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 Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed on 06/29/2026 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive. Applicant did not argue amended claims 7-15.
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)(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.
Claim(s) 7-9 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by LEE (US 20250069794 A1).
For claim 7. LEE discloses Phase shifter circuitry ([0055], phase of changed frequency) comprising: a first coil ([0093]-[0095], figures 10 and 13, first coil 420) disposed on a first circuit layer and having a first boundary, comprising a first polygonal conductor comprising a first inner conductor coupled to a second inner conductor (figures 10 and 13, first coil 420), and a second polygonal conductor comprising a first outer conductor coupled to a second outer conductor, the first outer conductor being coupled to the first inner conductor, and the second outer conductor coupled to the second inner conductor, the first polygonal conductor being encircled by the second outer conductor (figure 13, first coil 420), and a second coil (second coil 410) disposed on a second circuit layer, the second coil being coupled to the first inner conductor and the second inner conductor, the second coil comprising a first twisted loop (CA1) conductor having a second boundary that covers the first boundary of the first coil (figure 13).
For claim 8. The phase shifter circuitry of claim 7, LEE discloses wherein the first outer conductor is disposed around the second inner conductor and the second outer conductor is disposed around the first inner conductor ([0093]-[0095], figure 13, first coil 420).
For claim 9. The phase shifter circuitry of claim 7, LEE discloses wherein the first twisted loop conductor comprises a third polygonal conductor cross-coupled to a fourth polygonal conductor ([0093]-[0095], figure 13, second coil 410).
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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 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.
The factual inquiries for establishing a background for determining obviousness under 35 U.S.C. 103 are summarized as follows:
1. Determining the scope and contents of the prior art.
2. Ascertaining the differences between the prior art and the claims at issue.
3. Resolving the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art.
4. Considering objective evidence present in the application indicating obviousness or nonobviousness.
Claim(s) 10 and 15 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over LEE (US 20250069794 A1) in view of Segoria (US 10476157 B1).
For claim 10. The phase shifter circuitry of claim 7, LEE fails to mention wherein the phase shifter circuitry comprises a third coil disposed on the first circuit layer, the third coil being coupled to the second outer conductor, the third coil not overlapping with the first coil and the second coil, and the third coil comprising a third outer conductor and a fourth outer conductor.
This teaching is disclosed by Segoria (Abstract, figures 7-9, column 16 line 39-column 18 line 63, multiple phase-shift units connected in series, one phase-shift unit comprising a third coil including L1-L4 with L1 and L2 being outer conductors).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to incorporate the selection techniques taught by Segoria into the art of LEE as to include multiple phase-shift units for multi-band/extended frequency range transmission.
For claim 15. The phase shifter circuitry of claim 7, LEE fails to mention comprising a first switch configured to couple a first terminal of the phase shifter circuitry to a third coil bypassing the first coil and the second coil, or a second switch configured to couple a second terminal of the phase shifter circuitry to the first coil bypassing the third coil and a fourth coil.
This teaching is disclosed by Segoria (Abstract, figures 7-9, column 16 line 39-column 18 line 63, multiple phase-shift units connected in series, one phase-shift unit comprising a third coil including L1-L4, bypass switch BS1 or BS4 for bypassing or activating each phase-shift unit).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to incorporate the selection techniques taught by Segoria into the art of LEE as to include multiple phase-shift units with bypass switches for multi-band/extended frequency range transmission.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 11-14 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.
The claims 11-14 are allowable over the prior art of record because none of the references, either alone or in combination, discloses or renders obvious claims 11-14.
11. Claims 1-2, 4-6, 16 and 18-20 are allowed.
12. The following is an examiner’s statement of reasons for allowance:
Consider claims 1 and 16, Applicant’s claimed invention distinguished over the prior art for the following reasons. The claims are allowable over the prior art of record because none of the references, either alone or in combination, discloses or renders obvious the invention as a whole.
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 response to this Office Action should be faxed to (571) 273-8300, submitted online via the USPTO's Electronic Filing System-Web (EFS-Web) (Registered eFilers only, Registered users of the USPTO's EFS-Web system may submit a response electronically through EFS-Web at https://efs.uspto.gov/TruePassSample/AuthenticateUserLocalEPF.html), or mailed to:
Commissioner for Patents
P.O. Box 1450
Alexandria, VA 22313-1450
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Rui Meng Hu whose telephone number is 571-270-1105, email is ruimeng.hu@uspto.gov. The examiner can normally be reached on Monday - Friday, 8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m., EST.
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, Jinsong Hu can be reached on (571)272-3965. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/Rui Meng Hu/
R.H./rh
August 6, 2026
/JINSONG HU/ Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2643
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