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 .
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.
Claim 1-20 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.
The term “equal distance” in claim 1 and 17 is a relative term which renders the claim indefinite. The term “equal distance” is not defined by the claim, the specification does not provide a standard for ascertaining the requisite degree, and one of ordinary skill in the art would not be reasonably apprised of the scope of the invention. The term ‘equal distance’ is relative to another element or object, for example, a distance between two objects can be an equal distance to a distance between two other objects. However the claim limitation does not further define or suggest what the element being compared to the first element is with regard to; the Specification does not further specify or define the term. For example, Paragraph 140 only repeats the claim language with regard to metal structures 1031. For example Paragraph 178 of the Specification suggests “grid bars are at an equal distance in the fourth direction Q”, however there is no comparison as to what they are at an equal distance from, e.g., other grid bars. Furthermore, FIG. 14(c) is a resonant slot ring structure which is not equal distances relative to any other elements of the structure which causes confusion as to what is attempting to be claimed. This embodiment introduces confusion into what the claimed subject matter may be, thus the rejection of the claim limitation. The Examiner suggests (and interprets for examination purposes) amending the claims to recite “metal unit structures which are arranged equidistantly from each other in a third direction” or the similar language property describing the relationship of the elements of the metal unit structures to be spaced equally from each other.
Claim 11 recites “resonant slot ring structure” which is indefinite given the above explanation for the claims 1 and 17 rejection under this heading. It is unclear how metal unit structures of the resonant slot ring structure as shown in FIG. 14(c) are equal distance in any direction or equal distances from each other.
Claim 7 recites “wherein the first included angle is greater than or equal to K° and less than or equal to K°, and K° is greater than 0 and less than 30 [emphasis added]”. The limitation is indefinite because it is unclear how the first included angle can be anything other than equal to K given the mathematical expressions in the limitation of the first included angle being both greater than and less than K. The Examiner suggests reverting back to the original claim language for this Claim, i.e., first included angle greater than -Y and less than +Y.
Claim 8 is rejected for being dependent on Claim 7 and for the same reasons regarding the variable K.
Allowable Subject Matter
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter: the claims would be allowable if amended as indicated in the 35 U.S.C. 112(b) rejections.
For example, Weller (US 9780434 B1) teaches a single planar dipole radiating element on a first substrate and frequency selective surface high impedance surface on a second substrate however Weller does not teach two dipoles having first dipole arm pair and second dipole arm pair disposed orthogonally in two directions and the metal unit structures arranged equidistantly from each other in a third direction parallel to the first direction or second direction, or the third direction has a first included angle with the first direction or the second direction nor is there discussion of the relative direction of the frequency selective high impedance surface relative to the dipole, rather Weller seems to be concerned with the resonant circuit properties of the FSS.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Diaz (US 20170179596 A1) teaches parallel conductive dipoles printed on two levels of a multilayered grounded substrate.
Behdad (US 11239555 B2) teaches a crossed dipole elements forming a phase shift element.
Osterhues (US 6396449 B1) teaches layered crossed dipoles with switched grids.
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/AMAL PATEL/Examiner, Art Unit 2845