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 § 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.
Claims 1-11 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Tani et al (US 2011/0006963).
Regarding claim 1, Tani discloses in Figure 7 and par. 0092-0093, an antenna comprising:
a feed (61),
a shorting pin (63),
a ground plane (71),
a low band arm (“conductive plates 51 to 55 is set as a first antenna element”, par. 0092 and
“the first antenna element resonates in the 2 GHz band”, par. 0093), and a high band arm (“conductive
plate 56 is set as a second antenna element”, par. 0092 and “the second antenna element resonates in
the vicinity of 3.3 GHz”, par. 0093); wherein the high band arm (56) projects from the low band arm (51-
55).
Regarding claim 2, as applied to claim 1, Tani discloses in Figure 7, wherein the high band arm
(56) and the low band arm (51-55) both share the feed (61).
Regarding claim 3, as applied to claim 1, Tani discloses in Figures 7 and 22 wherein at least a
portion the high band arm (57’, 58) is configured to overlap at least a portion of the low band arm (51’,
53’) along a same horizontal plane.
Regarding claims 4-5, as applied to claim 1, Tani discloses in Figure 22,
wherein the low band arm is meandered to form a low band meander;
wherein the high band arm (56’, 57’, 58) is meandered to form a high band meander.
Regarding claim 6, as applied to claim 5, Tani discloses in Figures 22,
wherein the low band meander comprises two current carrying portions (51’, 53’) parallel to
each other; and
wherein the two parallel current carrying portions (51’, 53’) are configured to generate an
electric field.
Regarding claim 7, as applied to claim 6, Tani discloses in Figures 7 and 20,
wherein a vertical portion (57’, 58) of the high band meander is substantially aligned with the
electric field of the two parallel current carrying portions (51’ 53’).
Regarding claim 8, as applied to claim 6, Tani discloses in Figure 22,
wherein a vertical portion of the high band meander (57’, 58) is aligned in parallel with the
electric field generated between the two current carrying portions (51’, 53’) of the low band meander.
Regarding claims 9-11, as applied to claim 3, Tani discloses in Figure 22,
wherein the at least a portion of the high band arm (57’, 58) is configured and arranged to form
a capacitance coupling with the at least a portion of the low band arm (51’, 53’);
wherein the capacitance coupling is configured to tune the antenna for one or more
frequencies;
wherein the capacitance coupling is configured to tune the high band arm for resonance at a
bandwidth.
Claims 1-5 and 15-18 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Guan et al (US 8,248,312).
Regarding claim 1, Guan discloses in Figures 1a-1b, an antenna comprising:
a feed (14), a shorting pin (13), a ground plane (11), a low band arm (12a), and a high band arm
(12b);
wherein the high band arm (12b) projects from the low band arm (12a).
Regarding claims 2-5, as applied to claim 1, Guan discloses in Figures 1a-1b,
wherein the high band arm (12b) and the low band arm (12a) both share the feed (14);
wherein at least a portion the high band arm (12b) is configured to overlap at least a portion of the low band arm (12a) along a same horizontal plane;
wherein the low band arm (12a) is meandered to form a low band meander;
wherein the high band arm (12b) is meandered to form a high band meander.
Regarding claims 15-18, as applied to claim 1, Guan discloses in Figures 1a-1b, further comprising:
a slot by configured to resonate at a frequency;
wherein the shorting pin (13) forms at least part of the slot;
a slot configured to alter current arm (current from the feed 14 flowing to the right in shorting pin 13) flow along the low band (12a);
wherein the altered current flow is configured to impart induction characteristics to the
antenna.
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 19-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Guan et al (US 8,248,312).
Regarding claims 19-20, Guan discloses every feature of claimed invention as expressly recited in claim 17, except for the low band arm configured to resonate at a frequency between 1 GHz and 4 GHz ;
the high band arm configured to resonate at a frequency between 5 GHz and 9 GHz. However, such
difference is not patentable merit.
It is a common practice and well known in the art the size of a radiating arm of antenna designed to support operation in a band covering a frequency range assigned to the antenna. It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed
invention to set or select the lengths/the sizes of the low band arm and high band arm to resonate at a
desired bands based on particular application or environment of use, since it has been held that where
the general conditions of a claim are disclosed in the prior art, discovering the optimum or workable ranges involves only ordinary skill in the art. In re Aller, 105 USPQ 233. Therefore, to employ having antenna sized for bandwidths in a range as claimed invention would have been obvious to person skill in the art.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 12-14 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.
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed 12/09/25 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive.
Note that, there is no requirement that the reference uses the same term as applicant (MPEP 2131).
In response to applicant’s argument that Tani does not teach a low band arm or a high band arm with the high-band arm project from the low band arm (Remarks page 5), the argument are not persuasive and the rejection is maintained. Tani discloses in Figure 7 and pars. 0092-0093, the first antenna element 51-55 operating in the 2GHz band and the second antenna element 56 extending from conductive element 54 and operating in the 3.3 GHz band. Therefore, Tani clearly discloses a low band arm and a high band arm with the high band arm projecting from the low band arm.
In response to applicant’s argument that Guan fails to teach a low band arm and a high band arm with the high-band arm project from the low band arm (Remarks page 5), the arguments are not persuasive and the rejection is maintained. Guan discloses a lower arm 12a and an upper arm 12b in Figures 1a-1b. The lower arm contributes to a first operating frequency band which is the frequency is low, see col. 6, lines 13-15 and the upper arm contributes a second operating frequency band which is the frequency is high, see col. 6, lines 22-33. Therefore, Guan discloses a low band arm and a high band arm. The high band arm 12b extends from low band arm 12a via 24, see Fig. 1B. Therefore, Guan discloses a low band arm and a high band arm with the high band arm projecting from the low band arm.
Conclusion
9. THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
Inquiry
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/DIEU HIEN T DUONG/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2845