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 .
Continued Examination Under 37 CFR 1.114
A request for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, including the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e), was filed in this application after allowance or after an Office action under Ex Parte Quayle, 25 USPQ 74, 453 O.G. 213 (Comm'r Pat. 1935). Since this application is eligible for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, prosecution in this application has been reopened pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114. Applicant's submission filed on 6/16/2026 has been entered.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 6/16/2026 is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
Claim Interpretation
Examiner’s note - Regarding the recitation that an element is ‘configured to’ perform a function, it is the position of the office that such limitations are not positive structural limitations, and thus, only require the ability to so perform. In this case the prior art applied herein is construed as at least possessing such ability.
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 17-18 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 applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
Claim 17 recites in part the limitation “comprising the circuitry ". There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim. The claim should readd “comprising circuitry”.
Claim 18 does not clarify and is likewise rejected.
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.
(a)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claims 1-5 and 14-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) & 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Hsieh (US 2019/0181549), hereinafter Hsieh.
Regarding claim 1 Hsieh discloses an antenna device (e.g., title, abstract), comprising: a dielectric support (Fig. 2, at 21; paragraph 0020); a first conductor (e.g., Fig. 2, at 11; paragraph 0025) disposed on the dielectric support and comprising a signal feed terminal (e.g., Fig. 2, at 211; paragraph 0025); and a second conductor (e.g., Fig. 2, at 13; paragraph 0025) disposed on the dielectric support and comprising a reference feed terminal (e.g., paragraph 0025), the second conductor being spaced from the first conductor by a gap (e.g., Fig. 2, at 11 and 13; paragraph 0025), and the gap comprising: a first region (e.g., Fig. 2, at 113 and 132; paragraph 0031), in which the first conductor is spaced from the second conductor by a first gap distance; a second region (e.g., Fig. 2, at 115 and 136; paragraph 0038), in which the first conductor is spaced from the second conductor by a second gap distance different from the first gap distance (e.g., Fig,. 2 at the two gaps, paragraphs 0035 and 0038); and a third region (Fig. 2, at 13 show a third region), in which the first conductor is spaced from the second conductor by a third gap distance different from the first gap distance and the second gap distance (Fig. 2, at 13 show a third gap with a different distance than the first and second gaps).
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Regarding claim 2 Hsieh further discloses the antenna device of claim 1, wherein: the antenna device is configured to operate at a first resonant frequency and a second resonant frequency different from the first resonant frequency (e.g., paragraph 0038); the first gap distance corresponds to the first resonant frequency; and the second gap distance corresponds to the second resonant frequency (e.g., paragraph 0038).
Regarding claim 3 Hsieh further discloses the antenna device of claim 2, wherein the first gap distance is configured to tune an impedance of the antenna device at the first resonant frequency and the second gap distance is configured to tune the impedance of the antenna device at the second resonant frequency (e.g., paragraphs 0038 and 0041-0042).
Regarding claim 4 Hsieh further discloses the antenna device of claim 2, wherein the first gap distance is configured to provide coupling at the first resonant frequency between the first conductor and the second conductor across the first region of the gap (e.g., paragraph 0038), and the second gap distance is configured to provide coupling at the second resonant frequency between the first conductor and the second conductor across the second region of the gap (e.g., paragraph 0038).
Regarding claim 5 Hsieh further discloses the antenna device of claim 1, wherein the dielectric support comprises a plurality of planar surfaces (Fig. 2, at 13 shows two planar surfaces), and at least two regions from among the first region, the second region, and the third region of the gap are disposed, at least in part, on a respective at least two planar surfaces of the plurality of planar surfaces of the dielectric support (Fig. 2, at 13 shows these features).
Regarding claim 14 Hsieh further discloses the antenna device of claim 1, wherein the antenna device is configured to operate in: a first frequency band contained in a first frequency range from 699 MHz to 1710 MHz (e.g., paragraph 0052); a second frequency band contained in a second frequency range from 1710 MHz to 2400 MHz (e.g., paragraph 0052); and a third frequency band contained in a third frequency range from 2400 MHz to 3 GHz (e.g., paragraph 0052).
Regarding claim 15 Hsieh further discloses the antenna device of claim 14, wherein the third frequency band is contained in a frequency range from 2483 MHz to 2690 MHz (e.g., paragraph 0059).
