DETAILED ACTION
Receipt is acknowledged of a request for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, including the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) and a submission, filed on 01/28/2026. In virtue of this request:
Claims 5-13 and 18-20 were previously canceled;
Claims 1, 14 21 and 23 are currently amended; and thus,
Claim 1-4, 14-17 and 21-23 are pending;
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 .
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The rejection to claims 14-17 under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph is withdrawn in view of the amendment made to the claim.
The rejection to claims 14-17 under 35 U.S.C. 112(d) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, 4th paragraph is withdrawn in view of the amendment made to the claim.
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 text of those sections of Title 35, U.S. Code not included in this action can be found in a prior Office action.
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 21-22 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over NPL “Broad-Band Gap Coupled Microstrip Antenna” hereinafter “Aanandan” in view of US2025/0226592A1 hereinafter “Qi” in view of US2023/0099250A1 hereinafter “Tang”.
Regarding claim 21, Aanandan discloses a planar transparent antenna structure, comprising:
a dielectric substrate (Page.1: a 0.8-mm thick RT Duroid substrate (ϵ = 2.2); as shown in Fig.4a for example);
a radiation patch conductive layer , disposed on the dielectric substrate (Page.1: a rectangular patch of 90 x 10 mm formed on a 0.8-mm thick RT Duroid substrate (ϵ = 2.2) as shown in Fig.4a for example)
only one parasitic patch conductive layer, disposed on the dielectric substrate (Page.1: another patch of 90 x 10 mm was gap coupled to the non-radiating edge; as shown in Fig.4a for example);
a feeder (as shown in Fig.4a; the feed point), wherein an edge of the radiation patch conductive layer is rectangular (as shown in Fig.4a; the driven patch is rectangular), and
the feeder and the only one parasitic patch conductive layer are arranged at outside of two opposite sides of the radiation patch conductive layer (as shown in Fig.4a; the feed point is towards the bottom of the driven patch, while the parasitic patch is on the to of the driven patch)
Aanandan does not expclitly disclose:
the radiation patch conductive layer has a slot and a metal body, and the slot is 0.3 times or more of the metal body
Qi discloses an antenna wherein
the radiation patch conductive layer (¶65L13: a first patch body [B1]; as shown in Fig.2B, as the patch is in a rectangular ring shape) has a slot (¶65L11: a first window [K1]) and a metal body (¶60L9-11: the material of the radiating patch [3] may be copper, silver, gold aluminum or other metal, and the slot is 0.3 times or more of the metal body (as shown in Fig)
It would have been obvious to one ordinarily skilled in the art prior to the effective filing date of the application to modify the antenna patch disclosed by Aanandan to be the ring structured patch as disclosed by Qi.
One of ordinary skill in the art would’ve been motivated because the window can change electromagnetic field of the patch to reduce mutual coupling so that impact on antenna performance is reduced which facilitates miniaturization of the antenna apparatus. (Qi ¶7L1-20)
Ananadan in view of Qi hereinafter “Ananadan/Qi” does not explicitly disclose:
a ground conductive layer, disposed on the dielectric substrate and
the radiation patch conductive layer, the only one parasitic patch conductive layer and the ground conductive layer are composed of a plurality of wires interlaced and connected with each other and are light-transmissive.
Tang disclose an antenna device comprising:
a dielectric substrate (¶38L2-3: a dielectric substrate);
a radiation patch conductive layer (¶41L5-6: an outside circular annular radiating patch), disposed on the dielectric substrate (¶41L1-3: radiator is attached to the upper surface of the dielectric substrate), wherein the radiation patch conductive layer is a ring structure (as shown in Fig.1 for example);
a parasitic patch (Note: since the patch is isolated from the feed line by the ring slot [5]; the patch would be a parasitic patch) conductive layer (¶41L3-5: an inside circular annular radiating patch), disposed on the dielectric substrate (¶41L1-3: radiator is attached to the upper surface of the dielectric substrate); and
a ground conductive layer (¶38L3: a metal ground plane), disposed on the dielectric substrate (as shown in Fig.1 for example); wherein
the radiation patch conductive layer, the parasitic patch conductive layer and the ground conductive layer are composed of a plurality of wires interlaced and connected with each other (¶46L1-4: the metal ground plane, circular radiator are made of a copper mesh) and are light-transmissive. (¶47L1-2: the copper mesh is used to realize the transparency of the antenna)
It would have been obvious to one ordinarily skilled in the art prior to the effective filing date of the application to modify antenna disclosed by Ananadan/Qi to construct the metal ground and radiator out of the copper mesh as disclosed by Tang.
