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 2-8 and 13 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.
Regarding claim 2, the recitation “a first ground electrode disposed between the resin material substrate and the support substrate” conflicts with the recitation in claim 1 that states “the resin material substrate and the support substrate are directly jointed to each other”.
Claims 3-8 are rejected as including the indefiniteness of claim 2.
Similar rejection is applied for claim 13.
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) 1-12 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Han (US 20130088396) or Miyazato et al. (20100245155), being unpatentable over Han (US 20130088396) in view of Miyazato et al. (20100245155).
As to claim 1, Han’s figure 1C or Miyazato et al.’s figure 10 shows a waveguide device configured to guide an electromagnetic wave having a frequency of 30 GHz or more and 20 THz or less (the device is capable of operating within the claimed frequency, see Han’s ¶0009 or Miyazato et al.’s ¶0113. Selecting the operating frequency range as claimed is seen as an obvious design preference to ensure optimum performance), the waveguide device comprising: a first dielectric Han’s 1a or Miyazato et al.’s 31, wherein the first dielectric 1a is a resin material substrate (Miyazato et al.’s ¶0103 defines Fr4 is a resin material, and Han’s 0017 also teaches that layer 1a may be FR4); a conductor layer (Han’s 5a or Miyazato et al.’s 11) disposed on the resin material substrate; and a support substrate (one of Han’s 1b-1e or Miyazato et al.’s 32-34) disposed on a side opposite from the conductor layer with respect to the resin material substrate, wherein the resin material substrate and the support substrate are directly joined to each other (at area below the labeled 5a in Han’s figure 1C or area under Miyazato et al.’s 221, 231).
As to claim 2, Han’s figure 1C or Miyazato et al.’s figure 10 shows a first ground electrode (Han’s 5c, ¶0054 or Miyazato et al.’s 12) disposed between the resin material substrate and the support substrate (at area surrounding the labeled 5c in Han’s figure or areas under Miyazato et al.’s 11, 211, 221 and 231).
As to claim 3, Han’s figure 1C or Miyazato et al.’s figure 10 shows that the first ground electrode (Han’s 5c or Miyazato et al.’s 12) is in direct contact with the resin material substrate and the support substrate and joins the resin material substrate and the support substrate to each other.
As to claim 4, Han’s figure 1C or Miyazato et al.’s figure 10 shows that the first ground electrode is in direct contact with the resin material substrate (Han’s 1a or Miyazato et al.’s 31), and the waveguide device further comprises a joining portion (Han’s 1b or Miyazato et al.’s 32 when Han’s 1c or Miyazato et al.’s 33 is considered as the claimed support substrate ) that joins the first ground electrode and the support substrate to each other (area under Miyazato’s 12).
As to claim 5, Miyazato et al.’s figure 10 shows that the first ground electrode ( Miyazato et al.’s 222) is in direct contact with the support substrate (Miyazato’s 33 equivalents to Han’s layer 1c), and the waveguide device further comprises a joining portion (Miyazato et al.’s 32 which equivalents to Han’s 1b) that joins the resin material substrate (31) and the first ground electrode (222) to each other. Furthermore, it would have been obvious to use Miyazato et al.’s stairs like shape ground electrode for Han’s via 4 connected between 5c and 3 for the purpose of improving the device operating frequency.
As to claim 6, Han’s figure 1C or Miyazato et al.’s figure 10 shows that the conductor layer includes: a signal electrode which forms a transmission line configured to propagate the electromagnetic wave; and a second ground electrode (Han’s 5b, figure 1B) disposed at a distance from the signal electrode.
As to claim 7, Han’s figure 1C or Miyazato et al.’s figure 10 shows a third ground electrode (Han’s 3) positioned on a side opposite from the first ground electrode with respect to the support substrate; a first via (one or more of vias 4 in figure 1B) which electrically connects the second ground electrode and the third ground electrode, and which is electrically connected to the first ground electrode; and a second via (another one or more of vias 4) which electrically connects the first ground electrode and the second ground electrode, wherein the first via includes a plurality of first vias, and wherein the second via is arranged between two first vias adjacent to each other out of the plurality of first vias (figure 1B).
As to claim 8, Han’s figure 1C or Miyazato et al.’s figure 10 a third ground electrode (Han’s 3) positioned on a side opposite from the first ground electrode with respect to the support substrate; and a plurality of through-substrate vias (4) for electrically connecting the first ground electrode and the third ground electrode, wherein the first ground electrode, the third ground electrode, and the plurality of through-substrate vias form a substrate-integrated waveguide configured to propagate the electromagnetic wave.
As to claims 9-12, selecting the thickness for the resin material substrate as claimed is seen as an obvious design preference to ensure optimum performance, MPEP 2144.05.
Claim(s) 1 and 13 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Makita (US 20110042672).
Insofar as understood, Makita’s figure 1 shows a waveguide device configured to guide an electromagnetic wave having a frequency of 30 GHz or more and 20 THz or less (the device is capable of operating within the claimed frequency, see ¶0080. Selecting the operating frequency range as claimed is seen as an obvious design preference to ensure optimum performance), the waveguide device comprising: a resin material substrate (30, ¶0081); a conductor layer (42 and 44a-44b) disposed on the resin material substrate; and a support substrate (20) disposed on a side opposite from the conductor layer with respect to the resin material substrate, wherein the resin material substrate and the support substrate are directly joined to each other; a joining portion (22) disposed between the resin material substrate and the support substrate, wherein the joining portion is a SiO2 layer, an amorphous silicon layer, or a tantalum oxide layer (¶0030).
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ANH-QUAN TRA whose telephone number is (571)272-1755. The examiner can normally be reached Mon-Fri from 8:00 A.M.-5:00 P.M.
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/QUAN TRA/
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 2843
Prosecution Insights