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.
Claims 5-6, 9, 11-12, 16, & 18 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 applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
Claim 5 recites the limitation "an electrode finger" in lines 12 & 15. The limitation has been previously introduced in the claim and thus it is unclear if the limitation is introducing a new electrode finger or referring to the aforementioned electrode finger. Further clarification is necessary. Further, references made to the differing electrode fingers of the claim (e.g., see lines 13-14 & 18-19 disclosing “the electrode finger”) need to be distinguished to prevent any clarity deficiencies between the differing electrode fingers of the withdrawal electrode structures. For examination purposes, examiner has interpreted “an electrode finger” in line 12 to read “a second electrode finger” and “an electrode finger” in line 15 to read “a third electrode finger”.
By virtue of its dependency on claim 5, claim 6 is also rejected.
Claim 9 recites the limitation “two or more parallel-arm resonators” in line 3. The limitation, as written, is unclear as the one or more parallel-arm resonators has been previously introduced in claim 8, of which claim 9 depends upon. It is unclear if the limitation is introducing additional parallel-arm resonators in the filter or referring to the aforementioned parallel-arm resonators. Further clarification is necessary. For examination purposes, examiner has interpreted “two or more parallel-arm resonators” to read “the one or more parallel arm resonators includes at least two parallel-arm resonators”.
Claim 11 recites the limitation "an electrode finger" in lines 13 & 16. The limitation has been previously introduced in the claim and thus it is unclear if the limitation is introducing a new electrode finger or referring to the aforementioned electrode finger. Further clarification is necessary. Further, references made to the differing electrode fingers of the claim (e.g., see lines 14-15 & 19-20 disclosing “the electrode finger”) need to be distinguished to prevent any clarity deficiencies between the differing electrode fingers of the withdrawal electrode structures. For examination purposes, examiner has interpreted “an electrode finger” in line 13 to read “a second electrode finger” and “an electrode finger” in line 16 to read “a third electrode finger”.
Further, claim 11 recites the limitation “the electrode finger width” in line 21. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim. For examination purposes, examiner has interpreted “the electrode finger width” to read “an electrode finger width”.
Further, claim 11 recites the limitation “having a maximum electrode finger width” in line 20-21. The limitation renders the claim indefinite because the claim includes an unbounded range or range not actually disclosed, thereby rendering the scope of the claim unascertainable. See MPEP § 2173.05(d).
By virtue of its dependency on claim 11, claim 12 is also rejected.
Claim 16 & 18 recite the limitations “the plurality of electrode fingers” in line 2 and “the busbar electrode” in line 2. There is insufficient antecedent basis for these limitations in the claim. For examination purposes, examiner has interpreted “wherein each of the plurality of electrode fingers and the busbar electrode” to read “wherein each of the acoustic wave resonators of the first filter and the second filter has a plurality of electrode fingers and a busbar electrode”.
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.
(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.
Claims 1, 3-4, & 7 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1)/(a)(2) as being anticipated by Nosaka (US 2020/0366273 A1).
Regarding claim 1, Nosaka discloses, in figure 9 & 10, a multiplexer, comprising:
a first filter with a first pass band (Para [0072], “filter FLT21…has passband PB22”…approximately 1.428 GHz-1.462 GHz); and
a second filter with a second pass band on a higher frequency side than the first pass band (Para [0072], “FLT22…passband PB3”…approximately 1.476 GHz-1.55 GHz); wherein
the first filter and the second filter are coupled to a common terminal (FLT21 and FLT22 coupled to terminal T1);
the first filter includes two or more series-arm resonators each including an acoustic wave resonator and provided in a series-arm path coupling an input end and an output end (FLT21 includes series arm resonators sc1, s2), and one or more parallel-arm resonators each including an acoustic wave resonator and provided between the series-arm path and a ground (FLT21 includes parallel arm resonator p1 between the series arm path and ground);
a resonance band width of at least one of the two or more series-arm resonators included in the first filter is wider than the first pass band (table 5, resonance band width of series arm resonator sc1 is 43.6 MHz and s2a is 56.5 MHz, both wider than the first pass band);
a first series-arm resonator among the two or more series-arm resonators (sc1) included in the first filter is coupled closest to the common terminal among the two or more series-arm resonators and the one or more parallel-arm resonators included in the first filter (resonator sc1 is coupled closest to terminal T1); and
an anti-resonant frequency of the first series-arm resonator is lower than a high frequency end (high frequency end of the second pass band is 1.55 GHz) of the second pass band (table 5, anti-resonant frequency of sc1 is 1.483 GHz), and is lowest among anti-resonant frequencies positioned on the higher frequency side than the first pass band among anti-resonant frequencies of the two or more series-arm resonators included in the first filter (table 5, anti-resonant frequency of s2 is 1.4865 GHz, which is positioned on the higher frequency side than the first pass band and higher than the anti-resonant frequency of sc1).
