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 § 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 18-20 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 18 refers to “the sub-ground” without proper antecedent basis, since claim only refers to “sub-grounds” antecedently.
The remaining claims are rejected due to their dependence upon claim 18.
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(s) 1, 2, 4, 7-10, and 15-17 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over US 20210305722 (“Zhang” or “Z”).
1: Z teaches a radiation element structure disposed on a reflector (that of figs 1-5), the structure comprising: a radiation unit (1+3-6) comprising a dielectric portion (1) and first to fourth radiating arms (3-6) disposed on one side of the dielectric portion in a four-sided symmetrical structure (as shown); and a plurality of balun units (those of 2) each comprising a balun body (the 201s) connecting the reflector and the radiation unit (as shown), a feed line (the 202s) disposed on an upper surface of the balun body (as shown, the 202s are disposed on a surface of the 201s; That surface may be taken to be an upper surface) to feed the radiation unit (as shown), and a ground disposed on a lower surface of the balun body (as described in 0053-56, on the back of 201 is a ground with a floor, which may be made of a metal patch).
Nevertheless, Z fails to teach that the dielectric portion is formed of a plastic material. However, it was old and well-known to employ plastic as a dielectric. Thus, it would have been obvious to employ plastic as Z’s 1. To do so would have been nothing more than the simple substation of one known dielectric material for another to produce predictable results.
2: Z teaches that the first to fourth radiation arms are arranged on the same plane (as shown), wherein the second radiation arm is perpendicular to the first radiation arm, wherein the third radiation arm is perpendicular to the second radiation arm, and wherein the fourth radiation arm is disposed perpendicular to the third radiation arm (as shown).
4: Z teaches that in the first to fourth radiation arms, at least a portion along a longitudinal direction is formed in a multi-stage structure (5 has 9, 4 has 8, 6 has 10 and 3 has 7 as addition stages).
7: Z teaches that the balun unit comprises a first balun unit (that of a first 201) having a first feed line (that of a first 202), and a second balun unit (that of a second 201) perpendicularly intersecting the first balun unit (as shown) and having a second feed line (that of a second 202).
8: Z teaches that a width direction of the first balun unit and the second balun unit forms a predetermined angle relative to the longitudinal direction of the radiation arms (the arms extend parallel to the width directions, as shown).
9: Z teaches that the first feed line and the second 9. feed line receive feeding signals from different signal sources (as shown in fig 5, the two 202s have different bottom ends, and, hence different ports, which can be considered different sources).
10: Z teaches that the first feed line collectively feed the first radiation arm and the second radiation arm disposed perpendicularly to the first radiation arm.
15: Z teaches that the dielectric portion comprises one or more grooves arranged at predetermined intervals (as shown in figs 3 and 4, 1 has openings to allow for a portion of the 201s to pass through).
16: Z teaches that the balun body comprises one or more grooves (as shown in fig 5).
Nevertheless, Z fails to teach that the balun body is formed of a plastic material. However, it was old and well-known to employ plastic as a substrate material. Thus, it would have been obvious to employ plastic as Z’s 201. To do so would have been nothing more than the simple substation of one known substrate material for another to produce predictable results.
17: Z teaches that the radiating part and the balun unit are perpendicularly coupled to each other (as shown).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claim 3, 5, 6, 11-14, and 18-20 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, as long as the rejections under 112 are rectified.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to GRAHAM P SMITH whose telephone number is (571)270-1568. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 10am - 6pm.
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/GRAHAM P SMITH/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2845