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 .
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claims 1 and 20 have been considered but are not persuasive.
Applicant argues that the prior art fails to disclose how the resonance current is distributed in each resonance mode. The Examiner disagrees. It should be noted that the claimed invention has an identical structure to the prior art cites. According to MPEP 2112.01 “when the structure recited in the reference is substantially identical to that of the claims, claimed properties or functions are presumed to be inherent. Where the claimed and prior art products are identical or substantially identical in structure or composition, or are produced by identical or substantially identical processes, a prima facie case of either anticipation or obviousness has been established. In re Best, 562 F.2d 1252, 1255, 195 USPQ 430, 433 (CCPA 1977). “When the PTO shows a sound basis for believing that the products of the applicant and the prior art are the same, the applicant has the burden of showing that they are not." In re Spada, 911 F.2d 705, 709, 15 USPQ2d 1655, 1658 (Fed. Cir. 1990)”.)." The need to adjust the resonances of the antenna structure would have been within the purview of one of ordinary skill in the art especially since the court held that adjustability, where needed, is not a patentable advance, and because there was an art-recognized need for adjustment in a fishing rod, the substitution of a universal joint for the single pivot of the prior art would have been obvious.). In re Stevens, 212 F.2d 197, 101 USPQ 284 (CCPA 1954).
If further attempts are made to properly and completely define the invention, Applicant is advised to consider the paragraphs or columns and line numbers and/or figures in the references, as noted below. Although the specified citations are representative of the teachings of the art and are applied to specific limitations within the individual claim, other passages and figures may apply as well; and such passages and/or figures may be helpful to Applicant in preparing a response to this action.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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 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.
The text of those sections of Title 35, U.S. Code not included in this action can be found in a prior Office action.
The factual inquiries for establishing a background for determining obviousness under 35 U.S.C. 103 are summarized as follows:
1. Determining the scope and contents of the prior art.
2. Ascertaining the differences between the prior art and the claims at issue.
3. Resolving the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art.
4. Considering objective evidence present in the application indicating obviousness or nonobviousness.
Claims 1-9, and 11-16 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Yanhui (CN109687111B).
Regarding claim 1:
Yanhui discloses an antenna assembly (in Fig. 1-3 and 5) comprising: a radiator (defined by 1 and 2) comprising a first sub-radiator (1) and a second sub-radiator (2), wherein the first sub-radiator (1) and the second sub-radiator (2) define a coupling gap (defined by the gap adjacent to 12 and 22) therebetween, and the first sub-radiator (1) is configured to be coupled to the second sub-radiator (2) through the coupling gap (defined by the gap adjacent to 12 and 22): the first sub-radiator (1) has a first grounding end (13), a first coupling end (12), and a feeding point (11) disposed between the first grounding end (13) and the first coupling end (12), wherein the first grounding end (13) is grounded (See Fig. 5); the second sub-radiator (2) has a second grounding end (23), a second coupling end (22), and a tuning point (21) disposed between the second grounding end (23) and the second coupling end (22), wherein the first coupling end (12) is spaced apart from the second coupling end (22) by the coupling gap (defined by the gap adjacent to 12 and 22), and the second grounding end (23) is grounded (See Figs.); a signal source (5) electrically coupled to the feeding point (11); and a tuning circuit (4), wherein one end of the tuning circuit (4) is electrically connected to the tuning point (21), another end of the tuning circuit (4) is grounded (See Fig. 1), and the tuning circuit (4) is configured to tune the second sub-radiator (2) to enable the second sub-radiator (2) to be able to support at least two resonant modes (Para. 0062, Lines 546-549); wherein the radiator (defined by 1 and 2) is configured to support a first resonant mode (f1), a second resonant mode (f2), a third resonant mode (f3), and a fourth resonant mode (f4), wherein a first resonant current corresponding to the first resonant mode (f1) is distributed between the first grounding end (13) and the second grounding end (23), a second resonant current corresponding to the second resonant mode (f2) is distributed between the feeding point (11) and the second grounding end (23), a third resonant current corresponding to the third resonant mode (f3) is distributed between the feeding point (11) and the tuning point (21), a fourth resonant current corresponding to the fourth resonant mode (f4) is distributed between the first grounding end (13) and the tuning point (21), wherein a part of the fourth resonant current flows from the first grounding end (13) to a current reverse point, and another part of the fourth resonant current flows from the tuning point (21) to the current reverse point through the coupling gap (defined by the gap adjacent to 12 and 22), the current reverse point is located between the feeding point (11) and the first grounding end (13; Para. 0026, Lines 232-245; Para. 0027, Lines 249-254; Para. 0028, Lines 260-278).
