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. EP23425040.5, filed on 08/21/2023.
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 1-16 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 1 and 10 recites the limitation a “coaxial-like connection”, however nowhere in the specification is it defined what is meant by a “coaxial-like” connection. Without further definition off what the applicant regards as a “coaxial-like connection” the meats and bounds of the claims cannot be determined. For the purposes of compact prosecution, “coaxial-like” has been taken to cover any connection type that involves a conductor at some point surrounded by an insulator.
Claims 4 and 12 recites the limitation a “the coaxial-like connection being provided embedded in the ground plane”. However, since there is no determination for what the limits of a “coaxial-like” connection are, it is unclear how said connection is provided and embedded in said ground plane. For the purposes of compact prosecution, “the coaxial-like connection being provided embedded in the ground plane” has been taken to mean that the connection structure and ground plane share at least some spatial components.
Claims 2-3, 5-9, 11, and 13-16 are rejected for their dependance.
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 1-5 and 9-13 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Lindsey et al. (US20160020501; hereinafter Lindsey).
Regarding independent claim 1, Lindsey (figs. 4A-4D) discloses “A printed circuit board (PCB) comprising: a coaxial-like connection (120), wherein the coaxial-like connection is configured to transmit one or more radio frequency (RF) signals (see fig. 4B; Examiner’s note - Regarding the recitation that an element is ‘configured to’ perform a function, it is the position of the office that such limitations are not positive structural limitations, and thus, only require the ability to so perform. In this case the prior art applied herein is construed as at least possessing such ability)”.
Regarding claim 2, Lindsey (figs. 4A-4D) discloses “The PCB of claim 1, wherein the coaxial-like connection is manufactured via one or more 3D printing techniques (¶[0040-0042]; First dielectric layer 132 may be formed by three-dimensional (3D) printing. In a representative embodiment, the 3D printing may include first coating a corresponding powder (not shown) over substrate 100 The coated powder may then be melted by a laser scanned in the pattern desired to form a first layer of patterned dielectric… In still further representative embodiments, conductive layer 134 may be disposed by 3D printing within center channel 135 of first dielectric layer 132 (shown in FIG. 3B), or by inserting a conductive wire within center channel 135… Conductive layer 134 may similarly be electrically connected to protruding conductor portion 124 by any of manually applied solder, 3D printing of conductive material… In a representative embodiment, second dielectric layer 136 may be formed by 3D printing)”.
Regarding claim 3, Lindsey (figs. 4A-4D) discloses “The PCB of claim 2, wherein the coaxial-like connection is manufactured via an additive manufacturing technique (¶[0040-0042])”.
Regarding claim 4, Lindsey (figs. 4A-4D) discloses “The PCB of claim 1, further comprising: an antenna, wherein the antenna comprises: a first dielectric layer (126) having a first upper surface, a second lower surface opposite the first upper surface, and a metal patch (128) provided on the first upper surface of the first dielectric layer; a second dielectric layer (126) having an additional first upper surface and an additional lower surface opposite the additional first upper surface; and a ground plane (122) provided between the second lower surface of the first dielectric layer and the additional first upper surface of the second dielectric layer, the coaxial-like connection (120) being provided embedded in the ground layer plane, the coaxial-like probe like connection being connected to the metal patch to thereby transmit radio frequency power to the metal patch in use (see fig. 4B)”.
Regarding claim 5, Lindsey (figs. 4A-4D) discloses “The PCB of claim 4, wherein the ground plane is in direct contact with the second lower surface of the first dielectric layer and in direct contact with the additional first upper surface of the second dielectric layer (see fig. 4B)”.
Regarding claim 9, Lindsey (figs. 4A-4D) discloses “The PCB of claim 3, wherein the PCB is manufactured via an additive manufacturing technique (¶[0040-0042])”.
Regarding independent claim 10, Lindsey (figs. 4A-4D) discloses “A method of manufacturing a printed circuit board (PCB) comprising: forming a coaxial-like connection (120) in a PCB via one or more 3D printing techniques, wherein the coaxial-like connection is configured to transmit one or more radio frequency (RF) signals (see fig. 4B)”.
Regarding claim 11, Lindsey (figs. 4A-4D) discloses “The PCB of claim 10, further comprising: forming the coaxial-like connection via one or more additive manufacturing techniques (¶[0040-0042])”.
