DETAILED ACTION
The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
Response to Amendment
The amendment filed 02/13/2026 has been entered. Claims 1-13, 15, 17-22 are currently pending. The objection to the drawings set forth in the Non-Final Office Action dated 11/13/2025 has been withdrawn.
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.
Claim(s) 1-7, 15, 17-19 and 21-22 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Garcia Tejero et al. (US 2024/0235038 – of record; “Tejero”) in view of Kirino et al. (US 2018/0375219; “Kirino”).
Claim 1: Tejero discloses (figs. 2 & 26) “A device (automotive radar system 2) comprising:
a circuit board (12) including a top surface (12P) and a bottom surface (12D);
a package (¶142, MMIC 13) including a bottom surface affixed relative to the top surface (12P) of the circuit board (12);
and an antenna structure (waveguide antenna 11 and antenna interface structure 111) affixed relative to the bottom surface (12D) of the circuit board,
wherein the antenna structure includes:
an extension (111) protruding through an opening (125) in the circuit board (¶143: “the antenna interface structure 111 projects through a PCB coupling cut-out 125 of the PCB 12”); and
at least two waveguide channels (112) in the extension (111),
wherein the extension includes sidewalls surrounding a first waveguide channel of the at least two waveguide channels (¶101: “The antenna interface structure 111 includes in this embodiment a number equally shaped interface waveguide apertures 112 that form proximal openings of corresponding waveguide channels which extend from the interface waveguide apertures 112 into the waveguide antenna 11 in generally distal direction”), and
wherein the sidewalls define two oblong circular regions (see fig. 20b below) in the first waveguide channel”.
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Fig. 20b of Tejero shows two oblong circular regions, but they are not symmetric over a center line. However, Tejero does show symmetric sidewalls surrounding waveguide channels in figs. 3, 7 and 13.
Kirino teaches (fig. 7A and fig. 9A below) sidewalls of a waveguide (210, 220), where the sidewalls are symmetric over a center line and define two oblong circular regions (¶151).
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It would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a person having ordinary skill in the art to modify the device of Tejero, wherein the sidewalls are symmetric over a center line and define two oblong circular regions, as taught by Kirino. Doing so allows for the cross-sectional shape of the waveguide channel to be designed allowing a desired pattern of em wave propagation and to minimize leakage of em waves (¶151).
Claim 2: the modified Tejero teaches the device of claim 1.
Tejero discloses (fig. 26) “wherein the bottom surface of the package (13) is coupled to the top surface (12P) of the circuit board (¶52: “the semiconductor component 13 being mounted on the PCB proximal side 12P”)
and the antenna structure (111) is coupled to the bottom surface (12D) of the circuit board”.
Claim 3: the modified Tejero teaches the device of claim 1.
Tejero discloses (fig. 26) “wherein the package (13) includes at least one signal launch (¶52: “the semiconductor component includes a number of signal launchers”)
and the antenna structure (111) includes at least one waveguide channel positioned for signal communication with the at least one signal launch (¶52: “The number of signal launchers corresponds to the number of interface waveguide apertures”)”.
Claim 4: the modified Tejero teaches the device of claim 3.
Tejero discloses (fig. 26) “wherein the antenna structure (111) physically contacts the package (13) (¶143: “the antenna interface structure 111 may contact the MMIC 13 at its distal side directly”)”.
Claim 5: the modified Tejero teaches the device of claim 3.
Tejero discloses “wherein the at least one waveguide channel is a metal-coated waveguide channel (¶20: “where made from plastics or non-conductive material, the walls of the waveguide channel structure are generally fully metallized”)”.
Claim 6: the modified Tejero teaches the device of claim 5.
Tejero discloses (fig. 2) “wherein the metal-coated waveguide channel (112) has a rectangular cross section with a ridge (the cross-sectional shape of channels 112 is rectangular with ridges formed on all four sides of the channel)”.
Claim 7: the modified Tejero teaches the device of claim 5.
Tejero discloses (¶49) “wherein the metal-coated waveguide channel is a first metal-coated waveguide channel, and wherein the antenna structure includes a second metal-coated waveguide channel positioned for signal communication with an additional signal launch of the package (¶49: “each signal launcher is also aligned with an associated interface wave guide aperture of the waveguide antenna in a one-to-one manner and can exchange electromagnetic signals therewith via respectively through the respective PCB waveguide passage”).
Claim 15: the modified Tejero teaches the device of claim 1.
