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 .
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS), submitted on December 12th, 2024, is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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 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 1, 4-15, and 18-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Jalali Mazlouman et al. (US 20180241122 A1), herein referred to as Jalali Mazlouman and further in view of Pourseyed (US 8744373 B2), herein referred to as Pourseyed.
Regarding claim 1, Jalali Mazlouman discloses a method of wireless transmission in a mobile device, the method comprising: generating a first radio frequency transmit signal of a first frequency (para. 0038-0039) and a second radio frequency transmit signal of a second frequency (para. 0038-0039) using a transceiver (para. 0002, the ability to transmit and receive defines a transceiver); receiving the first radio frequency transmit signal at a first input of a mapping network (130) of a front-end system and receiving the second radio frequency transmit signal at a second input of the mapping network (130), the front end system further including a first power amplifier (215i, para. 0068) having an input connected to an output of the mapping network (130) and an output connected to a first antenna element (210i) of an antenna array (120), the first antenna element (210i) being a multi-resonant antenna having a first resonant mode corresponding to the first frequency and a second resonant mode corresponding to the second frequency (para. 0083, variable tuning electronics); and terminating the first antenna element using a first termination network (240i) directly connected to the input (see fig. 4) of the first antenna element (210i) and tuned to the first frequency to provide termination (para. 0083) at the first frequency and a second termination network (240i) directly connected to the input of the first antenna element and tuned to the second frequency to provide termination at the second frequency (210i).
Jalali Mazlouman does not disclose wherein the mapping network is specifically comprised of multi-throw switches.
However, Pourseyed discloses a mapping network comprised of multi-throw switches (506).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art prior to the effective filing date to combine the teachings of the references and make the method of Jalali Mazlouman wherein the mapping network is comprised of multi-throw switches, as taught by Pourseyed, in order to switch between antenna configurations (col. 2 lines 27-45).
Regarding claim 4, Jalali Mazlouman and Pourseyed render obvious all limitations of base claim 1.
Jalali Mazlouman does not disclose receiving a band control signal at a control input of the multi throw switch.
However, Pourseyed does disclose further comprising receiving a band control signal at a control input of the multi-throw switch (col. 11 line 63-col. 12 line 3, inherent in the use of electromechanical switches).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art prior to the effective filing date to combine the teachings of the references and make the modified method of Jalali Mazlouman, receiving a band control signal at a control input of the multi throw switch, as taught by Pourseyed, in order to give electrical control on the switches.
Regarding claim 5, Jalali Mazlouman and Pourseyed render obvious all limitations of base claim 4.
Jalali Mazlouman also discloses further comprising providing the first radio frequency transmit signal from the output of the mapping network (130) to the input of the first power amplifier (215i) in a first state of the band control signal.
As discussed in claim 1, Jalali Mazlouman does not specifically disclose wherein the mapping network is comprised of multi-throw switches.
However, Pourseyed discloses a mapping network comprised of multi-throw switches (506).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art prior to the effective filing date to combine the teachings of the references and make the modified method of Jalali Mazlouman wherein the mapping network is comprised of multi-throw switches, as taught by Pourseyed, in order to switch between antenna configurations (col. 2 lines 27-45).
Regarding claim 6, Jalali Mazlouman and Pourseyed render obvious all limitations of base claim 5.
Jalali Mazlouman also discloses further comprising amplifying the first radio frequency transmit signal using the first power amplifier to generate a first amplified transmit signal, and transmitting the first amplified transmit signal on the first antenna element (this is the basic function of providing the power amplifier in the feed system and is implicit based on its existence).
Regarding claim 7, Jalali Mazlouman and Pourseyed render obvious all limitations of base claim 6.
Jalali Mazlouman also discloses further comprising generating a second amplified transmit signal using a second power amplifier (215i), and transmitting the second amplified transmit signal on a second antenna element of the antenna array (210i, see fig. 4).
Regarding claim 8, Jalali Mazlouman and Pourseyed render obvious all limitations of base claim 5.
Jalali Mazlouman also discloses further comprising providing the second radio frequency transmit signal (para. 0038-0039) from the output of the mapping network to the input of the first power amplifier (215i) in a second state of the band control signal.
As discussed in claim 1, Jalali Mazlouman does not specifically disclose wherein the mapping network is comprised of multi-throw switches.
However, Pourseyed discloses a mapping network comprised of multi-throw switches (506).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art prior to the effective filing date to combine the teachings of the references and make the modified method of Jalali Mazlouman wherein the mapping network is comprised of multi-throw switches, as taught by Pourseyed, in order to switch between antenna configurations (col. 2 lines 27-45).
Regarding claim 9, Jalali Mazlouman and Pourseyed render obvious all limitations of base claim 8.
Jalali Mazlouman also disclose further comprising amplifying the second radio frequency transmit signal (para. 0038-0039) using the first power amplifier (215i) to generate an amplified transmit signal and transmitting the amplified transmit signal on the first antenna element (210i).
Regarding claim 10, Jalali Mazlouman and Pourseyed render obvious all limitations of base claim 4.
