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 .
Remarks
Applicant elects Group I (Claims 1-11) without traverse on 10/13/2025.
Claim Rejections – 35 U.S.C. 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 2, 7, 9 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.
Regarding Claim 2, “and/or” renders ambiguous meanings and uncertainty to the claimed invention.
Regarding Claim 7, “and/or” renders ambiguous meanings and uncertainty to the claimed invention.
Regarding Claim 9, “such as” renders uncertainty whether the claimed invention is required or not.
Claim Rejections – 35 U.S.C. 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.
Claim(s) 1-11 are is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Ai et al. (2024/0283164) in view of Shao et al. (2016/0190868).
Regarding Claim 1, Ai et al. (2024/0283164) discloses an antenna element for a multi-radiator antenna arrangement (figs. 1, 2A-C), the antenna element comprising
a conductive antenna element body (1 or 100) having radiating portions (e.g. low-band and mid-band radiating elements 22, 32, Fig. 1, paragraphs [0011], [0012]; low-band radiating elements 122, mid-band radiating elements 132, Fig. 2A-C, paragraph [0113]), the antenna element further comprising
a feeding network (feeding network, paragraphs [0012], [0095]) electrically connected to the radiating portions (“each low-band radiating element 22 in the first linear array 20-1 is coupled to a first low-band RF port 40-1 through a first feeding network”, paragraph [0012]; “Each RF port 140 is connected to a respective feed network (not shown) that connects each RF port 140 to either the first or second polarization radiators 124 or 134 of the radiating elements 122 or 132 in a respective one of the linear arrays 120 or 130”, paragraph [0095]).
As discussed above, Ai essentially discloses the claimed invention but does not explicitly disclose the feeding network comprising transmission lines, each having a central conductor and a ground conductor, wherein the ground conductor partially surrounds the central conductor and is formed integrally with the antenna element body.
However, Shao et al. (2016/0190868) discloses feeding network comprising transmission lines (feeding network 503, paragraph [0073]. Transmission lines form the H shape. See paragraph [0063], fig. 13), each having a central conductor (center conductor 522) and a ground conductor (ground plane 511), wherein the ground conductor (511) partially surrounds the central conductor (522) (Noted that the central conductor 522 is surrounded by the ground plane 511 on one side but not the other side. Figs. 5A-C) and is formed integrally with the antenna element body (Fig. 4, Fig. 5A).
It would have been obvious to one of obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to have provided a feeding network of Shao in Ai in order to centralize the feeding power and deliver power to multiple radiating elements as taught by Shao.
Regarding Claim 2, Ai discloses the antenna element according to claim 1, wherein said transmission lines of the feeding network are capacitively (capacitively coupled to a respective one of the dipole arms, paragraph [0102]) and/or inductively connected to the radiating portions (radiators 220) (each dipole arm... that are connected by a narrow inductive metal trace, paragraph [0103]).
Regarding Claim 3, Ai discloses the antenna element according to claim 1, wherein the antenna element body is integrally formed (Figures 2A-C show the antenna formed integrally).
Regarding Claim 4, Ai discloses the antenna element according to claim 1, wherein said antenna element body comprises said radiating portions in the form of radiating portions (antenna that include arrays of radiating elements, paragraph [0010]; “antenna includes first and second arrays 20-1, 20-2 of dual polarized low-band radiating elements 22 and first and second linear arrays 30-1, 30-2 of dual polarized mid-band radiating elements 32, paragraph [0011])) formed spaced apart from each other at a periphery of the antenna element (Fig. 1 shows the radiating elements are around the antenna).
Regarding Claim 5, Ai discloses the antenna element according to claim 4, wherein the length of the radiating portions is between 20% and 60% of a wavelength of the center frequency of an operating frequency range of the antenna element (Each low-band dipole radiator typically is implemented as a pair of dipole arms that each have an electrical length that is approximately ¼ a wavelength (herein “the center wavelength”) that corresponds to the center frequency of the operating frequency band for the low-band radiating element, paragraph [0015]. Noted that ¼ equal to 25%).
Regarding Claim 6, Ai discloses the antenna element according to claim 4, wherein the radiating portions (122, 132) are spaced apart by slots (7 slots) in the antenna element body (fig. 2B).
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Regarding Claim 7, Ai discloses the antenna element according to claim 6, wherein the transmission lines of the feeding network are capacitively (capacitively coupled to a respective one of dipole arms, paragraph [0102]) and/or inductively connected to the radiating portions (each dipole arm... that are connected by a narrow inductive metal trace, paragraph [0103]).
As discussed above, Ai essentially discloses the claimed invention but does not explicitly disclose means of one of the central conductors crossing each slot.
However, Shao et al. (2016/0190868) discloses means of the central conductors (522) crossing each slot (area enclose radiator) (figs. 5A-C, 13).
It would have been obvious to one of obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to have provided the central conductor of Shao in Ai in order to centralize the feeding power and deliver power to multiple radiating elements as taught by Shao.
Regarding Claim 8, as discussed above, Ai essentially discloses the claimed invention but does not explicitly disclose the antenna element according to claim 7, wherein said central conductors of the transmission lines crosses the slots at positions being at a distance from the radiating portions.
However, Shao disclose central conductors of the transmission lines crosses the slots at positions being at a distance (each radiating element separated with a distance) from the radiating portions (figs. 5A-C, 12, 13).
It would have been obvious to one of obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to have provided the central conductors of the transmission lines crosses the slots at positions being at a distance from the radiating portions of Shao in Ai in order to centralize the feeding power and deliver power to multiple radiating elements as taught by Shao.
Regarding Claim 9, Ai discloses the antenna element according to claim 6, wherein said slots have an electrical length as seen from the crossings of the central conductors which correspond to 0.15 to 0.35, such as one quarter, of a wavelength of the center frequency of an operating frequency range of the antenna element such as to form a balancing device. (Each low-band dipole radiator typically is implemented as a pair of dipole arms that each have an electrical length that is approximately ¼ a wavelength (herein “the center wavelength”) that corresponds to the center frequency of the operating frequency band for the low-band radiating element, paragraph [0015]. Noted that ¼ equal to 25%).
Regarding Claim 10, Ai discloses the antenna element according to claim 6, wherein said slots are each formed by at least a first slot portion (first slot) and a second slot portion (second slot), the second slot portion being at a distal end (end of the strip) of the slot as seen from the corresponding radiating portions (120, 130, 122, 132) and having a greater width than the first slot portion (width 2 is greater width 1. See annotated figure 2B below).
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Regarding Claim 11, Ai essentially discloses the claimed invention but does not explicitly disclose the antenna element according to claim 4, wherein the central conductors of the transmission lines for at least one pair of opposing radiating portions are formed together as an integral part.
However, Shao et al. (2016/0190868) discloses the central conductors of the transmission lines for at least one pair of opposing radiating portions are formed together as an integral part (figs. 5A-C, 13).
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It would have been obvious to one of obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to have provided the central conductors of the transmission lines for at least one pair of opposing radiating portions are formed together as an integral part of Shao in Ai in order to centralize the feeding power and deliver power to multiple radiating elements as taught by Shao.
Correspondence
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Examiner Wilson Lee whose telephone number is (571) 272-1824. Proposed amendment and interview agenda can be submitted to Examiner’s direct fax at (571) 273-1824.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, examiner’s supervisor, Alexander Taningco can be reached at (571) 272-8048. Papers related to the application may be submitted by facsimile transmission. Any transmission not to be considered an official response must be clearly marked "DRAFT". The official fax number is (571) 273-8300.
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/WILSON LEE/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2844