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 Amendment
The amendment filed 03/03/2026 has been entered. Claims 1 and 4-20 are currently pending. Claims 2-3 have been cancelled. Amendments to the claims have overcome the objections set forth in the Non-Final Office Action dated 12/05/2025.
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, 13-16 and 18-19 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Liu et al. (NPL “28 GHz Substrate-Integrated Filtering Dielectric Resonator Antenna Array” – of record; “Liu”).
Claim 1: Liu discloses (figs. 1a-1c below) “A substrate-integrated dielectric resonator (title, “28 GHz substrate-integrated filtering dielectric resonator antenna array”), comprising:
a) a first substrate layer (antenna substrate) having a first dielectric constant (section II, ¶1; “Rogers RT/duroid 6010.2LM is used as the antenna substrate. It has a tensor dielectric constant”);
b) a plurality of metallic patches (strips) on a first side of the first substrate layer (top side of antenna substrate, as shown in fig. 1c);
the plurality of metallic patches shorted to ground (section II, ¶2; “All four strips… are shorted to the ground plane through the metallic vias”);
the plurality of metallic patches separated from each other (section II, ¶2, “On the top side of the antenna substrate, there are two arc-shaped strips with an inner radius of R2 and two short upper and lower strips”);
wherein on each of the plurality of metallic patches (strips), there is formed a plurality of metallic vias that extend through the first substrate layer (see fig. 1c);
the plurality of metallic vias on at least two of the metallic patches being aligned along a straight line that is parallel to the first side of the first substrate layer (metallic vias of the two short upper and lower strips are in a straight line that is parallel to the top side of the antenna substrate)”.
Liu does not explicitly disclose metallic patches. However, the Liu resonator can be implemented using PCB technology (section I, final paragraph), the strips are printed on the antenna substrate (section I, final paragraph), and the strips are shorted to the ground plane (section II, ¶2; “All four strips… are shorted to the ground plane through the metallic vias”). Therefore, it would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a person having ordinary skill in the art to provide a metallic patch in the dielectric resonator of Liu. Doing so allows for the antenna gain of the antenna to be increased (abstract of Liu).
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Claim 13: Liu discloses (figs. 1a-1c) “A dielectric resonator antenna, comprising:
a) the substrate-integrated dielectric resonator of claim 1; and
b) a second substrate layer (feed substrate) arranged on a second side of the first substrate layer (antenna substrate) of the substrate-integrated dielectric resonator;
the second substrate layer further comprising:
a microstrip feedline (microstripline); and
an antenna ground plane (ground).
Claim 14: Liu discloses the dielectric resonator antenna of claim 13.
Liu discloses (Section II, ¶1) “wherein the second substrate layer (feed substrate) has a second dielectric constant (εr2 = 2.2) which is smaller than the first dielectric constant (εr1 is shown in matrix) of the first substrate layer (antenna substrate) of the substrate-integrated dielectric resonator”.
Claim 15: Liu discloses the dielectric resonator antenna of claim 13.
Liu discloses (figs. 1a-1c) “wherein the second substrate layer (feed substrate) comprises a middle metal layer (ground) and a bottom metal layer (microstrip feedline) respectively located on two sides of the second substrate layer”.
Claim 16: Liu discloses the dielectric resonator antenna of claim 15.
Liu discloses “wherein the middle metal layer (ground) is configured on one of the two sides of the second substrate layer (feed substrate) that is facing and in contact with the second side of the first substrate layer (antenna substrate); the middle metal layer acting as the antenna ground plane (abstract, “It is excited by a microstrip feedline on a second substrate through four slots on the common ground plane of the antenna and feed substrates”)”.
Claim 18: Liu discloses the dielectric resonator antenna of claim 16.
Liu discloses (figs. 1a-1c) “wherein the middle metal layer (ground) is in electrical communication with a plurality of metallic vias (metallic vias) that extend through the first substrate layer (antenna substrate) (section II, ¶2; “All four strips… are shorted to the ground plane through the metallic vias”)”.
Claim 19: Liu discloses the dielectric resonator antenna of claim 15.
Liu discloses (fig. 1c) “wherein the microstrip feedline is part of the bottom metal layer (Section I, ¶5; “Its feedline is printed on a separated low-εr substrate.”)”.
Claims 5-12 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Liu in view of Fallah-Rad et al. (NPL “Gain enhancement in linear and circularly polarized microstrip patch antennas using shorted metallic patches” – of record; “Fal”).
