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 .
Specification
The disclosure is objected to because of the following informalities:
Specification appears to end abruptly; it is unclear whether page 6 is intended to conclude the specification.
Appropriate correction is required.
Claim Objections
The claims are generally narrative and indefinite, failing to conform with current U.S. practice. They appear to be a literal translation into English from a foreign document and are replete with grammatical and idiomatic errors. In detail,
Claim 1 is objected to because of, inter alia, the following informalities:
Lines 8-10: usage of parenthesis to recite structural detail and functional language;
Lines 13, 15, 18, 19, 24: usage of the words “use”, “uses”, “used”, “using” to describe a structural relationship between elements;
Line 28: “will be” should read –is–.
Appropriate correction is required.
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 1-5 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.
Regarding claim 1, in line 20, the phrase “similar to the first stage” introduces the term “similar”, which is a relative term. Per MPEP 2173.05(b)(III)(C), an approximate measure of structure is held to be indefinite as it does not clearly, concisely, and exactly describe the claimed invention, Ex parte Pappas, 23 USPQ2d 1636 (Bd. Pat. App. & Inter. 1992). This renders the scope of the claim indefinite as it is not clearly defined in what manner and by what measure the “T-junctions on the H-plane” are “similar to the first stage”.
Claims 2-5 are included for their dependency upon claim 1.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Song Sun Chan et al. (KR-101133528-B1), Thomson et al. (US Patent No. 8,558,746), Sherlock (US Patent No. 11,205,847), Peeler et al. (US Patent No. 4,423,421), Rogers (US Patent No. 10,727,591), Keough (US Patent No. 5,831,581), and Branigan et al. (US Patent No. 5,223,850) each teach various similar waveguide fed slot array structures.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Jordan E. DeWitt whose telephone number is (571)270-1235. The examiner can normally be reached Monday thru Thursday from 8:30 AM to 3:30 PM ET.
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/DAMEON E LEVI/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2845
/Jordan E. DeWitt/Examiner, Art Unit 2845
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