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 .
Status of Claims
This action is in reply to arguments / remarks filed on June 8th, 2026.
Claims 1-20 are currently pending and have been examined.
Priority
Acknowledgement is made of the applicant’s claim for foreign priority under 35 U.S.C. 119 (a)-(d). The certified copy has been filed in parent application No. KR 10-2023-0116528, filed on September 01, 2023.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on April 1st, 2024 has been considered by the examiner and an initialed copy of the IDS is hereby attached.
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.
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.
Claims 1-17 and 19 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Fabrega et al. (US 20230099378 A1), hereinafter Fabrega, in view of Lee et al. (US 20220149958 A1), hereinafter Lee.
Regarding claim 1, Fabrega teaches the following [Note: what is not clearly disclosed is strike-through]:
An antenna module comprising:
a printed circuit board (Fabrega [0006] “In some aspects, wireless communication apparatus is provided comprising: a millimeter wave (mmW) printed circuit board (PCB);”);
a first antenna group, including a first sensing antenna and a second sensing antenna disposed on a first surface of the printed circuit board, and spaced apart from each other the first antenna group being configured to transmit and receive a first signal (Fabrega Fig. 6E, elements 651 and 652, further Fabrega [0013] “In some aspects, the radar antenna is coupled to radar control circuitry via a first stripline configured to provide a radar signal to the radar antenna and to receive reflections of the radar signal from the radar antenna.”);
a second antenna group including a plurality of antenna elements disposed on the first surface between the first sensing antenna and the second sensing antenna, the second antenna group being configured to transmit and receive a second signal (Fabrega Fig. 6E element 610, further, Fabreaga [0053] “According to some aspects described herein, a device with one or more mmW modules for mmW communications can include gaps between mmW elements of a mmW module.”); and
a processor coupled to the printed circuit board, the first antenna group, and the second antenna group (Fabrega Fig. 2, further Fabrega [0062] “In the example shown in FIG. 2A, wireless device 200 generally comprises the transceiver 220 and a data processor 210.”),
wherein the processor is configured to:
(Fabrega [0089] “In some implementations, a first slot antenna is used to transmit a FMCW radar signal, and a second antenna is used to receive reflections of the FMCW radar signal.”); and
when the external object is within a first distance from the antenna module, transmit the second signal through the second antenna group with a first transmit power (Fabrega [0088] “Processing circuitry can then be used with the data identifying objects of interest to perform additional analysis in conjunction with the data identifying objects (e.g., object tracking over time, facial recognition, human vital signal extraction, object electromagnetic exposure measurements using transmit and receive power data from the mmW communications system or other systems, tracking maximum permissible exposure (MPE) of detected objects, modifying transmit power in conjunction with MPE measurements, etc.).”, Here Fabrega teaches the modification of transmit power with object distance measurements.)
Fabrega fails to teach the limitations below. Lee teaches:
determine whether an external object is within a first distance from the antenna module (Lee [0108] “According to various embodiments, if it is identified that the distance between the electronic device 101 and the object (e.g., the object 209 of FIG. 2A) is increased, the electronic device 101 may identify whether the object (e.g., the object 209 of FIG. 2A) is positioned within the first distance (e.g., the first distance of FIG. 3) in operation 660.”)
when the external object is within a first distance from the antenna module, transmit the second signal through the second antenna group with a first transmit power less than or equal to a first maximum power corresponding to the first distance (Lee, Fig. 3, further Lee [0084] “ According to various embodiments, in operation 370, when the object (e.g., the object 209 of FIG. 2A) is positioned within the first distance (e.g., 8 cm), the electronic device 101 may determine the strength of the second millimeter wave signal (e.g., the signal 213a of FIG. 2B) as a second strength corresponding to second distance between the electronic device 101 and the object. ”)
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art prior to the effective filing date of the claimed invention to incorporate the features as disclosed by Lee into the invention of Fabrega. Both Lee and Fabrega are considered analogous arts to the claimed invention as they both disclose cellular communications signals which consider user exposure levels with a proximity sensor. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art prior to the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the apparatus as disclosed by Fabrega to determine if an object falls within specific distance, then adjust the transmission power of the second antenna array as taught by Lee. One of ordinary skill in the art prior to the effective filing date of the claimed invention would have been motivated to modify the apparatus in order to systematically adjust the transmission power of a communications antenna to comply with MPE / user radiation exposure regulations (See Fabrega [0026-0027], [0088]).
Regarding claim 2, Fabrega in view of Lee teaches the antenna module of claim 1. Fabrega further teaches the following [Note: what is not clearly disclosed is strike-through]:
wherein the processor is configured to:
while the second signal is transmitted with the first transmit power (Fabrega [0065] “A power amplifier 244 amplifies the signal from filter 242 to obtain the desired output power level and provides a transmit RF signal.”),
transmit the second signal through the second antenna group (Fabrega [0065] “The transmit RF signal is routed through a duplexer or switch 246 and transmitted via an antenna array 248.”)
