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 because the new ground of rejection does not rely on any reference applied in the prior rejection of record for any teaching or matter specifically challenged in the argument.
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 5 and 14 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 5 and 14 respectively reciting “the dielectric spacer has a facing area smaller than the patch element and the conductor base portion” is indefinite, since it’s unclear whether the dielectric spacer’s “facing area” compares with the patch element and the conductor base portion individually, or with the patch element and the conductor base portion together. For examination purposes, this clause will be interpreted as --the dielectric spacer has a facing area smaller than respective facing areas of the patch element and the conductor base portion--.
Claim 14, last clause reciting a second of “an end portion” is indefinite, since it’s unclear whether this end portion is related (or in addition) to “an end portion” earlier claimed.
There should be a clear recitation of interrelated structure in order to provide a complete and operable patch antenna.
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:
14. (Proposed) A patch antenna comprising:
a patch element of a conductor plate;
a ground conductor including a conductor base portion facing the patch element and an extension portion extending from opposite [[an]] end portions of the conductor base portion; and
a dielectric spacer interposed between the patch element and the ground conductor, wherein the extension portion extends toward a first side opposite to a second side where the patch element is disposed,
the dielectric spacer is interposed between the patch element and the conductor base portion, the dielectric spacer has a facing area smaller than respective facing areas of the patch element and the conductor base portion, and a space between the patch element and the conductor base portion where the dielectric spacer is absent is hollow, such that a surface area of the dielectric spacer is less than half of a surface area of the patch element, and
the dielectric spacer is disposed at a position separated from [[an]] opposite end portions of the patch element in a resonance direction of the patch element.
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, 4 and 7-12 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over “Sampo” (US 11476565)
Claim 1: Sampo discloses a patch antenna comprising:
a patch element of a conductor plate 31 (Fig. 14 reproduced below);
a ground conductor including a conductor base portion 33 facing the patch element and an extension portion 12t extending from an end portion of the conductor base portion (a skilled artisan would appreciate that 12t extends from a bottom end of 33); and
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a dielectric body 32 interposed between the patch element and the ground conductor, wherein the extension portion extends toward a side opposite to a side where the patch element is disposed,
the dielectric body is a dielectric spacer, and
the dielectric spacer is disposed at a position separated from an end portion E of the patch element in a resonance direction of the patch element (see Fig. 14).
Claims 2, 4 and 7: Sampo teaches the patch antenna according to claim 1, wherein the extension portion is electrically connected to the end portion of the conductor base portion, and is provided perpendicularly with respect to a plane formed by the conductor base portion (see Fig. 14);
further comprising a dielectric extension portion 32h, wherein the dielectric extension portion is provided at the ground conductor (see Fig. 14);
wherein a center conductor 31h of a coaxial cable 22 is connected to the patch element, and an outer conductor of the coaxial cable is connected to the ground conductor (see Fig. 14).
Claims 8-10: Sampo teaches an antenna device comprising the patch antenna according to claim 1 housed in a case (11, 12; Fig. 14) including a radio wave transmissive portion 11;
wherein the patch antenna is supported by a vehicle body such that main polarization of the patch antenna is for vertical polarization (col. 9, ll. 26-38);
wherein the case has a combined structure of a first case portion 11 and a second case portion 12, and the extension portion is sandwiched between the first case portion and the second case portion (see Fig. 14).
Claims 11-12: Sampo teaches the patch antenna according to claim 1, wherein the patch element is configured to operate with linear polarization (col. 9, ll. 26-38);
wherein in a plan view, the patch element is disposed within an outer edge of the conductor base portion (see Fig. 14).
Claims 5 and 14 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over “Nalbandian” (US 5703601).
Claims 5 and 14: As best understood, Nalbandian discloses a patch antenna comprising:
a patch element of a conductor plate 8 (Fig. 1B reproduced below);
a ground conductor (2, 4, 31, 32) including a conductor base portion 4 facing the patch element and an extension portion (31, 32) extending from an end portion of the conductor base portion; and
a dielectric body 10 interposed between the patch element and the ground conductor, wherein the extension portion extends toward a side opposite to a side where the patch element is disposed (see Fig. 1B),
the dielectric body is a dielectric spacer (col. 2, ll. 23-28: “The patches 4 and 8 are squares of the same size, and their respective sides are parallel. If the patches 4 and 8 are sufficiently rigid, the cavities 6 and 10 may be filled with air, but if the antenna is fabricated from microstrip, the cavities 6 and 10 may be filled with a solid dielectric or insulating material such as Duroid”),
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the dielectric spacer is interposed between the patch element and the conductor base portion, the dielectric spacer has a facing area smaller than the patch element and the conductor base portion, and a space S (formed by patch 8 overhang on either side of dielectric 10) between the patch element and the conductor base portion where the dielectric spacer is absent is hollow (see Fig. 14), and
the dielectric spacer is disposed at a position separated from an end portion E in a (vertical) resonance direction of the patch element.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claim 13 is 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.
Claim 14 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 14, none of the prior art shows, teaches or fairly suggests the features of “the dielectric spacer is interposed between the patch element and the conductor base portion, the dielectric spacer has a facing area smaller than respective facing areas of the patch element and the conductor base portion, and a space between the patch element and the conductor base portion where the dielectric spacer is absent is hollow, such that a surface area of the dielectric spacer is less than half of a surface area of the patch element, and the dielectric spacer is disposed at a position separated from opposite end portions of the patch element in a resonance direction of the patch element.”
Conclusion
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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