Tejero discloses “wherein the opening (cutout) in the circuit board (12) is a first opening, wherein the extension is a first extension”.
Tejero does not disclose wherein the antenna structure includes a second extension protruding through the second opening in the circuit board to couple to the bottom surface of the package.
Tejero teaches (fig. 26) that the extension protrudes through the circuit board (PCB 12) and couples to the bottom surface of a package (MMIC 13). Although Tejero does not explicitly teach a second extension in the embodiment of fig. 26, it would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a person having ordinary skill in the art that replacing PCB waveguide passages (124) and waveguide passages (112) shown in fig. 25 of Tejero with two separate extensions would yield predictable results.
Furthermore, it has been held that mere duplication of the essential working parts of a device involves only routine skill in the art. St. Regis Paper Co. v. Bemis Co., 193 USPQ 8.
Claim 17: the modified Tejero teaches the device of claim 1.
Tejero discloses (fig. 26) “wherein the package (13) includes at least two signal launches (¶52: “the semiconductor component includes a number of signal launchers”), and wherein each waveguide channel of the at least two waveguide channels is positioned for signal communication with a respective signal launch of the at least two signal launches (¶52: “The number of signal launchers corresponds to the number of interface waveguide apertures”)”.
Claim 18: Tejero discloses (figs. 2 & 26) “A device comprising:
a circuit board (12) including a first surface, a second surface, and a cutout (¶143, PCB coupling cut-out 125) through the circuit board; and
an antenna structure (waveguide antenna 11 and antenna interface structure 111) coupled to the first surface of the circuit board (12);
wherein the antenna structure includes an extension (111) protruding through the cutout (125) in the circuit board (12), and
wherein the antenna structure further includes at least two waveguide channels (112) extending through the extension (111) in the antenna structure,
wherein the extension includes sidewalls surrounding a first waveguide channel of the at least two waveguide channels (¶101: “The antenna interface structure 111 includes in this embodiment a number equally shaped interface waveguide apertures 112 that form proximal openings of corresponding waveguide channels which extend from the interface waveguide apertures 112 into the waveguide antenna 11 in generally distal direction”),
wherein the sidewalls define two oblong circular regions (see fig. 20b below) in the first waveguide channel”.
Fig. 20b of Tejero shows two oblong circular regions, but they are not symmetric over a center line. However, Tejero does show symmetric sidewalls surrounding waveguide channels in figs. 3, 7 and 13.
Kirino teaches (fig. 7A and fig. 9A below) sidewalls of a waveguide (210, 220), where the sidewalls are symmetric over a center line and define two oblong circular regions (¶151).
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It would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a person having ordinary skill in the art to modify the device of Tejero, wherein the sidewalls are symmetric over a center line and define two oblong circular regions, as taught by Kirino. Doing so allows for the cross-sectional shape of the waveguide channel to be designed allowing a desired pattern of em wave propagation and to minimize leakage of em waves (¶151).
Claim 19: the modified Tejero teaches the device of claim 18.
Tejero discloses (annotated fig. 26) “further comprising a package (MMIC 13) including a bottom surface coupled to the circuit board (12), wherein the bottom surface of the package is also coupled to the extension (111) of the antenna structure (11, 111)”.
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Claim 21: Tejero discloses (figs. 2 & 26) “A system comprising:
a circuit board (12) including a top surface and a bottom surface;
a package (MMIC 13) coupled to the top surface of the circuit board (12), wherein the package includes a first launch and a second launch (¶52: “the semiconductor component includes a number of signal launchers”); and
an antenna structure (waveguide antenna 11 and antenna interface structure 111) coupled to the bottom surface of the circuit board (12),
wherein the antenna structure includes:
an extension (111) protruding through an opening (cutout 125) in the circuit board (12);
a first waveguide channel (112) in the extension aligned with the first launch (¶101: “The antenna interface structure 111 includes in this embodiment a number equally shaped interface waveguide apertures 112 that form proximal openings of corresponding waveguide channels which extend from the interface waveguide apertures 112 into the waveguide antenna 11 in generally distal direction”),
wherein the extension includes sidewalls surrounding the first waveguide channel,
and wherein the sidewalls define two oblong circular regions (see fig. 20b) in the first waveguide channel; and
a second waveguide channel in the extension aligned with the second launch (shown in fig. 26)”.
Fig. 20b of Tejero shows two oblong circular regions, but they are not symmetric over a center line. However, Tejero does show symmetric sidewalls surrounding waveguide channels in figs. 3, 7 and 13.
