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 statements (IDS) submitted on the following dates as thus: 2/3/2023 and 1/29/2024 have been considered by the examiner and the initialed copies of the IDS are hereby attached.
Claim Objections
Claim 7 is objected to because of the following informalities: being dependent on claim 21. A dependent claims is permissible in which a dependent claim refers to a preceding claim which, in turn, refers to another preceding claim. For the sake of examination, Claim 7 will be interpreted as being dependent upon claim 2.
A claim which depends from a dependent claim should not be separated by any claim which does not also depend from said dependent claim. It should be kept in mind that a dependent claim may refer to any preceding independent claim. In general, applicant's sequence will not be changed. See MPEP § 608.01(n). Appropriate correction is required.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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 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.
Claims 1-6 and 11 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Kwon et al (US 20170331175 A, hereinafter Kwon.
Regarding claim 1, Kwon discloses:
An electronic device comprising (Kwon, para [0009], In accordance with another example aspect of the present disclosure, an electronic device includes a housing including a first surface facing a first direction, a second surface facing a second direction opposite the first direction, and a side surface surrounding at least a part of a space formed between the first surface and the second surface, a first antenna element, a second antenna element, a first feeding line electrically connected with the first antenna element, a second feeding line electrically connected with the second antenna element, a first communication module comprising communication circuitry connected with the first feeding line and configured to transmit and receive a signal of a first frequency band, a second communication module comprising communication circuitry connected with the second feeding line and configured to transmit and receive a signal of a second frequency band, a conductive line connecting a point of the first feeding line and a point of the second feeding line, a printed circuit board disposed inside the housing, a sensor module disposed on the printed circuit board and electrically connected with a point of the conductive line, and a processor disposed on the printed circuit board and operatively connected with the sensor module):
a housing (Kwon, para [0009]);
a-first antenna module circuitry disposed in a first area of an inner space of the housing (Kwon, para [0009]),
the first antenna module circuitry comprising including a first substrate disposed in the inner space (Kwon, para [0075], The first antenna radiator 451 and the second antenna radiator 471 may be disposed on one surface of the printed circuit board 430. However, embodiments of the present disclosure are not limited thereto. According to an embodiment, at least one of the first antenna radiator 451 and the second antenna radiator 471 may be disposed on a board different from the printed circuit board 430 and may be connected with the printed circuit board 430. In another embodiment, at least one of the first antenna radiator 451 and the second antenna radiator 471 may be disposed on at least a partial area of the housing 410. For example, the housing 410 may include a conductive member (e.g., a metal frame) in at least a partial area thereof, and at least one of the first antenna radiator 451 and the second antenna radiator 471 may include at least part of the conductive member) Examiner notes that the antenna may be a on a different printed circuit board that is being interpreted as the substrate,
a first array antenna disposed on the first substrate and supporting a first communication scheme (Kwon, para [0060], Each of the communication modules 251, 253, and 255 that are respectively connected to the antennas 211, 213, and 215 may include a circuit for transmitting and receiving a signal of a specified frequency band. For example, each of the communication modules 251, 253, and 255 may include various communication circuitry, such as, for example, and without limitation, a transceiver, a power amplifier module (PAM), a frequency filter, a low noise amplifier (LNA), or the like. In FIGS. 2A and 2B, the first communication module 251 is illustrated as being connected to the first antenna 211, the second communication module 253 is illustrated as being connected to the second antenna 213, and the third communication module 255 is illustrated as being connected to the third antenna 215.
