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 .
Prelim. Amdt./Amendment
Receipt is acknowledged of the Preliminary Amendment filed on May 10, 2024.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
In the event the determination of the status of the application as subject to AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103 (or as subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103) is incorrect, any correction of the statutory basis (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) for the rejection will not be considered a new ground of rejection if the prior art relied upon, and the rationale supporting the rejection, would be the same under either status.
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.
Claim(s) 1-6, 9, 10, 12-14, and 17-18 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Take et al. (WO 2021/206177, cited by the applicant, corresponding U.S. Patent Application Publication (US 2023/0253708) is used for this action).
Re claim 1: Take teaches a transparent antenna module comprising an adhesion layer (15) serving as a dielectric substrate (figs. 4 and 5, paragraph 0066), a protective layer (17) serving as dielectric structures that are formed in contact with an upper portion of the dielectric substrate and respectively spaced apart from each other by a gap region in at least one axial direction (figs. 4 and 5, paragraph 0068), an adhesion enhancing layer (16) serving as a first conductive layer that is formed in the gap region to be in contact with the dielectric substrate and formed to have a first thickness (paragraph 0067), and a metal layer (27) serving as a second conductive layer that is formed to be in contact with an upper portion of the first conductive layer and formed to have a second thickness (figs. 4 and 5; paragraph 0058), wherein the adhesion layer and the metal layer are included in a transparent metal mesh pattern (fig. 9) that is formed in at least one axial direction and is configured to radiate wireless signals (i.e., the mesh wiring is an antenna, paragraph 0013))(see figs. 1-9; paragraphs 0054-070, 0090-0095).
Re claim 2: Wherein the protective layer (17) serving as dielectric structures are made of acrylic resin serving as UV resin disposed in contact with the upper portion of the dielectric substrate (paragraph 0068), and are formed based on stamping of an imprint mold (paragraph 0076).
Re claim 3: Wherein the adhesion enhancing layer (16) is formed based on a metal paste (e.g., titanium, titanium oxide, nickel, etc.) in the gap region to have the first thickness which is smaller than a height of the protective layer (17) (fig. 8F; paragraph 0067).
Re claim 4: Wherein the metal layer (27) is formed on the printed metal ink or metal paste of the adhesion enhancing layer (16) based on a plating process (figs. 7A-8F) to have the second thickness (fig. 8F), and wherein the metal layer (27) is a main connection path for radiating the wireless signals (i.e., the mesh wiring (20) comprising the wiring lines (21, 22) wherein the wiring lines include the metal layer (27), paragraphs 0053, 0057).
Re claim 5: Wherein a difference between a total thickness corresponding to a sum of the first thickness and the second thickness, and a height of an adjacent dielectric structure, is within a predetermined range (fig. 8F).
Re claim 6: Wherein the second thickness of the metal layer (27) is thicker than the first thickness of the adhesion enhancing layer (16) (fig. 8F).
Re claim 9: Wherein a height of the protective layer (17) is greater than a width of the gap region (fig. 8F).
Re claim 10: Wherein the first thickness of the adhesion enhancing layer (16) is greater than a width of the adhesion enhancing layer (16) (fig. 8F).
Re claim 12: Wherein the metal layer (27) is formed on the adhesion enhancing layer (16) through plating, and a metal content of the metal layer is higher than a metal content of the adhesion enhancing layer, so that conductivity of the metal layer (e.g., copper) is higher than conductivity of the adhesion enhancing layer (e.g., titanium).
Re claim 13: The transparent antenna module further comprising an antenna element configured by the transparent metal mesh pattern (i.e., the mash wiring (20) is an antenna (paragraph 0013) and is transparent (paragraph 0070)), and wherein a length of the antenna element (20) is ½ to ¼ of an operating wavelength corresponding to an operating frequency of the antenna element (fig. 9; paragraphs 0049-0050).
Re claim 14: The transparent antenna module further comprising a feed line (40) that is configured to be connected to the antenna element (20) to apply the signals to be wirelessly radiated, wherein the feed line (40) and the antenna element (20) are configured as metal mesh patterns (fig. 9) each including respective adhesion enhancing layers and metal layers, and wherein first and second spacings (fig. 3) between metal mesh lines extending in first and second axial directions, respectively, of the metal mesh patterns of the feed line and the antenna element, are respectively the same (figs. 2-3, 9).
