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 .
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claims 6-7 and 10-13 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
Claim 6 reciting five instances of “at least a part of the clamping part” is indefinite, since it’s unclear which clamping part of “a pair of clamping parts” recited in claim 3 is being referred to. For examination purposes, “at least a part of the clamping part” will be interpreted as --a part of the clamping parts--.
Claim 6, last clause reciting three “or” alternatives in “at least one of a first length from the first contact part to the second contact part through at least a part of the clamping part and the coupling part, a second length from the first contact part to an open end of the support part through at least a part of the clamping part and the support part, or a third length from the second contact part to the open end through at least a part of the clamping part and the support part is less than or equal to 1/8 of a wavelength of a frequency supported by the antenna element, or at least one of a fourth length which is a shortest distance from the first contact part to the connection part through at least a part of the clamping part and at least a part of the support part, or a fifth length which is a shortest distance from the second contact part to the connection part through at least a part of the clamping part and at least a part of the support part is less than or equal to 1/16 of the wavelength of the frequency supported by the antenna element” are indefinite, since it’s NOT understood which one or more of the lengths are being applied. As such, scope of this claim cannot be ascertained.
For examination purposes, last clause of claim 6 will be interpreted as --at least one of a first length from the first contact part to the second contact part through a part of the clamping parts and the coupling part, a second length from the first contact part to an open end of the support part through a part of the clamping parts and the support part, and a third length from the second contact part to the open end through a part of the clamping parts and the support part is less than or equal to 1/8 of a wavelength of a frequency supported by the antenna element, or at least one of a fourth length which is a shortest distance from the first contact part to the connection part through a part of the clamping parts and a part of the support part, and a fifth length which is a shortest distance from the second contact part to the connection part through a part of the clamping parts and a part of the support part is less than or equal to 1/16 of the wavelength of the frequency supported by the antenna element--.
Claim 7, last clause reciting three “or” alternatives in “at least one of a first length from the first contact part to the second contact part through at least a part of the holding part and at least a part of the support part, a second length from the first contact part to an open end of the support part through at least a part of the holding part and the support part, or a third length from the second contact part to the open end is less than or equal to 1/8 of a wavelength of a frequency supported by the antenna element, or at least one of a fourth length from the first contact part to the connection part through at least a part of the holding part and at least a part of the support part, or a fifth length from the second contact part to the connection part through at least a part of the holding part and at least a part of the support part is less than or equal to 1/16 of the wavelength of the frequency supported by the antenna element” are indefinite, since it’s NOT understood which one or more of the lengths are being applied. As such, scope of this claim cannot be ascertained.
Claims 11-12 are rejected for depending therefrom.
Claim 10 reciting two instances of “a part” are indefinite, since it’s unclear whether they are related or distinct. For examination purposes, the second instance of “a part” will be interpreted as --the part--.
There should be a clear recitation of interrelated structure in order to provide a complete and operable connection terminal (or antenna device).
The following claim, drafted by the examiner and considered to distinguish patentably over the art of record in this application, is presented to applicant for consideration:
Claim 7. (Currently Amended) A connection terminal configured to connect an antenna element for a vehicle to a substrate, the connection terminal comprising:
a holding part including a first contact part and a second contact part configured to contact a holdable part of the antenna element with the holdable part being clamped therebetween; and
a support part configured to support the holding part against the substrate, wherein
the support part includes a connection part to be connected to the substrate, and
at least one of a first length from the first contact part to the second contact part through and a third length from the second contact part to the open end is less than or equal to 1/8 of a wavelength of a frequency supported by the antenna element, or
at least one of a fourth length from the first contact part to the connection part through and a fifth length from the second contact part to the connection part through .
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 1-2 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over “Kozlovski” (US 7212168).
Claim 1: Kozlovski discloses a connection terminal configured to connect an antenna element 12 (Fig. 2) to a substrate 16 (a skilled artisan would appreciate that panel 16 functions as a substrate by virtue of it being planar and providing mechanical/insular support to antenna unit 12), the connection terminal comprising:
a holding part 46 configured to hold a holdable part 28 of the antenna element inserted from one surface 26 of the substrate into a through-hole 14 formed in the substrate, at a position on a side of another surface 16 of the substrate opposite to the one surface; and
a support part 34 configured to support the holding part 46 against the substrate (see Figs. 1-2).
Claim 2: Kozlovski teaches the connection terminal according to claim 1, wherein the support part includes a surface contact part 34 to be surface contact with the one surface of the substrate (see Figs. 1-2).
Claims 8 and 10 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kozlovski (cited above) in view of “Thompson” (US 20060244667).
Claim 8: Kozlovski teaches an antenna device comprising:
the connection terminal according to claim 1 (see Figs. 1-2);
the substrate to which the connection terminal is attached (see Figs. 1-2);
the antenna element connected to the substrate through the connection terminal (see Figs. 1-2).
Kozlovski fails to express teach a ground portion configured to function as a ground of the antenna element.
Thompson discloses a ground portion 18 (Fig. 1) configured to function as a ground of the antenna element 11.
Thompson teaches in ¶ [0014], “The antenna assembly generally comprises the antenna structure 11 and a metal ground plane 18. According to an embodiment, the antenna structure 11 is adapted to receive, but is not limited to, SDARS signals being broadcast on the 2320-2345 MHz frequency band.”
Before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, it would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art to employ a ground portion configured to function as a ground of the antenna element in Kozlovski’s invention, in order to facilitate transmit/receive operation in desired frequency band(s).
Claim 10: As best understood, Kozlovski teaches the antenna device according to claim 8, wherein at least a part of the antenna element is located outside the substrate in plan view of the substrate (see Figs. 1-2 of Kozlovski), and at least a part of the antenna element located outside the substrate overlaps with the ground portion in the plan view (see Fig. 1 of Thompson).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 3-5 and 9 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 6 and 11-13 would be allowable if rewritten to overcome the rejection(s) under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), 2nd paragraph, set forth in this Office action and to include all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
Claim 7 would be allowable if rewritten or amended to overcome the rejection(s) under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), 2nd paragraph, set forth in this Office action.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter:
Regarding claim 7, none of the prior art shows, teaches or fairly suggests the features of “at least one of a first length from the first contact part to the second contact part through a part of the holding part and a part of the support part, a second length from the first contact part to an open end of the support part through a part of the holding part and the support part, and a third length from the second contact part to the open end is less than or equal to 1/8 of a wavelength of a frequency supported by the antenna element, or at least one of a fourth length from the first contact part to the connection part through a part of the holding part and a part of the support part, and a fifth length from the second contact part to the connection part through a part of the holding part and a part of the support part is less than or equal to 1/16 of the wavelength of the frequency supported by the antenna element.”
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Silva (US 10062959)
Haussler (US 6714171)
Terashita (US 11462822)
Yun (US 11664584)
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/HASAN ISLAM/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2845