Fabrega fails to teach the limitations below. Lee teaches:
determine whether the external object is within a second distance less than the first distance from the antenna module, through the first antenna group (Lee [0086] “In the above paragraphs, it has been described that the distance (e.g., the second distance) between the electronic device 101 and the object (e.g., the object 209 of FIG. 2A) is identified (or calculated) using the first millimeter wave signal.”);
when the external object is within the second distance from the antenna module and the first transmit power is greater than a second maximum power set to correspond to the second distance (Lee [0084] “For example, if it is identified that the calculated second distance is smaller than the first distance (e.g., 8 cm), the electronic device 101 may determine that the strength for outputting the second millimeter wave signal (e.g., the signal 213a of FIG. 2B) corresponds to (e.g., proportional to) the second distance.”),
transmit the second signal through the second antenna group with a second transmit power less than or equal to the second maximum power (Lee [0105] “According to various embodiments, if it is identified that the distance between the electronic device 101 and the object (e.g., the object 209 of FIG. 2A) decreases, the electronic device 101 may determine the strength of the second millimeter wave signal (e.g., the signal 213a of FIG. 2B) as the third strength being smaller than the second strength in operation 630.”).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art prior to the effective filing date of the claimed invention to incorporate the features as disclosed by Lee into the invention of Fabrega. Both Lee and Fabrega are considered analogous arts to the claimed invention as they both disclose cellular communications signals which consider user exposure levels with a proximity sensor. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art prior to the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the apparatus as disclosed by Fabrega to adjust the transmit power to a second value based upon the detection of an object being within a second distance as taught by Lee. One of ordinary skill in the art prior to the effective filing date of the claimed invention would have been motivated to modify the apparatus in order to systematically adjust the transmission power of a communications antenna to comply with MPE / user radiation exposure regulations (See Fabrega [0026-0027], [0088]).
Regarding claim 3, Fabrega in view of Lee teaches the antenna module of claim 2. Fabrega further teaches the following [Note: what is not clearly disclosed is strike-through]:
wherein the processor is configured to:
while the second signal is transmitted with the first transmit power (Fabrega [0065] “A power amplifier 244 amplifies the signal from filter 242 to obtain the desired output power level and provides a transmit RF signal.”),
Fabrega fails to disclose the limitations below. Lee discloses:
determine whether the external object is between the first distance and a third distance greater than the first distance from the antenna module, through the first antenna group, if so, cause the second signal to be transmitted through the second antenna group with a third transmit power greater than the first transmit power and less than a third maximum power set to correspond to the third distance (Lee [0105] “For example, the electronic device 101 may repeatedly and/or periodically transmit the second millimeter wave signal (e.g., the signal 213a of FIG. 2B) in the second strength, track the distance of the position of the moved object (e.g., the object 209 of FIG. 2A) based on the reflection signal (e.g., the reflection signal 213b of FIG. 2B) repeatedly and/or periodically received accordingly, and identify whether the third distance (e.g., the distance changed from the second distance) of the object (e.g., the object 209 of FIG. 2A) is smaller than the second distance (e.g., the distance calculated upon reception of the first reflection signal).”, further, Lee [0105] “The third strength may be a strength smaller than the second strength and, as the third distance (e.g., the tracked distance of the object) changes, it may be dynamically changed (e.g., reduced) to correspond to (e.g., proportional to) the changed third distance.”) .
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art prior to the effective filing date of the claimed invention to incorporate the features as disclosed by Lee into the invention of Fabrega. Both Lee and Fabrega are considered analogous arts to the claimed invention as they both disclose cellular communications signals which consider user exposure levels with a proximity sensor. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art prior to the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the apparatus as disclosed by Fabrega to determine if an object is between a first and third distance, then adjust the transmit power of the second antenna array accordingly as taught by Lee. Lee teaches the continuous adjustment of transmission power based upon a lookup table, which implies the inclusion of several distance scales, including a third or fourth distance. One of ordinary skill in the art prior to the effective filing date of the claimed invention would have been motivated to modify the apparatus in order to systematically adjust the transmission power of a communications antenna to comply with MPE / user radiation exposure regulations (See Fabrega [0026-0027], [0088]).
Regarding claim 4, Fabrega in view of Lee discloses the antenna module of claim 1. Fabrega further discloses:
the first signal is transmitted and received within a first frequency band (Fabrega [0053] “The gaps can be used to position and configure radar antennas operating at or around 26 GHz, 60 GHz, or other such frequencies in a way that does not interfere with mmW communications”);
the plurality of antenna elements of the second antenna group comprises at least three antenna elements disposed between the first sensing antenna and the second sensing antenna at given intervals therebetween (Fabrega Fig. 6E, further, Fabrega [0085] “The mmW antenna array is made up of mmW elements in a linear pattern along the length of the mmW PCB 404, including mmW element 410, mmW element 430, mmW element 440, and mmW element 460.”); and
the second signal is transmitted in a second frequency band distinguished from the first frequency band through the plurality of antenna elements of the second antenna group (Fabrega [0053] “with mmW communications using mmW antennas operating above approximately 24 GHz (e.g., FR2 mmW communication bands from 24.25 GHz to 43.5 GHz).”).
