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 .
Response to Amendment
The amendment filed November 11, 2025 has been entered. The Applicant amended claims 1 and 8-9, canceled claims 21-31, and added claims 32-42. Claims 1-9 and 32-42 remain pending in the application. Applicant’s amendments to the Specification have overcome each and every objection previously set forth in the Non-Final Office Action mailed August 11, 2025. The examiner withdraws the Drawings objections in light of the amendments to the Specification.
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claim 1 have been considered but are moot because the new ground of rejection does not rely on the combination of references applied in the prior rejection.
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)(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, 9, and 32-42 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Barrera et al. (US PGPUB 2020/0303824 A1), hereinafter known as Barrera.
Regarding claim 1, Barrera discloses (Fig. 2, 12) An electronic device (1) comprising: a housing (38) having a conductive wall (42T); a handle (50) having a leg (50) that extends through an opening (46) in the conductive wall (42T); and an antenna (148) that comprises an antenna ground (52) that includes the conductive wall (42T), an antenna resonating element arm (148) that is wrapped around a longitudinal axis of the leg (50) of the and a positive antenna feed terminal (34) coupled to the antenna resonating element arm (148).
Regarding claim 9, Barrera further discloses (Fig. 2, 8-9) wherein the housing (38) surrounds an interior of the electronic device (10), the electronic device further comprising: a printed circuit board (104) at the interior of the electronic device and having a signal trace (112); a coaxial cable (106) coupled to the signal trace (112); and a conductive screw (107) that extends through the conductive wall (42T), that secures the printed circuit board (104) to the conductive wall (42T), and that electrically couples the signal trace to an antenna feed terminal on the antenna resonating element arm ([0072]).
Regarding claim 32, Barrera further discloses (Fig. 2) wherein the electronic device comprises a desktop computer (10).
Regarding claim 33, Barrera further discloses (Fig. 2) wherein the housing comprises a bottom wall (42B) and the conductive wall comprises an upper wall (42T) opposite the bottom wall (42B).
Regarding claim 34, Barrera further discloses (Fig. 2) further comprising: an additional handle (50) having an additional leg that extends through an additional opening (46) in the conductive wall (42T).
Regarding claim 35, Barrera further discloses (Fig. 2) wherein the housing has a length (L), a height (H) orthogonal to the length (L), and a width (W) orthogonal to the length (L) and the height (H), the width (W) being less than the length (L) and the height (H).
Regarding claim 36, Barrera further discloses (Fig. 2) wherein the handle (50) is separated from the additional handle (50) by at least some of the length (L).
Regarding claim 37, Barrera further discloses (Fig. 8) wherein the printed circuit board (104) is layered onto a first surface of the conductive wall (42T) at the interior of the housing, the leg (50) protruding from a second surface of the conductive wall (42T) opposite the first surface.
Regarding claim 38, Barrera further discloses (Fig. 8 and 14) wherein the longitudinal axis (z-axis) extends orthogonally away from a lateral surface of the conductive wall (42T), the antenna arm (172) being wrapped around the longitudinal axis (z-axis).
Regarding claim 39, Barrera further discloses (Fig. 14) wherein the antenna arm (172) wraps at least 45 degrees around the longitudinal axis (z-axis).
Regarding claim 40, Barrera further discloses (Fig. 14) wherein the positive antenna feed terminal (34) is coupled to a first end (176) of the antenna resonating element arm (172), the antenna resonating element arm has a second end (174) opposite the first end, and the antenna resonating element arm wraps, around the longitudinal axis, at least 45 degrees from the first end (176) to the second end (174).
Regarding claim 41, Barrera further discloses (Fig. 8 and 14) wherein: the antenna resonating element arm (172) has a first end (176), a second end (174) opposite the first end (176), and a length from the first end (176) to the second end (174) that configures the antenna resonating element arm to radiate in a frequency band, and the length is wrapped around the longitudinal axis (z-axis).
Regarding claim 42, Barrera further discloses (Fig. 8 and 14) wherein at least some of the antenna resonating element arm (172) extends parallel to the longitudinal axis (side of 172) and at least some of the antenna resonating element arm extends orthogonal to the longitudinal axis (top of 172).
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 2-8 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Barrera in view of Tamaki et al. (JP 2005167829 A), hereinafter known as Tamaki.
Regarding claim 2, Barrera does not specifically teach wherein the antenna resonating element arm comprises a monopole arm that extends around the longitudinal axis of the leg.
However, Tamaki teaches (Fig. 22) wherein the antenna resonating element arm (56) comprises a monopole arm (56) that extends around the longitudinal axis of the leg (55).