Claim 5: Liu discloses the substrate-integrated dielectric resonator of claim 1.
Liu does not disclose “wherein at least one of the plurality of metallic patches has a substantially square shape, and at least another one of the plurality of metallic patches has a rectangular shape”. However, Liu does disclose two short upper and lower strips which are substantially rectangular, i.e., they are rectangular with rounded edges. Liu also discloses that the metallic patches have different shapes (arcs and rounded rectangular).
Fal teaches using shorted metallic patches for increasing the gain (abstract). Fal also teaches (fig. 6 below) wherein at least one of the plurality of metallic patches has a substantially square shape, and at least another one of the plurality of metallic patches has a rectangular shape.
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It would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a person having ordinary skill in the art to apply the teachings of Fal to the Liu antenna, such that at least one of the plurality of metallic patches has a substantially square shape, and at least another one of the plurality of metallic patches has a rectangular shape. Doing so allows for the gain of the antenna to be controlled, according to user requirements (p. 141, final paragraph of Fal).
Claim 6: Liu discloses the substrate-integrated dielectric resonator of claim 1.
Liu does not disclose “wherein a number of the plurality of metallic patches is six”. However, Liu teaches different numbers of metallic patches can be used (see fig. 2).
Fig. 3a (below) of Fal shows 16 patches, fig. 6a shows ten patches, and fig. 6b shows two patches. A person having ordinary skill in the art would recognize that the number of metallic patches used depends on the gain required, the size of the metallic patches, and the size of the first substrate layer.
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It would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a person having ordinary skill in the art to apply the teachings of Fal to the dielectric resonator antenna of Liu, wherein a number of the plurality of metallic patches is six. The number of metallic patches can be set to achieve a desired value of gain, according to user requirements (Section III of Liu).
Claim 7: modified Liu teaches the substrate-integrated dielectric resonator of claim 6.
Liu does not disclose, but Fal teaches “wherein the plurality of metallic patches together define a substantially square shape on the first side of the first substrate layer (see fig. 3a above)”.
It would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a person having ordinary skill in the art to apply the teachings of Fal to the dielectric resonator antenna of Liu in view of Fal, wherein the plurality of metallic patches together define a substantially square shape on the first side of the first substrate layer. The number and arrangement of metallic patches can be set to achieve a desired value of gain, according to user requirements.
Claim 8: modified Liu teaches the substrate-integrated dielectric resonator of claim 6.
Liu discloses “wherein adjacent ones of the plurality of metallic patches are separated from each other at a same distance (see fig. 1b)”.
Claim 9: modified Liu teaches the substrate-integrated dielectric resonator of claim 6.
Liu does not explicitly disclose “wherein the plurality of metallic patches comprises a first group of the metallic patches and a second group of the metallic patches; the first group and the second group being symmetrical to each other about a virtual line that passes through a center of the first substrate layer”. However, the metallic patches of Liu are symmetrical (see fig. 1b).
Fal teaches wherein the plurality of metallic patches comprises a first group of the metallic patches and a second group of the metallic patches; the first group and the second group being symmetrical to each other about a virtual line that passes through a center of the first substrate layer (fig. 3a; a virtual line can be drawn through the array of metal patches to form a first group and a second group).
It would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a person having ordinary skill in the art to apply the teachings of Fal to the dielectric resonator antenna of Liu in view of Fal, wherein the plurality of metallic patches comprises a first group of the metallic patches and a second group of the metallic patches; the first group and the second group being symmetrical to each other about a virtual line that passes through a center of the first substrate layer, as taught by Fal. The arrangement of metallic patches can be set to achieve a desired value of gain, according to user requirements.
Claim 10: modified Liu teaches the substrate-integrated dielectric resonator of claim 9.
Liu does not disclose “wherein each of the first group and the second group comprises three said metallic patches, including two rectangular metallic patches and a substantially square metallic patch placed in-between”.
However, Fal teaches an array of square shorted metallic patches (in fig. 3a) and an arrangement of rectangular shorted metallic patches (fig. 6b). As a square is a rectangle, the claim can be interpreted as a two by three configuration of rectangular metal patches. An array of rectangular patches is taught by Fal.
It would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a person having ordinary skill in the art to apply the teachings of Fal to the dielectric resonator of Liu in view of Fal, wherein each of the first group and the second group comprises three said metallic patches, including two rectangular metallic patches and a substantially square metallic patch placed in-between. The arrangement of metallic patches can be set to achieve a desired value of gain, according to user requirements.
