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 .
In the event the determination of the status of the application as subject to AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103 (or as subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103) is incorrect, any correction of the statutory basis (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) for the rejection will not be considered a new ground of rejection if the prior art relied upon, and the rationale supporting the rejection, would be the same under either status.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
The following is a quotation of the appropriate paragraphs of 35 U.S.C. 102 that form the basis for the rejections under this section made in this Office action:
A person shall be entitled to a patent unless –
(a)(1) the claimed invention was patented, described in a printed publication, or in public use, on sale, or otherwise available to the public before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
(a)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claims 1 and 7 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) and 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Sienkiewicz et al (US 2020/0168999 A1, heretofore referred to as Sienkiewicz).
Regarding claim 1, Sienkiewicz teaches a test fixture set (Sienkiewicz; Fig 1, Element 12 and Par 0045; Sienkiewicz teaches a test fixture assembly), configured for performing a test of a DUT (Device under Test) (Sienkiewicz; Fig 1, Element 16), the DUT comprising a DUT circuit board (Sienkiewicz; Fig 1, Element 18), a first DUT antenna (Sienkiewicz; Fig 1, Element 14-1) and a second DUT antenna (Sienkiewicz; Fig 1, Element 14-2), the DUT circuit board comprising a DUT antenna surface (Sienkiewicz; Fig 1, Element upper surface of 18), the first DUT antenna and the second DUT antenna disposed on and electrically connected to the DUT antenna surface (Sienkiewicz; Fig 1 and Par 0045-0046), and the test fixture set comprising:
a fixture circuit board (Sienkiewicz; Fig 1, Element 24) comprising a fixture antenna surface (Sienkiewicz; Fig 1, Element lower surface of 24), which has a normal direction and is configured to face the DUT antenna surface (Sienkiewicz; Fig 1; Sienkiewicz teaches the upper surface of 18 faces the lower surface of 24);
a first fixture antenna (Sienkiewicz; Fig 1, Element 32-1) disposed on and electrically connected to the fixture antenna surface, wherein the first fixture antenna is configured to be aligned with the first DUT antenna along the normal direction (Sienkiewicz; Fig 1 and Par 0049-0050; Sienkiewicz teaches the fixture antenna 32-1 is equivalent to aligning with 14-1 along the normal direction), and there is a spacing between the first fixture antenna and the first DUT antenna (Sienkiewicz; Fig 1, Element 26-1 and Par 0050; Sienkiewicz teaches a cavity between the antenna); and
a second fixture antenna (Sienkiewicz; Fig 1, Element 32-2) disposed on and electrically connected to the fixture antenna surface, wherein the second fixture antenna is configured to be aligned with the second DUT antenna along the normal direction (Sienkiewicz; Fig 1 and Par 0049-0050; Sienkiewicz teaches the fixture antenna 32-2 is equivalent to aligning with 14-2 along the normal direction), and there is another spacing between the second fixture antenna and the second DUT antenna (Sienkiewicz; Fig 1, Element 26-2 and Par 0050; Sienkiewicz teaches a cavity between the antenna);
wherein the fixture circuit board or the DUT circuit board further comprises a circuit line (Sienkiewicz; Fig 1, Elements 20, 22, 30 and Par 0054; Sienkiewicz teaches an electrically conductive fence), the test fixture set is configured for the first DUT antenna, the first fixture antenna, the second fixture antenna, the second DUT antenna and the circuit line to form a signal path for a RF (Radio Frequency) signal passing therethrough (Sienkiewicz; Par 0054-0055; Sienkiewicz teaches the fence forms an RF conductive path).
Regarding claim 7, Sienkiewicz teaches the test fixture set of claim 1, wherein the DUT further comprises a third DUT antenna (Sienkiewicz; Fig 1, Element 14-3), which is disposed on and electrically connected to the DUT antenna surface (Sienkiewicz; Fig 1 and Par 0045-0046), and the test fixture set further comprises: a third fixture antenna (Sienkiewicz; Fig 1, Element 32-3) disposed on and electrically connected to the fixture antenna surface, wherein the third fixture antenna is configured to be aligned with the third DUT antenna along the normal direction (Sienkiewicz; Fig 1 and Par 0049-0050; Sienkiewicz teaches the fixture antenna 32-3 is equivalent to aligning with 14-3 along the normal direction), there is further another spacing between the third fixture antenna and the third DUT antenna (Sienkiewicz; Fig 1, Element 26-3 and Par 0050; Sienkiewicz teaches a cavity between the antenna), and the first fixture antenna, the third fixture antenna and the second fixture antenna are arranged in sequence (Sienkiewicz; Fig 1; Sienkiewicz teaches the antenna are in a line); wherein the first DUT antenna, the second DUT antenna and the third DUT antenna are the same and have an operating frequency between 20 GHz and 100 GHz (Sienkiewicz; Par 0062; Sienkiewicz teaches the systems operating frequency is preferably the millimeter wave band (30-300Ghz), but can operate outside those frequencies if the testing requires it), the first fixture antenna, the second fixture antenna and the third fixture antenna are the same and have an operating frequency between 20 GHz and 100 GHz (Sienkiewicz; Par 0062; Sienkiewicz teaches the systems operating frequency is preferably the millimeter wave band (30-300Ghz), but can operate outside those frequencies if the testing requires it), and the spacing, the another spacing and the further another spacing are the same and are between 2 mm and 40 mm (Sienkiewicz; Par 0062; Sienkiewicz teaches using quarter wavelength spacing, which at 30-300Ghz would provide spacing in the range of 2mm-40mm).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 2-6 are 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.
