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 .
Election/Restrictions
Applicant's election with traverse of Group I, claims 1-15 in the reply filed on 06/02/2026 is acknowledged.
Applicant’s argument based on Inventions I and II are common in that both identify a difference between electrical characteristics of coupling signals provided from the first and second couplers. Invention II corresponds to operations performed using the electronic device of Invention I. Group II, the claim 16-20 are a method of operating an electronic device and executed by the at least one processor. However, the inventions require a different field of search (for example, searching different classes/subclasses or electronic resources, or employing different search queries); and there would be a serious search and examination burden if restriction were not required. Therefore, the restriction is final; and the examiner still maintains the restriction.
Drawings
The drawings are objected to under 37 CFR 1.83(a). The drawings must show every feature of the invention specified in the claims. Therefore, the limitation recites “wherein the third substrate comprises: a forward coupling signal line configured to transmit a forward coupling signal of the second signal; a reverse coupling signal line configured to transmit a reverse coupling signal of the second signal; and at least one signal line disposed between the forward coupling signal line and the reverse coupling signal line” in claim 12 must be shown or the feature(s) canceled from the claim(s). No new matter should be entered.
Corrected drawing sheets in compliance with 37 CFR 1.121(d) are required in reply to the Office action to avoid abandonment of the application. Any amended replacement drawing sheet should include all of the figures appearing on the immediate prior version of the sheet, even if only one figure is being amended. The figure or figure number of an amended drawing should not be labeled as “amended.” If a drawing figure is to be canceled, the appropriate figure must be removed from the replacement sheet, and where necessary, the remaining figures must be renumbered and appropriate changes made to the brief description of the several views of the drawings for consistency. Additional replacement sheets may be necessary to show the renumbering of the remaining figures. Each drawing sheet submitted after the filing date of an application must be labeled in the top margin as either “Replacement Sheet” or “New Sheet” pursuant to 37 CFR 1.121(d). 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 Objections
Claim 11 is objected to because of the following informalities:
In claim 11, lines 4-6, it is suggested that the limitation recites “…receive a forward coupling signal of the first signal and a reverse coupling signal of the first signal, provided from the first coupler, and a forward coupling signal of the second signal and a reverse coupling signal of the second signal, provided from the second coupler” should be changed to --…receive a first forward coupling signal of the first signal and a first reverse coupling signal of the first signal via the RF transceiver, provided from the first coupler, and a second forward coupling signal of the second signal and a second reverse coupling signal of the second signal via the substrate, provided from the second coupler-- to make it clearer.
In claim 11, lines 8-11, it is suggested the limitation recites “…based on the forward coupling signal of the first signal and the reverse coupling signal of the first signal, and a second VSWR, based on the forward coupling signal of the second signal and the reverse coupling signal of the second signal” should be changed to --…based on the first forward coupling signal of the first signal and the first reverse coupling signal of the first signal, and a second VSWR, based on the second forward coupling signal of the second signal and the second reverse coupling signal of the second signal-- to make it clearer and to avoid antecedence basis.
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.
Claim 12 is 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 12, the limitation recites “wherein the third substrate comprises: a forward coupling signal line configured to transmit a forward coupling signal of the second signal; a reverse coupling signal line configured to transmit a reverse coupling signal of the second signal” is unclear and leaves the reader in doubt as to the meaning of the technical feature to which it refers. It is unclear that where does a forward coupling signal line and a reverse coupling signal line coming from? How does a forward coupling signal line configured to transmit a forward coupling signal of the second signal? And how does a reverse coupling signal line configured to transmit a reverse coupling signal of the second signal?
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.
Claims 1-10 and 13-15 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Lee et al. (U.S Publication No. 20220286980 A1) in view of Gundel et al. (U.S Publication No. 20150085903 A1).
Regarding claim 1, Lee discloses an electronic device (which is an electronic device 101, see fig. 29) comprising:
a housing including a first housing part and a second housing part movably coupled to each other (which is a rollable or slidable electronic device 101 may be configured so that at least a portion of the second housing 2620 and display 2601 is received in the first housing 2610, see abstract, fig. 25, paragraph [0296]);
a memory (which is a memory) storing instructions (see abstract, paragraph [0071], and [0074]-[0075]);
a first substrate disposed on the second housing part (see fig. 29, paragraph [0105] and [0307]);
a second substrate disposed on the first housing part (see fig. 29, paragraph [0105] and [0307]);
at least one processor (which is a communication processor 260) disposed on the first substrate (via the first housing 2910), (see abstract, fig. 29, paragraph [0071], and [0307]);
a radio frequency (RF) transceiver (which is an RFIC 410 may convert the signal received from the communication processor 260 into an RF signal and may transmit it to the first PAM 2951 in the first housing 2910) disposed on the first substrate (via the first housing 2910), (see fig. 29, paragraph [0307]);
a first coupler (which is a first coupler 2961) disposed on the first substrate (via the first housing 2910) and configured to provide a first coupling signal based on a first signal from the RF transceiver (via the RFIC 410), (see fig. 29, paragraph [0307] and [0308]); and
a second coupler (which is a second coupler 2962) disposed on the second substrate (via the second housing 2920) and configured to provide a second coupling signal based on a second signal from the third substrate (see fig. 29, paragraph [0307] and [0308]).