Kirino teaches (fig. 7A and fig. 9A below) sidewalls of a waveguide (210, 220), where the sidewalls are symmetric over a center line and define two oblong circular regions (¶151).
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It would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a person having ordinary skill in the art to modify the system of Tejero, wherein the sidewalls are symmetric over a center line and define two oblong circular regions, as taught by Kirino. Doing so allows for the cross-sectional shape of the waveguide channel to be designed allowing a desired pattern of em wave propagation and to minimize leakage of em waves (¶151).
Claim 22: the modified Tejero teaches the system of claim 21.
Tejero discloses “wherein the antenna structure physically contacts the package (¶143), and wherein the first waveguide channel is positioned for signal communication with the first launch (¶49)”.
Claims 8, 11 and 20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Tejero in view of Kirino, and further in view of Chayat et al. (US 2019/0260132 – of record; “Chayat”).
Claim 8: the modified Tejero teaches the device of claim 7.
Tejero discloses “wherein each of the at least one signal launch and the additional signal launch includes an antenna (¶48: “the semiconductor component includes a number of electromagnetic signal launchers”. ¶1: “the disclosure maybe used in the field of automotive radar systems”)”.
Tejero does not disclose “a slot antenna”.
Chayat teaches (¶7) a cavity in a planar substrate, such as an integrated circuit, a radiating slot, and at least one strip resonator situated within a cavity (i.e., the slot antenna 100 of fig. 1). The slot antenna of Chayat may be used as a waveguide launcher (¶49).
It would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a person having ordinary skill in the art to apply the teachings of Chayat to the device of Tejero in view of Kirino where the signal launches include a slot antenna. Doing so increases the efficiency of the antenna while conserving space (¶7).
Claim 11: the modified Tejero teaches the device of claim 3.
Tejero does not disclose “wherein the at least one signal launch includes a slot antenna”.
Chayat teaches (¶7) a cavity in a planar substrate, such as an integrated circuit, a radiating slot, and at least one strip resonator situated within a cavity (i.e., the slot antenna 100 of fig. 1). The slot antenna of Chayat may be used as a waveguide launcher (¶49).
It would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a person having ordinary skill in the art to apply the teachings of Chayat to the device of Tejero in view of Kirino where the signal launch includes a slot antenna. Doing so increases the efficiency of the antenna while conserving space (¶7).
Claim 20: the modified Tejero teaches the device of claim 19.
Tejero discloses (fig. 26) “wherein the package (13) includes an antenna (electromagnetic signal launcher 131) on the bottom surface of the package, wherein the antenna (131) is coupled to the waveguide channel (¶52: “The interface waveguide apertures 112 are in each case aligned with a respective electromagnetic signal launcher in a one-to-one manner”)”.
Tejero does not disclose “a slot antenna”.
Chayat teaches (¶7) a cavity in a planar substrate, such as an integrated circuit, a radiating slot, and at least one strip resonator situated within a cavity (i.e., the slot antenna 100 of fig. 1). The slot antenna of Chayat may be used as a waveguide launcher (¶49).
It would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a person having ordinary skill in the art to apply the teachings of Chayat to the device of Tejero in view of Kirino where the signal launch includes a slot antenna. Doing so increases the efficiency of the antenna while conserving space (¶7).
Claims 9-10 and 12-13 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Tejero in view of Kirino and Chayat, and further in view of Han et al. (US 2013/0127669; hereinafter Han).
Claim 9: the modified Tejero teaches the device of claim 8.
Tejero does not disclose “wherein the slot antenna comprises:
a first plane with an aperture;
and a radiating element aligned in a plane parallel to, and separate from, the first plane, the radiating element having a tip aligned in a position that is in a first dimension within boundaries of the aperture in a second and a third dimension”.
Chayat teaches (fig. 1) “wherein the slot antenna (100) comprises:
a first plane (110) with an aperture (120);
and a radiating element (150, 160) aligned in a plane (113, 114, respectively) parallel to, and separate from, the first plane (110)”.
It would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a person having ordinary skill in the art to apply the teachings of Chayat to the device of Tejero in view of Kirino and Chayat, wherein the slot antenna comprises: a first plane with an aperture; and a radiating element aligned in a plane parallel to, and separate from, the first plane. Doing so allows the amount of coupling between the radiating element and the slot to be controlled (¶37 of Chayat) and enables a smaller device with improved bandwidth characteristics (¶7 of Chayat).
