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 .
The information disclosure statement filed on9 8/23/2024 has been entered. The preliminary amendment filed 8/23/2024 has been entered. Claims 1-11 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)(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.
Claim 1 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a) (1) as being anticipated by Kawaguchi et al. (Kawaguchi et al. – 2008/0107802; cited by applicant; herein referred to as “Kawaguchi”).
Regarding claim 1, Kamaguchi discloses a multilayer waveguide structure
a stack of substrates (Kamaguchi; Fig. 1a-1g, 2a-2e, 3; top and bottom substrates 30 and substrate 11)
separated by each other by interface layers (Kamaguchi; Fig. 1a-1g, 2a-2e, 3; top and bottom substrates 30 and substrate 11, interface layers 26)
the substrates having a permittivity larger or equal to 1 (Kamaguchi; Fig. 1a-1g, 2a-2e, 3; top and bottom substrates 30 and substrate 11, interface layers 26; par. 0118 "insulative film 11" and par. 0128 "rigid substrate of glass epoxy resin")
metal vias
1g, 2a-2e, 3; top and bottom substrates 30 and substrate 11, interface layers 26; par. 0118 "insulative film 11" and par. 0128 "rigid substrate of glass epoxy resin", via hole 36 in Fig. 2(c) and 4) formed in at least some of the substrates),
wherein each interface layer .
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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 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 2-11 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kawaguchi et al. (Kawaguchi et al. – 2008/0107802; cited by applicant; herein referred to as “Kawaguchi”) in view of Hirai et al. (Hirai et al. – 2008/0121416; cited by applicant; herein referred to as “Hirai”).
Regarding clams 2-11, see the discussions to claim 1 in view of Kawaguchi. The claims differ in calling for:
2. the waveguide structure of claim 1, wherein at least one interface layer comprises electromagnetic coupling slots in which the interface layer
3. the waveguide structure of claim 1
4. the waveguide structure according to claim1, wherein the first metal layer
5. the waveguide structure according to laim1, wherein a radiating aperture is formed in the waveguide structure by associating a first substrate comprising a metal through via
6. the waveguide structure according to claim1, wherein at least one of the substrates
7. the waveguide structure according to claim1, wherein the thickness of each interface laye
8. the waveguide structure according to claim1, wherein the thickness of the waveguide structure
9. The waveguide structure according to laim1, wherein the waveguide structure comprises a bottom substrate
10. The waveguide structure according to claim1, wherein the waveguide structure
11. (Currently amended) A radiofrequency antenna comprising a waveguide structure according to claim 1.
Reference to Hirai is cited as evidence showing the conventional of the claimed features. Specifically, the combined teachings of Kamaguchi/Hirai discloses:
Claim 2 (Kamaguchi; the regions of the interface layers 26 surrounding the conductive pads 40 in horizontal direction shows coupling slots with a thicker layer of adhesive; Hirai – Fig. 9, slots between the traces).
Claim 3 (Hirai – metal layer of top patch of via 8 is added to metal layer 12).
Claim 4 (Kamaguchi – the term “additional metal thickness” is not further limiting; Hirai – see discussions regarding claim 3).
Claim 5 (Kamaguchi – a coupling or radiation aperture has been identified in claim 2; substrate 11 can be defined as the first substrate and top substrate 30 can be defined as a second substrate).
Claim 6 (Kamaguchi – e.g. tow coupling slots in the bottom side of the bottom substrate 30 in Fig. 4; Hirai – e.g. multiple coupling slots in the tope side of the top substrate 10 in Fig. 10).
Claim 7 (Kamaguchi – Table 1 indicates for “Example 1” a thickness of the wiring pattern 40 of 30 µm, and Table 2 a thickness of the spacing of 100 µm, adding up to a maximum thickness of the adhesive layer of 160 µm)
Claim 11, Kamaguchi is declared as part of a transmission device such that the application of its waveguide structure as part of a radio frequency antenna is obvious choice for the skilled person.
It would have been obvious prior to the effective date of the claimed invention to provide the additional features as taught by Hirai in the system of Kamaguchi. The modifications are merely design considerations that would have been obvious to an ordinary skilled person in the art.
Allowable Subject Matter
Although the current set of claims is not allowable due to the aforementioned reasons, it appears that documents D1 and D2 do not completely anticipate the embodiments of the present application. It seems possible to overcome the above mentioned objections by adding to claim 1 the features of claim 3 and the following features from the description:
- "the waveguide structure is configured to guide electromagnetic waves between a first element connected to the topmost substrate and a second element connected to the lowest substrate", based on page 5, lines 1-4,
- "the patterned structures are configured to limit the propagation of said electromagnetic waves through the adhesive layer", based on page 6, lines 14-16, and
- "the metal vias being configured to delimit guiding channels for said electromagnetic waves", based on page 8, lines 31-32.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to THIEN MINH LE whose telephone number is (571)272-2396. The examiner can normally be reached 6:30-5:00 PM M-Th..
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/THIEN M LE/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2876