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 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 1-2 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Wang (US 2022/0255226, IDS dated 6/27/25).
Regarding claim 1, Wang discloses in Figure 1A, a planar antenna, defined with a first axis and a second axis, wherein the second axis is perpendicular to the first axis; the first axis is defined with a first direction (leftward in X direction) and a second direction (X direction) opposite to the first direction; the second axis is defined with a third direction (Y direction) and a fourth direction (downward in Y direction) opposite to the third direction; the planar antenna comprises:
a substrate having a surface (120);
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a first radiation element (130) disposed on the surface of the substrate (120) and having a first main section and a first radiation section, wherein the first main section has a first end and a second end along the first axis; the first end of the first main section is adapted to be fed with a signal (FP1); the first main section extends from the first end (131) of the first main section to the second end (see Fig. 1A) of the first main section in the first direction (leftward X direction); the first radiation section is connected to the second end of the first main section (213) and is located on a side of the first main section in the third direction (Y direction);
a first ground element (140) disposed on the surface of the substrate (120) and having a second main section (see Fig. 1A) and a first ground section, wherein the second main section has a first end (141) and a second end (see Fig. 1A) along the first axis; the second main section extends from the first end of the second main section to the second end of the second main section in the second direction (X direction); the first ground section is connected to the second end of the second main section and is located on a side of the second main section in the third direction;
a second radiation element (150) disposed on the surface of the substrate (120), wherein the second radiation element (150) is located on a side of the first main section in the third direction and located on a side of the first radiation section in the second direction; the second radiation element (150) has a first slot (see Fig. 1A), wherein the first slot extends in the first direction and has a first open end and a first closed end;
a second ground element (160) disposed on the surface of the substrate (120), wherein the second ground element (160) is located on a side of the second main section in the third direction and located on a side of the first ground section in the first direction; the second ground element (160) has a second slot, wherein the second slot extends in the second direction and has a second open end and a second closed end; the second open end corresponds to the first open end;
wherein a separating slot is formed between the second radiation element (150) and the second ground element (160) and extends along the second axis; an end of the separating slot communicates with the first open end and the second open end;
wherein the second radiation element (150) is connected to the first main section of the first radiation element through a first connecting section;
the second ground element (160) is connected to the second main section of the first ground element through a second connecting section.
Regarding claim 2, as applied to claim 1, Wang discloses in Figure 1A,
wherein the separating slot comprises a first slot section (slot between 131 and 141) and a second slot section (slot between 152, 162); the first slot section is located between the first connecting section and the second connecting section along the first axis; the second slot section extends along the second axis; an end of the second slot section communicates with the first open end and the second open end; the other end of the second slot section communicates with the first slot section.
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 3-4 and 8-9 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Wang (US 2022/0255226).
Regarding claims 3-4, Wang discloses every feature of claimed invention as expressly recited in claim 1, except for a width of the second slot of the second ground element gradually increasing in the second direction and a width of the first slot of the second radiation element gradually increasing in the first direction. However, such difference is not patentable merit. It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of claimed invention to adjust the width of the slots for desired radiation characteristic of the antenna based on particular application or environment of use and since such modification would have involved a mere change in the widths or the shapes of the slots for optimal radiation characteristics generally recognized as being within the level of ordinary skill in the art.
Regarding claim 8, Wang discloses in Figure 1A,
wherein the second radiation element (150) has a first edge and a second edge along the second axis;
the first edge of the second radiation element (150) is located between the first main section of the first radiation element and the second edge of the second radiation element (150);
along the second axis, a distance between the first edge of the second radiation element and the second edge of the second radiation element is a first distance; a minimum distance between the first edge of the second radiation element (150) and the first closed end of the first slot is a second distance.
Wang is silent on the second distance between 0.7 and 0.9 times the first distance. However, such difference is not patentable merit. It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of claimed invention to select or set the second distance in relating to the first distance at a desired value for optimal radiation characteristic of the antenna based on particular application or environment of use, since it has been held that where the general conditions of a claim are disclosed in the prior art, discovering the optimum or workable ranges involves only ordinary skill in the art. In re Aller, 105 USPQ 233.
Regarding claim 9, as applied to claim 1, Wang discloses in Figure 1A,
wherein the second ground element (160) has a first edge and a second edge along the second axis;
the first edge of the second ground element is located between the second main section of the first ground element and the second edge of the second ground element;
along the second axis, a distance between the first edge of the second ground element and the second edge of the second ground element is a first distance and a minimum distance between the first edge of the second ground element and the second closed end of the second slot is a second distance.
Wang is silent on the second distance is between 0.6 and 0.7 times the first distance. . However, such difference is not patentable merit. It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of claimed invention to select or set the second distance in relating to the first distance at a desired value for optimal radiation characteristic of the antenna based on particular application or environment of use, since it has been held that where the general conditions of a claim are disclosed in the prior art, discovering the optimum or workable ranges involves only ordinary skill in the art. In re Aller, 105 USPQ 233.
Claims 7 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Wang (US 2022/0255226) in view of Wang et al (US 2014/0132469), hereinafter “Wang469”.
Regarding claim 7, Wang discloses every feature of claimed invention as expressly recited in claim 1, except for a matching section, wherein the matching section disposed on the surface of the substrate and located on a side of the first connecting section in the first direction; the matching section is connected to the first main section of the first radiation element and the second radiation element.
Wang469 discloses in par. 0030, a matching section (C3), wherein the matching section (C3) disposed on the surface of the substrate and located on a side of the first connecting section in the first direction; the matching section (C3) is connected to the first main section (bottom strip) of the first radiation element and the second radiation element (311).
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of claimed invention to modify the antenna of Wang with the antenna having a matching section as taught by Wang469 to achieve impedance matching and enhance performance of the antenna . Therefore, to employ having the impedance section as claimed invention would have been obvious to person skill in the art.
Claims 10-11 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Wang (US 2022/0255226) in view of Yarga et al (US 2015/0109167).
Regarding claim 10, as applied to claim 1, Wang discloses in Figure 1A, wherein the first radiation section comprises a first side section, a second side section; the first side section is connected to the second end of the first main section and extends in the third direction; the second side section is connected to an end of the first side section and extends in the second direction.
Wang does not disclose a third side section is connected to an end of the second side section and extends in the fourth direction; a first extending section is connected to an end of the third side section and extends in the first direction.
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However, such difference is not patentable merit. It is well known in the art that radiation section of an antenna can be bent for reducing antenna size. One of such examples is the teaching of
Yarga discloses in Figure 8, a third side section (right vertical portion connecting to 114) is connected to an end of the second side section (114) and extends in the fourth direction; a first extending section is connected to an end of the third side section and extends in the first direction.
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of claimed invention to employ the teaching of Yarga in the antenna of Wang by bending the radiation section as taught by Yarga to reduce antenna size. Therefore, to employ having the radiating section as claimed invention would have been obvious to person skill in the art.
Regarding claim 11, as applied to claim 1, Yarga discloses in Figure 8,
wherein the first ground section (94) comprises a fourth side section, a fifth side section, a sixth side section, and a second extending section; the fourth side section is connected to the second end of the second main section and extends in the third direction; the fifth side section is connected to an end of the fourth side section and extends in the first direction; the sixth side section is connected to an end of the fifth side section and extends in the fourth direction; the second extending section is connected to an end of the sixth side section and extends in the second direction.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 5-6 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.
Inquiry
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to DIEU HIEN T DUONG whose telephone number is (571)272-8980. The examiner can normally be reached 8:00am-4:00pm.
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/DIEU HIEN T DUONG/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2845