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 .
DETAILED ACTION
Status of Application
This Office Action is a response to Applicant’s communication (or preliminary’s amendment) filed on 10/03/2024. In virtue of this communication, claims 1-10 are currently presented in the instant application.
Priority
Acknowledgement is made of applicant’s claim for foreign priority under 35 U.S.C. 119(a)-(d). A certified copy of the priority documents received on 02/03/2025.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement(s) (IDS) submitted on 10/03/2024 in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is considered by the examiner.
If applicant is aware of any prior art or any other co-pending application not already of record, he/she is reminded of his/her duty under 37 CFR 1.97 to disclose the same.
Drawings
The drawing submitted on 10/03/2024 is accepted as part of the formal application.
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 5-8 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 pre-AIA the applicant regards as the invention.
Regarding claim 5,
The recitation “and/or” in line 3 is considered vague because it’s not clear regarding what is included or excluded by the claim language. Clarification is required.
Regarding claim 6,
The recitation “the second antenna elements” in lines 1-2 is considered indefinite because it does not have an antecedent basis. Clarification is required.
Regarding claim 8,
The recitation “each first cell” in line 1 is confusing. Clarification is required.
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 1-3 and 5-10, as best understood, are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Shapira et al (US 20030092402), hereinafter Shapira.
Regarding claim 1,
Shapira discloses antenna (a BS antenna system 500, Fig 5A) comprising:
an amplifier array (a receive antenna array RA520 of Tx1 Transform 520, Fig 5A) comprising a plurality of first elementary cells (a plurality of sub arrays (Rx1, Rx2), Fig 5A);
a transmitarray (a transmit antenna array TA520 of Tx1 Transform 520, Fig 5A) comprising a plurality of second elementary cells (a plurality of sub arrays (Tx1, Tx2), Fig 5A); and
at least one source (an adaptive measurement and control portion 540, Fig 5A),
wherein said at least one source is configured to irradiate, or to be irradiated by, the transmitarray (Fig 5A).
Shapira does not explicitly teach the amplifier array is configured to irradiate and to be irradiated by the transmitarray.
However, Shapira teaches that the receive antenna array (the amplifier array) is closely placed to the transmit antenna array (the transmitarray) (Fig 5A). Therefore, the receive antenna array (the amplifier array) is configured to receive (irradiate) and to be received (to be irradiated) by the transmit antenna array (the transmitarray) due to the electromagnetic coupling from the transmit antenna array to the receive antenna array.
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to use an amplifier array being configured to irradiate and to be irradiated by a transmitarray in Shapira, in order to optimize transmission integrity by decreasing transmission losses wherever possible.
[AltContent: textbox (x)][AltContent: textbox (polarizations)][AltContent: ][AltContent: arrow][AltContent: textbox (TA520)][AltContent: arrow][AltContent: arrow][AltContent: arrow][AltContent: textbox (RA520)][AltContent: textbox (Shapira (US 20030092402))]
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Regarding claim 2,
Shapira as modified discloses the claimed invention, as discussed in claim 1.
Shapira teaches each first elementary cell comprises at least one first antenna element (an Rx1, Fig 5A) located in front of the transmitarray (Fig 5A).
Regarding claim 3,
Shapira as modified discloses the claimed invention, as discussed in claim 1.
Shapira teaches each first elementary cell further comprises at least one amplifier (an LNA, Fig 5B) connected to said at least one first antenna element.
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Regarding claim 5,
Shapira as modified discloses the claimed invention, as discussed in claim 1.
Shapira does not explicitly teach each second elementary cell comprises a second antenna element intended to reflect, towards the amplifier array, a signal originating from said at least one source and/or to reflect, towards said at least one source, a signal originating from the amplifier array.
However, Shapira teaches the transmit antenna array (the transmitarray) is closely placed behind the receive antenna array (the amplifier array) (Fig 5A). Therefore, the transmit antenna array (the transmitarray) intended to reflect a signal towards the receive antenna array (the amplifier array).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to use each second elementary cell comprising a second antenna element intended to reflect, towards an amplifier array, a signal originating from at least one source in Shapira as modified, in order to optimize transmission integrity by decreasing transmission losses wherever possible.
Regarding claim 6,
Shapira as modified discloses the claimed invention, as discussed in claim 5.
Shapira does not explicitly teach the second antenna elements are located in front of the amplifier array and of said at least one source.
However, Shapira teaches the transmit antenna array (the transmitarray) is in front the receive antenna array (the amplifier array) in x-direction (Fig 5A).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to use second antenna elements being located in front of an amplifier array and of at least one source in Shapira as modified, in order to optimize transmission integrity by decreasing transmission losses wherever possible.
Regarding claim 7,
Shapira as modified discloses the claimed invention, as discussed in claim 5.
Shapira teaches each second elementary cell comprises a third antenna element (a Tx1 in col 2, Fig 5A) coupled to the second antenna element by a phase-shift circuit (a phase adjustment 530, Fig 5A).
Regarding claim 8,
Shapira as modified discloses the claimed invention, as discussed in claim 1.
Shapira does not explicitly teach each first cell is adapted to performing a polarization rotation.
However, Shapira teaches different polarization orientations (Fig 5A; paragraph [0038]). This teaching is result effect in order to achieve diversity on the transmit and receive portions (paragraph [0038]).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to use each first cell being adapted to performing a polarization rotation in Shapira as modified, in order to optimize transmission integrity by decreasing transmission losses wherever possible.
Regarding claim 9,
Shapira as modified discloses the claimed invention, as discussed in claim 1.
Shapira does not explicitly teach said at least one source is a single horn antenna.
However, it’s well known in the art that a single horn antenna is a source of electromagnetic wave (Madhusudan, US 20210328419, Fig 1).
Regarding claim 10,
Shapira as modified discloses the claimed invention, as discussed in claim 1.
Shapira does not explicitly teach fewer first elementary cells than second elementary cells, preferably four times fewer first elementary cells than second elementary cells.
However, Shapira teaches the antenna arrangement 410 and the transform matrix 420 are configured for either transmit or receive BS operations (Fig 4A; paragraph [0034]). This teaching is result effect in order to form a plurality of narrow beam patterns that span different angular directions for a given axis (paragraph [0034]).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to use fewer first elementary cells than second elementary cells, preferably four times fewer first elementary cells than second elementary cells in Shapira as modified, in order to optimize transmission integrity by decreasing transmission losses wherever possible.
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Allowable Subject Matter
Claim 4 is 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.
Regarding claim 4, prior art of record or most closely prior art fails to disclose, “each first elementary cell comprises: a first amplifier, preferably a power amplifier, intended to amplify a signal transmitted by the antenna; a second amplifier, preferably a low-noise amplifier, intended to amplify a signal received by the antenna; and switches configured to enable the first or the second amplifier according to a control signal”.
Conclusion
The Examiner has pointed out particular references contained in the prior art of record within the body of this action for the convenience of the Applicant. Although the specified citations are representative of the teachings in the art and are applied to the specific limitations within the individual claim, other passages and figures may apply.
Applicant, in preparing the response, should consider fully the entire reference aspotentially teaching all or part of the claimed invention, as well as the context of thepassage as taught by the prior art or disclosed by the Examiner.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Hai Tran whose telephone number is (571) 270-7650. The examiner can normally be reached on Monday-Friday 8:00 am-5:00 pm.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Dimary Lopez can be reached on (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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/HAI V TRAN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2845