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 .
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 01/14/2026 was filed after the mailing date of the Non-Final rejection on 09/04/2025. The submission is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
Response to Amendment
This is a final office action in response to the communication filed 12/04/2025.
Claims 1, 3-5, 8, 10, 11, 13, 15, and 20 have been amended.
Claims 1-20 are pending.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s amendment with arguments and remarks filed on 12/04/2025 have been fully considered.
Applicant’s amendments overcome the objections to the drawings.
Applicant's arguments with respect to amendments to independent claims 1 and 20 are moot based on the new grounds of rejection as necessitated by amendment.
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.
The factual inquiries for establishing a background for determining obviousness under 35 U.S.C. 103 are summarized as follows:
1. Determining the scope and contents of the prior art.
2. Ascertaining the differences between the prior art and the claims at issue.
3. Resolving the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art.
4. Considering objective evidence present in the application indicating obviousness or nonobviousness.
Claims 1-2, 6-7, 15-20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Sazegar et al. (US 2016/0241217 A1) in view of Liu et al. (US 2021/0208430 A1).
Regarding Claim 1, Sazegar et al. (‘217) in view of Liu et al. (‘430) teaches:
Sazegar et al. (‘217) teaches: An antenna, comprising: ([0029]: “the LC device shown in FIGS. 1A, 1B provides functionality of a tunable patch antenna“).
Sazegar et al. (‘217) teaches: a first substrate, a second substrate that are oppositely arranged and a dielectric function layer including liquid crystals arranged between the first substrate and the second substrate; ([0030]: “the liquid crystal device may include an LC cell 120 formed in a gap between two substrates 110, 112“; [0005]: “Nematic liquid crystals (LCs) have been used as a dielectric material for tunable devices. These materials feature an anisotropic dielectric constant“).
Sazegar et al. (‘217) teaches: a ground layer, arranged on a side of the dielectric functional layer away from the first substrate; ([0030]-[0033]: Electrode 140 is on substrate 112 on one side of LC cell 120, and electrodes 150, 160 are on substrate 110 on the opposite side. Mapping substrate 110 as the first substrate, electrode 140 on substrate 112 constitutes a ground layer on the side of the LC cell away from the first substrate. [0068]: “Device 700 may function as a patch antenna including an LC cell 720 disposed between a conductive iris layer 732 and a conductive patch 730” — iris layer 732 functions as a ground/reference plane).
Sazegar et al. (‘217) teaches: a radiation layer, arranged on a side of the dielectric functional layer away from the second substrate, and including a radiation patch and a phase shifter surrounding the radiation patch, and the radiation patch being insulated from the phase shifter wherein both the radiation patch and the phase shifter are disposed on a side of the first substrate facing the function layer including the liquid crystals; ([0057]: “configuration 400 may include electrodes 410, 412 separated by a gap 414, where electrode 410 forms a hole in which is disposed electrode 412” — this shows a first electrode 410 surrounding an inner electrode 412, separated by insulating gap 414, both on the same substrate surface facing the LC cell. See FIG. 4, configuration 400. [0058]: “an antenna itself may consist of two (or more) electrodes allowing a tuning voltage to be applied between them” — the electrodes function as both radiating elements and tuning elements. [0034]: “state 100b… may result from one or more voltage sources generating another voltage difference—e.g., between electrodes 150, 160” — showing electrodes on the same substrate side facing the LC cell can have voltage applied between them to tune the LC permittivity, which is the function of a phase shifter. The gap 414 between electrodes 410, 412 insulates them from each other. Furthermore, Sazegar FIG. 7 shows patch 730 with interdigitated electrodes 740, 742, 744 on the same side of the LC cell, separated by isolation layer 750, teaching the concept of a radiating element co-located with tuning/phase-shifting electrode structures on the same substrate surface facing the LC layer).
