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 .
DETAILED ACTION
Status of Application
This Office Action is a response to Applicant’s communication (or preliminary’s amendment) filed on 11/11/2024. In virtue of this communication, claims 1-11 are currently presented in the instant application.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement(s) (IDS) submitted on 11/11/2024 and 08/06/2025 in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is considered by the examiner.
If applicant is aware of any prior art or any other co-pending application not already of record, he/she is reminded of his/her duty under 37 CFR 1.97 to disclose the same.
Drawings
The drawing submitted on 11/11/2024 is accepted as part of the formal application.
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.
Claims 2, 3 and 7 are 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 pre-AIA the applicant regards as the invention.
Regarding claim 2,
The recitation “the mounting terminal” in lines 8-9 is considered indefinite because it does not have an antecedent basis. Clarification is required.
Regarding claim 3,
The recitation “each of faces” in line 2 is considered vague because it’s confusing. Clarification is required.
Regarding claim 7,
The recitation “the mounting terminal” in line 2 is considered indefinite because it does not have an antecedent basis. Clarification is required.
Claim Rejections – 35 USC § 103
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.
Claims 1-3, 7 and 10-11, as best understood, are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kudo et al (US 20120176215), hereinafter Kudo.
Regarding claim 1,
Kudo discloses an antenna device (a coil antenna 10, Fig 1) comprising:
a base (a base 14, Fig 1) having an opening (an opening OPN14C, Fig 1) and a mounting portion (a mounting section 14c, Fig 1) in the opening; and
a chip electronic component (a condenser 17, Fig 1) mounted on the mounting portion, wherein
the base has an uneven portion (a concave portion for mounting the condenser 17; paragraph [0046]) formed at an edge portion of the opening,
the uneven portion includes a recess (the concave portion provides a recess) and a protrusion (a protrusion is defined by vertical walls of the opening and a bottom wall of the opening, Fig 1), and protrudes and is recessed at the edge portion of the opening (protrudes and is recessed at the edge portion of the opening in a direction in which the condenser 17 is mounted on the mounting section 14c, Fig 1), and
the protrusion defines a mounting space for the chip electronic component (Fig 1).
Kudo does not explicitly teach the mounting portion includes at least a pair of mounting terminals for mounting the chip electronic component, the uneven portion protrudes and is recessed at the edge portion of the opening in a direction in which paired said mounting terminals are aligned, and the mounting space being defined at a position where at least a pair of terminals of the chip electronic component faces the paired mounting terminals.
However, Kudo teaches condenser 17 is mounted on the mounting portion 14c (Fig 1). Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art to consider that the mounting portion includes a pair of mounting terminals for mounting the chip electronic component, the uneven portion protrudes and is recessed at the edge portion of the opening in a direction in which paired said mounting terminals are aligned, and the mounting space being defined at a position where at least a pair of terminals of the chip electronic component faces the paired mounting terminals.
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to use a mounting portion including at least a pair of mounting terminals for mounting a chip electronic component, an uneven portion protruding and being recessed at an edge portion of an opening in a direction in which paired mounting terminals being aligned, and a mounting space being defined at a position where at least a pair of terminals of the chip electronic component facing the paired mounting terminals in Kudo, in order to provide a low-cost antenna.
[AltContent: textbox (OPN14C)][AltContent: arrow][AltContent: textbox (Kudo (US 20120176215))]
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Regarding claim 2,
Kudo as modified discloses the claimed invention, as discussed in claim 1.
Kudo does not explicitly teach the paired mounting terminals are aligned with a clearance being formed between the paired mounting terminals, and a total length of a protruding length of the protrusion from the recess into the mounting space and a longitudinal dimension of the chip electronic component is longer than a shortest length from the recess to the mounting terminal located on a distal side with respect to the clearance in the paired mounting terminals.
However, Kudo teaches condenser 17 is mounted on the mounting portion 14c (Fig 1), and in the opening OPN14C (Fig 1).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to use paired mounting terminals being aligned with a clearance being formed between the paired mounting terminals, and a total length of a protruding length of a protrusion from a recess into a mounting space and a longitudinal dimension of a chip electronic component being longer than a shortest length from the recess to a mounting terminal located on a distal side with respect to the clearance in the paired mounting terminals in Kudo as modified, in order to provide a low-cost antenna.
Regarding claim 3,
Kudo as modified discloses the claimed invention, as discussed in claim 1.
Kudo does not explicitly teach the uneven portion is provided on each of faces facing each other in the direction in which the paired mounting terminals are aligned in the edge portion of the opening.
However, Kudo teaches the concave portion (the uneven portion) serves as a condenser mounting section 14c (paragraph [0046]).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to use an uneven portion being provided on each of faces facing each other in a direction in which paired mounting terminals being aligned in an edge portion of an opening in Kudo as modified, in order to provide a low-cost antenna.
Regarding claim 7,
Kudo as modified discloses the claimed invention, as discussed in claim 1.
Kudo does not explicitly teach the protrusion is located away from the mounting terminal in a mounting direction.
However, Kudo teaches the bottom wall of the opening is the mounting portion 14c (Fig 1), and the condenser 17 is mounted in the opening.
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to use a protrusion being located away from a mounting terminal in a mounting direction in Kudo as modified, in order to provide a low-cost antenna.
Regarding claim 10,
Kudo as modified discloses the claimed invention, as discussed in claim 1.
Kudo does not explicitly teach each of the mounting terminals is a metal terminal that is insert molded on the base.
However, it’s well known in the art that a mounting terminal for an IC chip is a metal terminal and being insert molded.
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to use each of mounting terminals being a metal terminal being insert molded on a base in Kudo as modified, in order to provide a low-cost antenna.
Regarding claim 11,
Kudo as modified discloses the claimed invention, as discussed in claim 1.
Kudo does not explicitly teach each of the mounting terminals is a conductive material formed into a thin film shape on the base by printing.
However, it’s well known in the art that a mounting terminal for an IC chip is a conductive material formed into a thin film.
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to use each of mounting terminals being a conductive material formed into a thin film shape on a base by printing in Kudo as modified, in order to provide a low-cost antenna.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 4-6 and 8-9, 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.
Regarding claim 4, prior art of record or most closely prior art fails to disclose, “the protrusion is formed to have a width decreased toward a protruding side in plan view of the opening”.
Dependent claim 5 is considered to be allowable because of its/their dependency/dependencies on claim 4.
Regarding claim 6, prior art of record or most closely prior art fails to disclose, “in a virtual plane perpendicular to mounting surfaces of the mounting terminals and including the direction in which the paired mounting terminals are aligned, an upper surface of the protrusion is inclined downward so as to approach the mounting surfaces with nearness to a center of the opening”.
Regarding claim 8, prior art of record or most closely prior art fails to disclose, “a length of the protrusion is shorter than a length of each of the mounting terminals in a direction perpendicular to the direction in which the paired mounting terminals are aligned in plan view of the opening”.
Dependent claim 9 is considered to be allowable because of its/their dependency/dependencies on claim 8.
Conclusion
The Examiner has pointed out particular references contained in the prior art of record within the body of this action for the convenience of the Applicant. Although the specified citations are representative of the teachings in the art and are applied to the specific limitations within the individual claim, other passages and figures may apply.
Applicant, in preparing the response, should consider fully the entire reference aspotentially teaching all or part of the claimed invention, as well as the context of thepassage as taught by the prior art or disclosed by the Examiner.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Hai Tran whose telephone number is (571) 270-7650. The examiner can normally be reached on Monday-Friday 8:00 am-5:00 pm.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Dimary Lopez can be reached on (571) 270-7893. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/HAI V TRAN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2845