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 .
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 10/24/2025 is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
Priority
Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55.
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.
Claims 1, 3-8, and 10-15 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Hara et al., (US 2020/0161767), hereinafter Hara.
Regarding claim 1 Hara discloses an antenna module (e.g., Title, Abstract) including at least a first radiation electrode (Fig. 3, at 32), and a first power feeding electrode (Fig. 3, at F) coupled with the first radiation electrode, the antenna module comprising: a first dielectric layer (Fig. 3, at 20) including the first power feeding electrode (Fig. 1, at F); and a second dielectric layer (Fig. 3, at 30) disposed at one side of the first dielectric layer in a thickness direction of the first power feeding electrode.
Hara does not explicitly disclose wherein a fracture toughness value of the second dielectric layer is larger than a fracture toughness value of the first dielectric layer.
Hara teaches a using different dielectrics (paragraph 0038 “may be formed using mutually different materials” and Hara teaches “the material of the dielectric layers may be, but is not particularly limited to, a ceramic material such as LTCC or a resin material.”) such that Hara discloses a combination wherein a fracture toughness value of the second dielectric layer is larger than a fracture toughness value of the first dielectric layer (e.g., paragraphs 0011 and 0037-0038).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to modify the antenna module disclosed by Hara in accordance with the teaching of Hara regarding the use of different combinations of dielectrics to arrive at a combination that has a fracture toughness value of the second dielectric layer is larger than a fracture toughness value of the first dielectric layer in order that high antenna characteristics can be obtained (Hara, paragraph 0038).
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Regarding claim 3 Hara further discloses the antenna module according to claim 1, further comprising a ground electrode disposed at an other side in the thickness direction with respect to the first power feeding electrode (e.g., Fig. 3, at G2 and G3 and F).
Regarding claim 4 Hara further discloses the antenna module according to claim 1, wherein the first radiation electrode is disposed in the second dielectric layer (Fig. 3, at 32 is disposed in 30).
Regarding claim 5 Hara further discloses the antenna module according to claim 1, wherein the first radiation electrode is disposed on a principal surface on the one side of the first dielectric layer and is covered with the second dielectric layer (Fig. 3, at 32 is disposed in 30 and covered by 20).
Regarding claim 6 Hara further discloses the antenna module according to claim 1, further comprising a third dielectric layer (Fig. 3, at 10) disposed at an other side of the first dielectric layer in the thickness direction.
Regarding claim 7 Hara further discloses the antenna module according to claim 6, wherein the third dielectric layer includes a filter circuit pattern (Fig. 3, at 10 and 12; see also paragraph 0039).
Regarding claim 8 Hara does not explicitly disclose the antenna module according to claim 6, wherein a fracture toughness value of the third dielectric layer is larger than the fracture toughness value of the first dielectric layer.
Hara teaches a using different dielectrics (paragraph 0038 “may be formed using mutually different materials” and Hara teaches “the material of the dielectric layers 11, 21 and 31 may be, but is not particularly limited to, a ceramic material such as LTCC or a resin material.”) such that Hara discloses a combination wherein a fracture toughness value of the third dielectric layer is larger than the fracture toughness value of the first dielectric layer (e.g., paragraphs 0011 and 0037-0038).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to modify the antenna module disclosed by Hara in accordance with the teaching of Hara regarding the use of different combinations of dielectrics to arrive at a combination that has a fracture toughness value of the third dielectric layer is larger than a fracture toughness value of the first dielectric layer in order that high antenna characteristics can be obtained (Hara, paragraph 0038).
Regarding claim 10 Hara further discloses the antenna module according to claim 1, further comprising a plurality of columnar ground conductors disposed around the first radiation electrode and the first power feeding electrode (e.g., Fig. 3, at 13; paragraph 0039).
Regarding claim 11 Hara further discloses the antenna module according to claim 10, wherein end parts on the one side in the thickness direction of the plurality of ground conductors are covered with the second dielectric layer (Fig. 3, at 13 and 20).
Regarding claim 12 Hara further discloses the antenna module according to claim 1, further comprising: a second radiation electrode (e.g., Fig. 4, at 32); and a second power feeding electrode coupled with the second radiation electrode, wherein the first dielectric layer includes the second power feeding electrode (Fig. 4, at 32 and Fig. 3, at F; paragraph 0022).
Regarding claim 13 Hara further discloses the antenna module according to claim 12, further comprising a third dielectric layer (Fig. 3, at 10) disposed at an other side of the first dielectric layer in the thickness direction, wherein the first dielectric layer includes a distribution circuit pattern (e.g., paragraphs 0040-0041) between the first power feeding electrode and the second power feeding electrode, and the third dielectric layer (e.g., Fig. 3, at F and Fig. 4, at 32; paragraphs 0040-0041).
Regarding claim 14 Hara further discloses the antenna module according to claim 6, wherein the second dielectric layer and the third dielectric layer are made of a same dielectric (paragraph 0037).
Regarding claim 15 Hara further discloses the antenna module according to claim 6, wherein the first dielectric layer, the second dielectric layer, and the third dielectric layer are made of low-temperature fired ceramic (paragraph 0037).
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.
Claims 2 and 9 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Hara in view of Okuda et al., (US 2023/0036907), hereinafter Okuda.
Regarding claim 2 Hara does not explicitly disclose the antenna module according to claim 1, wherein a Young's modulus of the second dielectric layer is larger than a Young's modulus of the first dielectric layer.
Okuda discloses wherein a Young's modulus of the second dielectric layer is larger than a Young's modulus of the first dielectric layer (paragraph 0059 “here, Young's moduli of the materials for the second insulator layers are higher than Young's moduli of the materials for the first insulator layers”).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to modify the antenna module disclosed by Hara in accordance with the teaching of Okuda regarding wherein a Young's modulus of the second dielectric layer is larger than a Young's modulus of the first dielectric layer in order that the second substrate portion body is less flexible than the first substrate portion body (Okuda, paragraph 0059).
Regarding claim 9 Hara does not explicitly disclose the antenna module according to claim 6, wherein a Young's modulus of the third dielectric layer is larger than a Young's modulus of the first dielectric layer.
Okuda discloses wherein a Young's modulus of the third dielectric layer is larger than a Young's modulus of the first dielectric layer (paragraph 0059 “here, Young's moduli of the materials for the second insulator layers are higher than Young's moduli of the materials for the first insulator layers” (the Examiner notes that the each of the first and second dielectric layers each comprise more than one dielectric layer and wherein a Young's modulus of the third dielectric layer (one of the second dielectric layers is considered a third dielectric layer) is larger than a Young's modulus of the first dielectric layer).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to modify the antenna module disclosed by Hara in accordance with the teaching of Okuda regarding wherein a Young's modulus of the second dielectric layer is larger than a Young's modulus of the first dielectric layer in order that the second substrate portion body is less flexible than the first substrate portion body (Okuda, paragraph 0059).
Conclusion
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 and figures may apply.
Applicant, in preparing the response, should consider fully the entire reference aspotentially teaching all or part of the claimed invention, as well as the context of thepassage as taught by the prior art or disclosed by the Examiner.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to DAVID E LOTTER whose telephone number is (571)270-7422. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 10am-6pm.
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DAVID E. LOTTER
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 2845
/DAVID E LOTTER/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2845