Regarding claim 3, Nosaka discloses the multiplexer according to claim 1, and continues to disclose, in figure 9 & 10, wherein a resonant frequency of the first series-arm resonator is higher than a low frequency end of the first pass band (table 5, resonant frequency of resonator sc1, 1.4394 GHz, is higher than a low frequency end, 1.428 GHz, of the first pass band).
Regarding claim 4, Nosaka discloses the multiplexer according to claim 1, and continues to disclose, in figure 9 & 10, wherein the first series-arm resonator includes:
a first acoustic wave resonator (resonator s1); and
a first capacitor portion coupled to the first acoustic wave resonator in parallel (Para [0068], “capacitor Cs1 is connected in parallel with series arm resonator s1…series arm circuit sc1”).
Regarding claim 7, Nosaka discloses the multiplexer according to claim 1, and continues to disclose, in figure 9 & 10, wherein
each of the acoustic wave resonators included in the first filter includes (resonators sc1 & s2):
a piezoelectric substrate (Para [0081], “When the elastic wave resonator is a SAW resonator…a piezoelectric substrate”):
an IDT electrode on the piezoelectric substrate (Para [0081], “an insulator or a dielectric body between interdigitated electrodes and a piezoelectric substrate and changing the thickness of the first adjustment film”);
a first dielectric film between the piezoelectric substrate and the IDT electrode or on the IDT electrode (Para [0081], “first adjustment film formed of an insulator or a dielectric body between interdigitated electrodes and a piezoelectric substrate and changing the thickness of the first adjustment film”); and
the first dielectric film (Para [0081], “the fractional bandwidth decreases with a larger thickness of the first adjustment film”) of the first series-arm resonator is thickest among the two or more series-arm resonators included in the first filter (table 5, the fractional bandwidth of first resonator sc1 is smaller than the fractional bandwidth of resonator s2).
Claims 8-9 & 13 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1)/(a)(2) as being anticipated by Nosaka (US 2021/0013871 A1), Hereinafter Nos.
Regarding claim 8, Nos discloses, in figure 8 & 9, a multiplexer, comprising:
a first filter with a first pass band (Para [0058], “filter FLT2 passes a signal in passband PB2”…814 to 849 MHz); and
a second filter with a second pass band on a higher frequency side than the first pass band (Para [0057], “filter FLT1 passes a signal in passband PB1”…859 to 894 MHz); wherein
the first filter and the second filter are coupled to a common terminal (FLT1 and FLT2 coupled to common terminal Pcom);
the second filter includes two or more series-arm resonators each including an acoustic wave resonator and provided in a series-arm path coupling an input end and an output end (FLT1 including resonator s11b, s12b), and one or more parallel-arm resonators each including an acoustic wave resonator and coupled between the series-arm path and a ground (FLT1 including parallel-arm resonators p12, p13, & p14 coupled between series-arm path and ground);
a resonance band width of at least one of the two or more series-arm resonators included in the second filter is wider than the second pass band (table 1 discloses both series-arm resonators s11b, s12b with a resonance band width wider than the second pass band PB1;
a second series-arm resonator among the two or more series-arm resonators included in the second filter is coupled closest to the common terminal among the two or more series-arm resonators and the one or more parallel-arm resonators included in the second filter (resonator s11b is coupled closest to the common terminal Pcom); and
a resonant frequency of the second series-arm resonator is higher than a high frequency end of the first pass band (table 1, resonant frequency of the resonator s11b is 881.8 MHz), and is highest among resonant frequencies positioned on the higher frequency side than the first pass band among resonant frequencies of the two or more series-arm resonators included in the second filter (table 1, resonant frequency of the resonator s11b is higher than the resonant frequency of resonator s12b, both of which are positioned on the higher frequency side than the first pass band PB2).
