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 .
DETAILED ACTION
Status of Application
This Office Action is a response to Applicant’s communication (or preliminary’s amendment) filed on 11/19/2024. In virtue of this communication, claims 1-11 are currently presented in the instant application.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement(s) (IDS) submitted on 11/19/2024 in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is considered by the examiner.
If applicant is aware of any prior art or any other co-pending application not already of record, he/she is reminded of his/her duty under 37 CFR 1.97 to disclose the same.
Drawings
The drawings submitted 11/19/2024 are accepted as part of the formal application.
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.
Claim 8 is 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 pre-AIA the applicant regards as the invention.
Regarding claim 8,
The recitation “the inner layer” in line 4 is considered vague because it’s confused with “the intermediate layer” in lines 3-4. Clarification is required.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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 1-2 and 4-11, as best understood, are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Furuhi (US 20230006344), hereinafter Furuhi.
Regarding claim 1,
Furuhi discloses a radio wave transmissive member (a protection structure 50, Fig 2), comprising an outer layer (a dielectric layer 53, Fig 2), an intermediate layer (a dielectric layer 52, Fig 2) and an inner layer (a dielectric layer 51, Fig 2) in this order,
the radio wave transmissive member having a region (a region RG50, Fig 3) in which X, as a thickness of each of the outer layer (d3, Fig 3) and the inner layer (d1, Fig 3) in a transmission direction of a radio wave (Fig 3).
Furuhi does not explicitly teach X satisfies the following Formula (1) and Formula (2):
Z-0.3mm≤X≤Z+0.3mm Formula (1)
Z=λ÷√εr×0.5×Y Formula (2)
wherein, in the Formulas, λ represents a wavelength in vacuum of the radio wave, ε.sub.r represents a relative permittivity of each layer at a frequency of the radio wave, and Y represents an integer of 1 or more.
However, Furuhi teaches the “effective wavelength in the dielectric layer” is a wavelength obtained by dividing a wavelength in a free space by a square root of the relative permittivity of the dielectric layer (paragraph [0076]). Therefore, the effective wavelength in a dielectric layer is expressed in Formula (2) Z=λ÷√εr×0.5×Y.
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to use X as a thickness of each of an outer layer and an inner layer satisfying Z-0.3mm≤X≤Z+0.3mm and Z=λ÷√εr×0.5×Y in Furuhi, in order to provide a technique for improving radio wave transmission characteristics of a dielectric structure.
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Regarding claim 2,
Furuhi as modified discloses the claimed invention, as discussed in claim 1.
Furuhi teaches X as a thickness of the intermediate layer (d2, Fig 3).
Furuhi does not explicitly teach thickness d2 of the intermediate layer satisfies Formula (1) and Formula (2).
However, Furuhi teaches the “effective wavelength in the dielectric layer” is a wavelength obtained by dividing a wavelength in a free space by a square root of the relative permittivity of the dielectric layer (paragraph [0076]). Therefore, the effective wavelength in a dielectric layer is expressed in Formula (2) Z=λ÷√εr×0.5×Y.
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to use X as a thickness of an intermediate layer satisfying Z-0.3mm≤X≤Z+0.3mm and Z=λ÷√εr×0.5×Y in Furuhi as modified, in order to provide a technique for improving radio wave transmission characteristics of a dielectric structure.
Regarding claim 4,
Furuhi as modified discloses the claimed invention, as discussed in claim 1.
Furuhi does not explicitly teach each of the outer layer and the inner layer is a layer comprising a resin.
However, it’s well known in the art that a dielectric material may be a resin.
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to use each of an outer layer and an inner layer being a layer comprising a resin in Furuhi as modified, in order to provide a technique for improving radio wave transmission characteristics of a dielectric structure.
Regarding claim 5,
Furuhi as modified discloses the claimed invention, as discussed in claim 1.
Furuhi teaches a metal layer (a feed element 121, Fig 2) that is transmissive to the radio wave.
Regarding claim 6,
Furuhi as modified discloses the claimed invention, as discussed in claim 5.
Furuhi teaches the metal layer (the feed element 121, Fig 16) is disposed between the outer layer (a layer RG1(50C), Fig 16) and the intermediate layer (a dielectric layer 138, Fig 16), or between the inner layer and the intermediate layer.
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Regarding claim 7,
Furuhi as modified discloses the claimed invention, as discussed in claim 1.
Furuhi does not explicitly teach the radio wave transmissive member being for transmission of a radio wave with a frequency of from 20 GHz to 300 GHz.
