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 .
Drawings
Figure 1 should be designated by a legend such as --Prior Art-- because only that which is old is illustrated. See MPEP § 608.02(g).
Corrected drawings in compliance with 37 CFR 1.121(d) are required in reply to the Office action to avoid abandonment of the application. The replacement sheet(s) should be labeled “Replacement Sheet” in the page header (as per 37 CFR 1.84(c)) so as not to obstruct any portion of the drawing figures. If the changes are not accepted by the examiner, the applicant will be notified and informed of any required corrective action in the next Office action. The objection to the drawings will not be held in abeyance.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
Claims 10-12 and 14 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.
Claims 10-12 and 14 are directed to an antenna apparatus. However, claims 10-12 and 14 define the antenna apparatus by reference to features relating to another entity that is not part of the claimed first entity but that is related to it through use. For instance: claim 10 defines: "the repeater is closely attached and installed on an indoor or outdoor wall surface of a building vertically", and claim 11 defines: the repeater is closely attached and installed on a bottom of a structure, corresponding to an indoor or outdoor ceiling, horizontally.” Such a definition is ambiguous as it is not clear whether the claim is effectively directed to the combination (a wall or ceiling with an antenna apparatus) or the antenna apparatus in isolation.
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)(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.
Claim(s) 1-4, 6, 7, and 9-18 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by CN211879599 to Cao et al. (hereinafter “Cao”).
-From Claim 1: Cao discloses
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Reproduced from Cao (Examiner Annotated)
an antenna apparatus for a base station, comprising:
a repeater (shown above);
an antenna module 4 installed on a front of a repeater in a way to be capable of tilting and steering operations (¶¶26-31); and
an antenna clamping unit 6, 7 configured to mediate the installation of the antenna module in the repeater,
wherein the antenna clamping unit conceals a wire cable (¶31) that electrically connects the repeater and the antenna module.
-From Claim 2: Cao discloses wherein the antenna clamping unit comprises:
a fixing part 52 opened in forward and backward directions and fixed to the front of the repeater; and
a moving part 51 having a rear end received and coupled to an internal space of the fixing part and a front end subjected to tilting and steering operations in all directions comprising an up and down direction and a horizontal direction (¶28).
-From Claim 3: Cao discloses wherein the rear end of the moving part is prevented from being externally detached by a front end of the fixing part (¶¶27-28).
-From Claim 4: Cao discloses wherein the antenna clamping unit further comprises a moving lock part configured to fix the moving part to the fixing part after the moving part is subjected to the tilting and steering operations (¶¶27-28).
-From Claim 6: Cao discloses wherein the fixing part 52 is formed in a cylindrical shape that has been opened in the forward and backward directions (¶31).
-From Claim 7: Cao discloses wherein the rear end of the moving part 51 is received within the fixing part 52 and formed in a semi-sphere shape that has been opened in the forward and backward directions. (¶31)
-From Claim 9: Cao discloses wherein: at least two antenna modules are able to be installed in one repeater, and the antenna clamping unit is provided in accordance with a number of antenna modules installed in the repeater (see Fig. 1, showing symmetrical opposing ends of the repeater, thus capable of multiple antennae on one repeater).
-From Claim 10: Cao discloses a device wherein the repeater is attachable to an indoor or outdoor wall surface of a building vertically.
-From Claim 11: Cao discloses a device wherein the repeater is attachable to a bottom of a structure, corresponding to an indoor or outdoor ceiling, horizontally.
-From Claim 12: Cao discloses a device wherein the repeater is attachable within ceiling finishing materials of a structure corresponding to an indoor or outdoor ceiling.
