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 .
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) filed on 2/6/24 is considered by the examiner.
Election/Restrictions
Applicant’s election without traverse of Group I, claims 1-10 and 18-20, in the reply filed on 10/27/25 is acknowledged.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claims 9-10 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
Regarding claim 9, the limitation of “wherein at least one of the first or second conductive components is at least in part above the ground shield and/or the feed line” is indefinite in that it does not describe in clear, concise, and exact terms in what manner and in relation to which other elements in particular the first or second conductive components are above, such that the scope of the claim is not sufficiently defined. To expedite prosecution, the claim will be examined as best understood by the examiner.
Claim 10 recites the limitation "the first and second conductive components" in line 5. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim. To expedite prosecution, the claim will be examined as best understood by the examiner, with the interpretation that it is intended to depend upon claim 9.
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.
Claims 1-3 and 18-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Mikkola et al. (US PG Pub. No. 2003/0146878).
Regarding claim 1, Mikkola et al. teaches (Figs. 3-4) an antenna assembly comprising: a conductive ground plane (301); a ground shield (322) extending vertically above from the ground plane (see Fig. 2); a feed line (321) extending vertically upwards from an opening within the ground plane (see Fig. 4, 421 analogous to 321, extending through opening in 401 analogous to 301), without contacting the ground plane (¶20 lines 18-20); and a first conductive element in contact with an upper surface of the ground shield (portion of 310 in contact with 322), a second conductive element in contact with an upper surface of the feed line (portion of 310 on other side of 317 which extends through 317 to connect to 321), with a slot between the first conductive element and the second conductive element (317).
Regarding claim 2, Mikkola teaches the antenna assembly of claim 1, wherein the ground shield and the ground plane form a monolithic structure, without an interface between the ground shield and the ground plane (322 and 301 are galvanically connected, teaching a monolithic structure without an interface formed by the ground shield and ground plane, see ¶20 lines 14-16).
Regarding claim 3, Mikkola teaches the antenna assembly of claim 1, wherein the ground shield comprises a continuous wall (322), the wall comprising conductive material and partially wrapping around the feed line (see ¶21 and Fig. 3).
Regarding claim 18, Mikkola et al. teaches (Figs. 3-4) an antenna assembly comprising: a conductive ground plane (301); a ground shield (322) extending vertically above from the ground plane (see Fig. 2), wherein the ground shield comprises a continuous wall of conductive material (see ¶21), and wherein the ground shield and the ground plane form a monolithic structure without an interface between the ground shield and the ground plane (322 and 301 are galvanically connected, teaching a monolithic structure without an interface formed by the ground shield and ground plane, see ¶20 lines 14-16); and a conductive element in contact with an upper surface of the ground shield (310), the conductive element extending in a direction substantially parallel to the ground plane (see Fig. 3).
Regarding claim 19, Mikkola teaches the antenna assembly of claim 18, further comprising: a feed line (321) extending vertically upwards from an opening within the ground plane (see Fig. 4, 421 analogous to 321, extending through opening in 401 analogous to 301), without contacting the ground plane (¶20 lines 18-20), wherein the wall of the ground shield partially wraps around the feed line (see Fig. 3).
Regarding claim 20, Mikkola teaches the antenna assembly of claim 18, wherein the conductive element is a first conductive element (portion of 310 on one side of 317 which surrounds 322), and wherein the antenna assembly further comprises: a second conductive element in contact with an upper surface of the feed line (portion of 310 on other side of 317 which extends through 317 to connect to 321), with a slot between the first conductive element and the second conductive element (317), wherein the second conductive element extends in the direction substantially parallel to the ground plane (see Fig. 3).
Claims 1 and 7 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Zeiger et al. (US PG Pub. No. 2013/0120210).
Regarding claim 1, Zeiger et al. teaches (Figs. 1-2) an antenna assembly comprising: a conductive ground plane (112; see ¶19 lines 7-11); a ground shield (110) extending vertically above from the ground plane (walls 206 of 110 extend vertically from ground plane of 112); a feed line extending vertically upwards from an opening within the ground plane, without contacting the ground plane (200, extends through 202, 208; see ¶28); and a first conductive element (108) in contact with an upper surface of the ground shield (108 connects to 118), and a second conductive element (100) in contact with an upper surface of the feed line (100 connects to 200), with a slot (space formed between 100 and surface of 110 within dielectric 102) between the first conductive element and the second conductive element (see Fig. 2).
Regarding claim 7, Zeiger teaches the antenna assembly of claim 1, wherein: a first section of the feed line is below the first conductive element (see Fig. 2, portion of 200 below 108), a second section of the feed line is below the second conductive element (see Fig. 2, portion of 200 below 100), and a third section of the feed line is below the slot between the first conductive element and the second conductive element (portion of 200 within layer of 108, which is below the space between 100 and 110); and at least a portion of the second section of the feed line is in contact with the second conductive element (see portion of 200 in contact with 100).
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 9-10 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Mikkola et al. (US PG Pub. No. 2003/0146878) as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of Hiramatsu et al. (US PG Pub. No. 2021/0313706).
Regarding claim 9, Mikkola teaches the antenna assembly of claim 1.
Mikkola does not teach the antenna assembly further comprising: an impedance matching layer above the first and second conductive elements, wherein the impedance matching layer comprises a first conductive component and a second conductive component that are not in contact with each other, wherein at least one of the first or second conductive components is at least in part above the ground shield and/or the feed line.