Re claim 17: Take teaches a method for manufacturing a transparent antenna module the method comprising providing a dielectric material to be in contact with an upper portion of an adhesion layer (15) serving as a dielectric substrate (figs. 4 and 5, paragraph 0066), forming a protective layer (17) serving as dielectric structures using an imprint mold (paragraph 0076) applied to the dielectric material, wherein the dielectric structures are respectively spaced apart from each other by a gap region in at least one axial direction (figs. 4 and 5, paragraph 0068), forming an adhesion enhancing layer (16) serving as a first conductive layer in the gap region to be in contact with the dielectric substrate and to have a first thickness (paragraph 0067), and forming a metal layer (27) serving as a second conductive layer to be in contact with an upper portion of the first conductive layer and to have a second thickness (figs. 4 and 5; paragraph 0058), wherein the first conductive layer and the second conductive layer are included in a transparent metal mesh pattern (fig. 9) that is formed in at least one axial direction and is configured to radiate wireless signals (i.e., the mesh wiring is an antenna, paragraph 0013)) (see figs. 1-9; paragraphs 0054-070, 0090-0095).
Re claim 18: Wherein forming the adhesion enhancing layer (16) comprises printing metal ink or metal paste in the gap region to have the first thickness smaller than a height of the protective layer (17), wherein forming the metal layer (27) comprises plating the metal layer to have the second thickness on the printed metal ink or metal paste of the adhesion enhancing layer through a plating process (figs. 7A-8F), and wherein the metal layer (27) is a main connection path for radiating the wireless signals (i.e., the mesh wiring (20) comprising the wiring lines (21, 22) wherein the wiring lines include the metal layer (27), paragraphs 0053, 0057).
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.
Claim(s) 7, 8, and 19 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Take in view of Daitoku et al. (US 2020/0211951, cited by the applicant).
The teachings of Take have been discussed above.
Although, Take teaches the transparent antenna module, he fairly suggests that opposing side surfaces of adjacent dielectric structures are inclined at an angle of 45 degrees or less with respect to a vertical axis.
Daitoku teaches a trench formation layer (4) is formed to be inclined at an angle of 45 degrees or less with respect to a vertical axis, so that a width of a trench (6) serving as a gap region decreases toward a foundation layer (3) serving as a dielectric substrate (fig. 3D), and an electroconductive layer (8) is filled in the trench wherein the electroconductive layer has an inverted trapezoidal cross-sectional shape (see figs. 1, 3D, 3E; paragraphs 0032-0051).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention was made to incorporate the teachings of Daitoku to the teachings of Take in order to improve the filling of conductive material into the trench.
Claim(s) 11 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Take in view of Farreyrol (US 2021/0121968)).
The teachings of Take have been discussed above.
Although, Take teaches the transparent antenna module having the first conductive layer, he fairly suggests that the first conductive layer is formed by volatilizing organic components of metal ink or metal paste through a heat treatment process.
However, Farreyrol teaches a conductive layer (3) is obtained by volatilizing organic solvent of silver paste through a heat treatment (figs. 1-4; paragraph 0049).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention was made to incorporate the teachings of Farreyrol to the teachings of Take in order to forming conductive layer using well-known technique of volatilizing organic components. Also, it would have been an obvious design variation well within the ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention was made to use dielectric structure suppressing damage due to the heat treatment process in order to avoid damage to the components of the antenna modules, and therefore an obvious expedient.
Claim(s) 15 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Take in view of Suzuki et al. (WO 2020/226049, cited by the applicant).
The teachings of Take have been discussed above.
Although, Take teaches the transparent antenna module comprising the feed line, he fairly suggests that a terminal part connecting to the feed line comprising particular structure thereof.
However, Suzuki teaches a wiring board (10) having a wiring pattern (20) serving as a terminal part connected to the feed line (40), wherein a line width (P3, P4) of a metal mesh pattern of the terminal part is wider than a line width (21, 22) of the metal mesh pattern of the antenna element, and wherein a third spacing and a fourth spacing between metal mesh lines extending in the first and second axial directions (fig. 16), respectively, of the metal mesh patterns of the terminal part are respectively narrower than the first spacing and the second spacing of the metal mesh patterns of the antenna element (20)(see fig. 16; Abstract).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention was made to incorporate the teachings of Suzuki to the teachings of Take in order to connect the terminal with feed line for transmit/receive signal therewith. Also, it would have been an obvious design variation well within the ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention was made to adjust the line width of the metal mesh pattern of the terminal part and the line width of a metal mesh pattern of the antenna failing to provide any unexpected results for transmit/receipt signal/information, and therefore an obvious expedient.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 16 and 20 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.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter:
None of prior art teaches the transparent antenna module comprising a first ground layer formed in a first rear gap region formed on a rear surface of the dielectric substrate to be in contact with the dielectric substrate; and a second ground layer formed in the first rear gap region to be in contact with the first ground layer as set forth in the claims.
Conclusion
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/SEUNG H LEE/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2876