Regarding claim 9, as best understood based on the 35 U.S.C. 112(b) rejection made above, Nos discloses the multiplexer according to claim 8, and continues to disclose, in figure 8 & 9, wherein
the second filter includes the two or more series-arm resonators and two or more parallel-arm resonators each including the acoustic wave resonator and coupled between the series-arm path and the ground (parallel resnators p12, p13, p14 coupled between series-arm path and ground);
a first parallel-arm resonator among the two or more parallel-arm resonators included in the second filter is coupled to the second series-arm resonator (resonator p12 is coupled to series-arm resonator s11b); and
a resonant frequency of the first parallel-arm resonator is lower than the high frequency end of the first pass band (table 1, resonant frequency of p12 is lower than the high frequency end of pass band PB2), and is highest among resonant frequencies positioned on a lower frequency side than the second pass band among resonant frequencies of the two or more parallel-arm resonators included in the second filter (table 1, resonant frequency of p12 is highest among the resonant frequencies of parallel-arm resonators p12, p13, p14 positioned on a lower frequency side than pass band PB1).
Regarding claim 13, Nos discloses the multiplexer according to claim 8, and continues to disclose, in figure 8 & 9, wherein
each of the acoustic wave resonators included in the first filter includes (resonators s11b & s12b):
a piezoelectric substrate (Para [0117], “When the elastic wave resonator is a SAW resonator…a piezoelectric substrate”):
an IDT electrode on the piezoelectric substrate (Para [0117], “an insulator or a dielectric body between IDT electrodes formed on a piezoelectric substrate and the piezoelectric substrate and changing the thickness of the first adjustment film”);
a first dielectric film between the piezoelectric substrate and the IDT electrode or on the IDT electrode (Para [0117], “first adjustment film formed of an insulator or a dielectric body between IDT electrodes formed on a piezoelectric substrate and the piezoelectric substrate and changing the thickness of the first adjustment film”); and
the first dielectric film (Para [0117], “the fractional bandwidth is decreased as the thickness of the first adjustment film is increased”) of the first series-arm resonator is thickest among the two or more series-arm resonators included in the first filter (table 1, the fractional bandwidth of first resonator s11b is smaller than the fractional bandwidth of resonator s12b).
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.
Claim 2 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Nosaka in view of Nos.
Regarding claim 2, Nosaka discloses the multiplexer according to claim 1, but fails to disclose the configuration of the second filter.
However, Nos discloses, in figure 8 & 9, wherein
the second filter includes two or more series-arm resonators each including an acoustic wave resonator and provided in a series-arm path coupling an input end and an output end (FLT1 including resonator s11b, s12b), and one or more parallel-arm resonators each including an acoustic wave resonator and coupled between the series-arm path and a ground (FLT1 including parallel-arm resonators p12, p13, & p14 coupled between series-arm path and ground);
a resonance band width of at least one of the two or more series-arm resonators included in the second filter is wider than the second pass band (table 1 discloses both series-arm resonators s11b, s12b with a resonance band width wider than the second pass band PB1);
a second series-arm resonator among the two or more series-arm resonators included in the second filter is coupled closest to the common terminal among the two or more series-arm resonators and the one or more parallel-arm resonators included in the second filter (resonator s11b is coupled closest to the common terminal Pcom); and
a resonant frequency of the second series-arm resonator is higher than a high frequency end of the first pass band (table 1, resonant frequency of the resonator s11b is 881.8 MHz), and is highest among resonant frequencies positioned on the higher frequency side than the first pass band among resonant frequencies of the two or more series-arm resonators included in the second filter (table 1, resonant frequency of the resonator s11b is higher than the resonant frequency of resonator s12b, both of which are positioned on the higher frequency side than the first pass band PB2).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to include the second filter configuration of Nos in the multiplexer of Nosaka, to achieve the benefit of reducing the impedance of the filter seen at its input in the passband of the filter to facilitate passage of a signal through the filter (Nos, Para [0086]).
Claims 5-6 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Nosaka in view of Takeuchi (US 2022/0123717 A1).
Regarding claim 5, as best understood based on the 35 U.S.C. 112(b) rejection made above, Nosaka discloses the multiplexer according to claim 1, and continues to disclose, in figure 9 & 10, wherein the acoustic wave resonator of the first series-arm resonator includes an IDT electrode (Para [0146], “when a SAW resonator is used as an elastic wave resonator, the elastic wave resonator has an IDT electrode composed of multiple electrode fingers formed on a piezoelectric substrate”), but fails to disclose the first series-arm resonator IDT electrode structure.