Sazegar et al. (‘217) does not explicitly teach, but Liu et al. (‘430) teaches: a wiring layer, arranged on a side of the dielectric functional layer away from the second substrate, including a plurality of first signal lines, different phase shifters being electrically connected to different first signal lines, and the plurality of first signal lines being configured to provide bias voltages to the phase shifters to adjust a dielectric constant of the dielectric functional layer. ([0074]: “By applying a voltage between the microstrip line and the grounding electrode through the offset line, the effective dielectric constant of liquid crystal can be changed, thus changing the phase of the microwave signals“; [0078]: “The effective dielectric constant of the liquid crystal is changed by controlling the voltage applied to the liquid crystal layer 30 based on the dielectric anisotropy characteristic and the low power consumption characteristic of the liquid crystal material, thereby controlling the phase adjusted in the phase shifting process“; [0072]: “the second conductive layer includes a phase shifter electrode, which is a planar transmission line for transmitting microwave signals“). Liu teaches that signal lines connect to the phase shifter electrodes to provide the bias voltages needed to control LC dielectric constant.
It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine the liquid crystal tunable antenna of Sazegar et al. (‘217) with the wiring layer architecture with signal lines taught by Liu et al. (‘430). One would have been motivated to do so because Sazegar teaches that voltage control circuitry is coupled to the electrodes to apply electrical fields ([0033]: “one or more voltage sources… generating a voltage difference between electrode 140 and, for example, one or both of electrodes 150, 160“), but does not detail the specific wiring layer configuration with multiple signal lines. Liu teaches the specific structure of signal lines in a liquid crystal antenna context for the same purpose of applying bias voltages to control LC permittivity ([0074], [0078]). A person of ordinary skill would have had a reasonable expectation of success because both references are directed to liquid crystal tunable RF devices and the wiring layer of Liu is a conventional means of delivering bias voltages to antenna elements.
Regarding Claim 2, Sazegar et al. (‘217) in view of Liu et al. (‘430) teaches the antenna according to claim 1.
Sazegar et al. (‘217) teaches: wherein the phase shifter is a continuous ring structure ([0057]: “configuration 420 includes electrodes 430, 432, where electrode 430 extends substantially around a periphery of electrode 432 to form a gap 434” — See FIG. 4, configuration 420, showing electrode 430 as a continuous structure extending around the periphery of electrode 432. See also FIG. 4, configuration 480 showing spiral electrodes 490, 492 forming continuous surrounding structures).
Regarding Claim 6, Sazegar et al. (‘217) in view of Liu et al. (‘430) teaches the antenna according to claim 1.
Sazegar et al. (‘217) teaches: wherein the ground layer is on a side of the second substrate facing the dielectric functional layer ([0032]-[0033]: Electrode 140 is disposed on substrate 112 on the side facing LC cell 120. Mapping substrate 112 as the second substrate, the ground electrode 140 is on the side of the second substrate facing the dielectric functional layer. [0068]: Iris layer 732 is positioned between the LC cell and the underlying substrate, i.e., on the side facing the LC).
Regarding Claim 7, Sazegar et al. (‘217) in view of Liu et al. (‘430) teaches the antenna according to claim 1.
Sazegar et al. (‘217) does not explicitly teach, but Liu et al. (‘430) teaches: wherein the wiring layer further includes second signal lines, and different radiation patches are electrically connected to different second signal lines ([0072]: “the second conductive layer includes a phase shifter electrode, which is a planar transmission line for transmitting microwave signals“; [0074]: “The liquid crystal antenna also includes an offset line. In one embodiment, the offset line may be disposed on the second metal film layer of the second substrate” — Liu teaches multiple signal line connections for microwave signal transmission to different antenna elements).
It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine the liquid crystal tunable antenna of Sazegar et al. (‘217) with the second signal lines connected to different radiation patches taught by Liu et al. (‘430). One would have been motivated to do so because Liu teaches that providing separate signal line connections to individual antenna elements enables independent control of each element’s microwave signal transmission ([0072], [0074]), which is essential for phased array operation. A person of ordinary skill would have had a reasonable expectation of success because both references are directed to liquid crystal tunable RF devices and the use of dedicated signal lines per antenna element is standard practice in antenna array design.
Regarding Claim 15, Sazegar et al. (‘217) in view of Liu et al. (‘430) teaches the antenna according to claim 1.
