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
Applicant’s election without traverse of Invention I, claims 1-34 in the reply filed on 22 June 2026 is acknowledged.
Claims 35-51 are withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b) as being drawn to a nonelected Invention II, there being no allowable generic or linking claim. Election was made without traverse in the reply filed on 22 June 2026.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 13 August 2025 and 25 June 2026 were filed prior to the mailing date of this office correspondence. The submission is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
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 1-34 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.
In claims 1 and 18, the limitation “the shell is aligned with the base plate such that the post of the signal ear of each spectrum element cavity is aligned with one of plurality of holes of the base plate” renders claim indefinite because it is unclear the structural relationship between the shell and the base plate. See the limitation recites “aligned with”, in which it is unclear the posts of the cavity are connected or inserted into the holes of the base plate, or the posts are integrated with the base plate, or the posts are merely positioned near the base plate such that the posts are in a line with the holes of the base plate. This limitation could be interpreted in more than one way. Therefore, one of ordinary skill in the art cannot understand what is the claimed “aligned with” and hence the scope of the claim is unclear. Examiner recommends amending the limitation to: the shell is aligned with the base plate such that the post of the signal ear of each spectrum element cavity is aligned with and connected to one of plurality of holes of the base plate, or similar.
In claims 9, 13, 26 and 30, same issue is there for the limitation “aligned with”.
Claims 2-17 depend on claim 1 and claims 19-34 depend on claim 18. Therefore, claims 1-34 are rejected.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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 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) 1-6, 10-12, 15-17, 18-23, 27-29 and 32-34 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Franzini (US 20200076090).
[AltContent: textbox (shell)][AltContent: ][AltContent: ][AltContent: ][AltContent: ][AltContent: textbox (post)][AltContent: textbox (post)][AltContent: textbox (spectrum element cavity)]
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Annotated Figs. 2A and 3A, Franzini.
Regarding claim 1, Franzini teaches, a unit cell (unit cell 202, Fig. 3A, para. [0059]) for a phased array antenna (phased array antenna 200, Fig. 2A), the unit cell comprising:
a base plate (base plate 214, Fig. 3A), wherein the base plate is configured to provide a path to ground (the base plate is configured to provide a path to ground, see claim 1, para. [0059]), and wherein the base plate comprises a plurality of holes (base plate 214 is a solid block of material with holes, slots, or cut-outs, para. [0064]);
a shell (see annotated Figs. 2A, 2B and 3A and the Note below) that comprises a plurality of spectrum element cavities (see Figs. 2A and 3A, unit cell 202 includes two radiating elements, a vertically polarized radiating element 208 and a horizontally polarized radiating element 210, para. [0057]), wherein an inner surface of each of the spectrum element cavities is coated with a conductive material (one or more radiating ears 216, 218, 220 and 222 and clustered pillar 212 may be substantially or completely hollow…one or more radiating ears 216, 218, 220 and 222 and clustered pillar 212 are 3D printed, for example, from a conductive material or from a non-conductive material that is then coated or plated with a conductive material, para. [0069]) to form a signal ear (signal ear 216) and a ground ear (ground ear 218) that each comprise a post (pillars 212, see annotated Fig. 3A, phased array can include a signal ear that include one or more posts, Abstract); and
wherein the shell is aligned with the base plate such that the post of the signal ear of each spectrum element cavity is aligned with one of plurality of holes of the base plate (see Figs. 2A and 3A).
Note: unless otherwise defined, Franzini teaches the recited limitation “shell”.
Regarding claim 18, Franzini teaches, a phased array antenna (phased array antenna 200, Fig. 2A) comprising:
a plurality of unit cells (unit cell 202, see Figs. 2A and 3A, para. [0059]), wherein each unit cell comprises:
a base plate (base plate 214, Fig. 3A), wherein the base plate is configured to provide a path to ground (the base plate is configured to provide a path to ground, see claim 1, para. [0059]), and wherein the base plate comprises a plurality of holes (base plate 214 is a solid block of material with holes, slots, or cut-outs, para. [0064]);
a shell (see annotated Figs. 2A, 2B and 3A) that comprises a plurality of spectrum element cavities (see Figs. 2A and 3A, unit cell 202 includes two radiating elements, a vertically polarized radiating element 208 and a horizontally polarized radiating element 210, para. [0057]), wherein an inner surface of each of the spectrum element cavities is coated with a conductive material (one or more radiating ears 216, 218, 220 and 222 and clustered pillar 212 may be substantially or completely hollow…one or more radiating ears 216, 218, 220 and 222 and clustered pillar 212 are 3D printed, for example, from a conductive material or from a non-conductive material that is then coated or plated with a conductive material, para. [0069]) to form a signal ear (signal ear 216) and a ground ear (ground ear 218) that each comprise a post (pillars 212, see annotated Fig. 3A phased array can include a signal ear that include one or more posts, Abstract); and
wherein the shell is aligned with the base plate such that the post of the signal ear of each spectrum element cavity is aligned with one of plurality of holes of the base plate (see Figs. 2A and 3A).
