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 amendment filed 02/18/2026 has been entered. Claims 1-2, 4 and 6-10 are currently pending. Amendments to the drawings and the claims have overcome the objections and 112(d) rejection set forth in the Non-Final Office Action dated 11/19/2025. Amendments to the claims have overcome some of the 112(b) rejections set forth in the Non-Final Office Action of 11/19/2025. However, some of the 112(b) rejections of claim 1 are maintained.
Claim Objections
Claims 1, 2, 4, and 6-10 are objected to because of the following informalities:
Claim 1 (line 22): “a second orthogonal polarization” should read “a second, orthogonal polarization”, as no first orthogonal polarization is recited.
Claim 9 (lines 4 and 6): “the antenna” should read “the meta-surface based dual-band polarized two-beam base station antenna”.
Appropriate correction is required.
Claims 2, 4, 6-8 and 10 are objected to due to their dependency.
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 1, 2, 4, and 6-10 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 1 (line 4) recites “wherein the radiation metasurface antenna layer is positioned on an uppermost layer”. However, it is not clear what the uppermost layer is, as the radiation metasurface antenna layer appears to be the uppermost layer of the metasurface-based dual-band polarized two-beam base station antenna. Clarification is required.
For examination purposes, this limitation is interpreted as “wherein the radiation metasurface antenna layer is of the metasurface-based dual-band polarized two-beam base station antenna”.
Claim 1 (line 5) recites “four-port feed network layer is positioned on a lowermost layer”. However, it is not clear what the lowermost layer is, as the feed network layer appears to be the lowermost layer of the metasurface-based dual-band polarized two-beam base station antenna. Clarification is required.
For examination purposes, this limitation is interpreted as “four-port feed network layer is of the metasurface-based dual-band polarized two-beam base station antenna”.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 1-2, 4, and 6-10 would be allowable if rewritten or amended to overcome the rejection(s) under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), 2nd paragraph, set forth in this Office action.
The following is the Examiner’s statement for reasons of allowance.
The pertinent prior art, as a whole, or in combination, cannot be reasonably construed as adequately teaching or suggesting the elements and features of the claimed invention(s) as arranged, disposed, or provided in the manner as claimed by the Applicant.
Regarding claim 1, Yang et al. (CN 110854527 – referenced in the Chinese First Office Action; hereinafter Yang) (discloses (figs. 1a-1c) “a metasurface-based dual-band polarized two-beam base station antenna (description, ¶4 & ¶60), comprising:
a radiation metasurface antenna layer (¶51, radiating patches 1 on upper first dielectric substrate 5), a metal floor (¶51, middle ground plane 4) etched with a plurality of crossed slots (¶51, cross-shaped grooves 3), and a four-port feed network layer (¶51, lower second dielectric substrate 6 with a microstrip feeding structure having ports 1 and 2) (a four-port feed network is shown in fig. 14),
wherein the radiation metasurface antenna layer is an uppermost layer of the metasurface-based dual-band polarized two-beam base station antenna (¶51, “The antenna includes a three-layer structure, comprising an upper first dielectric substrate 5, a middle ground plane 4, and a lower second dielectric substrate 6, all of the same size and tightly fitted together”),
the four-port feed network layer comprises a lowermost layer of the metasurface-based dual-band polarized two-beam base station antenna (¶51),
the metal floor is arranged between the radiation metasurface antenna layer and the four-port feed network layer (¶51),
the plurality of crossed slots are etched on the metal floor to achieve a dual-band polarized radiation characteristic, and
energy of the four-port feed network layer is coupled to the radiation metasurface antenna layer via the crossed slots, so as to achieve dual-band polarized beams (see stacked arrangement of fig. 1c);
a four-port feed network is arranged in a middle of the four-port feed network layer (see fig. 14 below);
the four-port feed network comprises four input ports (ports 1-4) and crossed transmission lines (in fig. 14b, transmission lines between port 1 and port 2 cross each other, and transmission lines between port 3 and port 4 cross each other);
a first input port (port 1) and a second input port (port 2) are respectively placed at first and second ends of the four-port feed network and respectively correspond to two deflected beams of a first polarization,
a third input port (port 3) and a fourth input port (port 4) are respectively placed at third and fourth ends of the four-port feed network and respectively correspond to two deflected beams of a second, orthogonal polarization;
a part of the crossed transmission lines of the four-port feed network between the crossed slots is provided with a bent structure (the transmission lines shown in fig. 14 have bent portions between each crossed slot), and the bent structure is adjusted according to a beam deflection angle.
Yang does not teach, or suggest, “mutually crossed transmission lines (transmission lines connected between port 1 and port 2 do not cross transmission lines connected between port 3 and port 4); the plurality of crossed slots are sequentially excited; one metal bridge joint arranged at an intersection of the mutually crossed transmission lines of the four-port feed network, wherein the metal bridge joint is rotationally symmetrical about the intersection of the transmission lines; and two metal half-through holes are provided in two ends of the metal bridge joint for signal transmission”.
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Foo (US 2015/0042513 – US equivalent of IDS document CN 105359339) discloses (at least figs. 4A shown below, 4B, 4C & 4D) “A dual-band polarized (¶36) two-beam (¶43) base station antenna (¶2), comprising: a radiation antenna layer (440), a metal floor (band resonator 420) etched with a plurality of crossed slots (422) (¶8, “The plurality of broadband radiating elements are arranged in a multi-column array”), and a four-port feed network layer (fig. 4D, ports P1, P2, N1 and N2, and microstrip feedlines 452),
wherein the radiation antenna layer (440) comprises an uppermost layer of the dual-band polarized two-beam base station antenna,
the plurality of crossed slots are etched on the metal floor to achieve a dual-band polarized radiation characteristic (¶36, “FIG. 4D shows typical excitation arrangement for the broadband slot-coupled stacked patch for dual linear polarization”), and
energy of the four-port feed network layer is coupled to the radiation antenna layer via the crossed slots, so as to achieve dual-band polarized beams (see stacked arrangement of fig. 4B);
a four-port feed network is arranged in a middle of the four-port feed network layer (fig. 4C, microstrip lines 452 are in the middle of band resonator 420);
the four-port feed network comprises four input ports and transmission lines;
a first input port (P1) and a second input port (P2) are respectively placed at first and second ends of the four-port feed network and respectively correspond to two deflected beams of a first polarization, and a third input port (N1) and a fourth input port (N2) are respectively placed at third and fourth ends of the four-port feed network and respectively correspond to two deflected beams of a second, orthogonal polarization (¶36 discloses two polarizations and ¶44 discloses two beams)”.
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Foo does not teach, or suggest, a metasurface; the four-port feed network layer comprises a lowermost layer of the metasurface-based dual-band polarized two-beam base station antenna, the metal floor is arranged between the radiation metasurface antenna layer and the four-port feed network layer, and the plurality of crossed slots are sequentially excited; a part of the mutually crossed transmission lines of the four-port feed network between the crossed slots is provided with a bent structure, and the bent structure is adjusted according to a beam deflection angle; one metal bridge joint is arranged at an intersection of the mutually crossed transmission lines of the four-port feed network, wherein the metal bridge joint is rotationally symmetrical about the intersection of the transmission lines; and two metal half-through holes are provided in two ends of the metal bridge joint for signal transmission.
Claims 2, 4, and 6-10 are allowable due to their dependency on claim 1.
Conclusion
THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. 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 ANNA N HAMADYK whose telephone number is (703)756-1672. The examiner can normally be reached 7:30 am - 5:00 pm.
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/ANNA N HAMADYK/Examiner, Art Unit 2845
/DIMARY S LOPEZ CRUZ/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2845