DETAILED ACTION
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.
Continued Examination Under 37 CFR 1.114
A request for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, including the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e), was filed in this application after final rejection. Since this application is eligible for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114. Applicant's submission filed on 04/13/2026 has been entered.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments filled 04/13/2026 have been considered but are moot because the new ground of rejection does not rely on any reference applied in the prior rejection of record for any teaching or matter specifically challenged in the argument.
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)(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.
(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 1, 7, and 8 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Hasan(NPL document: Design and characterization of a differential microstrip patch antenna array at 122 GHz)
Regarding claim 1, Hasan discloses
A patch array antenna (“ a MIMO radar transceiver with series-fed patch antenna arrays” [Sect.1, Par.1), comprising: a dielectric substrate (“ substrate for this design is Rogers RO3003 “ [Sect.2, Par.1]); and a plurality of antenna elements formed on the dielectric substrate(“ a MIMO radar transceiver with series-fed patch antenna arrays” [Sect.1, Par.1), arranged in a first direction (FIG.1, Part.RX_arrays), and connected in series (“ connecting the patches in series” [Sect.2, Par.3]), wherein each antenna element of the plurality of antenna elements has two input terminals and two output terminals that are connected to the respective antenna element at respective positions outside a centerline that extends in a first direction of the antenna element (“These patches are fed by differential line and a full wavelength separation is maintained between the center of the two patches” [Sect.2, Par.3] & FIG.1, Part.RX_arrays), and wherein the two input terminals are connected to the respective antenna element at different input positions in a second direction perpendicular to the centerline (Fig.2, Part.”differential signal line”), and the two output terminals are connected to the respective antenna element at different output positions in the second direction perpendicular to the centerline (“The proper impedance matching is obtained by introducing a quarter wavelength matching network between the differential signal line and the rectangular patch” [Sect.2, Par.2] & Fig.2, Part.”differential signal line”)and wherein each antenna element of the plurality of antenna elements is formed in a rectangular shape (FIG.2, Part.radiating_edges), and the two input terminals are connected to one side of two sides extending along the second direction(FIG.1, Part.RX_arrays), and the two output terminals and are connected to the other side of two sides extending along the second direction element (“These patches are fed by differential line and a full wavelength separation is maintained between the center of the two patches” [Sect.2, Par.3] & FIG.1, Part.RX_arrays).
Regarding claim 7, Hasan discloses
The patch array antenna of claim 1, wherein the two input terminals are connected at positions symmetric with respect to the centerline (Fig.2, Part.”differential signal line”).
Regarding claim 8, Hasan discloses
The patch array antenna of claim 1, wherein the two output terminals are connected at positions symmetric with respect to the centerline (FIG.3, Parts.L1 & L2).
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.
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 2-6, 9-11, and 14 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Hasan(NPL document: Design and characterization of a differential microstrip patch antenna array at 122 GHz) in view of HONMA(JP2005039751A).
Regarding claim 2, Hasan discloses all the limitations of claim 1. Hasan does not appear to explicitly disclose wherein a distance between the two input terminals is different from a distance between the two output terminals. HONMA teaches in the same field of teaches in the same field of patch antennas. HONMA disclose wherein, a distance between the two input terminals in the second direction perpendicular to the centerline (FIG.23, Part.1) is different from a distance between the two output terminals in the second direction perpendicular to the centerline (FIG.23, Parts.201, 202 & feedline)
HONMA teaches in the same field of patch antennas. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art prior to the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Hasan with the teachings of HONMA to incorporate the features of a distance between the two input terminals being different from a distance between the two output terminals so as to gain the advantage of improving cross polarization characteristics [0024, HONMA]. Also, since it has been held that if a technique has been used to improve one device, and a person of ordinary skill in the art would recognize that it would improve similar devices in the same way, using the technique is obvious unless its actual application is beyond his or her skill (MPEP 2143).