Regarding claim 5, Fabrega in view of Lee teaches the antenna module of claim 1. Fabrega further teaches:
the first signal is transmitted to the external object through the first sensing antenna (Fabrega [0089] “In other aspects, the mmW antenna array can include two or more slot antennas, such as slot antenna 420 and slot antenna 450 of mmW antenna array 400. In some implementations, a first slot antenna is used to transmit a FMCW radar signal, and a second antenna is used to receive reflections of the FMCW radar signal.”);
the processor receives the first signal, which is transmitted from the first sensing antenna and is reflected by the external object, through the second sensing antenna (Fabrega [0089] “In some implementations, a first slot antenna is used to transmit a FMCW radar signal, and a second antenna is used to receive reflections of the FMCW radar signal.”); and
the processor obtains the information about a distance between the antenna module and the external object, based on the first signal received through the second sensing antenna (Fabrega [0088] “Radar circuitry can be coupled to the single slot antenna to generate the FMCW radar signal and to process the reflections of the FMCW radar signal to identify objects of interest.”).
Regarding claim 6, Fabrega in view of Lee teaches the antenna module of claim 5. Fabrega further teaches the following [Note: what is not clearly disclosed is strike-through]:
the first antenna group further includes a third sensing antenna disposed adjacent to the first sensing antenna or the second sensing antenna (Fabrega Fig. 6, elements 632 and 631);
the first signal is transmitted through at least one of the first to third sensing antennas (Fabrega [0089] “In some implementations, a first slot antenna is used to transmit a FMCW radar signal, and a second antenna is used to receive reflections of the FMCW radar signal.”); and
the processor is configured to receive the first signal reflected by the external object through a sensing antenna, which does not transmit the first signal, from among the first to third sensing antennas (Fabrega [0089] “In some implementations, a first slot antenna is used to transmit a FMCW radar signal, and a second antenna is used to receive reflections of the FMCW radar signal.”), .
Fabrega fails to teach the limitations below. Lee discloses:
and obtain information about an angle formed by the antenna module and the external object, based on the first signal thus received (Lee [0079] “As described above, when an antenna array composed of a plurality of antenna elements is utilized, information regarding the angle of arrival (AoA) and the angle of departure (AoD) may be obtained in addition to information regarding the time-of-flight (ToF), amplitude, and phase that may be obtained using a single antenna”).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art prior to the effective filing date of the claimed invention to incorporate the features as disclosed by Lee into the invention of Fabrega. Both Lee and Fabrega are considered analogous arts to the claimed invention as they both disclose cellular communications signals which consider user exposure levels with a proximity sensor. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art prior to the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the apparatus as disclosed by Fabrega to obtain information about an angle between the antenna module and an external object as taught by Lee. This is a common method in the field of phased-array antennas and FMCW radar methods, which are already taught in Fabrega. One of ordinary skill in the art prior to the effective filing date of the claimed invention would have been motivated to modify the apparatus in order to obtain angular information about nearby users and perform beamforming with the central antenna array in order to reduce user exposure, or to perform gesture recognition functions (See Lee [0076]).
Regarding claim 7, Fabrega in view of Lee teaches the antenna module of claim 1. Fabrega further teaches:
The antenna module of claim 1, wherein the printed circuit board includes:
a ground plane spaced from the first surface by a first height, and configured to reflect signal energy to/from the plurality of antenna elements (Fabrega Fig. 4A, further Fabrega [0110] “In some aspects of block 704, the radar antenna includes a stub and a slot disposed in a first metal layer above the slot. In some implementations, the first metal layer can be a ground plane.”), and wherein the first sensing antenna is connected to a first conductive pad within an opening in the ground plane through a first conductive via (Fabrega Fig. 4A shows conductive vias passing through a ground plane for all antenna elements), and the second sensing antenna is connected to a second conductive pad within an opening in the ground plane through a second conductive via (Fabrega Fig. 4a, further, Fabrega [0110] “In some aspects of such a method, an additional substrate gap is associated with such vias, where the radar antenna may be disposed between the substrate gap, or under the substrates along or near the substrate gap. In other aspects, rather than being positioned at the element gap or a substrate gap, the antenna may be positioned at an edge of the mmW substrate, either at an edge of a mmW element, near a gap between one or more elements at the mmW substrate edge, or running along a mmW substrate edge past multiple mmW elements.”).
Regarding claim 9, Fabrega in view of Lee discloses the antenna module of claim 1. Fabrega further teaches:
The antenna module of claim 1, further comprising:
a radio frequency integrated circuit (RFIC) disposed on a second surface of the printed circuit board, which is parallel to the first surface, and wherein the RFIC is electrically connected to the first antenna group and the second antenna group (Fabrega Fig. 3A element 310, further, Fabrega [0088] “In some examples, both circuitry for processing mmW data communications and circuitry for processing radar signals is included in the same IC (e.g., the IC 310).”, further, Fabrega [0070] “For example, as described above, transceiver 220 may be implemented in various integrated circuits (ICs), RF ICs (RFICs), mixed-signal ICs, etc. In some embodiments, the transceiver 220 is implemented on a substrate or board such as a printed circuit board (PCB) having various modules, chips, and/or components.”).
