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 .
Election/Restrictions
Claim 9-20 are withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b) as being drawn to a nonelected method of creating, there being no allowable generic or linking claim. Election was made without traverse in the reply filed on July 9th 2025.
Priority
Applicant’s claim for the benefit of a prior-filed application under 35 U.S.C. 119(e) or
under 35 U.S.C. 120, 121, 365(c), or 386(c) is acknowledged.
Response to Amendment
The amendments filed on October 23th 2025 have been entered. Claims 1-8 are currently pending. Applicants’ amendments to claims have overcome the objections set forth in the Non-Final Office Action mailed on July 23th 2025.
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) 1-8 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Lee et al. (IDS Reference US 20210036404 A1) in view of Haziza et al. (US 10505280 B2) and Sakai et al. (US 20110084880 A1).
Regarding Claim 1, Lee et al. discloses an antenna (Wireless communication module 192 comprises antenna modules and serves as an antenna unit as seen in figure 2 of Lee et al.), comprising:
a plurality of radiators arranged in an array (Antenna 242, 244, and 248 can each comprise a plurality of radiating elements like 330 which form an array; Paragraph 45-61 and figure 2-3 of Lee et al.);
a plurality of transmission lines (Antenna modules each comprise transmission lines like 411-412, 431-434, and 451-452 which form a plurality of lines that connect electrical components like RFIC, RFFE, and the antenna elements to allow RF signals to flow; Paragraph 53-78 and figure 3 and 4 of Lee et al.),
a plurality of variable phase shifters divided into a plurality of subgroups (Each of the antenna modules include phase shifters forming a plurality wherein a single module like 246 can include a subgroup of 4 phase shifters 471-474 connected to the antenna units; Paragraph 65-78 and figure 4 of Lee et al.),
a controller outputting a signal indicative of amount of phase shift to be activated for each of the radiators (Communication processors 212 and 214 control the phase shift value of each phase shifter 471-474 which in turn are connected to the antenna elements; Paragraph 9-11 and 71-78 as well as figure 4 of Lee et al.);
a switch interposed between the transmission lines and the plurality of variable phase shifters, the switch receiving the signal from the controller and connecting selected variable phase shifters to selected transmission lines according to the signal, the switch operated to activate each selected variable phase shifter to cause a phase shift (A switch 440 is connected between the plurality of lines 431-434 and the phase shifters 471-474 wherein the controller passes a signal to control the switch and connect the phase shifter to a corresponding line such that a correct phase can be implemented by the selected phase shifter; Paragraph 9-11 and 77 as well as figure 4 of Lee et al).
Lee et al. fails to explicitly disclose the transmission lines, each coupled to one of the radiators and each of the subgroups interposed between one of the transmission lines and one of the radiators and a phase shift that relies on rise time of phase shift of the selected variable phase shifter rather than a fall time of a variable phase shifter, according to the signal indicative of the amount of phase shift.
However, Haziza et al. does disclose the transmission lines, each coupled to one of the radiators and each of the subgroups interposed between one of the transmission lines and one of the radiators (Radiating Patch 612 is coupled to a transmission line via a connector 665 and a subgroup of variable phase shifters in the form of delay lines 615 and 617 are connected to the radiator and interposed between the transmission line and the radiator wherein this structure comprised a single radiating element which may be part of an array thus forming a plurality of said elements; Paragraph 14-17 and 25-33 and figure 6b of Haziza et al.).
Sakai et al. also discloses a phase shift that relies on rise time of phase shift of the selected variable phase shifter rather than a fall time of a variable phase shifter, according to the signal indicative of the amount of phase shift (Antenna array comprise antenna elements 805-808 connected to an delay lines 813-815 and impulse generators 801-804 that serve as phase shifters wherein a transmission impulse of the antenna elements is generated based on the rise of an incoming pulse such that the phase shift would be determined by the timing of the rising edge, time delay, which would be a phase shift relying on the rise time rather than the fall time; Paragraph 121-139 and 151-164 as well as figures 8-10 of Sakai et al.).
Therefore, it would have been obvious before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to a person having ordinary skill in the art modify the antenna as taught by Lee et al. to have transmission lines, each coupled to one of the radiators and each of the subgroups interposed between one of the transmission lines and one of the radiators as taught by Haziza et al. to feed a signal to the radiating element wherein the signal is shifted by the subgroup and then radiated out (Paragraph 32-33).