Regarding claim 16 Hsieh discloses a system (e.g., title, abstract), comprising: an antenna device (e.g., title, abstract), comprising: a dielectric support (Fig. 2, at 21; paragraph 0020); a first conductor (e.g., Fig. 2, at 11; paragraph 0025) disposed on the dielectric support and comprising a signal feed terminal (e.g., Fig. 2, at 211; paragraph 0025); and a second conductor disposed on the dielectric support and comprising a reference feed terminal (e.g., paragraph 0025), the second conductor (e.g., Fig. 2, at 13; paragraph 0025) being spaced from the first conductor by a gap (e.g., Fig. 2, at 11 and 13; paragraph 0025), and the gap comprising: a first region (e.g., Fig. 2, at 113 and 132; paragraph 0031), in which the first conductor is spaced from the second conductor by a first gap distance; a second region (e.g., Fig. 2, at 115 and 136; paragraph 0038), in which the first conductor is spaced from the second conductor by a second gap distance different from the first gap distance (e.g., Fig,. 2 at the two gaps, paragraphs 0035 and 0038); and a third region (Fig. 2, at 13 show a third region), in which the first conductor is spaced from the second conductor by a third gap distance different from the first gap distance and the second gap distance (Fig. 2, at 13 show a third gap with a different distance than the first and second gaps); and circuitry (e.g., paragraphs 0025 and 0041-0042) coupled to the antenna device to transmit and/or receive signals via the antenna device (e.g., paragraph 0048), the circuitry including: a feed port (e.g., paragraph 0025) coupled to the signal feed terminal of the first conductor; and a reference port (e.g., paragraph 0025) coupled to reference feed terminal of the second conductor.
Regarding claim 17 Hsieh as best understood further discloses the system of claim 16, further comprising: a housing (Fig. 1, at 200; paragraph 0020) having the antenna device disposed within the housing; and a circuit board (Fig. 1, at 21; paragraph 0020) disposed within the housing and comprising the circuitry.
Regarding claim 18 Hsieh as best understood further discloses the system of claim 17, wherein the circuit board further comprises a ground plane (e.g., paragraph 0025), and the reference port is coupled to the ground plane (e.g., paragraph 0025).
Regarding claim 19 Hsieh discloses a method of operating an antenna device comprising a dielectric support (Fig. 2, at 21; paragraph 0020), a first conductor (e.g., Fig. 2, at 11; paragraph 0025) disposed on the dielectric support and comprising a signal feed terminal (e.g., Fig. 2, at 211; paragraph 0025), and a second conductor (e.g., Fig. 2, at 13; paragraph 0025) disposed on the dielectric support and comprising a reference feed terminal (e.g., paragraph 0025), the second conductor being spaced from the first conductor by a gap (e.g., Fig. 2, at 11 and 13; paragraph 0025), and the gap comprising a first region (e.g., Fig. 2, at 113 and 132; paragraph 0031), in which the first conductor is spaced from the second conductor by a first gap distance, a second region (e.g., Fig. 2, at 115 and 136; paragraph 0038), in which the first conductor is spaced from the second conductor by a second gap distance different from the first gap distance, and a third region (Fig. 2, at 13 show a third region), in which the first conductor is spaced from the second conductor by a third gap distance different from the first gap distance and the second gap distance (Fig. 2, at 13 show a third gap with a different distance than the first and second gaps), the method comprising: transmitting and/or receiving signals via the antenna device via a feed port coupled to the signal feed terminal of the first conductor and a reference port coupled to the reference feed terminal of the second conductor (e.g., paragraph 0025).
Regarding claim 20 Hsieh further discloses the method of claim 19, wherein: transmitting and/or receiving the signals is at a first resonant frequency and a second resonant frequency different from the first resonant frequency (e.g., paragraphs 0039-0040); the first gap distance tunes an impedance of the antenna device at the first resonant frequency; and the second gap distance tunes the impedance of the antenna device at the second resonant frequency (e.g., paragraphs 0039-0040).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 6-13 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.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter:
Regarding dependent claim 6, patentability exists, at least in part, with the claimed features of wherein the first region, the second region, and the third region of the gap are disposed, at least in part, on respective first, second, and third planar surfaces of the plurality of planar surfaces of the dielectric support.
Hsieh, Huang, Charvat, and Wei – all of record - are cited as teaching some elements of the claimed invention including a system having an antenna device having a first conductor, a second conductor, a dielectric support, a signal feed terminal, a first gap and a second gap.
However, the prior art, when taken alone, or, in combination, cannot be construed as reasonably teaching or suggesting all of the elements of the claimed invention as arranged, disposed, or provided in the manner as claimed by the Applicant.
Regarding dependent claim 7, patentability exists, at least in part, with the claimed features of a third conductor disposed on the dielectric support and spaced from the first conductor by a second gap, the second gap comprising a fourth region in which the first conductor is spaced from the third conductor are spaced by a fourth gap distance that is different from at least one of the first gap distance, the second gap distance, and the third gap distance.
Hsieh, Huang, Charvat, and Wei are all cited as teaching some elements of the claimed invention including a system having an antenna device having a first conductor, a second conductor, a dielectric support, a signal feed terminal, a first gap and a second gap.
However, the prior art, when taken alone, or, in combination, cannot be construed as reasonably teaching or suggesting all of the elements of the claimed invention as arranged, disposed, or provided in the manner as claimed by the Applicant.
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 DAVID E LOTTER whose telephone number is (571)270-7422. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 10am-6pm.
Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Dameon Levi can be reached at 571-272-2105. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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DAVID E. LOTTER
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 2845
/DAVID E LOTTER/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2845
Prosecution Insights