Yanhui does not explicitly disclose that the tuning circuit is inductive at both a resonant point of the first resonant mode and a resonant point of the second resonant mode, and the tuning circuit is capacitive at a resonant point of the third resonant mode and is inductive at a resonant point of the fourth resonant mode.
Yanhui however disclose (in Fig. 2) the tuning circuit is configured as a band-stop characteristic at which the tuning circuit becomes inductive and the (in Fig. 3) the tuning circuit is configured as a band-pass characteristic at which the tuning circuit becomes capacitive.
Accordingly, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to recognize the several configurations of the tuning circuit in the embodiments as taught by Yanhui to for tuning the first sub-radiator and the second sub-radiator for resonance at the four-resonance modes (Para. 0038, Lines 350-352; Para. 0039, Lines 356-357; Para. 0040, Lines 361-363).
Regarding claim 2:
Yanhui discloses the first sub-radiator (1) is configured to support two resonant modes among the first resonant mode, the second resonant mode, the third resonant mode, and the fourth resonant mode, and the second sub-radiator (2) is configured to support the other two resonant modes among the first resonant mode, the second resonant mode, the third resonant mode, and the fourth resonant mode (Para. 0025, Lines 221-228; Para. 0026, Lines 232-245; Para. 0027, Lines 249-254).
Regarding claim 3:
Yanhui discloses the first sub-radiator (1) is configured to support the first resonant mode and the fourth resonant mode, the second sub-radiator (2) is configured to support the second resonant mode and the third resonant mode, and a resonant frequency of the first resonant mode, a resonant frequency of the second resonant mode, a resonant frequency of the third resonant mode, and a resonant frequency of the fourth resonant mode increase in sequence (Para. 0025, Lines 221-228; Para. 0026, Lines 232-245; Para. 0027, Lines 249-254).
Regarding claim 4:
Yanhui discloses each of the first resonant mode and the second resonant mode covers a middle-high band (MHB), and each of the third resonant mode and the fourth resonant mode covers an ultra-high band (UHB), wherein the MHB ranges from 1 GHz to 3 GHz, and the UHB is greater than or equal to 3 GHz (Para. 0180, Lines 12-18).
Regarding claim 5:
Yanhui discloses each of the first resonant mode, the second resonant mode, the third resonant mode, and the fourth resonant mode covers at least one of 4th generation (4G) long term evolution (LTE) band or 5th generation (5G) New Radio (NR) band; when each of the first resonant mode, the second resonant mode, the third resonant mode, and the fourth resonant mode covers the 4G LTE band or the 5G NR band, a combination of a band covered by the first resonant mode, a band covered by the second resonant mode, a band covered by the third resonant mode, and a band covered by the fourth resonant mode forms a target application band, wherein the target application band covers 1.45 GHz-6 GHz (Para. 0029, Lines 282-285; Para. Para. 0049, Lines 450-155; Para. 0062, Lines 546-549).
Regarding claim 6:
Yanhui discloses a part of the first sub-radiator (1) between the first grounding end (13) and the first coupling end (defined by the gap adjacent to 12 and 22) is configured to support the first resonant mode under excitation of the first resonant current.
Regarding claim 7:
Yanhui discloses a part of the second sub-radiator (2) between the second grounding end (23) and the second coupling end (22) is configured to support the second resonant mode under excitation of the second resonant current.
Regarding claim 8:
Yanhui discloses a part of the second sub-radiator (2) between the tuning point (21) and the second coupling end (22) is configured to support the third resonant mode under excitation of the third resonant current.
