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 .
Prosecution Reopened
Applicant is advised that the Notice of Allowance mailed 12/16/25 is vacated. If the issue fee has already been paid, applicant may request a refund or request that the fee be credited to a deposit account. However, applicant may wait until the application is either found allowable or held abandoned. If allowed, upon receipt of a new Notice of Allowance, applicant may request that the previously submitted issue fee be applied. If abandoned, applicant may request refund or credit to a specified Deposit Account.
Claim Objections
Claims 21-22 is objected to because of the following informalities:
For claim 21, on line 8, “boded” should be changed to “bonded”.
Claim 22 is objected to because it depends on claim 21.
Appropriate correction is required.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
The following is a quotation of the first paragraph of 35 U.S.C. 112(a):
(a) IN GENERAL.—The specification shall contain a written description of the invention, and of the manner and process of making and using it, in such full, clear, concise, and exact terms as to enable any person skilled in the art to which it pertains, or with which it is most nearly connected, to make and use the same, and shall set forth the best mode contemplated by the inventor or joint inventor of carrying out the invention.
The following is a quotation of the first paragraph of pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112:
The specification shall contain a written description of the invention, and of the manner and process of making and using it, in such full, clear, concise, and exact terms as to enable any person skilled in the art to which it pertains, or with which it is most nearly connected, to make and use the same, and shall set forth the best mode contemplated by the inventor of carrying out his invention.
Claim 20 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(a) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), first paragraph, as failing to comply with the written description requirement. The claim(s) contains subject matter which was not described in the specification in such a way as to reasonably convey to one skilled in the relevant art that the inventor or a joint inventor, or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the inventor(s), at the time the application was filed, had possession of the claimed invention.
Note that, at the time the invention was filed, the specification has failed to describe “wherein the first oscillator includes a third oscillator controlled to oscillate at an oscillation frequency common to the first oscillator and the second oscillator, and a fourth oscillator controlled to oscillate at an individual oscillation frequency with respect to the first oscillator, and the first oscillation frequency is an oscillation frequency obtained when the oscillation frequency of the third oscillator and the oscillation frequency of the fourth oscillator are synchronized with each other, and the second oscillator includes a fifth oscillator controlled to oscillate at the oscillation frequency common to the first oscillator and the second oscillator, and a sixth oscillator controlled to oscillate at an individual oscillation frequency with respect to the second oscillator, and the first oscillation frequency is an oscillation frequency obtained when the oscillation frequency of the fifth oscillator and the oscillation frequency of the sixth oscillator are synchronized with each other” as recited in claim 20. Clarification and/or appropriate correction is required.
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.
Claim 20 is 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.
For claim 20, the recitation “wherein the first oscillator includes a third oscillator controlled to oscillate at an oscillation frequency common to the first oscillator and the second oscillator, and a fourth oscillator controlled to oscillate at an individual oscillation frequency with respect to the first oscillator, and the first oscillation frequency is an oscillation frequency obtained when the oscillation frequency of the third oscillator and the oscillation frequency of the fourth oscillator are synchronized with each other, and the second oscillator includes a fifth oscillator controlled to oscillate at the oscillation frequency common to the first oscillator and the second oscillator, and a sixth oscillator controlled to oscillate at an individual oscillation frequency with respect to the second oscillator, and the first oscillation frequency is an oscillation frequency obtained when the oscillation frequency of the fifth oscillator and the oscillation frequency of the sixth oscillator are synchronized with each other” as recited in claim 20 is indefinite because it is not clear how the first oscillator can include a third oscillator and a fourth oscillator, and how the second oscillator can include a fifth oscillator and a sixth oscillator as recited in the claim. Clarification and/or appropriate correction is required.
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, 4, 6-10, 13, 15-17, 19 and 24 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by York et al. (“Injection- and Phase-Locking Techniques for Beam Control”, IEEE Transactions on Microwave Theory And Techniques, Vol. 46,m No. 11, November 1998, pates 1920-1929, XP-000785381).
For claims 1 and 24, Figures 10-12 of York et al. teaches an antenna apparatus for generating or detecting an electromagnetic wave, comprising: a first active antenna including a first oscillator and a first antenna (any of the VCO and the antenna connected to such VCO in the Figures, for example the one with f1 or anyone of f1-f5); a second active antenna including a second oscillator and a second antenna (any of the other VCO and the other antenna connected to such VCO in the Figures; for example any other of f1-f5); a coupling wire (coupling circuit) configured to couple the first antenna (any antenna of f1-f5) and the second antenna (any other antenna of f1-f5); a first terminal (any terminal of f1-f5) configured to accept a signal (respective signal to f1-f5) for controlling a first oscillation frequency of the first oscillator before synchronization by the coupling wire (coupling circuit); and a second terminal (any other terminal of f1-f5) configured to accept a signal for controlling, independently of the first oscillation frequency, a second oscillation frequency of the second oscillator before synchronization by the coupling wire (coupling circuit). Further, York et al. also, teaches communication apparatus with the antenna apparatus as disclosed and a transmission unit configured to emit an electromagnetic wave; and a reception unit configured to detect the electromagnetic wave (imaging, hand-held, mobile communication system, page 1920, col. 1 and col. 2).
