DETAILED ACTION
This Office action is in response to the application filed on 26 August 2024.
Claims 1-20 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)(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 1-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by ZIMMERMAN et al. US 2015/0295313 A1.
As to claim 1, ZIMMERMAN discloses substantially the invention as claimed, including an antenna array (Figures 11-14) comprising:
a first antenna element (Figure 11, antenna element 16) comprising:
a first substrate (Figure 10, a substrate element 140a);
a second substrate (Figure 10, another substrate element 140b) extending through the first substrate and orthogonal to the first substrate;
a first feed (Figures 8, 9, a feed element 122) coupled to the first substrate, wherein the first feed comprises a first portion (Figure 10, a portion element 134) and a second portion (Figure 10, another portion element 134) capacitively coupled to the first portion through the second substrate;
a first radiator (Figures 6, 7, a radiator element 118) coupled to the first substrate and electrically coupled to the first feed;
a second feed (Figures 6-10, a feed element 122) coupled to the second substrate (element 140b), wherein the second feed comprises a third portion (element 134) and a fourth portion (element 134) capacitively coupled to the third portion through the first substrate; and
a second radiator (Figures 6, 7, a radiator element 118) coupled to the second substrate and electrically coupled to the second feed; and
a second antenna element (Figure 10).
As to claim 2, ZIMMERMAN discloses wherein the first antenna element further comprises a third radiator (Figures 6, 7, another radiator element 118) coupled to the first substrate and electrically coupled to the first feed, wherein the first radiator and the third radiator are positioned on opposite sides of the second substrate.
As to claim 3, ZIMMERMAN discloses wherein the first antenna element further comprises a scatterer (Figures 6, 7, a reflector 12) coupled to the first substrate and arranged to scatter a wireless signal transmitted by the first radiator.
As to claim 4, ZIMMERMAN discloses wherein the first substrate defines a slot and wherein the second substrate is positioned in the slot (Figures 8a-9c).
As to claim 5, ZIMMERMAN discloses wherein the second antenna element (Figures 11-14, another antenna element 114) comprises: a third substrate; a fourth substrate extending through the third substrate and orthogonal to the third substrate; a third feed coupled to the third substrate, wherein the third feed comprises a fifth portion and a sixth portion capacitively coupled to the fifth portion through the fourth substrate; a third radiator coupled to the third substrate and electrically coupled to the third feed; a fourth feed coupled to the fourth substrate, wherein the fourth feed comprises a seventh portion and an eighth portion capacitively coupled to the seventh portion through the third substrate; and a fourth radiator coupled to the fourth substrate and electrically coupled to the fourth feed (Figure 11-14 show another antenna element 114 with the same characteristics as the antenna element 16’s as shown in claim 1 above).
As to claim 6, ZIMMERMAN discloses wherein the first radiator converts an electrical signal from the first feed into a wireless signal (Figures 11-14, and associated paragraphs, ).
As to claim 7, ZIMMERMAN discloses further comprising a third antenna element (Figures 11-14, and associated paragraphs, more than 2 antenna elements).
As to claim 8, ZIMMERMAN discloses wherein the first substrate bisects the second substrate (Figures 11-14, and associated paragraphs, the substrate 140a bisects the substrate 140b).
Claims 9-16 correspond to the method of the antenna array claims 1-8; therefore, they are rejected under the same rationale as in the antenna array claims 1-8 as shown above.
Claims 17-20 correspond to the Access Point (or Base Station antenna system, in ZIMMERMAN in [44]) antenna array system of the antenna array claims 1,4,8,2; therefore, they are rejected under the same rationale as in the antenna array claims 1,4,8,2 as shown above.
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Runyon et al. US patent No. 6,067,053 A discloses the technical features in Figures 7A-13 in instant independent claim 1.
Thompson et al. US patent No. 6,069,590 A discloses the technical features in Figures 6A-6F in instant independent claim 1.
The prior art cited in this Office action is: ZIMMERMAN et al. US 2015/0295313 A1; Runyon et al. US patent No. 6,067,053 A; Thompson et al. US patent No. 6,069,590 A.
Conclusion
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/HAI V NGUYEN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2649
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