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 .
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statements (IDS) filed on 9/27/24 and 7/29/25 are considered by the examiner.
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 1-3, 6, and 8-17 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kim et al. (US PG Pub. No. 2022/0247083) in view of Hong et al. (US PG Pub. No. 2025/0316899).
Regarding claim 1, Kim et al. teaches (Fig. 4) an antenna device comprising: a radiator (1211); a transmission line connected to the radiator (1231, 1232 and 1241, 1242), the transmission line including a first transmission line (1231, 1232) and a second transmission line (1241, 1242) facing each other (see Fig. 4); and an auxiliary radiator disposed between the first transmission line and the second transmission line to be spaced apart from the radiator (129a; see [00118] of instant application, auxiliary radiator 129 is grounded to 230, thus 129a of Kim sufficiently teaches the auxiliary radiator).
While Kim is not explicit with respect to the designation of 129a as an auxiliary radiator, it is understood by the examiner within the scope of the claim as presented that 129a of Kim may be construed as an auxiliary radiator.
Further, additional prior art, such as Hong et al., teaches (Fig. 5) an antenna device comprising: a radiator (210); a transmission line connected to the radiator (220, 230), the transmission line including a first transmission line (220) and a second transmission line (230) facing each other; and an auxiliary radiator (260, which extends further beyond collinear ground components 240 and 250; see also ¶61, operation of the antenna is reliant upon the structure and shape of 260, rendering it an auxiliary radiator) disposed between the first transmission line and the second transmission line to be spaced apart from the radiator.
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the antenna device of Kim such that an auxiliary radiator is disposed between the first transmission line and the second transmission line to be spaced apart from the radiator, employing the teachings of Hong.
Doing so would provide the predictable benefit of enabling wideband antenna operation in a dual resonance frequency band (Hong, ¶61).
Regarding claim 2, Kim et al. teaches the antenna device according to claim 1, wherein the first transmission line (1231, 1232) and the second transmission line (1241, 1242) are connected to both lateral ends of a lower side of the radiator (via 1232 and 1242, see Fig. 4).
Regarding claim 3, Kim teaches the antenna device according to claim 1, wherein the first transmission line and the second transmission line extend in different directions from the radiator (1232 and 1242 extend in different directions from 1211, see Fig. 4).
Regarding claim 6, Kim teaches the antenna device according to claim 1.
Kim does not teach wherein the auxiliary radiator comprises a first auxiliary radiator and a second auxiliary radiator facing each other.
Hong et al., teaches (Fig. 5) an antenna device comprising: a radiator (210); a transmission line connected to the radiator (220, 230), the transmission line including a first transmission line (220) and a second transmission line (230) facing each other; and an auxiliary radiator (260, which extends further beyond collinear ground components 240 and 250; see also ¶61, operation of the antenna is reliant upon the structure and shape of 260, rendering it an auxiliary radiator) disposed between the first transmission line and the second transmission line to be spaced apart from the radiator, wherein the auxiliary radiator comprises a first auxiliary radiator (262a) and a second auxiliary radiator (262b) facing each other (see Fig. 5).
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the antenna device of Kim such that the auxiliary radiator comprises a first auxiliary radiator and a second auxiliary radiator facing each other, employing the teachings of Hong.
Doing so would provide the predictable benefit of enabling wideband antenna operation in a dual resonance frequency band (Hong, ¶61).
Regarding claim 8, Kim teaches the antenna device according to claim 6.
Kim does not teach wherein the first auxiliary radiator and the second auxiliary radiator have a symmetrical shape with respect to a virtual line passing through a center of the radiator in a length direction.
Hong et al., teaches (Fig. 5) an antenna device comprising: a radiator (210); a transmission line connected to the radiator (220, 230), the transmission line including a first transmission line (220) and a second transmission line (230) facing each other; and an auxiliary radiator (260, which extends further beyond collinear ground components 240 and 250; see also ¶61, operation of the antenna is reliant upon the structure and shape of 260, rendering it an auxiliary radiator) disposed between the first transmission line and the second transmission line to be spaced apart from the radiator, wherein the auxiliary radiator comprises a first auxiliary radiator (262a) and a second auxiliary radiator (262b) facing each other (see Fig. 5), wherein the first auxiliary radiator and the second auxiliary radiator have a symmetrical shape with respect to a virtual line passing through a center of the radiator in a length direction (see Fig. 5).
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the antenna device of Kim such that the first auxiliary radiator and the second auxiliary radiator have a symmetrical shape with respect to a virtual line passing through a center of the radiator in a length direction, employing the teachings of Hong.
Doing so would provide the predictable benefit of enabling wideband antenna operation in a dual resonance frequency band (Hong, ¶61).
Regarding claim 9, Kim teaches the antenna according to claim 1, wherein the radiator includes a mesh structure (see ¶117), and the transmission line and the auxiliary radiator include a solid structure (¶117, ¶111, ¶18).
