Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status
1. The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
2. It would be of great assistance to the office if all incoming papers pertaining to a filed application carried the following items:
i. Application number (checked for accuracy, including series code and serial no.).
ii. Group art unit number (copied from most recent Office communication).
iii. Filing date.
iv. Name of the examiner who prepared the most recent Office action.
v. Title of invention.
vi. Confirmation number (See MPEP § 503).
3. The Examiner has pointed out particular references contained in the prior art of record within the body of this action for the convenience of the Applicant. Although the specified citations are representative of the teachings in the art and are applied to the specific limitations within the individual claim, other passages, paragraph and figures may apply. Applicant, in preparing the response, should consider fully the entire reference as potentially teaching all or part of the claimed invention, as well as the context of the passage as taught by the prior art or disclosed by the Examiner.
4. Claim interpretation: When multiple limitations are connected with “OR”, one of the limitations doesn’t have any patentable weight since both of the limitations are optional.
Claim Rejection- 35 USC § 103
5. 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 of this title, 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 1-22 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Wu (Pub No. 2023/0361467) and further in view of Wanghuang (CN 112713400).
Regarding claim 1, Wu discloses an antenna apparatus (Fig. 4-8), comprising: a first radiator comprising a first state and a second state (Para. 56: Antenna module-110 with radiator element-113) & (Para. 70-71: antenna and the radiator operating state and non-operating state/ carry state); a second radiator configured to support transmission of a wireless signal in an operating state (Para. 58: Second radiating element 123 transmit and receive a second electromagnetic wave signal), an isolation degree between the second radiator in the operating state and the first radiator in the first state is greater (Para. 195-196: Isolation between 1st and 2nd radiator) and a control module electrically connected to the first radiator and the second radiator (Para. 65: Controller connected to the 1st & 2nd radiator), wherein the control module is configured to control the first radiator to be in the first state in response to the second radiator being in the operating state (Para. 69-71: When the receiver is in operating state- the control module controls the first radiator in the first state when the second radiator in operation-receiver operating means the radiator also operating. Controller control the power of the radiator to adjust the operating state).
Wu does not explicitly disclose an isolation degree between the second radiator in the operating state and the first radiator in the first state is greater than an isolation degree between the second radiator in the operating state and the first radiator in the second state.
In a similar field of endeavor, Wanghuang discloses an isolation degree between the second radiator in the operating state and the first radiator in the first state is greater than an isolation degree between the second radiator in the operating state and the first radiator in the second state (Page 7-8: When the first antenna structure 110 does not transmit the wireless signal, it can make the second antenna structure 120 in the first state, the normal operation of the second antenna structure 120. It will reduce the first antenna structure 110 and the second antenna structure 120 of the mutual interference. Note: increase isolation when interference decrease. So, the isolation degree between the second radiator in the operating state and the first radiator in the first state is greater. The 2nd antenna structure operating normal[Wingdings font/0xE0] greater isolation and less interference) & (Page. 16 last Para: The isolation degree between the 2nd antenna structure 120 for transmitting the GPS signal and the first antenna structure 110 for transmitting (first radiator in the second state) the cellular signal is very low- low isolation).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of the ordinary skilled in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to use antenna control system of Wanghuang’s disclosure with radiating element adjusting system, as taught by Wu. Doing so would have resulted in effectively adjusting the radiator elements in different state to control interference in the device system.
Regarding claim 2 & 13, Wu remains as applied above and continue to discloses a first chip electrically connected to the first radiator and the control module (Para. 57: flexible circuit & Para. 65: Controller control radiator & Para. 120: Chips in the device), wherein the first chip is configured to control the first radiator to be in the first state or the second state (Para. 120: Chip control the radiator transmission and reception); and wherein the control module is configured to control the first chip in response to the second radiator being in the operating state, so that the first radiator is in the first state (Para. 122: Controlling operating state of the radiator of the device).
Regarding claim 3 & 14, Wu remains as applied above and continue to discloses a second chip electrically connected to the second radiator and the control module, wherein the second chip is configured to control the second radiator to be in the operating state (Para. 120-122: Chip control the radiator transmission and reception and controlling operating state of the radiator of the device).