Sazegar et al. (‘217) does not explicitly teach, but Liu et al. (‘430) teaches: wherein at least part of a radiation patches is arranged with slits, and a slit of the slits penetrates through the radiation patch along a thickness direction of the radiation patch ([0073]: “The first conductive layer, that is, the first metal film layer 13, is also provided with a slit unit 15. The slit unit 15 is a groove formed in the first metal film layer 13 and is located below the antenna radiation unit” — teaching slit structures in antenna conductive layers. Additionally, Sazegar FIG. 4, configurations 440, 460 show electrodes with gaps/slits separating conductive elements).
It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine the liquid crystal tunable antenna of Sazegar et al. (‘217) with the slit structures in radiation patches taught by Liu et al. (‘430). One would have been motivated to do so because Liu teaches that slit units in conductive layers are used to couple RF signals between the antenna radiation unit and the phase shifter ([0073]), thereby enabling efficient electromagnetic coupling between antenna layers. A person of ordinary skill would have had a reasonable expectation of success because slit/slot coupling is a well-established technique in patch antenna design for achieving desired impedance matching and signal coupling characteristics.
Regarding Claim 16, Sazegar et al. (‘217) in view of Liu et al. (‘430) teaches the antenna according to claim 15.
Sazegar et al. (‘217) teaches: wherein the slit is U-shaped ([0073]: The slit unit 15 is described as “a groove formed in the first metal film layer 13“). Additionally, Sazegar FIG. 4, configuration 420 shows electrode 430 forming a U-shaped gap/opening 434 around electrode 432.
Regarding Claim 17, Sazegar et al. (‘217) in view of Liu et al. (‘430) teaches the antenna according to claim 1.
Sazegar et al. (‘217) teaches: in a same radiation unit, a shape of an outer edge of an orthographic projection of the radiation patch on the first substrate is a first shape, a shape of an inner edge of an orthographic projection of the phase shifter on the first substrate is a second shape, and the first shape is same as the second shape (FIG. 4, configuration 400: electrode 412 (inner/radiation patch) has a rectangular outer edge, and electrode 410 (surrounding/phase shifter) has a rectangular inner edge that conforms to the shape of electrode 412. The first shape and the second shape are both rectangular/square. [0057]: “configuration 400 may include electrodes 410, 412 separated by a gap 414, where electrode 410 forms a hole in which is disposed electrode 412“).
Regarding Claim 18, Sazegar et al. (‘217) in view of Liu et al. (‘430) teaches the antenna according to claim 17.
Sazegar et al. (‘217) teaches: wherein an interval between the radiation patch and the phase shifter is equal everywhere in a same radiation unit (FIG. 4, configuration 400: the gap 414 between electrodes 410 and 412 is shown as uniform around the entirety of electrode 412. See also configuration 420 where gap 434 between electrodes 430, 432 is shown as a uniform-width gap).
Regarding Claim 19, Sazegar et al. (‘217) in view of Liu et al. (‘430) teaches the antenna according to claim 17.
Sazegar et al. (‘217) teaches: wherein the first shape and the second shape are at least one of square, triangle and circle (FIG. 4, configuration 400: electrodes 410, 412 are shown with square/rectangular shapes. The first shape and second shape are both square).
Regarding Claim 20, Sazegar et al. (‘217) in view of Liu et al. (‘430) teaches:
Sazegar et al. (‘217) teaches: A communication device, comprising a feed source and an antenna, ([0071]-[0072]: “resonator 880 serves as an antenna or other mechanism to facilitate communication on behalf of a host of platform 800“; “A sensor 875 (e.g., a receiver/transmitter) may include circuitry to exchange signals via resonator 880” — the sensor/receiver/transmitter constitutes a feed source).
Sazegar et al. (‘217) teaches: wherein the antenna comprises: a first substrate, a second substrate that are oppositely arranged and a dielectric function layer including liquid crystals arranged between the first substrate and the second substrate; (As analyzed for Claim 1 above — [0030], [0005]).
Sazegar et al. (‘217) teaches: a ground layer, arranged on a side of the dielectric functional layer away from the first substrate; (As analyzed for Claim 1 above — [0032]-[0033], [0068]).
