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The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
Double Patenting
The nonstatutory double patenting rejection is based on a judicially created doctrine grounded in public policy (a policy reflected in the statute) so as to prevent the unjustified or improper timewise extension of the “right to exclude” granted by a patent and to prevent possible harassment by multiple assignees. A nonstatutory double patenting rejection is appropriate where the conflicting claims are not identical, but at least one examined application claim is not patentably distinct from the reference claim(s) because the examined application claim is either anticipated by, or would have been obvious over, the reference claim(s). See, e.g., In re Berg, 140 F.3d 1428, 46 USPQ2d 1226 (Fed. Cir. 1998); In re Goodman, 11 F.3d 1046, 29 USPQ2d 2010 (Fed. Cir. 1993); In re Longi, 759 F.2d 887, 225 USPQ 645 (Fed. Cir. 1985); In re Van Ornum, 686 F.2d 937, 214 USPQ 761 (CCPA 1982); In re Vogel, 422 F.2d 438, 164 USPQ 619 (CCPA 1970); In re Thorington, 418 F.2d 528, 163 USPQ 644 (CCPA 1969).
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Claims 1, 3-7, and 9-11 are rejected on the ground of nonstatutory double patenting as being unpatentable over claims 1-11 of U.S. Patent No. 12,142,830 B2. Although the claims at issue are not identical, they are not patentably distinct from each other because the claims of the instant application would be anticipated by the claims of the aforementioned patent.
18/911,968 (Instant Application)
Patent No.: US 12,142,830 B2
1. A frequency reconfigurable (FR) slot-based ultra-high frequency (UHF) antenna for use in cubic shaped satellites (Cube-Sat), comprising: a dielectric circuit board having a surface dimension of about 100 mm in length and about 100 mm in width, a top side, a bottom side, a first edge opposite a second edge, and a third edge opposite a fourth edge; a metallic layer configured to cover the top side of the dielectric circuit board; a meandered slot line formed in the metallic layer, wherein the meandered slot line comprises a heptagonal path connected to and enclosing a rectangular path, wherein the meandered slot line is configured to have mirror image geometry about a central axis which extends from the first edge to the second edge, passes through an apex of the heptagonal path and bisects the rectangular path,
wherein the meandered slot line has dimensions of about 80 mm × 68 mm and
is about 2 mm in width;
a feed horn to the first edge of the circuit board, wherein an open end of the feed horn is directed towards the apex of the heptagonal path; a reverse biased varactor diode connected to the metallic layer across the rectangular path and parallel to the central axis; a ground terminal connected to the metallic layer; and a biasing circuit configured to bias the reverse biased varactor diode and cause the frequency reconfigurable (FR) slot-based ultra-high frequency (UHF) antenna to resonate in a frequency range of 300 MHz to 450 MHz.
3. The FR slot-based UHF antenna of claim 1, wherein the biasing circuit comprises: a first metallic sorting post located on the bottom side, wherein the first metallic sorting post is configured to extend through the dielectric circuit board and connect to the reverse biased varactor diode on the top side; a microstrip feedline located on the bottom side, the microstrip feedline configured to have a first end at the second edge and a second end; a voltage source connected to the first end of the microstrip feedline; a first inductor connected in series with the voltage source; and a first resistor connected in series with the first inductor, wherein the second end of the microstrip feedline is connected to the first metallic sorting post.
4. The FR slot-based UHF antenna of claim 3, further comprising: a second metallic sorting post located on the bottom side, wherein the second metallic sorting post is configured to extend through the dielectric circuit board and connect to the metallic layer on the top side; a second inductor connected to the ground terminal; and a second resistor connected in series with the second inductor, wherein the second resistor is connected to the second metallic sorting post.
5. The FR slot-based UHF antenna of claim 1, wherein the heptagonal path includes: a first leg extending from the apex to the fourth edge at a first angle, wherein the first angle is about 30 degrees with respect to a line which extends from the third edge to the fourth edge; a second leg connected to the first leg, wherein the second leg extends parallel to the fourth edge; a third leg connected to the second leg, wherein the third leg forms a second angle with the second leg and extends towards the third edge, wherein the second angle is about 30 degrees; a fourth leg connected to the third leg, wherein the fourth leg extends towards the third edge and is parallel to the second edge; a fifth leg connected to the fourth leg, where in the fifth leg forms a third angle with the fourth leg and extends towards the third edge, wherein the third angle is a negative of the second angle; a sixth leg connected to the fifth leg, wherein the sixth leg extends towards the first edge; and a seventh leg connected to the sixth leg at an angle equal to a negative of the first angle, wherein the seventh leg is connected to the first leg at the apex.
6. The FR slot-based UHF antenna of claim 5, wherein the rectangular path includes: the fourth leg; an eighth leg connected to an intersection of the fourth leg and the third leg, wherein the eighth leg extends from the fourth leg towards the first edge for about 55% of a distance between the fourth leg and the apex; a ninth leg connected to the eighth leg at a right angle, wherein the ninth leg extends from the eighth leg towards the third edge; and a tenth leg connected at a first end to the ninth leg at a right angle, wherein the tenth leg extends from the ninth leg towards the second leg, wherein the tenth leg is connected at a second end to an intersection of the fourth leg and the fifth leg.
7. The FR slot-based UHF antenna of claim 6, wherein the ninth leg is broken by a gap located at the central axis, wherein the gap is about 1 mm in width.
9. The FR slot-based UHF antenna of claim 1, wherein the reverse biased varactor diode is selected to have a capacitance value in the range of 1.32 picoFarads to 9.63 picoFarads.
10. The FR slot-based UHF antenna of claim 1, wherein the reverse biased varactor diode is selected to have a capacitance value of about 5.39 picoFarads.
