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 .
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.
Claim(s) 1-5, 12, 16 and 17 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Shu (U.S. PATENT NO. 11804681).
-Regarding claim 1, Shu discloses a waveguide to coaxial transition structure (FIG. 1) comprising: a cavity defined by one or more walls and having a first opening at one end of the cavity and a second opening at an opposing end of the cavity (cavity 212, FIG. 2A, 2B); a staircase structure extending within the cavity between the first and second openings (impedance transformation structure 214 (e.g., a staircase structure), FIG. 2A-2D); and a coaxial center conductor extending from a last step of the staircase structure and out through the second opening of the cavity (conductor pin, FIG. 2A-2F; col. 4 lines 37-63); and wherein the one or more walls, the staircase structure, and the coaxial center conductor are a continuous and monolithic body of conductive material (CNC milling, col. 9 lines 36-59).
-Regarding claim 2, Shu further discloses an aperture proximate the first opening (excavated space 216, FIG. 2A).
-Regarding claim 3, Shu further discloses the aperture is also part of the continuous and monolithic body of conductive material (CNC milling, col. 9 lines 36-59).
-Regarding claim 4, Shu further discloses the aperture is attached to the continuous and monolithic body of conductive material via a flange (flange 224, FIG. 2A).
-Regarding claim 5, Shu further discloses the second opening extends through a sidewall of the one or more walls (cavity 212, FIG. 2B); the coaxial center conductor extends through the second opening, without contacting the sidewall, such that (i) the coaxial center conductor, (ii) a portion of the sidewall defining the second opening, and (iii) an air gap between the coaxial center conductor and the portion of the sidewall form a coaxial line structure (gap 244 exists between back short component 206 and impedance transformation structure 214, FIG. 2B, 2C).
-Regarding claim 12, Shu further discloses the geometry of the coaxial center conductor is configured to provide impedance matching between the waveguide to coaxial transition structure and a circuit to which the waveguide to coaxial transition structure is connected (impedance transformation structure 214, col. 5 lines 44-67).
-Regarding claim 16, Shu discloses an apparatus (FIG. 1) comprising: a waveguide to coaxial transition structure configured to transmit or receive a radio frequency signal (waveguide 102 is connected via waveguide connector 104 to RF component 106, FIG. 1; col. 3 lines 31-47); and an extension portion extending from an end of the waveguide to coaxial transition structure, wherein the waveguide to coaxial transition structure and the extension portion form a monolithic and continuous conductive structure (CNC milling, col. 9 lines 36-59); and wherein the extension portion is configured for placement of an amplifier thereon, for amplifying the radio frequency signal transmitted to or received from the waveguide to coaxial transition structure ( RF component 106 include antennas, amplifiers, frequency converters, switches, attenuators, oscillators, or any other type of component, col. 3 lines 31-47).
-Regarding claim 17, Shu further discloses the end of the waveguide to coaxial transition structure is a first end (cavity 212 from view 230, FIG. 2B); and a second end of the waveguide to coaxial transition structure is configured to be in contact with a waveguide aperture (cavity 212 from view 232, FIG. 2B).
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) 18 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Shu (U.S. PATENT NO. 11804681) in view of Eubanks (U.S. PATENT NO. 12431628).
-Regarding claim 18, Shu further discloses a waveguide connection to an antenna, amplifier, frequency converter, switch, attenuator, oscillator, etc. may be needed (col. 3 lines 1-30). Shu is silent to teaching that at least one of: the waveguide aperture is a transmit antenna, the amplifier is a high power amplifier, and the radio frequency signal is transmitted from the amplifier to the waveguide aperture through the waveguide to coaxial transition structure; or the waveguide aperture is a receive antenna, the amplifier is a low noise amplifier, and the radio frequency signal is transmitted from the waveguide aperture to the amplifier through the waveguide to coaxial transition structure. However, the claimed limitation is well known in the art as evidenced by Eubanks.
In the same field of endeavor, Eubanks teaches at least one of: the waveguide aperture is a transmit antenna, the amplifier is a high power amplifier, and the radio frequency signal is transmitted from the amplifier to the waveguide aperture through the waveguide to coaxial transition structure; or the waveguide aperture is a receive antenna, the amplifier is a low noise amplifier, and the radio frequency signal is transmitted from the waveguide aperture to the amplifier through the waveguide to coaxial transition structure (transceiver system 2300 may include a transmit channel, from digital transceiver 2305 through DAC 2310, transmit IF filter 2320, up-converter 2340, and HPA 2350 to antenna 2370. Transceiver system 2300 may include a receive channel, from antenna 2370 through LNA 2345, down-converter 2335, receive IF filter 2325, and ADC 2315 to digital transceiver 2305, FIG. 23, paragraph 368).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skills in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine the teaching of Shu with the teaching of Eubanks in order to provide transmit and receive functionality.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 6-11, 19 and 20 are objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter:
Regarding claim 6, none of cited references teaches that, inter alia, an extension portion extends from below the second opening and under and past an end of the coaxial center conductor, the extension portion being part of the continuous and monolithic body of conductive material; and the extension portion comprises (i) a first section of an upper surface configured to receive a grounded coplanar waveguide transition board having a contact pad to which the end of the coaxial center conductor is to be connected, and (ii) a second section of the upper surface configured to receive an amplifier circuit. Regarding claim 7, none of cited references teaches that, inter alia, the waveguide to coaxial transition structure of claim 1; an extension portion extending from below the second opening and under and past an end of the coaxial center conductor, the extension portion being part of the continuous and monolithic body of conductive material; and a grounded coplanar waveguide transition board on a surface of the extension portion and having a contact pad to which the end of the coaxial center conductor is connected.
Claims 13-15 are allowed.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter: Cited references do not teach the allowable subject matter or the claimed limitations, such as, inter alia, additively manufacturing a conductive and monolithic structure comprising a waveguide to coaxial transition structure, and an extension portion extending from an end of the waveguide to coaxial transition structure; forming a layer of dielectric material above a first section of an upper surface of the extension portion, wherein a second section of the upper surface of the extension portion is configured for placement of an amplifier thereon; and forming a signal conductor above the layer of dielectric material, the signal conductor for transmission of radio frequency signals between the amplifier and the waveguide to coaxial transition structure.
Conclusion
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/PING Y HSIEH/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2664