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 .
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 4/9/2024 and 6/21/2025 are in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
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)(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 1-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Hou et al. (US 2021/0021019).
Hou discloses:
(1) regarding Claim 1:
A radiation array group for a dual-beam antenna (antenna assembly 200 with groups in Figs 2A and 2B, [0052]) comprising:
a first radiation array (250 U1) configured to form a first beam ([0052]); and
a second radiation array (250 U3) configured to form a second beam [0052]);
wherein: either one of the first radiation array and the second radiation array includes at least two radiating element rows (See 250 U1 or U3);
each radiating element row of the at least two radiating element rows includes two radiating elements (250); and
the at least two radiating element rows are not always aligned with each other (See Fig 2B).
(2) regarding Claim 2:
wherein the first radiation array and the second radiation array have a same structure (See Fig 2B).
(3) regarding Claim 3:
wherein the first radiation array and the second radiation array are axially symmetrical about an axis of symmetry (See Fig 2B).
(4) regarding Claim 4:
wherein the first radiation array includes four, six, or eight radiating element rows (See Fig 2A).
(5) regarding Claim 5:
wherein a first radiating element row and a second radiating element row of the first radiation array are staggered (See Fig 2B).
(6) regarding Claim 6:
wherein: a first radiating element row and a second radiating element row of the first radiation array are aligned with each other ([0064], [0065]); a third radiating element row and a fourth radiating element row of the first radiation array are aligned with each other ([0064], [0065]); and the second radiating element row and the third radiating element row are staggered ([0064], [0065]).
(7) regarding Claim 7:
wherein: a first radiating element row and a second radiating element row of the first radiation array are staggered ([0064], [0065]); and the second radiating element row and a third radiating element row of the first radiation array are aligned with each other ([0064], [0065]).
(8) regarding Claim 8:
wherein: a first radiating element row and a second radiating element row of the first radiation array are aligned with each other ([0064], [0065]); and the second radiating element row and a third radiating element row are staggered ([0064], [0065]).
(9) regarding Claim 9:
wherein: two radiating elements included in each radiating element row of the at least two radiating element rows are connected through a power divider to form a sub-array (680 in Figs 2H, 5E, 6).
(10) regarding Claim 10:
wherein sub-arrays in different rows are connected through a power divider or a phase shifter to form the first radiation array or the second radiation array (680 in Fig 6).
(11) regarding Claim 11:
further comprising: a first reflection plate, the first radiation array being fixed at the first reflection plate ([0053], [0081]); and a second reflection plate, the second radiation array being fixed at the second reflection plate ([0053], [0081]); wherein the first reflection plate and the second reflection plate have an angle ([0104], [0106]).
(12) regarding Claim 12:
A radiation array (2B) comprising:
at least one first radiating element row including a first element (250 in 250-U1 in Fig 2B) and a second element (250 in 250-U4 in Fig 2B) arranged in a row along a first direction (horizontal direction);
at least one second radiating element row including a third element (250 in 250 U2 in Fig 2B) and a fourth element (250 in 250 U4 in Fig 2B) arranged in a row along the first direction (horizontal direction);
wherein: the at least one first radiating element row and the at least one second radiating element row are arranged along a second direction perpendicular to the first direction (vertical direction in Fig 2B); and
a center projection of the first element, a center projection of the third element, a center projection of the second element, and a center projection of a fourth element are arranged in sequence on a plane perpendicular to the second direction (vertical direction in Fig 2B).
(13) regarding Claim 13:
wherein the first radiating element row and the second radiating element row are arranged at intervals along the second direction (See Fig 2B).
(14) regarding Claim 14:
wherein along the second direction, a radiating element of the second row is between two radiating elements in the first row (See Fig 2B).
(15) regarding Claim 15:
wherein along the second direction, two radiating elements of the first row and two radiating elements of the second row are arranged at intervals in sequence (See Fig 2B).
(16) regarding Claim 16:
A dual-beam antenna (antenna assembly 200 with groups in Figs 2A and 2B, [0052]) comprising:
a radiation array group (groups in Figs 2A and 2B, [0052]), comprising:
a first radiation array (250 U1) configured to form a first beam ([0052]); and
a second radiation array (250 U3) configured to form a second beam ([0052]); and
a power divider connected to the radiation array group (680 in Figs 2H, 5E, 6)
wherein: either one of the first radiation array and the second radiation array includes at least two radiating element rows (See 250 U1 or U3);
each radiating element row of the at least two radiating element rows includes two radiating elements (250); and
the at least two radiating element rows are not always aligned with each other (See Fig 2B).
(17) regarding Claim 17:
wherein the first radiation array and the second radiation array have a same structure (See Fig 2B).
(18) regarding Claim 18:
wherein the first radiation array and the second radiation array are axially symmetrical about an axis of symmetry (See Fig 2B).
(19) regarding Claim 19:
wherein the first radiation array includes four, six, or eight radiating element rows (See Fig 2A).
(20) regarding Claim 20:
wherein a first radiating element row and a second radiating element row of the first radiation array are staggered (See Fig 2B).
Remarks
The Office has cited particular columns, line numbers, paragraph numbers, references, or figures in the references applied to the claims below for the convenience of the applicant. Although the specified citations are representative of the teachings of the art and are applied to specific limitations within the individual claim, other passages and figures may apply as well. It is respectfully requested from the applicant in preparing responses to fully consider the reference in entirety, as potentially teaching all or part of the claimed invention. See MPEP § 2141.02 and § 2123.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to CRYSTAL L HAMMOND whose telephone number is (571)270-1682. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 12pm-4pm Alt Fridays.
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/CRYSTAL L HAMMOND/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2845