[0061] Each of the communication modules may include various communication circuitry, such as, for example, and without limitation, a cellular module, a Wi-Fi module, a Bluetooth (BT) module, a GNSS module (e.g., a GPS module, a Glonass module, a Beidou module, or a Galileo module), a near field communication (NFC) module, and a radio frequency (RF) module. For example, in FIG. 2A, the first communication module 251 may be the GPS module, and the second communication module 253 may be the Wi-Fi module. As another example, the first communication module 251 may be the cellular module for transmitting and receiving a signal (e.g., 900 MHz) of a GSM network, and the second communication module 253 may be the cellular module for transmitting and receiving a signal (e.g., 2.6 GHz) of a LTE network. However, kinds of the communication modules are not limited thereto. According to various embodiments, the first communication module 251, the second communication module 253, or the third communication module 255 may be a communication module for transmitting and receiving a signal belonging to a range from a TV broadcast frequency (e.g., 30 MHz) to a Wi-Fi frequency (e.g., 60 GHz). As another example, the first communication module 251 may be a communication module for transmitting and receiving a signal of a frequency band lower than the second communication module 253 and the third communication module 255. For example, the first communication module 251 may be a communication module for transmitting and receiving a signal of a low band, the second communication module 253 may be a communication module for transmitting and receiving a signal of a mid band, and the third communication module 255 may be a communication module for transmitting and receiving a signal of a high band),
and at least two a plurality of first antennas disposed on a surface of the first substrate facing a first direction and supporting a second communication scheme (Kwon, paras [0060-0061]);
a-second antenna module circuitry disposed in a second area different from the first area of the inner space (Kwon, paras [0075] and [0076], At least one of the first antenna radiator 451 and the second antenna radiator 471 may be disposed on one surface of the printed circuit board 430, and at least one of a first feeding part and a first ground part, which are connected with the first antenna radiator 451, and a second feeding part and a second ground part, which are connected with the second antenna radiator 471, may be disposed on an opposite surface of the printed circuit board 430. In FIGS. 4A to 4D, the first antenna radiator 451 and the second antenna radiator 471 are illustrated as being disposed on a rear surface of the printed circuit board 430 and being connected with a front surface of the printed circuit board 430 through a first connection part 453a and a second connection part 473a. For example, the first antenna radiator 451 may be connected with a third connection part 453b, and the third connection part 453b may be connected with the first connection part 453a disposed on the front surface of the printed circuit board 430. As another example, the second antenna radiator 471 may be connected with a fourth connection part 473b, and the fourth connection part 473b may be connected with the second connection part 473a disposed on the front surface of the printed circuit board 430. Although not illustrated in FIG. 4A, a first feeding part, a first ground part, a second feeding part, and a second ground part may be disposed on the front surface of the printed circuit board 430. However, embodiments of the present disclosure are not limited thereto. According to an embodiment, the first antenna radiator 451 and the second antenna radiator 471 may be disposed on the front surface of the printed circuit board 430, and the first feeding part, the first ground part, the second feeding part, and the second ground part may be disposed on the rear surface of the printed circuit board 430. Alternatively, the first antenna radiator 451, the second antenna radiator 471, the first feeding part, the first ground part, the second feeding part, and the second ground part may be disposed on the same surface of the printed circuit board 430),
the second antenna module circuitry comprising including a second substrate different from the first substrate and disposed in the inner space (Kwon, paras [0075-0076]),
a second array antenna disposed on the second substrate and supporting the first communication scheme (Kwon, paras [0060-0061] and [0075-0076]),
and at least one second antenna disposed on a surface of the second substrate facing a second direction different from the first direction and supporting the second communication scheme (Kwon, paras [0009], [0060-0061] and [0075-0076]);
a first wireless communication circuit disposed in the inner space and configured to transmit and/or and receive a wireless signal of the first communication scheme through at least one of the first array antenna or the second array antenna (Kwon, paras [0060-0061] and [0075-0076]);
a second wireless communication circuit disposed in the inner space and configured to transmit and/or and receive a wireless signal of the second communication scheme through at least one of the first antennas or the at least one second antenna (Kwon, paras [0060-0061] and [0075-0076]);
