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 .
Claims 19-20 are added. Claims 1-20 are pending.
Election/Restrictions
Applicant's election with traverse of Group II, claims 17-18, in the reply filed on 9/29/25 is acknowledged. Applicant has amended the claims so that claims 2-15 and 18 depend on claim 17. In view of Applicant’s amendment and remarks, the restriction is withdrawn. Thus, claims 1-20 will be examined as follows.
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 1-6, 12-17 and 19-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Fink, et al. (US 9,208,362, herein Fink).1 2 Regarding claims 1, 16 and 17,3 Fink teaches a resonator for a radio frequency identification reader, a radio frequency identification reader, and a method of reading data from one or more radio frequency identification tags, the resonator and method comprising: a waveguide closed at a proximal end and closed at a distal end and dimensioned to facilitate resonance in radio frequency waves having a frequency of operation so that the radio frequency waves produce an electric field in the waveguide having a peak intensity at a location between the proximal end and the distal end (column 11, lines 27-31: enclosure 100); a holder for holding one or more radio frequency identification tags at the location at which the electric field produced by radio frequency waves having the frequency of operation has a peak intensity (column 19, lines 17-28: holding shelf); and a radio frequency feed point for coupling radio frequency signals between the waveguide and radio frequency identification reader circuitry (column 12, lines 50-53: feeds 135); radio frequency identification reader circuitry electrically coupled to the radio frequency feed point of the resonator (column 12, lines 55-67: RFID interrogator 125). Regarding claims 2 and 19, Fink teaches the waveguide is a ridged waveguide comprising a pair of ridges extending from the proximal end of the waveguide towards the distal end of the waveguide (column 25, lines 30-50: folds serve as ridges). Regarding claim 3, Fink teaches the resonator comprises an insulating gap between each ridge of the pair of ridges and the distal end of the waveguide (column 8, lines 30-40). Regarding claim 4, Fink teaches each insulating gap is an air gap (column 8, lines 30-40). Regarding claim 5, Fink teaches the holder comprises a resilient member configured to apply a force to the one or more radio frequency identification tags to urge the one or more radio frequency identification tags together (column 19, lines 17-28: holding shelf). Regarding claim 6, Fink teaches the resilient member comprises a biased conductive tip (column 19, lines 50-55). Regarding claims 12 and 20, Fink teaches the waveguide is formed from two portions that are mechanically coupled together so that the portions are in conductive communication at an interface between the two portions, wherein the portions are decoupleable to provide access to the holder, which is inside the waveguide (column 25, lines 30-50). Regarding claim 13, Fink teaches the two portions are mechanically coupled together by one or more latches and are decouplable by unfastening the one or more latches (column 31, lines 15-20). Regarding claim 14, Fink teaches the two portions of the waveguide are mechanically coupled by a hinge (column 28, lines 1-13). Regarding claim 15, Fink teaches the two portions of the waveguide comprise complementary alignment elements to position the two portions relative to each other (column 31, lines 15-20).
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 7-8 and 11 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Fink in view of Becker (US 2018/0175630).4 Regarding claim 7, Fink teaches the waveguide of claim 17, as discussed above. Fink does not explicitly teach the waveguide comprises a tuner to adjust the impedance of the resonator. Becker teaches the waveguide comprises a tuner to adjust the impedance of the resonator (paragraph 0044: impedance matching). It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time of invention to combine the teachings of Fink and Becker, because such a combination improves sensitivity (paragraph 0009 of Becker). Regarding claim 8, Becker further teaches the waveguide comprises a tuner comprising an adjustable conductive connection between the proximal end of the resonator and a first ridge of the pair of ridges (paragraph 0130). Regarding claim 11, Becker teaches the tuner comprises one or more pin diodes (paragraph 0115) and/or5 varactors.
Claim 18 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Fink in view of Martin Antolin, et al. (US 2021/0133403,herein Martin Antolin).6 Regarding claim 18, Fink teaches method of claim 17, as discussed above. Fink does not explicitly teach the one or more radio frequency identification tags comprise one or more banknotes, each having a respective tag affixed thereto. Martin Antolin teaches the one or more radio frequency identification tags comprise one or more banknotes, each having a respective tag affixed thereto (paragraph 0004). It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time of invention to combine the teachings of Fink and Martin Antolin, because such a combination aids in authentication (paragraph 0004 of Martin Antolin).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 9-10 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.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to MATTHEW MIKELS whose telephone number is (571)270-5470. The examiner can normally be reached Monday to Thursday 7:00 AM ET - 4:30 PM ET, Friday 7:00 AM ET - 11:00 AM ET, the Examiner is on central time.7
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/MATTHEW MIKELS/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2876
1 Cited in Applicant’s IDS dated 5/10/24.
2 In addition to the cited paragraphs, please see also the associated figures.
3 As Applicant notes in the Remarks dated 9/29/25: “the independent claims 1 and 16 are bodily incorporated within claim 17.” Applicant’s Remarks 9/29/25, page 6 (italicization omitted). As a result, these claims are grouped together in the manner Applicant suggests.
4 In addition to the cited paragraphs, please see also the associated figures.
5 Note that under the broadest reasonable interpretation, MPEP § 2111, “and/or” is interpreted as required only the “or”, i.e. these limitations in the alternative.
6 In addition to the cited paragraphs, please see also the associated figures.
7 The Examiner can also be reached at matthew.mikels@uspto.gov.