Sazegar et al. (‘217) teaches: a radiation layer, arranged on a side of the dielectric functional layer away from the second substrate, and including a radiation patch and a phase shifter surrounding the radiation patch, and the radiation patch being insulated from the phase shifter, wherein both the radiation patch and the phase shifter are disposed on a side of the first substrate facing the function layer including the liquid crystals; (As analyzed for Claim 1 above — [0057], FIG. 4 configuration 400, [0058], [0034]).
Sazegar et al. (‘217) does not explicitly teach, but Liu et al. (‘430) teaches: a wiring layer, arranged on a side of the dielectric functional layer away from the second substrate, and including a plurality of first signal lines, different phase shifters being electrically connected to different first signal lines, and the plurality of first signal lines being configured to provide bias voltages to the phase shifters to adjust a dielectric constant of the dielectric functional layer; (As analyzed for Claim 1 above — [0074], [0078], [0072]).
It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine the liquid crystal tunable antenna of Sazegar et al. (‘217) with the wiring layer architecture taught by Liu et al. (‘430) for the same reasons set forth above in the rejection of Claim 1.
Sazegar et al. (‘217) teaches: and the feed source being on a side of the first substrate away from the second substrate. ([0071]-[0072]: Sensor 875 is part of platform 800 coupled to the resonator. The feed source/sensor would be on the exterior side of the antenna structure, i.e., on the side of the first substrate away from the second substrate, which is the conventional placement for a feed source in a patch antenna system).
Claims 3-5 and 8-14 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Sazegar et al. (US 2016/0241217 A1) in view of Liu et al. (US 2021/0208430 A1) and further in view of Lilly et al. (US 6,501,427 B1).
Regarding Claim 3, Sazegar et al. (‘217) in view of Liu et al. (‘430) teaches the antenna according to claim 1.
Sazegar et al. (‘217) teaches: the wiring layer is on a side of the first substrate facing the dielectric functional layer, ([0032]: electrodes 150, 160 are on substrate 110 on the side facing LC cell 120).
Sazegar et al. (‘217) teaches: along a first direction, the radiation layer is isolated from the wiring layer by an insulating layer, ([0068]: “The interdigitated electrodes may be separated from patch 730 by a non-conductive (e.g., dielectric) isolation layer 750” — teaching an insulating layer separating different conductive elements along the thickness direction).
Sazegar et al. (‘217) in view of Liu et al. (‘430) does not explicitly teach, but Lilly et al. (‘427) teaches: and the phase shifter is electrically connected to a first signal line through a via hole penetrating through the insulating layer; ([Col. 8, lines 15-20]: “the lead 218 could also be an insulated plated-through hole“; [Col. 14, lines 1-5]: “a center hole through said first patch, said ground plane, and said means to electrically insulate and space said ground plane from said first patch; and lines that pass through said center hole for supplying a voltage to said plurality of MEMS switches“).
It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine the antenna of Sazegar et al. (‘217) in view of Liu et al. (‘430) with the via hole connections through insulating layers taught by Lilly et al. (‘427). One would have been motivated to do so because Lilly teaches that plated-through holes are a conventional and effective means of making electrical connections between conductive layers separated by insulating layers in antenna structures ([Col. 8, lines 15-20]), and such via connections are a well-known technique in multilayer antenna and circuit board fabrication for routing electrical signals between layers. A person of ordinary skill would have had a reasonable expectation of success because via hole connections are a standard, widely-practiced technique in the art of multilayer electronic structures.
Sazegar et al. (‘217) teaches: the first direction is a thickness direction of the dielectric functional layer; (FIGS. 1A-1B: the y-axis is the thickness direction of the LC cell between the two substrates).
Sazegar et al. (‘217) teaches: and the radiation layer is on a side of the wiring layer away from the first substrate. (In the combined structure, noted in claim 1, the radiation layer elements (patch and phase shifter) face the LC layer, and the wiring layer with signal lines would be between the radiation layer and the first substrate [FIGs. 4, 7], such that the radiation layer is on the side of the wiring layer away from the first substrate).
Regarding Claim 4, Sazegar et al. (‘217) in view of Liu et al. (‘430) and Lilly et al. (‘427) teaches the antenna according to claim 1.
Sazegar et al. (‘217) does not explicitly teach, but Liu et al. (‘430) teaches: the wiring layer is on a side of the first substrate away from the dielectric functional layer, ([0074]: “the offset line may be disposed on the second metal film layer of the second substrate” — teaching that signal lines can be on different substrate surfaces, including a side away from the dielectric functional layer).
