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 .
Claim Objections
Claims 2-5 & 12-15 are objected to because of the following informalities: The claims recite the limitation “covering layer” however, it appears to be a minor oversight and that it should refer back to the “cover layer” previously introduced in claim 1. Appropriate correction is required.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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 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 1-4 & 9-13 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Kim et al. US Patent Application Publication 2021/0104582.
Regarding Claim 1, Kim et al. teaches a foldable receiving antenna (AA, AA1, AA2, AA3 Figs. 1-5, 10-17), having an antenna body is divided into a plurality of folding units by at least one folding crease (AA2, AA3 Figs. 10-17 Par. 0114, 0115), wherein the antenna body has a plurality of layers (DPL, TSL, ANTL, OPT/OPTL, CW Figs. 4, 5 Par. 0073-0082), including a connecting layer spanning the at least one folding crease for connecting adjacent two folding units (“the first antenna includes a conductive layer disposed between insulating layers” Par. 0024), a centrally located support layer (OPT Fig. 5 Par. 0082), a cover layer centrally symmetrically arranged at both sides of the support layer (CW, DPL Fig. 5 Par. 0073), and an antenna layer disposed between the support layer and the cover layer (ANTL disposed between OPT and CW, DPL Fig. 5 Par. 0073).
Regarding Claim 2, Kim et al. teaches wherein the connecting layer includes an upper connecting layer and a lower connecting layer symmetrically (upper and lower symmetric layers implied from “the first antenna includes a conductive layer disposed between insulating layers” Par. 0024) stacked on an upper surface and a lower surface of the support layer respectively (ANTL including insulating layers stacked on OPT layer Fig. 5), the covering layer is centrally symmetrically attached on an outside surface of the upper connecting layer and the lower connecting layer (CW, DPL Fig. 5), and the antenna layer is disposed between the upper connecting layer and the support layer and/or between the lower connecting layer and the support layer (ANTL disposed between the lower insulating layer and OPT Fig. 5).
Regarding Claim 3, Kim et al. teaches wherein the connecting layer spans the at least one folding crease (Figs. 10-17) and is attached to an outside surface of the support layer to form the covering layer (insulating firm attached to ANTL and CW Fig. 5).
Regarding Claim 4, Kim et al. teaches wherein the cover layer is provided with a reinforcing edge at an edge thereof, which is formed by fusing the cover layer centrally symmetrically attached on the outside surface of the upper connecting layer and the lower connecting layer (Fig. 5 Par. 0065).
Regarding Claim 9, Kim et al. teaches A foldable panel, having a long axis direction and a short axis direction (Figs. 10-17, 23F), comprising the receiving antenna according to claim 1 (as shown in the rejection above), wherein N+1 folding units (RA1, RA2, RA3 Figs. 10-17 Par. 0112) and N folding creases are included (FA1, FA2, AA2, AA3 Figs. 10-17 Par. 0114, 0115), in which N is an integer greater than 0, wherein when N=1, only one folding crease is included and such folding crease is disposed on a central axis of the long axis direction (Figs. 10, 11) or the short axis direction (Fig. 23F), and the N folding creases are symmetrically disposed along the central axis in the long axis direction (Figs. 10-17) or the short axis direction when N>1 (Fig. 23F).
Regarding Claim 10, Kim et al. teaches wherein the N+1 folding units comprise a center folding unit (RA2 Figs. 10-17) and N symmetrical folding units (RA1, RA3 Figs. 10-17), a total area of the N symmetrical folding units after completely folded is less than or equal to an area of the center folding unit (Figs. 10-17).
Regarding Claim 11, Kim et al. teaches wherein at least one of the N symmetrical folding units is provided with a curved chamfer at an edge away from the center folding unit, and the center folding unit is provided with a curved inner concave at the central axis, the curved inner concave being aligned with the curved chamfer (curved chamfer better seen in Figs. 1, 3, 8, 23A).
Regarding Claim 12, Kim et al. teaches wherein the connecting layer includes an upper connecting layer and a lower connecting layer symmetrically (upper and lower symmetric layers implied from “the first antenna includes a conductive layer disposed between insulating layers” Par. 0024) stacked on an upper surface and a lower surface of the support layer respectively (ANTL including insulating layers stacked on OPT layer Fig. 5), the covering layer is centrally symmetrically attached on an outside surface of the upper connecting layer and the lower connecting layer (CW, DPL Fig. 5), and the antenna layer is disposed between the upper connecting layer and the support layer and/or between the lower connecting layer and the support layer (ANTL disposed between the lower insulating layer and OPT Fig. 5).
