DETAILED ACTION
Election/Restriction
Applicant’s election with traverse of group I, claims 1 and 6-20, filed on 1/23/26 is acknowledged. The traversal is on the ground(s) that “a search of limitations recited in claim 1 will result in an inherent search” of the limitations recited in claim 2. This is not found persuasive because a search of limitations recited in claim 1 will NOT result in an inherent search of the limitations of claim 2 as claim 1 does not require an open trough waveguide antenna, TWGA. Claims 3-5 further define TWGA, which requires additional search in a different field of search (e.g., searching different classes/subclasses or electronic resources, or employing different search strategies or search queries). Therefore, there is a serious search and/or examination burden. The requirement is still deemed proper and is therefore made FINAL.
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)(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.
Claim 1 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Spooner et al (12,584,004).
Regarding claim 1, Spooner et al disclose a lens suitable for use in a radio frequency, RF, antenna (col38, lines 9-16), comprising: a plurality of non-conductive filler particles dispersed in a dielectric medium (the filler material may be dry blended with particles of the polymer resin, col18, lines 62-67; claim 1), wherein the lens has a relative dielectric constant, Dk, of equal to or less than 2 (col8, lines 4-18, claim 1); and wherein the lens has a thickness, T, of equal to or greater than 5 microns, and equal to or less than 500 microns (col32, lines 5-20, claim 1).
Claims 1, 6-8, 11-12 and 14-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Galla et al (11,431,100).
Regarding claim 1, Galla et al disclose a lens suitable for use in a radio frequency, RF, antenna (title), comprising: a plurality of non-conductive filler particles dispersed in a dielectric medium (col3, lines 43-57; col9, lines 6-26), wherein the lens has a relative dielectric constant, Dk, of equal to or less than 2 and wherein the lens has a thickness, T, of equal to or greater than 5 microns, and equal to or less than 500 microns (col18, lines 3-33, col23, lines 35-50; claim 5).
Galla et al also disclose the filler particles comprise fibers (col7, lines 55-63), wherein the fibers comprise glass, a ceramic material, or a polymeric material (col8, lines 30-50, col9, lines 6-26), wherein: the fibers are non-metallic (col9, lines 6-48), wherein: the fibers are disposed in a wet-laid arrangement in the dielectric medium (col12, lines 26-59), wherein: the fibers are disposed in a randomly in the dielectric medium (col20, lines 28-54), wherein: the filler particles comprise hollow spheres of ceramic or polymeric material (col21, lines 42-67), wherein: the hollow spheres are disposed in a randomly in the dielectric medium (col12, lines 26-59), wherein: the relative dielectric constant, Dk, is equal to or less than 1.5 (claim 5), wherein: the relative dielectric constant, Dk, is equal to or less than 1.2 (claim 5), wherein: the dielectric medium comprises a polymeric binder (abstract, col2, lines 52-53), wherein: the dielectric medium further comprises air or a gas (col3, lines 22-24, col4, lines 47-57) and wherein: the thickness, T, is equal to or less than 400 microns (col18, lines 3-33, col23, lines 35-50; claim 5).
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 9-10 and 13 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103(a) as being unpatentable over Spooner et al or Galla et al.
Spooner et al or Galla et al had been discussed but fails to expressly teach the fibers are non-woven or non-woven fabric fibers and the fibers comprise polyphenylene sulfide, polyether-imide, or polyetheretherketone. It would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a person having ordinary skilled in the art at the time the invention was made to have the fibers are non-woven or non-woven fabric fibers and the fibers comprise polyphenylene sulfide, polyether-imide, or polyetheretherketone, since it has been held to be within the general skill of a worker in the art to select a known material of the elements for the intended use as a matter of obvious design choice.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. The patent to Tishin is cited as of interested and illustrated a similar structure to a lens suitable for use in a radio frequency.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to THO GIA PHAN whose telephone number is (571)272-1826. The examiner can normally be reached on M-F (8-430).
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Dimary Lopez can be reached on (571) 270-7893. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/THO G PHAN/
Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2845
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