Regarding claim 10, Kim teaches an antenna structure comprising: the antenna device of claim 1; and a circuit board electrically connected to the antenna device (see Fig. 15, 200).
Regarding claim 11, Kim teaches the antenna structure according to claim 10, wherein the circuit board comprises a core layer (210), and signal wirings arranged on one surface of the core layer (220) and connected to the first transmission line and the second transmission line (120; see area BA, ¶163; ¶171).
Regarding claim 14, Kim teaches the antenna structure according to claim 11, wherein the circuit board further comprises a second ground (230) arranged on the other surface opposing the one surface of the core layer (see Fig. 15).
Regarding claim 15, Kim teaches the antenna structure according to claim 11, wherein the antenna device further comprises a signal pad connected to the transmission line and bonded to the signal wiring (127 and 128; see ¶172).
Regarding claim 16, Kim teaches the antenna structure according to claim 15, wherein the antenna device further comprises a ground pad arranged around the signal pad to be spaced apart from the signal pad (129b, see Fig. 4).
Regarding claim 17, Kim teaches an image display device comprising: the antenna structure of claim 10; and a display panel connected to the antenna structure (see ¶182).
Claims 4-5 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kim et al. (US PG Pub. No. 2022/0247083) in view of Hong et al. (US PG Pub. No. 2025/0316899) as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of Lyu (US PG Pub. No. 2021/0151885).
Regarding claim 4, Kim teaches the antenna device according to claim 1, wherein the auxiliary radiator comprises an extension portion parallel to a lower side of the radiator (see horizontal portion parallel to lower side of 1231, Fig. 4).
Kim does not teach the auxiliary radiator comprising a connection portion branching from the extension portion and extending in a direction perpendicular to the extension portion.
Lyu teaches (Fig. 1) an antenna device comprising: a radiator (160); and an auxiliary radiator (140), wherein the auxiliary radiator comprises an extension portion parallel to a lower side of the radiator (141), and a connection portion branching from the extension portion and extending in a direction perpendicular to the extension portion (143).
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the antenna device of Kim such that the auxiliary radiator comprises a connection portion branching from the extension portion and extending in a direction perpendicular to the extension portion, employing the teachings of Lyu.
Doing so would provide the predictable benefit of providing the extension portion away from the grounding portion of the auxiliary radiator (Lyu, ¶31).
Regarding claim 5, Kim teaches the antenna device according to claim 4, wherein an extension direction of the first transmission line (1232) and an extension direction of the second transmission line (1242) are symmetrical with respect to an extension direction of the connection portion (the extension direction of the connection portion is established in claim 4 as being perpendicular to the direction of the extension portion, which itself is parallel to a lower side of the radiator; in Fig. 4 of Kim, the lower side of the radiator extends in the X direction, thus making the Y direction perpendicular, and the extension direction of the connection portion as defined. The extension directions of 1232 and 1242 are symmetrical with respect to CL, which extends in the Y direction).
Claims 12-13 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kim et al. (US PG Pub. No. 2022/0247083) in view of Hong et al. (US PG Pub. No. 2025/0316899) as applied to claim 11 above, and further in view of Toyao (US PG Pub. No. 2017/0244162).
Regarding claim 12, Kim teaches the antenna structure according to claim 11, wherein the circuit board further comprises a first ground (230).
Kim does not teach the first ground arranged at the same layer as that of the signal wiring and disposed around the signal wiring to be spaced apart from the signal wiring.
Toyao teaches an antenna structure comprising: a circuit board (see ¶50), the circuit board comprising a signal wiring (5), and a first ground (1) arranged at the same layer as that of the signal wiring and disposed around the signal wiring to be spaced apart from the signal wiring (see Fig. 1, ¶46).
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the antenna structure of Kim such that the circuit board further comprises a first ground arranged at the same layer as that of the signal wiring and disposed around the signal wiring to be spaced apart from the signal wiring, employing the teachings of Toyao.
Doing so would provide the predictable benefit of enabling controllable impedance of the transmission line (Toyao, ¶48).
Regarding claim 13, Kim teaches the antenna structure according to claim 12, wherein the auxiliary radiator (129a) is connected to the first ground (230; see ¶177).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claim 7 is 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 7, the prior art does not teach or reasonably suggest, in combination with other claimed limitations, the limitations of “the first auxiliary radiator comprises a first extension portion parallel to a lower side of the radiator, and a first connection portion extending in a direction perpendicular to the first extension portion from an end portion of the first extension portion, and the second auxiliary radiator comprises a second extension portion spaced apart from the first extension portion and parallel to the lower side of the radiator, and a second connection portion extending in a direction perpendicular to the second extension portion from an end portion of the second extension portion” and the modification of the art of record to incorporate this feature would not have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Komura (US PG Pub. No. 2026/0045684) and Choi et al. (US PG Pub. No. 2023/0052259) each teach antenna devices comprising coplanar radiators and transmission lines.
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/DAMEON E LEVI/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2845
/Jordan E. DeWitt/Examiner, Art Unit 2845
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