Claims 8-10 are allowed.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter: In claim 2, the specific limitations of “… wherein each of the first DUT antenna, the second DUT antenna, the first fixture antenna and the second fixture antenna is a dielectric resonator antenna, the first DUT antenna comprises a first DUT vertical pin and a first DUT horizontal pin, the second DUT antenna comprises a second DUT vertical pin and a second DUT horizontal pin, the first fixture antenna comprises a first fixture vertical pin and a first fixture horizontal pin, and the second fixture antenna comprises a second fixture vertical pin and a second fixture horizontal pin” in the combination as claimed are neither anticipated nor made obvious over the prior art made of record.
Claims 3-6 are allowed for depending from allowable claim 1.
The following is an examiner’s statement of reasons for allowance: In claim 8, the specific limitations of “… each of the first DUT antenna and the second DUT antenna is a dielectric resonator antenna and comprises a first polarization pin and a second polarization pin… a fixture circuit board, a first fixture antenna and a second fixture antenna, wherein the fixture circuit board comprises a fixture antenna surface and a circuit line… each of the first fixture antenna and the second fixture antenna is a dielectric resonator antenna and comprises a first polarization pin and a second polarization pin, two ends of the circuit line are electrically connected to the first polarization pin of the first fixture antenna and the second polarization pin of the second fixture antenna, respectively, the first fixture antenna and the first DUT antenna are aligned along the normal direction and have a spacing therebetween, and the second fixture antenna and the second DUT antenna are aligned along the normal direction and have another spacing therebetween; causing the RF controller to generate a RF signal and transmit the RF signal to the first polarization pin of the first DUT antenna; and causing a part of the RF signal to pass through the first polarization pin of the first DUT antenna, the first polarization pin of the first fixture antenna, the circuit line, the second polarization pin of the second fixture antenna and the second polarization pin of the second DUT antenna in sequence to the RF controller, and obtaining a first received signal parameter.” in the combination as claimed are neither anticipated nor made obvious over the prior art made of record.
Claim 9 is allowed for depending from allowable claim 1.
In claim 10, the specific limitations of “… providing a test fixture set, which comprises a fixture circuit board, a first fixture antenna, a second fixture antenna and at least one RF test equipment, wherein the fixture circuit board comprises a fixture antenna surface having a normal direction and configured to face the DUT antenna surface, the first fixture antenna and the second fixture antenna are disposed on and electrically connected to the fixture antenna surface, each of the first fixture antenna and the second fixture antenna is a dielectric resonator antenna and comprises a first polarization pin and a second polarization pin, the first fixture antenna and the first DUT antenna are aligned along the normal direction and have a spacing therebetween, the second fixture antenna and the second DUT antenna are aligned along the normal direction and have another spacing therebetween, and the at least one RF test equipment is electrically connected to the first polarization pin of the first fixture antenna and the second polarization pin of the second fixture antenna; causing the at least one RF test equipment to generate a RF signal and transmit the RF signal to the first polarization pin of the first fixture antenna; and causing the RF signal to pass through the first polarization pin of the first fixture antenna, the first polarization pin of the first DUT antenna, the circuit line, the second polarization pin of the second DUT antenna and the second polarization pin of the second fixture antenna in sequence to the at least one RF test equipment, and obtaining a first received signal parameter; providing a first received signal standard range; comparing the first received signal parameter with the first received signal standard range; and determining whether at least one of the first polarization pin of the first DUT antenna and the second polarization pin of the second DUT antenna has a poor connection.” in the combination as claimed are neither anticipated nor made obvious over the prior art made of record.
Any comments considered necessary by applicant must be submitted no later than the payment of the issue fee and, to avoid processing delays, should preferably accompany the issue fee. Such submissions should be clearly labeled “Comments on Statement of Reasons for Allowance.”
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
-Chen et al teaches antenna calibration.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ADAM S CLARKE whose telephone number is (571)270-3792. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 8am-4pm.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Judy Nguyen can be reached at (571)272-2258. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/ADAM S CLARKE/Examiner, Art Unit 2858
/JUDY NGUYEN/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2858