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Chayat discloses a radiating element having a tip (see, for example, transmission line resonator 760 in fig. 7 and linear resonator 460 in fig. 4a). However, Chayat does not teach “the radiating element having a tip aligned in a position that is in a first dimension within boundaries of the aperture in a second and a third dimension”.
Han teaches (fig. 1 shown below) “the radiating element (feedline 131) having a tip aligned in a position that is in a first dimension within boundaries of the aperture (dielectric cavity 120) in a second (a) and a third (b) dimension”.
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It would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a person having ordinary skill in the art to apply the teachings of Han to the device of Tejero in view of Kirino and Chayat, the radiating element having a tip aligned in a position that is in a first dimension within boundaries of the aperture in a second and a third dimension. Doing so allows the radiating element to be extended from any one layer of the layers forming the aperture (¶19) in order to better control the antenna radiation pattern.
Claim 10: the modified Tejero teaches the device of claim 9.
Tejero does not disclose “wherein the radiating element has a uniform shape at the position and in an area extending beyond the boundaries of the aperture in the second and the third dimension”.
Han teaches (fig. 1) “wherein the radiating element (131) has a uniform shape at the position and in an area extending beyond the boundaries of the aperture (120) in the second (a) and third (b) dimension”.
It would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a person having ordinary skill in the art to apply the teachings of Han to the device of Tejero in view of Kirino and Chayat, wherein the radiating element has a uniform shape at the position and in an area extending beyond the boundaries of the aperture in the second and third dimension. Doing so minimizes reflections and ensures predictable signal behavior at high frequencies, and provides a radiating element with a constant impedance at every point along its length.
Claim 12: the modified Tejero teaches the device of claim 11.
Tejero does not disclose “wherein the slot antenna comprises: a first plane with an aperture; and a radiating element aligned in a plane parallel to, and separate from, the first plane, the radiating element having a tip aligned in a position that is in a first dimension within boundaries of the aperture in a second and a third dimension”.
Chayat teaches (fig. 1) “wherein the slot antenna (100) comprises:
a first plane (110) with an aperture (120);
and a radiating element (150, 160) aligned in a plane (113, 114, respectively) parallel to, and separate from, the first plane (110)”.
It would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a person having ordinary skill in the art to apply the teachings of Chayat to the device of Tejero in view of Kirino and Chayat, wherein the slot antenna comprises: a first plane with an aperture; and a radiating element aligned in a plane parallel to, and separate from, the first plane. Doing so allows the amount of coupling between the radiating element and the slot to be controlled (¶37 of Chayat) and enables a smaller device with improved bandwidth characteristics (¶7 of Chayat).
Chayat discloses a radiating element having a tip (see, for example, transmission line resonator 760 in fig. 7 and linear resonator 460 in fig. 4a). However, Chayat does not teach “the radiating element having a tip aligned in a position that is in a first dimension within boundaries of the aperture in a second and a third dimension”.
Han teaches (fig. 1) “the radiating element (feedline 131) having a tip aligned in a position that is in a first dimension within boundaries of the aperture (dielectric cavity 120) in a second and a third dimension”.
It would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a person having ordinary skill in the art to apply the teachings of Han to the device of Tejero in view of Kirino and Chayat, the radiating element having a tip aligned in a position that is in a first dimension within boundaries of the aperture in a second and a third dimension. Doing so allows the radiating element to be extended from any one layer of the layers forming the aperture (¶19) in order to better control the antenna radiation pattern.
Claim 13: the modified Tejero teaches the device of claim 12.
Tejero does not disclose “wherein the radiating element has a uniform shape at the position and in an area extending beyond the boundaries of the aperture in the second and third dimension”.
Han teaches (fig. 1) “wherein the radiating element (131) has a uniform shape at the position and in an area extending beyond the boundaries of the aperture in the second and third dimension”.
It would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a person having ordinary skill in the art to apply the teachings of Han to the device of Tejero in view of Kirino and Chayat, wherein the radiating element has a uniform shape at the position and in an area extending beyond the boundaries of the aperture in the second and third dimension. Doing so minimizes reflections and ensures predictable signal behavior at high frequencies, and provides a radiating element with a constant impedance at every point along its length.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to the claims have been fully considered, but are moot in view of the new grounds of rejection.
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 ANNA N HAMADYK whose telephone number is (703)756-1672. The examiner can normally be reached 7:30 am - 5:00 pm.
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/ANNA N HAMADYK/Examiner, Art Unit 2845
/DIMARY S LOPEZ CRUZ/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2845
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