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
In the event the determination of the status of the application as subject to AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103 (or as subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103) is incorrect, any correction of the statutory basis (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) for the rejection will not be considered a new ground of rejection if the prior art relied upon, and the rationale supporting the rejection, would be the same under either status.
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, 2, 5-7, 11-15 & 18-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Jang et al. US Patent Application Publication 2022/0223998.
Regarding Claim 1, Jang et al. teaches an electronic device (Figs. 1-5) comprising:
a housing (310 Fig. 4 Par. 0073) comprising a conductive portion forming a portion of a side surface of the electronic device (401-404 Fig. 4 Par. 0080);
a printed circuit board (340 Fig. 3 Par. 0075) having a first ground path (path of P2-G2 Fig. 4 Par. 0104 implied ground on pcb from “printed circuit board 340 may include a ground (not shown)” Par. 0074), a second ground path (path of P1-G1 Fig. 4 Par. 0102 implied ground on pcb from “printed circuit board 340 may include a ground (not shown)” Par. 0074), and a feed path (path of P3-441 Fig. 4 Par. 0105); and
a wireless communication circuit on the printed circuit board (450 Fig. 4 Par. 0074, 0110),
wherein the conductive portion comprises a feed point (P3 Fig. 4 Par. 0105), a first ground point (P2 Fig. 4 Par. 0104), and a second ground point (P1 Fig. 4 Par. 0102),
wherein the first ground point is connected to a ground of the electronic device through the first ground path (ground of pcb Par. 0074, 0097, 0104),
wherein the second ground point is connected to the ground through the second ground path (ground of pcb Par. 0074, 0097, 0102),
wherein the feed point is electrically connected to the wireless communication circuit through the feed path (Fig. 4 Par. 0074, 0110),
wherein the printed circuit board comprises a conductive pattern connected between the feed path and the first ground path (pattern between P2 and P3 through SW5/430 Fig. 4 Par. 0074),
wherein the wireless communication circuit is configured to supply a signal, through the feed path, to the conductive portion and the conductive pattern (Fig. 4 Par. 0105), and
wherein the signal is radiated through the conductive portion and the conductive pattern (Fig. 4 Par. 0105, 0110).
Regarding Claim 2, Jang et al. teaches wherein the conductive pattern is a first conductive pattern (implied through ground of pcb Par. 0074), and wherein the printed circuit board comprises a second conductive pattern connected between the first ground path and the second ground path (ground path of G2 implied connected through pattern of ground of pcb to ground path of G1 Fig. 4).
Regarding Claim 5, Jang et al. teaches wherein the first conductive pattern and the second conductive pattern are connected to one point of the first ground path (through path of G2 Fig. 4).
Regarding Claim 6, Jang et al. teaches further comprising at least one of a first switch (SW5 Fig. 4 Par. 0106) connected to the first conductive pattern and a second switch (SW1 Fig. 4 Par. 0096) connected to the second conductive pattern.
Regarding Claim 7, Jang et al. teaches further comprising a first matching circuit (SW2 Fig. 4 Par. 0096) located to the first ground path and a second matching circuit (SW1 Fig. 4 Par. 0096) located to the second ground path.
Regarding Claim 11, Jang et al. teaches wherein the first ground point is located between the feed point and the second ground point (P2 between P3 and P1 Fig. 4).
Regarding Claim 12, Jang et al. teaches wherein the conductive portion comprises a third ground point connected to the ground through a third ground path (see 3rd ground in Fig. 4 annotated below), and wherein the feed point, the first ground point, the second ground point, and the third ground point are located in the conductive portion in that order (Fig. 4 annotated below).
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Regarding Claim 13, Jang et al. teaches wherein the printed circuit board comprises a third conductive pattern extending from the second ground path toward the third ground path (implied through ground of pcb Par. 0074).
Regarding Claim 14, Jang et al. teaches wherein an end of the third conductive pattern is: spaced apart from the third ground path (end spaced apart at 401 Fig. 4), or connected to the third ground path (alternatively, grounded end connected to the third ground path through ground of pcb Fig. 4).
Regarding Claim 15, Jang et al. teaches wherein the feed point is a first feed point (P3 Fig. 4), and wherein the conductive portion comprises a second feed point connected to the wireless communication circuit (P4 through 442 Fig. 4 Par. 0108).
