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 March 11, 2026 has been entered. The Applicant amended claims 1-2, 5-12, 14-15, and 17-20, and canceled claim 4. Claims 1-3 and 5-20 remain pending in the application. Applicant’s amendments to the Specification and Claims have overcome each and every objection and 112(b) rejections previously set forth in the Non-Final Office Action mailed February 9, 2026. The examiner withdraws the 112(b) rejections and the Specification and Claims objections in light of the amendments to the Specification and Claims.
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claims 1 and 17 have been considered but are moot because the new ground of rejection does not rely on the combination of references applied in the prior rejection.
Claim Objections
Claims 14-15 are objected to because of the following informalities:
In claims 14-15, “the at least two antenna areas” lacks proper antecedent basis and should read “the at least two types of antenna areas”
Appropriate correction is required.
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 1-3 and 5-17 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 recites the limitation "one side of the first substrate" in line 11. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim. It is unclear if this limitation is referring to the previous “one side of the first substrate” or a new limitation.
Claim 10 recites the limitation "the conductive electrode" in line 3. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
Claim 11 recites the limitation "the first radiator" in line 2. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
Claim 11 recites the limitation "a first radiator" in line 3. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim. It is unclear if this limitation is referring to the previous “first radiator” or a new limitation.
Claim 17 recites the limitation "one side of the first substrate" in line 12. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim. It is unclear if this limitation is referring to the previous “one side of the first substrate” or a new limitation.
Claim 2-3, 5-9, and 12-16 inherits the deficiencies of claim 1.
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)(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.
Claims 1-3, 5-8, 12, and 17 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Foo (US PGPUB 2018/0316090 A1).
Regarding claim 1, Foo discloses (Fig. 3-6) An antenna (100), comprising: a first substrate (120); a phased array antenna layer (202) located on one side of the first substrate (120); a conductive layer (218 of 202(j)) located on a side of the phased array antenna layer facing away from the first substrate and including a plurality of conductive electrodes (218 of 202(j)); a first liquid crystal layer (246 of 202(j)) located on a side of the conductive layer (218 of 202(j)) facing away from the phased array antenna layer (202); and a first antenna layer (118) located on a side of the first liquid crystal layer (246 of 202(j)) facing away from the phased array antenna layer and including a plurality of first radiators (118), wherein the phased array antenna layer includes: a second phase-shifting electrode layer (layer of 230 of 202(1)) located on one side of the first substrate and including a plurality of second phase-shifting electrodes (230 of 202(1)); a second liquid crystal layer (246 of 202(1)) located on a side of the second phase-shifting electrode layer facing away from the first substrate; a second substrate (250 of 202(1)) located on a side of the second liquid crystal layer (246 of 202(1)) facing away from the first substrate; and a ground electrode layer (218 of 202(2)) located on a side of the second substrate (250 of 202(1)) facing the first substrate and including a plurality of slits (218 slits), wherein the first liquid crystal layer is configured for frequency modulation and relay ([0043]), while the second liquid crystal layer is configured for phase adjustment and beam scanning ([0043]).
Regarding claim 2, Foo further discloses (Fig. 3-6) wherein: the conductive layer (218 of 202(j)) includes a first phase-shifting electrode layer (218 of 202(j)) and a conductive electrode of the plurality of conductive electrodes includes a first phase-shifting electrode (218 of 202(j)); or the conductive layer includes a second antenna layer and the conductive electrode includes a second radiator.
Regarding claim 3, Foo further discloses (Fig. 3-6) wherein: the first phase shifting electrode (218 of 202(j)) is a linear structure; or the second radiator is a block structure.
Regarding claim 5, Foo further discloses (Fig. 3-6) wherein: a first projection of a first radiator (118) of the plurality of first radiators on the first substrate (120) is at least partially overlapped with a second projection of a first conductive electrode (218 of 202(j)) of a plurality of first electrodes on the first substrate; and a second projection of a conductive electrode (218 of 202(j)) of the plurality of conductive electrodes on the first substrate (120) is at least partially overlapped with a third projection of a second phase-shifting electrode (230 of 202(1)) of the plurality of second phase-shifting electrodes on the first substrate (120).
