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 .
Priority
Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement(s) (IDS) is/are in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement(s) is/are being considered by the examiner.
Election/Restrictions
Applicant's election with traverse of Group I in the reply filed on 26 November 2025 is acknowledged. The traversal is on the ground(s) that there is no search burden between Groups I and II. The argument presented is found convincing and the restriction between Groups I and II is withdrawn. The restriction between Groups I and III is maintained.
The requirement is still deemed proper and is therefore made FINAL.
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.
Claim(s) 1-17 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Kim et al. (U.S. Patent Application No. 20200259269), hereinafter known as Kim.
Regarding claim 1, Kim discloses (Figs. 1-10) an antenna (100) including an antenna pattern (120a) configured to transmit or receive an RF signal ([0117]); and a directionality adjustment pattern (120b, 120c, 120d) including a plurality of metal layers having a preset area and disposed to be spaced apart from one another (see Figs. 4A-4E), the directionality adjustment pattern being disposed on one surface of the antenna (see Figs. 4A-4E), and at least one of the plurality of metal layers has a larger height than each of the remaining metal layers (see Figs. 4A-4E, 120b lower than 120c).
Regarding claim 2, Kim discloses (Figs. 1-10) the directionality adjustment pattern is disposed to face the antenna pattern in a thickness direction of the antenna (see Figs. 4A-4E).
Regarding claim 3, Kim discloses (Figs. 1-10) a wiring structure (10) having one surface on which the antenna is disposed, wherein the antenna is a chip-type antenna (see Fig. 1).
Regarding claim 4, Kim discloses (Figs. 1-10) an encapsulation material (110a) disposed on the one surface of the wiring structure and configured to surround at least a part of the antenna (see Figs. 4A-4E).
Regarding claim 5, Kim discloses (Figs. 1-10) a shield layer (110b) having insulation properties and disposed between the directionality adjustment pattern and the antenna pattern (see Figs. 4A-4E).
Regarding claim 6, Kim discloses (Figs. 1-10) wherein: the shield layer is disposed to cover at least a partial region of the antenna pattern (see Figs. 4A-4E).
Regarding claim 7, Kim discloses (Figs. 1-10) the shield layer is provided on the antenna pattern and disposed on at least a partial region of the encapsulation material adjacent to the antenna pattern (see Figs. 4A-4E).
Regarding claim 8, Kim discloses (Figs. 1-10) a wiring structure (10) having one surface on which the antenna is disposed (see Fig. 1), wherein the antenna further comprises: a dielectric layer (110a) configured to surround the antenna pattern (see Figs. 4A-4E); and a through-via (131) connected to the antenna pattern, penetrating through the dielectric layer, and extending in a direction in which the wiring structure is disposed (see Figs. 4A-4E).
Regarding claim 9, Kim discloses (Figs. 1-10) the antenna further comprises a director member (120b) disposed between the directionality adjustment pattern and the antenna pattern (see Figs. 4A-4E).
Regarding claim 10, Kim discloses (Figs. 1-10) a shield layer (100b) having insulation properties and disposed between the directionality adjustment pattern and the director member (see Figs. 4A-4E).
Regarding claim 11, Kim discloses (Figs. 1-10) the shield layer is disposed to cover at least a partial region of the director member (see Figs. 4A-4E).
Regarding claim 12, Kim discloses (Figs. 1-10) the shield layer is provided on the director member and disposed on at least a partial region of the dielectric layer adjacent to the director member (see Figs. 4A-4E).
Regarding claim 13, Kim discloses (Figs. 1-10) the antenna pattern is provided as a plurality of antenna patterns disposed to be spaced apart from one another on a plane intersecting a thickness direction of the antenna (see Fig. 1)
Regarding claim 14, Kim discloses (Figs. 1-10) the directionality adjustment pattern is provided as a metamaterial structure (see Figs. 4A-4E).
Regarding claim 15, Kim discloses (Figs. 1-10) the RF signal emitted from the antenna pattern is configured to propagate through the directionality adjustment pattern (see Figs. 4A-4E).
Regarding claim 16, Kim discloses (Figs. 1-10) a height of the plurality of metal layers increases from an edge region of the directionality adjustment pattern to a center region of the directionality adjustment pattern (see Figs. 4A-4E).
Regarding claim 17, Kim discloses (Figs. 1-10) an antenna (100) including an antenna pattern (120a) configured to transmit or receive an RF signal; and a directionality adjustment pattern (120b, 120c, 120d) including a plurality of metal layers having a preset area and disposed to be spaced apart from one another (see Figs. 4A-4E), the directionality adjustment pattern being disposed on one surface of the antenna (see Figs. 4A-4E), wherein the directionality adjustment pattern comprises: a first pattern region (region of 120c) disposed at a first distance from a central region of the directionality adjustment pattern (see Figs. 4A-4E); and a second pattern region (region of 120d) disposed at a second distance (see Figs. 4A-4E), which is longer than the first distance (see Figs. 4A-4E), from the central region of the directionality adjustment pattern, and wherein one of the first and second pattern regions has a larger height than another of the first and second pattern regions (see Figs. 4A-4E, 120d region includes conductors around 150).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 18-19 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 following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter:
The prior art does not teach or render obvious claims 18 and 19 as arranged, specifically “wherein: the plurality of metal layers of the first pattern region or second pattern region have different heights in an upward/downward direction.”
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Wieland et al. (U.S. Patent No. 10580745) teaches an antenna.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to DANIEL MUNOZ whose telephone number is (571)270-1957. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 9 a.m. - 5 p.m.
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/DANIEL MUNOZ/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2896