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 the invention of group I (claims 1-11) in the reply filed on June 24, 2025 is acknowledged.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on January 4, 2024 is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
Drawings
The drawings are objected to because the grayscale drawings filed on October 6, 2023 and January 17, 2024 are not of sufficient quality so that all details in the drawings are reproducible in the printed patent. See MPEP 608.02 (VII)(B). The black and white copy of the submitted drawings which appear in IFW reflect the quality of the drawings that will appear in the printed patent; these drawings show the degree of blurriness that occurs after converting the original grayscale drawings to black and white. These drawings do not meet the requirement set forth in 37 C.F.R. 1.84(b)(1). In addition, grayscale drawings are not ordinarily permitted in utility patent applications; however, the Office will accept grayscale drawings in utility patent applications if grayscale drawings are the only practicable medium for illustrating the claimed invention. See 37 C.F.R. 1.84(b)(1) The structural nature of the present application allows for the disclosed invention to be illustrated using normal drawings.
Applicant is required to submit drawings in compliance with 37 C.F.R. 1.84(a)(1).
Specification
The title of the invention is not descriptive. A new title is required that is clearly indicative of the invention to which the claims are directed.
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 1-11 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.
Claim 1: The limitation “a plurality of spatial band pass structures surrounding said central section” is indefinite as the metes and bounds of the term “surrounding” is unclear in light of the specification. The specification, in paragraph [0041], describes this feature as, “[t]he spatial bandpass structures are arranged around a central section 220 of the antenna 200.” It stands to reason Applicant’s intent for the meaning of the term “surrounding” to be different than that of “arranged around.” This difference in meaning between the two terms cannot be discerned based on the record, rendering the scope of the claim unclear. For the purposes of applying prior art, the term is interpreted as “arranged around.”
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)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claims 1-11 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Zhang et al. (U.S. Publication No. 2022/0320716).
Zhang, in figures 1A-1B, discloses:
Claim 1. An antenna (100) comprising: a central section (section of 120 connected to feed stalk 110); and a plurality of spatial band pass structures (121A, 121B, 122A and 122B) surrounding said central section, wherein each of said plurality of spatial band pass structures comprises at least one parasitic patch (121c, 121d, 122c and 122d).
Claim 2. The antenna according to claim 1, wherein each of said plurality of spatial band pass structures comprises an LC resonator (Since the structure of the prior art is substantially similar to that of the claimed invention, the claimed functional language, i.e. LC resonating, is inherently present in the prior art structure).
Claim 3. The antenna according to claim 1, wherein each of said plurality of spatial band pass structures further comprises at least one loop (121a, 121b, 122a and 122b) and wherein each at least one parasitic patch is disposed within a corresponding one of said at least one loop (fig. 1B).
Claim 4. The antenna according to claim 1, wherein the spatial bandpass structures are embedded into radiating arms of said antenna (fig. 1B).
Claim 5. The antenna according to claim 1, wherein the central section comprises at least one radiator (fig. 1B).
Claim 6. The antenna according to claim 1, further comprising at least one parasitic radiator (122c) positioned between two of said plurality of spatial band pass structures (121A, 121B).
Claim 7. The antenna according to claim 1, wherein at least two of said plurality of spatial band pass structures are of different designs (para. [0012]).
Claim 8. The antenna according to claim 1, wherein said at least one parasitic patch has a shape that is at least one of: square, rectangular, polygonal (fig. 1B), circular, lobular, and annular.
Claim 9. The antenna according to claim 1, wherein said at least one parasitic patch is at least one of: multilayer and single-layer (fig. 1B).
Claim 10. The antenna according to claim 2, wherein said at least one loop has a shape that is at least one of: rectangular, square, polygonal (fig. 1B), and arced.
Claim 11. The antenna according to claim 1, wherein said antenna is one of: a low-band antenna (para. [0071]) and a mid-band antenna.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ROBERT KARACSONY whose telephone number is (571)270-1268. The examiner can normally be reached 9:00 am - 5:00 pm, Monday - Friday.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Dimary Lopez can be reached at (571) 270-7893. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/Robert Karacsony/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2845