DETAILED NON-FINAL OFFICE 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 .
Comments
This office action is in response to the preliminary amendment of September 30, 2024, which amendment has been ENTERED.
It is noted that claims 1-10 stand CANCELLED.
It is further noted that claims 11-25 are NEWLY-ADDED.
The drawings of September 30, 2024 are hereby accepted as FORMAL.
Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55.
The information disclosure statement of September 30, 20204 has been considered during examination.
It is noted that on lines 1-2 of paragraph [00084] on page 18 of the specification “Wi-Fi” is mentioned twice. This appears to be a typographical error.
Observation on Specification Paragraph Numbering
The text of 37 CFR 1.52(b)(6) is as follows:
“(6) Other than in a reissue application or reexamination or supplemental examination proceeding, the paragraphs of the specification, other than in the claims or abstract, may be numbered at the time the application is filed, and should be individually and consecutively numbered using Arabic numerals, so as to unambiguously identify each paragraph. The number should consist of at least four numerals enclosed in square brackets, including leading zeros (e.g., [0001]). The numbers and enclosing brackets should appear to the right of the left margin as the first item in each paragraph, before the first word of the paragraph, and should be highlighted in bold. A gap, equivalent to approximately four spaces, should follow the number. Nontext elements (e.g., tables, mathematical or chemical formulae, chemical structures, and sequence data) are considered part of the numbered paragraph around or above the elements, and should not be independently numbered. If a nontext element extends to the left margin, it should not be numbered as a separate and independent paragraph. A list is also treated as part of the paragraph around or above the list, and should not be independently numbered. Paragraph or section headers (titles), whether abutting the left margin or centered on the page, are not considered paragraphs and should not be numbered.” (Bold added).
On page 8 of the specification, the paragraph numbering [00039] is not associated with any text.
On page 14 of the specification, the paragraph numbering [00063] is not associated with any text.
On page 37 of the specification, the paragraph numbering [000178] is not associated with any text.
On page 38 of the specification, the paragraph numbering [000182] is not associated with any text.
On page 41 of the specification, the paragraph numbering [000192] is not associated with any text.
Trademarks in the Specification
The use of the terms Flex-Ray; Wi-Fi; WiBro; WiMAX; LTE; LTE-A; Bluetooth; ZigBee; and, Wi-Fi Direct, each of which is a trade name or a mark used in commerce, has been noted in this application. Each of these terms should be accompanied by the generic terminology; furthermore each of these terms should be capitalized wherever it appears or, where appropriate, include a proper symbol indicating use in commerce such as ™, SM , or ® following the term.
Although the use of trade names and marks used in commerce (i.e., trademarks, service marks, certification marks, and collective marks) are permissible in patent applications, the proprietary nature of the marks should be respected and every effort made to prevent their use in any manner which might adversely affect their validity as commercial marks. This is not an objection to the specification.
PNG
media_image1.png
506
828
media_image1.png
Greyscale
Claim Interpretation
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 12-25 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.
In each of claims 12, 13, 20, and 24, the uses of “terminal” and of “terminals” are indefinite and unclear in context in that it is not clear which sense of the terms is meant. For example, a “terminal” can be a point of electrical connection, or, a device for providing input/output facilities to a computer.
Each of dependent claims 13-23 is unclear, at least, in that I depends from unclear, dependent claim 12.
Dependent claim 25 is unclear, at least, in that it depends from unclear, independent claim 24.
Prior Art Rejection
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.
The factual inquiries for establishing a background for determining obviousness under 35 U.S.C. 103 are summarized as follows:
1. Determining the scope and contents of the prior art.
2. Ascertaining the differences between the prior art and the claims at issue.
3. Resolving the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art.
4. Considering objective evidence present in the application indicating obviousness or nonobviousness.
Claim 11 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Yoo (‘005) in view of Kim (‘713).
A person of ordinary skill-in-the-art would be a person having a degree in some form of engineering or in physics with several years of practical experience in the design and/or testing of radar systems.
With reference to independent claim 11, Yoo (‘005) plainly discloses, “A radar module” (line 1), noting, for example, paragraph [0005], noting especially, “radar module.”
The claim 11, “substrate” (line 2) is met in Yoo (‘005) by the disclosed “printed circuit board (PCB),” noting, for example, paragraph [0007] at lines 1-3; paragraph [0035] at lines 3-4 (noting, “the radar module 100 may mount on a PCB”); and, page 5, right column at lines 10-12 (i.e., claim 10 at lines 3-5).
The claim 11, “antenna unit disposed on the substrate and connected to the communication device” (lines 4-5) is met in Yoo (‘005) by any or all of the antennas on the printed circuit board with items 310, 321, and 323, and, connected to items 310, 321, and 323,” noting, for example, Figure 2, and, paragraph [0038].
The claim 11 limitations, “wherein an upper surface of the communication device includes a first edge portion extending in a first direction and a second edge portion extending in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction” (lines 6-8) are met in Yoo (‘005) by the perpendicular sides (i.e., the horizontal sides and the vertical sides) of each of items 310, 321, and/or 323, noting, for example, Figure 2.
However, the claim 11 limitations, “wherein the antenna unit is disposed on the substrate to extend in a third direction between the first direction and the second direction” (lines 9-10) are not met in Yoo (‘005).
Kim (‘713), in the same field of endeavor as Yoo (‘005), teaches the use of the orientation of the antenna elements as illustrated in Figure 8 for the advantage of having a “cross polarization characteristic” which results in “signal interference” being “minimized,” noting, for example, paragraphs [0069]-[0070); and, page 6, right column at lines 7-9.
Thus, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill-in-the-art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the antennas in Yoo (‘005) as taught by Kim (‘713) in order to obtain the advantages taught by Kim (‘713), with a reasonable likelihood of success. Therefore, independent claim 11 is obvious over the applied combination of Yoo (‘005) in view of Kim (‘713) as set forth above.
Potentially-Allowable Subject Matter
Claim 24 would be allowable if rewritten or amended to overcome the rejection(s) under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), 2nd paragraph, set forth in this Office action.
Claims 12-23 and 25 would be allowable if rewritten to overcome the rejection(s) under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), 2nd paragraph, set forth in this Office action and to include all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
Prior Art of General Interest
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Lee et al (‘662) is of general interest for the antenna arrangement in Figure 1B, for the use of patch antennas, and, the passage at column 20, lines 26-30.
Lim et al (‘735) is of general interest for the antenna arrangement in Figure 1B.
Contact Information
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to BERNARR E GREGORY whose telephone number is (571)272-6972. The examiner can normally be reached on Mondays through Fridays from 7:30 am to 3:30 pm eastern time.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Vladimir Magloire, can be reached at telephone number 571-270-5144. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
Information regarding the status of an application may be obtained from Patent Center. Status information for published applications may be obtained from Patent Center. Status information for unpublished applications is available through Patent Center to authorized users only. Should you have questions about access to the USPTO patent electronic filing system, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free).
Examiner interviews are available via a variety of formats. See MPEP § 713.01. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) Form at https://www.uspto.gov/InterviewPractice.
/BERNARR E GREGORY/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3648
Prosecution Insights