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 14-21 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 14 recites the limitation "the second pair of dual-band arms" in lines 9-10. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim. Clarification/correction required. For examining purposes, Examiner assumes that “a second pair of dual-band” recited on line 8 to be “a second pair of dual-band arms”.
Claims 15-21 are rejected for depending on a rejected claim 14.
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 2, 3, 8, 14, 17 and 18 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Ng et al (US 10,523,306 B2), hereinafter Ng.
Regarding claim 2, Ng (Figure 11) teaches an antenna assembly comprising:
a housing (not shown) comprising:
a first side portion (501 located on upper right side);
a second side portion (501 located on upper left side); and
a middle portion 638 extending between the first side portion and the second side portion, the middle portion substantially orthogonal to the first side portion and the second side portion, a continuous internal volume defined within the first side portion, the middle portion, and the second side portion (housing containing a continuous internal volume);
a first antenna member (500A located on upper right side) comprising a first multi-band antenna element, the first antenna member positioned within the continuous internal volume in the first side portion; and
a second antenna member (500A located on upper left side) comprising a second multi-band antenna element, the second antenna member positioned within the continuous internal volume in the second side portion.
Regarding claim 3, as applied to claim 2, Ng (Figure 11) teaches that the first multi-band antenna element 500A is formed on a first printed circuit board 510 and the second multi-band antenna element 500A is formed on a second printed circuit board 510.
Regarding claim 8, as applied to claim 2, Ng (Figure 11) teaches that the first antenna member is a mirror image of the second antenna member.
Regarding claim 14, Ng (Figure 7, col 6 line 39 to col 7 line 3) teaches an antenna member configured for Wi-Fi applications, the antenna member comprising:
a support structure 510 comprising:
a first side (upper side); and
a second side (lower side), the second side including a ground plane;
a multi-band antenna element comprising:
a first pair of dual-band arms; and
a second pair of dual-band,
wherein dual-band arms of the first pair of dual-band arms and the second pair of dual-band arms comprise dipole arms,
wherein each dual-band arm comprises a first mid-band radiating element 420/422 and a first high-band radiating element 416 positioned on the first side of the support structure, and a second mid-band radiating element 420/422 and a second high-band radiating element 416 positioned on the second side of the support structure.
Regarding claim 17, as applied to claim 14, Ng (Figure 7) teaches that the first pair of dual-band arms and the second pair of dual-band arms extend in a same direction.
Regarding claim 18, as applied to claim 14, Ng (col 6 lines 39-57) teaches that the first and second mid-band radiating elements are configured for a frequency of between about 2 GHz and about 3 GHz and the first and second high-band radiating elements are configured for a frequency between about 5 GHz and about 7.25 GHz.
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.
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.
Claims 4, 6, 7, 9, 11-13, 19 and 20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Ng.
Regarding claim 4, Ng teaches the claimed invention, as applied to claim 2, except explicitly mention that the housing further comprises a front cover coupled to a back cover, the front cover and back cover defining the first side portion, the second side portion, and the middle portion. It would have been an obvious matter of design choice to configure the housing of Ng as having a front cover and a back cover instead of a single piece housing.
Regarding claim 6, Ng teaches the claimed invention, as applied to claim 4, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to configure the housing to comprise an internal ribbing structure extending into the continuous internal volume from at least one of the front cover and the back cover in order to provide support for coaxial cables coupled to the first antenna member and the second antenna member.
Regarding claim 7, as applied to claim 6, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to configure the first antenna member and the second antenna member to be at least partially supported by the internal ribbing structure in order to provide separation between the first antenna member and the second antenna member and at least one of the front cover and the back cover.
Regarding claim 9, Ng (Figures 7 and 11, col 6 line 39 to col 7 line 3) teaches an antenna assembly comprising:
a housing (not shown);
a first multi-band antenna element 400 configured for cellular applications and positioned within the housing, the first multi-band antenna element comprising:
a first low-band radiating element 420/422; and
a first high-band radiating element 416; and
a second multi-band antenna element 408 configured for cellular applications and positioned within the housing, the second multi-band antenna element comprising:
a second low-band radiating element 420/422; and
a second high-band radiating element 416.
Ng does not explicitly teach a mid-band radiating element.
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to substitute the high-band radiating element 416 with a mid-band radiating element to achieve a desired operating frequency band, since it has been held that where the general conditions of a claim are disclosed in the prior art, discovering the optimum or workable ranges involves only routine skill in the art.
Regarding claim 11, as applied to claim 9, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to configure the housing to comprise a back cover and a front cover, the front cover configured to be coupled to the back cover to define an internal volume, the back cover comprising an internal ribbing structure that extends towards the front cover.
Regarding claim 12, as applied to claim 11, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to configure the internal ribbing structure with antenna supports to support the first multi-band antenna element and the second multi-band antenna element.
Regarding claim 13, as applied to claim 11, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to configure the internal ribbing structure to comprise cable supports to guide coaxial cables to the first multi-band antenna element and the second multi-band antenna element.
Regarding claim 19, Ng (Figure 11) teaches an antenna assembly comprising a housing comprising a first side portion (501 located on right side); a second side portion (501 located on left side); and a middle portion 638 extending between the first side portion and the second side portion; a first antenna member 501 as defined by Claim 14 positioned in the first side portion; and a second antenna member 501 as defined by Claim 14 positioned in the second side portion.
Regarding claim 20, as applied to claim 19, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to configure the housing to comprise an internal ribbing structure to support coaxial cables coupled to the first antenna member and the second antenna member.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 5, 10, 15, 16 and 21 are objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten to obviate 112 issues and/or in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
Regarding claims 5 and 21, Ng fails to further teach a GPS receiver housed in a recess of the middle portion.
Regarding claim 10, Ng fails to specifically teach that the housing is substantially H- shaped.
Regarding claim 15, Ng fails to further teach that the multi-band antenna element further comprises a first feed point configured to attach to a center conductor of a coaxial cable; and a tapered microstrip transformer extending from the first feed point, wherein the first pair of dual-band arms extend from baluns extending from a first end of the tapered microstrip transformer, and wherein the second pair of dual-band arms extend from baluns extending from a second end of the tapered microstrip transformer.
Claim 16 would have been found allowable for at least the reason for depending on claim 15.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Kazuo (JP 2000172794A) discloses an antenna assembly comprising housing having a middle portion extending between a first side portion and a second side portion, an antenna element disposed in a first side portion and an antenna element disposed in a second side portion.
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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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Dimary Lopez can be reached at (571) 270-7983. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/HOANG V NGUYEN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2845
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