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 on 5/6/2025 has been entered. The preliminary amendment filed on 11/6/2024 has been entered. 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)(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.
Claims 1, 8, and 16 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102 (a) (2) as being anticipated by Kim (Kim – 2024/0243462).
Regarding claims 1 and 16, Kim discloses an antenna module mounted in a vehicle, the antenna module comprising:
a printed circuit board (PCB) on which electronic components are disposed (Kim; par. 150; PCB 1200 on which electronic components are mounted);
an antenna element connected to a metal pattern on the PCB and configured to radiate a radio signal; a lower cover disposed below the PCB and made of a metal plate (Kim; Fig 6B, par. 150; PCB 1200 on which electronic components are mounted; par. 0013-0014, 0028-0029, 0179-0183 – metal patterns such that show the antenna element, antenna elements 1210a and 1210b, a metal pattern may be disposed on the end portion of another side of the PCB 1200, top and bottom covers); and
an upper cover combined with the lower cover and configured to accommodate the PCB and the antenna element therein (Kim; Fig 6B, par. 150; PCB 1200 on which electronic components are mounted; par. 0013-0014, 0028-0029, 0179-0183 – metal patterns such that show the antenna element, antenna elements 1210a and 1210b, a metal pattern may be disposed on the end portion of another side of the PCB 1200, top and bottom covers);
wherein the antenna element comprises: a first conductive part disposed to be perpendicular to the PCB within a predetermined angle range and having a first metal pattern in a loop shape( Kim; Fig 6B, 11A, 11B, 17A; par. 150; PCB 1200 on which electronic components are mounted; par. 0013-0014, 0028-0029, 0179-0183, 0185, 0209-0210 – metal patterns such that show the antenna element, antenna elements 1210a and 1210b, a metal pattern may be disposed on the end portion of another side of the PCB 1200, top and bottom covers, antenna may disposed in the region having rectangular shape or implemented in various shapes, operate in different frequency bands); and
a second conductive part having a second metal pattern disposed at an upper end of the first metal pattern to be parallel with the PCB, and the antenna element is configured to: radiate a first signal in a first band through the first conductive part and the second conductive part, and radiate a second signal in a second band other than the first band through the first conductive part ( Kim; Fig 6B, 11A, 11B, 17A; par. 150; PCB 1200 on which electronic components are mounted; par. 0013-0014, 0028-0029, 0179-0183, 0185, 0209-0210 – metal patterns such that show the antenna element, antenna elements 1210a and 1210b, a metal pattern may be disposed on the end portion of another side of the PCB 1200, top and bottom covers, antenna may disposed in the region having rectangular shape or implemented in various shapes, operate in different frequency bands).
Regarding claim 8, Kim discloses the antenna module of claim 1, wherein the antenna element is configured to: radiate a first signal at a first frequency in the first band through the second conductive part, and radiate a signal at a second frequency higher than the first frequency in the first band through the first conductive part and the second conductive part, and the first band is a low band (LB), and the second band higher than the first band is a mid band (MB) and a high band (HB) ( Kim; Fig 6B, 11A, 11B, 17A; par. 150; PCB 1200 on which electronic components are mounted; par. 0013-0014, 0028-0029, 0179-0183, 0185, 0209-0210 – metal patterns such that show the antenna element, antenna elements 1210a and 1210b, a metal pattern may be disposed on the end portion of another side of the PCB 1200, top and bottom covers, antenna may disposed in the region having rectangular shape or implemented in various shapes, operate in different frequency bands) – 5G,LTE frequency bands, SUB6 bands).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 2-7, 9-15, and 17-20 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 fails to disclose:
i. The antenna module of claim 1, wherein the antenna element further comprises: a feeding structure configured to extend from an upper end of a first separation point of a lower pattern of the first metal pattern to be connected to a signal pattern of the PCB; and a short-circuit structure configured to extend from an upper end of a second separation point of the lower pattern of the first metal pattern to be connected to a ground pattern of the PCB (claim 2 - the prior art fails to disclose feeding structure having limitations as recited in claim 2).
