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 .
Priority
Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers submitted under 35 U.S.C. 119(a)-(d), which papers have been placed of record in the file.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statements (IDSs) submitted on 10/24/2024 is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statements have been considered by the examiner.
Specification
The disclosure is objected to because of the following informalities:
It is suggested that the limitation recites “RFIC” should be changed to --radio frequency integrated circuit (RFIC)-- and the limitation recites “BBIC” should be changed to --baseband integrated circuit (BBIC)-- in the abstract and specification to make it clearer.
Appropriate correction is required.
Claim Objections
Claims 1-3, 7 and 10-13 are objected to because of the following informalities:
In claims 1-3, 7, 10 and 13, the phrase recites “assuming” should be changed to --when-- to make it clearer, because it cannot be condition as assuming.
In claim 1, lines 5-7 and 16-17, claim 2, lines 2-3, and claim 10, lines 14-15, it is suggested that the limitation recites “radio frequency circuit” should be changed to --radio frequency integrated circuit-- to make it clearer and associate with the drawings.
In claim 1, lines 1-2, 6, 12 and 15, claim 11, line 3, and claim 12, line 3, it is suggested that the limitation recites “baseband circuit” should be changed to --baseband integrated circuit-- to make it clearer and associate with the drawings.
Appropriate correction is required.
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 1-20 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.
Regarding claim 1, the limitation recites "assuming a first condition is satisfied, the radio frequency circuit stops emission of radio waves from the first element, the first condition being satisfied assuming a variation in a reception level of a radio frequency signal received by the reception circuit during transmission of a radio frequency signal from the transmission circuit exceeds a predetermined value” is unclear and leaves the reader in doubt as to the meaning of the technical feature to which it refers.
It is unclear that what is a first condition? And what is a predetermined value? Maybe the radio frequency circuit stops radiation of a radio wave from the first element when a first condition is satisfied, the first condition being that an amount of change in a reception level of the radio frequency signal received by the reception circuit via the first element or the second element exceeds a predetermined value, and the radio frequency signal received by the reception circuit is a reception signal based on the radio frequency signal being transmitted from the transmission circuit.
Does "while transmitting a radio frequency signal from the transmission circuit" (for supplying a radio frequency signal to the first radiating elements including the first element and the second element) include the case where the radio frequency signal is supplied to both the first element and the second element (in addition to the case where the radio frequency signal is supplied only to the first element)?
Which radio frequency signal among the first radio frequency signal from the first element, the radio frequency signal from the second element, the radio frequency signal from either the first element or the second element, and the radio frequency signal from both the first element and the second element is included in the "radio frequency signal received by the receiving circuit" (for receiving the radio frequency signal from the first radiating element including the first element and the second element)?
What kind of signal (for example, a received signal based on a radio frequency signal being transmitted from a transmission circuit) is the "radio frequency signal received by the reception circuit during transmission of a radio frequency signal from the transmission circuit"?
The claims fail to recite sufficiently definite structure, material or acts for achieving the functional result recited in the claim to reasonably apprise one of ordinary skill in the art of the scope of the claims.
Claims 2-20 are depending on claim 1, and are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph as the same reason as stated above.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 1-20 are allowable if the objections and the 112 issues above are fixed.
Citation of Relevance Prior Arts
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure:
Morimoto et al. (U.S Publication No. 20250070462 A1) discloses an antenna module includes antenna groups, hybrid couplers, dividers, and an RFIC. The antenna group includes radiating elements. The antenna group includes radiating elements. Each hybrid coupler has input terminals and output terminals. The RFIC supplies a high frequency signal to each radiating element.
Yamada et al. (U.S Publication No. 20240186723 A1) discloses an antenna module includes dielectric substrates whose normal directions are different from each other, emitting elements disposed on the dielectric substrate, and emitting elements disposed on the dielectric substrate. The emitting element and the emitting element are capable of emitting radio waves of a first frequency band. The emitting element and the emitting element are capable of emitting radio waves of a second frequency band higher than the first frequency band.
Ueda (U.S Publication No. 20200395681 A1) discloses a radio frequency module includes a first substrate having a first principal surface and a second principal surface on the opposite side to the first principal surface; a signal terminal which is provided on the first principal surface and through which a signal is transmitted to and received from an external circuit; a power supply terminal that is provided on the second principal surface and is supplied with a power supply signal; an antenna; and a radio frequency electronic component that is electrically connected to the signal terminal, the power supply terminal and the antenna, and controls transmission and reception of the antenna based on the signal and the power supply signal.
Conclusion
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/Thai Pham/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2844 01/09/2025