It would have been further obvious before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to a person having ordinary skill in the art modify the antenna as taught by Lee et al. and Haziza et al. to have a phase shift that relies on rise time of phase shift of the selected variable phase shifter rather than a fall time of a variable phase shifter, according to the signal indicative of the amount of phase shift as taught by Sakai et al. so the phase shift is purely in the time domain such that the correct delay/phase can be applied for all frequencies so beam direction is constant for all directions (Paragraph 164 and 236 of Sakai et al.) and would utilize simpler hardware.
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Regarding Claim 2, Lee et al. further discloses wherein each of the variable phase shifters introduces a phase shift of less than 3600 (Phase shifters can introduce a phase anywhere between 0 and 360 degrees and thus have values less than 360; Paragraph 74-76 and table 2 of Lee et al.).
Regarding Claim 3, Lee et al. further discloses wherein each of the variable phase shifters introduces a phase shift up to 3600/x, wherein x is a natural number of 2 or larger (When x = 4 each of the phase shifters can introduce a phase up to 90 degrees; Paragraph 74-76 and table 2 of Lee et al.).
Regarding Claim 4, Lee et al. further discloses wherein each of the plurality of subgroups of variable phase shifters includes n variable phase shifters, and wherein each variable phase shifter within the group introduces a phase shift of up to 3600/n (There can be 4 variable phase shifters thus n=4 wherein each phase shifter can be configured to introduce a phase up to 90 degrees; Paragraph 74-76 and table 2 of Lee et al.).
Regarding Claim 5, Lee et al. further discloses further comprising a plurality of fixed phase shifters, and wherein at least one of the variable phase shifters within each group is connected to one of the fixed phase shifters (Transmission lines 431-434 can be configured as phase shift lines wherein each of them is designed to have a fixed length such that they can impart a certain phase thus serving as a fixed phase shifter wherein at least one of these lines would be connected to one of the variable phase shifters in a subgroup through distribution lines; Paragraph 73-77 as well as figure 4 and table 2 of Lee et al.).
Regarding Claim 6, Lee et al. further discloses wherein each of the plurality of subgroups of variable phase shifters includes n variable phase shifters, and wherein each variable phase shifter within the group introduces a phase shift of up to (3600/n) + m, wherein m< (3600/n) (Each of the 4 phase shifters can be configured to introduce a phase up to 157.5 or 135 wherein n =4 and m would be less than 90 degrees; Paragraph 74-76 and table 2 of Lee et al.).
Regarding Claim 7, Lee et al. further discloses further comprising a plurality of fixed phase shifters, and wherein at least one of the variable phase shifters within each group is connected to one of the fixed phase shifters (Transmission lines 431-434 can be configured as phase shift lines wherein each of them is designed to have a fixed length such that they can impart a certain phase thus serving as a fixed phase shifter wherein at least one of these lines would be connected to one of the variable phase shifters in a subgroup through distribution lines; Paragraph 73-77 as well as figure 4 and table 2 of Lee et al.).
Regarding Claim 8, Lee et al. further discloses wherein the controller further outputs a control signal indicative of the amount of electrical potential corresponding to the amount of phase shift to be activated for each of the radiators (Communication processors 212 and 214 control the phase shift value of each phase shifter 471-474 specifically setting the value of each phase shifter wherein such control would be done through a control signal outputted to the phase shifters specifically corresponding to the amount of phase shift required wherein a signal might be outputted depending on whether the phase shifter needs to be used; Paragraph 9-11 and 71-78 as well as figure 4 of Lee et al).
Response to Amendment
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claim 1 have been considered but are moot because the new ground of rejection does not rely on any combination of references applied in the prior rejection of record for any teaching or matter specifically challenged in the argument.
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.
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure
WO 2019234720A1 (PALAZZI VALENTINA et al.) discloses an antenna comprising a plurality of variable phase shifters and fixed phase shifters coupled to a radiating antenna element.
US 20150244072 A1 (Harel; Jean-Pierre) discloses an antenna comprising a plurality of variable phase shifters connected to an antenna element and a switch for selecting a transmission line to connect to the phase shifters.
US 20200303833 A1 (UEDA; Hideki) discloses an antenna array with a plurality of radiating elements wherein each radiating element is connected to a subgroup of variable phase shifters.
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/DAMEON E LEVI/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2845
/GURBIR SINGH/Examiner, Art Unit 2845