DETAILED ACTION
This Office Action is a response to Applicant's Amendment filed on 4/13/26. By virtue of this amendment, claims 1-19, 35-44,46-55 are cancelled and claims 56-66 are newly added after the final office action. After further new search and found new references to reject claims 20-21 and 45. Therefore, new claims 56-66 do not enter after the final office action and the final office action mailed on 3/4/26 is withdrawn and this office action is made non-final office action.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claims 20-21 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Lv et al (US 2021/0408672).
With respect to claim 20, Lv et al disclose in figures 2a-3b that, a feed board (310) for a radiating element, wherein the feed board (310) has first and second opposing primary surfaces (figures 3a-3b, 601 and 602) and a ground layer is on only one second primary surface(602) (figure 3b , a ground welding region(616) and paragraph [10] for the feed board may be printed thereon with ground pads, to which the first ground welding region (616) on the first feed stalk(400). Each of the ground pads may be electrically connected to a ground metal layer on the feed board) and wherein the feed board (301) is devoid of signal transmission lines on either of the first and second primary surfaces. (figure 3a, only 610 for transmission line and figure 3b which no transmission line).
With respect to claim 21, Lv et al disclose wherein the ground layer that occupies only a portion of the first or second primary surface of the feed board and is arranged in at least one curvilinear metal pattern. Paragraph [10].
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 34 and 45 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over by of Zhang et al (US Pub. NO:2022/0006182).
With respect to claim 34, Zhang et al disclose a base station antenna [paragraphs [38 or 54]), comprising: a grid reflector(paragraph [73] for the reflector); and a plurality of feed boards coupled to the grid reflector (feed portions, paragraph [ 73] for the feed portions (not shown here) extend forwardly from the reflector and paragraphs [8-9] for the feed portion comprise a piece sheet metal and the feed portion are constructed as a one-piece printed circuit board component), wherein some of the feed boards reside on a front primary surface of the grid reflector and some of the plurality of feed boards reside on a rear primary surface of the grid reflector. Paragraphs [5-6,28].
Zhang el al disclose each radiating arm of the radiator and the height of the feed portion of the radiator above the reflector as shown in paragraph [54].
Zhang et al do not explicitly disclose a grid reflector instead of the reflector.
However, this difference is not of patentable merit since both the grid reflector and the reflector can be operated with the same the base station antenna and clearly will operate frequency range over by the radiators. Therefore, to employ the grid reflector instead of the reflector of Zhang et al for a particular environment or a desired application would have been deemed obvious to a person skilled in the art.
With respect to claim 45, Zhang el al disclose a base station antenna (paragraphs [38 or 54]), comprising: a grid reflector (paragraph [73] for the reflector); and a plurality of feed boards (feed portions) coupled to the grid reflector (the reflector), wherein at least some of the plurality of feed boards have a lattice body with apertures surrounded by metal linear segments defining at least first and second conductive signal traces. Paragraph [73] for the feed portions (not shown here) extend forwardly from the reflector and may be inserted into the corresponding engaging grooves 10 and paragraphs [8-9] for the feed portion comprise a piece sheet metal and the feed portion are constructed as a one-piece printed circuit board component.
Zhang et al do not explicitly disclose a grid reflector instead of the reflector and wherein at least some of the plurality of feed boards have a lattice body with apertures surrounded by metal linear segments defining at least first and second conductive signal traces.
This difference is not of patentable merit since both the grid reflector and the reflector and the lattice body with apertures instead of the feed portion have inserted into the one piece printed circuit board can be operated with the same the base station antenna and clearly will operate frequency range over by the radiators. Therefore, to employ the grid reflector instead of the reflector of Zhang et al and the lattice body with apertures instead of the feed portion have inserted into the one piece printed circuit board of Zhang et al for a particular environment or a desired application would have been deemed obvious to a person skilled in the art.
Citation of pertinent prior art
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicants' disclosure. See prior arts/references listed on the PTO-892 form attached.
Inquiry
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to MINH TRAN whose telephone number is (571)272-1817. The examiner can normally be reached on 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Taningco Alexander H can be reached on 571-272-8048. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300. Information regarding the status of an application may be obtained from the Patent Application Information Retrieval (PAIR) system. Status information for published applications may be obtained from either Private PAIR or Public PAIR. Status information for unpublished applications is available through Private PAIR only. For more information about the PAIR system, see http://pair-direct.uspto.gov. Should you have questions on access to the Private PAIR system, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from USPTO Customer Service Representative or access to the automated information system, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000.
/Minh Tran/
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 2845
Prosecution Insights