Regarding claim 3, Hasan as modified by HONMA discloses all the limitations of claim 2. Hasan discloses wherein, distances between each of the two input terminals and the centerline are equal to each other, and distances between each of the two output terminals and the centerline are equal to each other (“These patches are fed by differential line and a full wavelength separation is maintained between the center of the two patches” [Sect.2, Par.3] & FIG.1, Part.RX_arrays).
Regarding claim 4, Hasan as modified by HONMA discloses all the limitations of claim 2. Hasan does not appear to explicitly disclose wherein the two input terminals are connected more to the inside or to the outside in a width direction of the antenna element than the two output terminals. HONMA teaches in the same field of teaches in the same field of patch antennas. HONMA discloses wherein, the two input terminals are connected more to the inside (FIG.23, Parts.201, 202 & feedline) or to the outside in a width direction of the antenna element than the two output terminals (FIG.23, Part.1)
HONMA teaches in the same field of patch antennas. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art prior to the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Hasan with the teachings of HONMA to incorporate the features of the two input terminals are connected more to the inside or to the outside in a width direction of the antenna element than the two output terminals so as to gain the advantage of improving cross polarization characteristics [0024, HONMA]. Also, since it has been held that if a technique has been used to improve one device, and a person of ordinary skill in the art would recognize that it would improve similar devices in the same way, using the technique is obvious unless its actual application is beyond his or her skill (MPEP 2143).
Regarding claim 5, Hasan discloses all of the limitations of claim 1. Hasan fails to set forth input/output terminals connected on opposite eccentric sides. As above, Hasan discloses two input terminals. HONMA teaches in the same field of teaches in the same field of patch antennas. HONMA discloses the patch array antenna wherein, a first input terminal of the two input terminals is connected to a position that is eccentric to a first side of the centerline (fig.8, Part.4), a second input terminal is connected to a position that is eccentric to the second side opposite to the first side from the centerline (fig.8, Part.5)
HONMA teaches in the same field of patch antennas. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art prior to the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Hasan with the teachings of HONMA to incorporate the features of input/output terminals connected on opposite eccentric sides so as to gain the advantage of improving cross polarization characteristics [0024, HONMA]. Also, since it has been held that if a technique has been used to improve one device, and a person of ordinary skill in the art would recognize that it would improve similar devices in the same way, using the technique is obvious unless its actual application is beyond his or her skill (MPEP 2143).
Regarding claim 6, Hasan discloses all of the limitations of claim 1. Hasan fails to set forth output terminals connected on opposite eccentric sides. As above, Hasan discloses two output terminals. HONMA teaches in the same field of teaches in the same field of patch antennas. HONMA discloses the patch array antenna wherein, a first output terminal of the two output terminals are connected to a position that is eccentric to a first side of the centerline(fig.8, Part.1, 201, 202 & 5), and a second of the output terminals is connected to a position that is eccentric to a second side opposite to the first side of the centerline (fig.8, Part.1, 302 &303).
HONMA teaches in the same field of patch antennas. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art prior to the effective filing date of the claimed invention to Hasan with the teachings of HONMA to incorporate the features of output terminals connected on opposite eccentric sides so as to gain the advantage of improving cross polarization characteristics [0024, HONMA]. Also, since it has been held that if a technique has been used to improve one device, and a person of ordinary skill in the art would recognize that it would improve similar devices in the same way, using the technique is obvious unless its actual application is beyond his or her skill (MPEP 2143).
Regarding claim 9, Hasan discloses all of the limitations of claim 1. Hasan fails to set forth a reverse phase input. As above, Hasan discloses two input terminals. HONMA teaches in the same field of teaches in the same field of patch antennas. HONMA discloses the patch array antenna wherein, the two of the two input terminals are configured to be input with electromagnetic waves of a reverse phase (”The feed line 1 is connected to the input and output sides of the patch antenna element at locations where the phases are reversed” [0051]).