One of ordinary skill in the art would’ve been motivated because this allows the antenna to have the ability to send and receive electromagnetic signals without blocking the penetration of light. (Tang ¶4L1-7)
Regarding claims 22, Ananadan/Qi in view of Tang discloses in Qi the planar transparent antenna structure according to claim 21, wherein
the slot is rectangular, circular, triangular or trapezoidal. (¶65L13-15: shape of the first window is rectangular)
Claim 23 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable US2007/0052587A1 hereinafter “Cheng” in view of Tang.
Regarding claim 23, Chen discloses a planar transparent antenna structure, comprising:
a dielectric substrate (¶12L6: layer of dielectric materials);
a radiation patch conductive layer, disposed on the dielectric substrate, wherein the radiation patch conductive layer is a ring structure (¶12L11-12: radiating elements [22, 24, 26]; as shown in Fig.2 and 13 for example);
a parasitic patch conductive layer, disposed on the dielectric substrate (¶12L16-18: a number of parasitic radiating element [12, 14, 16); and
a ground conductive layer, disposed on the dielectric substrate (¶12L22-23: a ground plane for radiating element of antenna), wherein a ring slot is disposed in the ground conductive layer, and an inner side of the ring slot and an outer side of the ring slot fully contact the ground conductive layer (¶17L7-8: the ground plane [32] includes a plurality of slots [34]; as shown in Fig.3 for example); wherein
the radiation patch conductive layer, the parasitic patch conductive layer and the ground conductive layer have a plurality of holes and the holes are arranged in an array. (¶17L9-12: the ground planes also includes a plurality of opening [36]; as shown in Fig.3 for example)
Cheng does not explicitly disclose:
the radiation patch conductive layer, the parasitic patch conductive layer and the ground conductive layer are light-transmissive,
Tang disclose an antenna device comprising:
a dielectric substrate (¶38L2-3: a dielectric substrate);
a radiation patch conductive layer (¶41L5-6: an outside circular annular radiating patch), disposed on the dielectric substrate (¶41L1-3: radiator is attached to the upper surface of the dielectric substrate), wherein the radiation patch conductive layer is a ring structure (as shown in Fig.1 for example);
a parasitic patch (Note: since the patch is isolated from the feed line by the ring slot [5]; the patch would be a parasitic patch) conductive layer (¶41L3-5: an inside circular annular radiating patch), disposed on the dielectric substrate (¶41L1-3: radiator is attached to the upper surface of the dielectric substrate); and
a ground conductive layer (¶38L3: a metal ground plane), disposed on the dielectric substrate (as shown in Fig.1 for example); wherein
the radiation patch conductive layer, the parasitic patch conductive layer and the ground conductive layer are composed of a plurality of wires interlaced and connected with each other (¶46L1-4: the metal ground plane, circular radiator are made of a copper mesh) and are light-transmissive. (¶47L1-2: the copper mesh is used to realize the transparency of the antenna)
It would have been obvious to one ordinarily skilled in the art prior to the effective filing date of the application to modify antenna disclosed by Cheng to construct the metal ground and radiator out of the copper mesh as disclosed by Tang.
One of ordinary skill in the art would’ve been motivated because this allows the antenna to have the ability to send and receive electromagnetic signals without blocking the penetration of light. (Tang ¶4L1-7)
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claims 21-23 have been considered but are moot because the new ground of rejection does not rely on any reference applied in the prior rejection of record for any teaching or matter specifically challenged in the argument.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 1-4 and 14-17 are allowed.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to RAYMOND R CHAI whose telephone number is (571)270-0576. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 9:30AM-5:00PM.
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/Raymond R Chai/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2844