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
Acknowledgment is made of applicant’s claim for foreign priority under 35 U.S.C. 119 (a)-(d). The certified copy has been filed in parent Application No. JP2022-008668, filed on 01/24/2022.
Claim Objections
Claim 11 objected to because of the following informalities: Claim 11 recites “the inductor” but should read “an inductor”. Appropriate correction is required.
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.
Claim 10 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 10 recites the “comprising a ground electrode which is grounded, wherein the ground electrode overlaps the at least one bias electrode via an insulating layer”. It is unclear what the applicant is referring to as the “ground electrode” since there is no mention of a ground electrode within the specification.
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.
(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 1-6 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Chen et al. (US20220384961; hereinafter Chen).
Regarding claim 1, Chen (figs. 1-2B) discloses “A reflect array, comprising: at least one common electrode (110) arranged on an incident side of a radio wave; at least one bias electrode (120) arranged to overlap a back side of the at least one common electrode; a bias signal line (WR2) arranged on the back side of the at least one common electrode and connected to the at least one bias electrode; and a liquid crystal layer (LCL) between the at least one common electrode and the at least one bias electrode, wherein the at least one common electrode is at a constant potential, and a bias voltage is applied to the at least one bias electrode via the bias signal line to change the dielectric constant of the liquid crystal layer (application refers to 120 as a “tuning electrode” for adjusting the electromagnetic properties of the LCL, therefore it is inherent that 120 is variable in the voltage applied to allow for tuning)”.
Regarding claim 2, Chen (figs. 1-2B) discloses “The reflect array according to claim 1, wherein the at least one common electrode has a rectangular pattern or a plurality of parallel dipole-patterns of different mutual lengths (fig. 2A/2B)”.
Regarding claim 3, Chen (figs. 1-2B) discloses “The reflect array according to claim 1, wherein the at least one common electrode comprises a plurality of common electrodes and the at least one bias electrode comprises a plurality of bias electrodes, and wherein the plurality of common electrodes and the plurality of bias electrodes are arranged in a matrix (fig. 1)”.
Regarding claim 4, Chen (figs. 1-2B) discloses “The reflect array according to claim 3, further comprising a common wiring (WR1) interconnecting the plurality of common electrodes”.
Regarding claim 5, Chen (figs. 1-2B) discloses “The reflect array according to claim 3, wherein a spacing between the plurality of bias electrodes is narrower than a spacing between the plurality of common electrodes (fig. 2 and ¶[0048]; In this embodiment, the antenna electrodes 110 only have one size, but the disclosure is not limited thereto. More specifically, each antenna electrode 110 has a width W1 and a width W2 respectively along the direction D1 and the direction D2. The width W1 of each antenna electrode 110 is the same, and the width W2 of each antenna electrode 110 is the same as well. Similarly, the tuning electrodes 120 also only have one size, and the size of each tuning electrode 120 is slightly greater than the size of the corresponding antenna electrode 110)”.
Regarding claim 6, Chen (figs. 1-2B) discloses “The reflect array according to claim 3, further comprising an insulating member (AL2) filled in between the plurality of bias electrodes”.
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 7-9 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Chen in view of Nosaka et al. (US20190341909; hereinafter Nosaka).
Regarding claim 7, Chen discloses the reflect array according to claim 3 as shown previously.
Chen does not disclose “wherein the plurality of bias electrodes are grounded via a capacitor”.
However, Nosaka teaches “wherein the plurality of bias electrodes are grounded via a capacitor (see figs. 6A/C and ¶[0139]; Each of FIGS. 6A, 6B, 6C and 6D schematically illustrates the electrode structure of the radio-frequency filter 10 according to the first embodiment. More specifically, FIG. 6A is a plan view of the electrode structure, FIG. 6B is a sectional view taken along line C-C′ of FIG. 6A, FIG. 6C is a sectional view taken along line D-D′ of FIG. 6A, and FIG. 6D is a sectional view taken along line E-E′ of FIG. 6A. The electrode structure shown in FIGS. 6A, 6B, 6C and 6D is illustrated for explaining the typical structure of each resonator forming the radio-frequency filter 10 and interdigital capacitor electrodes forming the capacitors C1 and C2. The numbers and the lengths of electrode fingers forming the IDT electrode of each resonator and those forming the interdigital capacitor electrodes of the radio-frequency filter 10 are not restricted to those shown in FIGS. 6A, 6B, 6C and 6D. The switches SW1 and SW2 are also schematically illustrated in FIGS. 6A, 6B, 6C and 6D. However, the position and structure of the switches SW1 and SW2 are not particularly restricted. For example, the switches SW1 and SW2 may be formed on a different chip from that on which the resonators and the interdigital capacitor electrodes are formed)”.