Regarding claim 10, Fabrega in view of Lee discloses the antenna module of claim 1. Fabrega fails to disclose the limitations below. Lee discloses:
The antenna module of claim 1, further comprising:
a memory configured to store a lookup table including information about a maximum power according to the distance between the antenna module and the external object (Lee [0113] “For example, the electronic device 101 may identify the SAR value corresponding to the second strength, using a SAR mapping table stored in the memory (e.g., the memory 130 of FIG. 1).”), and
wherein the processor identifies a maximum power set depending on the distance between the antenna module and the external object, based on the lookup table stored in the memory (Lee [0113] “The SAR value (W/kg) may be a previously measured value. The SAR mapping table may be used to dynamically adjust the strength of each of a plurality of wireless communication signals.”).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art prior to the effective filing date of the claimed invention to incorporate the features as disclosed by Lee into the invention of Fabrega. Both Lee and Fabrega are considered analogous arts to the claimed invention as they both disclose cellular communications signals which consider user exposure levels with a proximity sensor. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art prior to the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the apparatus as disclosed by Fabrega store a lookup table including information pairing distance and maximum power data, then use said lookup table to inform a maximum transmit power as taught by Lee. One of ordinary skill in the art prior to the effective filing date of the claimed invention would have been motivated to modify the apparatus in order to systematically adjust the transmission power of a communications antenna to comply with MPE / user radiation exposure regulations (See Fabrega [0026-0027], [0088]).
Regarding claim 11,
A wireless communication method using an antenna module, the method comprising:
transmitting a first signal towards an external object through a first sensing antenna or a second sensing antenna included in a first antenna group (Fabrega [0054] “In some aspects, measurements of nearby objects can include measurement of vital signs of a person (e.g., heart rate or other biometric characteristic measurements), measurement of object types, or any other measurements from analyzing a difference between transmitted signal(s) and reflections generated from the transmitted signals.”);
when the external object is determined to be within the first distance from the antenna module, transmitting a second signal through at least one of a plurality of antenna elements included in a second antenna group with a first transmit power (Fabrega [0088] “Processing circuitry can then be used with the data identifying objects of interest to perform additional analysis in conjunction with the data identifying objects (e.g., object tracking over time, facial recognition, human vital signal extraction, object electromagnetic exposure measurements using transmit and receive power data from the mmW communications system or other systems, tracking maximum permissible exposure (MPE) of detected objects, modifying transmit power in conjunction with MPE measurements, etc.).”, Here Fabrega teaches the modification of transmit power with object distance measurements
wherein the plurality of antenna elements are disposed on a first surface of the antenna module and interposed between the first sensing antenna and the second sensing antenna, the first sensing antenna and the second sensing antenna being spaced apart from each other (Fabrega Fig. 6E element 610, further, Fabreaga [0053] “According to some aspects described herein, a device with one or more mmW modules for mmW communications can include gaps between mmW elements of a mmW module.”).
Fabrega fails to teach the limitations below. Lee teaches:
determine whether an external object is within a first distance from the antenna module (Lee [0108] “According to various embodiments, if it is identified that the distance between the electronic device 101 and the object (e.g., the object 209 of FIG. 2A) is increased, the electronic device 101 may identify whether the object (e.g., the object 209 of FIG. 2A) is positioned within the first distance (e.g., the first distance of FIG. 3) in operation 660.”)
when the external object is within a first distance from the antenna module, transmit the second signal through the second antenna group with a first transmit power less than or equal to a first maximum power corresponding to the first distance (Lee, Fig. 3, further Lee [0084] “ According to various embodiments, in operation 370, when the object (e.g., the object 209 of FIG. 2A) is positioned within the first distance (e.g., 8 cm), the electronic device 101 may determine the strength of the second millimeter wave signal (e.g., the signal 213a of FIG. 2B) as a second strength corresponding to second distance between the electronic device 101 and the object. ”)
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art prior to the effective filing date of the claimed invention to incorporate the features as disclosed by Lee into the invention of Fabrega. Both Lee and Fabrega are considered analogous arts to the claimed invention as they both disclose cellular communications signals which consider user exposure levels with a proximity sensor. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art prior to the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the method as disclosed by Fabrega to determine if an object falls within specific distance, then adjust the transmission power of the second antenna array as taught by Lee. One of ordinary skill in the art prior to the effective filing date of the claimed invention would have been motivated to modify the apparatus in order to systematically adjust the transmission power of a communications antenna to comply with MPE / user radiation exposure regulations (See Fabrega [0026-0027], [0088]).
Regarding claim 12, Fabrega in view of Lee teaches the method of claim 11. Fabrega further teaches [Note: what is not clearly disclosed is strike-through]:
while the second signal is transmitted with the first transmit power (Fabrega [0065] “A power amplifier 244 amplifies the signal from filter 242 to obtain the desired output power level and provides a transmit RF signal.”),
transmitting the second signal through the second antenna group (Fabrega [0065] “The transmit RF signal is routed through a duplexer or switch 246 and transmitted via an antenna array 248.”)
