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 .
Priority
Acknowledgment is made of applicant’s claim for foreign priority under 35 U.S.C. 119 (a)-(d).
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 09/30/2024 and 06/13/2025 were filed. The submission is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
Claim Objections
Claims 1 and 16 are objected to because of the following informalities:
In claim 1, Applicant recites “a first housing including a side, the side, forming lateral surfaces…”.
In claim 15, Applicant recites “a first housing including a side, the side, forming lateral surfaces…”. a first housing including a side, the side, defining lateral surfaces of the first housing…”.
The limitation of a side and the side appears to be redundant.
Appropriate correction is required.
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 1-6 and 11-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Kim et al. (US Pub. No. 2022/0115772, hereby referred as Kim).
Regarding claim 1,
Kim discloses,
An electronic device comprising (figures 5-9):
a first housing including a side, the side, forming lateral surfaces of the first housing, including a first conductive portion, a second conductive portion spaced apart from the first conductive portion, and a first non-conductive portion disposed between the first conductive portion and the second conductive portion (figures 7-9, first housing 220, first conductive portion 268, first non-conductive portion 2618 and second conductive portion 2211);
a second housing, including a second non-conductive portion, movably coupled to the first housing in a first direction and a second direction opposite to the first direction (second housing 210 and see sliding between two positions between figures 8 and 9. Second non-conductive portions 2611);
a display in which a region visible to an outside is configured to expand or contract according to movement of the second housing (display 230 and expansion between figures 6A and 6B); and
wireless communication circuitry configured to communicate with an external electronic device through the first conductive portion (see paragraphs [0081] and [0082] for the communication circuitry. Element 268 functions as an antenna and thus the circuitry is configured to communicate through the antenna/268),
wherein the second non-conductive portion includes a first portion at least partially overlapping the first conductive portion, and a second portion extending from the first portion to a first lateral surface of the second housing facing the first conductive portion, when viewed from a lateral surface of the first housing parallel to the first direction in a first state in which the second housing is inserted into the first housing (see figure 8 state when housing 210 is inserted into housing 220, element 2611 has an L-shape and the portion along x-direction overlaps 268, the portion a long y-direction extends to a first lateral surface), and
wherein the second portion of the second non-conductive portion is spaced apart from the first non-conductive portion in the first direction, when viewed from the lateral surface of the first housing in a second state in which the second housing is extracted from the first housing (see figure 9 state when housing 210 is extracted from housing 220, the second portion of 2611 along the y-direction is spaced a part from 2618 along the x-direction which is the direction in which two housings move).
Regarding claim 2,
Kim discloses,
wherein the first portion of the second non-conductive portion extends from a second lateral surface facing the second direction opposite to the first direction, along the first lateral surface of the second housing facing the first conductive portion in the first state, to a region corresponding to the first non-conductive portion (see figure 8 state when housing 210 is inserted into housing 220, second non-conductive portion 2611 has an L-shape (two portions) and the portion along x-direction overlaps 268, the portion a long y-direction extends to a first lateral surface).
Regarding claim 3,
Kim discloses,
wherein the second portion overlaps the first non-conductive portion, when viewed from a lateral surface of the first housing parallel to the first direction in the first state (see figure 8B, short portion of portion 2611 overlaps portion 2618).
Regarding claim 4,
Kim discloses,
wherein the first portion is spaced apart from the first non-conductive portion in the first direction, when viewed from the lateral surface of the first housing in the second state (figure 9B, the long portion of 2611 is spaced apart from portion 2618).
Regarding claim 5,
Kim discloses,
wherein at least a portion of the first portion, extending in the first direction from a boundary between the first housing and the second housing, is disposed outside the first housing in the second state (see figure 9B, the long portion of 2611 is spaced outside of housing 220).
Regarding claim 6,
Kim discloses,
wherein the second portion is spaced apart from the first housing in the second state (2611 being outside of housing 220 in figure 9A and the space between 2211 and 2111a in figure 9B).
Regarding claim 11,
Kim discloses,
wherein the second non-conductive portion includes a third portion extending from an end portion of the first portion opposite to another end portion contacted with the second portion to the first lateral surface of the second housing (figure 9B, third portion 2612 in the housing 210), and wherein the first portion extends from a second lateral surface of the second housing facing the second direction opposite to the first direction, along the first lateral surface of the second housing facing the first conductive portion in the first state, to a region between the first non-conductive portion and the second lateral surface of the second housing (figure 9B, portions in the L-shaped 2611 are in a different direction and housing 210 and 220).
Regarding claim 12,
Kim discloses,
wherein the second portion overlaps the first conductive portion, when viewed from the lateral surface of the first housing in the first state (figures 8-9, first conductive portion 268 and second conductive portion 2211).
Regarding claim 13,
Kim discloses,
wherein the second conductive portion is spaced apart from the first conductive portion in the first direction, and wherein the first portion overlaps the second conductive portion, when viewed from the lateral surface of the first housing in the second state (figures 8-9, first conductive portion 268 and second conductive portion 2211).
Regarding claim 14,
Kim discloses,
wherein the first portion is surrounded by the first housing independently of a state of the electronic devices (figures 8-9, first portion 268 and housing 210/220).
Regarding claim 15,
Kim discloses,
wherein the second housing includes a third conductive portion surrounded by the second non-conductive portion, and wherein the third conductive portion forms a portion of the first lateral surface of the second housing and faces the first conductive portion (figures 8-9, second housing 210 and portion 261 surrounded by L-shaped 2611).
