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 Amendment
The amendments filed 11/24/25 are fully considered by the examiner and are entered. Amendments to claims overcome each and every 35 U.S.C. § 112 rejection set forth in the non-final office action mailed 8/25/25, and these rejections are herein withdrawn.
Claims 1-20 remain pending in the application.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments, see Remarks, filed 11/24/25, with respect to the rejection(s) of claim(s) 1 and 19 under 35 U.S.C. § 103 have been fully considered and are persuasive. Therefore, the rejection has been withdrawn. However, upon further consideration, a new ground(s) of rejection is made in view of the amendments made to the independent claims, which alter the scope of the claimed invention.
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 and 19 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Higaki et al. (US PG Pub. No. 2018/0006369).
Regarding claim 1, Higaki et al. teaches (Figs. 7-8) an antenna comprising: a substrate with a flat structure comprising a dielectric (6; see Fig. 3, ¶21, “the antenna device will be described on the supposition that the antenna device is formed of a dielectric substrate”); a cross-shaped conductor arranged at a center of an upper part of the substrate (22); and radiator units on the upper part of the substrate (42a-42d; see ¶59, “the fourth conductor portions 42 are displaced from the respective extending lines to an X-axis direction or a Y-axis direction, and are arranged approximately in parallel to the respective projection portions of the second conductor portion 22”, teaching that elements 42 and 22 are on the same plane relative to the Z axis, thus both on an upper part of the substrate 6), arranged respectively in four divided areas formed by the cross-shaped conductor on the upper part of the substrate (see Fig. 8), wherein each of the radiator units is arranged to have a 90-degree difference from an adjacent radiator unit with respect to a center of the substrate (see Fig. 8), and the cross-shaped conductor is configured to generate coupling when circular polarization occurs in the radiator units (see ¶58; cross-shaped conductor is configured to generate coupling regardless of polarization occurring in the radiator units, the antenna itself being configured in a manner to generate a circular polarization, as would be understood by one having ordinary skill in the art).
Regarding claim 19, Higaki et al. teaches (Figs. 7-8) a method for manufacturing an antenna, the method comprising: arranging a substrate with a flat structure comprising a dielectric (6; see Fig. 3, ¶21, “the antenna device will be described on the supposition that the antenna device is formed of a dielectric substrate”) on an upper part of an antenna ground (1; see Fig. 3); and arranging a cross-shaped conductor (22) and radiator units (42a-42d) on an upper part of the substrate (see ¶59, “the fourth conductor portions 42 are displaced from the respective extending lines to an X-axis direction or a Y-axis direction, and are arranged approximately in parallel to the respective projection portions of the second conductor portion 22”, teaching that elements 42 and 22 are on the same plane relative to the Z axis, thus both on an upper part of the substrate 6), wherein the cross-shaped conductor is arranged at a center of the upper part of the substrate (see Fig. 8), wherein the radiator units are arranged in each of four divided areas formed by the cross-shaped conductor on the upper part of the substrate (see Fig. 8), and wherein each of the radiator units is arranged to have a 90-degree difference from an adjacent radiator unit with respect to a center of the substrate (see Fig. 8), and the cross-shaped conductor is configured to generate coupling when circular polarization occurs in the radiator units (see ¶58; cross-shaped conductor is configured to generate coupling regardless of polarization occurring in the radiator units, the antenna itself being configured in a manner to generate a circular polarization, as would be understood by one having ordinary skill in the art).
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 2-3, 9, and 20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Higaki et al. (US PG Pub. No. 2018/0006369) as applied to claims 1 and 19 above, and further in view of Zhang et al. (US PG Pub. No. 2025/0105510).
Regarding claim 2, Higaki teaches the antenna of claim 1.
Higaki does not teach wherein each of the radiator units comprises: a main radiator comprising a feeding pin and a shorting pin; and a plurality of auxiliary radiators comprising shorting pins.
Zhang et al. teaches (Figs. 1, 2a) an antenna comprising: a substrate (21) with a flat surface; and a radiator unit arranged on the upper part of the substrate (11, 12, 13), wherein the radiator unit comprises: a main radiator (11) comprising a feeding pin (18) and a shorting pin (14); and a plurality of auxiliary radiators (12, 13) comprising shorting pins (16, 17).
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the antenna of Higaki by forming each of the radiator units to comprise: a main radiator comprising a feeding pin and a shorting pin; and a plurality of auxiliary radiators comprising shorting pins, employing the teachings of Zhang.
Doing so would provide the predictable benefit of enabling the antenna to operate at a variety of frequency points (Zhang, ¶15).
Regarding claim 3, Higaki teaches the antenna of claim 2.