Fabrega fails to teach the limitations below. Lee teaches:
determining whether the external object is within a second distance less than the first distance from the antenna module, through a signal transmitted and received by the first antenna group (Lee [0086] “In the above paragraphs, it has been described that the distance (e.g., the second distance) between the electronic device 101 and the object (e.g., the object 209 of FIG. 2A) is identified (or calculated) using the first millimeter wave signal.”)
when the external object is within the second distance from the antenna module and the first transmit power is greater than a second maximum power set to correspond to the second distance (Lee [0084] “For example, if it is identified that the calculated second distance is smaller than the first distance (e.g., 8 cm), the electronic device 101 may determine that the strength for outputting the second millimeter wave signal (e.g., the signal 213a of FIG. 2B) corresponds to (e.g., proportional to) the second distance.”),
transmitting with a second transmit power less than or equal to the second maximum power (Lee [0105] “According to various embodiments, if it is identified that the distance between the electronic device 101 and the object (e.g., the object 209 of FIG. 2A) decreases, the electronic device 101 may determine the strength of the second millimeter wave signal (e.g., the signal 213a of FIG. 2B) as the third strength being smaller than the second strength in operation 630.”).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art prior to the effective filing date of the claimed invention to incorporate the features as disclosed by Lee into the invention of Fabrega. Both Lee and Fabrega are considered analogous arts to the claimed invention as they both disclose cellular communications signals which consider user exposure levels with a proximity sensor. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art prior to the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the method as disclosed by Fabrega to adjust the transmit power to a second value based upon the detection of an object being within a second distance as taught by Lee. One of ordinary skill in the art prior to the effective filing date of the claimed invention would have been motivated to modify the apparatus in order to systematically adjust the transmission power of a communications antenna to comply with MPE / user radiation exposure regulations (See Fabrega [0026-0027], [0088]).
Regarding claim 13, Fabrega in view of Lee teaches the method of claim 11. Fabrega further teaches [Note: what is not clearly disclosed is strike-through]:
while the second signal is transmitted with the first transmit power (Fabrega [0065] “A power amplifier 244 amplifies the signal from filter 242 to obtain the desired output power level and provides a transmit RF signal.”),
Fabrega fails to disclose the limitations below. Lee discloses:
determining whether the external object is between the first distance and a third distance greater than the first distance from the antenna module, through a signal transmitted and received by the first antenna group; and (Lee [0105] “For example, the electronic device 101 may repeatedly and/or periodically transmit the second millimeter wave signal (e.g., the signal 213a of FIG. 2B) in the second strength, track the distance of the position of the moved object (e.g., the object 209 of FIG. 2A) based on the reflection signal (e.g., the reflection signal 213b of FIG. 2B) repeatedly and/or periodically received accordingly, and identify whether the third distance (e.g., the distance changed from the second distance) of the object (e.g., the object 209 of FIG. 2A) is smaller than the second distance (e.g., the distance calculated upon reception of the first reflection signal).”)
when the external object is between the first distance and the third distance from the antenna module, transmitting the second signal through the second antenna group with a third transmit power greater than the first transmit power and less than a third maximum power set to correspond to the third distance (Lee [0105] “The third strength may be a strength smaller than the second strength and, as the third distance (e.g., the tracked distance of the object) changes, it may be dynamically changed (e.g., reduced) to correspond to (e.g., proportional to) the changed third distance.”).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art prior to the effective filing date of the claimed invention to incorporate the features as disclosed by Lee into the invention of Fabrega. Both Lee and Fabrega are considered analogous arts to the claimed invention as they both disclose cellular communications signals which consider user exposure levels with a proximity sensor. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art prior to the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the method as disclosed by Fabrega to determine if an object is between a first and third distance, then adjust the transmit power of the second antenna array accordingly as taught by Lee. Lee teaches the continuous adjustment of transmission power based upon a lookup table, which implies the inclusion of several distance scales, including a third or fourth distance. One of ordinary skill in the art prior to the effective filing date of the claimed invention would have been motivated to modify the apparatus in order to systematically adjust the transmission power of a communications antenna to comply with MPE / user radiation exposure regulations (See Fabrega [0026-0027], [0088]).
Regarding claim 14, Fabrega in view of Lee teaches the method of claim 11. Fabrega further teaches:
transmitting the first signal to the external object through the first sensing antenna (Fabrega [0089] “In other aspects, the mmW antenna array can include two or more slot antennas, such as slot antenna 420 and slot antenna 450 of mmW antenna array 400. In some implementations, a first slot antenna is used to transmit a FMCW radar signal, and a second antenna is used to receive reflections of the FMCW radar signal.”);
receiving the first signal, which is transmitted from the first sensing antenna and is reflected by the external object, through the second sensing antenna; and (Fabrega [0089] “In some implementations, a first slot antenna is used to transmit a FMCW radar signal, and a second antenna is used to receive reflections of the FMCW radar signal.”);
determining whether the external object is within the first distance from the antenna module, based on the first signal received through the second sensing antenna (Fabrega [0088] “Radar circuitry can be coupled to the single slot antenna to generate the FMCW radar signal and to process the reflections of the FMCW radar signal to identify objects of interest.”).