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to apply the teachings of Nosaka and make Chen’s reflect array wherein the plurality of bias electrodes are grounded via a capacitor, in order to store and release charges in the circuit.
Regarding claim 8, Chen discloses the reflect array according to claim 1 as shown previously.
Chen does not disclose “wherein the at least one bias electrode is connected to the bias signal line via a switching element”.
However, Nosaka teaches “wherein the at least one bias electrode is connected to the bias signal line via a switching element (figs. 6A/C and ¶[0139])”.
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to apply the teachings of Nosaka and make Chen’s reflect array wherein the at least one bias electrode is connected to the bias signal line via a switching element, in order to control the store and release of charges in the circuit.
Regarding claim 9, Chen discloses the reflect array according to claim 8 as shown previously.
Chen does not disclose “wherein the at least one bias electrode is connected to the bias signal line via a switching element”.
However, Nosaka teaches “wherein the at least one bias electrode is grounded via a capacitor between the at least one bias electrode and the switching element (figs. 6A/C and ¶[0139])”.
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to apply the teachings of Nosaka and make Chen’s reflect array wherein the at least one bias electrode is grounded via a capacitor between the at least one bias electrode and the switching element, in order to control the store and release of charges in the circuit.
Claim 11 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Chen in view of Sievenpiper et al. (US6552696; hereinafter Sievenpiper).
Regarding claim 11, Chen discloses the reflect array according to claim 1 as shown previously.
Chen does not disclose “further comprising a power supply circuit that applies a predetermined voltage to the at least one common electrode, wherein an inductor is connected between the at least one common electrode and the power supply circuit”.
However, Sievenpiper teaches “further comprising a power supply circuit that applies a predetermined voltage to the at least one common electrode (power supplied by V1-V7), wherein an inductor is connected between the at least one common electrode and the power supply circuit (Items 12b and 34 in fig. 8C and Col. 7 lines 62-65; The elements 12 are arranged in two groups: one group 12a is directly (AC and DC) grounded to the back plane 14 by conductors 16 while the other group 12b is only AC grounded to the back plan 14 by LC filters 34)”.
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to apply the teachings of Sievenpiper and make Chen’s reflect array further comprising a power supply circuit that applies a predetermined voltage to the at least one common electrode, wherein an inductor is connected between the at least one common electrode and the power supply circuit, in order to modify the fed signal for proper feeding to the electrode.
Claim 12 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Chen in view of Nosaka and Sievenpiper.
Regarding claim 11, Chen discloses the reflect array according to claim 1 as shown previously.
Chen does not disclose “further comprising an inductor connected between the at least one bias electrode and the switching element”.
However, Sievenpiper teaches “an inductor connected between the at least one bias electrode and the ground (Items 12b and 34 in fig. 8C and Col. 7 lines 62-65)”.
Furthermore, Nosaka teaches a switch at the end of electrode circuitry (figs. 6A/C and ¶[0139]), therefore the combination of Sievenpiper and Nosaka would place the inductor “connected between the at least one bias electrode and the switching element”.
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to apply the teachings of Sievenpiper and Nosaka and make Chen’s reflect array further comprising an inductor connected between the at least one bias electrode and the switching element, in order to modify the signal for proper feeding to the electrode and to ground the electrode and control power to it.
Conclusion
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/AUSTIN M BACK/Examiner, Art Unit 2845
/DIMARY S LOPEZ CRUZ/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2845