Ex Parte Eugene Lee et al

Patent Trial and Appeal Board

Oct 31, 2017

14168720 (P.T.A.B. Oct. 31, 2017)

United States Patent and Trademark Office
UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
United States Patent and Trademark Office
Address: COMMISSIONER FOR PATENTS
P.O.Box 1450
Alexandria, Virginia 22313-1450
www.uspto.gov
APPLICATION NO. FILING DATE FIRST NAMED INVENTOR ATTORNEY DOCKET NO. CONFIRMATION NO.
14/168,720 01/30/2014 Lee Han Meng@ Eugene Lee TI-73624 2889
23494 7590 11/02/2017
TEXAS INSTRUMENTS INCORPORATED
P O BOX 655474, M/S 3999
DALLAS, TX 75265
EXAMINER
HUBER, ROBERT T
ART UNIT PAPER NUMBER
2892
NOTIFICATION DATE DELIVERY MODE
11/02/2017 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):
uspto@ti.com
PTOL-90A (Rev. 04/07)
UNITED STATES PATENT AND TRADEMARK OFFICE
BEFORE THE PATENT TRIAL
AND APPEAL BOARD
Ex parte HAN MENG@EUGENE LEE and SUEANN LIM WIE FEN
Appeal 2017-003030
Application 14/168,720
Technology Center 2800
Before BEVERLY A. FRANKLIN, MICHAEL P. COLAIANNI, and
JENNIFER R. GUPTA, Administrative Patent Judges.
PER CURIAM.
DECISION ON APPEAL
Appellant1 requests our review under 35 U.S.C. § 134 of the
Examiner’s decision rejecting claims 1—5 and 8—15.2 We have jurisdiction
over the appeal under 35 U.S.C. § 6(b).
1 Appellant is the Applicant, Texas Instruments Incorporated, which
according to the Appeal Brief, is the real party in interest. Br. 3.
2 Claims 6 and 7 are withdrawn by the Examiner from further consideration
pursuant to 37 C.F.R. § 1.142(b) as being drawn to a non-elected invention.
Final Act. 2.
Appeal 2017-003030
Application 14/168,720
STATEMENT OF THE CASE
Claim 1 is illustrative of Appellant’s subject matter on appeal and is
set forth below:
1. A leadffame comprising:
a frame;
an assembly pad having rectangular sides, the pad extending, on one
pad side, into a lead and, on the opposite pad side, into a plurality of
stabilizing straps oriented normal to the side and anchored in adjacent tie
bars, wherein the plurality of stabilizing straps with a plurality of sides
having recesses therein suitable for interlocking with packaging materials,
wherein the straps do not continue to the frame; and
a plurality of leads parallel to and alternating with the straps, the
plurality of leads continuing to the frame.
The Examiner relies on the following prior art references as evidence
of unpatentability:
Choi US 7,968,998 B1 Jun. 28,2011
Ito US 2009/0032917 A1 Feb. 5,2009
2
Appeal 2017-003030
Application 14/168,720
THE REJECTIONS
1. Claims 5 and 12—15 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. § 112(b), second
paragraph.3
2. Claims 1—5 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. § 102(a)(1) as anticipated
by Choi.
3. Claims 5 and 8—15 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. § 103 as being
unpatentable over Choi in view of Ito.
ANALYSIS
We sustain the above rejections based on the findings of fact,
conclusions of law, and rebuttals to arguments expressed by the Examiner in
the Answer.
The decision of the Examiner is affirmed.
No time period for taking any subsequent action in connection with
this appeal may be extended under 37 C.F.R. § 1.136(a).
ORDER
AFFIRMED
3 As pointed out by the Examiner on page 2 of the Answer, Appellant does
not traverse this rejection in the Appeal Brief, and thus it is summarily
affirmed.
3