11. The FR slot-based UHF antenna of claim 1, wherein the metallic layer is copper.
1. A frequency reconfigurable (FR) slot-based ultra-high frequency (UHF) antenna for use in cubic shaped satellites (Cube-Sat), comprising: a dielectric circuit board having a surface dimension of about 100 mm in length and about 100 mm in width, a top side, a bottom side, a first edge opposite a second edge, and a third edge opposite a fourth edge; a metallic layer configured to cover the top side of the dielectric circuit board; a meandered slot line formed in the metallic layer, wherein the meandered slot line comprises a heptagonal path connected to and enclosing a rectangular path, wherein the meandered slot line is configured to have mirror image geometry about a central axis which extends from the first edge to the second edge, passes through an apex of the heptagonal path and bisects the rectangular path;
a feed horn to the first edge of the circuit board, wherein an open end of the feed horn is directed towards the apex of the heptagonal meandered path; a reverse biased varactor diode connected to the metallic layer across the rectangular path and parallel to the central axis; a ground terminal connected to the metallic layer; and a biasing circuit configured to bias the reverse biased varactor diode and cause the frequency reconfigurable (FR) slot-based ultra-high frequency (UHF) antenna to resonate in a frequency range of 300 MHz to 450 MHz.
2. The FR slot-based UHF antenna of claim 1, wherein the meandered slot line has dimensions of about 80 mm×68 mm.
8. The FR slot-based UHF antenna of claim 1, wherein the meandered slot line is about 2 mm in width.
3. The FR slot-based UHF antenna of claim 1, wherein the biasing circuit comprises: a first metallic sorting post located on the bottom side, wherein the first metallic sorting post is configured to extend through the dielectric circuit board and connect to the reverse biased varactor diode on the top side; a microstrip feedline located on the bottom side, the microstrip feedline configured to have a first end at the second edge and a second end; a voltage source connected to the first end of the microstrip feedline; a first inductor connected in series with the voltage source; and a first resistor connected in series with the second inductor, wherein the second end of the microstrip feedline is connected to the first metallic sorting post.
4. The FR slot-based UHF antenna of claim 3, further comprising: a second metallic sorting post located on the bottom side, wherein the second metallic sorting post is configured to extend through the dielectric circuit board and connect to the metallic layer on the top side; a second inductor connected to the ground terminal; and a second resistor connected in series with the second inductor, wherein the second resistor is connected to the second metallic sorting post.
5. The FR slot-based UHF antenna of claim 1, wherein the heptagonal path includes: a first leg extending from the apex to the fourth edge at a first angle, wherein the first angle is about 30 degrees with respect to a line which extends from the third edge to the fourth edge; a second leg connected to the first leg, wherein the second leg extends parallel to the fourth edge; a third leg connected to the second leg, wherein the third leg forms a second angle with the second leg and extends towards the third edge, wherein the second angle is about 30 degrees; a fourth leg connected to the third leg, wherein the fourth leg extends towards the third edge and is parallel to the second edge; a fifth leg connected to the fourth leg, where in the fifth leg forms a third angle with the fourth leg and extends towards the third edge, wherein the third angle is a negative of the second angle; a sixth leg connected to the fifth leg, wherein the sixth leg extends towards the first edge; and a seventh leg connected to the sixth leg at an angle equal to a negative of the first angle, wherein the seventh leg is connected to the first leg at the apex.
6. The FR slot-based UHF antenna of claim 5, wherein the rectangular path includes: the fourth leg; an eighth leg connected to an intersection of the fourth leg and the third leg, wherein the eighth leg extends from the fourth leg towards the first edge for about 55% of a distance between the fourth leg and the apex; a ninth leg connected to the eighth leg at a right angle, wherein the ninth leg extends from the eighth leg towards the third edge; and a tenth leg connected at a first end to the ninth leg at a right angle, wherein the tenth leg extends from the ninth leg towards the second leg, wherein the tenth leg is connected at a second end to an intersection of the fourth leg and the fifth leg.
7. The FR slot-based UHF antenna of claim 6, wherein the ninth leg is broken by a gap located at the central axis, wherein the gap is about 1 mm in width.
9. The FR slot-based UHF antenna of claim 1, wherein the reverse biased varactor diode is selected to have a capacitance value in the range of 1.32 picoFarads to 9.63 picoFarads.
10. The FR slot-based UHF antenna of claim 1, wherein the reverse biased varactor diode is selected to have a capacitance value of about 5.39 picoFarads.
11. The FR slot-based UHF antenna of claim 1, wherein the metallic layer is copper.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 12-17 are allowed.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter: the prior art, either singly or in combinations, fails to anticipate or render obvious a method of forming a frequency reconfigurable (FR) slot-based ultra-high frequency (UHF) antenna for use in cubic shaped satellites (Cube-Sat), comprising, among other things: wherein the meandered slot line comprises a heptagonal path connected to and enclosing a rectangular path, wherein the meandered slot line is configured to have mirror image geometry about a central axis which extends from the first edge to the second edge, passes through an apex of the heptagonal path and bisects the rectangular path, wherein the meandered slot line has dimensions of about 80 mm × 68 mm and is about 2 mm in width; connecting a feed horn to the first edge of the circuit board, wherein an open end of the first feed horn is directed towards the apex of the heptagonal path; connecting a reverse biased varactor diode to the metallic layer across the rectangular path and parallel to the central axis, as set forth in the claim 12. The claims dependent on the above-discussed independent claim are allowable also because of their dependency on patentable independent claim.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Warnagiris et al. (US 5,754,143) discloses switch-tuned meandered-slot antenna.
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/DANIEL D CHANG/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2844