and at least one processor electrically connected to the first wireless communication circuit and the second wireless communication circuit (Kwon, para [0127], Referring to FIG. 7, an electronic device 701 may include, for example, a part or the entirety of the electronic device 601 illustrated in FIG. 6. The electronic device 701 may include at least one processor (e.g., AP) (e.g., including processing circuitry) 710, a communication module (e.g., including communication circuitry) 720, a subscriber identification module (SIM) 724, a memory 730, a sensor module 740, an input device (e.g., including input circuitry) 750, a display 760, an interface (e.g., including interface circuitry) 770, an audio module 780, a camera module 791, a power management module 795, a battery 796, an indicator 797, and a motor 798),
wherein the at least one processor is configured to estimate a position of an external device using the plurality of first antennas and the at least one second antenna (Kwon, para [0136], The sensor module 740 may, for example, measure physical quantity or detect an operation state of the electronic device 701 so as to convert measured or detected information into an electrical signal. The sensor module 740 may include, for example, at least one of a gesture sensor 740A, a gyro sensor 740B, a barometric pressure sensor 740C, a magnetic sensor 740D, an acceleration sensor 740E, a grip sensor 740F, a proximity sensor 740G, a color sensor 740H (e.g., a red/green/blue (RGB) sensor), a biometric sensor 740I, a temperature/humidity sensor 740J, an illuminance sensor 740K, or an ultraviolet (UV) sensor 740M. Additionally or alternatively, the sensor module 740 may include, for example, an olfactory sensor (E-nose sensor), an electromyography (EMG) sensor, an electroencephalogram (EEG) sensor, an electrocardiogram (ECG) sensor, an infrared (IR) sensor, an iris recognition sensor, and/or a fingerprint sensor. The sensor module 740 may further include a control circuit for controlling at least one sensor included therein. In some various embodiments of the present disclosure, the electronic device 701 may further include a processor configured to control the sensor module 740 as a part of the processor 710 or separately, so that the sensor module 740 is controlled while the processor 710 is in a sleep state) Examiner notes process configured to control the sensor module that comprises a proximity sensor.
Regarding claim 2, Kwon discloses:
the electronic device of claim 1 (Kwon, para [0009]),
wherein the first substrate comprises a first surface and a second surface facing a direction opposite to that of the first surface (Kwon, paras [0009] and [0075-0076]),
and wherein the first array antenna and the first antennas are disposed in different areas on the first surface (Kwon, paras [0075-0076]).
Regarding claim 3, Kwon discloses:
The electronic device of claim 1 (Kwon, para [0009]),
wherein the second substrate comprises a third surface and a fourth surface facing a direction opposite to that of the third surface (Kwon, paras [0009] and [0075-0076]),
and wherein the second array antenna and the at least one second antenna are disposed in different areas on the third surface (Kwon, paras [0060-0061]).
Regarding claim 4, Kwon discloses:
the electronic device of claim 1 (Kwon, para [0009]),
wherein the first substrate comprises a first surface and a second surface facing a direction opposite to that of the first surface (Kwon, paras [0060-0061] and [0075-0076]),
wherein the first array antenna is disposed on the first surface, and wherein the first antennas are disposed inside the first substrate (Kwon, paras [0060-0061] and [0075-0076]).
Regarding claim 5, Kwon discloses:
the electronic device of claim 1 (Kwon, para [0009]),
wherein the second substrate comprises a third surface and a fourth surface facing a direction opposite to that of the third surface (Kwon, paras [0075-0076]),
wherein the second array antenna is disposed on the third surface (Kwon, paras [0075-0076]),
and wherein the at least one second antenna is disposed inside the second substrate (Kwon, paras [0060-0061] and [0075-0076]).
Regarding claim 6, Kwon discloses:
the electronic device of claim 1 (Kwon, para [0009]),
wherein the housing comprises a first plate facing a first direction (Kwon, Fig. 1),
a second plate facing a second direction opposite to a direction faced by the first plate (Kwon, Fig. 1),
and a lateral member surrounding the inner space between the first plate and the second plate (Kwon, Fig. 1),
wherein the lateral member comprises a first side surface having a first length(Kwon, Fig. 1),
a second side surface facing a direction opposite to that of the first side surface (Kwon, Fig. 1),
a third side surface perpendicular to the first side surface and having a second length relatively longer than the first length (Kwon, Fig. 1),
and a fourth side surface facing a direction opposite to that of the third side surface, (Kwon, Fig. 1)
wherein the first antenna module circuitry is disposed in a position close to the first side surface in the inner space such that a longitudinal direction of the first side surface is parallel to an arrangement direction of the first array antenna (Kwon, Fig. 1 and para [0009]) ,
and wherein the second antenna module circuitry is disposed in a position close to the third side surface in the inner space such that a longitudinal direction of the third side surface is parallel to an arrangement direction of the second array antenna (Kwon, paras [0075-0076]).