However, Takeuchi discloses, in figure 5A, 5B, & 5C, the IDT electrode includes a pair of comb-shaped electrodes each including a plurality of electrode fingers extending in a direction intersecting an acoustic wave propagation direction and being parallel to each other (Para [0083], “comb-shaped electrode 101a includes a plurality of electrode fingers 151a parallel or substantially parallel to each other…The electrode fingers 151a and 151b extend in a direction perpendicular or substantially perpendicular to the propagation direction of surface acoustic waves (X-axis direction)”), and a busbar electrode coupling one ends of the plurality of electrode fingers (Para [0083], “comb-shaped electrode 101a includes a plurality of electrode fingers 151a parallel or substantially parallel to each other and a busbar electrode 161a connecting one-side ends of the electrode fingers 151a to each other. The comb-shaped electrode 101b includes a plurality of electrode fingers 151b parallel or substantially parallel to each other and a busbar electrode 161b connecting one-side ends of the electrode fingers 151b to each other”); and
when an electrode finger (152), among the plurality of electrode fingers, not coupled to any of the busbar electrodes of the pair of comb-shaped electrodes is a floating withdrawal electrode (Para [0087], “electrode fingers 152 define a floating withdrawal electrode in which the electrode fingers 152 are not coupled to either of the busbar electrodes 161a and 161b”), a second electrode finger (252 of figure 5b), among the plurality of electrode fingers, coupled to a same busbar electrode to which the electrode fingers on both sides of the second electrode finger are coupled is a polarity-inverted withdrawal electrode (Para [0095], “electrode fingers 252 define a polarity-inverting withdrawal electrode in which the electrode fingers 252 are coupled to the same busbar electrode as the electrode fingers on both sides with respect to each electrode finger 252 of all of the electrode fingers of a pair of the comb-shaped electrodes 201a and 201b”), and a third electrode finger (352 of figure 5C), among the plurality of electrode fingers, having a maximum electrode finger width equal to about twice or more an average electrode finger width of the electrode fingers excluding the third electrode finger is a filled-in withdrawal electrode (Para [0103], “electrode fingers 352 define a filled withdrawal electrode in which the electrode finger width of the electrode fingers 352 is twice or more the average electrode finger width of the electrode fingers except the electrode fingers 352, which is the widest electrode finger width in the IDT electrode of the acoustic wave resonator 301”), the IDT electrode of the first series-arm resonator includes any of the floating withdrawal electrode, the polarity-inverted withdrawal electrode, or the filled-in withdrawal electrode (Para [0105], “in the acoustic wave filter 1 according to the present preferred embodiment, the first withdrawal electrode included in the divided resonator 11A is one withdrawal electrode selected from a floating withdrawal electrode, a polarity-inverting withdrawal electrode, and a filled withdrawal electrode”).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to include the withdrawal electrode of Takeuchi in the resonator of Nosaka, to achieve the benefit of adjusting the resonance and anti-resonance frequencies of the resonator in the filter to attain a sufficient degree of sharpness during the transition from both ends of the pass band to attenuation bands while also reducing ripples based on spurious signals caused outside the pass band (Takeuchi, Para [0111]-[0117]).
Regarding claim 6, Nosaka in view of Takeuchi disclose the multiplexer according to claim 5, and Takeuchi continues to disclose, in figure 3A, wherein each of the plurality of electrode fingers and the busbar electrode (Para [0046], “FIG. 3A illustrates an acoustic wave resonator 100 having a basic structure of the series arm resonators, parallel arm resonators, and divided resonators of the acoustic wave filter 1 or 2”) has a multilayer structure including an adhesion layer and a main electrode layer (Para [0049], “interdigital transducer (IDT) electrode 54 including the electrode fingers 150a and 150b and the busbar electrodes 160a and 160b has a layered structure of a fixing layer 540 and a main electrode layer 542”).
Claim 10 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Nos in view of Nosaka.
Regarding claim 10, Nos discloses the multiplexer according to claim 8, but fails to disclose wherein the second series-arm resonator includes:
a second acoustic wave resonator; and
a second capacitor portion coupled to the second acoustic wave resonator in parallel.
