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 .
Response to Amendments
The amendment filed 03/12/2026 has been entered.
Claims 1, 4, and 13 are amended.
Claim 12 is cancelled.
Claims 2-3, 5-9, and 15-16 were previously cancelled.
Claims 1, 4, 10-11, 13-14, and 17-18 are pending.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments, see pg.65, filed 03/12/2026, with respect to Claim Objections have been fully considered and are persuasive. The previous objections have been overcome.
Applicant’s arguments, see pg. 7, filed 03/12/2026, with respect to Claim Rejections under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) and (d) have been fully considered and are persuasive. The previous 112(b) and (d) rejections have been overcome.
Applicant’s arguments, see pgs. 7-9, filed 03/12/2026, with respect to Claim Rejections under 35 U.S.C. 103 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive.
Applicant appears to argue that Chen does not teach that “uniform-amplitude signals are first imposed as a mandatory system constraint at the power splitter level” (Remarks pg. 8). Examiner respectfully disagrees and asserts that Chen explicitly teaches a four-way power divider made according the Wilkinson power divider principle “to realize the function of power equal division” ([0029]), which produces signals with uniform amplitude.
Applicant appears to argue that “Chen’s Chebyshev excitation inherently assumes per element weighting as the excitation objective itself, not as a secondary shaping stage following a constrained uniform-amplitude feed” (Remarks pg. 8). Examiner respectfully disagrees and asserts that Chen explicitly teaches that the attenuators attenuate each signal’s amplitude based on Chebyshev function excitation ([0013]; [0028]), which is a secondary amplitude shaping stage that operates on the equal outputs of the power divider to produce position-dependent non-uniform outputs.
Applicant’s arguments, see pgs. 7-9, filed 03/12/2026, regarding prior art Furuhi have been considered but are moot because the current rejections do not rely on Furuhi.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112(d)
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(d):
(d) REFERENCE IN DEPENDENT FORMS.—Subject to subsection (e), a claim in dependent form shall contain a reference to a claim previously set forth and then specify a further limitation of the subject matter claimed. A claim in dependent form shall be construed to incorporate by reference all the limitations of the claim to which it refers.
The following is a quotation of pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, fourth paragraph:
Subject to the following paragraph [i.e., the fifth paragraph of pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112], a claim in dependent form shall contain a reference to a claim previously set forth and then specify a further limitation of the subject matter claimed. A claim in dependent form shall be construed to incorporate by reference all the limitations of the claim to which it refers.
Claim 14 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(d) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, 4th paragraph, as being of improper dependent form for failing to further limit the subject matter of the claim upon which it depends, or for failing to include all the limitations of the claim upon which it depends.
Claim 14 does not further limit the subject matter of the claim(s) upon which it depends. Applicant may cancel the claim(s), amend the claim(s) to place the claim(s) in proper dependent form, rewrite the claim(s) in independent form, or present a sufficient showing that the dependent claim(s) complies with the statutory requirements.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
In the event the determination of the status of the application as subject to AIA 35 U.S.C.
102 and 103 (or as subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103) is incorrect, any correction of the
statutory basis (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) for the rejection will not be considered a
new ground of rejection if the prior art relied upon, and the rationale supporting the rejection,
would be the same under either status.
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.
Claims 1, 4, 10-11, 13-14, and 17-18 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Chen (CN 105305018 A) in view of Mizunuma (US 2021/0126341).