Regarding Claim 18, Jang et al. teaches an electronic device (Figs. 1-5) comprising:
a conductive portion (401-404 Fig. 4 Par. 0080) comprising a feed point (P3 Fig. 4 Par. 0105), a first ground point (P2 Fig. 4 Par. 0104), a second ground point (P1 Fig. 4 Par. 0102), and a third ground point located in that order (see 3rd ground in Fig. 4 annotated above), the conductive portion forming a portion of a side surface of the electronic device (401-404 Fig. 4 Par. 0080);
a printed circuit board comprising a conductive pattern (340 Fig. 3 Par. 0075); and
a wireless communication circuit on the printed circuit board (450 Fig. 4 Par. 0074, 0110), the wireless communication circuit being connected to the feed point through a feed path of the printed circuit board (through path of P3-441 Fig. 4 Par. 0105),
wherein each of the first ground point, the second ground point, and the third ground point is connected to a ground of the electronic device (ground of pcb not shown Par. 0074),
wherein the first ground point is connected to the ground through a first ground path of the printed circuit board (ground of pcb not shown Par. 0074),
wherein the second ground point is connected to the ground through a second ground path of the printed circuit board (ground of pcb not shown Par. 0074),
wherein the conductive pattern of the printed circuit board comprises:
a first conductive pattern connected between the feed path and the first ground path (pattern between P2 and P3 through SW5/430 Fig. 4 Par. 0074),
a second conductive pattern connected between the first ground path and the second ground path (ground path of G2 implied connected through pattern of ground of pcb to ground path of G1 Fig. 4), and
a stub pattern extending from the first ground path such that an end faces the feed path (422/SW2 facing feed path Fig. 4),
wherein the wireless communication circuit is configured to supply a signal, through the feed path, to the conductive portion and the conductive pattern (Fig. 4 Par. 0105), and
wherein the signal is radiated through the conductive portion and the conductive pattern (Fig. 4 Par. 0105, 0110).
Regarding Claim 19, Jang et al. teaches wherein the conductive portion comprises a segment where the feed point, the first ground point, and the second ground point are located (410 Fig. 4 Par. 0080), wherein the segment comprises a surface being a portion of the side surface of the electronic device (surface of 410 Fig. 4), and wherein the stub pattern is located farther from the surface than the first conductive pattern (422/SW2 farther from 410 than SW5 is from 410 as seen in Fig. 4).
Regarding Claim 20, Jang et al. teaches wherein the second conductive pattern is located farther from the surface than the first conductive pattern (pattern on ground of pcb between G2 and G1 implied to be farther from 410 than SW5 since SW5 is closer to 410 as seen in Fig. 4).
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.
The factual inquiries for establishing a background for determining obviousness under 35 U.S.C. 103 are summarized as follows:
1. Determining the scope and contents of the prior art.
2. Ascertaining the differences between the prior art and the claims at issue.
3. Resolving the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art.
4. Considering objective evidence present in the application indicating obviousness or nonobviousness.
Claims 16 & 17 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Jang et al. US Patent Application Publication 2022/0223998.
Regarding Claim 16, Jang et al. teaches the electronic device of claim 15 as shown in the rejection above.
Jang et al. is silent on wherein the first ground point and the second ground point are located between the first feed point and the second feed point.
However, Jang et al. teaches “The antenna of the electronic device may have a resonance frequency determined according to the position of a ground and that of feeding” Par. 0009.
In this particular case, choosing the locations and arrangement of the feed points and the ground points is common and well known in the antenna art as evident by Jang et al. to configure the length of the antenna based on the frequency band of operation.
Accordingly, it would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to select the locations of the first ground point and the second ground point to be located between the first feed point and the second feed point based on the teachings of Jang et al. as a result effect in order to configure the length of the antenna based on the frequency band of operation.
Regarding Claim 17, Jang et al. as modified teaches wherein the second feed point is connected to the wireless communication circuit through another feed path of the printed circuit board (through path of 442 to 450 Fig. 4 Par. 0108), and wherein the printed circuit board comprises another conductive pattern connected between the another feed path and a ground path adjacent to the another feed path (through SW3 and SW5 Fig. 4).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 3, 4 & 8-10 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.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter:
Regarding Claim 3, the prior art of record, when taken alone or in combination does not fairly teach nor render obvious the limitations “wherein a first point where the first conductive pattern is connected to the first ground path is closer from the first ground point than a second point where the second conductive pattern is connected to the first ground path” as required by the claim.
Regarding Claim 4, the prior art of record, when taken alone or in combination does not fairly teach nor render obvious the limitations “wherein a first point where the first conductive pattern is connected to the first ground path is farther to the first ground point than a second point where the second conductive pattern is connected to the first ground path” as required by the claim.
Regarding Claim 8, the prior art of record, when taken alone or in combination does not fairly teach nor render obvious the limitations “further comprising at least one of a first stub extending from the first ground path toward the feed path and a second stub extending from the first ground path toward the second ground path” as required by the claim. Claims 9-10 depend therefrom.
Conclusion
The cited art in PTO-892 was found during the examiner's search, but was not relied upon for this office action. However it is still considered pertinent to the applicant's disclosure.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to MICHAEL M BOUIZZA whose telephone number is (571)272-6124. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday, 9am-5pm, EST.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Dimary Lopez can be reached at (571) 270-7893. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/MICHAEL M BOUIZZA/Examiner, Art Unit 2845
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