It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine the antenna of Sazegar et al. (‘217) with the wiring layer placement taught by Liu et al. (‘430). One would have been motivated to do so because Liu teaches that signal lines can be disposed on different substrate surfaces to facilitate routing and electrical connections in a liquid crystal antenna ([0074]). A person of ordinary skill would have had a reasonable expectation of success because placing wiring layers on different sides of a substrate is a standard technique in multilayer antenna and circuit board design.
Sazegar et al. (‘217) teaches: along a first direction, the radiation layer is isolated from the wiring layer by an insulating layer, ([0068]: “The interdigitated electrodes may be separated from patch 730 by a non-conductive (e.g., dielectric) isolation layer 750“).
Sazegar et al. (‘217) in view of Liu et al. (‘430) does not explicitly teach, but Lilly et al. (‘427) teaches: and the phase shifter is electrically connected to a first signal line through a via hole penetrating through the insulating layer; ([Col. 8, lines 15-20]: “the lead 218 could also be an insulated plated-through hole“).
The motivation to combine Lilly et al. (‘427) is the same as set forth above in the rejection of Claim 3.
Sazegar et al. (‘217) teaches: the first direction is a thickness direction of the dielectric functional layer; (FIGS. 1A-1B: the y-axis direction).
Sazegar et al. (‘217) teaches: and the radiation layer is on a side of the wiring layer away from the first substrate. (In this configuration, the radiation layer faces the LC layer while the wiring layer is between the radiation layer and the first substrate).
Regarding Claim 5, Sazegar et al. (‘217) in view of Liu et al. (‘430) and Lilly et al. (‘427) teaches the antenna according to claim 4.
Sazegar et al. (‘217) teaches: an insulating protection layer, on a side of the wiring layer away from the first substrate, and an orthographic projection of the insulating protection layer to the first substrate covering the wiring layer ([0068]: “The interdigitated electrodes may be separated from patch 730 by a non-conductive (e.g., dielectric) isolation layer 750” — Sazegar teaches dielectric/insulating layers covering conductive elements. It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill to provide an insulating protection layer covering the wiring layer to protect the signal lines from environmental damage and prevent short circuits, as protective insulating coatings over wiring in antenna structures are well-known and conventional in multilayer circuit fabrication).
Regarding Claim 8, Sazegar et al. (‘217) in view of Liu et al. (‘430) teaches the antenna according to claim 1.
Sazegar et al. (‘217) teaches: the radiation layer includes a first sub-radiation area and a second sub-radiation area, and each of the first sub-radiation area and the second sub-radiation area includes a plurality of radiation units; ([0029]: The LC device provides functionality of a tunable patch antenna, and Sazegar teaches multiple electrode configurations in FIG. 4. It would have been obvious to arrange multiple radiation units in sub-radiation areas as phased array antennas with multiple sub-arrays are well-known in the art).
Sazegar et al. (‘217) in view of Liu et al. (‘430) does not explicitly teach, but Lilly et al. (‘427) teaches: an area of the radiation patch in a radiation unit of the first sub-radiation area is S1, an area of the radiation patch in the radiation unit of the second sub-radiation area is S2, and S1<S2. (FIG. 31, [Col. 9, lines 55-60]: “3 patches of relative areas 1, 2, and 4“; “a first patch has a relative size of 1, another patch has a relative size of 2 times that of the first patch, and a third patch has a relative size of 4 times the first patch” — explicitly teaching patches with different areas where S1<S2).
It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine the antenna of Sazegar et al. (‘217) in view of Liu et al. (‘430) with the different-sized patches taught by Lilly et al. (‘427). One would have been motivated to do so because Lilly teaches that using patches of different relative areas allows the antenna to cover a broader range of frequencies and provide frequency tuning capabilities ([Col. 6, lines 25-30]). A person of ordinary skill would have had a reasonable expectation of success because varying patch sizes to achieve different frequency responses is a well-understood principle in antenna design.
Regarding Claim 9, Sazegar et al. (‘217) in view of Liu et al. (‘430) and Lilly et al. (‘427) teaches the antenna according to claim 8.