Regarding claim 9:
Yanhui discloses a part of the first sub-radiator (1) between the first grounding end (13) and the first coupling end (12) is configured to support the fourth resonant mode under excitation of the fourth resonant current.
Regarding claim 11:
Yanhui discloses the tuning circuit (4) comprises a first capacitor unit (C1) and a first inductor unit (L2), wherein one end of the first capacitor unit (C1) and one end of the first inductor unit (L2) are both electrically connected to the tuning point (21), and another end of the first capacitor unit (C1) and another end of the first inductor unit (L2) are both grounded (See Fig. 5).
Regarding claim 12:
Yanhui discloses the tuning circuit (4) further comprises a second inductor unit (L1), one end of the second inductor unit (L1) is electrically connected to a node where the other end of the first capacitor unit (C1) is connected to another end of the first inductor unit (L2), and another end of the second inductor unit (L1 via C1 and L2) is grounded.
Regarding claim 13:
Yanhui discloses the tuning circuit (4) comprises a first capacitor unit (C1), a second inductor unit (L2), and a first inductor unit (L1) connected in series to the first capacitor unit (C1), wherein both one end of the first inductor (L1) and one end of the second inductor unit (L2) are electrically connected to the tuning point (21), and another end of the second inductor unit (L2) and one end of the first capacitor unit (C1) are electrically connected to each other and grounded.
Regarding claim 14:
Yanhui is silent on that the tuning circuit further comprises a second capacitor unit, one end of the second capacitor unit is electrically connected to the one end of the second inductor unit, and another end of the second capacitor unit and the other end of the second inductor unit are electrically connected to each other and grounded.
Accordingly, it would have been an obvious matter of design consideration to implement the configuration of the tuning circuit to further comprise a second capacitor unit, one end of the second capacitor unit is electrically connected to the one end of the second inductor unit, and another end of the second capacitor unit and the other end of the second inductor unit are electrically connected to each other and grounded for achieving better performance that is easily simulated and optimized for the antenna device especially since such design consideration would have been knowledge within the purview of one of ordinary skill in the art, thereby suggesting the obviousness of the design consideration.
Regarding claim 15:
Yanhui discloses the tuning circuit (4) comprises a tuning capacitor (C1), one end of the tuning capacitor (C1) is electrically connected to the tuning point (21), and another end of the tuning capacitor is grounded (See Figs.).
Regarding claim 16:
Yanhui discloses further comprising a matching circuit (3), wherein one end of the matching circuit (3) is electrically connected to the feeding point (11), and another end of the matching circuit is electrically connected to the signal source (5).
Regarding claim 21:
Yanhui discloses a direction of the first resonant current flowing between the first grounding end (13) and the first coupling end (12) and a direction of the first resonant current flowing between the second coupling end (22) and the second grounding end (23) are the same, and a direction of the second resonant current flowing between the feeding point (11) and the first coupling end (12) and a direction of the second resonant current flowing between the second coupling end (22) and the second grounding end (23) are the same, and a direction of the third resonant current flowing between the feeding point (11) to the first coupling end (12) and a direction of the third resonant current flowing between the second coupling end (22) and the tuning point (21) are the same.
Claims 17-18 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Yanhui (CN109687111A) in view of Li (US 20210305703).
Regarding claims 17-18:
Yanhui does not explicitly disclose that the matching circuit comprises a first matching unit and a second matching unit, wherein: each of the first matching unit and the second matching unit comprises a capacitor and an inductor, one end of the first matching unit is electrically connected to the feeding point, another end of the first matching unit is electrically connected to one end of the second matching unit, and yet another end of the first matching unit is electrically grounded; another end of the second matching unit is electrically connected to the signal source, and still another end of the second matching unit is electrically grounded; the first matching unit is configured to tune one of the first resonant mode and the third resonant mode, and the second matching unit is configured to tune another one of the first resonant mode and the third resonant mode; and the first matching unit and the second matching unit are configured to cooperatively tune the second resonant mode and the fourth resonant mode as required by claim 17;
and at least one of the following: the first matching unit comprises a first capacitor and a first inductor, one end of the first capacitor is electrically connected to the feeding point, another end of the first capacitor is electrically connected to the one end of the second matching unit, one end of the first inductor is electrically connected to the feeding point, and another end of the first inductor is electrically grounded; or the second matching unit comprises a second capacitor and a second inductor, one end of the second capacitor is electrically connected to the another end of the first matching unit, another end of the second capacitor is electrically grounded, one end of the second inductor is electrically connected to the another end of the first matching unit, and another end of the second inductor is electrically connected to the signal source as required by claim 18.