Regarding claim 11, Kwon discloses:
The electronic device of claim 1 (Kwon, para [0009]),
wherein the housing at least partially comprises a conductive portion (Kwon, Abstract. An electronic device is provided. The electronic device includes a first antenna, a first feeding line electrically connected to the first antenna, a second antenna, a second feeding line electrically connected to the second antenna element, a conductive line connecting a point of the first antenna or the first feeding line and a point of the second antenna or the second feeding line, and a sensor module electrically connected to a point of at least one of the first antenna element, the second antenna element, the first feeding line, the second feeding line, and the conductive line).
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.
The text of those sections of Title 35, U.S. Code not included in this action can be found in a prior Office action.
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 7-8, 12-14, 16, 18-19, and 21-24 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kwon et al (US 20170331175 A1), hereinafter Kwon in view of Kim et al (US 20210280971 A1), hereinafter Kim
Regarding claim 7, Kwon discloses:
the electronic device of claim 2 (Kwon, para [0009]),
and wherein the at least one second antenna and one of the plurality of first antennas (Kwon, Abstract),
configured to receive the second signal (Kwon, paras [0060-0061]),
Kim discloses:
wherein the plurality of first antennas configured to receive the first signal are disposed on a first imaginary axis (Kim , para [0068], The 5G wireless communication module 112 may perform transmission and reception of 5G signals with a 5G base station through a 5G mobile communication network. In this case, the 5G wireless communication module 112 may transmit at least one 5G transmission signal to the 5G base station. In addition, the 5G wireless communication module 112 may receive at least one 5G reception signal from the 5G base station . In this instance, 5G and 4G networks may use the same frequency band, and this may be referred to as LTE re-farming. Meanwhile, a Sub-6 frequency band, which is a range of 6 GHz or less, may be used as the 5G frequency band.) Examiner notes that 5G wireless communication uses imaginary axis in 5G New Radio such as the sub-6 frequency band) Examiner notes that 5G wireless communication uses imaginary axis in 5G New Radio such as the sub-6 frequency band,
are disposed on a second imaginary axis different from the first imaginary axis (Kim, para [0068]).
It would have been obvious to someone in the art prior to the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Kwon with Kim to incorporate the features of: and wherein the at least one second antenna and one of the first antennas, configured to receive the second signal, are disposed on a second imaginary axis different from the first imaginary axis. The modification would render the predictable results of reduced compromise of gain and bandwidth due to the size of the loop arrays that are suitable for space-limited devices and improved overall performance
Regarding claim 8, Kwon discloses:
the electronic device of claim 1 (Kwon, para [0009]),
Kim discloses:
wherein the first communication scheme comprises new radio (NR) communication (Kim et al para [0072], On the other hand, the wireless communication module 110 may be in a Dual Connectivity (DC) state with the 4G base station and the 5G base station through the 4G wireless communication module 111 and the 5G wireless communication module 112. As such, the dual connectivity with the 4G base station and the 5G base station may be referred to as EUTRAN NR DC (EN-DC). Here, EUTRAN is an abbreviated form of “Evolved Universal Telecommunication Radio Access Network”, and refers to a 4G wireless communication system. Also, NR is an abbreviated form of “New Radio” and refers to a 5G wireless communication system),
and wherein the second communication scheme comprises ultra-wideband (UWB) communication (Kim, para [0074], The short-range communication module 113 is configured to facilitate short-range communications. Suitable technologies for implementing such short-range communications include BLUETOOTH™, Radio Frequency IDentification (RFID), Infrared Data Association (IrDA), Ultra-WideBand (UWB), ZigBee, Near Field Communication (NFC), Wireless-Fidelity (Wi-Fi), Wi-Fi Direct, Wireless USB (Wireless Universal Serial Bus), and the like. The short-range communication module 114 in general supports wireless communications between the electronic device 100 and a wireless communication system, communications between the electronic device 100 and another electronic device, or communications between the electronic device and a network where another electronic device (or an external server) is located, via wireless area networks. One example of the wireless area networks is a wireless personal area network)
It would have been obvious to someone in the art prior to the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Kwon with Kim to incorporate the features of: wherein the first communication scheme comprises new radio (NR) communication, and wherein the second communication scheme comprises ultra-wideband (UWB) communication. Both arts are considered analogous arts as they both disclose electronic devices with wireless communication. Kwon discloses The modification would render the predictable results of augmented positioning precision, augmented data speeds, reduced wireless latency, improved signal due to interference reduction and secured device access. However the modification of Kwon with Kim fails to disclose the feature of: and wherein the second communication scheme comprises ultra-wideband (UWB) communication.