Sazegar et al. (‘217) in view of Liu et al. (‘430) does not explicitly teach, but Lilly et al. (‘427) teaches: wherein the second sub-radiation area is arranged on a periphery of the first sub-radiation area ([Col. 8, lines 49-62]: “Two rings of segmented concentric tuning strips 242 and 244 are used to lower the resonant frequency of the antenna 230“; FIG. 26: “concentric tuning rings 254 and 256 surrounding the patch 258” — teaching the principle of arranging antenna elements peripherally around a central area).
It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine the antenna of Sazegar et al. (‘217) in view of Liu et al. (‘430) with the peripheral arrangement of antenna elements taught by Lilly et al. (‘427). One would have been motivated to do so because Lilly teaches that arranging tuning elements concentrically around a central patch allows effective frequency tuning of the antenna ([Col. 6, lines 55-65]). A person of ordinary skill would have had a reasonable expectation of success because peripheral/concentric arrangement of radiation areas is a well-known configuration in phased array antenna design for achieving desired beam characteristics.
Regarding Claim 10, Sazegar et al. (‘217) in view of Liu et al. (‘430) and Lilly et al. (‘427) teaches the antenna according to claim 8.
Sazegar et al. (‘217) in view of Liu et al. (‘430) does not explicitly teach, but Liu et al. (‘430) teaches: comprising binding areas, a binding area of the binding areas comprising a plurality of conductive pads, wherein: a phase shifter in the first sub-radiation area and a phase shifter in the second sub-radiation area are respectively connected to a conductive pad of a same binding area through different first signal lines. ([0074]: “By applying a voltage between the microstrip line and the grounding electrode through the offset line, the effective dielectric constant of liquid crystal can be changed” — Liu teaches signal line connections to phase shifter elements. Conductive pads for electrical connections are a conventional feature in antenna fabrication for providing connection points for signal lines).
It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine the antenna of Sazegar et al. (‘217) with the binding areas with conductive pads and signal line connections taught by Liu et al. (‘430). One would have been motivated to do so because connecting phase shifters from different sub-radiation areas to conductive pads through different signal lines allows independent control of each phase shifter, which is the fundamental principle of phased array beam steering ([0074], [0078]). A person of ordinary skill would have had a reasonable expectation of success because discrete connection pads with dedicated signal lines are standard practice in phased array antenna design for enabling individual element control.
Regarding Claim 11, Sazegar et al. (‘217) in view of Liu et al. (‘430) teaches the antenna according to claim 1.
Sazegar et al. (‘217) teaches: comprising at least one first radiation area, at least one second radiation area, ([0029]: The LC device provides functionality of a tunable patch antenna. Arranging multiple radiation areas in an antenna array would have been obvious for phased array applications where multiple beam directions are required).
Sazegar et al. (‘217) does not explicitly teach, but Liu et al. (‘430) teaches: a first binding area corresponding to the first radiation area, a second binding area corresponding to the second radiation area, and the first binding area and the second binding area respectively comprising a plurality of conductive pads, ([0074]: “The liquid crystal antenna also includes an offset line. In one embodiment, the offset line may be disposed on the second metal film layer of the second substrate” — Liu teaches signal line connections and offset lines for connecting to antenna elements. Conductive pads/binding areas are a conventional feature of antenna fabrication for providing discrete connection points).
It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine the antenna of Sazegar et al. (‘217) with the binding areas with conductive pads taught by Liu et al. (‘430). One would have been motivated to do so because Liu teaches that signal line connections and offset lines are used to connect to antenna elements for applying bias voltages to control the liquid crystal dielectric constant ([0074]), and conductive pads provide reliable discrete connection points for these signal lines. A person of ordinary skill would have had a reasonable expectation of success because conductive pads for signal line connections are standard features in antenna fabrication.
Sazegar et al. (‘217) teaches: wherein: a first radiation area of the at least one first radiation area is arranged with first radiation units arranged in an array, a second radiation area of the at least one second radiation area is arranged with second radiation units arranged in an array, ([0029]: “the LC device shown in FIGS. 1A, 1B provides functionality of a tunable patch antenna” — array arrangements of radiation units are the fundamental architecture of phased array antennas, which Sazegar is directed to).