Li discloses (in Figs. 1 and 3-6) the matching circuit (defined by M1 and M2) comprises a first matching unit (M1) and a second matching unit (M2), wherein: each of the first matching unit (M1) and the second matching unit (M2) comprises a capacitor and an inductor (See Figs.), one end of the first matching unit (M1) is electrically connected to the feeding point (13), another end of the first matching unit (M1) is electrically connected to one end of the second matching unit (M2), and yet another end of the first matching unit (M1) is electrically grounded (See Figs. 3-6); another end of the second matching unit (M2) is electrically connected to the signal source (14), and still another end of the second matching unit (M2) is electrically grounded (See Fig. 6); the first matching unit (M1) is configured to tune one of the first resonant mode and the third resonant mode, and the second matching unit (M2) is configured to tune another one of the first resonant mode and the third resonant mode; and the first matching unit (M1) and the second matching unit (M2) are configured to cooperatively tune the second resonant mode and the fourth resonant mode; and at least one of the following: the first matching unit (M1) comprises a first capacitor (C1) and a first inductor (L1), one end of the first capacitor (C1) is electrically connected to the feeding point (13), another end of the first capacitor (C1) is electrically connected to the one end of the second matching unit (M2), one end of the first inductor (L1) is electrically connected to the feeding point (13), and another end of the first inductor (L1) is electrically grounded (See Figs.).
Accordingly, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to implement the first and second matching circuits as taught by Li into the antenna device of Yanhui for the benefit of generating the resonance mode in the target bands e.g., generating the resonance mode in a sub-6G band or a WIFI 5G band, matching the impedance of the second target band to 50 ohms, and isolating the signal of the resonance band of the first antenna radiator (Para. 0040, Lines 9-14).
Claim 19 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Yanhui (CN109687111A) in view of TIANPING et al. (WO2017185493A1).
Regarding claim 19:
Yanhui does not explicitly disclose that at least one adjustable element, the at least one adjustable element comprising at least one of an antenna switch or a variable capacitor, wherein one of the following: one end of the at least one adjustable element is electrically connected to the matching circuit, and another end of the at least one adjustable element is grounded; the at least one adjustable element is integrated into the matching circuit to tune the first resonant mode and the fourth resonant mode; one end of the at least one adjustable element is electrically connected to the tuning circuit, and another end of the at least one adjustable element is electrically grounded; and the at least one adjustable element is integrated into the tuning circuit to tune the second resonant mode and the third resonant mode.
TIANPING et al. disclose at least one adjustable element (50), the at least one adjustable element (50) comprising at least a variable capacitor (See Fig.), wherein one of the following: one end of the at least one adjustable element (50) is electrically connected to the matching circuit (M2), and another end of the at least one adjustable element (M2) is grounded (See Fig.); the at least one adjustable element (50) is integrated into the matching circuit (M2) to tune the first resonant mode and the fourth resonant mode; one end of the at least one adjustable element (50) is electrically connected to the tuning circuit (defined by M2), and another end of the at least one adjustable element (50) is electrically grounded (See Fig.); and the at least one adjustable element (50) is integrated into the tuning circuit (defined by M2) to tune the second resonant mode and the third resonant mode.
Accordingly, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to implement the adjustable element and arranged as taught by TIANPING et al. into the antenna device of Yanhui for the benefit of adjusting a frequency range of the antenna apparatus (See Abstract; Page 2, Lines 38-39).
Claim 20 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Yanhui (CN109687111A) in view of Choi et al. (US 20160164168).
