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 .
The information disclosure statements filed on 3/4/2025 and 3/7/2025 have been entered. Claims 1-27 are presented for examination.
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.
(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, 11, and 14-18 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102 (a) (1) as being anticipated by JP 1856901 (JP 1856901 – herein after referred as the “901” patent).
Regarding claim 1, the “901” patent discloses an antenna providing a semitransparent sunshade for screening sunlight comprising:
a body composed of a substrate of dielectric material having two opposing surfaces (JP1856901; 0054-0078; foldable sunshade plate 1, surface of the film 3, coating 2 is composed of two transparent glass sheet, coating 2 high thermal resistance layer system which has dielectric property, communication window 5 with plating layer 6 herein is made of opaque ink which is electrically conductive; hole 7 is forming in the plating layer 6; slot antenna through the communication 5), and
two different patterned layers of conductive material each along a different one of said opposing surfaces, in which a first of said layers is configured for capacitively conveying and receiving, via said substrate, RF signals with a second of said layers, and at least said second of said layers is configured to enable said RF signals to be wirelessly sent and received, wherein said body has a front and a back each characterized by a different one of said two opposing surfaces of said substrate and a different one of said first and second of said layers; and a plurality of holes, perforating said body through said front and said back thereof, distributed along said body to enable a majority of said body appear semitransparent for screening sunlight where said holes are present (JP1856901; 0054-0078; foldable sunshade plate 1, surface of the film 3, coating 2 is composed of two transparent glass sheet, coating 2 high thermal resistance layer system which has dielectric property, communication window 5 with plating layer 6 herein is made of opaque ink which is electrically conductive; hole 7 is forming in the plating layer 6; slot antenna through the communication 5).
Regarding claim 11, the “901” patent discloses the antenna according to Claim 1 wherein said body is mountable along a surface of a physical material window utilizing one or more fixtures, and said holes enable said body to appear and operate as a sunshade for screening sunlight from said window via said holes (JP1856901; 0054-0078; foldable sunshade plate 1, surface of the film 3, coating 2 is composed of two transparent glass sheet, coating 2 high thermal resistance layer system which has dielectric property, communication window 5 with plating layer 6 herein is made of opaque ink which is electrically conductive; hole 7 is forming in the plating layer 6; slot antenna through the communication 5).
Regarding claim 14, the “901” patent discloses the antenna according to Claim 1 further comprising means for detachably mounting said body to an interior surface of a window (JP1856901; 0054-0078; foldable sunshade plate 1, surface of the film 3, coating 2 is composed of two transparent glass sheet, coating 2 high thermal resistance layer system which has dielectric property, communication window 5 with plating layer 6 herein is made of opaque ink which is electrically conductive; hole 7 is forming in the plating layer 6; slot antenna through the communication 5; mounted to a vehicle window).
Regarding claim 15, the “901” patent discloses the antenna according to Claim 1 wherein said substrate, and said first and said second of said different layers extend along parallel planes with each other (JP1856901; 0054-0078; foldable sunshade plate 1, surface of the film 3, coating 2 is composed of two transparent glass sheet, coating 2 high thermal resistance layer system which has dielectric property, communication window 5 with plating layer 6 herein is made of opaque ink which is electrically conductive; hole 7 is forming in the plating layer 6; slot antenna through the communication 5; mounted to a vehicle window).
Regarding claim 16, the “901” patent discloses the antenna according to Claim 1 wherein said substrate has a curvature and said first and said second of said different layers each follow said curvature along the one of said opposing surfaces of said substrate respectively associated therewith (JP1856901; 0054-0078; foldable sunshade plate 1, surface of the film 3, coating 2 is composed of two transparent glass sheet, coating 2 high thermal resistance layer system which has dielectric property, communication window 5 with plating layer 6 herein is made of opaque ink which is electrically conductive; hole 7 is forming in the plating layer 6; slot antenna through the communication 5; mounted to a vehicle window).
Regarding claim 17, the “901” patent discloses the antenna according to Claim 1 further comprising a coating layer upon said body and along an interior surface of each of said holes, and said coating layer being black in color (JP1856901; 0054-0078; foldable sunshade plate 1, surface of the film 3, coating 2 is composed of two transparent glass sheet, coating 2 high thermal resistance layer system which has dielectric property, communication window 5 with plating layer 6 herein is made of opaque black ink which is electrically conductive; hole 7 is forming in the plating layer 6; slot antenna through the communication 5; mounted to a vehicle window).
