Prosecution Insights
Last updated: October 01, 2026
Application No. 19/019,995

SEMICONDUCTOR STORAGE DEVICE

Non-Final OA §102§103
Filed
Jan 14, 2025
Priority
Nov 04, 2021 — JP 2021-180483 +1 more
Examiner
DINH, TUAN T
Art Unit
Tech Center
Assignee
KIOXIA Corporation
OA Round
1 (Non-Final)
79%
Grant Probability
Favorable
1-2
OA Rounds
1y 2m
Est. Remaining
99%
With Interview

Examiner Intelligence

Grants 79% — above average
79%
Career Allowance Rate
944 granted / 1198 resolved
+18.8% vs TC avg
Strong +22% interview lift
Without
With
+22.1%
Interview Lift
resolved cases with interview
Typical timeline
2y 11m
Avg Prosecution
29 currently pending
Career history
1229
Total Applications
across all art units

Statute-Specific Performance

§101
0.1%
-39.9% vs TC avg
§103
45.0%
+5.0% vs TC avg
§102
38.5%
-1.5% vs TC avg
§112
6.0%
-34.0% vs TC avg
Black line = Tech Center average estimate • Based on career data from 1198 resolved cases

Office Action

§102 §103
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 Objections Claims 26-27, 31-33, and 39-40 are objected to because of the following informalities: Regarding claims 26-27, line 2 each depended on claim 25, the phrase of “the lead wire” is lack of antecedence basis because claims 26-27 depended on claim 25, did not recited “a lead wire” but claim 23 did these limitations in line 2. Please, revise. For examination, examiner assumes that claims 26-27 would depended on claim 23 for overcome the lack of antecedence basis. Regarding claims 31-33, each line 2, the phrase of “the pair of claw portions” is lack of antecedence basis because each of the claims 31-33 depended on claim 21, did not recited “a pair of claw portions” but claim 30 did these limitations in line 3. Please, revise. For examination, examiner assumes that claims 31-33 would depended on claim 30 for overcome the lack of antecedence basis. Regarding claims 39-40, line 2 each depended on claim 35, the phrase of “the lead wire” is lack of antecedence basis because claims 39-40 depended on claim 35, did not recited “a lead wire” but claim 36 did these limitations in line 2. Please, revise. For examination, examiner assumes that claims 39-40 would depended on claim 36 for overcome the lack of antecedence basis. Appropriate correction is required. 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. Claim(s) 21-24, 26-28, and 34-40 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102a(2) as being anticipated by Ryu et al. (U.S. 2021/0345489). As to claim 21, Ryu discloses a semiconductor storage device (electronic device is SSD, para-0024+) as shown in figures 1-10 comprising: a printed circuit board (PCB, para-0023); and at least one holder (120) configured to hold a capacitor (110) at an end portion of the printed circuit board (PCB), the capacitor (110) being configured to supply power to a nonvolatile memory (para-0024, 0083, hereafter NM) and a memory controller (para-0024+) that is operatively coupled to the nonvolatile memory (24, 25), wherein the holder (120) includes: a connecting portion (121a-121c) connected to the end portion of the printed circuit board (PCB); and a pair of arm portions (SS1-SS4, and frame 122) extending from the connecting portion (121) toward an outside of the printed circuit board (PCB) and configured to sandwich a body portion of the capacitor (110) from both top and bottom sides of the printed circuit board (PCB), at least a part of one of the pair of arm portions (SS1-SS4) located above the top side of the printed circuit (PCB) board and at least a part of another of the pair of arm portions (SS1-SS4, 122) located below the bottom side of the printed circuit board, the top side being opposite side of the bottom side. As to claim 34, Ryu discloses a semiconductor storage device (ED or SSD) as shown in figures 1-10 comprising: a printed circuit board (PCB); a nonvolatile memory (para-0024, 0083) disposed on the printed circuit board; a memory controller (para-0024) disposed on the printed circuit board and configured to operatively control the nonvolatile memory; a capacitor (110) disposed on the printed circuit board and configured to supply power to the nonvolatile memory and the memory controller; and at least one holder (120) that holds the capacitor (110) at an end portion of the printed circuit board (PCB), wherein the holder includes: a connecting portion (121) connected to the end portion of the printed circuit board; and a pair of arm portions (122, SS1-SS4) extending from the connecting portion toward an outside of the printed circuit board and configured to sandwich a body portion of the capacitor (110) from both sides of the printed circuit board in a thickness direction. As to claim 22, Ryu discloses the printed circuit board includes a recess portion (RG, para-0056) located on a first side of the printed circuit board (PCB), the recess portion (RG) including a first edge portion to which the holder (120) is connected, the recess portion (RG) including a second edge portion extending from the first edge portion toward the first side, and the holder (120) is configured to hold the capacitor in the recess portion. As to claim 35, Ryu discloses the printed circuit board includes a recess portion (RG, para-0056) located on a first side of the printed circuit board (PCB), the recess portion (RG) including a first edge portion to which the