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 .
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 10-12 are 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 limitation "the one or more planes" in line 2. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim. Examiner cannot determine whether “the one or more planes” is referred to the one or more planes in the first antenna array or the one or more planes in the second antenna array. Clarification/correction required.
Claim 11 is rejected for depending on the rejected claim 10.
Claim 12 recites the limitation “each of the one or more planes in the first antenna array and each of the one or more planes in the second antenna array comprises the meshed patch structure” in lines 2-3. However, lines 9-11 of claim 1 recites “wherein at least one of the one or more of the planes in the first antenna array or at least one of the one or more of the planes in the second antenna array comprises a meshed patch structure”. A meshed patch structure of claim 1 refers to only one of the one or more of the planes in the first antenna array or the second antenna array. However, the meshed patch structure of claim 12, which depends on claim 1, refers to a single meshed patch structure comprising of both of the one or more planes in the first antenna array and the one or more planes in the second antenna array. The limitation of claim 12 seems to contradict with the limitation of claim 1. Clarification/correction required.
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.
Claims 1, 2, 6-10 and 12-14 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Ying et al (US 2019/0288377 A1), hereinafter Ying. (Applicant’s cited prior art).
Regarding claim 1, Ying (Figure 20) teaches a mobile computing device comprising:
a main logic board (MLB) 110 (Figure 6);
a first antenna array (Figure 20, 310 located on left side) positioned on the MLB and configured to transmit signals in a first direction, the first antenna array comprising one or more planes (Figures 5 and 6, planes 130 and 135); and
a second antenna array (Figure 20, 310 located on the top) positioned on the MLB and configured to transmit signals in a second direction, the second direction being different than the first direction, the second antenna array comprising one or more planes and the second direction being different than the first direction (Figures 5 and 6, planes 130 and 135),
wherein at least one of the one or more of the planes in the first antenna array or at least one of the one or more of the planes in the second antenna array comprises a meshed patch structure (Figures 4 and 5, mesh patch structure).
Regarding claim 2, as applied to claim 1, Ying (Figures 4 and 5) teaches that the meshed patch structure includes a plurality of vias and a plurality of traces arranged in a mesh structure.
Regarding claim 6, as applied to claim 1, Ying (Figure 6) further teaches an integrated circuit (IC) 170 positioned on the MLB 110, wherein the IC drives transmission of the signals from the first antenna array and the second antenna array.
Regarding claim 7, as applied to claim 6, Ying (Figure 6) teaches that the IC 170 is connected to the first antenna array and the second antenna array without intervening cables.
Regarding claim 8, as applied to claim 1, Ying (Figure 20) teaches that the first direction is substantially perpendicular to the second direction.
Regarding claim 9, as applied to claim 1, Ying (Figure 5) teaches that each of the one or more planes in the first antenna array or each of the one or more planes in the second antenna array comprises the meshed patch structure.
Regarding claim 10, as applied to claim 1, Ying (para [0065]) teaches that the one or more planes comprises a ground plane and a patched plane.
Regarding claim 12, as applied to claim 1, Ying (Figure 5) teaches that each of the one or more planes in the first antenna array and each of the one or more planes in the second antenna array comprises the meshed patch structure.
Regarding claim 13, as applied to claim 1, Ying (Figure 5, para [0065]) teaches that the first antenna array includes a respective ground plane and a respective patched plane, and wherein each of the respective ground plane and the respective patched plane includes a plurality of vias and a plurality of traces arranged in a mesh structure.
Regarding claim 14, as applied to claim 1, Ying (Figures 5 and 6) teaches that the first antenna array includes a connector 134 connecting a ground plane to a patched plane.
Claims 1-5, 10, 11 and 14 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Han et al (US 2019/0334241 A1), hereinafter Han. (Applicant’s cited prior art).
Regarding claim 1, Han teaches a mobile computing device comprising:
a main logic board (MLB) (Figure 12B, 600h);
a first antenna array (Figure 12B, 10-10 located on top) positioned on the MLB and configured to transmit signals in a first direction, the first antenna array comprising one or more planes (Figure 8A); and
a second antenna array (Figure 12B, 10-10 located on bottom) positioned on the MLB and configured to transmit signals in a second direction, the second direction being different than the first direction, the second antenna array comprising one or more planes and the second direction being different than the first direction (Figure 8A),
wherein at least one of the one or more of the planes in the first antenna array or at least one of the one or more of the planes in the second antenna array comprises a meshed patch structure (Figure 8A, meshed patch structure).