iii The antenna module of claim 1, wherein the feeding structure comprises: a first feed pattern disposed to extend from an upper end of a first separation point of a lower pattern of the first metal pattern to be parallel with the PCB; and a second feed pattern disposed at an end of the first feeding pattern to be perpendicular to the first feed pattern; and a third feed pattern disposed at an end of the second feed pattern to be perpendicular to the second feed pattern and configured to be connected to a signal pattern of the PCB (the prior art fails to disclose the feeding structure having the limitations as recited in claim 3; claim 4 depends on claim 3).
iii. The antenna module of claim 1, wherein a length of a lower pattern of the first metal line of the first conductive part is determined so that the antenna element operates in a low band (LB), and a sum of the length of the lower pattern and a side length of the first metal line is determined so that the antenna element operates in a mid band (MB) (the prior art fails to disclose the length of a lower pattern of the first metal line, and the sum of the length and a side length as recited in claim 5; claim 6 depend on claim 5).
iv. The antenna module of claim 1, wherein the second conductive part comprises: a first metal region disposed to be connected to the first metal line and configured to have a first width and a first length; and a second metal region configured to have a second width smaller than the first width, a total length of the first metal region and the second metal region is configured as a second length, and the first length and the second length are determined so that the antenna element operates in a mid band (MB) and a low band (LB), respectively (the prior art fails to disclose the first and the second metal regions having the limitations as recited in claim 7).
v. The antenna module of claim 1, wherein the antenna element further comprises a third conductive part disposed on the PCB and configured to radiate a third signal in a third band higher than the second band, and the antenna element is configured to: radiate a third signal at a first frequency in the third band through the first conductive part and the third conductive part, and radiate a third signal at a second frequency higher than the first frequency in the third band through the third conductive part. (the prior art fails to disclose a third conductive part having the limitations as recited in claim 9).
vi The antenna module of claim 1, wherein the antenna element operates as a first antenna disposed on one side region of the PCB, and the second conductive part of the first antenna is disposed to be bent at an upper end of the first metal pattern in one direction, the antenna element further comprises a second antenna disposed on another side region of the PCB to have a structure symmetrical to the first antenna, and the second antenna may comprise: a first conductive part disposed to be perpendicular to the PCB within a predetermined angle range and configured to have a first metal pattern in a loop shape; and a second conductive part disposed to be bent at an upper end of the first metal pattern in another direction opposite to the one direction and having a second metal pattern to be parallel with the PCB (the prior art fails to disclose the antenna having the arrangement as recited in claim 10; claims 11-15 and 19-20 depend in claim 10).
vii. The vehicle of claim 16, wherein the antenna element further comprises: a feeding structure configured to extend from an upper end of a first separation point of a lower pattern of the first metal pattern to be connected to a signal pattern of the PCB; and a short-circuit structure configured to extend from an upper end of a second separation point of the lower pattern of the first metal pattern to be connected to a ground pattern of the PCB, and the feeding structure comprises: a first feed pattern disposed to extend from the upper end of the first separation point of the lower pattern of the first metal pattern to be parallel with the PCB; a second feed pattern disposed at an end of the first feeding pattern to be perpendicular to the first feed pattern; and a third feed pattern disposed at an end of the second feed pattern to be perpendicular to the second feed pattern and configured to be connected to the signal pattern of the PCB (the prior art fails to disclose the feed structure having the limitations as recited in the claim 17).
viii. The vehicle of claim 16, wherein the antenna element operates as a first antenna disposed on one side region of the PCB, and the second conductive part of the first antenna is disposed to be bent at an upper end of the first metal pattern in one direction, the antenna element further comprises a second antenna disposed on another side region of the PCB to have a structure symmetrical to the first antenna, and the second antenna comprises: a first conductive part disposed to be perpendicular to the PCB within a predetermined angle range and configured to have a first metal pattern in a loop shape; and a second conductive part disposed to be bent at an upper end of the first metal pattern in another direction opposite to the one direction and having a second metal pattern to be parallel with the PCB (the prior art fails to disclose the antennas having the arrangements as recited in claim 18).
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