Regarding claim 18, the “901” patent discloses the antenna according to Claim 1 further comprising a connector upon said body electrically connected to said first of said layers to enable communication of said RF signals to be transmitted to said antenna and received from said antenna (JP1856901; 0054-0078; foldable sunshade plate 1, surface of the film 3, coating 2 is composed of two transparent glass sheet, coating 2 high thermal resistance layer system which has dielectric property, communication window 5 with plating layer 6 herein is made of opaque ink which is electrically conductive; hole 7 is forming in the plating layer 6; a slot antenna through the communication 5; mounted to a vehicle window).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 20-27 are allowed.
Claims 2-9, 12-13, 19 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: The prior art fails to disclose:
i.. The antenna according to Claim 1 wherein said body has an edge defining an outer perimeter of said body, and along each of said front and said back of said body said holes are distributed evenly or at least appear to be evenly distributed over a first area, and surrounding said first area is a second area, between said first area and said edge, and said second area is without any of said holes, and wherein said first area occupies said majority of said body by substantially extending along an entirety of each of said front and said back of said body (claim 2; claims 3 and 19 depend on claim 2).
ii. The antenna according to Claim 1 wherein said second of said layers provides two different radiating structures separated from each other along said substrate, each of said two different radiating structures being operative to wirelessly send and receive said RF signals over two different first and second ranges of frequencies, and said first of said layers being disposed along said substrate for capacitively conveying and receiving, via said substrate, said RF signals with each of said two different radiating structures (claim 4; claims 5-9 depend on claim 4).
iii. The antenna according to Claim 1 wherein said first of said layers has a monopole resonating structure operative to wirelessly send and receive said RF signals, and said second of said layers has at least one monopole resonating structure operative to wirelessly send and receive said RF signals (claim 9; claims 10 depends on claim 9).
iv. The antenna according to Claim 11 wherein said one or more fixtures are one of: a plurality of suction cups, in which said body has an edge defining an outer perimeter of said body, and said suction cups are attached, spaced from each other, along said body at positions adjacent said edge; one or more clips, wherein each of said one or more clips comprises one end attached to said body and another end with a hook member that hooks over a top edge of said window; a deformable member along an outer perimeter of said body enabling said antenna to press-fit against a frame of said window; or double-sided tape disposed between the front of said body and the surface of said window (claim 12).
v. The antenna according to Claim 11 wherein said body has an upper portion with said holes and a lower portion without said holes, said lower portion is positionable into a slot of a vehicle door from which said window extends, and said upper portion is attached to said surface of said window by said fixtures (claim 13).
vi. An antenna as recited in claim 20 comprising:
a body composed of a substrate of dielectric material having two opposing surfaces each having one of two different patterned layers of conductive material;
a first of said layers provides a first radiating structure over a first frequency band;
a second of said layers provides a second radiating structure over a second first frequency band and a third radiating structure over a third frequency band;
at least two of said first, second, and third radiating structures are disposed along said body to enable said antenna to further operate over frequencies between two successive ones of said first, second, and third frequency bands along an RF spectrum; and said first of said layers being disposed along said substrate for capacitively conveying and receiving RF signals with each of said second and third radiating structures via said substrate (claims 21-24 depend on claim 20).
vii. A method for making a semitransparent sunshade antenna for screening sunlight as recited in claim 25 comprising steps of:
forming a body composed of a substrate of dielectric material having two opposing surfaces, each having one of two different patterned layers of conductive material, in which a first of said layers is configured for capacitively conveying and receiving RF signals, via said substrate, with a second of said layers, and
at least said second of said layers is configured to enable said RF signals to be wirelessly sent and received; and perforating said body, through a front a back thereof, with a plurality of holes distributed along said body to enable a majority of said body appear semitransparent for screening sunlight where said holes are present, wherein said front and said back of said body are each characterized by a different one of said two opposing surfaces of said substrate and a different one of said first and second of said layers (claims 26-27 depend on claim 25).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to THIEN MINH LE whose telephone number is (571)272-2396. The examiner can normally be reached 6:30-5:00 PM M-Th..
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/THIEN M LE/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2876