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 .
Specification
The title of the invention is not descriptive. A new title is required that is clearly indicative of the invention to which the claims are directed.
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 1-17 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 1 line 4 contains the limitation “for signal connection with an outside”. It is unclear as to the bounds of the term “an outside” and to what applicant is exactly referring. Is “an outside” the outside of the coupler body, an outside or external device, and outside or external signal being transmitted or applied to the device. For the purposes of examination, the examiner has interpreted “an outside” as a signal or voltage being applied to the coupler that was generated by an outside or external source.
Claim 2 is 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.
It is unclear to the examiner whether the claimed pair of internal grounds are the same internal ground in Claim 1 or additional ground layers. For the purposes of examination, the examiner has interpreted that the pair of internal grounds in Claim 2 is a further description of the internal ground in Claim 1 evidenced by Figure 2 and the subject matter of Claim 4.
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.
Claim(s) 1-4, 6, 8, 10-11, 13-14, and 16-17 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Seok et al. (KR 10-2020-0022738).
In regard to Claim 1:
Seok discloses, in Figure 1, a coupler (10) comprising:
a coupler body (110) having an external ground (120U, 120L) formed on an outer surface thereof (120U and 120L are formed on the outer surface of 110);
a coupler line (312U, 312L) located inside the coupler body (110) and electrically connected to a port electrode (316 of 300U and 300L shown in Figure 8) for signal connection with an outside (Page 10 Paragraph 3);
an internal ground (220U and 220L) disposed between the external ground (120U, 120L) and the coupler line (312) and electrically connected to the external ground (Page 8 Paragraph 2, 220U and 220L are connected to 120 U and 120L via 131-136); and
a port line (314) having one end electrically connected to the port electrode (316, see Figure 8) and the other end electrically connected to the coupler line (312, see Figure 8).
In regard to Claim 2:
Seok discloses, in Figure 1, the coupler of claim 1, wherein a pair of internal grounds (220U and 220L) are provided inside the coupler body (110), and the coupler line (312) is disposed between the pair of internal grounds (312 is between 220U and 220L).
In regard to Claim 3:
Seok discloses, in Figure 1, the coupler of claim 1, wherein the coupler line (312) is disposed between the external ground formed on a lower surface (120L) of the coupler body (110) and the internal ground (220U).
In regard to Claim 4:
Seok discloses, in Figure 1, the coupler of claim 1, wherein the external ground comprises:
a first external ground configuring a lower surface (120L) of the coupler body (110); and
a second external ground configuring an upper surface (120U) of the coupler body (110), and
wherein the internal ground further includes:
a first internal ground (220L) disposed between the first external ground (120L) and the second external ground (120U); and
a second internal ground (220U) disposed between the first external ground (120L) and the second external ground (120U) and disposed to be spaced apart at a first interval from the first internal ground (220U is spaced apart from 220L by 310U and 310L).
In regard to Claim 6:
Seok discloses, in Figure 1, the coupler of claim 4, wherein the coupler line (312 of 310U and 310L) is disposed between the first internal ground (220L) and the second internal ground (220U).
In regard to Claim 8:
Seok discloses the coupler of claim 1, wherein the internal ground (220U, 220L) is electrically connected to the external ground (120U, 120L) through an outer surface of the coupler body (131-136 of 100, see Figure 2; Page 7 Paragraph 2).
In regard to Claim 10:
Seok discloses, in Figure 1, the coupler of claim 1, wherein the internal ground (220U, 220L) is formed to overlap a location where one side and the other side of the coupler line are connected to each other (220U and 220L overlap 310U and 310L, thus overlapping each end of 312).
In regard to Claim 11:
Seok discloses, in Figure 1, the coupler of claim1, wherein the coupler line comprises:
a first coupler line (312L) electrically connected to the port line (314); and
a second coupler line (312U) disposed to be spaced apart from the first coupler line (312L, where 312L is spaced apart by 312U since they are on separate layers).
In regard to Claim 13:
Seok discloses, in Figure 3, the coupler of claim 1, wherein four corners (141-144) of the coupler body (200) are formed to be curved toward an inside (141-144 curve inward toward the inside of the coupler body 200), and wherein the port electrode is disposed at each of the corners (Figure 7 shows 314 at the corners of the coupler body).
