DETAILED ACTION
Status of Claims
Claim 9 is canceled.
Claim 1 is amended.
Claims 1-6, 10-14 are pending.
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and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114.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 05/08/2026 has been entered.
Priority
Applicant’s claim for the benefit of a prior-filed application filed in KR 1020230174662 on 12/05/2023 under 35 U.S.C. 119(e) or under 35 U.S.C. 120, 121, 365(c), or 386(c) is acknowledged.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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.
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 1-6, 10-14, are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Kang (US 20230282988).
Regarding Claim 1, Kang discloses the following limitations:
A waveguide antenna device, comprising: (Kang – [0018] a vehicle antenna apparatus for transmitting and receiving radio waves, [0027] a waveguide formed in the module body and having a plurality of slots)
a first antenna module including: a first circuit board including a first integrated circuit configured to output a first transmission signal and receive a first reflection signal; (Kang – [0018] According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a vehicle antenna apparatus for transmitting and receiving radio waves, the vehicle antenna apparatus comprising: a printed circuit board provided in a vehicle; a subprocessor mounted on the printed circuit board; and an antenna module electrically connected to the subprocessor, covering a portion of the printed circuit board, and mounted on one surface of the printed circuit board. [0065] The housing 10 accommodates and protects the printed circuit board 20, the subprocessor 30, the power feeding circuit 40, and the antenna modules 50, 60 and 70. [0071] In the process of transmitting and receiving radio wave signals, the antenna modules 50, 60 and 70 perform a function of transmitting radio wave signals transmitted and generated by the power feeding circuit 40 to the outside through a plurality of slots 55, 65 and 75, or receiving radio wave signals from the outside through a plurality of slots 55, 65 and 75 and transmit them to the power feeding circuit 40 and the subprocessor 30.)
a first waveguide disposed on the first circuit board and configured to guide the first transmission signal and the first reflection signal, (Kang – [0018], [0071])
a second antenna module including: a second circuit board including a second integrated circuit configured to output a second transmission signal and receive a second reflection signal; and a second waveguide disposed on the second circuit board and configured to guide the second transmission signal and the second reflection signal, (Kang – [Fig. 3-4], [0071], [0086] Referring to FIGS. 3 and 4, a plurality of slots 55 having a rectangular cross section are formed in the third layer 523 of the first antenna module 50. A waveguide 54 connected to the plurality of slots 55 is formed in the second layer 522 of the first antenna module 50…the plurality of slots 55 in the third layer 523 [0146] referring to FIGS. 11 and 12, in this embodiment, the radar systems 1 and 2 may include a vehicle antenna apparatus 1, a main processor 2, and a power supply unit 3 configured to supply power to the antenna apparatus 1 or the main processor 2.)
wherein the first waveguide includes a first separating pipe configured to guide the first transmission signal to a first transmit antenna group disposed in a first direction and to a second transmit antenna element group disposed in a second direction different from the first direction, and (Kang – [Fig. 4], [0071], [0086], [0088] Meanwhile, the plurality of slots 55 and waveguides 54 may be formed of known slots and waveguides. The shape and arrangement of the plurality of slots 55 and the waveguide 54 may be variously selected according to the structure, shape and function of the antenna apparatus and the characteristics of radio wave signals transmitted and received.)
a first receiving pipe configured to guide the first reflection signal received through a first receive antenna element group disposed in the first direction to the first integrated circuit, and (Kang – [Fig. 4], [0071], [0086])
the second waveguide includes a second separating pipe configured to guide the second transmission signal to a third transmit antenna element group disposed in the first direction and to a fourth transmit antenna element group disposed in the second direction, and a second receiving pipe configured to guide the second reflection signal received through a second receive antenna element group disposed in the second direction to the second integrated circuit, and (Kang – [Fig. 3-4], [0071], [0086], [0088], [0146])
wherein the second antenna module is disposed in a direction intersecting the first direction and the second direction with respect to the first antenna module. (Kang – [Fig. 3-4], [Fig. 11], [0071], [0086], [0146])
Regarding Claim 2, Kang further discloses:
wherein the first separating pipe includes a divider configured to separate the first transmission signal output from the first integrated circuit in the first direction and in the second direction. (Kang – [Fig. 4], [0071], [0086])
Regarding Claim 3, Kang further discloses:
wherein the first waveguide includes: a first layer including the first receiving pipe extending from the first integrated circuit in the first direction; and (Kang – [Fig. 3-4], [0071], [0086])
a second layer stacked on the first layer in a direction intersecting the first direction and the second direction and including the first separating pipe extending from the first integrated circuit in the first direction and in the second direction. (Kang – [Fig. 3-4], [0071], [0086], [0093] In this embodiment, the inner part A1 is defined as the first layer 521 in which the power feeding network 56 is formed, and the outer part A2 is defined as the second and third layers 522 and 523 in which the plurality of slots 55 and the waveguide 54 are formed.)