Regarding claim 15,
The method of claim 11, wherein the first antenna group further includes:
a third sensing antenna disposed adjacent to the first sensing antenna or the second sensing antenna (Fabrega Fig. 6, elements 632 and 631), and
wherein the method further comprises:
transmitting the first signal through the first sensing antenna or the second sensing antenna;
receiving the first signal reflected by the external object through a sensing antenna, which does not transmit the first signal, from among the first to third sensing antennas (Fabrega [0089] “In some implementations, a first slot antenna is used to transmit a FMCW radar signal, and a second antenna is used to receive reflections of the FMCW radar signal.”); and
Fabrega fails to disclose the limitation below. Lee discloses:
obtaining information about an angle formed by the antenna module and the external object, based on the first signal thus received (Lee [0079] “As described above, when an antenna array composed of a plurality of antenna elements is utilized, information regarding the angle of arrival (AoA) and the angle of departure (AoD) may be obtained in addition to information regarding the time-of-flight (ToF), amplitude, and phase that may be obtained using a single antenna”).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art prior to the effective filing date of the claimed invention to incorporate the features as disclosed by Lee into the invention of Fabrega. Both Lee and Fabrega are considered analogous arts to the claimed invention as they both disclose cellular communications signals which consider user exposure levels with a proximity sensor. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art prior to the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the method as disclosed by Fabrega to obtain information about an angle between the antenna module and an external object as taught by Lee. This is a common method in the field of phased-array antennas and FMCW radar methods, which are already taught in Fabrega. One of ordinary skill in the art prior to the effective filing date of the claimed invention would have been motivated to modify the apparatus in order to obtain angular information about nearby users and perform beamforming with the central antenna array in order to reduce user exposure, or to perform gesture recognition functions (See Lee [0076]).
Regarding claim 16, Fabrega discloses [Note: what is not clearly taught is strike-through]:
An electronic device comprising:
a housing forming at least a portion of an exterior of the electronic device (Fabrega [0118] “An apparatus implementing the circuit described herein may be a stand-alone device or may be part of a larger device.”);
an antenna module formed inside the housing (Fabrega [0054] “Aspects of a device with a mmW module integrating a radar antenna with mmW elements (e.g., an antenna array and other supporting circuitry for mmW communications) improve the performance of the device with additional functionality using the radar antenna.”); and
a processor (Fabrega [0062] “In the example shown in FIG. 2A, wireless device 200 generally comprises the transceiver 220 and a data processor 210.”),
wherein the antenna module includes:
a printed circuit board (Fabrega [0005] “MMW modules may include arrays of antennas in a linear configuration, with mmW elements along the linear configuration mounted in a mmW module printed circuit board (PCB).”);
a first antenna group including a first sensing antenna and a second sensing antenna disposed on a first surface of the printed circuit board, spaced apart from each other, and configured to transmit and receive a first signal; and (Fabrega Fig. 6E, elements 651 and 652, further Fabrega [0013] “In some aspects, the radar antenna is coupled to radar control circuitry via a first stripline configured to provide a radar signal to the radar antenna and to receive reflections of the radar signal from the radar antenna.”)
a second antenna group including a plurality of antenna elements disposed on the first surface and interposed between the first sensing antenna and the second sensing antenna, wherein the processor is configured to (Fabrega Fig. 6E element 610, further, Fabreaga [0053] “According to some aspects described herein, a device with one or more mmW modules for mmW communications can include gaps between mmW elements of a mmW module.”):
obtain information about a distance between an external object and the antenna module, based on the first signal transmitted and received through the first antenna group (Fabrega [0089] “In some implementations, a first slot antenna is used to transmit a FMCW radar signal, and a second antenna is used to receive reflections of the FMCW radar signal.”); and
when the external object is within a first distance from the antenna module, cause a second signal to be transmitted through the second antenna group with a first transmit powerFabrega [0088] “Processing circuitry can then be used with the data identifying objects of interest to perform additional analysis in conjunction with the data identifying objects (e.g., object tracking over time, facial recognition, human vital signal extraction, object electromagnetic exposure measurements using transmit and receive power data from the mmW communications system or other systems, tracking maximum permissible exposure (MPE) of detected objects, modifying transmit power in conjunction with MPE measurements, etc.).”)
Fabrega fails to teach the limitations below. Lee teaches:
when the external object is within a first distance from the antenna module, cause a second signal to be transmitted through the second antenna group with a first transmit power less than or equal to a first maximum power set to correspond to the first distance (Lee, Fig. 3, further Lee [0084] “ According to various embodiments, in operation 370, when the object (e.g., the object 209 of FIG. 2A) is positioned within the first distance (e.g., 8 cm), the electronic device 101 may determine the strength of the second millimeter wave signal (e.g., the signal 213a of FIG. 2B) as a second strength corresponding to second distance between the electronic device 101 and the object. ”)
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art prior to the effective filing date of the claimed invention to incorporate the features as disclosed by Lee into the invention of Fabrega. Both Lee and Fabrega are considered analogous arts to the claimed invention as they both disclose cellular communications signals which consider user exposure levels with a proximity sensor. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art prior to the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the device as disclosed by Fabrega to determine if an object falls within specific distance, then adjust the transmission power of the second antenna array as taught by Lee. One of ordinary skill in the art prior to the effective filing date of the claimed invention would have been motivated to modify the apparatus in order to systematically adjust the transmission power of a communications antenna to comply with MPE / user radiation exposure regulations (See Fabrega [0026-0027], [0088]).
