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 § 103
1. 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 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.
2. Claims 1-12, 18, and 20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over TSAI et al. (US 2016/0226545) in view of TANI et al. (US 2014/0087786).
Regarding claim 1, TSAI teaches a communication device (Fig. 1). TSAI teaches that an RF (Radio Frequency) module (Fig. 1), generating an RF signal, an integrated module (Fig. 1 and page 1, paragraphs 28 – pages 2, paragraphs 29), comprising an SAR (Specific Absorption Rate) sensor and an HBC (Human Body Communication) module (Fig. 1, 2 and page 1, paragraphs 28 – pages 2, paragraphs 33, where teaches the aforementioned low-frequency signal may include the information of the effective capacitance CE, and by analyzing the information of the effective capacitance CE from the low-frequency signal, the spacing between the human body HB and the communication device can be obtained, and therefore the corresponding SAR value can be calculated), a first tuning circuit (Fig. 1), a signal transmission line (Fig. 1), comprising a central conductor and an external conductor (Fig. 8) (Fig. 1, 8 and pages 2, paragraphs 29 – pages 3, paragraphs 38, where teaches signal transmission line comprising a first conductor and second conductor and central conductor and external conductor as see Fig. 8), and a first antenna element (Fig. 1, 9), wherein the RF signal is transmitted through the signal transmission line to the first antenna element (Fig. 1, 9 and pages 2, paragraphs 29 – pages 3, paragraphs 40, where teaches an antenna for transmitting/receiving RF signal through the transmission line to/from the antenna element), the HBC module has a first terminal and a second terminal (first and second terminal of Fig. 1, 6), the first terminal of the HBC module is coupled through the first tuning circuit to the central conductor (Fig. 1, 2, 8 and pages 2, paragraphs 29 – pages 3, paragraphs 40, where teaches first terminal as human body radiation through the CE to the central conductor, first conductor), and the second terminal of the HBC module is coupled to the external conductor (Fig. 1, 2, 8 and pages 2, paragraphs 29 – pages 3, paragraphs 40, where teaches second terminal of the human body radiation is coupling to external conductor, second conductor). TSAI does not exactly teach the limitation “the first terminal of the HBC module is coupled through the first tuning circuit to the central conductor, and the second terminal of the HBC module is coupled to the external conductor” (see Fig. 1 and pages 2, paragraphs 26 – pages 3, paragraphs 31, where teaches the first terminal of human body communication is coupling through tuning circuit to the inner conductor and second terminal of human body communication is coupling through outer conductor). It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified the teaching of the TSAI’s device structure as taught by TANI, provide the motivation to achieve enhanced detection sensor in order to improve communication performance.
Regarding claim 2, TSAI and TANI teach all the limitation as discussed in claim 1. Furthermore, TSAI further teaches that the SAR sensor has a first terminal and a second terminal (Fig. 1, 2, 8 and pages 2, paragraphs 29 – pages 3, paragraphs 40), the first terminal of the SAR sensor is coupled to the central conductor (Fig. 1, 2, 8 and pages 2, paragraphs 29 – pages 3, paragraphs 40), and the second terminal of the SAR sensor is coupled to the external conductor (Fig. 1, 2, 8 and pages 2, paragraphs 29 – pages 3, paragraphs 40).
Regarding claim 3, TSAI and TANI teach all the limitation as discussed in claim 1. Furthermore, TSAI further teaches that the HBC module covers a first operational frequency band (page 1, paragraphs 5 and Fig. 1), the first antenna element covers a second operational frequency band, and the second operational frequency band is different from the first operational frequency band (Fig. 1, 2, 8, page 1, paragraphs 5, and pages 2, paragraphs 29 – pages 3, paragraphs 40).
Regarding claim 4, TSAI and TANI teach all the limitation as discussed in claim 1. Furthermore, TSAI further teaches that the first operational frequency band is from 1MHz to 100MHz (low frequency band) (Fig. 1, 2, 8 and pages 2, paragraphs 29 – pages 3, paragraphs 40), and the second operational frequency band is higher than or equal to 700MHz (Fig. 1, 2, 8, page 1, paragraphs 5, and pages 2, paragraphs 29 – pages 3, paragraphs 40).