Higaki does not teach wherein the plurality of auxiliary radiators is arranged adjacent to the main radiator, and the lengths of the plurality of auxiliary radiators are shorter than a length of the main radiator.
Zhang et al. teaches (Figs. 1, 2a) an antenna comprising: a substrate (21) with a flat surface; and a radiator unit arranged on the upper part of the substrate (11, 12, 13), wherein the radiator unit comprises: a main radiator (11) comprising a feeding pin (18) and a shorting pin (14); and a plurality of auxiliary radiators (12, 13) comprising shorting pins (16, 17), wherein the plurality of auxiliary radiators is arranged adjacent to the main radiator, and lengths of the plurality of auxiliary radiators are shorter than a length of the main radiator (see comparative lengths, Fig. 2a).
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the antenna of Higaki by forming each of the radiator units to comprise: a main radiator comprising a feeding pin and a shorting pin; and a plurality of auxiliary radiators comprising shorting pins, wherein the plurality of auxiliary radiators is arranged adjacent to the main radiator, and lengths of the plurality of auxiliary radiators are shorter than a length of the main radiator, employing the teachings of Zhang.
Doing so would provide the predictable benefit of enabling the antenna to operate at a variety of frequency points (Zhang, ¶15).
Regarding claim 9, Higaki teaches the antenna of claim 2, further comprising: a feed network and/or a radio frequency (RF) circuit arranged on a lowest layer of the antenna (see coaxial lines 5 shown beneath ground layer 1, Fig. 3, analogous to embodiment shown in Fig. 7), wherein the feeding pin of the main radiator is connected to the feed network and/or the RF circuit (main radiators of 42a-42d are connected to coaxial lines 5, 51a-d; see Fig. 7).
Regarding claim 20, Higaki teaches the method of claim 19, further comprising: forming feeding pins for the radiator units (41a-41d) and a shorting pin for the cross-shaped conductor (21), wherein the cross-shaped conductor comprises a shorting pin (21).
Higaki does not teach wherein a main radiator comprised in the radiator units comprises a shorting pin and a feeding pin, and wherein an auxiliary radiator of the radiator units comprises a shorting pin.
Zhang et al. teaches (Figs. 1, 2a) a method of manufacturing an antenna, the method comprising: arranging a substrate (21) with a flat surface; and a radiator unit arranged on the upper part of the substrate (11, 12, 13), wherein the radiator unit comprises: a main radiator (11) comprising a feeding pin (18) and a shorting pin (14); and a plurality of auxiliary radiators (12, 13) comprising shorting pins (16, 17).
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the method of Higaki by forming each of the radiator units to comprise: a main radiator comprising a feeding pin and a shorting pin; and a plurality of auxiliary radiators comprising shorting pins, employing the teachings of Zhang.
Doing so would provide the predictable benefit of enabling the antenna to operate at a variety of frequency points (Zhang, ¶15).
Claim 5 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Higaki et al. (US PG Pub. No. 2018/0006369) as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of Isik et al. (US PG Pub. No. 2019/0181557).
Regarding claim 5, Higaki teaches the antenna of claim 1.
Higaki does not teach the antenna further comprising: a plurality of parasitic elements arranged on edges that are not in contact with the cross-shaped conductor, among the edges of the four areas, wherein the plurality of parasitic elements is arranged symmetrically with respect to the cross-shaped conductor.
Isik et al. teaches (Fig. 1) an antenna comprising: a substrate (12); a cross-shaped conductor arranged at an upper part of the substrate (16); and a plurality of parasitic elements arranged on edges that are not in contact with the cross-shaped conductor, among the edges of areas divided by the cross-shaped conductor (30, disposed on edges opposite one another, divided by the cross-shaped conductor), wherein the plurality of parasitic elements is arranged symmetrically with respect to the cross-shaped conductor (see symmetric disposition of plurality of 30, Fig. 1).
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the antenna of Higaki by additionally forming a plurality of parasitic elements arranged on edges that are not in contact with the cross-shaped conductor, among the edges of the four areas, wherein the plurality of parasitic elements is arranged symmetrically with respect to the cross-shaped conductor, employing the teachings of Isik.
Doing so would provide the predictable benefit of desirably shaping the beam width of the radiation pattern of the antenna (Isik, ¶17 lines 3-6).
Claim 10 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Higaki et al. (US PG Pub. No. 2018/0006369) in view of Hong (US Patent No. 5,668,558).