Regarding claim 4 & 15, Wu remains as applied above and continue to discloses the second radiator is configured to support a wireless signal in a first frequency band in response to the second radiator being in the operating state; the first radiator is configured to support a wireless signal in a second frequency band in response to the first radiator being in the first state, and support a wireless signal in a third frequency band in response to the first radiator being in the second state (Para. 121-122: Using different frequency band for different antenna elements); and a frequency difference between the second frequency band and the first frequency band is greater than a frequency difference between the third frequency band and the first frequency band (Para 119 & 121: Greater frequency difference for lower interference).
Regarding claim 5 & 16, Wu remains as applied above and continue to discloses the first radiator does not support the transmission of the wireless signal in response to the first radiator being operated in the first state (Para. 70-71: antenna non-operating state) & (Para. 138: Controlling off the radiator-21).
Regarding claim 6 & 17, Wu remains as applied above and continue to discloses the second radiator is configured to support transmission of a wireless fidelity signal in response to the second radiator being in the operating state; or the first radiator is configured to support transmission of a cellular signal in response to the first radiator being in the second state (Para. 65: Mobile 5G technology/ Wifi).
Regarding claim 7, Wu discloses an electronic device (Fig. 4-8), comprising: an antenna apparatus comprising: a first radiator comprising a first state and a second state (Para. 56: Antenna module-110 with radiator element-113) & (Para. 70-71: antenna and the radiator operating state and non-operating state/ carry state); a second radiator configured to support transmission of a wireless signal in an operating state (Para. 58: Second radiating element 123 transmit and receive a second electromagnetic wave signal), an isolation degree between the second radiator in the operating state and the first radiator in the first state is greater (Para. 195-196: Isolation between 1st and 2nd radiator) and a control module electrically connected to the first radiator and the second radiator (Para. 65: Controller connected to the 1st & 2nd radiator), wherein the control module is configured to control the first radiator to be in the first state in response to the second radiator being in the operating state (Para. 69-71: When the receiver is in operating state- the control module controls the first radiator in the first state when the second radiator in operation-receiver operating means the radiator also operating. Controller control the power of the radiator to adjust the operating state) and a housing defining an accommodating space (Fig. 2: housing-1000), wherein the first radiator is located in the accommodating space, and at least part of the second radiator is connected to the housing and located outside the accommodating space (Fig. 2: Top Radiator on the device and bottom radiator on the lower outer part of the housing) & (Fig. 4-7) & (Para. 57: One radiator disposed on the corner and the other one molded on the flexible circuit).
Wu does not explicitly disclose an isolation degree between the second radiator in the operating state and the first radiator in the first state is greater than an isolation degree between the second radiator in the operating state and the first radiator in the second state.
In a similar field of endeavor, Wanghuang discloses an isolation degree between the second radiator in the operating state and the first radiator in the first state is greater than an isolation degree between the second radiator in the operating state and the first radiator in the second state (Page 7-8: When the first antenna structure 110 does not transmit the wireless signal, it can make the second antenna structure 120 in the first state, the normal operation of the second antenna structure 120. It will reduce the first antenna structure 110 and the second antenna structure 120 of the mutual interference. Note: increase isolation when interference decrease. So, the isolation degree between the second radiator in the operating state and the first radiator in the first state is greater. The 2nd antenna structure operating normal[Wingdings font/0xE0] greater isolation and less interference) & (Page. 16 last para: The isolation degree between the 2nd antenna structure 120 for transmitting the GPS signal and the first antenna structure 110 for transmitting (first radiator in the second state) the cellular signal is very low- low isolation).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of the ordinary skilled in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to use antenna control system of Wanghuang’s disclosure with radiating element adjusting system, as taught by Wu. Doing so would have resulted in effectively adjusting the radiator elements in different state to control interference in the device system.
Regarding claim 8, Wu discloses the housing comprises a first side frame, a second side frame, and a third side frame sequentially connected; the first side frame and the third side frame are disposed opposite to each other, and a length of the first side frame and a length of the third side frame are less than a length of the second side frame (Fig. 2: phone housing) & (Fig. 4-7: length of the first side frame and a length of the third side frame -top and bottom side are less than a length of the second side frame-left side); and the second radiator is disposed opposite to the second side frame, and a ratio of a first distance between the second radiator and the first side frame to a second distance between the second radiator and the third side frame ranges from two-thirds to one and a half (Fig. 7: different radiator size in the different location of the side surface of the device-113, 123) & (Para. 86) (Note: side frame varies based on the design of the mobile device).
