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(s) (IDS) submitted on 10/04/2023 and 05/08/2025 is/are in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement(s) is/are being considered by the examiner.
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 3 is 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.
Regarding Claim 3, the claim recites the limitation “the electromagnetic wave” in line 2. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim. Claim 3 depends from Claim 1, but “an electromagnetic wave” is first recited in Claim 2.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
In the event the determination of the status of the application as subject to AIA 35 U.S.C.
102 and 103 (or as subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103) is incorrect, any correction of the
statutory basis (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) for the rejection will not be considered a
new ground of rejection if the prior art relied upon, and the rationale supporting the rejection,
would be the same under either status.
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)(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.
(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 1-4 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Carceller (US 2020/0235480).
Regarding Claim 1, Carceller discloses:
A radio wave absorbing element comprising:
a first resonator extending in a first plane direction ([0038]: “output resonator 106”; Fig. 1C; [0044]: “output resonator (radiator) 208”; “output resonator element 222”; Figs. 2A-B);
a second resonator spaced apart from the first resonator in a first direction and extending in the first plane direction ([0038]: “input resonator 102”; Fig. 1C; [0044]: “input resonator 202”; “radiator element 224”; Figs. 2A-B);
a third resonator located between the first resonator and the second resonator in the first direction and configured to magnetically or capacitively connect to or electrically connect to each of the first resonator and the second resonator ([0038]: “intermediate resonator 104”; [0039]: “couplings 120, 122”; Fig. 1C; [0044]: “two intermediate resonators 204, 206”; “radiator element ... 226, 228”; Figs. 2A-B; [0060]: “the couplings are formed with vias 702, 704, 706”; Fig. 7);
a reference conductor extending in the first plane direction, located between the first resonator and the second resonator in the first direction, and serving as a potential reference of the first resonator and the second resonator ([0038]: “ground plane layers”; [0041]: “adjacent ground plane 132”; Fig. 1C; [0045]: “ground planes 230, 232, 236”; Figs. 2A-B); and
a shielding conductor spaced apart from the second resonator in the first direction and extending in the first plane direction ([0038]: “metallic enclosure 116, 118”; “ground plane layers”; Fig. 1C; [0045]: “bottom (lower) ground plane 234”; Figs. 2A-B), wherein
the reference conductor surrounds at least a part of the third resonator in the first plane direction ([0041]: “adjacent ground plane 132”; Fig. 1C; [0045]: “ground planes 230, 232, 236”; Figs. 2A-B).
Regarding Claim 2, Carceller discloses: wherein the shielding conductor is configured to shield an electromagnetic wave received by the first resonator ([0038]: The metallic enclosures provide shielding; [0043]: “In addition to providing additional shielding and ground connectivity, the outer enclosure 201 provides structural stability.”; [0045]: Ground plane 234 provides shielding).
Regarding Claim 3, Carceller discloses: wherein the shielding conductor is configured to shield the electromagnetic wave radiated by the second resonator ([0038]: The metallic enclosures provide shielding; [0043]: “In addition to providing additional shielding and ground connectivity, the outer enclosure 201 provides structural stability.”; [0045]: Ground plane 234 provides shielding).
Regarding Claim 4, Carceller discloses: wherein the plurality of radio wave absorbing elements are arranged in the first plane direction ([0034]; Fig. 1A).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to NOAH Y. ZHU whose telephone number is (571)270-0170. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday, 8AM-4PM.
Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, William J. Kelleher can be reached on (571) 272-7753. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/NOAH YI MIN ZHU/Examiner, Art Unit 3648
/TIMOTHY A BRAINARD/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3648