DETAILED ACTION
1. 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
2. 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.
3. Claims 1, 2, 11 and 12 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Jiang et al. (2025/0128288) (“Jiang”).
The applied reference has a common Assignee (Qisda Corporation) and Inventor (Fu-Sheng Jiang) with the instant application. Based upon the earlier effectively filed date of the reference, it constitutes prior art under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2). This rejection under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) might be overcome by: (1) a showing under 37 CFR 1.130(a) that the subject matter disclosed in the reference was obtained directly or indirectly from the inventor or a joint inventor of this application and is thus not prior art in accordance with 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(2)(A); (2) a showing under 37 CFR 1.130(b) of a prior public disclosure under 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(2)(B) if the same invention is not being claimed; or (3) a statement pursuant to 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(2)(C) establishing that, not later than the effective filing date of the claimed invention, the subject matter disclosed in the reference and the claimed invention were either owned by the same person or subject to an obligation of assignment to the same person or subject to a joint research agreement.
Regarding claim 1, Jiang discloses an ultrasonic vibration sub-element (20’ in Fig.1 and 20 in Fig.2; please refer to the whole reference for detailed), comprising: a substrate (12 in Fig.2); a ground layer (M11; ¶ 19), disposed on the substrate (12; ¶ 17); a first insulation layer (PV1; ¶ 17), wherein the ground layer (M11 in Fig.2) is disposed between the substrate (12) and the first insulation layer (PV1); a second insulation layer (PV2), wherein the first insulation layer (PV1) is disposed between the ground layer (M11) and the second insulation layer (PV2); a first electrode layer (M21 in Figs.2 and 3; ¶ 17), configured to receive a direct current voltage (Vdc in Fig.3; ¶ 19), wherein the second insulation layer (PV2) is disposed between the first insulation layer (PV1) and the first electrode layer (M21); a third insulation layer (PV4), wherein the first electrode layer (M21) is disposed between the second insulation layer (PV2) and the third insulation layer (PV4); and a second electrode layer (M31 in Figs.2 and 3), configured to receive an alternating current signal (Vac in Fig.3; ¶ 19) and disposed between the second insulation layer (PV2) and the third insulation layer (PV4), wherein before the ultrasonic vibration sub-element is driven, there is a cavity (G1) between the first insulation layer (PV1) and the second insulation layer (PV2), wherein when the ultrasonic vibration sub-element is driven, the first electrode layer (M21 in Figs.2 and 3) receives the direct current voltage (Vdc in Fig.3) and is configured to at least drive the second insulation layer (PV2) to shrink toward the cavity (due to when DC voltage is applied to M21, which cause deflect towards the ground electrode; as an example stated in ¶ 3), and the second electrode layer (M31 in Figs.2 and 3) receives the alternating current signal (Vac in Fig.3) and is configured to at least drive the third insulation layer (PV4) to vibrate.
Regarding claim 2, Jiang discloses a fourth insulation layer (PV3), disposed between the first electrode layer (M21) and the second electrode layer (M31).
Regarding claim 11, Jiang discloses an ultrasound probe (Fig.1), comprising: an ultrasonic transducer array (20s), disposed in a housing (housing of 10 in Fig.1) and comprising a plurality of transducers (20s), wherein the transducers are arranged in an array along an arrangement direction (Fig.1), and each of the transducers comprises the ultrasonic vibration sub-elements according to claim 1; and a control circuit (40 in Fig.3), electrically connected to the ultrasonic transducer array and configured to control the ultrasonic transducer array to receive and/or send a signal (Fig.3).
Regarding claim 12, Jiang discloses each of the ultrasonic vibration sub-elements further comprises: a fourth insulation layer (PV3), disposed between the first electrode layer (M21) and the second electrode layer (M31).
4. Claims 1, 2, 11 and 12 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Jiang et al. (2025/0155562) (“Jiang562”).
The applied reference has a common Assignee (Qisda Corporation) and Inventor (Fu-Sheng Jiang) with the instant application. Based upon the earlier effectively filed date of the reference, it constitutes prior art under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2). This rejection under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) might be overcome by: (1) a showing under 37 CFR 1.130(a) that the subject matter disclosed in the reference was obtained directly or indirectly from the inventor or a joint inventor of this application and is thus not prior art in accordance with 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(2)(A); (2) a showing under 37 CFR 1.130(b) of a prior public disclosure under 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(2)(B) if the same invention is not being claimed; or (3) a statement pursuant to 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(2)(C) establishing that, not later than the effective filing date of the claimed invention, the subject matter disclosed in the reference and the claimed invention were either owned by the same person or subject to an obligation of assignment to the same person or subject to a joint research agreement.
Regarding claim 1, Jiang562 discloses an ultrasonic vibration sub-element (for example - Fig.3, also please refer to at least Fig.4; please refer to the whole reference for detailed), comprising: a substrate (12 in Fig.3); a ground layer (E1 in Figs.3 and 5; ¶ 28), disposed on the substrate (12); a first insulation layer (PV1), wherein the ground layer (E1) is disposed between the substrate (12) and the first insulation layer (PV1); a second insulation layer (PV2), wherein the first insulation layer (PV1) is disposed between the ground layer (E1) and the second insulation layer (PV2); a first electrode layer (E2 in Fig.3), configured to receive a direct current voltage (Vdc1; ¶ 29), wherein the second insulation layer (PV2) is disposed between the first insulation layer (PV1) and the first electrode layer (E2); a third insulation layer (PV4), wherein the first electrode layer (E2) is disposed between the second insulation layer (PV2) and the third insulation layer (PV4); and a second electrode layer (E3 in Fig.3), configured to receive an alternating current signal (Vac1; ¶ 29) and disposed between the second insulation layer (PV2) and the third insulation layer (PV4), wherein before the ultrasonic vibration sub-element is driven, there is a cavity (G1) between the first insulation layer (PV1) and the second insulation layer (PV2), wherein when the ultrasonic vibration sub-element is driven, the first electrode layer (E2) receives the direct current voltage (Vdc1) and is configured to at least drive the second insulation layer (PV2) to shrink toward the cavity (G1; due to when DC voltage is applied to E2, which cause deflect towards the ground electrode; as an example stated in ¶ 2), and the second electrode layer (E3) receives the alternating current signal (Vac1) and is configured to at least drive the third insulation layer (PV4) to vibrate.
Regarding claim 2, Jiang562 discloses a fourth insulation layer (PV3), disposed between the first electrode layer (E2) and the second electrode layer (E3).
Regarding claim 11, Jiang562 discloses an ultrasound probe (Fig.1), comprising: an ultrasonic transducer array (As or Bs in Figs.1, 3 and/or 4), disposed in a housing (housing of 1 in Fig.1) and comprising a plurality of transducers (As and/or Bs in Fig.1), wherein the transducers are arranged in an array along an arrangement direction (Fig.1), and each of the transducers comprises the ultrasonic vibration sub-elements according to claim 1; and a control circuit (40 in Fig.5), electrically connected to the ultrasonic transducer array and configured to control the ultrasonic transducer array to receive and/or send a signal.
Regarding claim 12, Jiang562 discloses each of the ultrasonic vibration sub-elements further comprises: a fourth insulation layer (PV3 in Fig.3), disposed between the first electrode layer (E2) and the second electrode layer (E3).
Allowable Subject Matter
5. Claims 3-10 and 13-20 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 RICHARD TAN whose telephone number is (571)270-7455. The examiner can normally be reached on M-F 8:30am-5:00pm.
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/Richard Tan/Primary Examiner 2836
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