Regarding Claim 1, Chen discloses:
An antenna apparatus ([0012-0013]; Fig. 2), comprising:
a power splitter ([0012]: “power divider”; [0029]: “Wilkinson power divider”); and
a plurality of antenna units electrically connected to the power splitter ([0012]: “array antenna”; [0013]; Fig. 2), and each antenna unit comprises:
a power attenuator electrically connected to the power splitter, wherein the power attenuator is configured to load an algorithm to attenuate power of an input signal ([0012]: “attenuator”; [0013]; [0028]: “Chebyshev function”; Fig. 2); and
a radiation portion configured to transmit a received signal to the power attenuator and/or to receive a transmitted signal from the power attenuator ([0012]: “antenna radiating unit”; [0013]: “radiation patch”);
wherein each antenna unit further includes: a phase shifter electrically connected to the power attenuator ([0012]: “phase shifter”; Fig. 2); and
the algorithm is one of a Dolph-Chebyshev algorithm, a Taylor algorithm, and combinations thereof ([0028]: “Chebyshev function”);
wherein the radiation portion is disposed on a first dielectric substrate, the power attenuator and the phase shifter are disposed on a … dielectric substrate … ([0013]: “FR4 board”);
wherein amplitudes of signals input into each of the antenna units are the same ([0013]: “four-equal power divider”; [0029]: “Wilkinson power divider”), and amplitudes of signals output by each of the antenna units are determined according to positions of the antenna units in an antenna array, when the antenna array is arranged in a straight line, output amplitudes of antenna units located near a center of the antenna array are greater than output amplitudes of the antenna units located near two ends of the antenna array ([0028]: “linear antenna array”; “The antenna array of the present invention adopts Chebyshev function excitation.”; Examiner note: “Chebyshev function excitation” comprises higher amplitudes for central antenna elements and lower amplitudes for outer antenna elements.);
wherein the power splitter is configured to divide an input signal into a plurality of signals having a same amplitude and to input the plurality of signals having the same amplitude into the plurality of antenna units ([0013]: “The phase shifter is located between the array antenna and the power divider to shift the phase of each signal.”; [0029]);
wherein the power attenuator of each antenna unit is configured to attenuate the corresponding input signal having the same amplitude based on the algorithm so as to generate output signals having different amplitudes ([0028]: “The antenna array elements are connected with the phase shifter and the attenuator. The antenna array of the present invention adopts Chebyshev function excitation. Due to the different excitation amplitudes, the attenuator can be used to adjust the proportion of the current amplitude.”).
Chen does not explicitly teach – but Mizunuma teaches:
the power attenuator and the phase shifter are disposed on a second dielectric substrate (Mizunuma [0035]: teaching a radio frequency circuit, comprising various circuit components, disposed on the bottom portion of dielectric layer 21; Fig. 3), and a ground plate is disposed between the first dielectric substrate and the second dielectric substrate (Mizunuma [0032]: “a ground layer 26 is disposed as an inner layer included in the first dielectric layer 21”; Fig. 3 showing ground layer 26 between the upper and lower parts of dielectric substrate 21), the ground plate has a plurality of through-holes, and a number of the through-holes is the same as a number of the antenna units (Mizunuma [0037]: “Openings (not illustrated) are formed in portions of the ground layer 26 through which the first signal paths 23 pass”; [0039]: “The first signal paths 23 and the connection path 25 include a plurality of vias”; Fig. 3 showing signal paths 23 comprising vias connected from radio frequency circuit 5 to radiation elements 31).
It would have been obvious to modify Chen and dispose the power attenuator phase shifter on the second dielectric substrate, and dispose a ground plate is between the first dielectric substrate and the second dielectric substrate, the ground plate has a plurality of through-holes, and a number of the through-holes is the same as a number of the antenna units, as taught by Mizunuma. Antennas having different dielectric substrate layers is well-known in the art, and disposing antenna components on different substrate layers is beneficial for reducing interference between the antenna components (Mizunuma [0033]; [0065]). Disposing a ground plate between dielectric substrate layers is well-known in the art, and is beneficial for reducing interference between antenna components (Mizunuma [0033]; [0065]). Defining through-holes on the ground plate is well-known in the art, and is beneficial for allowing electrical connection between the dielectric substrate layers while reducing interference between antenna components (Mizunuma [0033]; [0039]).