Regarding claim 6, Foo further discloses (Fig. 3-6) wherein: a second projection of a conductive electrode (218 of 202(j)) of the plurality of conductive electrodes on the first substrate is at least partially overlapped with a fourth projection of a slit (slit of 218 of 212(1)) of the plurality of slits of the ground electrode layer on the first substrate (120); and a third projection of a second phase-shifting electrode (230 of 202(1)) of the plurality of second phase-shifting electrodes on the first substrate (120) is at least partially overlapped with the fourth projection of the slit (slit of 218 of 212(1)) of the plurality of slits of the ground electrode layer on the first substrate.
Regarding claim 7, Foo further discloses (Fig. 3-6) wherein: the conductive layer (218 of 202(j)) includes a first phase-shifting electrode layer (218 of 202(j)); and a conductive electrode of the plurality of conductive electrodes includes a first phase-shifting electrode (218 of 202(j)).
Regarding claim 8, Foo further discloses (Fig. 3-6) wherein: a width of a first phase-shifting electrode (218 of 202(j)) is same as a width of the second phase-shifting electrode (230 of 202(1)) of the plurality of second phase-shifting electrodes.
Regarding claim 12, Foo further discloses (Fig. 3-6) comprising: a plurality of antenna units (110), wherein each of the plurality of antenna units includes one second phase-shifting electrode, two conductive electrodes and two first radiators, or each of the plurality of antenna units includes one second phase-shifting electrode (230 of 202(1)), one conductive electrode (218) and one first radiator (118).
Regarding claim 17, Foo discloses (Fig. 3-6) An electronic device (100), comprising: an antenna (100), including: a first substrate (120); a phased array antenna layer (202) located on one side of the first substrate (120); a conductive layer (218 of 202(j)) located on a side of the phased array antenna layer facing away from the first substrate and including a plurality of conductive electrodes (218 of 202(j)); a first liquid crystal layer (246 of 202(j)) located on a side of the conductive layer (218 of 202(j)) away from the phased array antenna layer (202); and a first antenna layer (118) located on a side of the first liquid crystal layer (246 of 202(j)) facing away from the phased array antenna layer and including a plurality of first radiators (118), wherein the phased array antenna layer includes: a second phase-shifting electrode layer (layer of 230 of 202(1)) located on one side of the first substrate and including a plurality of second phase-shifting electrodes (230 of 202(1)); a second liquid crystal layer (246 of 202(1)) located on a side of the second phase-shifting electrode layer facing away from the first substrate; a second substrate (250 of 202(1)) located on a side of the second liquid crystal layer (246 of 202(1)) facing away from the first substrate; and a ground electrode layer (218 of 202(2)) located on a side of the second substrate (250 of 202(1)) facing the first substrate and including a plurality of slits (218 slits), wherein the first liquid crystal layer is configured for frequency modulation and relay ([0043]), while the second liquid crystal layer is configured for phase adjustment and beam scanning ([0043]).
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 9 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Foo in view of Yuan et al. (CN 106374170 A), hereinafter known as Yuan.
Regarding claim 9, Foo does not specifically teach further comprising: a first driving IC connected to a first radiator and the first phase-shifting electrode and configured to form a first driving voltage difference between the first phase-shifting electrode and the first radiator based on a first mapping curve, wherein the first mapping curve is a mapping curve between a first target phase and the first driving voltage difference; and a second driving IC connected to a second phase-shifting electrode and a ground electrode and configured to form a second driving voltage difference between the second phase-shifting electrode and the ground electrode based on a second mapping curve, wherein the second mapping curve is a mapping curve between a second target phase and the second driving voltage difference.
