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 .
Priority
Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement(s) (IDS) is/are in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement(s) is/are being considered by the examiner.
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) 1-2, 6-9, 11-12, and 16-19 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as anticipated by or, in the alternative, under 35 U.S.C. 103 as obvious over Sledkov (U.S. Patent Application No. 20170358865), hereinafter known as Sledkov.
Regarding claims 1 and 18, Sledkov discloses (Figs. 1-6) a plurality of phase shifters (2), wherein each phase shifter comprises a phase shifter cavity (see Fig. 3), phase shifter cavities of the plurality of phase shifter cavities are disposed in parallel (see Fig. 3), two adjacent phase shifter cavities are connected through welding (Examiner’s Note: This limitation is in regards to how the antenna was made, which does not meaningfully provide any structural limitations. Therefore, the limitation is treated as a Product-by-Process limitation. Since, the structure of Sledkov is found to be substantially identical to the structure claimed by claim 1, the claim is therefore taught by the dislcosure. See MPEP 2113.), and the plurality of phase shifter cavities form a reflection plate (4) of the antenna (see Fig. 1).
Alternatively, Sledkov teaches the limitations of claim 1 as shown above, but does not expressly teach how the phase shifter cavities are connected.
Sledkov does teach modifications to the manufacturing process can be made resulting in “enhanced manufacturability” ([0021]).
It would have been obvious before the effective filing date of invention to one of ordinary skill in the art use welding to connect the phase shifter cavities using welding since it has been held to be within the general skill of a worker in the art to employ/use a known technique to improve similar devices (methods, products) in the same way is obvious. KSR International Co. v Teleflex Inc., 550 U.S. 398, 415-421, 82 USPQ2d 1385, 1395-97 (2007) Welding provides a secure connection between metal which is well known to a skilled artisan.
Regarding claims 2 and 19, Sledkov discloses or teaches (Figs. 1-6) wherein each phase shifter cavity comprises a first side wall, first side walls of adjacent phase shifter cavities are connected through welding, and first side walls of the phase shifter cavities of the plurality of phase shifters form the reflection plate (see Fig. 3, top of 2 form 4).
Regarding claim 6, Sledkov discloses or teaches (Figs. 1-6) wherein the adjacent phase shifter cavities are connected by a continuous weld, or the adjacent phase shifter cavities are connected by a weld having a plurality of segmented welds that are spaced apart (see Fig. 3, rejection of claim 1, parts being welded will fall into one of these categories).
Regarding claim 7, Sledkov discloses (Figs. 1-6) a reflection plate (4); and a phase shifter (2), wherein the phase shifter comprises a phase shifter cavity (see Fig. 3) fastened to the reflection plate through welding (see Examiner’s Note in rejection of claim 1), and the phase shifter cavity forms a part of the reflection plate (see Fig. 3).
Alternatively, Sledkov teaches the limitations of claim 1 as shown above, but does not expressly teach how the phase shifter cavities are connected.
As shown in response to claim 1, It would have been obvious before the effective filing date of invention to one of ordinary skill in the art to connect elements of Sledkov using welding.
Regarding claim 8, Sledkov discloses or teaches (Figs. 1-6) wherein the reflection plate has formed thereon a groove (4a) corresponding to the phase shifter cavity (see Fig. 2), and a projection of the phase shifter cavity on a surface of the reflection plate covers the groove (see Fig. 2).
Regarding claim 9, Sledkov discloses or teaches (Figs. 1-6) wherein the phase shifter cavity comprises a first side wall disposed in the groove and welded to an inner wall of the groove (see Fig. 2, Examiner’s Note in response to claim 1 regarding welding), or a surface of the first side wall away from inside of the phase shifter cavity is welded on the surface of the reflection plate, and the first side wall forms a part of the reflection plate.
Regarding claim 11, Sledkov discloses or teaches (Figs. 1-6) wherein the phase shifter cavity comprises: a first side wall (top of 2); and a plurality of bosses (11a) disposed on the first side wall and arranged in a length direction of the phase shifter cavity (see Fig. 3, 11a penetrates 2), wherein the reflection plate has a plurality of holes corresponding respectively to the plurality of bosses (see Fig. 3), the first side wall of the phase shifter cavity is disposed on a surface of the reflection plate (see Fig. 3), a projection of each boss on the surface of the reflection plate covers a corresponding hole (see Fig. 3), and the boss forms a part of the reflection plate (see Fig. 3).
Regarding claim 12, Sledkov discloses or teaches (Figs. 1-6) wherein each boss is disposed in a corresponding hole and is welded to an inner wall of the corresponding hole (see Fig. 3, Examiner’s Note in response to claim 1 regarding welding), or a surface of each boss away from inside of the phase shifter cavity is welded on the surface of the reflection plate.
Regarding claim 16, Sledkov discloses or teaches (Figs. 1-6) wherein the phase shifter cavity and the reflection plate are connected by a continuous weld, or the phase shifter cavity and the reflection plate are connected by a plurality of segmented welds that are spaced apart (see Fig. 3, rejection of claim 1, parts being welded will fall into one of these categories).
Regarding claim 17, Sledkov discloses or teaches (Figs. 1-6) a radiating element (1) disposed on a first side of the reflection plate opposite to a second side on which the phase shifter is located (see Fig. 1).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 3-5, 10, 13-15, 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 prior art does not teach or render obvious the claims above as arranged, specifically “a flange disposed around the first side wall and disposed on said each phase shifter cavity, wherein flanges of adjacent phase shifter cavities are connected through welding, and first side walls and flanges of the phase shifter cavities of the plurality of phase shifters form the reflection plate.”
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Liu et al. (U.S. Patent Application No. 20170069941) teaches a phase shifter.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to DANIEL MUNOZ whose telephone number is (571)270-1957. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 9 a.m. - 5 p.m.
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/DANIEL MUNOZ/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2896
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