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 § 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.
Claim(s) 1-2, 4, 6-10, 14-15, 18 and 21 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Kosaka et al. (U.S. Patent Application No. 20190393597, made of record in IDS dated 13 August 2024), hereinafter known as Kosaka.
Regarding claim 1, Kosaka discloses (Figs. 1-6) a lower frequency band antenna (Figs. 5-6) for a multiband antenna system ([0058]), said multiband antenna system comprising, at least one lower frequency band antenna (1000) and at least one higher frequency band antenna (2000), said lower frequency band antenna comprising:
a substrate (120) mounting a plurality of dipole arms (101) each comprising a plurality of conductive loops (104, [0074]), said substrate and dipole arms forming a frequency selective surface
predominantly transparent to said higher frequency band and resonating at said lower frequency band ([0058]); wherein
each of said dipole arms comprises an array of cells (106) each cell comprising at least one of said plurality of conductive loops configured as an outer conductive cell loop defining an outer periphery of said cell (104) a size of said outer conductive cell loop determining said higher frequency
band that said frequency selective surface is transparent to ([0074]-[0075]), and a size and number of cells in said array determining said lower frequency band that said antenna resonates at ([0074]-[0075]); wherein
at least one of said dipole arms comprises an array of conductive loops with no conductive patches within said outer conductive cell loop (see Figs. 5-6).
Regarding claim 2, Kosaka discloses (Figs. 1-6) wherein all of said dipole arms comprise an array of conductive loops with no conductive patches within said outer conductive cell loops (see Fig. 6).
Regarding claim 4, Kosaka discloses (Figs. 1-6) wherein said at least one of said dipole arm comprises active elements that consists of said array of said conductive loops (see Fig. 6).
Regarding claim 6, Kosaka discloses (Figs. 1-6) wherein said outer conductive cell loops comprises a conductive track forming four sides of said loop (edge of 106 and 107), at least one of said sides comprises a conductive track that extends from said conductive loop towards but not as far as a centre of said loop and returns along an adjacent parallel path to form a U-shaped conductive track (see Fig. 6).
Regarding claim 7, Kosaka discloses (Figs. 1-6) wherein said U-shaped conductive track is formed by an indent in said conductive track forming said loop (107, Fig. 6).
Regarding claim 8, Kosaka discloses (Figs. 1-6) wherein said U-shaped conductive track is attached to said conductive track forming said loop at two points on said side of said conductive loop (Fig. 6).
Regarding claim 9, Kosaka discloses (Figs. 1-6) wherein at least two of said conductive sides of said loop each comprise at least one U-shaped conductive track extending from said side (outside of 107, Fig. 6).
Regarding claim 10, Kosaka discloses (Figs. 1-6) wherein said U-shaped conductive tracks are a same length (see Fig. 6).
Regarding claim 14, Kosaka discloses (Figs. 1-6) wherein the array of cells is surrounded by an outer conductive dipole loop which resonates within the desired lower frequency band and surrounds the plurality of cells within the dipole arm (see Fig. 6).
Regarding claim 15, Kosaka discloses (Figs. 1-6) wherein said outer conductive dipole loop surrounding said array of cells comprises four straight conductive tracks of a substantially same length, the lower frequency band that the dipole arm resonates at being related to a size of said outer conductive dipole loop (see Fig. 6).
Regarding claim 18, Kosaka discloses (Figs. 1-6) wherein said outer conductive cell loops of neighbouring cells share conductive tracks, such that a conductive track running along a side of one loop is the same conductive track on an adjoining side of a neighbouring cell (see Fig. 6).
Regarding claim 21, Kosaka discloses (Figs. 1-6) wherein said antenna system further comprises a signal feed, said signal feed being mounted on an other side of said substrate to said conductive loops (see Figs. 2-3).
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) 11, and 19-20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kosaka.
Regarding claim 11, Kosaka teaches the limitations of claim 9, but does not teach further details of the tracks.
It would have been obvious before the effective filing date of invention to one of ordinary skill in the art to adjust the length of the conductive tracks 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) Adjustment of the length of the tracks can adjust the frequency of operation ([0075]).
Regarding claim 19, Kosaka teaches the limitations of claim 1, but does not teach further details of the number of conductive loops.
It would have been obvious before the effective filing date of invention to one of ordinary skill in the art to adjust the number of conductive loops in the dipole arms 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) Adjustment of the number of loops can adjust the parameters of the frequency selective service based on the desired application.
Regarding claim 20, Kosaka teaches the limitations of claim 1, but does not teach further details of the tracks.
It would have been obvious before the effective filing date of invention to one of ordinary skill in the art to adjust the width of the conductive tracks 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) Adjusting the width of the tracks can adjust the frequency of operation of the frequency selective surface.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 3, 5, 12, 13, and 16 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 following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter:
The prior art does not teach or render obvious claim 3 as arranged, specifically “wherein at least one other of said dipole arms comprise cells that each comprise at least one conductive patch within and surrounded by said outer conductive cell loop.”
The prior art does not teach or render obvious claim 12 as arranged, specifically “wherein at least one side comprises multiple U-shaped conductive tracks.”
The prior art does not teach or render obvious claim 15 as arranged, specifically “wherein said outer conductive cell loops each have chamfered corners, said chamfered corners comprise concave curved sections joining adjacent straight conductive tracks.”
The rest of the claims are allowable based on their dependence from the above claims.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Lo (U.S. Patent No. 6452549) teaches a multiband antenna.
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