However, Nosaka discloses, in figure 9 & 10, wherein the second series-arm resonator (sc2) includes:
a second acoustic wave resonator (resonator s2); and
a second capacitor portion coupled to the second acoustic wave resonator in parallel (capacitor Cs2 coupled in parallel with resonator s2).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to include the parallel capacitor of Nosaka in the series-arm resonator of Nos, to achieve the benefit of restraining a bulk wave loss more effectively (Nosaka, Para [0090]).
Claims 11-12 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Nos in view of Takeuchi.
Regarding claim 11, as best understood based on the 35 U.S.C. 112(b) rejection made above, Nos discloses the multiplexer according to claim 8, and continues to disclose, in figure 8 & 9, wherein the acoustic wave resonator of the second series-arm resonator includes an IDT electrode (Para [0117], “the elastic wave resonator is a SAW resonator…IDT (interdigital transducer) electrodes formed on a piezoelectric substrate”), but fails to disclose the second series-arm resonator IDT electrode structure.
However, Takeuchi discloses, in figure 5A, 5B, & 5C, the IDT electrode includes a pair of comb-shaped electrodes each including a plurality of electrode fingers extending in a direction intersecting an acoustic wave propagation direction and disposed parallel to each other (Para [0083], “comb-shaped electrode 101a includes a plurality of electrode fingers 151a parallel or substantially parallel to each other…The electrode fingers 151a and 151b extend in a direction perpendicular or substantially perpendicular to the propagation direction of surface acoustic waves (X-axis direction)”), and a busbar electrode coupling one ends of the electrode fingers of the plurality of electrode fingers (Para [0083], “comb-shaped electrode 101a includes a plurality of electrode fingers 151a parallel or substantially parallel to each other and a busbar electrode 161a connecting one-side ends of the electrode fingers 151a to each other. The comb-shaped electrode 101b includes a plurality of electrode fingers 151b parallel or substantially parallel to each other and a busbar electrode 161b connecting one-side ends of the electrode fingers 151b to each other”); and
when an electrode finger (152), among the plurality of electrode fingers, not coupled to any of the busbar electrodes of the pair of comb-shaped electrodes is a floating withdrawal electrode (Para [0087], “electrode fingers 152 define a floating withdrawal electrode in which the electrode fingers 152 are not coupled to either of the busbar electrodes 161a and 161b”), a second electrode finger (252 of figure 5b), among the plurality of electrode fingers, coupled to a same busbar electrode to which the electrode fingers on both sides of the second electrode finger are coupled is a polarity-inverted withdrawal electrode (Para [0095], “electrode fingers 252 define a polarity-inverting withdrawal electrode in which the electrode fingers 252 are coupled to the same busbar electrode as the electrode fingers on both sides with respect to each electrode finger 252 of all of the electrode fingers of a pair of the comb-shaped electrodes 201a and 201b”), and a third electrode finger (352 of figure 5C), among the plurality of electrode fingers, having a maximum electrode finger width and having the electrode finger width of twice or more an average electrode finger width of the electrode fingers excluding the third electrode finger is a filled-in withdrawal electrode (Para [0103], “electrode fingers 352 define a filled withdrawal electrode in which the electrode finger width of the electrode fingers 352 is twice or more the average electrode finger width of the electrode fingers except the electrode fingers 352, which is the widest electrode finger width in the IDT electrode of the acoustic wave resonator 301”), the IDT electrode of the second series-arm resonator includes any of the floating withdrawal electrode, the polarity-inverted withdrawal electrode, or the filled-in withdrawal electrode (Para [0105], “in the acoustic wave filter 1 according to the present preferred embodiment, the first withdrawal electrode included in the divided resonator 11A is one withdrawal electrode selected from a floating withdrawal electrode, a polarity-inverting withdrawal electrode, and a filled withdrawal electrode”).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to include the withdrawal electrode of Takeuchi in the resonator of Nos, to achieve the benefit of adjusting the resonance and anti-resonance frequencies of the resonator in the filter to attain a sufficient degree of sharpness during the transition from both ends of the pass band to attenuation bands while also reducing ripples based on spurious signals caused outside the pass band (Takeuchi, Para [0111]-[0117]).
