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 .
The information disclosure statement filed on 7/10/2025 has been entered. The preliminary amendment filed on 7/10/2024 has been entered. Claims 1-15 are presented for examination.
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.
(a)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claims 1, 3-4, 6, 8-10, and 12-15 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102 (a) (1) as being anticipated by Ikemoto (Ikemoto -2011/0090058; cited by applicant).
Regarding claim 1, Ikemoto discloses a device, comprising:
a first Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) chip configured to operate at a high frequency (HF) in conjunction with an HF tuning loop (Ikemoto; Fig. 10, par. 0078, 0109-0110; RFID tag 50 in conjunction with RFID antenna 20 configured as RFID tuning loop);
an HF coil antenna conductively coupled to the first RFID chip and configured as the HF tuning loop (Ikemoto; Fig. 10, par. 0078, 0109-0110; RFID tag 50 in conjunction with RFID antenna 20 configured as RFID tuning loop); and
a second RFID chip configured to operate at either an ultra-high frequency (UHF) or a super high frequency (SHF) in conjunction with a monopole antenna (Ikemoto; Fig. 10, par. 0078, 0109-0110; RFID chip 50 in conjunction with RFID antenna 20 configured as RFID tuning loop; second RFID chip 30 in conjunction with a monopole antenna);
wherein the HF coil antenna comprises a metal trace having sections separated by a narrow gap (Ikemoto; Fig. 10, par. 0078, 0109-0110; RFID chip 50 in conjunction with RFID antenna 20 configured as RFID tuning loop; second RFID chip 30, metal traces have sections separated by a narrow gap);
wherein the metal trace and the narrow gap of the HF coil antenna substantially allow the HF coil antenna to function as the monopole antenna; and wherein the second RFID chip is suitably coupled to the metal trace of the HF coil antenna so as to match impedance with the monopole antenna (Ikemoto; Fig. 10, par. 0024,0106, 0078, 0109-0110; RFID chip 50 in conjunction with RFID antenna 20 configured as RFID tuning loop; second RFID chip 30, metal traces have sections separated by a narrow gap).
Regarding claim 3, Ikemoto discloses the device of claim 1 further comprising: a metal ground plane configured to be disposed in proximity of the HF coil antenna; wherein the metal ground plane is further configured to substantively reduce the effect of metal proximate to the device on the resonant frequency of the first RFID chip and the HF tuning loop and the second RFID chip and the monopole antenna (Ikemoto; Fig. 10, par. 0024,0106, 0078, 0109-0110; RFID chip 50 in conjunction with RFID antenna 20 configured as RFID tuning loop; second RFID chip 30, metal traces have sections separated by a narrow gap, metal ground plane is disposed in approximative of the HF coil antenna 20).
Regarding claim 4, Ikemoto discloses the device of claim 3, further comprising: a dielectric substrate disposed between the metal ground plane and the HF coil antenna (Ikemoto; Fig. 10, par. 0024,0106, 0078, 0109-0110; RFID chip 50 in conjunction with RFID antenna 20 configured as RFID tuning loop; second RFID chip 30, metal traces have sections separated by a narrow gap, metal ground plane is disposed in approximative of the HF coil antenna 20; dielectric substrate 40 is disposed between the metal ground plane 41 and the HF coil antenna 20).
Regarding claim 6, Ikemoto discloses an antenna structure, comprising: a substantially flat coiled metal trace configured to provide low resistance and high quality factor (Q) for operation in a first HF mode; and a gap disposed between adjacent sections of the coiled metal trace configured to allow UHF and/or SHF coupling between the adjacent sections for operation in a second UHF or SHF mode, wherein respective ends of the metal trace are configured to suitably couple to a first RFID chip for operation in the first HF mode; and wherein a section of the metal trace is configured to suitably couple to a second RFID chip for operation in the second UHF or SHF mode (Ikemoto; Fig. 10, par. 0013, 0024, 0038, 0068, 0106, 0077, 0078, 0109-0110; RFID chip 50 in conjunction with RFID antenna 20 configured as RFID tuning loop; second RFID chip 30, metal traces have sections separated by a narrow gap, RFIDs operate at different frequency bands).
Regarding claim 8, Ikemoto discloses the antenna structure of jam of claim 1 wherein the metal trace is configured to operate as one of a monopole antenna or a dipole in the second UHF or SHF mode (Ikemoto; Fig. 10, par. 0013, 0024, 0038, 0068, 0106, 0077, 0078, 0109-0110; RFID chip 50 in conjunction with RFID antenna 20 configured as RFID tuning loop; second RFID chip 30, metal traces have sections separated by a narrow gap, RFIDs operate at different frequency bands; the metal trace operates as one of the monopole antenna).
