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 statements (IDS) submitted on February 22, 2024, June 5, 2024, and July 16, 2025. The submissions are in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statements are being considered by the examiner.
Election/Restrictions
Claims 22-37 and 40-46 are withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b), as being drawn to a nonelected Species, there being no allowable generic or linking claim. Applicant timely traversed the restriction (election) requirement in the reply filed on November 19, 2025.
Applicant's election with traverse of Species VIII, figure 8, claims 21, 38-39, and 47 in the reply filed on November 19, 2025 is acknowledged. The traversal is on the ground(s) that there is a need for search of various satellite antenna shapes. This is not found persuasive because the need for search of various satellite antenna shapes is a search and examination burden and the species require different structures that are not limited to various satellite antenna shapes.
The requirement is still deemed proper and is therefore made FINAL.
Specification
The disclosure is objected to because of the following informalities:
In line 5, “GNSS and SDARS” is improper as first instances of acronyms should be defined
Appropriate correction is required.
Drawings
The drawings are objected to as failing to comply with 37 CFR 1.84(p)(5) because they include the following reference character(s) not mentioned in the description: 54. Corrected drawing sheets in compliance with 37 CFR 1.121(d), or amendment to the specification to add the reference character(s) in the description in compliance with 37 CFR 1.121(b) are required in reply to the Office action to avoid abandonment of the application. Any amended replacement drawing sheet should include all of the figures appearing on the immediate prior version of the sheet, even if only one figure is being amended. Each drawing sheet submitted after the filing date of an application must be labeled in the top margin as either “Replacement Sheet” or “New Sheet” pursuant to 37 CFR 1.121(d). If the changes are not accepted by the examiner, the applicant will be notified and informed of any required corrective action in the next Office action. The objection to the drawings will not be held in abeyance.
The drawings are objected to because the drawings reference characters are illegible and should not be handwritten. Corrected drawing sheets in compliance with 37 CFR 1.121(d) are required in reply to the Office action to avoid abandonment of the application. Any amended replacement drawing sheet should include all of the figures appearing on the immediate prior version of the sheet, even if only one figure is being amended. The figure or figure number of an amended drawing should not be labeled as “amended.” If a drawing figure is to be canceled, the appropriate figure must be removed from the replacement sheet, and where necessary, the remaining figures must be renumbered and appropriate changes made to the brief description of the several views of the drawings for consistency. Additional replacement sheets may be necessary to show the renumbering of the remaining figures. Each drawing sheet submitted after the filing date of an application must be labeled in the top margin as either “Replacement Sheet” or “New Sheet” pursuant to 37 CFR 1.121(d). If the changes are not accepted by the examiner, the applicant will be notified and informed of any required corrective action in the next Office action. The objection to the drawings will not be held in abeyance.
Claim Objections
Claim 39 is objected to because of the following informalities:
In claim 39, “both ring conductors” lacks proper antecedent basis and should read “the ring conductor and the second ring conductor”
In claim 39, “the same geometric shape” lacks proper antecedent basis and should read “a same geometric shape”
Appropriate correction is required.
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 21, 38-39, and 47 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 21 recites the limitation "at least one coupling point" in line 5. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim. It is unclear if this limitation is referring to the previous “a coupling point” or a new limitation.
Claims 38-39 and 47 inherit the deficiencies of claim 21.
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)(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.
Claims 21 and 38-39 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Lindenmeier et al. (US PGPUB 2014/0203979 A1), hereinafter known as Lindenmeier.
Regarding claim 21, Lindenmeier discloses (Fig. 17) A satellite antenna (Abstract) comprising an electrically conductive base plate (6) above which an electrically conductive structure is arranged that comprises a ring conductor (2) having a center that is electrically conductively connected to vertical radiators (4a-4d), wherein the vertical radiators (4a-4d) are each capacitively coupled to the base plate (6) at a coupling point (34) and at least one coupling point (34) is connected to an antenna terminal (5) for feeding.
Regarding claim 38, Lindenmeier further discloses (Fig. 19) wherein a second ring conductor (2a) is arranged in a near region of the ring conductor (2) and is not galvanically coupled to the electrically conductive structure (2, 13a-13d).
Regarding claim 39, Lindenmeier further discloses (Fig. 19) wherein both ring conductors (2, 2a) have the same geometric shape.
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 47 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Lindenmeier in view of Chu et al. (CN 106785394 A), hereinafter known as Chu.
Regarding claim 47, Lindenmeier does not specifically teach wherein the second ring conductor is arranged above the ring conductor.
However, Chu teaches (Fig. 1) wherein the second ring conductor (101) is arranged above the ring conductor (201).
It would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a person having ordinary skill in the art to modify the satellite antenna of Lindenmeier with Chu to include “wherein the second ring conductor is arranged above the ring conductor,” as taught by Chu, for the purpose of improving beamwidth and achieving a desired pattern (see also [0027]).
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 as potentially teaching all or part of the claimed invention, as well as the context of the passage 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 YONCHAN J KIM whose telephone number is (571)272-3204. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Friday 8:00 am - 5:00 pm.
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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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/DAMEON E LEVI/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2845
/YONCHAN J KIM/Examiner, Art Unit 2845