Regarding claim 12, Nos in view of Takeuchi disclose the multiplexer according to claim 11, and Takeuchi continues to disclose, in figure 3A, wherein each of the plurality of electrode fingers and the busbar electrode (Para [0046], “FIG. 3A illustrates an acoustic wave resonator 100 having a basic structure of the series arm resonators, parallel arm resonators, and divided resonators of the acoustic wave filter 1 or 2”) has a multilayer structure including an adhesion layer and a main electrode layer (Para [0049], “interdigital transducer (IDT) electrode 54 including the electrode fingers 150a and 150b and the busbar electrodes 160a and 160b has a layered structure of a fixing layer 540 and a main electrode layer 542”).
Claim 14 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Nosaka in view of Osada et al. (US 2021/0273633 A1), hereinafter Osada.
Regarding claim 14, Nosaka discloses, in figures 9 & 10, a multiplexer, comprising:
a first filter with a first pass band (Para [0072], “filter FLT21…has passband PB22”…approximately 1.428 GHz-1.462 GHz); and
a second filter with a second pass band on a higher frequency side than the first pass band (Para [0072], “FLT22…passband PB3”…approximately 1.476 GHz-1.55 GHz); wherein
the first filter and the second filter are coupled to a common terminal (FLT21 and FLT22 coupled to terminal T1);
the first filter includes two or more series-arm resonators each including an acoustic wave resonator and provided in a series-arm path coupling an input end and an output end (FLT21 includes series arm resonators sc1, s2), and one or more parallel-arm resonators each including an acoustic wave resonator and provided between the series-arm path and a ground (FLT21 includes parallel arm resonator p1 between the series arm path and ground);
each of the acoustic wave resonators of the first filter and the second filter includes an interdigital transducer (IDT) electrode (Para [0146], “when a SAW resonator is used as an elastic wave resonator, the elastic wave resonator has an IDT electrode composed of multiple electrode fingers formed on a piezoelectric substrate”);
a first series-arm resonator among the two or more series-arm resonators (sc1) included in the first filter is coupled closest to the common terminal among the two or more series-arm resonators and the one or more parallel-arm resonators included in the first filter (resonator sc1 is coupled closest to terminal T1); and
an anti-resonant frequency of the first series-arm resonator is lower than a high frequency end (high frequency end of the second pass band is 1.55 GHz) of the second pass band (table 5, anti-resonant frequency of sc1 is 1.483 GHz), and is lowest among anti-resonant frequencies positioned on the higher frequency side than the first pass band among anti-resonant frequencies of the two or more series-arm resonators included in the first filter (table 5, anti-resonant frequency of s2 is 1.4865 GHz, which is positioned on the higher frequency side than the first pass band and higher than the anti-resonant frequency of sc1), but fails to disclose the second filter includes two or more series-arm resonators each including an acoustic wave resonator and provided in a series-arm path coupling an input end and an output end, and one or more parallel-arm resonators each including an acoustic wave resonator and coupled between the series-arm path and the ground; and
an electrode finger pitch of the IDT electrode of at least one of the two or more series-arm resonators included in the first filter is smaller than an electrode finger pitch of the IDT electrode of at least one of the one or more parallel-arm resonators included in the second filter.
However, Osada discloses, in figure 14, the second filter (2) includes two or more series-arm resonators each including an acoustic wave resonator and provided in a series-arm path coupling an input end and an output end (second filter 2 includes two or more series-arm resonators S101-S105 coupling port 3 to port 5), and one or more parallel-arm resonators each including an acoustic wave resonator and coupled between the series-arm path and the ground (parallel arm resonators P101-P104 between the series-arm path and ground); and
an electrode finger pitch of the IDT electrode of at least one of the two or more series-arm resonators included in the first filter is smaller than an electrode finger pitch of the IDT electrode of at least one of the one or more parallel-arm resonators included in the second filter (Para [0010], “filter device…a first bandpass filter…and a second bandpass filter…the inductor [L] is connected in series to a common connection terminal side of the series arm resonator having a shortest electrode finger pitch of the interdigital transducer electrode”…inductor L is connected in series to series resonator S31 of the first filter 31).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to include the shortest electrode finger pitch of Osada in the series resonator of Nosaka, to achieve the benefit of reducing an effect of a response caused by a Rayleigh wave on a pass band of one of the bandpass filters connected in common without causing degradation of filter characteristics of another of the bandpass filters connected in common (Osada, Para [0011]).
