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 .
Prelim. Amdt./Amendment
Receipt is acknowledged of the Preliminary Amendment filed on December 04, 2024.
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 5-11, 16, and 17 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.
The term “substantially” in claim 5 is a relative term which renders the claim indefinite. The term “substantially” is not defined by the claim, the specification does not provide a standard for ascertaining the requisite degree, and one of ordinary skill in the art would not be reasonably apprised of the scope of the invention. It is vague and indefinite to examiner that what does means by reciting “substantially parallel”? The examiner respectfully advises the applicant to delete “substantially” in next communication.
Appropriate corrections are required.
Claims 8, 9, 16, and 17 are also rejected for similar rationale.
Claims 6, 7, 10 and 11 are rejected because claims are depended on rejected claims.
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.
Claim(s) 1-3 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Shimura et al. (US 2022/0006178).
Re claim 1: Shimura teaches an antenna module serving as a transmitter comprising a housing (21) and a radome (22) together serving as a housing, a main board (26) arranged in the housing, a first antenna board (25) having a first antenna part (27), arranged in the housing, and a guide portion (55) serving as a reflecting part for reflecting electromagnetic waves outputted from the first antenna part (paragraph 0163) (see figs. 1-5B, 10-12; paragraphs 0061-0072, 0162-0170).
Re claim 2: Wherein the reflecting part (55) has a reflecting characteristic higher than that of the housing, with regard to electromagnetic waves, and wherein the reflecting part reflects electromagnetic waves emitted from the first antenna part, toward the radome that is a part of the housing (fig. 11).
Re claim 3: Wherein electromagnetic waves emitted from the first antenna part, and electromagnetic waves emitted from the first antenna part and then reflected by the reflecting part overlap and travel in a direction from the first antenna part toward the housing (fig. 11).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 4, 12-15, and 18 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:
None of prior art teaches the transmitter having the housing wherein the housing accommodates and fixes the first antenna board and the main board, and wherein the reflecting part closes an opening part of the housing accommodating the first antenna board and the main board, wherein at least a part of the reflecting part is formed as a heat radiating part, and wherein the main board includes a metal material and reflects electromagnetic waves outputted from the first antenna part as set forth in the claims.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to SEUNG H LEE whose telephone number is (571)272-2401. The examiner can normally be reached 7-4:00PM.
Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Steven Paik can be reached at 571-272-2404. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
Information regarding the status of published or unpublished applications may be obtained from Patent Center. Unpublished application information in Patent Center is available to registered users. To file and manage patent submissions in Patent Center, visit: https://patentcenter.uspto.gov. Visit https://www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/patent-center for more information about Patent Center and https://www.uspto.gov/patents/docx for information about filing in DOCX format. For additional questions, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000.
/SEUNG H LEE/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2876