Regarding claim 10, Higaki et al. teaches (Figs. 7-8) an antenna comprising: a substrate with a flat structure comprising a dielectric (6; see Fig. 3, ¶21, “the antenna device will be described on the supposition that the antenna device is formed of a dielectric substrate”); a cross-shaped conductor arranged at a center of an upper part of the substrate (22); radiator units on the upper part of the substrate (42a-42d; see ¶59, “the fourth conductor portions 42 are displaced from the respective extending lines to an X-axis direction or a Y-axis direction, and are arranged approximately in parallel to the respective projection portions of the second conductor portion 22”, teaching that elements 42 and 22 are on the same plane relative to the Z axis, thus both on an upper part of the substrate 6), arranged respectively in four divided areas formed by the cross-shaped conductor on the upper part of the substrate (see Fig. 8); and an antenna ground (1) arranged on a lower part of the substrate (see Fig. 3), wherein each of the radiator units is arranged to have a 90-degree difference from an adjacent radiator unit with respect to a center of the substrate (see Fig. 8), and the cross-shaped conductor is configured to generate coupling when circular polarization occurs in the radiator units (see ¶58; cross-shaped conductor is configured to generate coupling regardless of polarization occurring in the radiator units, the antenna itself being configured in a manner to generate a circular polarization, as would be understood by one having ordinary skill in the art).
Higaki does not teach the antenna ground comprising a cross-shaped slot.
Hong teaches (Fig. 2) an antenna comprising: a substrate (12) with a flat surface comprising a dielectric (Col 3 line 1); a conductor arranged at a center of an upper part of the substrate (11); and an antenna ground (15) comprising a cross-shaped slot (14) arranged on a lower part of the substrate (see Fig. 2).
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the antenna of Higaki by forming a cross-shaped slot in the antenna ground arranged on a lower part of the substrate, as taught by Hong.
Doing so would provide the predictable benefit of enabling orthogonal dual-polarization of the antenna elements (Hong, Col 4 lines 39-43).
Claims 11-12 and 17-18 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Higaki et al. (US PG Pub. No. 2018/0006369) and Hong (US Patent No. 5,668,558) as applied to claim 10 above, and further in view of Zhang et al. (US PG Pub. No. 2025/0105510).
Regarding claim 11, Higaki teaches the antenna of claim 10.
Higaki does not teach wherein each of the radiator units comprises: a main radiator comprising a feeding pin and a shorting pin; and a plurality of auxiliary radiators comprising shorting pins.
Zhang et al. teaches (Figs. 1, 2a) an antenna comprising: a substrate (21) with a flat surface; and a radiator unit arranged on the upper part of the substrate (11, 12, 13), wherein the radiator unit comprises: a main radiator (11) comprising a feeding pin (18) and a shorting pin (14); and a plurality of auxiliary radiators (12, 13) comprising shorting pins (16, 17).
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the antenna of Higaki by forming each of the radiator units to comprise: a main radiator comprising a feeding pin and a shorting pin; and a plurality of auxiliary radiators comprising shorting pins, employing the teachings of Zhang.
Doing so would provide the predictable benefit of enabling the antenna to operate at a variety of frequency points (Zhang, ¶15).
Regarding claim 12, Higaki teaches the antenna of claim 11.
Higaki does not teach wherein the plurality of auxiliary radiators is arranged adjacent to the main radiator, and the lengths of the plurality of auxiliary radiators are shorter than a length of the main radiator.
Zhang et al. teaches (Figs. 1, 2a) an antenna comprising: a substrate (21) with a flat surface; and a radiator unit arranged on the upper part of the substrate (11, 12, 13), wherein the radiator unit comprises: a main radiator (11) comprising a feeding pin (18) and a shorting pin (14); and a plurality of auxiliary radiators (12, 13) comprising shorting pins (16, 17), wherein the plurality of auxiliary radiators is arranged adjacent to the main radiator, and lengths of the plurality of auxiliary radiators are shorter than a length of the main radiator (see comparative lengths, Fig. 2a).
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the antenna of Higaki by forming each of the radiator units to comprise: a main radiator comprising a feeding pin and a shorting pin; and a plurality of auxiliary radiators comprising shorting pins, wherein the plurality of auxiliary radiators is arranged adjacent to the main radiator, and lengths of the plurality of auxiliary radiators are shorter than a length of the main radiator, employing the teachings of Zhang.
Doing so would provide the predictable benefit of enabling the antenna to operate at a variety of frequency points (Zhang, ¶15).
Regarding claim 17, Higaki teaches the antenna of claim 10.
Higaki does not teach wherein the cross-shaped slot is arranged at a position corresponding to the center of the upper of the upper part of the substrate at which the cross-shaped conductor is arranged, wherein a size of the cross-shaped slot is smaller than a size of the cross conductor.
Hong teaches (Fig. 2) an antenna comprising: a substrate (12) with a flat surface comprising a dielectric (Col 3 line 1); a conductor arranged at a center of an upper part of the substrate (11); and an antenna ground (15) comprising a cross-shaped slot (14) arranged at a position corresponding to the center of the upper part of the substrate at which the conductor is arranged (see Fig. 2), wherein a size of the cross-shaped slot is smaller than a size of the conductor (see Fig. 2).