Regarding claims 2 and 19, Franzini teaches the recited limitations with respect to claims 1 and 18. Franzini further teaches, wherein the shell is formed using an additive manufacturing process (one or more radiating ears 216, 218, 220 and 222 and clustered pillar 212 are machined, molded, cast, or formed by wire-EDM…, one or more radiating ears 216, 218, 220 and 222 and clustered pillar 212 are 3D printed, para. [0069]).
Regarding claims 3 and 20, Franzini teaches the recited limitations with respect to claims 2 and 19. Franzini further teaches, wherein the shell is formed from a dielectric material (one or more radiating ears 216, 218, 220 and 222 and clustered pillar 212 are substantially formed from non-conductive material, for example plastics such as ABS, Nylon, PA, PBT, PC, PEEK, PEK, PET, Polyimides, POM, PPS, PPO, PSU, PTFE, or UHMWPE, para. [0068]).
Regarding claims 4 and 21, Franzini teaches the recited limitations with respect to claims 2 and 19. Franzini further teaches, wherein the additive manufacturing process includes stereolithography (manufactured using other additive manufacturing techniques such as binder jetting, VAT photopolymerization, stereolithogrpahy, para. [0177]).
Regarding claims 5 and 22, Franzini teaches the recited limitations with respect to claims 2 and 19. Franzini further teaches, wherein the additive manufacturing process includes VAT polymerization (manufactured using other additive manufacturing techniques such as binder jetting, VAT photopolymerization, stereolithogrpahy, para. [0177]).
Regarding claims 6 and 23, Franzini teaches the recited limitations with respect to claims 1 and 18. Franzini further teaches, wherein the inner surfaces of each spectrum element cavity are coated with a copper layer (one or more radiating ears 216, 218, 220 and 222 and clustered pillar 212 are substantially formed from non-conductive material,…with their outer surfaces coated or plated with a suitable conductive material, such as copper, para. [0068]).
Regarding claims 10 and 27, Franzini teaches the recited limitations with respect to claims 1 and 18. Franzini further teaches, wherein the base plate is formed from aluminum (base plate 214 is formed from one or more conductive materials, such as metals like aluminum, para. [0064]).
Regarding claims 11 and 28, Franzini teaches the recited limitations with respect to claims 1 and 18. Franzini further teaches, wherein two adjacent spectrum element cavities of the plurality of spectrum element cavities are arranged orthogonally relative to one another (second set of radiating elements 210 are disposed along a second, orthogonal axis, see Fig. 3A, para. [0059]).
Regarding claims 12 and 29, Franzini teaches the recited limitations with respect to claims 11 and 28. Franzini further teaches, wherein the signal ear of a first spectrum element cavity is located proximate to the signal ear of an adjacent spectrum element cavity separated by a gap (see Figs. 2A and 2B).
Regarding claims 15 and 32, Franzini teaches the recited limitations with respect to claims 1 and 18. Franzini further teaches, wherein an inner surface of each of the signal ears and the ground ears of the spectrum element cavities comprises a taper (the radiating ears include…a plurality of irregularly shaped projections 382, para. [0061], which anticipates a taper).
Regarding claims 16 and 33, Franzini teaches the recited limitations with respect to claims 1 and 18. Franzini further teaches, wherein the post of each of the signal ears is connected to a connector (signal ears 216 and 220, and ground ears 218 and 222 on the top (radiating) side and connectors on the bottom side to connect feed lines, para. [0064]).
Regarding claims 17 and 34, Franzini teaches the recited limitations with respect to claims 16 and 33. Franzini further teaches, wherein the connection between each signal ear and each connector provides an electrically isolated path (signal ear 216 is electrically isolated from base plate 214, clustered pillar 212, and ground ear 218, para. [0059]).
Claim(s) 1 and 18 are alternatively rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Elsallal (US 20170025767).
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Annotated Figs. 3A and 3B, Elsallal.
Regarding claims 1 and 18, Elsallal teaches, a unit cell (unit cell 202, see annotated Fig. 3A, para. [0062]) for a phased array antenna (phased array antenna 200, Fig. 2A), the unit cell comprising:
a base plate (base plate 214, Fig. 3A), wherein the base plate is configured to provide a path to ground (clustered pillar 212 and ground ear 222 may be both electrically coupled to base plate 214, see claim 5, para. [0064]), and wherein the base plate comprises a plurality of holes (holes or cut-outs in base plate 214, para. [0072]);
a shell (see Fig. 2B) that comprises a plurality of spectrum element cavities (see Figs. 3A to 3C, para. [0066]), wherein an inner surface of each of the spectrum element cavities is coated with a conductive material (one or more radiating ears 216, 218, 220 and 222 and clustered pillar 212 are 3D printed, for example, from a conductive material or from a non-conductive material that is then coated or plated with a conductive material, para. [0074]) to form a signal ear (signal ear 220) and a ground ear (ground ear 218) that each comprise a post (pillars 212, Fig. 3A); and
wherein the shell is aligned with the base plate such that the post of the signal ear of each spectrum element cavity is aligned with one of plurality of holes of the base plate (see Figs. 3A and 3B).