However, Furuhi teaches an example of a frequency band of a radio wave used in the antenna module 100 is a radio wave in a millimeter-wave band having a center frequency of 28 GHz, 39 GHz, 60 GHz, or the like, for example. However, a radio wave in frequency bands other than the above may be used (paragraph [0032]).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to use a radio wave transmissive member being for transmission of a radio wave with a frequency of from 20 GHz to 300 GHz in Furuhi as modified, in order to provide a technique for improving radio wave transmission characteristics of a dielectric structure.
Regarding claim 8,
Furuhi discloses a method of producing a radio wave transmissive member (a protection structure 50, Fig 2), comprising an outer layer (a dielectric layer 53, Fig 2), an intermediate layer (a dielectric layer 52, Fig 2) and an inner layer (a dielectric layer 51, Fig 2) in this order, the method comprising determining thicknesses of the outer layer (d3, Fig 3) and the intermediate layer (d2, Fig 3) such that X, as a thickness of each of the outer layer and the inner layer in a transmission direction of a radio wave (Fig 3),
Furuhi does not explicitly teach X satisfies the following Formula (1) and Formula (2): Z-0.3mm≤X≤Z+0.3mmFormula(1) Z=λ÷√εr×0.5×YFormula(2) wherein, in the Formulas, λ represents a wavelength in vacuum of the radio wave, ε.sub.r represents a relative permittivity of each layer at a frequency of the radio wave, and Y represents an integer of 1 or more.
However, Furuhi teaches the “effective wavelength in the dielectric layer” is a wavelength obtained by dividing a wavelength in a free space by a square root of the relative permittivity of the dielectric layer (paragraph [0076]). Therefore, the effective wavelength in a dielectric layer is expressed in Formula (2) Z=λ÷√εr×0.5×Y.
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to use X as a thickness of each of an outer layer and an inner layer satisfying Z-0.3mm≤X≤Z+0.3mm and Z=λ÷√εr×0.5×Y in Furuhi, in order to provide a technique for improving radio wave transmission characteristics of a dielectric structure.
Regarding claim 9,
Furuhi as modified discloses the claimed invention, as discussed in claim 1.
Furuhi does not explicitly teach an automobile component, comprising the radio wave transmissive member.
However, it’s well known in the art that an automobile component comprising a radio wave transmissive member.
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to use an automobile component comprising a radio wave transmissive member in Furuhi as modified, in order to provide a technique for improving radio wave transmission characteristics of a dielectric structure.
Regarding claim 10,
Furuhi as modified discloses the claimed invention, as discussed in claim 1.
Furuhi does not explicitly teach an emblem, comprising the radio wave transmissive member.
However, it’s well known in the art that an emblem comprising a radio wave transmissive member.
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to use an emblem comprising a radio wave transmissive member in Furuhi as modified, in order to provide a technique for improving radio wave transmission characteristics of a dielectric structure.
Regarding claim 11,
Furuhi as modified discloses the claimed invention, as discussed in claim 1.
Furuhi teaches a device (an antenna module 100, Fig 2) that radiates a radio wave toward the radio wave transmissive member.
Furuhi does not explicitly teach an object detection structure, comprising the radio wave transmissive member according to claim 1
However, it’s well known in the art that an object detection structure comprising a radio wave transmissive member.
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to use an object detection structure comprising a radio wave transmissive member in Furuhi as modified, in order to provide a technique for improving radio wave transmission characteristics of a dielectric structure.
Claim 3 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Furuhi (US 20230006344), hereinafter Furuhi, in view of Sekiguchi (US 20210210846), hereinafter Sekiguchi.
Regarding claim 3,
Furuhi as modified discloses the claimed invention, as discussed in claim 1.
Furuhi does not teach the intermediate layer is an air layer.
However, Sekiguchi teaches a radio wave transmissive member (a radome 2, Fig 2B), comprising an outer layer (a layer 4, Fig 2B), an intermediate layer (a gap layer 6, Fig 2B) and an inner layer (a layer 3, Fig 2B).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to use an intermediate layer being an air layer in Furuhi as modified, as taught by Sekiguchi, in order to provide a radome having an improvement in the transmittance to millimeter waves.
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Conclusion
The Examiner has pointed out particular references contained in the prior art of record within the body of this action for the convenience of the Applicant. Although the specified citations are representative of the teachings in the art and are applied to the specific limitations within the individual claim, other passages and figures may apply.
Applicant, in preparing the response, should consider fully the entire reference aspotentially teaching all or part of the claimed invention, as well as the context of thepassage as taught by the prior art or disclosed by the Examiner.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Hai Tran whose telephone number is (571) 270-7650. The examiner can normally be reached on Monday-Friday 8:00 am-5:00 pm.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Dimary Lopez can be reached on (571) 270-7893. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/HAI V TRAN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2845
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