However, Yuan teaches (Fig. 1 and 5) a first driving IC (top A) connected to a first radiator and the first phase-shifting electrode and configured to form a first driving voltage difference between the first phase-shifting electrode and the first radiator based on a first mapping curve (Fig. 5), wherein the first mapping curve is a mapping curve between a first target phase and the first driving voltage difference (Fig. 5); and a second driving IC (bottom A) connected to the second phase-shifting electrode and the ground electrode and configured to form a second driving voltage difference between a second phase-shifting electrode and a ground electrode based on a second mapping curve (Fig. 5), wherein the second mapping curve is a mapping curve between a second target phase and the second driving voltage difference (Fig. 5).
It would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a person having ordinary skill in the art to modify the antenna of Foo with Yuan to include “a first driving IC connected to a first radiator and the first phase-shifting electrode and configured to form a first driving voltage difference between the first phase-shifting electrode and the first radiator based on a first mapping curve, wherein the first mapping curve is a mapping curve between a first target phase and the first driving voltage difference; and a second driving IC connected to a second phase-shifting electrode and a ground electrode and configured to form a second driving voltage difference between the second phase-shifting electrode and the ground electrode based on a second mapping curve, wherein the second mapping curve is a mapping curve between a second target phase and the second driving voltage difference,” as taught by Yuan, for the purpose of achieving a desired phase (see also [0024] of machine translation).
Claims 10-11 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Foo in view of Hsieh et al. (US PGPUB 2020/0243974 A1), hereinafter known as Hsieh.
Regarding claim 10, Foo does not specifically teach wherein: the conductive layer includes a second antenna layer; and the conductive electrode includes a second radiator.
However, Hsieh teaches (Fig. 2) the conductive layer includes a second antenna layer (120); and the conductive electrode includes a second radiator (120).
It would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a person having ordinary skill in the art to modify the antenna of Foo with Hsieh to include “the conductive layer includes a second antenna layer; and the conductive electrode includes a second radiator,” as taught by Hsieh, for the purpose of improving efficiency (see also [0021]).
Regarding claim 11, Foo further teaches (Fig. 6) further comprising: and a fourth driving IC (260) connected to a second phase-shifting electrode (230 of 202(1)) and the ground electrode layer (218) and configured to form a fourth driving voltage difference ([0042]) between the second phase-shifting electrode (230 of 202(1)) and the ground electrode layer (218) based on a fourth mapping curve ([0048]), wherein the fourth mapping curve is a mapping curve between a target phase and the fourth driving voltage difference ([0048]) but does not specifically teach a third driving IC connected to the first radiator and the second radiator and configured to form a third driving voltage difference between the second radiator and a first radiator based on a third mapping curve, wherein the third mapping curve is a mapping curve between a target frequency and the third driving voltage difference.
However, Hsieh teaches (Fig. 7 and 10) a third driving IC (102) connected to the first radiator (110) and the second radiator (120) and configured to form a third driving voltage difference between the second radiator and a first radiator based on a third mapping curve (Fig. 10), wherein the third mapping curve is a mapping curve between a target frequency and the third driving voltage difference (Fig. 10).
It would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a person having ordinary skill in the art to modify the antenna of Foo with Hsieh to include “a third driving IC connected to the first radiator and the second radiator and configured to form a third driving voltage difference between the second radiator and a first radiator based on a third mapping curve, wherein the third mapping curve is a mapping curve between a target frequency and the third driving voltage difference,” as taught by Hsieh, for the purpose of reducing power consumption (see also [0048]).
Claims 13-15 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Foo in view of Bresciani et al. (US PGPUB 2013/0099990 A1), hereinafter known as Bresciani.
Regarding claim 13, Foo does not specifically teach wherein: the first antenna layer includes at least two areas of first radiators, and a spacing between two adjacent first radiators in the first antenna layer includes at least two sizes.
However, Bresciani teaches (Fig. 3) wherein: the first antenna layer includes at least two areas of first radiators (7, 8), and a spacing between two adjacent first radiators (7, 8) in the first antenna layer includes at least two sizes.
It would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a person having ordinary skill in the art to modify the antenna of Foo with Bresciani to include “wherein: the first antenna layer includes at least two areas of first radiators, and a spacing between two adjacent first radiators in the first antenna layer includes at least two sizes,” as taught by Bresciani, for the purpose of achieving a desired phase adjustment (see also [0030]).