Regarding Claim 13, Kim et al. teaches wherein the connecting layer correspondingly spans the N folding creases (Figs. 10-17) and is attached to an outside surface of the support layer to form the covering layer (insulating firm attached to ANTL and CW Fig. 5).
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.
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 5-7, 14 & 15 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kim et al. US Patent Application Publication 2021/0104582 and Cho et al. US Patent Application Publication 2022/0229469.
Regarding Claim 5, Kim et al. teaches wherein the cover layer comprises an upper cover layer and a lower cover layer centrally symmetrically (CW, DPL Fig. 5) attached on an upper surface and a lower surface of the support layer respectively (CW and DPL attached to upper and lower surfaces of OPT Fig. 5), the connecting layer comprises an upper connecting layer and a lower connecting layer symmetrically (upper and lower symmetric layers implied from “the first antenna includes a conductive layer disposed between insulating layers” Par. 0024) attached on an outside surface of the upper cover layer and the lower connecting layer, respectively (CW, DPL Fig. 5), and the antenna layer is disposed between the upper covering layer and the support layer and/or between the lower covering layer and the support layer (ANTL disposed between the lower insulating layer and OPT Fig. 5).
Kim et al. is silent on wherein the cover layer is provided with at least one opening respectively aligned with the at least one folding crease.
However, Cho et al. teaches “a plurality of openings may be formed in the plate folding part” Par. 0014.
In this particular case, forming at least one opening in a cover layer respectively aligned with the at least one folding crease is common and well known in the art as evident by Cho et al. to provide “excellent flexibility, and desirable mechanical properties” Par. 0005.
Accordingly, it would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to provide the cover layer of Kim et al. with at least one opening respectively aligned with the at least one folding crease based on the teachings of Cho et al. as a result effect in order to provide excellent flexibility, and desirable mechanical properties.
Regarding Claim 6, Kim et al. as modified teaches wherein the cover layer is symmetrically attached on an upper and lower surfaces of the antenna layer to form the support layer (Fig. 5).
Regarding Claim 7, Kim et al. as modified teaches wherein the cover layer is provided with a reinforcing edge at an edge thereof, which is formed by fusing the cover layer to the support layer or by fusing the cover layer centrally symmetrically attached on the outside surface of the upper connecting layer and the lower connecting layer (Fig. 5 Par. 0065).
Regarding Claim 14, Kim et al. teaches wherein the cover layer comprises an upper cover layer and a lower cover layer centrally symmetrically (CW, DPL Fig. 5) attached on an upper surface and a lower surface of the support layer respectively (CW and DPL attached to upper and lower surfaces of OPT Fig. 5), the connecting layer comprises an upper connecting layer and a lower connecting layer symmetrically (upper and lower symmetric layers implied from “the first antenna includes a conductive layer disposed between insulating layers” Par. 0024) attached on an outside surface of the upper cover layer and the lower connecting layer, respectively (CW, DPL Fig. 5), and the antenna layer is disposed between the upper covering layer and the support layer and/or between the lower covering layer and the support layer (ANTL disposed between the lower insulating layer and OPT Fig. 5).
Kim et al. is silent on wherein the cover layer is provided with at least one opening respectively aligned with the N folding creases.
However, Cho et al. teaches “a plurality of openings may be formed in the plate folding part” Par. 0014.
In this particular case, forming at least one opening in a cover layer respectively aligned with the N folding creases is common and well known in the art as evident by Cho et al. to provide “excellent flexibility, and desirable mechanical properties” Par. 0005.
Accordingly, it would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to provide the cover layer of Kim et al. with at least one opening respectively aligned with the N folding creases based on the teachings of Cho et al. as a result effect in order to provide excellent flexibility, and desirable mechanical properties.
Regarding Claim 15, Kim et al. teaches wherein the cover layer is symmetrically attached on an upper and lower surfaces of the antenna layer to form the support layer (Fig. 5).
Claim 8 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kim et al. US Patent Application Publication 2021/0104582 and Morimoto et al. US Patent Application Publication 2022/0102864.
Regarding Claim 8, Kim et al. teaches wherein the antenna layer has a spreading angle ranging from 0° to 180° (Figs. 10-17).
Kim et al. is silent on wherein the antenna layer is a dipole antenna.
However, Morimoto et al. teaches wherein the antenna layer is a dipole antenna (Par. 0162).
In this particular case, providing a dipole antenna is common and well known in the antenna art as evident by Morimoto et al. for its simplified structure which has improved reliability and high antenna gain (Par. 0162).
Accordingly, it would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to provide the antenna layer of Kim et al. as a dipole antenna based on the teachings of Morimoto et al. as a result effect due to its simplified structure in order to obtain improved reliability and high antenna gain.
Conclusion
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/MICHAEL M BOUIZZA/Examiner, Art Unit 2845