For claim 2, York et al. in Figures 10-11 teaches wherein for the coupling wire (coupling circuit), a length of a path when the first oscillator (any VCO, for example VCO with f1) and the second oscillator (any other VCO, for example VCO with f2) are connected via the coupling wire (coupling circuit) is set based on an electrical length of the electromagnetic wave in the coupling wire (coupling circuit), (also see page 1925, Col. 1-2, Equations 5-8).
For claim 4, York et al. teaches wherein each of the first oscillator and the second oscillator (any of the VCO in the Figures) is a semiconductor structure including a negative-resistance element (York et al. disclosed that Figure 11 is implemented with Gunn diode oscillators which disclose the defined negative-resistance semiconductor structure, see page 1925, Col. 2. Note Figure 12 also discloses MESFET oscillator, see page 1926).
For claim 6, York et al. teaches wherein the semiconductor structure of the first oscillator (any VCO in the Figures 10-12, for example VCO with f1) and the semiconductor structure of the second oscillator (any other VCO in the Figures 10-12, for example VCO with f2) have the same shape (the Gunn diode oscillators of the embodiment of Figure 11 disclose semiconductor structures of the same shape, see page 1925, Col. 2, Figure 11. The MESFET oscillators in Figure 12 also disclose the defined feature “semiconductor structures of the same shape”, page 1926, Figure 12).
For claims 7-8, York et al. teaches wherein the first oscillation frequency is determined based on a magnitude of a bias to be applied to the first oscillator (any VCO in the Figures 10-12, for example VCO with f1), and the first terminal is a terminal configured to accept the bias applied to the first oscillator, and the second oscillation frequency is determined based on a magnitude of a bias to be applied to the second oscillator (any other VCO in the Figures 10-12, for example VCO with f2), and the second terminal is a terminal configured to accept the bias applied to the second oscillator; wherein the bias having a magnitude in a negative-resistance region of the negative-resistance element is applied to each of the first oscillator and the second oscillator (any one of the disclosed Gunn diode oscillator and the MESFET oscillator provide an oscillation frequency that is determined based on a magnitude of the applied bias signal).
For claim 9, York et al. teaches wherein the first oscillation frequency (frequency of the first oscillator) and the second oscillation frequency (frequency of the second oscillator) are set based on a phase difference between the electromagnetic waves to be obtained by the first active antenna (any VCO and associated antenna in Figure 11) and the second active antenna (any other VCO and associated antenna in Figure 11) after the oscillation frequencies of the first oscillator (any VCO in Figure 11) and the second oscillator (any VCO in Figure 11) are synchronized with each other via the coupling wire (coupling circuit), the phase difference corresponding to a direction in which a beam formed by the first active antenna (any VCO and associated antenna in Figure 11) and the second active antenna (any other VCO and associated antenna in Figure 11) is directed.
For claim 10, York et al. teaches in Figure 11 wherein a plurality of active antennas (all VCOs and associated antennas in Figure 11) including the first active antenna (any VCO and associated antenna in Figure 11) and the second active antenna (any other VCO and associated antenna in Figure 11) are arranged in a matrix.
For claim 13, York et al. teaches wherein the first antenna and the second antenna are arranged at an interval not larger than a wavelength of the electromagnetic wave (see Figure 12, and Page 1926, Col. 1 and Col. 2).
For claim 15, York et al. teaches wherein each of the first antenna and the second antenna is a patch antenna (see Figure 12 “patch”, page 1926, Col. 1 and Col. 2).
For claim 16, York et al. teaches wherein each of the first antenna and the second antenna is a slot antenna (see Figure 11, page 1925, Col. 2).
For claim 17, York et al. teaches wherein the first antenna and the second antenna have the same shape (see Figure 12 for each antenna has the same shape).
For claim 19, York et al. teaches in Figures 10-12 wherein the coupling wire (coupling circuit) directly couples the first antenna and the second antenna (the coupling circuit directly coupling the 2 antennas together).
Claims 1, 4-8, 10, 13-15, 17-19, 21 and 23 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Koyama et al. (JP-2022023418-A).
