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 .
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 12-16 and 18-19, are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Baek et al (US 20190268455; “Baek” hereinafter).
Regarding claim 12, an electronic device comprising:
a first housing (410, fig. 4);
a second (420, fig. 4) housing slidably coupled to the first housing (¶[0072]);
a first printed circuit board (412, figs. 4-5) disposed in the first housing and having a communication module (4121, fig. 5) disposed thereon;
a second printed circuit board (447, fig. 4) disposed in the second housing (¶[0078]);
a connection member made of a flexible material (492, 4471, fig. 5, ¶[0077]) to electrically connect the first printed circuit board and the second printed circuit board (¶[0077]); and
an antenna member (490, figs. 4-5) made of a conductive material (“conductive construction 490 may include an antenna module”, ¶[0080]) to be electrically connected to the connection member (through 447, fig. 5) and configured to transmit or receive a radio frequency (RF) signal (¶[0045]).
Regarding claim 13, Baek teaches the limitations of claim 12, and further teaches:
wherein the connection member comprises a first area (see annotated fig. 5 below) configured to be bent in response to the sliding of the second housing relative to the first housing (¶[0113]), and a second area excluding the first area (see annotated fig. 5 below), and
wherein the antenna member is disposed in the second area (see annotated fig. 5 below).
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Regarding claim 14, Baek teaches the limitations of claim 12, and further teaches:
wherein the second housing (420) comprises a partition wall (4211, 4212, 4213, 4214, 4215, 4116, figs. 4-5) configured to surround the antenna member based on a sliding state of the second housing relative to the first housing (¶[0071]), and
wherein at least a portion of the partition wall is made of a non-conductive material (4215, 4116, fig. 4, fig. ¶[0075], 4202, fig. 8B, ¶[0104]).
Regarding claim 15, Baek teaches the limitations of claim 12, and further teaches:
wherein the connection member comprises a first connection member (4471), and a second connection member (492) on which a support structure (421, ¶[0105], [0105]) and the antenna member are disposed (“the conductive construction 490 may include an antenna module”, fig. 8B, ¶[0080]).
Regarding claim 16, Baek teaches the limitations of claim 12, and further teaches:
wherein the first connection member (4471) and the second connection member (492) are configured to allow different electrical signals to pass therethrough (4471 is connected to the main PCB 412 (¶[0074]) which distributes wireless distribution signals (¶[0080], while 492 allows antenna signals to pass and is connected to the sub PCB 447).
Regarding claim 18, Baek teaches the limitations of claim 12, and further teaches:
further comprising:
a rear bracket (421, figs. 4-5 ) disposed in at least one of the first housing and the second housing (420) to cover the connection member (fig. 5),
wherein the rear bracket comprises an opening (see annotated fig. 8B below) disposed in an area corresponding to a path along which the antenna member moves in response to the sliding of the second housing relative to the first housing (¶[0071]-[0072]).
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Regarding claim 19, Baek teaches the limitations of claim 12, and further teaches:
wherein the antenna member is integrated with the connection member (“the conductive construction 490 may include an antenna module”, fig. 8B, ¶[0080]).
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.
Claim 1, 3-5, 10 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kim et al (US 20200371558; “Kim” hereinafter) in view of Baek et al (US 20190268455; “Baek” hereinafter).
Regarding claim 1, Kim teaches: an electronic device comprising:
a first housing (410);
a second housing (420) slidably coupled to the first housing (¶[0119]);
a first printed circuit board (441) disposed in the first housing and having a communication module disposed thereon (“the sub PCB 484 may be electrically coupled to a wireless communication circuit (e.g., RFIC) of the PCB 441”, ¶[0084], [0126]);
a second printed circuit board (484, fig. 4) disposed in the second housing (¶[0077], [0083]-[0084]), ;
a connection member (482) made of a flexible material (¶[0084]) to electrically connect the first printed circuit board and the second printed circuit board (¶[0084]);
a support structure (464) fixed to the connection member (“The FPCB 482 of the antenna module 480 may be electrically coupled to the sub PCB 484 disposed to the sub support member 464”, ¶[0084]). and made of a non-conductive material; and
an antenna member (480, fig. 4) surrounding at least a portion of the support structure (as disclosed upon examination of figs. 4, 5b, ¶[0084]) and made of a conductive material (claims 3 and 4) to be electrically connected to the connection member (¶[0084]), the antenna member being configured to transmit or receive a radio frequency (RF) signal (¶[0054]).
Kim does not explicitly teach:
the support structure made of a non-conductive material.
However, Baek discloses:
a support structure (421) fixed to a connection member (292, fig. 8B) and comprising a non-conductive material (4202, fig. 8B,¶[0104]).