Regarding claim 17, Fabrega in view of Lee teaches the electronic device of claim 16. Fabrega further teaches [Note: what is not clearly disclosed is strike-through]:
wherein the processor is configured to:
while the second signal is transmitted with the first transmit power (Fabrega [0065] “A power amplifier 244 amplifies the signal from filter 242 to obtain the desired output power level and provides a transmit RF signal.”),
cause the second signal to be transmitted through the second antenna group (Fabrega [0065] “The transmit RF signal is routed through a duplexer or switch 246 and transmitted via an antenna array 248.”)
Fabrega fails to teach the limitations below. Lee teaches:
determine whether the external object is within a second distance less than the first distance from the antenna module, through the first antenna group (Lee [0086] “In the above paragraphs, it has been described that the distance (e.g., the second distance) between the electronic device 101 and the object (e.g., the object 209 of FIG. 2A) is identified (or calculated) using the first millimeter wave signal.”); and
when the external object is within the second distance from the antenna module and the first transmit power is greater than a second maximum power set to correspond to the second distance (Lee [0084] “For example, if it is identified that the calculated second distance is smaller than the first distance (e.g., 8 cm), the electronic device 101 may determine that the strength for outputting the second millimeter wave signal (e.g., the signal 213a of FIG. 2B) corresponds to (e.g., proportional to) the second distance.”),
cause the second signal to be transmitted through the second antenna with a second transmit power less than or equal to the second maximum power (Lee [0105] “According to various embodiments, if it is identified that the distance between the electronic device 101 and the object (e.g., the object 209 of FIG. 2A) decreases, the electronic device 101 may determine the strength of the second millimeter wave signal (e.g., the signal 213a of FIG. 2B) as the third strength being smaller than the second strength in operation 630.”).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art prior to the effective filing date of the claimed invention to incorporate the features as disclosed by Lee into the invention of Fabrega. Both Lee and Fabrega are considered analogous arts to the claimed invention as they both disclose cellular communications signals which consider user exposure levels with a proximity sensor. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art prior to the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the device as disclosed by Fabrega to adjust the transmit power to a second value based upon the detection of an object being within a second distance as taught by Lee. One of ordinary skill in the art prior to the effective filing date of the claimed invention would have been motivated to modify the apparatus in order to systematically adjust the transmission power of a communications antenna to comply with MPE / user radiation exposure regulations (See Fabrega [0026-0027], [0088]).
Regarding claim 18, Fabrega in view of Lee teaches the electronic device of claim 16. Fabrega further discloses [Note: what is not clearly disclosed is strike-through]:
wherein the processor is configured to:
while the second signal is transmitted with the first transmit power (Fabrega [0065] “A power amplifier 244 amplifies the signal from filter 242 to obtain the desired output power level and provides a transmit RF signal.”),
Fabrega fails to disclose the limitations below. Lee discloses:
determine whether the external object is between the first distance and a third distance greater than the first distance from the antenna module, through analysis of a signal transmitted and received by the first antenna group (Lee [0105] “For example, the electronic device 101 may repeatedly and/or periodically transmit the second millimeter wave signal (e.g., the signal 213a of FIG. 2B) in the second strength, track the distance of the position of the moved object (e.g., the object 209 of FIG. 2A) based on the reflection signal (e.g., the reflection signal 213b of FIG. 2B) repeatedly and/or periodically received accordingly, and identify whether the third distance (e.g., the distance changed from the second distance) of the object (e.g., the object 209 of FIG. 2A) is smaller than the second distance (e.g., the distance calculated upon reception of the first reflection signal).”); and
when the external object is between the first distance and the third distance from the antenna module, cause the second signal to be transmitted through the second antenna group with a third transmit power greater than the first transmit power and less than a third maximum power set to correspond to the third distance (Lee [0105] “The third strength may be a strength smaller than the second strength and, as the third distance (e.g., the tracked distance of the object) changes, it may be dynamically changed (e.g., reduced) to correspond to (e.g., proportional to) the changed third distance.”).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art prior to the effective filing date of the claimed invention to incorporate the features as disclosed by Lee into the invention of Fabrega. Both Lee and Fabrega are considered analogous arts to the claimed invention as they both disclose cellular communications signals which consider user exposure levels with a proximity sensor. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art prior to the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the device as disclosed by Fabrega to determine if an object is between a first and third distance, then adjust the transmit power of the second antenna array accordingly as taught by Lee. Lee teaches the continuous adjustment of transmission power based upon a lookup table, which implies the inclusion of several distance scales, including a third or fourth distance. One of ordinary skill in the art prior to the effective filing date of the claimed invention would have been motivated to modify the apparatus in order to systematically adjust the transmission power of a communications antenna to comply with MPE / user radiation exposure regulations (See Fabrega [0026-0027], [0088]).