Regarding claim 12, Lindsey (figs. 4A-4D) discloses “The method of claim 10, further comprising: forming an antenna for the PCB wherein the method comprises: providing a first dielectric layer (126) having a first upper surface, a second lower surface opposite the first upper surface, providing a metal patch (128) on the first upper surface of the first dielectric layer; providing a second dielectric layer (126) having an additional first upper surface and an additional lower surface opposite the additional first upper surface; providing a ground plane (122) between the second lower surface of the first dielectric layer and the additional first upper surface of the second dielectric layer, the coaxial-like connection (120) being provided embedded in the ground layer plane, the coaxial-like probe like connection being connected to the metal patch to thereby transmit radio frequency power to the metal patch in use (see fig. 4B)”.
Regarding claim 13, Lindsey (figs. 4A-4D) discloses “The method of claim 12, further comprising: providing the ground plane such that the ground plane is in direct contact with the second lower surface of the first dielectric layer and in direct contact with the additional first upper surface of the second dielectric layer (see fig. 4B)”.
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 6-7 and 14-15 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Lindsey in view of Rocco et al. (G. M. Rocco et al., "3-D Printed Microfluidic Sensor in SIW Technology for Liquids’ Characterization," in IEEE Transactions on Microwave Theory and Techniques, vol. 68, no. 3, pp. 1175-1184, March 2020, doi: 10.1109/TMTT.2019.2953580; hereinafter Rocco).
Regarding claim 6, Lindsey discloses the PCB of claim 4 as shown previously.
Lindsey does not disclose “wherein a surface mount connector is provided on and attached to the first upper surface of the first dielectric layer via a mount connector”.
However, Rocco teaches “wherein a surface mount connector is provided on and attached to the first upper surface of the first dielectric layer via a mount connector (fig. 3 connector and mount)”.
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 Rocco and make Lindsey’s PCB wherein a surface mount connector is provided on and attached to the first upper surface of the first dielectric layer via a mount connector, in order to more securely attach the connector structure.
Regarding claim 7, Lindsey discloses the PCB of claim 6 as shown previously.
Lindsey does not disclose “wherein the coaxial-like connection connects the surface mount connector to the metal patch”.
However, Rocco teaches “wherein the coaxial-like connection connects the surface mount connector to the metal patch (fig. 3 mount connects to both the metal patch and coaxial-like strucutre”.
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 Rocco and make Lindsey’s PCB wherein the coaxial-like connection connects the surface mount connector to the metal patch, in order to more securely attach the coaxial-like connector to the patch.
Regarding claim 14, Lindsey discloses the PCB of claim 12 as shown previously.
Lindsey does not disclose “providing and attaching a surface mount connector to the first upper surface of the first dielectric layer via the surface mount connector”.
However, Rocco teaches “providing and attaching a surface mount connector to the first upper surface of the first dielectric layer via the surface mount connector (fig. 3 connector and mount)”.
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 Rocco and make Lindsey’s method providing and attaching a surface mount connector to the first upper surface of the first dielectric layer via the surface mount connector, in order to more securely attach the connector structure.
Regarding claim 15, Lindsey discloses the PCB of claim 14 as shown previously.
Lindsey does not disclose “connecting the coaxial-like connection via the surface mount connector to the metal patch”.
However, Rocco teaches “connecting the coaxial-like connection via the surface mount connector to the metal patch (fig. 3 mount connects to both the metal patch and coaxial-like structure)”.
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 Rocco and make Lindsey’s method connecting the coaxial-like connection via the surface mount connector to the metal patch, in order to more securely attach the coaxial-like connector to the patch.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 8 and 18 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.
Regarding claim 8, patentability exists, at least in part, with the claimed features of “The PCB of claim 7, further comprising: first and second coax pins, embedded in the ground plane, the first and second coax pins being configured to receive and output the one or more RF signals in use”.
Lindsey, Rocco, and Rogers (US20200067201) are all cited as teaching some elements of the claimed invention including “The PCB of claim 7”.
However, the prior art, when taken alone, or, in combination, cannot be construed as reasonably teaching or suggesting all of the elements of the claimed invention as arranged, disposed, or provided in the manner as claimed by the Applicant. For at least this reason claim 8 is allowable.
Claim 16 is allowable for reciting similar subject matter to that of claim 8.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to AUSTIN MICHAEL BACK whose telephone number is (703)756-4521. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Friday 8 AM - 5 PM ET.
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/AUSTIN M BACK/Examiner, Art Unit 2845
/DIMARY S LOPEZ CRUZ/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2845
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