For claim 1, Koyama et al. teaches an antenna apparatus (see Figures 1a-1d; 3a-3c; 4a-4b and pars. [0023]-[0024]) for generating or detecting an electromagnetic wave, comprising: a first active antenna (100a) including a first oscillator and a first antenna (antenna 100a discloses a first active antenna including a first oscillator 101a and a first antenna 103a. When operating in its differential negative resistance region, the Resonant Tunning Diode RTD101a discloses the defined oscillator, see pars. [0043]-[0050], Figures 1a-d and 3a-c); a second active antenna (100b) including a second oscillator and a second antenna (antenna 100b discloses a first active antenna including a second oscillator 101b and a second antenna 103b. When operating in its differential negative resistance region, the Resonant Tunning Diode RTD101b discloses the defined oscillator, see pars. [0043]-[0050], Figures 1a-d and 3a-c); a coupling wire (109) configured to couple the first antenna and the second antenna (coupling line 109 connected the two antennas together, see Figures 1a-1d, 3a-c, pars. [0023]-[0024], [0068], and [0069]); a first terminal (terminal connected to bias Va) configured to accept a signal (Va) for controlling a first oscillation frequency of the first oscillator (101a) before synchronization by the coupling wire (coupling line 109); and a second terminal (terminal connected to bias Vb) configured to accept a signal (Vb) for controlling, independently of the first oscillation frequency, a second oscillation frequency of the second oscillator (101b) before synchronization by the coupling wire (coupling line 109).
For claim 4, Koyama et al. teaches wherein each of the first oscillator and the second oscillator (first and second oscillators of the active antennas 100a and 100b) is a semiconductor structure including a negative-resistance element (see pars. [0019], [0051]).
For claim 5, Koyama et al. teaches wherein the negative-resistance element is a resonant tunneling diode (see pars. [0019], [0051]).
For claim 6, Koyama et al. teaches wherein the semiconductor structure of the first oscillator and the semiconductor structure of the second oscillator have the same shape (par. [0015] teaches antenna 100b has the same configuration as the antenna 100a).
For claims 7-8, Koyama et al. teaches wherein the first oscillation frequency is determined based on a magnitude of a bias (Va) to be applied to the first oscillator (oscillator in antenna 100a), and the first terminal is a terminal configured to accept the bias (Va) applied to the first oscillator (oscillator in antenna 100a), and the second oscillation frequency is determined based on a magnitude of a bias (Vb) to be applied to the second oscillator (oscillator in antenna 100b), and the second terminal is a terminal configured to accept the bias (Vb) applied to the second oscillator (oscillator in antenna 100b); wherein the bias having a magnitude in a negative-resistance region of the negative-resistance element is applied to each of the first oscillator and the second oscillator (see pars. [0020]-[0022]).
For claim 10, Koyama et al. teaches wherein a plurality of active antennas (see pars. [0009]-[0016], Figures 1a-d, 3a-b) including the first active antenna (100a) and the second active antenna (100b) are arranged in a matrix (see pars. [0009]-[0016]).
For claim 13, Koyama et al. teaches wherein the first antenna (100a) and the second antenna (100b) are arranged at an interval not larger than a wavelength of the electromagnetic wave (see par. [0016]).
For claim 14, Koyama et al. teaches wherein the first antenna (100a) and the second antenna (100b) are arranged at an interval that is equal to an integer multiple of a wavelength of the electromagnetic wave (see par. [0016]).
For claim 15, Koyama et al. teaches wherein each of the first antenna (100a) and the second antenna (100b) is a patch antenna (see [0044]-[0045], [0106]).
For claim 17, Koyama et al. teaches wherein the first antenna (100a) and the second antenna (100b) have the same shape (100b has the same configuration with 100a, see [0015]).
For claim 18, Koyama et al. teaches wherein the coupling wire capacitively couples the first antenna and the second antenna (see pars. [0084]-[0085] and also Figures 5b).
For claim 19, Koyama et al. teaches wherein the coupling wire directly couples the first antenna and the second antenna (the coupling line directly coupling the 2 antennas together, see par. [0036]).
For claim 21, Koyama et al. teaches (see Figures 5a-d) wherein the antenna apparatus is formed on a first substrate including the first active antenna, the second active antenna, and a plurality of wirings through which signals for controlling the first oscillation frequency and the second oscillation frequency are transmitted, the first substrate includes a plurality of through electrodes respectively connected to the plurality of wirings, and the plurality of through electrodes are formed to reach a bonding surface at which the first substrate is boded to another substrate, and the plurality of through electrodes function as the first terminal and the second terminal (see par. [0083]-[0089])
For claim 23, Koyama et al. teaches wherein the electromagnetic wave is an electromagnetic wave in a terahertz band (see pars. [0001]-[0017], and Figure 4a).
Claims 1-8, 10, 13, 15, 17-19, and 23-25 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Sekiguchi et al. (US 2014/0266477).