Regarding Claim 4, Chen discloses:
An antenna apparatus ([0012-0013]; Fig. 2), comprising:
a power splitter ([0012]: “power divider”); and
a plurality of antenna units electrically connected to the power splitter ([0012]: “array antenna”; [0013]; Fig. 2), and each antenna unit includes:
a power attenuator electrically connected with the power splitter, wherein the power attenuator is configured to load an algorithm to attenuate power of an input signal ([0012]: “attenuator”; [0013]; [0028]: “Chebyshev function”; Fig. 2); and
a radiation portion configured to transmit a received signal to the power attenuator and/or to receive a transmitted signal from the power attenuator ([0012]: “antenna radiating unit”; [0013]: “radiation patch”); and
a phase shifter electrically connected to the power attenuator ([0012]: “phase shifter”; Fig. 2);
wherein the radiation portion is disposed on a first dielectric substrate, the power attenuator and the phase shifter are disposed on a … dielectric substrate … ([0013]: “FR4 board”);
wherein amplitudes of signals input into each of the antenna units are the same ([0013]: “four-equal power divider”; [0029]: “Wilkinson power divider”), and amplitudes of signals output by each of the antenna units are determined according to positions of the antenna units in an antenna array, when the antenna array is arranged in a straight line, output amplitudes of antenna units located near a center of the antenna array are greater than output amplitudes of the antenna units located near two ends of the antenna array ([0028]: “linear antenna array”; “The antenna array of the present invention adopts Chebyshev function excitation.”; Examiner note: “Chebyshev function excitation” comprises higher amplitudes for central antenna elements and lower amplitudes for outer antenna elements.);
wherein the power splitter is configured to divide an input signal into a plurality of signals having a same amplitude and to input the plurality of signals having the same amplitude into the plurality of antenna units ([0013]: “The phase shifter is located between the array antenna and the power divider to shift the phase of each signal.”; [0029]);
wherein the power attenuator of each antenna unit is configured to attenuate the corresponding input signal having the same amplitude based on the algorithm so as to generate output signals having different amplitudes ([0028]: “The antenna array elements are connected with the phase shifter and the attenuator. The antenna array of the present invention adopts Chebyshev function excitation. Due to the different excitation amplitudes, the attenuator can be used to adjust the proportion of the current amplitude.”).
Chen does not explicitly teach – but Mizunuma teaches:
the power attenuator and the phase shifter are disposed on a second dielectric substrate (Mizunuma [0035]: teaching a radio frequency circuit, comprising various circuit components, disposed on the bottom portion of dielectric layer 21; Fig. 3), and a ground plate is disposed between the first dielectric substrate and the second dielectric substrate (Mizunuma [0032]: “a ground layer 26 is disposed as an inner layer included in the first dielectric layer 21”; Fig. 3 showing ground layer 26 between the upper and lower parts of dielectric substrate 21), the ground plate has a plurality of through-holes, and a number of the through-holes is the same as a number of the antenna units (Mizunuma [0037]: “Openings (not illustrated) are formed in portions of the ground layer 26 through which the first signal paths 23 pass”; [0039]: “The first signal paths 23 and the connection path 25 include a plurality of vias”; Fig. 3 showing signal paths 23 comprising vias connected from radio frequency circuit 5 to radiation elements 31).
The rationale to modify Chen with the teachings of Mizunuma would persist from Claim 1.
Regarding Claim 10, Chen teaches: wherein the plurality of antenna units include: a first antenna unit, a second antenna unit, a third antenna unit, and a fourth antenna unit; and the first antenna unit, the second antenna unit, the third antenna unit, and the fourth antenna unit are arranged in a straight line ([0012]: “four-equal power divider”; [0028]: “linear antenna array”; Fig. 2, showing four antenna units in a straight line).
Regarding Claim 11, Chen discloses: wherein the algorithm is one of a Dolph-Chebyshev algorithm, a Taylor algorithm, and combinations thereof ([0028]: “Chebyshev function”).