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the antenna of Higaki by forming a cross-shaped slot in the antenna ground arranged at a position corresponding to the center of the upper part of the substrate at which the cross-shaped conductor is arranged, wherein a size of the cross-shaped slot is smaller than a size of the cross conductor, employing the teachings of Hong.
Doing so would provide the predictable benefit of enabling orthogonal dual-polarization of the antenna elements (Hong, Col 4 lines 39-43).
Regarding claim 18, Higaki teaches the antenna of claim 11, further comprising: a feed network and/or a radio frequency (RF) circuit arranged on a lowest layer of the antenna (see coaxial lines 5 shown beneath ground layer 1, Fig. 3, analogous to embodiment shown in Fig. 7), wherein the feeding pin of the main radiator is connected to the feed network and/or the RF circuit (main radiators of 42a-42d are connected to coaxial lines 5, 51a-d; see Fig. 7).
Claim 14 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Higaki et al. (US PG Pub. No. 2018/0006369) and Hong (US Patent No. 5,668,558) as applied to claim 10 above, and further in view of Isik et al. (US PG Pub. No. 2019/0181557).
Regarding claim 14, Higaki teaches the antenna of claim 10.
Higaki does not teach the antenna further comprising: a plurality of parasitic elements arranged on edges that are not in contact with the cross-shaped conductor, among the edges of the four areas, wherein the plurality of parasitic elements is arranged symmetrically with respect to the cross-shaped conductor.
Isik et al. teaches (Fig. 1) an antenna comprising: a substrate (12); a cross-shaped conductor arranged at an upper part of the substrate (16); and a plurality of parasitic elements arranged on edges that are not in contact with the cross-shaped conductor, among the edges of areas divided by the cross-shaped conductor (30, disposed on edges opposite one another, divided by the cross-shaped conductor), wherein the plurality of parasitic elements is arranged symmetrically with respect to the cross-shaped conductor (see symmetric disposition of plurality of 30, Fig. 1).
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the antenna of Higaki by additionally forming a plurality of parasitic elements arranged on edges that are not in contact with the cross-shaped conductor, among the edges of the four areas, wherein the plurality of parasitic elements is arranged symmetrically with respect to the cross-shaped conductor, employing the teachings of Isik.
Doing so would provide the predictable benefit of desirably shaping the beam width of the radiation pattern of the antenna (Isik, ¶17 lines 3-6).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 4, 6-8, 13, and 15-16 are objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
Regarding claim 4, the prior art does not teach or reasonably suggest, in combination with other claimed limitations, the limitation of “wherein the feeding pin of the main radiator is arranged closer to the cross-shaped conductor than the shorting pin of the main radiator is to the cross-shaped conductor”, and the modification of the art of record to incorporate this feature would not have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Regarding claim 6, the prior art does not teach or reasonably suggest, in combination with other claimed limitations, the limitation of “a plurality of shorting pins arranged at a distance from a center of the cross-shaped conductor that is greater than a distance from the center of the cross-shaped conductor to the radiator units”, and the modification of the art of record to incorporate this feature would not have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Regarding claim 7, the prior art does not teach or reasonably suggest, in combination with other claimed limitations, the limitation of “wherein the cross-shaped conductor comprises a plurality of shorting pins” and the modification of the art of record to incorporate this feature would not have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claim 8 is included for its dependency upon claim 7.
Regarding claim 13, the prior art does not teach or reasonably suggest, in combination with other claimed limitations, the limitation of “wherein the feeding pin of the main radiator is arranged closer to the cross-shaped conductor than the shorting pin of the main radiator is to the cross-shaped conductor”, and the modification of the art of record to incorporate this feature would not have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Regarding claim 15, the prior art does not teach or reasonably suggest, in combination with other claimed limitations, the limitation of “a plurality of shorting pins arranged at a distance from a center of the cross-shaped conductor that is greater than a distance from the center of the cross-shaped conductor to the radiator units”, and the modification of the art of record to incorporate this feature would not have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Regarding claim 16, the prior art does not teach or reasonably suggest, in combination with other claimed limitations, the limitation of “wherein the cross-shaped conductor comprises a plurality of shorting pins” and the modification of the art of record to incorporate this feature would not have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
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 Jordan E. DeWitt whose telephone number is (571)270-1235. The examiner can normally be reached Monday thru Thursday from 8:30 AM to 3:30 PM ET.
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/DAMEON E LEVI/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2845
/Jordan E. DeWitt/Examiner, Art Unit 2845