For claims 1 and 24-25, Sekiguchi et al. teaches an antenna apparatus (see Figures 1A-B and 2) for generating or detecting an electromagnetic wave, comprising: a first active antenna (101) including a first oscillator (107) and a first antenna (103), (see par. [0033]-[0034]); a second active antenna (102) including a second oscillator (107) and a second antenna (103), see pars. [0033]-[0034]); a coupling wire (105) configured to couple the first antenna and the second antenna (see [0035]); “a first terminal configured to accept a signal for controlling a first oscillation frequency of the first oscillator before synchronization by the coupling wire; and a second terminal configured to accept a signal for controlling, independently of the first oscillation frequency, a second oscillation frequency of the second oscillator before synchronization by the coupling wire” is also met (the bias power supply is selected to supply the negative differential resistance device such that the device operates in its negative resistance region, and thus it is implicit that a plurality of bias voltages satisfied this condition, see [0004]-[0010], [0055], and [0062]; Figures 6B and 6C). Further, Sekiguchi et al. also, teaches communication apparatus with the antenna apparatus as disclosed and a transmission unit configured to emit an electromagnetic wave; and a reception unit configured to detect the electromagnetic wave (manufacturing control, diagnostic medical imaging, safety control and so on as an element device, see [0068]). Further, Sekiguchi et al. also, teaches image capturing system a transmission unit configured to emit an electromagnetic wave to an object; and a detection unit configured to detect the electromagnetic wave reflected by the object (see [0068], diagnostic medical imaging).
For claim 2-3, Sekiguchi et al. teaches wherein for the coupling wire (105), a length of a path when the first oscillator (107 in 101) and the second oscillator (107 in 102) are connected via the coupling wire (105) is set based on an electrical length of the electromagnetic wave in the coupling wire (105), wherein for the coupling wire (105), the length of the path is set to be the electrical length of the electromagnetic wave that is equal to an integer multiple of 2π (Figure 2 shows the length of 2π, also see [0035]).
For claims 4-5, Sekiguchi et al. teaches wherein each of the first oscillator (107 in 101) and the second oscillator (107 in 102) is a semiconductor structure including a negative-resistance element (see pars. [0004]-[0010], [0032], [0034], and [0062]), wherein the negative-resistance element is a resonant tunneling diode (see pars. [0004]-[0010], [0032], [0034], and [0062]).
For claim 6, Sekiguchi et al. teaches wherein the semiconductor structure of the first oscillator (107 in 101) and the semiconductor structure of the second oscillator (107 in 101) have the same shape (the two negative differential resistance devices 107 preferably show a similar shape and similar characteristics, see [0034], Figures 1A-B and Figure 2).
For claims 7-8, it is seen that Sekiguchi et al. teaches wherein the first oscillation frequency is determined based on a magnitude of a bias to be applied to the first oscillator (107 in 101), and the first terminal is a terminal configured to accept the bias applied to the first oscillator (107 in 101), and the second oscillation frequency is determined based on a magnitude of a bias to be applied to the second oscillator (107 in 102), and the second terminal is a terminal configured to accept the bias applied to the second oscillator (107 in 102); wherein the bias having a magnitude in a negative-resistance region of the negative-resistance element is applied to each of the first oscillator (107 in 101) and the second oscillator (107 in 102), (see pars. [0005] and [0034]).
For claim 10, Sekiguchi et al. teaches wherein a plurality of active antennas (see Figures 1A-6A) including the first active antenna and the second active antenna are arranged in a matrix (see [0026]-[0041], Figures 1A-6A).
For claim 13, Sekiguchi et al. teaches wherein the first antenna and the second antenna are arranged at an interval not larger than a wavelength of the electromagnetic wave (see par. [0009], [0010], [0033], [0039], [0040]).
For claim 15, Sekiguchi et al. teaches wherein each of the first antenna and the second antenna is a patch antenna (see [0027], [0038], [0040]).
For claim 17, Sekiguchi et al. teaches wherein the first antenna and the second antenna have the same shape (devices 107 preferably show a similar shape and similar characteristics, see [0034]).
For claim 18, Sekiguchi et al. teaches wherein the coupling wire capacitively couples the first antenna and the second antenna (see pars. [0009], [0026]-[0029], [0037]).
For claim 19, Sekiguchi et al. teaches wherein the coupling wire directly couples the first antenna and the second antenna (see [0027], Figure 5).
For claim 23, Sekiguchi et al. teaches wherein the electromagnetic wave is an electromagnetic wave in a terahertz band (see pars. [0032], [0048]-[0051]).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 11-12 and 22 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.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directly to Examiner Long Nguyen whose telephone number is (571) 272-1753. The Examiner can normally be reached on Monday to Friday from 8:30am to 5:00pm.
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/Long Nguyen/
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 2842
Prosecution Insights