Sazegar et al. (‘217) in view of Liu et al. (‘430) does not explicitly teach, but Lilly et al. (‘427) teaches: and the radiation patch in a first radiation unit and the radiation patch in a second radiation unit have different areas; ([Col. 11, lines 49-62]: “3 patches of relative areas 1, 2, and 4“; “a first patch has a relative size of 1, another patch has a relative size of 2 times that of the first patch“).
It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine the antenna of Sazegar et al. (‘217) in view of Liu et al. (‘430) with the different-area patches taught by Lilly et al. (‘427). One would have been motivated to do so because using different patch sizes in different radiation areas allows the antenna to operate at different frequencies or provide multi-band operation, as taught by Lilly. A person of ordinary skill would have had a reasonable expectation of success because varying patch area to change resonant frequency is a well-established principle in antenna design.
Sazegar et al. (‘217) in view of Liu et al. (‘430) does not explicitly teach, but Liu et al. (‘430) teaches: and a phase shifter in the first radiation unit is electrically connected to a conductive pad in the first binding area through a first signal line, and a phase shifter in the second radiation unit is electrically connected to a conductive pad in the second binding area through a first signal line. ([0074]: “By applying a voltage between the microstrip line and the grounding electrode through the offset line, the effective dielectric constant of liquid crystal can be changed” — Liu teaches signal line connections to phase shifter elements for applying bias voltages).
It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine the antenna of Sazegar et al. (‘217) with the signal line connections to phase shifters in different radiation areas taught by Liu et al. (‘430). One would have been motivated to do so because connecting phase shifters in different radiation areas to their respective binding areas through signal lines enables independent phase control for beam steering ([0074], [0078]). A person of ordinary skill would have had a reasonable expectation of success because dedicated signal line connections to individual phase shifter elements are the standard method for achieving independent beam control in phased array antennas.
Regarding Claim 12, Sazegar et al. (‘217) in view of Liu et al. (‘430) and Lilly et al. (‘427) teaches the antenna according to claim 11.
Sazegar et al. (‘217) teaches: wherein the first radiation area and the second radiation area share a same first substrate and a same second substrate ([0030]: “the liquid crystal device may include an LC cell 120 formed in a gap between two substrates 110, 112” — Sazegar teaches a single pair of substrates. Multiple radiation areas in a phased array would share common substrates for manufacturing simplicity and structural integrity).
Regarding Claim 13, Sazegar et al. (‘217) in view of Liu et al. (‘430) and Lilly et al. (‘427) teaches the antenna according to claim 11.
Sazegar et al. (‘217) in view of Liu et al. (‘430) and Lilly et al. (‘427) does not explicitly teach, but Liu et al. (‘430) teaches: comprising a first sub-antenna in the first radiation area and a second sub-antenna in the second radiation area, a first substrate of the first sub-antenna being spliced with a first substrate of the second sub-antenna, and a second substrate of the first sub-antenna being spliced with a second substrate of the second sub-antenna ([0005]: “In order to solve the above problems, a solution for a low-cost liquid crystal antenna suitable for large-scale manufacturing is provided“; [0006]: “The disclosure provides a liquid crystal antenna, including a first substrate and a second substrate which are oppositely arranged and a liquid crystal layer positioned between the first substrate and the second substrate“; [0096]: “the first substrate 11 and the second substrate 21 are oppositely bonded to form a liquid crystal cell“; [0135]: “By the above method for plating the glass substrates and the existing method for manufacturing a liquid crystal panel, the liquid crystal antenna can be produced in large quantities” — Liu teaches that each liquid crystal antenna unit comprises its own first substrate and second substrate that are oppositely bonded. Liu further teaches that the antenna is fabricated using existing liquid crystal panel production line processes designed for large-scale manufacturing. In the liquid crystal display panel art, it is well known that large display panels are fabricated by bonding multiple smaller panel substrates together — i.e., splicing individual substrate panels edge-to-edge — because manufacturing yield decreases as substrate size increases. Liu’s teaching that the liquid crystal antenna is manufactured using “existing liquid crystal panel production line” processes ([0119]) inherently incorporates this known panel-splicing fabrication approach. When a first sub-antenna and a second sub-antenna each have their own first and second substrates as taught by Liu, and the sub-antennas must be combined into a single antenna structure with first and second radiation areas as required by claim 11, a person of ordinary skill would splice — i.e., join edge-to-edge — the respective first substrates together and the respective second substrates together to form the combined antenna structure).