Regarding claim 9, Ikemoto discloses the antenna structure of claim 1 further comprising: a metal ground plane configured to be disposed in proximity of the metal trace, wherein the metal ground plane is further configured to substantively reduce the effect on the resonant frequencies of the first RFID chip and the second RFID chip of metal in the environment that is proximate to the antenna structure (Ikemoto; Fig. 10, par. 0024,0106, 0078, 0109-0110; RFID chip 50 in conjunction with RFID antenna 20 configured as RFID tuning loop; second RFID chip 30, metal traces have sections separated by a narrow gap, metal ground plane is disposed in approximative of the HF coil antenna 20) .
Regarding claim 10, Ikemoto discloses the antenna structure of claim 9, further comprising: a dielectric substrate configured to be disposed between the metal ground plane and the metal trace Ikemoto; Fig. 10 and 26; par. 0013, 0024, 0038, 0068, 0106, 0077, 0078, 0109-0110; RFID chip 50 in conjunction with RFID antenna 20 configured as RFID tuning loop; second RFID chip 30, metal traces have sections separated by a narrow gap, RFIDs operate at different frequency bands; the metal trace operates as one of the monopole antenna, dielectric substrate 40 and dielectric material 1 between the metal ground plane and the metal trace).
Regarding claim 12, Ikemoto discloses a method of employing a single antenna to support multiple radio devices, the method comprising: providing a substantially flat coiled metal trace operative to provide low resistance and high Q for operation in a first radio band; the providing comprising maintaining a gap disposed between adjacent sections of the coiled metal trace, wherein the gap is dimensioned to allow coupling between the adjacent sections which enables operation in a second radio band; selectively electrically coupling opposing ends of the metal trace to a first radio frequency chip for operation in the first radio band; and selectively electrically coupling a section of the metal trace to a second radio frequency chip for operation in the second radio band (Ikemoto; Fig. 10, par. 0013, 0024, 0038, 0068, 0106, 0077, 0078, 0109-0110; RFID chip 50 in conjunction with RFID antenna 20 configured as RFID tuning loop; second RFID chip 30, metal traces have sections separated by a narrow gap, RFIDs operate at different frequency bands).
Regarding claim 13, Ikemoto discloses the method of claim 12, wherein the selectively electrically coupling a section of the metal trace operation enables the metal trace to operate as one of a monopole antenna or a dipole in the second radio band (Ikemoto; Fig. 10, par. 0013, 0024, 0038, 0068, 0106, 0077, 0078, 0109-0110; RFID chip 50 in conjunction with RFID antenna 20 configured as RFID tuning loop; second RFID chip 30, metal traces have sections separated by a narrow gap, RFIDs operate at different frequency bands; the metal trace operates as one of the monopole antenna).
Regarding claim 14, Ikemoto discloses the method of claim 1 further comprising providing a ground plane operative to reduce an effect on a resonant frequency of one of the first radio frequency chip or the second radio frequency chip caused by presence of a metal in an environment that is proximate to the metal trace (Ikemoto; Fig. 10, par. 0013, 0024, 0038, 0068, 0106, 0077, 0078, 0109-0110; RFID chip 50 in conjunction with RFID antenna 20 configured as RFID tuning loop; second RFID chip 30, metal traces have sections separated by a narrow gap, RFIDs operate at different frequency bands; the metal trace operates as one of the monopole antenna).
Regarding claim 15, Ikemoto discloses an antenna and ground plane configured to support multiple radio frequency devices at different resonant frequencies in proximity of environmental metal as substantially described herein (Ikemoto; Fig. 10, par. 0013, 0024, 0038, 0068, 0106, 0077, 0078, 0109-0110; RFID chip 50 in conjunction with RFID antenna 20 configured as RFID tuning loop; second RFID chip 30, metal traces have sections separated by a narrow gap, RFIDs operate at different frequency bands; the metal trace operates as one of the monopole antenna).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 2, 5, 7 and 11 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: The prior art fails to disclose:
i. The device of claim 1, wherein the narrow gap between the sections of the metal trace is about 200 pm or less.
ii. The device of claim 4, wherein the dielectric substrate includes a fold line, and wherein the metal ground plane is disposed under the HF coil antenna when the device is folded at the fold line.
iii. The antenna structure of claim 6, wherein the gap disposed between adjacent sections of the metal trace is about 200 pm or less.
iv. The antenna structure of claim 10, wherein the dielectric substrate includes a fold line, and wherein the metal ground plane is configured to be disposed under the metal trace when the antenna structure is folded at the fold line.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to THIEN MINH LE whose telephone number is (571)272-2396. The examiner can normally be reached 6:30-5:00 PM M-Th..
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/THIEN M LE/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2876