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.
Claim(s) 7 and 24 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Franzini as applied to claims 1 and 18 above, and further in view of Shin (Shin et.al., Polymer-Based 3-D Printed Ku-Band Steerable Phased-Array Antenna Subsystem, IEEE Access, vol. 7, 2019, page 106662-106673).
Regarding claims 7 and 24, Franzini does not teach, the copper layer thickness. However, Shin teaches, a 3-D printed phased array antenna including a base plate, a plurality of spectrum elements and electroplating the antenna elements, in which, the copper layer is 0.002 inches thick (electroplating process gave a copper layer thickness of 20 µm, col. 2, page 106666). Therefore, in view of the teachings of Shin, it would have been prima facie obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to modify the phased array antenna of Franzini and to coat spectrum element cavities with the conductive material having a desired thickness so that it enables forming a coating having a desired skin depth and to minimize the antenna loss as Shin disclosed in page 106666.
Claim(s) 8 and 25 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Franzini.
Regarding claims 8 and 25, Franzini further teaches, wherein the base plate comprises a plurality of mating protrusions (cross shaped protrusions, para. [0077]). Therefore, in view of the teachings of Franzini in Figs. 6A and 6B, it would have been prima facie obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to modify the unit cell in Fig. 3A of Franzini and include a plurality of mating protrusions as Franzini taught in Fig. 6A so that it enables forming directional markings for the orientations of the signal ear and the ground ear.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 9, 13, 26 and 30 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 and to overcome the rejection(s) under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), 2nd paragraph, set forth in this Office action. Claims 14 and 31 are allowable by virtue of its dependency.
The following is an examiner’s statement of reasons for indicating allowable subject matter:
Claims 9 and 26 would be allowable for disclosing a unit cell for a phased array antenna, wherein the shell is aligned with the base plate such that the post of the ground ear of each spectrum element cavity is aligned with one of the plurality of mating protrusions of the base plate.
Claims 13 and 30 would be allowable for disclosing a unit cell for a phased array antenna, wherein the unit cell comprises a superstrate located on a top surface of the shell, the superstrate comprising an internal cavity that is aligned with the gap between the signal ears of each spectrum element cavity of the shell.
Though, prior art of record Franzini and Elsallal teach, a plurality of mating protrusions, and a plurality of spectrum element cavities, both Franzini and Elsallal fails to teach, the shell is aligned with the base plate such that the post of the ground ear of each spectrum element cavity is aligned with one of the plurality of mating protrusions of the base plate; or the unit cell comprises a superstrate located on a top surface of the shell, the superstrate comprising an internal cavity that is aligned with the gap between the signal ears of each spectrum element cavity of the shell.
Prior art Shin does not teach, the shell is aligned with the base plate such that the post of the ground ear of each spectrum element cavity is aligned with one of the plurality of mating protrusions of the base plate; or the unit cell comprises a superstrate located on a top surface of the shell, the superstrate comprising an internal cavity that is aligned with the gap between the signal ears of each spectrum element cavity of the shell.
Therefore, claims 9, 13, 26 and 30 would be allowable. Claims 14 and 31 would be allowable by virtue of its dependency.
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
Prior art Benedict (US 20200028257) teaches, a unit cell for a phased array antenna, including a base plate comprises a plurality of holes; a shell that comprises a plurality of spectrum element cavities, wherein an inner surface of each of the spectrum element cavities is coated with a conductive material to form a signal ear and a ground ear that each comprise a post.
Prior art Rojanski (US 9929472) teaches, a unit cell for a phased array antenna, including a base plate comprises a plurality of holes; a plurality of spectrum element cavities, wherein an inner surface of each of the spectrum element cavities is coated with a conductive material to form a signal ear and a ground ear that each comprise a post.
Prior art West (US 8736504) teaches, a unit cell for a phased array antenna, including a base plate comprises a plurality of holes; a plurality of spectrum element cavities comprising a signal ear and a ground ear that each comprise a post.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to JOSE K. ABRAHAM whose telephone number is (571)270-1087. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 8:30-4:30 EST.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, THOMAS J. HONG can be reached at (571) 272-0993. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/JOSE K ABRAHAM/Examiner, Art Unit 3729
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