Regarding claim 12, Kwon discloses:
the electronic device of claim 11 (Kwon, para [0009]),
Kim discloses:
wherein the plurality of first antennas are disposed on a first imaginary axis (Kim, para [0068]),
and wherein one antenna among the plurality of first antennas and the conductive portion are disposed on a second imaginary axis different from the first imaginary axis (Kim, paras [0068] and [0130], At least one antenna for wireless communication may be disposed on the terminal body. The antenna may be embedded in the terminal body or formed in the case. Meanwhile, a plurality of antennas connected to the 4G wireless communication module 111 and the 5G wireless communication module 112 may be arranged on a side surface of the terminal. Alternatively, an antenna may be formed in a form of film to be attached onto an inner surface of the rear cover 103 or a case including a conductive material may serve as an antenna), Examiner notes that 5G wireless communication uses imaginary axis in 5G New Radio such as the sub-6 frequency band
It would have been obvious to someone in the art prior to the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Kwon with Kim to incorporate the features of: wherein the first antennas are disposed on a first imaginary axis, and wherein one antenna among the first antennas and the conductive portion are disposed on a second imaginary axis different from the first imaginary axis. The modification would render the predictable results of reduced compromise of gain and bandwidth due to the size of the loop arrays that are suitable for space-limited devices and improved overall performance.
Regarding claim 13, Kwon discloses:
the electronic device of claim 12 (Kwon, para [0009]),
wherein the at least one processor is further configured to estimate a position of an external device (Kwon, para [0136]),
(Kwon, para [0061]) Examiner notes that wireless communication such as Bluetooth and multi-antenna GNSS systems have phase difference across a plurality of antennae, and notes not clearly disclosed
Kim discloses:
based on a third phase difference of signals received through the plurality of first antennas at a third time point and a fourth phase difference of signals received through one antenna among the plurality of first antennas and the conductive portion at a fourth time point different from the third time point (Kim, para [0232], Meanwhile, the plurality of RFICs 1251 to 1254 may each include a phase shifter (not shown). The phase shifter may be provided for each antenna element constituting an array antenna. In addition, beamforming may be performed using a phase difference between the antenna elements) and (para [0254], The baseband processor 1400 may be operatively coupled to the transceiver circuit 1250. The baseband processor 1400 may be configured to perform multiple input/output (MIMO) or diversity using first and second signals transmitted or received through the transceiver circuit 1250. The baseband processor 1400 may be configured to perform multiple input/output (MIMO) or diversity using first to third signals transmitted or received through the transceiver circuit 1250. The baseband processor 1400 may be configured to perform multiple input/output (MIMO) or diversity through first to fourth signals transmitted or received through the transceiver circuit 1250. Here, the fourth signal may be a signal transmitted or received through the second-type array antenna module) Examiner notes antenna diversity.