Regarding claim 2, as applied to claim 1, Han (Figure 8A) teaches that the meshed patch structure includes a plurality of vias and a plurality of traces arranged in a mesh structure.
Regarding claim 3, as applied to claim 1, Han (Figure 8A) teaches that the at least one of the one or more planes in the first antenna array comprises the mesh patch structure, and wherein the mobile computing device further comprises one or more of:
a first substrate 600h positioned on a first side of the MLB; and
a second substrate (opposite side of 600h) positioned on a second side of the MLB,
wherein the first antenna array is positioned on the MLB and one or more of the first substrate and the second substrate.
Regarding claim 4, as applied to claim 3, Han (Figures 8A and 8B) teaches that vias of the meshed patch structure are respectively positioned amongst the MLB 600h and at least one of the first substrate and the second substrate.
Regarding claim 5, as applied to claim 3, Han (Figure 8B) teaches that at least one of the first substrate 200e or the second substrate 260e is a high frequency printed circuit board.
Regarding claim 10, as applied to claim 1, Han (Figures 8A and 8B) teaches that the one or more planes comprises a ground plane (plane 200e parallel to x-y plane) and a patched plane 131e and 136e.
Regarding claim 11, as applied to claim 10, Han (Figures 8A and 8B) teaches that the ground plane (plane of 200e parallel to x-y plane) is aligned at a nonparallel angle with respect to the patched plane (last plane of 136e).
Regarding claim 14, as applied to claim 1, Han (Figures 8A and 8B) teaches that the first antenna array includes a connector 140e connecting a ground plane to a patched plane.
Claims 1, 2 and 8-13 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Ying et al (US 2019/0305429 A1), hereinafter Ying 429. (Applicant’s cited prior art).
Regarding claim 1, Ying 429 teaches a mobile computing device comprising:
a main logic board (MLB) 110 (Figures 1, 8 and 10);
a first antenna array (Figure 10, 1010 located on left side) positioned on the MLB and configured to transmit signals in a first direction, the first antenna array comprising one or more planes (Figure 4); and
a second antenna array (Figure 10, 1010 located on top) positioned on the MLB and configured to transmit signals in a second direction, the second direction being different than the first direction, the second antenna array comprising one or more planes and the second direction being different than the first direction,
wherein at least one of the one or more of the planes in the first antenna array or at least one of the one or more of the planes in the second antenna array comprises a meshed patch structure (Figures 2, 4 and 6).
Regarding claim 2, as applied to claim 1, Ying 429 (Figures 2, 3 and 6) teaches that the meshed patch structure includes a plurality of vias and a plurality of traces arranged in a mesh structure.
Regarding claim 8, as applied to claim 1, Ying 429 (Figure 10) teaches that the first direction is substantially perpendicular to the second direction.
Regarding claim 9, as applied to claim 1, Ying 429 (Figure 6) teaches that each of the one or more planes 121 in the first antenna array or each of the one or more planes in the second antenna array comprises the meshed patch structure.
Regarding claim 10, as applied to claim 1, Ying 429 (Figure 6) teaches that the one or more planes comprises a ground plane G and a patched plane 121.
Regarding claim 11, as applied to claim 10, Ying 429 (Figures 3 and 4) teaches that the ground plane G is aligned at a nonparallel angle with respect to the patched plane.
Regarding claim 12, as applied to claim 1, Ying 429 (Figure 6) teaches that each of the one or more planes in the first antenna array and each of the one or more planes in the second antenna array comprises the meshed patch structure.
Regarding claim 13, as applied to claim 1, Ying 429 (Figures 4 and 6) teaches that the first antenna array includes a respective ground plane G and a respective patched plane, and wherein each of the respective ground plane and the respective patched plane includes a plurality of vias and a plurality of traces arranged in a mesh structure.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Ying (US 2020/0313300) discloses a mobile computing device comprising first and second antenna arrays disposed on a circuit board, wherein the antenna comprising a meshed patch structure.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to HOANG V NGUYEN whose telephone number is (571)272-1825. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 8am-5pm.
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/HOANG V NGUYEN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2845