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 .
Drawings
The drawings are objected to because of the following:
Figs. 1A, 1B, 3, 5A, 5B, 7A and 7B needs to be labeled as --PRIOR ART-- or --RELATED ART-- since these drawings are disclosed as merely “an acoustic system” and not an “embodiment” of the invention (see Paragraph [0088]-[0099]).
Corrected drawing sheets in compliance with 37 CFR 1.121(d) are required in reply to the Office action to avoid abandonment of the application. Any amended replacement drawing sheet should include all of the figures appearing on the immediate prior version of the sheet, even if only one figure is being amended. The figure or figure number of an amended drawing should not be labeled as “amended.” If a drawing figure is to be canceled, the appropriate figure must be removed from the replacement sheet, and where necessary, the remaining figures must be renumbered and appropriate changes made to the brief description of the several views of the drawings for consistency. Additional replacement sheets may be necessary to show the renumbering of the remaining figures. Each drawing sheet submitted after the filing date of an application must be labeled in the top margin as either “Replacement Sheet” or “New Sheet” pursuant to 37 CFR 1.121(d). If the changes are not accepted by the examiner, the applicant will be notified and informed of any required corrective action in the next Office action. The objection to the drawings will not be held in abeyance.
Specification
The disclosure is objected to because of the following informalities:
The examiner suggests updating the status (i.e. application numbers, publication number, etc.) of the cited cases recited in Paragraph [0086].
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.
Claims 1-4, 6-9 and 11-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Sugaya (US2021/0028767 A1).
In regards to claim 1, Sugaya teaches in Figs. 1-3 an acoustic wave system comprising:
A first resonator (Fig. 3: 111s) including an interdigital transducer (Fig. 3: 32-111s) electrode having a first bus bar, a first finger extending from the first bus bar, a second bus bar, and a second finger extending from the second bus bar;
A second resonator (Fig. 3: 112s); and
A conductive structure (Fig. 3: 352) including a first portion extending between the first resonator and the second resonator, and a second portion at least partially positioned over the first finger, the second portion spaced from the first finger (see Fig. 3: conductive structure 352 is positioned over the entirety of the first and second resonators, and positioned over the area between the first and second resonators, therefore, the conductive structure will comprise of a “first portion” extending between the first resonator and the second resonator, and a “second portion” at least partially positioned over the first finger, the second portion spaced from the first finger).
In regards to claim 2, based on Fig. 2, wherein the second portion of the conductive structure (352) is spaced from the first finger at least by an air gap (present but not labeled).
In regards to claim 3, based on Fig. 3, the interdigital transducer electrode (32-111s) includes a first gap region between the first bus bar and the second finger, a second gap region between the second bus bar and the first finger, and an active region between the first gap region and the second gap region, the second portion of the conductive structure (352) is at least partially positioned over the active region since the conductive structure (352) covers an entirety of the interdigital transducer electrode (32-111s).
In regards to claim 4, based on Fig. 3, the first portion of the conductive structure (352) at least partially positioned on the first bus bar since the conductive structure (352) covers an entirety of the interdigital transducer electrode (32-111s) having the first bus bar.
In regards to claim 6, based on paragraph [0041], last two lines therein, the conductive structure (352) includes aluminum.
In regards to claim 7, based on Fig. 3, the first resonator (111s) includes/part of a ladder filter (300).
In regards to claim 8, based on Fig. 3, a third resonator (32-121P) is electrically coupled to the first resonator (111s) through the conductive structure (i.e. the conductive structure 353 is located over a portion of the first and third resonators, therefore forming a parasitic capacitance between each overlap area which would create an electrical pathway between the first and third resonator through the conductive structure 353).
In regards to claim 9, based on Fig. 2, a piezoelectric layer (31), wherein the first resonator and the second resonator are positioned on the piezoelectric layer.
In regards to claim 11, based on Fig. 2, the first resonator (32-111s) is a multi-layer piezoelectric substrate (31 and 39) acoustic wave resonator.
In regards to claim 12, Sugaya teaches based on Figs. 1-2 and annotated Fig. 3 below, an acoustic wave system comprising:
An interdigital transducer electrode (Fig. 3: 32-111s) including a bus bar and a finger extending from the bus bar;
A terminal (Annotated Fig. 3: second interdigital transducer electrode 112s exterior terminal); and
A conductive structure (Fig. 3: 352) including a first portion at least partially positioned over the bus bar and a second portion at least partially positioned over the finger, the second portion spaced from the finger (based on Figs. 2 and 3, the conductive structure is spaced apparat from the interdigital transducer electrode and covers an entirety of interdigital transducer electrode 32-111s, therefore the conductive structure would be positioned over the recited “first” and “second” portion), the interdigital transducer electrode and the terminal electrically coupled by the conductive structure (i.e. the conductive structure 353 is located over a portion of the interdigital transducer electrode 32-111s and annotated terminal A, therefore forming a parasitic capacitance between each overlap area which would create an electrical pathway between the interdigital transducer electrode and the terminal through the conductive structure 353).