Hiramatsu et al. teaches (Figs. 69-70) an antenna assembly comprising: a conductive ground plane (69-50); a ground shield (69-31, 69-32) extending vertically above from the ground plane; a feed line (69-61) extending vertically upwards from an opening within the ground plane (see Fig. 70, 69-61, extending through opening in 69-50), without contacting the ground plane (see Fig. 70); and a first conductive element (first instance of 69-42 or 69-421), and a second conductive element (second instance of 69-42 or 69-421), with a slot between the first conductive element and the second conductive element (see Fig. 69, slots between elements 69-421), further comprising: an impedance matching layer above the first and second conductive elements (layer comprising elements 69-41 or 69-411; see ¶184), wherein the impedance matching layer comprises a first conductive component (first instance of 69-41 or 69-411) and a second conductive component (second instance of 69-41 or 69-411) that are not in contact with each other, wherein at least one of the first or second conductive components is at least in part above the ground shield and/or the feed line (see portion of 69-41 above 69-61, Figs. 69-70).
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the antenna assembly of Mikkola to further comprise: an impedance matching layer above the first and second conductive elements, wherein the impedance matching layer comprises a first conductive component and a second conductive component that are not in contact with each other, wherein at least one of the first or second conductive components is at least in part above the ground shield and/or the feed line, employing the teachings of Hiramatsu.
Doing so would provide the predictable benefit of enabling reactive impedance within the resonator (Hiramatsu, ¶184).
Regarding claim 10, Mikkola teaches the antenna assembly of claim 1, wherein: the first and second conductive elements are at least in part coplanar (see Fig. 3), and at least in part on a first horizontal plane that is substantially parallel to the ground plane and separated from the ground plane by a first layer of dielectric material (see Fig. 3; see analogous Fig. 1, element 170 demonstrates a dielectric layer separating the layer 110 from the ground, similarly in Fig. 4 a dielectric material separates the conductive elements from the ground).
Mikkola does not teach wherein the first and second conductive components are at least in part coplanar, and at least in part on a second horizontal plane that is substantially parallel to the first horizontal plane and the ground plane, and separated from the first horizontal plane by a second layer of dielectric material.
Hiramatsu et al. teaches (Figs. 69-70) an antenna assembly comprising: a conductive ground plane (69-50); a ground shield (69-31, 69-32) extending vertically above from the ground plane; a feed line (69-61) extending vertically upwards from an opening within the ground plane (see Fig. 70, 69-61, extending through opening in 69-50), without contacting the ground plane (see Fig. 70); and a first conductive element (first instance of 69-42 or 69-421), and a second conductive element (second instance of 69-42 or 69-421), with a slot between the first conductive element and the second conductive element (see Fig. 69, slots between elements 69-421), further comprising: an impedance matching layer above the first and second conductive elements (layer comprising elements 69-41 or 69-411; see ¶184), wherein the impedance matching layer comprises a first conductive component (first instance of 69-41 or 69-411) and a second conductive component (second instance of 69-41 or 69-411) that are not in contact with each other, wherein at least one of the first or second conductive components is at least in part above the ground shield and/or the feed line (see portion of 69-41 above 69-61, Figs. 69-70); wherein: the first and second conductive elements are at least in part coplanar (see Fig. 70), and at least in part on a first horizontal plane that is substantially parallel to the ground plane and separated from the ground plane by a first layer of dielectric material (see Fig. 70, ¶166; body 69-20 is formed of a dielectric material in layers); and the first and second conductive components are at least in part coplanar (see Fig. 70), and at least in part on a second horizontal plane that is substantially parallel to the first horizontal plane and the ground plane, and separated from the first horizontal plane by a second layer of dielectric material (see Fig. 70, ¶166).
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the antenna assembly of Mikkola to further comprise: an impedance matching layer above the first and second conductive elements, wherein the impedance matching layer comprises a first conductive component and a second conductive component that are not in contact with each other, wherein at least one of the first or second conductive components is at least in part above the ground shield and/or the feed line, such that the first and second conductive components are at least in part coplanar, and at least in part on a second horizontal plane that is substantially parallel to the first horizontal plane and the ground plane, and separated from the first horizontal plane by a second layer of dielectric material, employing the teachings of Hiramatsu.
Doing so would provide the predictable benefit of enabling reactive impedance within the resonator (Hiramatsu, ¶184).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 4-6 and 8 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.
Regarding claim 4, the prior art does not teach or reasonably suggest, in combination with other claimed limitations, the limitation of: “a second ground shield extending vertically above from the ground plane, wherein an upper surface of the second ground shield is in contact with the first conductive element; a second feed line extending vertically upwards from a second opening within the ground plane, without contacting the ground plane, wherein the second ground shield comprises a continuous wall comprising conductive material that partially wraps around the second feed line; and a third conductive element in contact with an upper surface of the second feed line, with a second slot between the first conductive element and the third conductive element”.
Claims 5-6 are included for their dependency on claim 4.
Regarding claim 8, the prior art does not teach or reasonably suggest, in combination with other claimed limitations, the limitation of: “wherein the feed line comprises: a body having a triangular or cantilevered shape, such that (i) the body extends from below the first conductive element to below the second conductive element, without making contact with the first and second conductive elements, and (ii) a lower portion of the body extends through the opening within the ground plane; and an extension portion having a lower surface in contact with a section of the body that is below the second conductive element, wherein an upper surface of the extension portion is in contact with the second conductive element”.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure: Hill et al. (US PG Pub. No. 2008/0165065), Navarro (US Patent No. 6,670,930), and Sawa (US Patent No. 2016/0315397) each teach multi layered antenna assemblies with multiple conductive components on each layer.
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/DAMEON E LEVI/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2845
/Jordan E. DeWitt/Examiner, Art Unit 2845