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 § 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.
Claim(s) 1-2, 12, 14 and 19 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Usuki et al., JP 2005285558.
Regarding claim 1, Usuki discloses (fig. 1 and related text) a MEMS element comprising: a piezoelectric element (fig. 1) including a piezoelectric membrane (102) having a ferroelectric (102 can be PZT, lead lanthanum titanate, hence ferroelectric) and configured to vibrate (resonance characteristics) based on an application of a voltage (refer to the description of fig. 3); and a diode portion (11) electrically connected in parallel (refer to [1-2] and the equivalent circuit of fig. 2) to the piezoelectric element and including a diode (111).
Regarding claim 2, Usuki discloses the piezoelectric element and the diode portion are formed on a single semiconductor substrate (14, silicon).
Regarding claim 12, Usuki discloses a piezoelectric acoustic device (fig. 1 description) comprising: a MEMS element comprising: a piezoelectric element including a piezoelectric membrane (102) including a ferroelectric (102 can be PZT, lead lanthanum titanate, hence ferroelectric) and configured to vibrate based on an application of a voltage (resonance characteristics); and a diode portion (11) electrically connected in parallel (refer to [1-2] and the equivalent circuit of fig. 2) to the piezoelectric element and including a diode (111).
Regarding claim 14, Usuki discloses the piezoelectric acoustic device includes a MEMS speaker (acoustic device includes speaker).
Regarding claim 19, Usuki discloses a method of manufacturing a MEMS element comprising: providing a piezoelectric element including a piezoelectric membrane (102) including a ferroelectric (102 can be PZT, lead lanthanum titanate, hence ferroelectric) and configured to vibrate based on an application of a voltage; and electrically connecting a diode portion in parallel to the piezoelectric element and including a diode.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 3-11, 13, 15-18 and 20 are objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including 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 SAMUEL A GEBREMARIAM whose telephone number is (571)272-1653. The examiner can normally be reached 8:30-4PM.
Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Lynne Gurley can be reached at 571-272-1670. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
Information regarding the status of published or unpublished applications may be obtained from Patent Center. Unpublished application information in Patent Center is available to registered users. To file and manage patent submissions in Patent Center, visit: https://patentcenter.uspto.gov. Visit https://www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/patent-center for more information about Patent Center and https://www.uspto.gov/patents/docx for information about filing in DOCX format. For additional questions, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000.
/SAMUEL A GEBREMARIAM/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2811
Prosecution Insights