Lee further discloses a hinge area 2930 deformable based on a movement of the first housing part or the second housing part and electrically connecting the first substrate and the second substrate (see fig. 29, paragraph [0307]).
Lee does not explicitly disclose a third substrate deformable based on a movement of the first housing part or the second housing part and electrically connecting the first substrate and the second substrate.
Gundel, on the other hand, discloses a wireless connector includes a plurality of printed circuit boards (PCBs) disposed within a housing of the electronic system. Figures 1A and 1B provide an illustration of one embodiment where the electronic system 100 includes three printed circuit boards (PCBs) 110a, 110b, 110c. In the arrangement shown in FIG. 4, there are eight wireless point-to-point connectors 410, 411, 412, 413, 414, 415, 415, 416, 417 on three PCBs 401, 402, 403. In addition, wired electrical connector 403 mechanically and electrically couples PCB 401 to PCB 402. Wired electrical connector 403 includes mating receptacle 403a and socket 403b. Wired electrical connector 404 includes mating receptacle 404a and socket 404b and mechanically and electrically couples PCB 402 to PCB 403 (see abstract, fig. 1A-1B and 4, paragraph [0058]).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention was made to modify the electronic device as taught by Lee with the electronic device as taught by Gundel having three PCBs and provides wired electrical connector mechanically and electrically couples the first PCB to the second PCB in order for deformable based on a movement of the first housing part or the second housing part (see fig. 4, paragraph [0058] by Gundel).
Regarding claim 2, Lee in view of Gundel discloses the electronic device of claim 1, further comprising an antenna (which is antenna 2972) electrically connected to the second coupler (which is second coupler 2962) through the second substrate (2920), (see fig. 29 and 30-32).
Lee does not explicitly disclose wherein the third substrate includes a first connector connected to the first substrate and a second connector connected to the second substrate and is at least partially bent based on the movement of the first housing part or the second housing part.
However, Gundel further discloses FIG. 3 shows spacers 231, 232 which provide mechanical connection between the boards 201, 202 and which serve to maintain a minimum distance between the communicating chips 210a, 210b, 220a, 220b of the wireless connectors 210, 220. Although these spacers 231, 232 can be rigid, they may have some flexibility or compressibility to allow relative motion when external forces are applied (vibration, drop, etc.) and then return the boards to their original positions when external forces are removed (see paragraph [0057]). In the arrangement shown in FIG. 4, wired electrical connector 403 mechanically and electrically couples PCB 401 to PCB 402. Wired electrical connector 403 includes mating receptacle 403a and socket 403b. Wired electrical connector 404 includes mating receptacle 404a and socket 404b and mechanically and electrically couples PCB 402 to PCB 403 (see paragraph [0058]).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention was made to modify the electronic device as taught by Lee with the electronic device as taught by Gundel having a first wired electrical connector includes mating receptacle and socket, and a second wired electrical connector includes mating receptacle and socket and mechanically and electrically couples the first PCB to the second PCB, and is at least partially bent based on the movement of the first housing part or the second housing part (see paragraph [0058] by Gundel).
Regarding claim 3, Lee in view of Gundel discloses the electronic device of The electronic device of wherein first coupler (which is first coupler 2961 or 3061) is disposed between the RF transceiver (RFIC 410) and the first connector (via the hinge area 2930), and wherein the second coupler (which is second coupler 2962 or 3062) is disposed between the second connector (via the hinge area 2930 or 3030) and the antenna (which is an antenna 2972 or 3072), (see fig. 27, 29 and 30-32 by Lee).
Regarding claim 4, Lee in view of Gundel discloses the electronic device of The electronic device of wherein the instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the electronic device to set a transmission power outputted through the RF transceiver based on the first coupling signal provided from the first coupler and the second coupling signal provided from the second coupler (see paragraph [0072], [301]-[302], [0307]-[0309], and [0376] by Lee).