In regards to claim 13, based on Fig. 2, the second portion of the conductive structure (352) is spaced from the finger at least by an air gap (present but not labeled).
In regards to claim 14, based on Fig. 3, the first portion of the conductive structure (352) extends between the bus bar and the terminal, since the conductive structure (352) covers an entirety of the interdigital transducer electrode (32-111s).
In regards to claim 15, based on Fig. 2, a piezoelectric layer (31), wherein the interdigital transducer electrode and terminal are positioned on the piezoelectric layer.
In regards to claim 16, based on annotated Fig. 3, the second interdigital transducer electrode (112s) includes the terminal (Annotated Terminal A).
In regards to claim 17, based on annotated Fig. 3, the terminal (Annotated Element A) is configured to connect to another resonator/system (122p).
In regards to claim 18, based on Fig. 3, wherein the interdigital transducer electrode (32-111s) further includes a second bus bar and a second finger extending from the second bus bar, the interdigital transducer electrode includes a first gap region between the bus bar and the second finger, a second gap region between the second bus bar and the finger, and an active region between the first gap region and the second gap region, the second portion of the conductive structure (352) is at least partially positioned over the active region since the conductive structure (352) covers an entirety of the interdigital transducer electrode (32-111s).
In regards to claim 19, Sugaya teaches in Figs. 1-3 an acoustic wave system comprising:
A first interdigital transducer electrode (Fig. 3: 32-111s) including a first bus bar, a first set of fingers extending from the first bus bar, a second bus bar, and a second set of fingers extending from the second bus bar;
A second interdigital transducer electrode (Fig. 3: 32-112s); and
A conductive structure (Fig. 3: 352) including a first portion extending between the first and second interdigital transducer electrodes, and a second portion positioned at least partially over a gap region between the first bus bar and the second set of fingers (see Fig. 3: conductive structure 352 is positioned over the entirety of the first and second interdigital transducer electrodes, and positioned over the area between the first and second interdigital transducer electrodes, therefore, the conductive structure will comprise a “first portion” extending between the first and second interdigital transducer electrodes, and a “second portion” positioned at least partially over a gap region between the first bus bar and the second set of fingers).
In regards to claim 20, based on Fig. 2, the second portion and the first set of fingers are spaced apart at least by an air gap (present but not labeled).
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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 5 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Sugaya (US2021/0028767 A1) in view of Rhee et al. (US2018/0131347 A1).
As disclosed above, Sugaya teaches the claimed invention as recited in claim 1. Sugaya does not teach: in regards to claim 5, wherein the first resonator and the second resonator are spaced apart by a distance in a range between 1 micrometer and 20 micrometers.
In the same field of endeavor, Rhee et al. teaches in Fig. 1 a plurality of acoustic resonators (MR1, MR2 and M3) spaced apart from each other. Rhee et al. teaches in paragraph [0049], that a distance between adjacent resonators can be several micrometers apart.
At the time of filing, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to have modified the invention of Sugaya and set the distances between adjacent resonators (i.e. including the first and second resonators) to be in the range of several micrometers (i.e. several micrometers being in a range between 1 micrometer and 20 micrometers) because such a modification would have been an obvious design consideration to achieve a desired layout, with a distance being several micrometers being an acceptable range for acoustic wave resonators (see Rhee et al. paragraph [0049]).
Claim 10 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Sugaya (US2021/0028767 A1) in view of Hamatani et al. (US2019/0267968 A1).
As disclosed above, Sugaya teaches the claimed invention as recited in claim 1. Sugaya does not teach: in regards to claim 10, wherein the first resonator further includes a first reflector and a second reflector, the interdigital transducer electrode is positioned between the first and second reflectors.
Hamatani et al. teaches in Fig. 2 a surface acoustic wave resonator comprising an interdigital transducer electrode (23) located between first and second reflectors (25). Hamatani et al. teaches in paragraph [0055], that having the reflectors on both sides of the interdigital transducer electrode provides the benefit of improving the reflection coefficient for the resonator.
At the time of filing, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to have modified the invention of Sugaya and have added reflectors on both sides of each of the interdigital transducer electrode of Sugaya because such a modification would have provided the benefit of improving the reflection coefficient for the respective resonator as taught by Hamatani et al. (see paragraph [0055]).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Hamaoka et al. (USPAT 9,503,050 B2) teaches in Fig. 1 an acoustic wave device comprising first and second IDT resonators (13) and a conductive section (20) between the adjacent resonators. Based on Fig. 1, the conductive section comprises a protrusion (22) that is indirectly over the IDT resonators fingers.
Yamamoto et al. (US2022/0278667 A1) teaches in Figs. 1A and 1B an acoustic wave device comprising first and second IDT resonators (111 and 112) having a conductive section (72) there between. Based on Fig. 1B, the conductive section (72) has two portions (72A and 72B) in which portion (72B) is located over a busbar (82) of resonator (111).
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to JORGE L SALAZAR JR whose telephone number is (571)-272-9326. The examiner can normally be reached between 9am - 6pm Monday-Friday.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Andrea Lindgren Baltzell can be reached on 571-272-5918. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/JORGE L SALAZAR JR/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2843
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