Detailed Action
The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
Claims 1-18 of U.S. Application 18/967,528 filed on December 03, 2024 are presented for examination.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 12/03/2024 and 06/17/2025 has been considered by the examiner.
Priority
Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers submitted under 35 U.S.C. 119(a)-(d), which papers have been placed of record in the file.
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 of this title, 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.
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 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.
Claims 1-3, 5, 7, 8, 17, and 18 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Castro Serrato et al (US Pat No 10041979) in view of Huang et al (USPGPub 20070246749).
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Prior Art: Castro Serrato
Regarding claim 1, Castro Serrato discloses a power module comprising (abstract discloses measuring current flowing in a power module): a substrate (100/106) provided with a semiconductor chip (112) and a metal conductive part (102/126) through which an electric current flows (col 3 lines 42-60 discloses current flowing through 126); a sensor part (122) installed on the metal conductive part of the substrate (figs 1-4) and configured to sense the current flowing in the semiconductor chip or the metal conductive part (col 4 lines 5-19 discloses sensing current in the chip); and a part (102) configured around the sensor part by dividing the metal conductive part around the sensor part into a plurality of segments (shown in figs 1-4 as 102 is at least segmented). Castro Serrato does not fully disclose an eddy current reduction pattern part configured to reduce an eddy current.
However, Huang discloses an eddy current reduction pattern part (known as a shielding layer) configured to reduce an eddy current (par 23 discloses shielding layer reducing eddy currents). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine Castro Serrato in view of Huang in order to increase the efficiency of the power device (Huang par 23).
Regarding claim 2, Castro Serrato discloses wherein the eddy current reduction pattern part is configured such that a segment among the plurality of segments where the sensor part is provided is electrically separated from another segment among the plurality of segments (show in figs 1-3 as 101 is an isolation material that separates material).
Regarding claim 3, Castro Serrato discloses wherein the eddy current reduction pattern part is configured such that segments other than a segment where the sensor part is provided among the plurality of segments are divided into multiple segments (shown in figs 1-3 as shown in multiple segments of 102).
Regarding claim 5, Castro Serrato discloses wherein the sensor part is electrically connected to an outside through a signal pin (col 4 lines 5-20 discloses any type of sensor. Therefore, would have an output to a signal pin).
Regarding claim 7, Castro Serrato discloses wherein the sensor part is electrically connected to the signal pin through at least one of a wire bonding connection or bonding to the signal pin (col 3 lines 10-25 discloses being soldered to a die. Therefore, would be electrically connected to a signal pin through a bonding connection).
Regarding claim 8, Castro Serrato discloses wherein the substrate comprises a first substrate and a second substrate, and the sensor part is provided on either the first substrate or the second substrate and is configured to sense the current flowing in the metal conductive part of the substrate opposing each other (shown in fig 1 and col 4 lines 5-19 discloses sensing current flowing in either 126 and 112).
Regarding claim 17, Castro Serrato discloses wherein the sensor part is a Hall element that generates a voltage by using a magnetic field produced by the current flowing in the metal conductive part of the substrate (col 3 lines 55-68 discloses being a Hall element).
Regarding claim 18, Castro Serrato discloses wherein the sensor part is bonded to the substrate in a form of a bare die (col 3 lines 10-25 discloses being soldered to a die).
Claim 4 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Castro Serrato et al (US Pat No 10041979) in view of Huang et al (USPGPub 20070246749).
Regarding claim 4, Castro Serrato in view of Huang does not fully disclose wherein the eddy current reduction pattern part includes a certain range of pattern shapes around a segment among the plurality of segments where the sensor part is provided.
However, It would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was made to have Castro Serrato in view of Huang in order to effectively reduce the eddy currents based on intended need. Since it has been held where the general conditions of a claim are disclosed in the prior art, it is not inventive to change the shape of the device. In re Dailey, 357 F.2d 669, 149 USPQ 47 (CCPA 1966).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 6 and 9-16 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 6, the prior art of record taken alone or in combination fail to teach or suggest a power module comprising: wherein in the metal conductive part of the substrate, a segment among the plurality of segments provided with the sensor part and a segment among the plurality of segments for connecting the signal pin are separated by the eddy current reduction pattern part, and the sensor part is electrically connected to the segment to which the signal pin is connected in combination with the other limitations of the claim.
Regarding claim 9, the prior art of record taken alone or in combination fail to teach or suggest a power module comprising: wherein the first substrate comprises: a first insulation part; and a first metal conductive part and a second metal conductive part respectively disposed on opposite sides of the first insulation part centered on the first insulation part, whereas the second substrate comprises: a second insulation part; and a third metal conductive part and a fourth metal conductive part respectively disposed on opposite sides of the second insulation part centered on the second insulation part, and the sensor part is provided in the second metal conductive part or the third metal conductive part in combination with the other limitations of the claim.
Claims 10-6 are also objected to as it depends on claim 8.
Prior Art
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Tsuyuno et al (USPGPub 20170338176): discloses semiconductor module with sensor attached.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to DOMINIC E HAWKINS whose telephone number is (571)272-2647. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 7:30am-5:00pm EST.
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/DOMINIC E HAWKINS/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2858