It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine the antenna of Sazegar et al. (‘217) in view of Liu et al. (‘430) and Lilly et al. (‘427) with the spliced substrate configuration suggested by Liu et al. (‘430). One would have been motivated to do so because Liu teaches that the liquid crystal antenna is intended to be a “low-cost liquid crystal antenna suitable for large-scale manufacturing” ([0005]) and is fabricated using “existing liquid crystal panel production line” processes ([0119]). In the liquid crystal panel manufacturing art, producing larger panels by splicing together smaller panel substrates is a well-known technique to improve manufacturing yield and reduce cost. When the antenna of claim 11 requires multiple radiation areas with different patch sizes (as taught by Lilly), assembling the antenna from separately fabricated sub-antenna modules — each with its own first and second substrates — and splicing those substrates together would be a predictable application of this known manufacturing approach. A person of ordinary skill would have had a reasonable expectation of success because the bonding/splicing of glass substrates edge-to-edge is a mature and routine process in LCD panel fabrication, as indicated by Liu’s [0119], and Liu’s liquid crystal antenna is explicitly designed to be compatible with these existing production line processes ([0119], [0135]).
Regarding Claim 14, Sazegar et al. (‘217) in view of Liu et al. (‘430) and Lilly et al. (‘427) teaches the antenna according to claim 11.
Sazegar et al. (‘217) in view of Liu et al. (‘430) and Lilly et al. (‘427) does not explicitly teach, but Liu et al. (‘430) teaches: wherein the radiation layer includes a radiation area and an edge area arranged around the radiation area, the first radiation area and the second radiation area are in the radiation area, and the binding area is in the edge area ([0096]: “before the first substrate 11 and the second substrate 21 are oppositely bonded, sealant 40 is also prepared on one of the substrates, and the sealant 40 forms an accommodation space between the first substrate 11 and the second substrate 21 for receiving liquid crystal“; [0074]: “The liquid crystal antenna also includes an offset line. In one embodiment, the offset line may be disposed on the second metal film layer of the second substrate” — Liu teaches that the sealant 40 is arranged around the periphery of the substrates to form the LC cell accommodation space (see FIG. 1: sealant 40 is shown at the edges of the antenna structure surrounding the liquid crystal layer 30), establishing a peripheral edge region that is distinct from the central active antenna region. Liu further teaches that signal connections such as offset lines are routed to the substrate ([0074]), requiring connection pad areas. The region where sealant 40 is located and where signal line connections are routed defines an edge area arranged around the central radiation area where the antenna radiation units and phase shifter electrodes are disposed).
It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to arrange the binding areas in the edge area around the radiation area in the antenna of Sazegar et al. (‘217) in view of Liu et al. (‘430) and Lilly et al. (‘427). One would have been motivated to do so because Liu teaches that the peripheral area of the antenna structure is already occupied by sealant 40 forming the LC cell boundary ([0096]) and that signal connections such as offset lines must be routed to and from the antenna elements ([0074]). Placing the binding areas with conductive pads in this peripheral edge area — outside the central radiation area where the first and second radiation areas with their antenna radiation units are located — avoids disrupting the active antenna aperture, which would degrade radiation performance, and places the electrical connection points where they are accessible for external wiring. This is the same layout approach used throughout the liquid crystal display panel art, where driver IC bonding pads are routinely located in a peripheral bezel area surrounding the active display area. A person of ordinary skill would have had a reasonable expectation of success because segregating active functional areas from peripheral connection areas is a fundamental and well-proven layout principle in both antenna design.
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 REMASH R GUYAH whose telephone number is (571)270-0115. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 7:30-4:30.
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REMASH R GUYAH
Examiner
Art Unit 3648C
/REMASH R GUYAH/Examiner, Art Unit 3648
/RESHA DESAI/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3648
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