Jalali Mazlouman also discloses wherein the first termination network is adjustable (para. 0079 and 0083), the method further comprising providing the band control signal to the first termination network and adjusting the first termination network based on the band control signal (para. 0083, includes digital control).
Regarding claim 11, Jalali Mazlouman and Pourseyed render obvious all limitations of base claim 10.
Jalali Mazlouman also disclose wherein the second termination network is adjustable (para. 0079 and 0083), the method further comprising providing the band control signal to the second termination network and adjusting the second termination network based on the band control signal (para. 0083, includes digital control).
Regarding claim 12, Jalali Mazlouman and Pourseyed render obvious all limitations of base claim 1.
Jalali Mazlouman also discloses wherein the first termination network is adjustable, the method further comprising controlling at least one adjustable component of the first termination network to tune the first termination network to the first frequency (para. 0079-0083).
Regarding claim 13, Jalali Mazlouman and Pourseyed render obvious all limitations of base claim 12.
Jalali Mazlouman also discloses wherein the second termination network is adjustable, the method further comprising controlling at least one adjustable component of the second termination network to tune the second termination network to the second frequency (para. 0079-0083).
Regarding claim 14, Jalali Mazlouman and Pourseyed render obvious all limitations of base claim 1.
Jalali Mazlouman does not disclose wherein the first antenna element is a patch antenna element.
However, Pourseyed discloses the use of patch antennas within a similar antenna system (col. 8 lines 55-64).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art prior to the effective filing date to combine the teachings of the references and make the modified method of Jalali Mazlouman wherein the first antenna element is a patch antenna element, as taught by Pourseyed, to provide a compact, low-profile design.
Regarding claim 15, Jalali Mazlouman and Pourseyed render obvious all limitations of base claim 14.
Jalali Mazlouman also discloses wherein the antenna array is formed on a surface of a package substrate (para. 0068).
Regarding claim 18, Jalali Mazlouman and Pourseyed render obvious all limitations of base claim 1.
Jalali Mazlouman also discloses further comprising receiving a radio frequency receive signal on the first antenna element (fig. 1, transmit and receive operation).
Regarding claim 19, Jalali Mazlouman and Pourseyed render obvious all limitations of base claim 1.
Jalali Mazlouman also discloses further comprising beamforming a transmit beam on the antenna array (fig. 1).
Regarding claim 20, Jalali Mazlouman and Pourseyed render obvious all limitations of base claim 1.
Jalali Mazlouman also discloses further comprising beamforming a receive beam on the antenna array (fig. 1).
Claims 2 and 3 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Jalali Mazlouman and Pourseyed and further in view of Dunworth et al. (US 10693231 B2), herein referred to as Dunworth.
Regarding claim 2, Jalali Mazlouman and Pourseyed render obvious all limitations of base claim 1.
Jalali Mazlouman does not specifically disclose wherein the first resonant mode is in a 24 gigahertz frequency band.
However, Jalali Mazlouman does disclose (para. 0101) GHz range frequencies, and merely changing the targeted frequency band of an antenna system is well known in the art, such as in Dunworth, which teaches a first resonant mode in a 24 gigahertz frequency band (column 4, lines 34-36).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art prior to the effective filing date to combine the teachings of the references and make the modified method of Jalali Mazlouman wherein the first resonant mode is in a 24 gigahertz frequency band, as taught by Dunworth, to cover 5G bands.
Regarding claim 3, Jalali Mazlouman, Pourseyed, and Dunworth render obvious all limitations of base claim 1.
Jalali Mazlouman does not disclose wherein the second resonant mode is in a 39 gigahertz frequency band.
However, Jalali Mazlouman does disclose (para. 0101) GHz range frequencies, and merely changing the targeted frequency band of an antenna system is well known in the art, such as in Dunworth, which teaches a second resonant mode in a 39 gigahertz frequency band (column 4, lines 34-36).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art prior to the effective filing date to combine the teachings of the references and make the modified method of Jalali Mazlouman wherein the second resonant mode is in a 39 gigahertz frequency band, as taught by Dunworth, to cover 5G bands.
Claims 16 and 17 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Jalali Mazlouman and Pourseyed and further in view of White et al. (US 20200099143 A1), herein referred to as White.
Regarding claim 16, Jalali Mazlouman and Pourseyed render obvious all limitations of base claim 1.
Jalali Mazlouman does not disclose wherein the first antenna element is a cavity-based antenna.
However, White discloses a similar antenna (fig. 2a) wherein the first antenna element (121) is a cavity-based antenna (para. 0017).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art prior to the effective filing date to combine the teachings of the references and make the modified method of Jalali Mazlouman wherein the first antenna element is a cavity-based antenna, as taught by White, to increase bandwidth (para. 0008).
Regarding claim 17, Jalali Mazlouman, Pourseyed, and White render obvious all limitations of base claim 16.
Jalali Mazlouman also discloses wherein the antenna array is formed on a surface of a package substrate (para. 0068).
Conclusion
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/BRANDON SEAN WOODS/Examiner, Art Unit 2845
/DIMARY S LOPEZ CRUZ/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2845