It would have been obvious to one of the ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to apply Baek’s teaching into Kim, such that the support structure is made of a non-conductive material, since it has been held to be within the general skill of a worker in the art to select a known material on the basis of its suitability for the intended use as a matter of obvious design choice. In re Leshin, 227 F.2d 197, 125 USPQ 416 (CCPA 1960). The modification would prevent unwanted short circuits between conductive traces on the FPCB and the underlying support material, which is critical if traces are exposed or if there are components on the back side. Moreover, Non-conductive supports do not affect the impedance of the signal lines within the FPCB. Furthermore, the claim would have been obvious because the particular known technique was recognized as part of the ordinary capabilities of one skilled in the art, as evidenced by Baek. Moreover, the claimed subject matter would have been no more than a predictable combination of a plurality of known techniques according to their respective purposes within routine skill and creativity (§MPEP 2143).
Regarding claim 3, Kim in view of Baek teaches the limitations of claim 1, and Kim further teaches:
wherein the second housing comprises a guide groove (462-463, fig. 5C) configured to guide movement of the support structure (“the rollable module 460 may include a sub support member 464 fixed to the second plate 421, an inner support member 461 mutually movably disposed between the sub support member 464 and the second face 4112 of the first plate 411”, ¶[0083], “the sub support member 464 may be fixed such that both ends thereof are movable by means of the pair of first rails 462 fixed to an end of the inner support member 461 by means of a screw S”, ¶[0091]), and
wherein the support structure is configured to move along the guide groove in response to the sliding of the second housing relative to the first housing (¶[0083], [0091]) .
Regarding claim 4, Kim in view of Baek teaches the limitations of claim 1, but does not explicitly disclose:
wherein the second housing comprises a partition wall configured to surround the antenna member based on a sliding state of the second housing relative to the first housing, and
wherein at least a portion of the partition wall is made of a non-conductive material.
However, Baek teaches:
wherein the second housing (420) comprises a partition wall (4211, 4212, 4213, 4214, 4215, 4116, figs. 4-5) configured to surround the antenna member based on a sliding state of the second housing relative to the first housing (¶[0071]), and
wherein at least a portion of the partition wall is made of a non-conductive material (4215, 4116, fig. 4, fig. ¶[0075], 4202, fig. 8B, ¶[0104]).
It would have been obvious to one of the ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to apply Baek’s teaching into Kim, such that the second housing comprises a partition wall configured to surround the antenna member based on a sliding state of the second housing relative to the first housing, and wherein at least a portion of the partition wall is made of a non-conductive material, since the claim would have been obvious because the particular known technique (partition walls and non-conducive materials) was recognized as part of the ordinary capabilities of one skilled in the art, as evidenced by Baek. Therefore, the claimed subject matter would have been no more than a predictable combination of a plurality of known techniques according to their respective purposes within routine skill and creativity (§MPEP 2143). Furthermore, it has been held to be within the general skill of a worker in the art to select a known material on the basis of its suitability for the intended use as a matter of obvious design choice. In re Leshin, 227 F.2d 197, 125 USPQ 416 (CCPA 1960). The modification would prevent unwanted short circuits between conductive traces on the FPCB and the underlying support material, which is critical if traces are exposed or if there are components on the back side.
Regarding claim 5, Kim in view of Baek teaches the limitations of claim 1, but does not explicitly disclose:
wherein the support structure has a circular cross-section.
However, Baek teaches:
a support structure (450, fig. 6A) has a circular cross-section (452, fig. 6A).
It would have been an obvious matter of engineering choice to one of the ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to apply Baek’s teaching into Kim, such that the support structure has a circular cross-section, since such a modification would have involved a mere change in the shape of a component. A change in shape is generally recognized as being within the level of ordinary skill in the art. In Re Dailey, 357 F.2d 669, 149 USPQ 47 (CCPA 1966).
Regarding claim 10, Kim in view of Baek teaches the limitations of claim 1, and Kim further teaches:
wherein the antenna member is integrated with the connection member (fig. 4, ¶[0084]).
Claims 8-9 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kim et al (US 202003711558; “Kim” hereinafter) in view of Baek et al (US 20190268455; “Baek” hereinafter) as applied to claim 1, and further in view of Choi et al (US 20160164168; “Choi” hereinafter).
Regarding claim 8, Kim in view of Baek teaches the limitations of claim 1, but does not explicitly teach: wherein the connection member comprises a first connection member, and a second connection member on which the support structure and the antenna member are disposed.
However Choi teaches:
a connection member comprises a first connection member (183, fig. 2A), and a second connection member (184, fig. 2A) on which a support structure (185, fig. 2A) and the antenna member (130) are disposed (“as a supporting structure within the terminal, the frame 185 is formed to support at least any one of the display module 151b, camera module 121b, antenna module 130”, ¶[0132], [0150]).