Claim 11: modified Liu teaches the substrate-integrated dielectric resonator of claim 6.
Liu discloses “wherein on each of the plurality of metallic patches there are formed a plurality of metallic vias that extend through the first substrate layer (antenna substrate)”.
Liu does not disclose “the metallic vias on the metallic patches in the first group being aligned along a straight line; and the metallic vias on the metallic patches in the second group being aligned along a straight line”. However, the metallic vias on the of two short upper and lower strips are in a straight line (see fig. 1b).
However, all of the metallic vias of the metallic patches taught by Fal are aligned in a straight line (see fig. 6)
It would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a person having ordinary skill in the art to apply the teachings of Fal to the dielectric resonator of Liu in view of Fal, wherein the metallic vias on the metallic patches in the first group being aligned along a straight line; and the metallic vias on the metallic patches in the second group being aligned along a straight line. Doing so provides ensures that shorting to other components is avoided and signal integrity is maintained. Manufacture of the dielectric resonator is also easier.
Claim 12: modified Liu teaches the substrate-integrated dielectric resonator of claim 9.
Liu does not disclose “wherein the metallic vias on the metallic patches in the first group are symmetrical to the metallic vias on the metallic patches in the second group being aligned about the virtual line”.
However, all of the metallic vias on the metal patches show in fig. 2a of Fal are symmetrical. Therefore, Fal teaches wherein the metallic vias on the metallic patches in the first group are symmetrical to the metallic vias on the metallic patches in the second group being aligned about the virtual line.
It would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a person having ordinary skill in the art to apply the teachings of Fal to the dielectric resonator of Liu in view of Fal, wherein the metallic vias on the metallic patches in the first group are symmetrical to the metallic vias on the metallic patches in the second group being aligned about the virtual line. Doing so provides ensures that shorting to other components is avoided and signal integrity is maintained. Manufacture of the dielectric resonator is also easier.
Claim 17 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Liu in view of IDS document Petosa (NPL “Dielectric Resonator Antenna Handbook” – of record).
Claim 17: Liu discloses the dielectric resonator antenna of claim 16.
Liu discloses (fig. 1c) “wherein the middle metal layer (ground) is formed with a coupling slot (slot)”.
Liu does not disclose “that has a longitudinal direction intersecting with that of the microstrip feedline”.
However, a coupling slot that has a longitudinal direction intersecting with that of the microstrip feedline is taught by Petosa (p. 62, fig. 3.12 below).
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It would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a person having ordinary skill in the art to apply the teachings of Petosa to the dielectric resonator antenna of Liu wherein the coupling slot has a longitudinal direction intersecting with that of the microstrip feedline. Doing so allows for computational electromagnetics methods, such as the finite element method, to be used for determining the input impedance of the dielectric resonator antenna (p. 61 of Petosa).
Claim 20 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Liu in view of Zhang et al. (NPL “Advanced Dielectric Resonator Antenna Technology for 5G and 6G Applications” – of record; “Zhang”).
Claim 20: Liu discloses the dielectric resonator antenna of claim 19, and “an external connector (the endlaunch connector shown in fig. 10c)”.
However, Liu does not explicitly disclose “wherein the bottom metal layer further comprises a metallic pad as a mounting area for an external connector”.
Zhang (figs. 4a & 4b below) teaches a metallic pad (solder) as a mounting for an external connector, where the metallic pad is formed on a bottom metal layer.
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It would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a person having ordinary skill in the art to apply the teachings of Zhang to the dielectric resonator antenna of Liu, wherein the bottom metal layer further comprises a metallic pad as a mounting area for an external connector. Doing so allows for a low-profile dielectric resonator antenna.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to the claims have been fully considered, but are moot in view of the new grounds of rejection.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claim 4 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.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter: The pertinent prior art, as a whole, or in combination, cannot be reasonably construed as adequately teaching or suggesting the elements and features of the claimed invention(s) as arranged, disposed, or provided in the manner as claimed by the Applicant.
Regarding claim 4, Liu does not teach, or suggest, wherein each of the plurality of metallic patches has a substantially square or rectangular shape; the plurality of metallic vias on each of the plurality of metallic patches being aligned parallel to and closer to one of four sides of the substantially square or rectangular shape than others of the four sides.
Conclusion
Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
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/ANNA N HAMADYK/Examiner, Art Unit 2845
/DIMARY S LOPEZ CRUZ/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2845