Regarding claim 16,
Kim discloses,
An electronic device comprising (figures 5-9):
a first housing including a side, the side, defining lateral surfaces of the first housing, including a first conductive portion, a second conductive portion spaced apart from the first conductive portion, and a first non-conductive portion disposed between the first conductive portion and the second conductive portion (figures 7-9, first housing 220, first conductive portion 268, first non-conductive portion 2618 and second conductive portion 2211);
a second housing, including a third conductive portion and a second non-conductive portion surrounding a portion of the third conductive portion, movably coupled to the first housing in a first direction and a second direction opposite to the first direction (second housing 210 and see sliding between two positions between figures 8 and 9. Second non-conductive portions 2611 and third conductive portion 261);
a display, disposed on the second housing, configured to be expanded or contracted according to movement of the second housing (display 230 and expansion between figures 6A and 6B);
wireless communication circuitry configured to communicate with an external electronic device through the first conductive portion (see paragraphs [0081] and [0082] for the communication circuitry. Element 268 functions as an antenna and thus the circuitry is configured to communicate through the antenna/268),
wherein the second conductive portion is disposed between a portion of the second housing on which the third conductive portion coupled to the first conductive portion is disposed and a remaining portion of the second housing (second conductive portion 2211 between housing 210 and portion 261surrounded by L-shaped 2611).
Regarding claim 17,
Kim discloses,
wherein the third conductive portion is disposed between the second non-conductive portion and the first conductive portion, in a first state in which the second housing is inserted into the first housing (figure 8, third conductive portion 261 between second non-conductive portions 2611 and first conductive portion 268, housing 220).
Regarding claim 18,
Kim discloses,
wherein the third conductive portion is spaced apart from the first non-conductive portion in the first direction, in a second state in which the second housing is extracted from the first housing (figure 9, third portion 261 spaced apart from first non-conductive portion 2618).
Regarding claim 19,
Kim discloses,
wherein the second conductive portion is spaced apart from the first conductive portion in the first direction (figure 8, second conductive portion 2211 spaced apart from first conductive portion 268), and wherein the third conductive portion overlaps the second conductive portion, when viewed from a lateral surface of the first housing parallel to the first direction in a first state in which the second housing is inserted into the first housing ( third conductive portion 261 overlaps second conductive portion 2211 and first housing 220).
Regarding claim 20,
Kim discloses,
wherein the third conductive portion is surrounded by the first housing part (figure 9, third conductive portion 261 and housing 220)
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 7-10 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kim et al. (US Pub. No. 2022/0115772, hereby referred as Kim)
Regarding claim 7,
Kim may not explicitly disclose,
a first impedance element comprising circuitry and a second impedance element comprising circuitry having an impedance value different from an impedance value of the first impedance element; and switch circuitry configured to electrically connect the first conductive portion to the first impedance element or the second impedance element.
However, paragraph [0101] teaches a circuitry for the second portion 268 such as matching circuitry and switching element.
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to provide a matching circuitries with switching element to have a first impedance element comprising circuitry and a second impedance element comprising circuitry having an impedance value different from an impedance value of the first impedance element; and switch circuitry configured to electrically connect the first conductive portion to the first impedance element or the second impedance element in order to prevent unwanted frequency shifting and deterioration of radiation performance for the antenna (see paragraph [0101]).
Regarding claim 8,
Kim may not explicitly disclose,
wherein the first impedance element, electrically connected to the first conductive portion through the switch circuitry in the first state, is configured to increase a resonant frequency of an antenna including at least a portion of the first conductive portion, and wherein the second impedance element, electrically connected to the first conductive portion through the switch circuitry in the second state, is configured to decrease the resonant frequency of the antenna including at least a portion of the first conductive portion.
However, paragraph [0101] teaches a circuitry for the second portion 268 such as matching circuitry and switching element.
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to provide a matching circuitries with switching element to have wherein the first impedance element, electrically connected to the first conductive portion through the switch circuitry in the first state, is configured to increase a resonant frequency of an antenna including at least a portion of the first conductive portion, and wherein the second impedance element, electrically connected to the first conductive portion through the switch circuitry in the second state, is configured to decrease the resonant frequency of the antenna including at least a portion of the first conductive portion in order to prevent unwanted frequency shifting and deterioration of radiation performance for the antenna (see paragraph [0101]).
Regarding claim 9,
Kim discloses,
a sensor configured to detect a movement distance of the second housing (see paragraph [0038] for disclosing the sensor for the antenna and the circuitry); at least one processor including processing circuitry; and memory including one or more storage mediums storing instructions, wherein at least one processor individually or collectively, is configured to execute the instructions and to cause the electronic device to: obtain data related to the movement distance of the second housing through the sensor, and adjust the resonant frequency of the antenna including at least a portion of the first conductive portion, by controlling the switch circuitry based on the data (see paragraphs [0038]-[0039] for disclosing at least one processor and memory for antenna device and the switching circuitry in paragraph [0101]).
Regarding claim 10,
Kim discloses,
wherein at least one processor, individually or collectively, is configured to cause the electronic device to: based on identifying the first state based on the data, electrically connect the first impedance element and the first conductive portion through the switch circuitry, and communicate with the external electronic device using signals on a first frequency band through the first conductive portion, and based on identifying the second state based on the data, electrically connect the second impedance element and the first conductive portion through the switch circuitry, and communicate with the external electronic device using signals on a second frequency band partially overlapping the first frequency band through the first conductive portion (see paragraphs [0038]-[0039] for disclosing at least one processor and obtaining data for antenna device and the switching circuitry in paragraph [0101]).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Kang et al. US Pub. No. 2022/0019261, Jung et al. US Patent No. 12237567, Kim et al. US Patent No. 11894605, Hong et al. US Patent No. 11114762, Kim et al. US Patent No. 11470729.
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/AWAT M SALIH/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2845