It would have been obvious to one of the ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to apply Choi’s teaching into Kim in view of Baek, such that the connection member comprises a first connection member, and a second connection member on which the support structure and the antenna member are disposed, for the advantage of having plural antenna modules. In order to transmit and receive wireless signals having different band frequencies.
Regarding claim 9, Kim in view of Baek and Choi teaches the limitations of claim of claim 8, and Choi further teaches:
wherein the first connection member and the second connection member are configured to allow different electrical signals to pass therethrough (as understood upon examination of ¶[0143], [0148]-[0150]).
Claim 11 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kim et al (US 202003711558; “Kim” hereinafter) in view of Baek et al (US 20190268455; “Baek” hereinafter) as applied to claim 1, and further in view of Williams (US 20120194395; “Williams” hereinafter).
Regarding claim 11, Kim in view of Baek teaches the limitations of claim 1, but does not explicitly teach: wherein the support structure is formed of an elastic material.
However, Williams teaches:
a support structure (10, fig. 1) for an antenna (14, ¶[0032]) is formed of an elastic material (¶[0027]).
It would have been obvious to one of the ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to apply Williams’s teaching into Kim in view of Baek, such that the support structure is formed of an elastic material, since it has been held to be within the general skill of a worker in the art to select a known material on the basis of its suitability for the intended use as a matter of obvious design choice. In re Leshin, 227 F.2d 197, 125 USPQ 416 (CCPA 1960). The modification would prevent permanent deformation of the support structure if the electronic device is subject to extreme vibrations or impact.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 2, 6-7, 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.
Regarding claim 2, the prior art of record taken alone or in combination, fails to teach or fairly suggest,
in combination with other limitations recited in claim 1, a combination of limitations that teaches:
wherein the connection member comprises a first area configured to be bent in response to the sliding of the second housing relative to the first housing, and wherein the support structure is fixed to the first area of the connection member. None of the reference art of record discloses or renders obvious such a combination.
Regarding claim 6, the prior art of record taken alone or in combination, fails to teach or fairly suggest,
in combination with other limitations recited in claim 1, a combination of limitations that teaches:
further comprising: a rear bracket disposed in at least one of the first housing and the second housing to cover the connection member, and comprising a first opening and a second opening spaced apart from the first opening, wherein the first opening is disposed at a position corresponding to a position of the antenna member in a first state in which the first housing is moved in a first direction relative to the second housing, and wherein the second opening is disposed at a position corresponding to a position of the antenna member in a second state in which the first housing is moved in a second direction opposite to the first direction relative to the second housing. None of the reference art of record discloses or renders obvious such a combination.
Regarding claim 7, the prior art of record taken alone or in combination, fails to teach or fairly suggest,
in combination with other limitations recited in claim 3, a combination of limitations that teaches:
further comprising: a rear bracket disposed in at least one of the first housing and the second housing to cover the connection member, wherein the rear bracket comprises an opening disposed to correspond with the guide groove in the second housing. None of the reference art of record discloses or renders obvious such a combination.
Regarding claim 17, the prior art of record taken alone or in combination, fails to teach or fairly suggest,
in combination with other limitations recited in claim 12, a combination of limitations that teaches:
further comprising: a rear bracket disposed in at least one of the first housing and the second housing to cover the connection member, and comprising a first opening and a second opening located spaced apart from the first opening, wherein the first opening is disposed at a position corresponding to a position of the antenna member in a first state in which the first housing is moved in a first direction relative to the second housing, and wherein the second opening is disposed at a position corresponding to a position of the antenna member in a second state in which the first housing is moved in a second direction opposite to the first direction relative to the second housing. None of the reference art of record discloses or renders obvious such a combination.
Regarding claim 20, the prior art of record taken alone or in combination, fails to teach or fairly suggest,
in combination with other limitations recited in claims 12-13, a combination of limitations that teaches:
wherein the connection member includes a groove formed in the second area, and
wherein the antenna member is disposed in the groove formed in the second area. None of the reference art of record discloses or renders obvious such a combination.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is:
US 7616161 B2 Portable Wireless Apparatus. This invention relates generally to a portable wireless apparatus, and more particularly to a portable wireless apparatus having an application for a plurality of communication systems.
US 20090176541 A1 Mobile Wireless Terminal Device. This invention generally relates to a mobile wireless terminal device, comprising two circuit boards that corresponds to a plurality of frequency bands as a wireless communication system.
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/P.K./Examiner, Art Unit 2841
/SAGAR SHRESTHA/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2841