Claim 15 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Nosaka in view of Osada as applied to claim 14 above, and further in view of Takamine (US 2017/0126204 A1).
Regarding claim 15, Nosaka in view of Osada disclose the multiplexer according to claim 14, but fail to disclose the continued electrode finger pitch configuration.
However, Takamine discloses, in figure 1, wherein an electrode finger pitch of the IDT electrode of at least one of the two or more series-arm resonators included in the second filter is smaller than the electrode finger pitch of the IDT electrode of at least one of the one or more parallel-arm resonators included in the second filter (table 2, IDT wavelength [directly related to the pitch, i.e., a smaller IDT wavelength results in a smaller pitch] of series resonator S2 is smaller than the IDT wavelength of parallel resonators P1-P3);
a second series-arm resonator among the two or more series-arm resonators included in the second filter is coupled closest to the common terminal among the two or more series-arm resonators and the one or more parallel-arm resonators included in the second filter (series resonator S2 is coupled closest to the common terminal 5 among the two or more series resonators S2, S1); and
an electrode finger pitch of the IDT electrode of the second series-arm resonator is smallest among electrode finger pitches of the IDT electrodes of the two or more series-arm resonators included in the second filter (table 2, IDT wavelength of resonator S2 is smallest among IDT wavelengths of the series resonators S2, S1).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to include the electrode pitch configuration of Takamine in the multiplexer of Nosaka and Osada, to achieve the benefit of sharply defining the passband of the filter while effectively attenuating signals just outside the passband (Takamine, Para [0038]).
Claim 16 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Nosaka in view of Osada as applied to claim 14 above, and further in view of Takeuchi.
Regarding claim 16, as best understood based on the 35 U.S.C. 112(b) rejection made above, Nosaka in view of Osada disclose the multiplexer according to claim 14, but fail to disclose wherein each of the acoustic wave resonators of the first filter and the second filter has a plurality of electrode fingers and a busbar electrode that has a multilayer structure including an adhesion layer and a main electrode layer.
However, Takeuchi discloses, in figure 3A, wherein each of the acoustic wave resonators of the first filter and the second filter has a plurality of electrode fingers and a busbar electrode (Para [0046], “FIG. 3A illustrates an acoustic wave resonator 100 having a basic structure of the series arm resonators, parallel arm resonators, and divided resonators of the acoustic wave filter 1 or 2”) that has a multilayer structure including an adhesion layer and a main electrode layer (Para [0049], “interdigital transducer (IDT) electrode 54 including the electrode fingers 150a and 150b and the busbar electrodes 160a and 160b has a layered structure of a fixing layer 540 and a main electrode layer 542”).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to include the multilayer structure of Takeuchi in the resonators of Nosaka and Osada, since all the claimed elements were known in the prior art and one skilled in the art could have combined the elements as claimed by known methods with no change in their respective functions, and the combination yielded nothing more than predictable results to one of ordinary skill in the art [i.e., utilizing the typical structure of an acoustic wave resonator (Takeuchi, Para [0046])]. (KSR Int'l Co. v. Teleflex Inc., 550 U.S. 398, 415‐421, 82 USPQ2d 1385).
Claim 17 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Nosaka in view of Takamine.
Regarding claim 17, Nosaka discloses, in figures 9 & 10, a multiplexer, comprising:
a first filter with a first pass band (Para [0072], “filter FLT21…has passband PB22”…approximately 1.428 GHz-1.462 GHz); and
a second filter with a second pass band on a higher frequency side than the first pass band (Para [0072], “FLT22…passband PB3”…approximately 1.476 GHz-1.55 GHz); wherein
the first filter and the second filter are coupled to a common terminal (FLT21 and FLT22 coupled to terminal T1);
the first filter includes two or more series-arm resonators each including an acoustic wave resonator and provided in a series-arm path coupling an input end and an output end (FLT21 includes series arm resonators sc1, s2), and one or more parallel-arm resonators each including an acoustic wave resonator and provided between the series-arm path and a ground (FLT21 includes parallel arm resonator p1 between the series arm path and ground);
each of the acoustic wave resonators of the first filter and the second filter includes an interdigital transducer (IDT) electrode (Para [0146], “when a SAW resonator is used as an elastic wave resonator, the elastic wave resonator has an IDT electrode composed of multiple electrode fingers formed on a piezoelectric substrate”), but fails to disclose the second filter includes two or more series-arm resonators each including an acoustic wave resonator and provided in a series-arm path coupling an input end and an output end, and one or more parallel-arm resonators each including an acoustic wave resonator and coupled between the series-arm path and the ground; and
the electrode finger pitch configuration.
