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 .
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.
Claims 1-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Malik (2019/0319649) in view of Oladeinde (10,847,889).
Regarding claims 1, 6, 10 and 15, Malik discloses a mobile device (See fig. 2 and par [0030]) comprising: a front-end system including a first radio frequency circuit configured to provide a first radio frequency signal of a first carrier frequency, and a second radio frequency circuit configured to provide a second radio frequency signal of a second carrier frequency (See figs 2-3 and par [0031-0032, 0034-0035]); and a multi-feed patch antenna array (multi-feed antenna element) including a first signal feed configured to receive the first radio frequency and a second signal feed configured to receive the second radio frequency signal (See fig. 2, 3A and par [0034-0035, 0039]). However, Malik does not explicitly mention that a substrate including a plurality of conductive layers separated by dielectric, the plurality of conductive layers including a first conductive layer on a first surface of the substrate; and the multi-feed patch antenna element formed in the first conductive layer as a single planar element having a rectangular or square shape, wherein the first signal feed providing a high impedance at the second carrier frequency and the second signal feed providing a high impedance at the first carrier frequency, the first signal feed directly connected to the single planar element at a first point and the second signal feed directly connected to the single planar element at a second point, and wherein the high impedance provides isolation or open between feeds. Since Oladeinde teaches a substrate (See fig. 6) including a plurality of conductive layers {102, 602} separated by dielectric {402, 604}, the plurality of conductive layers including a first conductive layer on a first surface of the substrate; and a multi-feed patch antenna array formed in the first conductive layer as a single planar element having a rectangular or square shape (See fig. 6), the multi-feed patch antenna array including a first signal feed 106 and a second signal feed 108, wherein the first signal feed directly connected to the single planar element at a first point and the second signal feed directly connected to the single planar element at a second point (See fig. 6 and col. 9 line 51 to col. 10 line 47); therefore, it would have been obvious to one skilled in the art to form the multi-feed patch antenna array of Malik as taught by Oladeinde, for the advantage of providing a greater degree for freedom in constructing multi-feed patch antenna array. Further, since Oladeinde also teaches a multi-band patch antenna array including a first signal feed configured to receive the first radio frequency and a second signal feed configured to receive the second radio frequency signal (See fig. 1 and col. 3 line 66 to col. 5 line 12), wherein first signal feed providing a high impedance at the second carrier frequency and the second signal feed providing a high impedance at the first carrier frequency, wherein the high impedance provides isolation or open between feeds (See figs. 1, 3-4 and col. 2 lines 41-55, col. 5 lines 13-42); therefore, it would have been obvious to one skilled in the art to apply the teachings of Oladeinde in modifying the device, as disclosed by Malik, with such features, for the advantage of providing inter-band isolation to reduce interference.
Regarding claims 2 and 11, Malik & Oladeinde disclose as cited in claims 1 and 10. Malik further discloses the first carrier frequency is 28 GHz and the second carrier frequency is 39 GHz (See par [0032]).
Regarding claims 3-4 and 12-13, Malik & Oladeinde disclose as cited in claims 1 and 10. They do not mention that the multi-feed patch antenna array further includes a third signal feed providing a high impedance at the second carrier frequency and a fourth signal feed providing a high impedance at the first carrier frequency, wherein the first signal feed receives a horizontally polarized signal of the first carrier frequency, the second signal feed receives a horizontally polarized signal of the second carrier frequency, the third signal feed receives a vertically polarized signal of the first carrier frequency, and the fourth signal feed receives a vertically polarized signal of the second carrier frequency, and wherein the third signal feed directly connected to the single planar element at a third point and the fourth signal feed directly connected to the single planar element at a fourth point. Since Malik suggests that the multi-band patch antenna array comprises multiple signal feeds (See figs. 2, 3A) and Oladeinde suggests that the multi-band patch antenna array having multiple signal feeds that can be tunes to multiple frequencies and polarizations (i.e. vertical and horizontal) (See col. 3 line 66 to col. 4 line 25, col. 4 line 45 to col. 5 line 12), wherein the multiple signal feeds can be directly connected to a single planar element at various points (See fig. 6); therefore, it would have been obvious to one skilled in the art to modify the device, as disclosed by Malik & Oladeinde, with multiple feeds (i.e. first signal feed, second signal feed, third signal feed and fourth signal feed) configured as recited in claims, for the advantage of expanding the capability of the device.
Regarding claims 5 and 14, Malik & Oladeinde disclose as cited in claims 1 and 10. Malik further discloses the first radio frequency circuit includes a first power amplifier configured to amplify the first radio frequency signal and having an output directly connected to the first signal feed, and the second radio frequency circuit includes a second power amplifier configured to amplify the second radio frequency signal and having an output directly connected to the second signal feed (See figs. 2, 3A).
Regrading claims 7 and 16, Malik & Oladeinde disclose as cited in claims 1 and 10. Malik further discloses an antenna array including the multi-feed patch antenna element, the front end system further including a first plurality of radio frequency circuits including the first radio frequency circuit and a second plurality of radio frequency circuits including the second radio frequency circuit, the first plurality of radio frequency circuits configured to provide beamforming on the first frequency and the second first plurality of radio frequency circuits configured to provide beamforming on the second frequency (See figs. 2, 3A, 3B, 3C).
Regarding claims 8 and 17, Malik & Oladeinde disclose as cited in claims 1 and 10. Malik further discloses the front-end system further includes a first controllable gain and phase adjustment circuit configured to control a gain and a phase of the first radio frequency signal, and a second controllable gain and phase adjustment circuit configured to control a gain and a phase of the second radio frequency signal (See fig. 3C).
Regarding claims 9 and 18, Malik & Oladeinde disclose as cited in claims 1 and 10. Malik further discloses the first radio frequency signal is in a first frequency band of frequency range two of fifth generation, and the second radio frequency signal is in a second frequency band of frequency range two of fifth generation (See figs. 2 and par [0029-0032]).
Regarding claim 19, Malik & Oladeinde disclose as cited in claims 1. Malik further discloses the steps of diplexing the first radio frequency signal and the second radio frequency signal using a multi-feed patch antenna element (See figs. 3A, 3B and par [0039, 0044-0045]).
Regarding claim 20, Malik & Oladeinde disclose as cited in claims 19. Malik further discloses amplifying the first radio frequency signal using a first power amplifier having an output directly connected to the first signal feed, and amplifying the second radio frequency signal using a second power amplifier having an output directly connected to the second signal feed (See fig. 3A).
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed on 05/27/2026 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive.
The applicant mainly argued that Malik does not disclose or suggest a multi-feed path antenna element as recited in amended claim 1 (See Remark, page 8). The examiner respectfully agrees with the applicant. However, the combination of Malik & Oladeinde would arrive to limitations recited in amended claim 1 (See above rejections for details).
Conclusion
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/TUAN A TRAN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2648
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