Regarding claim 9, Wu discloses the first radiator is disposed opposite to the second side frame, a first projection of the first radiator on the second side frame at least partially overlaps with a second projection of the second radiator on the second side frame, or the first projection is separated from the second projection (Fig. 7: different radiator -113, 123 on the side frame of the device).
Regarding claim 10, Wu discloses the electronic device comprises a plurality of first radiators and a plurality of second radiators; one of the plurality of first radiators and one of the plurality of second radiators form an antenna group, so that a plurality of antenna groups are formed; and the control module is configured to control the first radiator of one of the plurality of the antenna groups to be in the first state in response to the second radiator of the same antenna group being in the operating state (Fig. 7: different radiator -113, 123 on the side frame of the device) & (Para. 120-122) & (Fig. 10: Antenna group).
Regarding claim 11, Wu discloses the housing comprises a first side frame, a second side frame, a third side frame, and a fourth side frame sequentially connected; the first side frame and the third side frame are disposed opposite to each other (Fig. 2-4: Device having top, bottom, left & right side frame) & (Para. 55), and the second side frame and the fourth side frame are disposed opposite to each other; and a length of the first side frame and a length of the third side frame are less than a length of the second side frame or a length of the fourth side frame (Fig. 2-4: side length is longer than top length); and at least one of the plurality of antenna groups is disposed opposite to the second side frame, and at least another of the plurality of antenna groups is disposed opposite to the fourth side frame (Fig. 7: Antenna-110/120 disposed on the side frame of the device) & (Para. 120-122) & (Fig. 10: Antenna group).
Regarding claim 12, Wu discloses the second radiator is a radiator with a flexible circuit board structure (Para. 57: Radiating element 113 is molded on a flexible circuit board).
Regarding claim 18, Wu discloses the housing comprises a middle frame and a rear housing, and the rear housing is connected to the middle frame to form the accommodating space (Fig. 1-2: Rare cover-502, top screen 300 & middle frame housing-501 & Para. 55 & 86).
Regarding claim 19, Wu discloses a display screen, disposed on the middle frame and connected to the rear housing through the middle frame, so as to form a display surface (Fig. 2: display and display screen-300); a circuit board, disposed in the accommodating space (Fig. 2: a circuit board-200); and a battery disposed in the accommodating space (Fig. 2: Battery-400).
Regarding claim 20, Wu discloses wherein the circuit board is integrated with one of a processor, a headphone interface, an acceleration sensor, a gyroscope, and a motor (Para. 144 & 247: circuit with controller & Para. 79: Sensors).
Regarding claim 21 & 22, Wu discloses the first radiator is configured to be disposed on a surface of a side frame of a housing, and the second radiator is configured to be disposed on an opposite surface of the side frame (Fig. 5: Radiator antenna-120 & radiator antenna-130 disposed on an opposite surface), and a projection of the first radiator on the side frame at least partially overlaps with a projection of the second radiator on the side frame (Fig. 5: Radiator antenna-120 & radiator antenna-130 partially overlaps with a projection on the side).
Response to Arguments
6. i. Applicant’s arguments, with regards to claim 1 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive.
ii. On page 6-7 Applicant argues, “(the combination of Wu and Wanghuang would still not disclose or teach “the control module is configured to control the first radiator to be in the first state in response to the second radiator being in the operating state”)”.
Examiner respectfully disagrees with the applicant arguments because prior art either explicitly or inherently discloses each and every aspect of the above limitations. Wu discloses when the receiver is in operating state (2nd radiator being in the operating state) the control module controls the first radiator (Control power of the first antenna module-110) in the first state (in operation/ active) when the second radiator in operation (receiver/ radiator active) the controller control the power of the radiator to adjust the operating state (Para. 69-71). In this case, power of the radiator antenna being controlled when the antenna is operating.
CONCLUSION
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 extension fee 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 date of this final action.
Any inquiry concerning this communication from the examiner should be directed to Patent Examiner Md Talukder whose telephone number is (571) 270-3222. The examiner can normally be reached on Mon-Th 8:00 am to 4:30 pm.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisors, Wesley Kim can be reached on 571-272-7867.
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/MD K TALUKDER/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2648
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