However, Takamine discloses, in figure 1, the second filter includes two or more series-arm resonators each including an acoustic wave resonator and provided in a series-arm path coupling an input end and an output end (series resonators S2, S1 coupling an input and output end), and one or more parallel-arm resonators each including an acoustic wave resonator and coupled between the series-arm path and the ground (parallel resonators P3, P21, P22, P1 coupled to series-arm path and ground);
an electrode finger pitch of the IDT electrode of at least one of the two or more series-arm resonators included in the second filter is smaller than an electrode finger pitch of the IDT electrode of at least one of the one or more parallel-arm resonators included in the second filter (table 2, IDT wavelength [directly related to the pitch, i.e., a smaller IDT wavelength results in a smaller pitch] of series resonator S2 is smaller than the IDT wavelength of parallel resonators P1-P3);
a second series-arm resonator among the two or more series-arm resonators included in the second filter is coupled closest to the common terminal among the two or more series-arm resonators and the one or more parallel-arm resonators included in the second filter (series resonator S2 is coupled closest to the common terminal 5 among the two or more series resonators S2, S1); and
an electrode finger pitch of the IDT electrode of the second series-arm resonator is smallest among electrode finger pitches of the IDT electrodes of the two or more series-arm resonators included in the second filter (table 2, IDT wavelength of resonator S2 is smallest among IDT wavelengths of the series resonators S2, S1).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to include the electrode pitch configuration of Takamine in the multiplexer of Nosaka, to achieve the benefit of sharply defining the passband of the filter while effectively attenuating signals just outside the passband (Takamine, Para [0038]).
Claim 18 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Nosaka in view of Takamine as applied to claims 17 above, and further in view of Takeuchi.
Regarding claim 18, as best understood based on the 35 U.S.C. 112(b) rejection made above, Nosaka in view of Takamine disclose the multiplexer according to claim 17, but fail to disclose wherein each of the acoustic wave resonators of the first filter and the second filter has a plurality of electrode fingers and a busbar electrode that has a multilayer structure including an adhesion layer and a main electrode layer.
However, Takeuchi discloses, in figure 3A, wherein each of the acoustic wave resonators of the first filter and the second filter has a plurality of electrode fingers and a busbar electrode (Para [0046], “FIG. 3A illustrates an acoustic wave resonator 100 having a basic structure of the series arm resonators, parallel arm resonators, and divided resonators of the acoustic wave filter 1 or 2”) that has a multilayer structure including an adhesion layer and a main electrode layer (Para [0049], “interdigital transducer (IDT) electrode 54 including the electrode fingers 150a and 150b and the busbar electrodes 160a and 160b has a layered structure of a fixing layer 540 and a main electrode layer 542”).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to include the multilayer structure of Takeuchi in the resonators of Nosaka and Takamine, since all the claimed elements were known in the prior art and one skilled in the art could have combined the elements as claimed by known methods with no change in their respective functions, and the combination yielded nothing more than predictable results to one of ordinary skill in the art [i.e., utilizing the typical structure of an acoustic wave resonator (Takeuchi, Para [0046])]. (KSR Int'l Co. v. Teleflex Inc., 550 U.S. 398, 415‐421, 82 USPQ2d 1385).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Taniguchi (US 2023/0020490 A1) [discloses a multiplexer including a common terminal, first and second transmit filters, and a first receive filter connected to the common terminal and each including resonators. A resonator closest to the common terminal in the first receive filter is a series arm resonator, and a pitch ratio denoted by pS1(Rx1)/p(Tx2) is more than about 1 and less than or equal to about 1.035, where p(Tx2) denotes an electrode finger pitch of an IDT electrode in a resonator closest to the common terminal in the second transmit filter and pS1(Rx1) denotes an electrode finger pitch of an IDT electrode of the series arm resonator closest to the common terminal in the first receive filter].
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/TYLER J PERENY/ Examiner, Art Unit 2843
/ANDREA LINDGREN BALTZELL/ Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2843
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