Regarding claim 14, Foo does not specifically teach wherein: the first antenna layer includes at least two types of antenna areas; each of the at least two antenna areas includes multiple first radiators; an area of a first radiator of the multiple first radiators and a spacing of the multiple first radiators in each of the at least two antenna areas are different from other types of antenna areas; and in the first antenna layer, in a clockwise direction, according to an arrangement order of the at least two antenna areas, the area of the first radiator gradually increases or decreases.
However, Bresciani teaches (Fig. 3) wherein: the first antenna layer includes at least two types of antenna areas (7, 8); each of the at least two antenna areas includes multiple first radiators (7, 8); an area of a first radiator of the multiple first radiators and a spacing of the multiple first radiators in each of the at least two antenna areas are different from other types of antenna areas (7, 8); and in the first antenna layer, in a clockwise direction, according to an arrangement order of the at least two antenna areas, the area of the first radiator gradually increases or decreases (7, 8 areas change in a clockwise direction).
It would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a person having ordinary skill in the art to modify the antenna of Foo with Bresciani to include “wherein: the first antenna layer includes at least two types of antenna areas; each of the at least two antenna areas includes multiple first radiators; an area of a first radiator of the multiple first radiators and a spacing of the multiple first radiators in each of the at least two antenna areas are different from other types of antenna areas; and in the first antenna layer, in a clockwise direction, according to an arrangement order of the at least two antenna areas, the area of the first radiator gradually increases or decreases,” as taught by Bresciani, for the purpose of achieving a desired phase adjustment (see also [0030] and [0057]).
Regarding claim 15, Foo does not specifically teach wherein: in the first antenna layer, in the clockwise direction, according to the arrangement order of the at least two antenna areas, a spacing of two adjacent first radiators of the multiple first radiators gradually increases or decreases.
However, Bresciani teaches (Fig. 3) wherein: in the first antenna layer, in the clockwise direction, according to the arrangement order of the at least two antenna areas, a spacing of two adjacent first radiators of the multiple first radiators gradually increases or decreases (7, 8 areas change in a clockwise direction which changes the spacing of adjacent radiators).
It would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a person having ordinary skill in the art to modify the antenna of Foo with Bresciani to include “wherein: in the first antenna layer, in the clockwise direction, according to the arrangement order of the at least two antenna areas, a spacing of two adjacent first radiators of the multiple first radiators gradually increases or decreases,” as taught by Bresciani, for the purpose of achieving a desired phase adjustment (see also [0030] and [0057]).
Claim 16 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Foo in view of Xi et al. (US Patent No. 11069976 B1), hereinafter known as Xi.
Regarding claim 16, Foo does not specifically teach further comprising: a third substrate located on a side of the first antenna layer facing away from the first liquid crystal layer, wherein the first substrate and/or the third substrate are flexible substrates.
However, Xi teaches (Fig. 8) a third substrate (70) located on a side of the first antenna layer facing away from the first liquid crystal layer (12), wherein the first substrate and/or the third substrate are flexible substrates (col. 6, line 50).
It would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a person having ordinary skill in the art to modify the antenna of Foo with Xi to include “a third substrate located on a side of the first antenna layer facing away from the first liquid crystal layer, wherein the first substrate and/or the third substrate are flexible substrates,” as taught by Xi, for the purpose of controlling the antenna (see also col. 11, lines 50-55).
Conclusion
The Examiner has pointed out particular references contained in the prior art of record within the body of this action for the convenience of the Applicant. Although the specified citations are representative of the teachings in the art and are applied to the specific limitations within the individual claim, other passages and figures may apply.
Applicant, in preparing the response, should consider fully the entire reference as potentially teaching all or part of the claimed invention, as well as the context of the passage as taught by the prior art or disclosed by the Examiner.
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 inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to YONCHAN J KIM whose telephone number is (571)272-3204. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Friday 8:00 am - 5:00 pm.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Dameon Levi can be reached at (571) 272-2105. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/DAMEON E LEVI/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2845
/YONCHAN J KIM/ Examiner, Art Unit 2845
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