It would have been obvious to someone in the art prior to the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Kwon with Kim to incorporate the features of: based on a third phase difference of signals received through the plurality of first antennas at a third time point and a fourth phase difference of signals received through one antenna among the plurality of first antennas and the conductive portion at a fourth time point different from the third time point. The arts are considered analogous arts as they both disclose an electronic device that comprise multiple antenna. The modification would render the predictable results of improved signal diversity across different paths to reduce interference, improved estimations of time of arrival or direction of arrival, and improved synchronization of time
Regarding claim 14, Kwon discloses:
the electronic device of claim 1 (Kwon, para [0009]),
wherein the plurality of first antennas and/or or the at least one second antenna comprises (Kwon, para [0047], A plurality of antennas may be disposed inside the housing 110. A first antenna 171 and a second antenna 173 are illustrated in FIG. 1 as being disposed inside a left upper end of the housing 110. However, a location at which antennas are disposed is not limited thereto. In any embodiment, at least one of the antennas may be disposed inside a right upper end, a left lower end, or a right lower end of the inside of the housing 110, and at least another antenna may be further disposed inside the housing 110. As another example, the housing 110 may include a metal frame in at least a partial area, and at least part of the metal frame may be used as an antenna)
(Kwon, para [0061]) Examiner notes that Near Field Communication may use loop antenna, and notes Kwon does not clearly discloses said antenna type,
Kim discloses:
includes a dipole antenna (Kim, para [0222], In this regard, a plurality of antenna elements constituting the first to fourth array antennas ANT1 to ANT4 may be patch antenna elements or dipole (or monopole) antenna elements. Alternatively, each of the first to fourth array antennas ANT1 to ANT4 may include a first type array antenna configured as a patch antenna element and a second type array antenna configured as a dipole (or monopole) antenna element),
a folded dipole antenna,
a loop antenna,
or a folded loop antenna.
It would have been obvious to someone in the art prior to the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Kwon with Kim to incorporate the features of: a folded dipole antenna, a loop antenna, or a folded loop antenna. Both arts are considered analogous arts as they both disclose electronic devices with millimeter wave communication and sensor modules thereof. The modification would render the predictable results of reduced compromise of gain and bandwidth due to the size of the loop arrays that are suitable for space-limited devices and improved overall performance
Claim 16 is rejected under the same analysis as claim 1.
Claim 18 is rejected under the same analysis as claim 1.
Claim 19 is rejected under the same analysis as claim 2.
Regarding claim 21, Kwon discloses:
the electronic device of claim 1 (Kwon, para [0009]),
wherein the at least one processor is further configured to estimate the position of the external device (Kwon, para [0136]),
(Kwon, para [0061]).
Kim discloses:
based on a first phase difference of signals received through the plurality of first antennas at a first time point and a second phase difference of signals received through the at least one second antenna and one of the plurality of first antennas at a second time point different from the first time point (Kim, para [0232], Meanwhile, the plurality of RFICs 1251 to 1254 may each include a phase shifter (not shown). The phase shifter may be provided for each antenna element constituting an array antenna. In addition, beamforming may be performed using a phase difference between the antenna elements)
It would have been obvious to someone in the art prior to the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Kwon with Kim to incorporate the features of: based on a first phase difference of signals received through the plurality of first antennas at a first time point and a second phase difference of signals received through the at least one second antenna and one of the plurality of first antennas at a second time point different from the first time point. The arts are considered analogous arts as they both disclose an electronic device that comprise multiple antenna. The modification would render the predictable results of improved signal diversity across different paths to reduce interference, improved estimations of time of arrival or direction of arrival, and improved synchronization of time
Regarding claim 22, Kwon discloses:
the electronic device of claim 21, further comprising (Kwon, para [0009]):
third antenna circuitry disposed in a second area different from the first area of the inner space (Kwon, para [0058], Referring to FIGS. 2A and 2B, the electronic device 200 may include a plurality of antennas, a sensor module 290 formed using the antennas, and communication modules respectively connected to the antennas. The electronic device 200 is illustrated in FIG. 2A as including a first antenna 211 and a second antenna 213, and the electronic device 200 is illustrated in FIG. 2B as including the first antenna 211, the second antenna 213, and a third antenna 215. However, the number of antennas included in the electronic device 200 is not limited thereto. According to various embodiments, the electronic device 200 may further include at least another antenna),