In regard to Claim 14:
Seok discloses, in Figure 1, the coupler of claim 10, wherein the port line comprises: a
first port line (314L) electrically connected to the first coupler line (312L); and
a second port line (314U) electrically connected to the second coupler line (312U).
In regard to Claim 16:
Seok discloses, in Figure 2, the coupler of claim 1, wherein the coupler body (100) further comprises a via (151-154) that electrically connects the other end of the port line (314) and the coupler line (312) to each other (Page 6 Paragraph 6 and Page 7 Paragraph 1).
In regard to Claim 17:
Seok discloses the coupler of claim 1, wherein the coupler body comprises a plurality of sheets stacked inside the coupler body (Page 6 Paragraph 4), and wherein the sheets include:
a coupler sheet (300U) provided with the coupler line (312); and
a port sheet (300L) provided with the port line (314).
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.
The factual inquiries for establishing a background for determining obviousness under 35 U.S.C. 103 are summarized as follows:
1. Determining the scope and contents of the prior art.
2. Ascertaining the differences between the prior art and the claims at issue.
3. Resolving the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art.
4. Considering objective evidence present in the application indicating obviousness or nonobviousness.
Claim(s) 9 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Seok et al. (KR 10-2020-0022738), in view of Lee et al. (KR 10-1310745).
In regard to Claim 9:
All of the claim limitations have been discussed with respect to Claim 1 above, except for wherein the coupler line has one side formed in a spiral shape and the other side formed in a spiral shape, the one side and the other side being connected to each other.
Lee discloses, in Figure 7, wherein the coupler line (310) has one side formed in a spiral shape (312) and the other side formed in a spiral shape (314), the one side and the other side being connected to each other (312 and 314 are connected to each other).
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was effectively filed to use the spiral shaped coupler line taught by Lee with the coupler taught by Seok, in order to improve the insertion loss of the combiner (Lee Page 5 Paragraph 5).
Claim(s) 7 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Seok et al. (KR 10-2020-0022738), in view of Chen et al. (WO 2021/042249).
In regard to Claim 7:
All of the claim limitations have been discussed with respect to Claims 1 and 11 above, except for wherein the internal ground has a center part formed in a rectangular shape and both sides facing each other and formed to extend toward an outside.
Chen discloses, in Figure 2, wherein the internal ground has a center part (4112) formed in a rectangular shape (4112 is a rectangular shape) and both sides facing each other and formed to extend toward an outside (4112 is rectangular with both sides facing each other and it extends toward to the outside of the device).
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was effectively filed to use the rectangular shape ground element taught by Chen with the internal ground of the coupler taught by Seok, since all the claimed elements were known in the prior art and one skilled in the art could have combined the elements as claimed by known methods with no change in their respective functions, and the combination yielded nothing more than predictable results to one of ordinary skill in the art. (KSR Int'l Co. v. Teleflex Inc., 550 U.S. 398, 415-421, 82 USPQ2d 1385).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 5, 12, and 15 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
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Chueh (US 2018/0006353) discloses a branch-line coupler suitable for use in mobile devices includes a first, second, third, and fourth ports, respectively acting as input, transmitted, coupled, and isolated port. A first, second, third, and fourth connection parts are connected to the ports and transmission lines. First and second bent transmission lines are electrically connected between first and second ports. Third and fourth bent transmission lines are electrically connected between third and fourth ports. A first long strip transmission line is electrically connected between the first port and the fourth port. A second long strip transmission line is electrically connected between the second port and the third port.
Killen et al. (US 6,753,745) discloses a circuit for processing radio frequency signals. The circuit includes a substrate where the circuit can be placed. The substrate can be a meta-material and can incorporate at least one dielectric layer. A four-port circuit and at least one ground can be coupled to the substrate. The dielectric layer can include a first region with a first set of substrate properties and a second region with a second set of substrate properties. Substrate properties can include permittivity and permeability. A substantial portion of the four-port circuit can be coupled to the second region. The permittivity and/or permeability of the second region can be higher than the permittivity and/or permeability of the first region. The increased permittivities and/or permeabilities can reduce a size of the four-port circuit and effect a change in a variety of electrical characteristics associated with the four-port circuit.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to John W Poos whose telephone number is (571)270-5077. The examiner can normally be reached M-Th 8-5.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Jessica Han can be reached at 571-272-2078. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/JOHN W POOS/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2896