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 § 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.
Claims 1-9 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Kondo et al. (US 2022/0059752; “Kondo”; reference of record).
Regarding claim 1, Kondo teaches a method of manufacturing an oscillator (1c; figure 9) including a container (30) in which a resonator (43) is accommodated and a base substrate (10), the method comprising:
forming a first projecting portion (50) on the container (30);
forming a second projecting portion (16) on the base substrate (10); and
bonding the first projecting portion (50) and the second projecting portion (16) with a bonding material (17) interposed therebetween to mount the container (30) on the base substrate (10).
As for claim 2, Kondo teaches wherein the first projecting portion (50) is formed by applying an insulating adhesive (para. [0032]) to the container (30) and curing the insulating adhesive (inherent step in forming resin bonding member), and
the second projecting portion (16) is formed by applying an insulating adhesive (para. [0049]) to the base substrate (10) and curing the insulating adhesive (inherent step in forming resin bonding member).
As for claim 3, Kondo teaches wherein the container (30) includes a base (31) and a lid (32), and
the first projecting portion (50) is formed on the lid (32).
Regarding claim 4, Kondo teaches wherein the container (30) includes a terminal (37) formed on the base (31), and
the terminal (37) and the base substrate (10) are electrically connected to each other via a bonding wire (52).
As for claim 5, Kondo teaches wherein the second projecting portion (16) includes a plurality of projections (see plurality of bumps 16), and
the first projecting portion (50) includes a projection having a larger area in a plan view than any of the plurality of projections (16) of the second projecting portion (see dimensions in figure 9).
As for claim 6, Kondo teaches wherein the projection of the first projecting portion (50) is bonded to each of the plurality of projections of the second projecting portion (16).
Regarding claim 7, Kondo teaches wherein the projection of the first projecting portion (50) is bonded to any one of the plurality of projections of the second projecting portion (16).
As for claim 8, Kondo teaches wherein the oscillator includes an integrated circuit (41) including an oscillation circuit (61) accommodated in the container (30).
Regarding claim 9, Kondo teaches wherein the integrated circuit (41) further includes a temperature compensation circuit (62) and a temperature sensor (63).
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 10 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kondo.
Regarding claim 10, Kondo teaches the method of manufacturing an oscillator according to claim 9, as detailed above, but fails to teach wherein the oscillator further includes a heater fixed to the container.
The embodiment in figures 10-11 of Kondo includes a heater (80) fixed to container (30) that maintains the oscillator at a constant temperature to improve frequency stability of the oscillator. See paragraph [0055] of Kondo.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to add a heater to figure 9 of Kondo because such a modification would have provided the benefit of stabilizing the oscillation frequency of Kondo against temperature fluctuations.
Conclusion
The prior art references made of record and not relied upon teach oscillator manufacturing methods, comprising: forming resonators in containers including bases and lids, forming first and second projections on containers and base substrates, bonding the first and second projections together, and utilizing bonding wires, ICs, temperature compensation circuits, temperature sensors, and heaters.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to LEVI GANNON whose telephone number is (571)272-7971. The examiner can normally be reached 7:00AM-4:30PM.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Menatoallah Youssef can be reached at 571-270-3684. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/LEVI GANNON/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2836 July 10, 2026
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