the third antenna circuitry comprising a third substrate different from the first substrate and the second substrate and disposed in the inner space (Kwon, para [0058]),
a third array antenna disposed on the third substrate and supporting the first communication scheme (Kwon, paras [0075-0076] and [0086], Each of the antennas 511, 513, and 515 included in the electronic device 500 may be connected to a communication module that includes a circuit for transmitting and receiving a signal of a frequency band corresponding to each antenna. For example, the first antenna 511 may be connected with a first communication module 551, the second antenna 513 may be connected with a second communication module 553, and the third antenna 515 may be connected with a third communication module 555. Also, a matching circuit may be disposed between each antenna and a communication module with. For example, a first matching circuit 531 may be disposed between the first antenna 511 and the first communication module 551, a second matching circuit 533 may be disposed between the second antenna 513 and the second communication module 553, and a third matching circuit 535 may be disposed between the third antenna 515 and the third communication module 555),
and at least one third antenna disposed on the third substrate facing a third direction different from the first direction and the second direction and supporting the second communication scheme, wherein the at least one processor is configured to (Kwon, paras [0075-0076] and [0086]):
select the first antenna circuitry and the second antenna circuitry among the first antenna circuitry (Kwon, Abstract),
the second antenna circuitry and the third antenna circuitry based on information related to the third antennal circuitry for transmitting and/or receiving data using the first communication scheme (Kwon, paras [0075-0076]),
and estimate the position of the external device (Kwon, para [0136]),
(Kwon, para [0061]).
Kim US 20210280971 A1 discloses:
based on the first phase difference of signals received through the plurality of first antennas at the first time point and the second phase difference of signals received through the second antenna and one of the plurality of first antennas at the second time point (Kim, para [0232])
It would have been obvious to someone in the art prior to the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Kwon with Kim to incorporate the features of: based on the first phase difference of signals received through the plurality of first antennas at the first time point and the second phase difference of signals received through the second antenna and one of the plurality of first antennas at the second time point. The arts are considered analogous arts as they both disclose an electronic device that comprise multiple antenna. The modification would render the predictable results of improved signal diversity across different paths to reduce interference, improved estimations of time of arrival or direction of arrival, and improved synchronization of time.
Claim 23 is rejected under the same analysis as claim 21.
Claim 24 is rejected under the same analysis as claim 21.
References Cited but not Relied Upon
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure as thus:
Gomez et al US-11108155-B2 discloses an electronic device having distributed mm Wave antennas
Hong et al US-11973262-B2 discloses an electronic device including antenna module, conductive patch layers, machine learning (ie. CNN, RNN, DNN), and wireless technology (ie New Radio), beamforming and mm Wave
Kim et al US-20220069442-A1
Lee et al US-11262445-B2 discloses method and device for transmitting/receiving data via UWB in a wireless communication system
Lee et al US-12211773-B2 discloses antenna in package (AiP), conductive layers (ie aluminum (Al), copper (Cu), tin (Sn), nickel (Ni), gold (Au), silver (Ag))
Son US-20210234259-A1 discloses an electronic device, mm Wave signals for high directivity, and other wireless communication such as New Radio, 5G,
Ko et al US 20180372832 phase differences between signals amongst a plurality of antennae
Etran et al US 20190317177 A1 discloses loop antenna, dipole, and UWB
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to KIMBERLY JENKINS whose telephone number is (571)272-0404. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Friday 8a-5p EST.
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, Vladimir Magloire can be reached at 517.270.5144. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
Information regarding the status of published or unpublished applications may be obtained from Patent Center. Unpublished application information in Patent Center is available to registered users. To file and manage patent submissions in Patent Center, visit: https://patentcenter.uspto.gov. Visit https://www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/patent-center for more information about Patent Center and https://www.uspto.gov/patents/docx for information about filing in DOCX format. For additional questions, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000.
/KIMBERLY JENKINS/Examiner, Art Unit 3648
/VLADIMIR MAGLOIRE/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3648
Prosecution Insights