extending portion of the plurality of first extending portions and each respective adjacent second extending portion of the plurality of second extending portions (Figs. 4–8, 26; Col. 14, line 60 to Col. 15, line 34 – Fuergut discloses a plurality of recesses defined between adjacent first and second extending portions along side walls 144/150.).
CLAIM 14. Fuergut teaches the electronic device of claim 13, wherein each recess of the plurality of recesses has a recessed surface positioned a third distance from the central axis and wherein the second distance is greater than the third distance (Figs. 26–29; Col. 15, lines 1–34 – Fuergut discloses recessed surfaces of the notches positioned at a smaller distance from the central axis than the second extending portions.).
CLAIM 15. Fuergut teaches the electronic device of claim 13, wherein the plurality of first extending portions, the plurality of second extending portions, and the plurality of recesses have coplanar surfaces that are recessed from the top surface (Figs. 4–8, 26; Col. 14, lines 44–67 – Fuergut discloses extending portions and recesses having coplanar surfaces recessed relative to top surface 184.).
CLAIM 16. Fuergut teaches the electronic device of claim 10, wherein each of the plurality of first extending portions include a first set of electrical pins and each of the plurality of second extending portions include a second set of electrical pins (Figs. 4–8, 26; Col. 14, line 60 to Col. 15, line 34 – Fuergut discloses first lead group 138 extending from first extending portions and second lead group 140 extending from second extending portions.).
CLAIM 17. Fuergut teaches an electronic device comprising:
a body having a first side opposite and spaced apart from a second side, the body including third and fourth sides extending between the first and second sides and further including a top surface extend between the first, second, third, and fourth sides, and wherein a central axis extends from the first side to the second side (Figs. 4–8, 26; Col. 14, lines 10–67 – Fuergut discloses mold package body 100/114 having opposite sides, extending side walls 144/150, top main face 184, and a longitudinal central axis extending therethrough.);
wherein the body defines first and second grooves along the top surface that each extend between the first and second sides, the first and second grooves each having a groove base surface that is recessed from the top surface; wherein the top surface defines a base plate aperture (Figs. 4–8, 26; Col. 14, lines 10–56– Fuergut discloses step/groove 130 between side wall 144 and carrier 106, and step/groove 132 between side wall 150 and carrier 106.); and
a base plate positioned within the base plate aperture; and wherein the first groove is positioned between the third side and the base plate aperture and wherein the second groove is positioned between the fourth side and the base plate aperture ((Figs. 4–8, 26; Col. 14, lines 10–56– Fuergut discloses step/groove 130 between side wall 144 and carrier 106, and step/groove 132 between side wall 150 and carrier 106.).
CLAIM 18. Fuergut teaches the electronic device of claim 17, wherein the base plate is coplanar with the top surface or extends above the top surface (Fig. 21; Col. 14, lines 47–60 – Fuergut discloses carrier 106 positioned coplanar with or extending above top surface 184.).
CLAIM 20. Fuergut teaches the electronic device of claim 17, wherein the body includes a plurality of electrical pins (Figs. 4–8, 26; Col. 14, lines 60–67 – Fuergut discloses lead terminals/pins 138, 140 extending from package body 100/114.).
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) 3 and 19 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Fuegut et al. (US 12094793 B2)
CLAIM 3. Fuergut teaches the electronic device of claim 1, further comprising a heatsink attached to the top surface and thermally coupled to the base plate (Figs. 3, 9; Col. 14, lines 52–56 – Fuergut discloses attaching heatsink 104 via thermal interface layer 154/182 to exposed carrier plate 106. To the extent the structure of Fig. 26 is considered a distinct embodiment, it would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art to mount heatsink 104 to exposed carrier 106 of Fig. 26 to achieve thermal dissipation as taught in Col. 14, lines 52–56.).
CLAIM 19. Fuergut teaches the electronic device of claim 17, further comprising a heatsink attached to the top surface and thermally coupled to the base plate (Figs. 3, 9, 26; Col. 14, lines 52–56 – Fuergut discloses attaching heatsink 104 via thermal interface layer 154/182 to exposed carrier plate 106. To the extent the structure of Fig. 26 is considered a distinct embodiment, it would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art to mount heatsink 104 to exposed carrier 106 of Fig. 26 to achieve thermal dissipation as taught in Col. 14, lines 52–56..).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to JARRETT J STARK whose telephone number is (571)272-6005. The examiner can normally be reached 8-4 M-F.
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JARRETT J. STARK
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 2822
9/15/2026
/JARRETT J STARK/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2898
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