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`UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
`United States Patent and TrademarkOffice
`Address; COMMISSIONER FOR PATENTS
`P.O. Box 1450
`Alexandria, Virginia 22313-1450
`
`16/944,276
`
`07/31/2020
`
`Yohei KOSHIO
`
`PAND.9PUSO1CON
`
`1762
`
`MARKD. SARALINO (PAN)
`RENNER, OTTO, BOISSELLE & SKLAR, LLP
`1621 EUCLID AVENUE
`ISTH FLOOR
`
`CLEVELAND, OH 44115
`
`DINH, TUAN T
`
`2848
`
`08/05/2021
`
`ELECTRONIC
`
`Please find below and/or attached an Office communication concerning this application or proceeding.
`
`The time period for reply, if any, is set in the attached communication.
`
`Notice of the Office communication was sent electronically on above-indicated "Notification Date" to the
`following e-mail address(es):
`
`ipdocket @rennerotto.com
`
`PTOL-90A (Rev. 04/07)
`
`

`

`Office Action Summary
`
`Application No.
`16/944,276
`Examiner
`TUAN T DINH
`
`Applicant(s)
`KOSHIO, Yohei
`Art Unit
`AIA (FITF) Status
`2848
`Yes
`
`-- The MAILING DATEofthis communication appears on the cover sheet with the correspondence address --
`Period for Reply
`
`A SHORTENED STATUTORY PERIOD FOR REPLYIS SET TO EXPIRE 3 MONTHS FROM THE MAILING
`DATE OF THIS COMMUNICATION.
`Extensions of time may be available underthe provisions of 37 CFR 1.136(a). In no event, however, may a reply betimely filed after SIX (6) MONTHSfrom the mailing
`date of this communication.
`If NO period for reply is specified above, the maximum statutory period will apply and will expire SIX (6) MONTHSfrom the mailing date of this communication.
`-
`- Failure to reply within the set or extended period for reply will, by statute, cause the application to become ABANDONED (35 U.S.C. § 133}.
`Any reply received by the Office later than three months after the mailing date of this communication, evenif timely filed, may reduce any earned patent term
`adjustment. See 37 CFR 1.704(b).
`
`Status
`
`
`
`1)C) Responsive to communication(s) filed on
`C) A declaration(s)/affidavit(s) under 37 CFR 1.130(b) was/werefiled on
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`2a)C) This action is FINAL. 2b)¥)This action is non-final.
`3)0) An election was madeby the applicant in responseto a restriction requirement set forth during the interview
`on
`; the restriction requirement and election have been incorporated into this action.
`4\() Since this application is in condition for allowance except for formal matters, prosecution as to the merits is
`closed in accordance with the practice under Exparte Quayle, 1935 C.D. 11, 453 O.G. 213.
`
`Disposition of Claims*
`1-9 is/are pending in the application.
`)
`Claim(s)
`5a) Of the above claim(s) ___ is/are withdrawn from consideration.
`C} Claim(s)
`is/are allowed.
`Claim(s) 1-9 is/are rejected.
`S)
`) © Claim(s)____is/are objected to.
`C] Claim(s
`are subjectto restriction and/or election requirement
`)
`S)
`* If any claims have been determined allowable, you maybeeligible to benefit from the Patent Prosecution Highway program at a
`participating intellectual property office for the corresponding application. For more information, please see
`http:/Awww.uspto.gov/patents/init_events/pph/index.jsp or send an inquiry to PPHfeedback@uspto.gov.
`
`) )
`
`Application Papers
`10)C2 The specification is objected to by the Examiner.
`11)C) The drawing(s) filed on
`is/are: a)(] accepted or b)(_) objected to by the Examiner.
`Applicant may not request that any objection to the drawing(s) be held in abeyance. See 37 CFR 1.85(a).
`Replacement drawing sheet(s) including the correction is required if the drawing(s) is objected to. See 37 CFR 1.121 (d).
`
`Priority under 35 U.S.C. § 119
`12) Acknowledgment is made of a claim for foreign priority under 35 U.S.C. § 119(a)-(d)or (f).
`Certified copies:
`cc) None ofthe:
`b)1 Some**
`a)) All
`1.4 Certified copies of the priority documents have been received.
`2.1.) Certified copies of the priority documents have been received in Application No.
`3.2.) Copies of the certified copies of the priority documents have been received in this National Stage
`application from the International Bureau (PCT Rule 17.2(a)).
`* See the attached detailed Office action for a list of the certified copies not received.
`
`Attachment(s)
`
`1)
`
`Notice of References Cited (PTO-892)
`
`Information Disclosure Statement(s) (PTO/SB/08a and/or PTO/SB/08b)
`2)
`Paper No(s)/Mail Date 07/31/20.
`U.S. Patent and Trademark Office
`
`3) (J Interview Summary (PTO-413)
`Paper No(s)/Mail Date
`(Qj Other:
`
`4)
`
`PTOL-326 (Rev. 11-13)
`
`Office Action Summary
`
`Part of Paper No./Mail Date 20210731
`
`