-From Claim 13: Cao discloses wherein the antenna clamping unit comprises:
an extension part 7 vertically disposed in the repeater;
at least one fixing part 52 provided at an end of the extension part; and
a moving part 51 provided so that the antenna module is coupled to each fixing part, wherein a rear end of the moving part 51 is received and coupled to an internal space of the fixing part 52 and an external end of the moving part is subjected to tilting and steering operations in all directions comprising an up and down direction and a horizontal direction. (¶¶27-31)
-From Claim 14: Cao discloses wherein the repeater is attachable within ceiling finishing materials of a structure corresponding to an indoor or outdoor ceiling, and is installed to have a number corresponding to specifications of transmitters and receivers of the antenna module installed in the antenna clamping unit.
-From Claim 15: Examiner notes that the claim introduces at least one condition (i.e. “when [X,Y,Z are true]…” Because none of these conditions is present in the Cao reference, Examiner interprets Cao as disclosing a device such that when a number of repeaters is two or more, the extension part, fixing part, and moving part of the antenna clamping unit are provided in accordance with the number of repeaters. Furthermore, the claim appears to be requiring only that when there are multiple repeaters, there are a corresponding multiple number of the other parts, which would be the case if the device were simply duplicated.
-From Claim 16: Examiner notes that the claim introduces at least one condition (i.e. “when [X,Y,Z are true]…” Because none of these conditions is present in the Cao reference, Examiner interprets Cao as disclosing a device such that when a number of repeaters is two or more, in the antenna clamping unit, one extension part is provided, and the fixing part and the moving part are provided in accordance with the number of repeaters. Furthermore, the claim appears to be requiring only that when there are multiple repeaters, there are a corresponding multiple number of the other parts, which would be the case if the device were simply duplicated.
-From Claim 17: Examiner notes that the claim introduces at least one condition (i.e. “when [X,Y,Z are true]…” Because none of these conditions is present in the Cao reference, and Cao otherwise meets the requirements of the claim, Examiner interprets Cao as disclosing a device such that when the number of repeaters is two or more, if the repeater is buried and installed within ceiling finishing materials of a structure corresponding to an indoor or outdoor ceiling, the extension part is fixed to penetrate an inside and outside of the ceiling finishing materials so that the wire cable is concealed and installed.
-From Claim 18: Examiner notes that the claim introduces at least one condition (i.e. “when [X,Y,Z are true]…” Because none of these conditions is present in the Cao reference, and Cao otherwise meets the requirements of the claim, Examiner interprets Cao as disclosing a device such that when the number of repeaters is two or more, if the repeater is buried and installed within ceiling finishing materials of a structure corresponding to an indoor or outdoor ceiling, the extension part is fixed to penetrate an inside and outside of the ceiling finishing materials so that the wire cable is concealed and installed.
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.
Claim(s) 5 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Cao in view of US 2004/0165941 to Yokota (hereinafter “Yokota”).
-From Claim 5: Yokota teaches a ball and socket joint similar to that of Cao, wherein a gasket groove 24 is formed within the front end of the fixing part 3, and
a gasket ring 25 is configured to form a friction force between the fixing part and the moving part is interposed in the gasket groove. (Yokota, ¶35)
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to modify Cao by adding a gasket groove and ring as taught by Yokota in order to more securely connect the fixing part and moving part.
Claim(s) 8 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Cao in view of KR20100025404 to Mook et al. (hereinafter “Mook”).
-From Claim 8: Mook teaches an indoor repeater antenna similar to that of Cao, wherein the wire cable is provided in a wire shape longer than a straight line distance between a front end connection point of the repeater and a rear end connection point of the antenna module (see Fig. 4, showing the cable extends from the repeater body to the antenna 40 in a non-straight line such that the cable is longer than a straight line distance between a front end connection point of the repeater and a rear end connection point of the antenna), and
a marginal length portion of the wire cable is received in an internal space of the fixing part.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to modify Cao by providing the cable with slack/extra length as taught by Mook in order to allow for greater range of pivoting/adjustment.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure, as the cited references include structure similar to that of the presently claimed invention.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to DANIEL J WILEY whose telephone number is (571)270-7324. The examiner can normally be reached Mon-Fri, 9am-5pm PST.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Amber Anderson can be reached at 5712705281. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/DANIEL J WILEY/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3678 5/29/2026
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