HONMA teaches in the same field of patch antennas. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art prior to the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Hasan with the teachings of HONMA to incorporate the features of a reverse phase input so as to gain the advantage of improving cross polarization characteristics [0024, HONMA]. Also, since it has been held that if a technique has been used to improve one device, and a person of ordinary skill in the art would recognize that it would improve similar devices in the same way, using the technique is obvious unless its actual application is beyond his or her skill (MPEP 2143).
Regarding claim 10, Hasan as modified by HONMA discloses all of the limitations of claim 9. Hasan fails to set forth polarization perpendicular to the first direction discloses the patch array antenna. HONMA teaches in the same field of teaches in the same field of patch antennas. Hasan discloses wherein, the patch array antenna generates the electromagnetic waves of a plane of polarization perpendicular to the first direction (“ the polarized wave components in the vertical direction of the paper cancel each other out, and the polarized waves in the horizontal direction of the paper reinforce each other” [0071]).
HONMA teaches in the same field of patch antennas. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art prior to the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Hasan with the teachings of HONMA to incorporate the features of polarization perpendicular to the first direction so as to gain the advantage of improving cross polarization characteristics [0024, HONMA]. Also, since it has been held that if a technique has been used to improve one device, and a person of ordinary skill in the art would recognize that it would improve similar devices in the same way, using the technique is obvious unless its actual application is beyond his or her skill (MPEP 2143).
Regarding claim 11, Hasan as modified by HONMA discloses all of the limitations of claim 9. Hasan fails to set forth a reverse phase input. As above, Hasan discloses two input terminals. HONMA discloses the patch array antenna wherein, the two input terminals are configured to be input with the electromagnetic waves of the reverse phase to excite the corresponding reverse phases(”The feed line 1 is connected to the input and output sides of the patch antenna element at locations where the phases are reversed” [0051] & “the current flowing on the input side and the current flowing on the output side are in opposite phases” [0051]).
HONMA teaches in the same field of patch antennas. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art prior to the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Hasan with the teachings of HONMA to incorporate the features of a reverse phase input so as to gain the advantage of improving cross polarization characteristics [0024, HONMA]. Also, since it has been held that if a technique has been used to improve one device, and a person of ordinary skill in the art would recognize that it would improve similar devices in the same way, using the technique is obvious unless its actual application is beyond his or her skill (MPEP 2143).
Regarding claim 14, Hasan discloses all of the limitations of claim 1. Hasan discloses,
the patch array antenna of wherein the plurality of antenna elements comprise a first antenna element and a second antenna element (FIG.3, Parts.L1 & L2), wherein the two input terminals of the first antenna element are connected to the two output terminals of the second antenna element (FIG.2, Part.”Differential signal line”),
Hasan does not appear to explicitly disclose wherein a distance between the two input terminals is different from a distance between the two output. HONMA teaches in the same field of teaches in the same field of patch antennas. HONMA discloses wherein, wherein a distance between the two input terminals of the first antenna element (FIG.23, Part.1) is different from a distance between the two output terminals of the second antenna element (FIG.23, Parts.201, 202 & feedline).
HONMA teaches in the same field of patch antennas. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art prior to the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Hasan with the teachings of HONMA to incorporate the features wherein the two input terminals is different from a distance between the two output so as to gain the advantage of improving cross polarization characteristics [0024, HONMA]. Also, since it has been held that if a technique has been used to improve one device, and a person of ordinary skill in the art would recognize that it would improve similar devices in the same way, using the technique is obvious unless its actual application is beyond his or her skill (MPEP 2143).
Documents Considered but not Relied Upon
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to the applicant’s Disclosure.
UEDA(US20200303833A1) is considered analogous art to the instant application as it discloses in [0010] “multilayer dielectric substrate and having a plurality of RF input/output terminals”
Conclusion
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/C.P.R./Examiner, Art Unit 3646
/JACK W KEITH/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3646
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