Regarding claim 5, TSAI and TANI teach all the limitation as discussed in claim 1. Furthermore, TSAI further teaches that the SAR sensor covers a third operational frequency band, and the third operational frequency band is from 0.7GHz to 7GHz (Fig. 1, 2, 8, page 1, paragraphs 5, and pages 2, paragraphs 29 – pages 3, paragraphs 40).
Regarding claim 6, TSAI and TANI teach all the limitation as discussed in claim 1. Furthermore, TSAI further teaches that the second terminal of the HBC module is implemented with a metal element (Fig. 8 and pages 2, paragraphs 29 – pages 3, paragraphs 40).
Regarding claim 7, TSAI and TANI teach all the limitation as discussed in claim 1. Furthermore, TANI further teaches that the metal element is an FPC (Flexible Printed Circuit) (see Fig. 1 and pages 2, paragraphs 25 – pages 3, paragraphs 31).
Regarding claim 8, TSAI and TANI teach all the limitation as discussed in claim 1. Furthermore, TANI further teaches that a nonconductive back cover, wherein the FPC is disposed on an inner side of the nonconductive back cover (see Fig. 1 and pages 2, paragraphs 25 – pages 3, paragraphs 31).
Regarding claim 9, TSAI and TANI teach all the limitation as discussed in claim 1. Furthermore, TANI further teaches that the metal element is a second antenna element (see Fig. 1 and pages 2, paragraphs 25 – pages 3, paragraphs 31).
Regarding claim 10, TSAI and TANI teach all the limitation as discussed in claim 1. Furthermore, TANI further teaches that the first tuning circuit comprises a first band-pass filter, wherein a passing frequency band of the first band-pass (5 in Fig. 1) filter is the same as the first operational frequency band (Fig. 1 and pages 4, paragraphs 45 – 49).
Regarding claim 11, TSAI and TANI teach all the limitation as discussed in claim 1. Furthermore, TANI further teaches that a first switch element, selectively closed or opened, wherein the first switch element is coupled in series with the first band-pass filter (Fig. 1, 2 and pages 3, paragraphs 31 – pages 4, paragraphs 48).
Regarding claim 12, TSAI and TANI teach all the limitation as discussed in claim 1. Furthermore, TSAI further teaches that a second tuning circuit, wherein the second terminal of the HBC module is further coupled through the second tuning circuit to the external conductor (Fig. 1, 2, 8 and pages 2, paragraphs 29 – pages 3, paragraphs 40).
Regarding claim 18, TSAI and TANI teach all the limitation as discussed in claim 1. Furthermore, TANI further teaches that an IMU (Inertial Measurement Unit), determining whether the communication device is operating in a holding mode or a pocket mode (Fig. 1, 5, 7 and pages 2, paragraphs 25 – pages 3, paragraphs 35).
Regarding claim 20, TSAI and TANI teach all the limitation as discussed in claim 1.
3. Claim 15 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over TSAI in view of TANI and in further view Song et al. (US 2025/0008008).
Regarding claim 15, TSAI and TANI do not specifically teach the limitation “a camera metal frame, comprising a first portion and a second portion, wherein a partition gap is formed between the first portion and the second portion”. However, Song teaches the limitation “a camera metal frame, comprising a first portion and a second portion, wherein a partition gap is formed between the first portion and the second portion” (see Fig. 4, 7 and pages 4, paragraphs 67 – pages 6, paragraphs 93, where teaches a camera metal frame comprising a first portion and second portion, and forming partition gap between the first portion and the second portion). It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention was made to modify the TSAI and TANI device structure as taught by Song, provide the motivation to achieve enhanced cover structure in order to improve protection performance of camera.
Allowable Subject Matter
4. Claims 13-14, 16-17, and 19 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 prior art of record fails to disclose the limitation “the second tuning circuit comprises a second band-pass filter, wherein a passing frequency band of the second band-pass filter is the same as the first operational frequency band and a second switch element, selectively closed or opened, wherein the second switch element is coupled in series with the second band-pass filter, and the first and second terminal of the HBC module is implemented with the first and second portion of the camera metal frame.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to JOHN J LEE whose telephone number is (571)272-7880. The examiner can normally be reached on Mon-Fri (8:00am-5:00pm).
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, Yuwen Pan can be reached on 571-272-7855. 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 a USPTO Customer Service Representative or access to the automated information system, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000.
J.L
February 21, 2026
John J Lee
/JOHN J LEE/
Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2649