Regarding Claim 13, Chen discloses:
An antenna apparatus ([0012-0013]; Fig. 2), comprising:
a power splitter ([0012]: “power divider”); and
a plurality of antenna units electrically connected to the power splitter ([0012]: “array antenna”; [0013]; Fig. 2), and each antenna unit includes:
a power attenuator electrically connected with the power splitter, wherein the power attenuator is configured to load an algorithm to attenuate power of an input signal ([0012]: “attenuator”; [0013]; [0028]: “Chebyshev function”; Fig. 2); and
a radiation portion configured to transmit a received signal to the power attenuator and/or to receive a transmitted signal from the power attenuator ([0012]: “antenna radiating unit”; [0013]: “radiation patch”); and
a phase shifter electrically connected to the power attenuator ([0012]: “phase shifter”; Fig. 2)
wherein the radiation portion is disposed on a first dielectric substrate, the power attenuator and the phase shifter are disposed on a … dielectric substrate … ([0013]: “FR4 board”);
wherein amplitudes of signals input into each of the antenna units are the same ([0013]: “four-equal power divider”; [0029]: “Wilkinson power divider”), and amplitudes of signals output by each of the antenna units are determined according to positions of the antenna units in an antenna array, when the antenna array is arranged in a straight line, output amplitudes of antenna units located near a center of the antenna array are greater than output amplitudes of the antenna units located near two ends of the antenna array ([0028]: “linear antenna array”; “The antenna array of the present invention adopts Chebyshev function excitation.”; Examiner note: “Chebyshev function excitation” comprises higher amplitudes for central antenna elements and lower amplitudes for outer antenna elements.);
wherein the power splitter is configured to divide an input signal into a plurality of signals having a same amplitude and to input the plurality of signals having the same amplitude into the plurality of antenna units ([0013]: “The phase shifter is located between the array antenna and the power divider to shift the phase of each signal.”; [0029]);
wherein the power attenuator of each antenna unit is configured to attenuate the corresponding input signal having the same amplitude based on the algorithm so as to generate output signals having different amplitudes ([0028]: “The antenna array elements are connected with the phase shifter and the attenuator. The antenna array of the present invention adopts Chebyshev function excitation. Due to the different excitation amplitudes, the attenuator can be used to adjust the proportion of the current amplitude.”).
Chen does not explicitly teach – but Mizunuma teaches:
the power attenuator and the phase shifter are disposed on a second dielectric substrate (Mizunuma [0035]: teaching a radio frequency circuit, comprising various circuit components, disposed on the bottom portion of dielectric layer 21; Fig. 3), and a ground plate is disposed between the first dielectric substrate and the second dielectric substrate (Mizunuma [0032]: “a ground layer 26 is disposed as an inner layer included in the first dielectric layer 21”; Fig. 3 showing ground layer 26 between the upper and lower parts of dielectric substrate 21), the ground plate has a plurality of through-holes, and a number of the through-holes is the same as a number of the antenna units (Mizunuma [0037]: “Openings (not illustrated) are formed in portions of the ground layer 26 through which the first signal paths 23 pass”; [0039]: “The first signal paths 23 and the connection path 25 include a plurality of vias”; Fig. 3 showing signal paths 23 comprising vias connected from radio frequency circuit 5 to radiation elements 31).
The rationale to modify Chen with the teachings of Mizunuma would persist from Claim 1.
Regarding Claim 14, Chen discloses: wherein each antenna unit further includes: a phase shifter electrically connected to the power attenuator ([0012]: “phase shifter”; Fig. 2).
Regarding Claim 17, Chen discloses: wherein the plurality of antenna units include: a first antenna unit, a second antenna unit, a third antenna unit, and a fourth antenna unit; and the first antenna unit, the second antenna unit, the third antenna unit, and the fourth antenna unit are arranged in a straight line ([0012]: “four-equal power divider”; [0028]: “linear antenna array”; Fig. 2, showing four antenna units in a straight line).
Regarding Claim 18, Chen discloses: wherein the algorithm is one of a Dolph-Chebyshev algorithm, a Taylor algorithm, and combinations thereof ([0028]: “Chebyshev function”).
Citation of Pertinent Prior Art
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
US 2020/0112099 discloses “The Chebyshev weight is characterized by a high power of a middle antenna element, and low powers of antenna elements on both sides” ([0233]).
US 9,780,448 discloses “the Taylor weighted antenna array used has elements near the center of the array that are assigned large signal amplitudes and has elements of progressively decreased amplitudes toward the edges of the array” ([col. 5, lines 4-8]).
Conclusion
Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to NOAH Y. ZHU whose telephone number is (571)270-0170. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday, 8AM-4PM.
Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, William J. Kelleher can be reached on (571) 272-7753. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/NOAH YI MIN ZHU/Examiner, Art Unit 3648
/BRADY W FRAZIER/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3648
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