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 10/11/2024. In virtue of this communication, claims 1-18 are currently presented in the instant application.
Information Disclosure Statement
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 11/05/2024 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 3-4 and 13-18 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 3,
It is unclear regarding what is included or excluded by the claim language “and/or”. Clarification is required.
Regarding claim 4,
The recitation “one or more driven elements” in line 3 is considered vague because it’s confused with “one or more driven elements” in lines 2-3 of claim 2. Clarification is required.
Regarding claim 13,
The recitation “an antenna” in line 4 is considered vague because it’s confused with “an antenna” in line 1. Clarification is required.
Regarding claim 18,
The recitation “the first driven element” in line 3 is considered indefinite because it does not have an antecedent basis. Clarification is required.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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, 5 and 13-14, as best understood, are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Tanbo (US 20210336349), hereinafter Tanbo.
Regarding claim 1,
Tanbo discloses an antenna assembly (an antenna device 100, Fig 2) comprising:
an antenna (an antenna ANT, Fig 2) formed from a continuous material (a ground electrode 30, Fig 2);
wherein the antenna comprises a plurality of antenna modules (a plurality of antennas 110A and 110, Fig 2);
wherein each the plurality of antenna modules includes a single feeder (a power feed part SP, Fig 3) configured to receive a voltage (paragraph [0043]); and
wherein each of the plurality of antenna modules is configured to resonate at a plurality of frequencies (a first frequency, for example 2.4 GHz and a second frequency, for example 5 GHz; paragraph [0053]) in response to a single voltage supplied through a respective single feeder (a signal from an RFIC 150; paragraph [0053).
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Regarding claim 5,
Tanbo discloses the claimed invention, as discussed in claim 1.
Tanbo teaches an antenna carrier (a slit 31, Fig 3).
Regarding claim 13,
Tanbo discloses a method of manufacturing an antenna (an antenna ANT, Fig 2) comprising:
providing a continuous material (a ground electrode 30, Fig 2);
processing the continuous material to generate a plurality of preformed shapes (a plurality shapes of conductors 112, 113 and 114, Fig 3);
forming the plurality of preformed shapes into an antenna comprising a plurality of antenna modules (a plurality of antennas 110A and 110, Fig 2); and
forming a single feeder (a power feed part SP, Fig 3) from at least one preformed shape;
wherein each of the plurality of antenna modules is configured to resonate at a plurality of frequencies (a first frequency, for example 2.4 GHz and a second frequency, for example 5 GHz; paragraph [0053]) in response to a voltage received from the single feeder (a signal from an RFIC 150; paragraph [0053).
Regarding claim 14,
Tanbo discloses the claimed invention, as discussed in claim 13.
Tanbo teaches folding one or more preformed shapes to create a first driven element (a conductor 112, Fig 3).
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 2-4, 6-7 and 15-18, as best understood, are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Tanbo (US 20210336349), hereinafter Tanbo.
Regarding claim 2,
Tanbo discloses the claimed invention, as discussed in claim 1.
Tanbo teaches at least one antenna module of the plurality of antenna modules includes one (a common conductor 112, Fig 3) or more driven elements and one or more parasitic elements (conductors 113 and 114, Fig 3).
Tanbo does not explicitly teach conductors 113 and 114 are parasitic elements.
However, Tanbo teaches conductors 113 and 114 are unfed (Fig 3). Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art to consider conductors 113 and 114 to be parasitic elements because they are not directly fed.
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 at least one antenna module of a plurality of antenna modules including one or more driven elements and one or more unfed elements being one or more parasitic elements in Tanbo, in order to provide good isolation between antennas.
Regarding claim 3,
Tanbo discloses the claimed invention, as discussed in claim 2.
Tanbo does not explicitly teach the one or more parasitic elements are configured and/or positioned to receive an induced voltage from at least one driven element.
However, Tanbo teaches a frequency adjustment element 115 (Fig 3). This teaching is result effect in order to resonate the first frequency (paragraph [0053]).
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 one or more parasitic elements being configured and/or positioned to receive an induced voltage from at least one driven element in Tanbo, in order to provide good isolation between antennas.
Regarding claim 4,
Tanbo discloses the claimed invention, as discussed in claim 2.
Tanbo does not explicitly teach the one or more parasitic elements are configured to resonate at a different frequency than one or more driven elements.