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 electronic device of Barrera with Tamaki to include “wherein the antenna resonating element arm comprises a monopole arm that extends around the longitudinal axis of the leg,” as taught by Tamaki, for the purpose of reducing size (see also [0089] of machine translation).
Regarding claim 3, Barrera does not specifically teach wherein the monopole arm extends at least 45 degrees around the longitudinal axis of the leg.
However, Tamaki teaches (Fig. 22) wherein the monopole arm (56) extends at least 45 degrees around the longitudinal axis of the leg (55).
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 electronic device of Barrera with Tamaki to include “wherein the monopole arm extends at least 45 degrees around the longitudinal axis of the leg,” as taught by Tamaki, for the purpose of reducing size (see also [0089] of machine translation).
Regarding claim 4, Barrera does not specifically teach wherein the monopole arm has a first segment that extends parallel to the longitudinal axis of the leg and has a second segment that extends orthogonally from an end of the first segment and around the longitudinal axis of the leg.
However, Tamaki teaches (Fig. 21-22) wherein the monopole arm (56) has a first segment (bottom of 54a) that extends parallel to the longitudinal axis of the leg (56) and has a second segment that extends orthogonally from an end of the first segment and around the longitudinal axis of the leg (55).
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 electronic device of Barrera with Tamaki to include “wherein the monopole arm has a first segment that extends parallel to the longitudinal axis of the leg and has a second segment that extends orthogonally from an end of the first segment and around the longitudinal axis of the leg,” as taught by Tamaki, for the purpose of reducing size (see also [0089] of machine translation).
Regarding claim 5, Barrera does not specifically teach wherein the monopole arm has a third segment that extends orthogonally from an end of the second segment and towards the conductive wall.
However, Tamaki teaches (Fig. 17 and 21-22) wherein the monopole arm has a third segment (second 54a towards bottom) that extends orthogonally from an end of the second segment (middle horizontal 54a) and towards the conductive wall (21).
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 electronic device of Barrera with Tamaki to include “wherein the monopole arm has a third segment that extends orthogonally from an end of the second segment and towards the conductive wall,” as taught by Tamaki, for the purpose of reducing size (see also [0089] of machine translation).
Regarding claim 6, Barrera does not specifically teach wherein the second segment extends at least 90 degrees around the longitudinal axis of the leg.
However, Tamaki teaches (Fig. 22) wherein the second segment (56) extends at least 90 degrees around the longitudinal axis of the leg (55).
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 electronic device of Barrera with Tamaki to include “wherein the second segment extends at least 90 degrees around the longitudinal axis of the leg,” as taught by Tamaki, for the purpose of reducing size (see also [0089] of machine translation).
Regarding claim 7, Barrera does not specifically teach wherein the first segment exhibits a non-zero curvature about the longitudinal axis of the leg.
However, Tamaki teaches (Fig. 21-22) wherein the first segment (56) exhibits a non-zero curvature about the longitudinal axis of the leg (55).
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 electronic device of Barrera with Tamaki to include “wherein the first segment exhibits a non-zero curvature about the longitudinal axis of the leg,” as taught by Tamaki, for the purpose of reducing size (see also [0089] of machine translation).
Regarding claim 8, Barrera does not specifically teach wherein the antenna resonating element arm comprises a conductive trace on the leg of the handle, the electronic device further comprising: a dielectric cover layer on the handle, wherein the dielectric cover layer covers the conductive trace.
However, Tamaki teaches (Fig. 2 and 22) wherein the antenna resonating element arm (3, 56) comprises a conductive trace (3, 56) on the leg of the handle (2, 55), the electronic device further comprising: a dielectric cover layer (6) on the handle, wherein the dielectric cover layer (6) covers the conductive trace (3, 56).
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 electronic device of Barrera with Tamaki to include “wherein the antenna resonating element arm comprises a conductive trace on the leg of the handle, the electronic device further comprising: a dielectric cover layer on the handle, wherein the dielectric cover layer covers the conductive trace,” as taught by Tamaki, for the purpose of protecting the handle (see also [0055] of machine translation).
Conclusion
The Examiner has pointed out particular references contained in the prior art of record within the body of this action for the convenience of the Applicant. Although the specified citations are representative of the teachings in the art and are applied to the specific limitations within the individual claim, other passages and figures may apply.
Applicant, in preparing the response, should consider fully the entire reference as potentially teaching all or part of the claimed invention, as well as the context of the passage as taught by the prior art or disclosed by the Examiner.
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 YONCHAN J KIM whose telephone number is (571)272-3204. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Friday 8:00 am - 5:00 pm.
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, Dimary Lopez can be reached at (571) 270-7893. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/DAMEON E LEVI/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2845
/YONCHAN J KIM/ Examiner, Art Unit 2845