Regarding claim 20:
Yanhui discloses an antenna assembly comprising a radiator (defined by 1 and 2) comprising a first sub-radiator (1) and a second sub-radiator (2), wherein the first sub-radiator (1) and the second sub-radiator (2) define a coupling gap (defined by the gap adjacent to 12 and 22) therebetween, and the first sub-radiator (1) is configured to be coupled to the second sub-radiator (2) through the coupling gap (defined by the gap adjacent to 12 and 22); the first sub-radiator (1) has a first grounding end (13), a first coupling end (12), and a feeding point (11) disposed between the first grounding end (13) and the first coupling end (12), wherein the first grounding end (13) is grounded (See Fig. 5); the second sub-radiator (2) has a second grounding end (23), a second coupling end (22), and a tuning point (21) disposed between the second grounding end (23) and the second coupling end (22), wherein the first coupling end (12) is spaced apart from the second coupling end (22) by the coupling gap (defined by the gap adjacent to 12 and 22), and the second grounding end (23) is grounded (See Figs.); a signal source (5) electrically coupled to the feeding point (11); and a tuning circuit (4), wherein one end of the tuning circuit (4) is electrically connected to the tuning point (21), another end of the tuning circuit (4) is grounded (See Fig. 1), and the tuning circuit (4) is configured to tune the second sub-radiator (2) to enable the second sub-radiator (2) to be able to support at least two resonant modes (Para. 0062, Lines 546-549); wherein the radiator (defined by 1 and 2) is configured to support a first resonant mode (f1), a second resonant mode (f2), a third resonant mode (f3), and a fourth resonant mode (f4), wherein a first resonant current corresponding to the first resonant mode (f1) is distributed between the first grounding end (13) and the second grounding end (23), a second resonant current corresponding to the second resonant mode (f2) is distributed between the feeding point (11) and the second grounding end (23), a third resonant current corresponding to the third resonant mode (f3) is distributed between the feeding point (11) and the tuning point (21), a fourth resonant current corresponding to the fourth resonant mode (f4) is distributed between the first grounding end (13) and the tuning point (21), wherein a part of the fourth resonant current flows from the first grounding end (13) to a current reverse point, and another part of the fourth resonant current flows from the tuning point (21) to the current reverse point through the coupling gap (defined by the gap adjacent to 12 and 22), the current reverse point is located between the feeding point (11) and the first grounding end (13; Para. 0026, Lines 232-245; Para. 0027, Lines 249-254; Para. 0028, Lines 260-278).
Yanhui does not explicitly disclose that the tuning circuit is inductive at both a resonant point of the first resonant mode and a resonant point of the second resonant mode, and the tuning circuit is capacitive at a resonant point of the third resonant mode and is inductive at a resonant point of the fourth resonant mode, the electronic device comprises a housing and an antenna assembly and wherein the radiator is attached to the housing, and the tuning circuit and the signal source are disposed in the housing.
Yanhui however disclose (in Fig. 2) the tuning circuit is configured as a band-stop characteristic at which the tuning circuit becomes inductive and the (in Fig. 3) the tuning circuit is configured as a band-pass characteristic at which the tuning circuit becomes capacitive.
Accordingly, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to recognize the several configurations of the tuning circuit in the embodiments as taught by Yanhui to for tuning the first sub-radiator and the second sub-radiator for resonance at the four-resonance modes (Para. 0038, Lines 350-352; Para. 0039, Lines 356-357; Para. 0040, Lines 361-363).
Yanhui is silent on that the electronic device comprises a housing and an antenna assembly and wherein the radiator is attached to the housing, and the tuning circuit and the signal source are disposed in the housing.
Choi et al. disclose (in Figs. 1A-1C, 2A-2D, 3 and 10) an electronic device (100), comprising: a housing (102) and an antenna assembly (130).
Accordingly, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to implement the antenna device of Yanhui into the housing of the electronic device of Choi et al. as taught for the benefit of achieving a mobile terminal having an antenna module for transmitting and receiving wireless signals (Para. 0003, Lines 1-2).
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 BAMIDELE A. IMMANUEL whose telephone number is (571)272-9988. The examiner can normally be reached General IFP Schedule: Mon.-Fri. 8AM - 7PM (Hoteling).
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/BAMIDELE A IMMANUEL/Examiner, Art Unit 2845
/DIMARY S LOPEZ CRUZ/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2845