Regarding claim 19, Fabrega in view of Lee teaches the electronic device of claim 16. Fabrega further teaches:
wherein the printed circuit board includes:
a ground plane spaced from the first surface by a first distance and configured to reflect signal energy to/from the plurality of antenna elements (Fabrega Fig. 4A, further Fabrega [0110] “In some aspects of block 704, the radar antenna includes a stub and a slot disposed in a first metal layer above the slot. In some implementations, the first metal layer can be a ground plane.”), wherein the first sensing antenna is connected to a first conductive pad within an opening in the ground plane through a first conductive via (Fabrega Fig. 4A shows conductive vias passing through a ground plane for all antenna elements), and the second sensing antenna is connected to a second conductive pad within an opening in the ground plane through a second conductive via (Fabrega Fig. 4a, further, Fabrega [0110] “In some aspects of such a method, an additional substrate gap is associated with such vias, where the radar antenna may be disposed between the substrate gap, or under the substrates along or near the substrate gap. In other aspects, rather than being positioned at the element gap or a substrate gap, the antenna may be positioned at an edge of the mmW substrate, either at an edge of a mmW element, near a gap between one or more elements at the mmW substrate edge, or running along a mmW substrate edge past multiple mmW elements.”).
Claims 8 and 20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Fabrega et al. (US 20230099378 A1), hereinafter Fabrega, in view of Lee et al. (US 20220149958 A1), hereinafter Lee, and further in view of Nishida et al. (US 20210242602 A1) .
Regarding claim 8, Fabrega in view of Lee discloses the antenna module of claim 7. Fabrega in view of Lee fails to disclose the limitations below. Nishida discloses:
wherein the printed circuit board includes:
a first local ground plane spaced from the first surface by a second height less than the first height and surrounding the first conductive via, the first local ground plane configured to reflect signal energy to/from the first sensing antenna (Nishida Fig. 3, where element 9 is denoted as a first ground plane.); and
a second local ground plane spaced from the first surface by the second height and surrounding the second conductive via, the second local ground plane configured to reflect signal energy to/from the second sensing antenna (Nishida Fig. 3, where element 8 is denoted as a second ground plane.).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art prior to the effective filing date of the claimed invention to incorporate the features as disclosed by Nishida into the invention of Fabrega in view of Lee. The set of Fabrega, Lee, and Nishida are considered analogous arts to the claimed invention as they all disclose radar systems disposed on printed circuit boards. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art prior to the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the apparatus as disclosed by Fabrega in view of Lee to utilize two separate ground planes for the radar sensing antennas as taught by Nishida. One of ordinary skill in the art prior to the effective filing date of the claimed invention would have been motivated to modify the apparatus in order to isolate the two antennas from each other, reducing the effects of mutual interference such as surface waves. Additionally, Fabrega also teach that gaps are included to isolate antenna elements from each other as opposed to what is known as a “substrate gap”, which is simply an alternative solution to improve signal quality (See Fabrega [0047], Fabrega [0086]).
Regarding claim 20, Fabrega in view of Lee discloses the electronic device of claim 19. Fabrega in view of Lee fails to disclose the limitations below. Nishida discloses:
The electronic device of claim 19, wherein the printed circuit board includes:
a first local ground plane spaced from the first surface by a second distance less than the first distance and surrounding the first conductive via (Nishida Fig. 3, where element 9 is denoted as a first ground plane.); and
a second local ground plane spaced from the first surface by the second distance and surrounding the second conductive via (Nishida Fig. 3, where element 8 is denoted as a second ground plane.).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art prior to the effective filing date of the claimed invention to incorporate the features as disclosed by Nishida into the invention of Fabrega in view of Lee. The set of Fabrega, Lee, and Nishida are considered analogous arts to the claimed invention as they all disclose radar systems disposed on printed circuit boards. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art prior to the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the apparatus as disclosed by Fabrega in view of Lee to utilize two separate ground planes for the radar sensing antennas as taught by Nishida. One of ordinary skill in the art prior to the effective filing date of the claimed invention would have been motivated to modify the apparatus in order to isolate the two antennas from each other, reducing the effects of mutual interference such as surface waves. Additionally, Fabrega also teach that gaps are included to isolate antenna elements from each other as opposed to what is known as a “substrate gap”, which is simply an alternative solution to improve signal quality (See Fabrega [0047], Fabrega [0086]).
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments, filed June 8th 2026, with respect to the rejection(s) of claim(s) 1-20 under 35 U.S.C. 103 have been fully considered and are persuasive. Therefore, the rejection has been withdrawn. However, upon further consideration, a new ground(s) of rejection is made in view of 35 U.S.C. 103 based upon newly presented prior art as detailed in the current office action.
Applicant’s corrections of the informalities within the specification are accepted and the objections to the specification are withdrawn.
Conclusion
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/T.J.H./Examiner, Art Unit 3648
/PETER M BYTHROW/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3648
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