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 .
Continued Examination Under 37 CFR 1.114
A request for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, including the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e), was filed in this application after final rejection. Since this application is eligible for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114. Applicant's submission filed on 08/11/2026 has been entered.
Acknowledgment
This Office Action is responsive to the Amendment filed on 07/07/2026. Accordingly, claims 20-21 have been withdrawn from consideration, claim 29 has been cancelled and claims 1-19 and 22-28 and 30-36 are pending in the instant application.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claims 30-31 and 33 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor, or for pre-AIA the applicant regards as the invention.
The recitation of “comprising a link antenna arrangement” recited in claim 30 is confusing because it is unclear of how the “link antenna arrangement” is related to other elements or arrangement.
Similar problem exists for the recitation of “comprises at least one reflector between a link antenna arrangement and the DUT” recited in claim 33. Moreover, the recitation of “the DUT” lacks antecedent basis.
Dependent claim 31 is also rejected because of its dependency (directly or indirectly) from claim 30.
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 23-28, 30 and 33 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Kyrolainen et al (US 2018/0212695; newly cited art).
Regarding independent claim 23, Kyrolainen teaches a device comprising: an interface configured for exchanging a wired signal and an antenna arrangement; and wherein the device is configured for providing the wired signal based on a wireless signal received with the antenna arrangement and for RX-beamforming for receiving the wireless signal; and/or for providing the wired signal to the antenna arrangement for a transmission based on the wired signal received with the interface and wherein the device is configured for TX-beamforming for transmitting the wireless signal. See figs. 1-3, [0042], [0045], [0051], [0055] and [0069] and claim 1.
Regarding dependent claim 24, Kyrolainen further teaches wherein the device is configured for executing a control command to either use the antenna arrangement in a reception mode, in a transmission mode or in a full-duplex mode. See figs. 1-3, [0042], [0045], [0051], [0055] and [0069] and claim 1.
Regarding dependent claim 25, Kyrolainen further teaches wherein the device comprises an array unit configured for controlling the antenna arrangement; wherein the device is configured for controlling the array unit so as to variably generate different beam patterns. See figs. 1-3, [0042], [0045], [0051], [0055] and [0069] and claim 1.
Regarding dependent claim 26, Kyrolainen further teaches wherein the plurality of antenna elements comprises similar antenna characteristics when receiving the wireless signal and when transmitting the wireless signal; wherein the antenna elements deviate from a same characteristic by a metric. See figs. 1-3, [0042], [0045], [0051], [0055] and [0069] and claim 1.
Regarding dependent claim 27, Kyrolainen further teaches comprising a plurality of devices according to claim 23. See figs. 1-3, [0042], [0045], [0051], [0055] and [0069] and claim 1.
Regarding dependent claim 28, Kyrolainen further teaches wherein the plurality of devices is arranged as at least a part of a Buckyball structure. See [0004].
Regarding dependent claim 30, Kyrolainen further teaches comprising a link antenna arrangement. See figs. 1-3, [0042], [0045], [0051], [0055] and [0069] and claim 1.
Regarding dependent claim 33, Kyrolainen further wherein the measurement environment comprises at least one reflector between a link antenna arrangement and the DUT. See [0043] and [0044].
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 31 and 32 are objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
Claims 1-19, 22 and 34-38 are allowed over prior art of record.
Conclusion
Examiner's note: Examiner has cited particular columns and line numbers in references as applied to the claims above for the convenience of the applicant. Although the specified citations are representative of the teachings of the art and are applied to the specific limitations within the individual claim, other passages and figures may apply as well. It is respectfully requested from the applicant, in preparing responses, to fully consider the references in entirety as potentially teaching all or part of the claimed invention, as well as the context of the passage as taught by prior art or disclosed by the Examiner.
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. References Madhow et al (US 7,652,577) and Jenaro et al (US 2019/0105016) are cited because they are pertinent to the method and apparatus for arrangement of testing environment. However, none of the cited references teaches or suggests the further arrangements as recited in claims 1, 34, 37 and 38 and the dependent claims 2-19, 22, 31, 32, 35 and 36.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to DON NGUYEN VO whose telephone number is (571) 272-3018. The examiner can normally be reached on Monday to Friday from 9:00 to 6:30PM.
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) Form at https://www.uspto.gov/patents/uspto-automated-interview-request-air-form.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Kenneth N Vanderpuye, can be reached on 571-272-3078. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/DON N VO/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2634
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