Regarding Claim 4, Kang further discloses:
wherein the first layer is disposed between the first circuit board and the second layer, and (Kang – [Fig. 3-4], [0071], [0086], [0093])
the first layer includes a connecting pipe extending from the first circuit board to the first separating pipe. (Kang – [Fig. 3-4], [0071], [0086], [0093])
Regarding Claim 5, Kang further discloses:
further comprising: a cover part including a first cover configured to cover at least a part of the first waveguide in the first direction and (Kang – [Fig. 3-4], [0086], [0096] upper surface of the second layer 622.)
a second cover configured to cover at least a part of the first waveguide in the second direction. (Kang – [Fig. 3-4], [0086], [0096])
Regarding Claim 6, Kang further discloses:
wherein the first cover includes a plurality of first transmit slots configured to transmit the first transmission signal and a plurality of receive slots configured to receive a first reception signal, and (Kang – [Fig. 3-4], [0071], [0086], [0096])
the second cover includes a plurality of second transmit slots configured to transmit the first transmission signal. (Kang – [Fig. 3-4], [0071], [0086], [0096])
Regarding Claim 10, Kang further discloses:
wherein the waveguide antenna device is installed in a mobility device, (Kang – [0018], [0027])
the first direction corresponds to a forward direction of travel of the mobility device, and (Kang – [Fig. 11], [0018], [0027], [0086])
the second direction corresponds to a rearward direction opposite to the forward direction. (Kang – [Fig. 11], [0018], [0027], [0086])
Regarding Claims 11-12, Kang further discloses:
further comprising: a processor connected to the first integrated circuit and the second integrated circuit, wherein the processor is configured to: (Kang – [Fig. 3-4], [Fig. 11], [0065], [0086], [0146])
control the first integrated circuit to transmit the first transmission signal in the first direction and in the second direction, (Kang – [Fig. 3-4], [0065], [0086], [0162] Meanwhile, in this embodiment, the subprocessor 30 may be electrically connected to the main processor 2 to transmit the digitized signal. In this embodiment, the main processor 2 may perform fast Fourier transform (FFT) on the received signal. [0163] In this case, the main processor 2 may perform 1st to nth order Fourier transform on the received signal (n is an integer of 2 or more).
control the second integrated circuit to transmit the second transmission signal in the first direction and in the second direction, and (Kang – [Fig. 3-4], [Fig. 11], [0065], [0086], [0162], [0163])
receive the first reflection signal through the first integrated circuit and the second reflection signal through the second integrated circuit. (Kang – [Fig. 3-4], [0065], [0086], [0146], [0162], [0163])
Regarding Claims 13-14, Kang further discloses:
wherein the first reflection signal corresponds to the first transmission signal and the second transmission signal transmitted in the first direction, (Kang – [Fig. 11], [0086], [0062] The vehicle antenna apparatus according to the present invention is not limited to the antenna apparatus for a vehicle radar that transmits and receives radio wave signals to detect other vehicles or objects as described above, and can be applied to various apparatuses capable of transmitting, receiving and interpreting radio wave signals in order to perform certain functions.)
the second reflection signal corresponds to the first transmission signal and the second transmission signal transmitted in the second direction, and (Kang – [Fig. 11], [0062], [0086])
the processor is configured to detect an object located in the first direction or in the second direction based on the first reflection signal and the second reflection signal. (Kang – [Fig. 11], [0062], [0086])
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments, see Pages 6-10, filed 05/08/2026, with respect to the rejection under 35 U.S.C. § 102(a)(2) have been fully considered and are not persuasive. Applicant argues, see page 8, that Kang does not disclose “a first transmit antenna element group disposed in a first direction and a second transmit antenna element group disposed in a second direction different from the first direction,”. The examiner disagrees and now recites Kang [0088] “shape and arrangement of the plurality of slots 55 and the waveguide 54 may be variously selected according to the structure, shape and function of the antenna apparatus and the characteristics of radio wave signals transmitted and received” to disclose a plurality of directions based on structure, shape, and function. When considering Kang [0088] as well as Kang [Fig. 3-4], it is clear that the plurality of slots and waveguides map to disclosing “second waveguide includes: a second separating pipe configured to guide the second transmission signal to a third transmit antenna element group disposed in the first direction and to a fourth transmit antenna element group disposed in the second direction, and a second receiving pipe configured to guide the second reflection signal received through a second receive antenna element group disposed in the second direction to the second integrated circuit,”. Further, these citations clearly disclose the configuration of an “antenna module”, as described by the applicant, to include a circuit board and waveguide for each module (Kang – [0018]) as well as modules that share a circuit board (Kang [0065]). It follows that Kang discloses a plurality of modules with structure that is composed of slots and waveguides with a plurality of directions which maps to “wherein the second
Applicant’s arguments, see Page 12, filed 05/08/2026, with respect to the rejection under 35 U.S.C. § 102(a)(2) have been fully considered and are not persuasive. Applicant argues that the dependent claims are allowable due to the dependency on the independent claims. As noted above, the examiner maintains Kang discloses the independent claims and therefore the dependent claims remain rejected.
Applicant's remaining arguments amount to a general allegation that the claims define a patentable invention without specifically pointing out how the language of the claims is understandable and distinguishable from other inventions.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to BRANDON JAMES HENSON whose telephone number is (703)756-1841. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 9:00 am - 5:00 pm.
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/BRANDON JAMES HENSON/Examiner, Art Unit 3648
/BERNARR E GREGORY/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3648
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