`

`Application/Control Number: 16/944,276
`Art Unit: 2848
`
`Page 2
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`DETAILED ACTION
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`Notice of Pre-AlA or AIA Status
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`The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined
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`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 madein this Office action:
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`A personshall be entitled to a patent unless —
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`(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 effectivefiling date of the claimed
`invention.
`
`Claim(s) 1-2, 4, and 6-9 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102a(1) as being
`
`anticipated by Koyama (U.S. 2011/0247869) submitted by the applicant, hereafter
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`Koyama.
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`As to claims 1 and 9, Koyama discloses an electronic device (para-0001)
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`comprising:
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`a circuit board (1) in which a predeterminedcircuit unit that causes heat and
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`electromagnetic noise is disposed, and whichis to be fixed to a conductive housing
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`(metal housing 17, para-0002, 0031) with a conductive screw (11-12), the circuit board
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`(1) as shownin figures 1-5 comprising:
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`an insulator layer (dielectric layer 20) including an insulating plate-shaped base
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`material;
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`

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`Application/Control Number: 16/944,276
`Art Unit: 2848
`
`Page 3
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`a conductor layer (21) that has a circuit pattern including a ground portion
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`(2), and is disposed on at least one surface of the insulator layer (20); and
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`a screw insertion hole (para-0031) that penetrates the insulator layer and the
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`ground portion, and through which the conductive screw is to be inserted, wherein
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`the groundportion (2) hasaslit (4) disposed between the screwinsertion hole
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`and the predeterminedcircuit unit (7), and
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`the ground portion has a ground bridge (23 or 24) that electrically connects (i) a
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`portion of the ground portion (2) between the slit (4) and the screw insertion hole,
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`and (ii) a portion of the ground portion between the slit (4) and the predetermined
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`circuit unit (6, 7).
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`Asto claim 2, Koyama discloses the ground bridge (23) is provided onavirtual
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`line that connects the predeterminedcircuit unit (7) and the screwinsertion hole (though
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`holes).
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`Asto claim 4, Koyama further comprising a resistor component (resistance
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`element 5) disposed on the ground bridge (23).
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`Asto claim 6, Koyama discloses the predeterminedcircuit unit (semiconductor
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`device 7) is an arithmetic processing circuit.
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`As to claim 7, Koyama discloses the predetermined circuit unit (6) is a power
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`supply circuit (external connector).
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`Asto claim 8, Koyama discloses a width of the ground bridge (23) is smaller than
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`a diameter of the screw insertion hole.
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`

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`Application/Control Number: 16/944,276
`Art Unit: 2848
`
`Page 4
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`Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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`The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 103 which forms the basis for all
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`obviousnessrejections setforth 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 3 and 5 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over
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`Koyama in view of Kaoet al. (U.S. Patent 7,898,820) hereafter Kao.
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`Asto claim 3, Koyama discloses all of the limitations of claimed invention except
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`for a plurality of the insulator layers and a plurality of the conductor layers are
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`alternately provided, and the groundbridge is provided in at least one predetermined
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`conductor layer of the plurality of the conductor layers.
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`Kao teachesa circuit board (100) as shownin figures 2-3 comprising a plurality
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`of the insulator layers (113) and a plurality of the conductor layers (111, 112) are
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`alternately provided, and the ground bridge (103) is provided in at least one
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`predetermined conductor layer of the plurality of the conductor layers.
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`It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the
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`effective filling date to have a teaching of Kao employed in the circuit board of Koyama
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`in order to provide excellent strengthen, high quality and reliable for the user.
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`As to claim 5, Koyama does notdiscloses the slit has an arc shape centered on a
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`center of the screw insertion hole (through holes), and an angular range of the arc
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`shape is set based on a conduction path for the heat from the predeterminedcircuit unit
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`

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`Application/Control Number: 16/944,276
`Art Unit: 2848
`
`Page 5
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`to the screwinsertion hole so as to block the heat from being conducted to the screw
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`insertion hole via the ground portion.
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`Kao teaches the slit (114) has an arc shape centered on a center of the screw
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`insertion hole (through holes 120), and an angular range of the arc shape is set based
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`on a conduction path for the heat from the predetermined circuit unit (see figure 2) to
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`the screw insertion hole so as to block the heat from being conducted to the screw
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`insertion hole via the ground portion.
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`It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the
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`effective filling date to have a teaching of Kao employed in the circuit board of Koyama
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`in order to provide excellent shielding structure.
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`Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the
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`examiner should be directed to TUAN T DINH whosetelephone number is (571)272-
`
`1929. The examiner can normally be reached on MON-FRI: 8AM-4:30PM.
`
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`
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`
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`
`If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner's
`
`supervisor, Timothy Dole can be reached on 571-272-2229. The fax phone number for
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`the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
`
`Information regarding the status of an application may be obtained from the
`
`Patent Application Information Retrieval (PAIR) system. Status information for
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`

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`Application/Control Number: 16/944,276
`Art Unit: 2848
`
`Page 6
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`published applications may be obtained from either Private PAIR or Public PAIR.
`
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`
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`
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`
`/TUAN T DINH/
`Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2848
`
`