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 .
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments have been considered but are moot in view of the indefinite rejections as follow.
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 11-15 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.
Claims 6 and 7 respectively reciting “at least one of (i) a first length …, (ii) a second length …, or (iii) a third length” are indefinite, since it’s unclear how a second length may alternatively be present absent a first length, and how a third length may be present absent a first length and a second length.
Claims 11-13 depend therefrom.
Claim 14 reciting “at least one of (i) a fourth length…, or (ii) a fifth length” is indefinite, since it’s unclear (a) how a fifth length may alternatively be present absent a fourth length, and (b) which of the first-third lengths of claim 1 applies to this claim.
Claim 15 depends therefrom.
Claim 15 reciting “at least one of (i) a fourth length…, or (ii) a fifth length” is indefinite, since it’s unclear how a fourth or a fifth length is part of the invention without first-third lengths.
In view of the aforementioned, scope of at least claims 7 and 15 cannot be ascertained.
There should be a clear recitation of interrelated structure in order to provide a complete and operable 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,
is through a part of the
holding part and a part of the support part,
is through a
part of the holding part and the support part, [[or]] and
wavelength of a frequency supported by the antenna element.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 1, 2, 4-5 and 8-10 are allowed.
Claims 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.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Skeinkamp (US 8441401)
Lerchner (US 8622356)
Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). 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.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to HASAN ISLAM whose telephone number is (571)270-1719. The examiner can normally be reached Mon-Thu 9AM-7PM EST.
Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, DAMEON LEVI can be reached at (571)272-2105. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/HASAN ISLAM/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2845
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