Regarding claim 5, Lee in view of Gundel discloses the electronic device of the electronic device of wherein the instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the electronic device to change a transmission power outputted through the RF transceiver based on identifying that a difference between an electrical characteristic of the first coupling signal and an electrical characteristic of the second coupling signal exceeds a reference value (see paragraph [0072], [301]-[302], [0307]-[0309], and [0376] by Lee).
Regarding claim 6, Lee in view of Gundel discloses the electronic device of The electronic device of wherein the instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the electronic device to: control the RF transceiver to output a signal with a first transmission power based on identifying that the difference between the electrical characteristic of the first coupling signal and the electrical characteristic of the second coupling signal exceeds the reference value, and control the RF transceiver to output the signal with a second transmission power lower than the first transmission power while the RF transceiver outputs the signal with the first transmission power based on identifying that the difference between the electrical characteristic of the first coupling signal and the electrical characteristic of the second coupling signal is equal to or less than the reference value (see paragraph [0072], [301]-[302], [0307]-[0309], and [0376] by Lee).
Regarding claim 7, Lee in view of Gundel discloses the electronic device of The electronic device of wherein the electrical characteristic comprises at least one of power of the first coupling signal and the second coupling signal, a signal to noise ratio (SNR) of the first coupling signal and the second coupling signal or a voltage standing wave ratio (VSWR) of the first coupling signal and the second coupling signal (see paragraph [0301] and [0309] by Lee).
Regarding claim 8, Lee in view of Gundel discloses the electronic device of claims 1, further comprising an antenna electrically connected to the second coupler through the second substrate (see fig. 29-32), and wherein the instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the electronic device to change an operating frequency of a signal to be transmitted through the antenna based on identifying that a difference between the electrical characteristic of the first coupling signal and the electrical characteristic of the second coupling signal exceeds a reference value (see paragraph [0072], [301]-[302], [0307]-[0309], and [0376] by Lee).
Regarding claim 9, Lee in view of Gundel discloses the electronic device of claim 1, further comprising: an antenna electrically connected to the second coupler through the second substrate (see fig. 29-32); and an antenna switching circuit including at least one of an inductor or a capacitor electrically connected to the antenna (see fig. 5A-5B, paragraph [0183]), and wherein the instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the electronic device to change an inductance of the inductor or a capacitance of the capacitor, electrically connected to the antenna, based on identifying that a difference between the electrical characteristic of the first coupling signal and the electrical characteristic of the second coupling signal exceeds a reference value (see paragraph [0072], [0183], [301]-[302], [0307]-[0309], and [0376] by Lee).
Regarding claim 10, Lee in view of Gundel discloses the electronic device of claims 1, further comprising: an antenna electrically connected to the second coupler through the second substrate; and another antenna electrically connected the first substrate (see fig. 29-32), and wherein the instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the electronic device to change an antenna to be used for communication with an external electronic device from the antenna to the other antenna based on identifying that a difference between the electrical characteristic of the first coupling signal and the electrical characteristic of the second coupling signal exceeds a reference value (see paragraph [0072], [301]-[302], [0307]-[0309], and [0376] by Lee).
Regarding claim 13, Lee in view of Gundel discloses the electronic device of claim 1, wherein the second substrate is disposed on one surface of the first housing part, and wherein the second coupler includes a conductive pattern embedded in the second substrate (see fig. 29-32, paragraph [0089] by Lee).
Regarding claim 14, Lee in view of Gundel discloses the electronic device of claim 1, further comprising a switching circuit (which is a switch 3052) disposed on the first substrate (via the first housing 3010) and configured to electrically connect the first coupler (which is the first coupler 3061) or the second coupler (which is the second coupler 3062) to the RF transceiver (which is the RFIC 410), (see fig. 30), and wherein the instructions, when executed by the at least one processor (which is the communication processor 260), cause the electronic device to: obtain the first coupling signal based on electrically connecting the at least one processor and the first coupler through the switching circuit, and obtain the second coupling signal based on electrically connecting the at least one processor and the second coupler through the switching circuit (see fig. 30, paragraph [0311] by Lee).
Regarding claim 15, Lee in view of Gundel discloses the electronic device of claim 1, further comprising a display including a first display area and a second display area at least partially bendable into the first housing part based on the movement of the first housing part or the second housing part, wherein the at least a portion of the second display area is rolled into the first housing part in a first state and drawn from the inside of the first housing part to an outside of the first housing part in a second state (see paragraph [0255], [0277] and [0347] by Lee).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claim 11 is 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. Also, the objections and 112 issues above should be fixed in order to place application in allowance condition.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to THAI N PHAM whose telephone number is (571)270-5518. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 9:00 am-5:00 pm.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Alexander Taningco can be reached at 571-272-8048. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/Thai Pham/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2845 06/29/2026
Prosecution Insights