holder (120) is connected, the recess portion (RG) including a second edge portion extending from the first edge portion toward the first side, and the capacitor (110) is held by the holder (120) connected to the first edge portion and is disposed in the recess portion (RG). As to claims 23, 36, Ryu discloses the capacitor (110) includes a lead wire (11a, 11b) extending along a surface of the printed circuit board (PCB) and extending from an end portion of the capacitor in an extending direction, the end portion facing the second edge portion, and the lead wire (11a, 11b) is connected to a terminal (ta, tb) disposed on the surface of the printed circuit board. As to claims 24, 37, Ryu discloses a width of the pair of arm portions (i.e. element 122 or SS1-SS4) is shorter than a length of the capacitor (110) in the extending direction. As best understood to claims 26, 39, Ryu discloses the holder (120) holds the capacitor (110) at a position where the lead wire (111a, 111b) and the terminal (Ta, Tb) are aligned in the thickness direction of the printed circuit board. As best understood to claims 27, 40, Ryu discloses the lead wire (111a, 111b) is disposed on a line passing through a center position (figure 6B) in a direction intersecting the extending direction of the capacitor (110), and the holder (120) holds the capacitor (110) in a state where the center position of the capacitor and a center position in the thickness direction of the printed circuit board are shifted from each other in the thickness direction of the printed circuit board. As to claim 28, Ryu discloses the pair of arm portions (SS1-SS4) include: a first arm portion (SS1 or SS2); and a second arm portion (SS3 or SS4) having a length different from that of the first arm portion, see figure 6B. 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(s) 25, 38 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Ryu (‘489) in view of Joo et al. (U.S. Patent 10,600,580). Regarding claims 25, 38, Ryu discloses all of the limitations of claim invention except for the at least one holder includes a plurality of the holders, and the plurality of holders are arranged in the extending direction of the capacitor and connected to the end portion of the printed circuit board. Joo teaches an apparatus as shown in figures 3-4 comprising at least one holder (20, 30) includes a plurality of the holders, and the plurality of holders (20, 30) are arranged in the extending direction of the capacitor (10) and connected to the end portion of the printed circuit board (40). It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date to have a teaching of Joo employed in the storage device of Ryu in order to provide more fastener of the capacitor mounted on the circuit board. Claim(s) 29 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Ryu (‘489) in view of Nagasawa et al. (U.S. Patent 11,785,703). Regarding claim 29, Ryu discloses all of the limitations of claim invention except for at least the arm portion of the holder is made of elastic metal, and the arm portion of the holder sandwiches the body portion of the capacitor by elastic force. Nagasawa teaches a semiconductor storage device (1) as shown in figures 2-4 comprising at least the arm portion of the holder (27) is made of elastic resin (the holder 27 includes an element 72 formed by urethane resin, column 10, lines 25-26 and the arm portion of the holder sandwiches the body portion of the capacitor by elastic force (The contact portions 111 is formed integrally with the arc portion 101 and is elastically deformable with respect to the second portion 75b. In other words, the contact portions 111 are formed in a plate spring shape with respect to the arc portion 101, see figure 9). It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date to have a teaching of Nagasawa employed in the storage device of Ryu in order to provide heat dissipation structure for the capacitor mounted on the PCB. Allowable Subject Matter Claims 30-33 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. Claims 31-33 would be allowable if rewritten to overcome the rejection(s) under Claim of Objections (the lack antecedence basis), set forth in this Office action and to include all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims. Please, change claims 31-33 each depends on claim 30 proper reading. Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to TUAN T DINH whose telephone number is (571)272-1929. The examiner can normally be reached 8am-5pm, M-F. 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, Timothy Dole can be reached at 571-272-2229. 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. /TUAN T DINH/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2847
Read full office action

Prosecution Timeline

Jan 14, 2025
Application Filed
Sep 24, 2026
Non-Final Rejection mailed — §102, §103 (current)

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Study what changed to get past this examiner. Based on 5 most recent grants.

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Prosecution Projections

1-2
Expected OA Rounds
79%
Grant Probability
99%
With Interview (+22.1%)
2y 11m (~1y 2m remaining)
Median Time to Grant
Low
PTA Risk
Based on 1198 resolved cases by this examiner. Grant probability derived from career allowance rate.

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