However, Tanbo teaches frequency adjustment elements 115 and 116 (Fig 3) This teaching is result effect in order to resonate different frequencies (paragraph [0053]).
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 one or more parasitic elements being configured to resonate at a different frequency than one or more driven elements in Tanbo, in order to provide good isolation between antennas.
Regarding claim 6,
Tanbo discloses the claimed invention, as discussed in claim 5.
Tanbo does not explicitly teach at least a portion of the antenna carrier is configured to form at least part of an effective length for current resonance at a predetermined frequency.
However, Tanbo teaches a radio wave is radiated by supplying a radio frequency signal to a slit whose slit length (length of a side end part) is ¼ of a wavelength λ corresponding to the radio wave to be radiated (paragraph [0056]). This teaching is result effect in order to radiate a radio wave (paragraph [0056]).
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 at least a portion of an antenna carrier being configured to form at least part of an effective length for current resonance at a predetermined frequency in Tanbo, in order to provide good isolation between antennas.
Regarding claim 7,
Tanbo discloses an antenna (an antenna ANT, Fig 2) comprising:
a plurality of driven elements (common conductors 112, Fig 3) and a plurality of parasitic elements (conductors 113 and 114, Fig 3) formed from a single continuous material (a ground electrode 30, Fig 2).
Tanbo does not explicitly teach conductors 113 and 114 are parasitic elements.
However, Tanbo teaches conductors 113 and 114 are unfed (Fig 3). Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art to consider conductors 113 and 114 to be parasitic elements because they are not directly fed.
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 a plurality of unfed elements being a plurality of parasitic elements in Tanbo, in order to provide good isolation between antennas.
Regarding claim 15,
Tanbo discloses the claimed invention, as discussed in claim 13.
Tanbo teaches folding one or more preformed shapes to create a first parasitic element (a conductor 114, Fig 3).
Tanbo does not explicitly teach conductor 114 is a parasitic element.
However, Tanbo teaches conductor 114 is unfed (Fig 3). Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art to consider conductor 114 to be a parasitic element because it’s not directly fed.
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 folding one or more preformed shapes to create an unfed element being a parasitic element in Tanbo, in order to provide good isolation between antennas.
Regarding claim 16,
Tanbo discloses the claimed invention, as discussed in claim 13.
Tanbo teaches folding one or more preformed shapes to create a gap between a first driven element (a conductor 112, Fig 3) and a first parasitic element (a conductor 114, Fig 3).
Tanbo does not explicitly teach conductor 114 is a parasitic element.
However, Tanbo teaches conductor 114 is unfed (Fig 3). Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art to consider conductor 114 to be a parasitic element because it’s not directly fed.
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 folding one or more preformed shapes to create a gap between a first driven element and an unfed conductor being a first parasitic element in Tanbo, in order to provide good isolation between antennas.
Regarding claim 17,
Tanbo discloses the claimed invention, as discussed in claim 13.
Tanbo teaches folding one or more preformed shapes to create a bridge between a first driven element (a conductor 112, Fig 3) and a first parasitic element (a conductor 114, Fig 3).
Tanbo does not explicitly teach conductor 114 is a parasitic element.
However, Tanbo teaches conductor 114 is unfed (Fig 3). Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art to consider conductor 114 to be a parasitic element because it’s not directly fed.
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 one or more preformed shapes to create a bridge between a first driven element and an unfed element being a first parasitic element in Tanbo, in order to provide good isolation between antennas.
Regarding claim 18,
Tanbo discloses the claimed invention, as discussed in claim 13.
Tanbo does not explicitly teach folding one or more preformed shapes to create a projection extending from a first driven element configured to extend a bandwidth of the first driven element.
However, Tanbo teaches conductor 113 connected to a driven element (a conductor 112, Fig 3) via a frequency adjustment element 115 (Fig 3). This teaching is result effect in order to resonate a frequency (paragraph [0053]).
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 folding one or more preformed shapes to create a projection extending from a first driven element configured to extend a bandwidth of the first driven element in Tanbo, in order to provide good isolation between antennas.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 8-12 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.
Regarding claim 8, prior art of record or most closely prior art fails to disclose, “each of the plurality of antenna modules comprises the plurality of driven elements and the plurality of parasitic elements”.
Dependent claims 9-12 are considered to be allowable by virtue of its/their dependency/dependencies on claim 8.
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