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 .
Election/Restrictions
Claims 1-3, 5-8, and 18-20 are allowable. The restriction requirement between Groups I and II, as set forth in the Office action mailed on 8/26/25, has been reconsidered in view of the allowability of claims to the elected invention pursuant to MPEP § 821.04(a). The restriction requirement is maintained because the nonelected claims do not require all the limitations of an allowable claim.
Response to Amendment
The amendment filed 4/27/26 is fully considered and is entered.
Claims 1-3 and 5-20 remain pending in the application.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments, see Remarks, filed 4/27/26, with respect to the amendments to claims 1 and 18 have been fully considered and are persuasive. The rejections of these claims have been withdrawn.
Applicant's arguments with respect to the rejections under 35 U.S.C. § 112 of claims 9-10 are fully considered and are not persuasive, as detailed in the amended rejections below.
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 at least one of the ground shield 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. In detail, the first conductive component and the second conductive component are recited as being of the same “impedance matching layer” and “not in contact with each other”, which is incongruous with the scope of the claim, which encompasses at least a case in which: the entirety of both the first and second conductive ponent cover the entirety of both the ground shield and feed line. The invention as claimed is therefore indefinite.
Claim 10 recites the limitation “the first and second conductive components” in line 5. In Applicant’s Remarks, filed 4/27/26, Applicant recites claim 10 has been amended to depend on claim 9, however this is not reflected in the amendments to claims. There is therefore insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 1-3, 5-8, and 18-20 are allowed.
The following is an examiner’s statement of reasons for allowance: the pertinent prior art, as a whole, when taken alone, or in combination, cannot be reasonably construed as adequately teaching or suggesting the elements and features of the claimed invention as arranged, disposed, or provided in the manner as claimed by Applicant. In detail,
Regarding claim 1, 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”, and the modification of the art of record to incorporate this feature would not have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claims 2-3 and 5-8, being dependent upon claim 1, are similarly allowed.
Regarding claim 18, 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”, and the modification of the art of record to incorporate this feature would not have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claims 19-20, being dependent upon claim 18, are similarly allowed.
Any comments considered necessary by applicant must be submitted no later than the payment of the issue fee and, to avoid processing delays, should preferably accompany the issue fee. Such submissions should be clearly labeled “Comments on Statement of Reasons for Allowance.”
Conclusion
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 Jordan E. DeWitt whose telephone number is (571)270-1235. The examiner can normally be reached Monday thru Thursday from 8:30 AM to 3:30 PM ET.
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, Dameon Levi can be reached at 571-272-2105. 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
/Jordan E. DeWitt/Examiner, Art Unit 2845
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