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 § 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 1-2, 6 and 8 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kamgaing et al (US 2019/0288371) in view of Ou et al (US 2020/0021010).
Regarding claim 1, Kamgaing discloses in Figure 1 and par. 0018, a wireless communication device, comprising: a radio frequency circuit module, comprising:
an antenna module comprising an antenna structure (192) and a control chip (180, 182), wherein the control chip (180, 182) is electrically connected to the antenna structure and configured to use the antenna structure to perform wireless communication; and
at least one flexible substrate (150) configured to carry the antenna module, wherein the at least one flexible substrate (150) comprises two substrate regions (151, 152), one (152) of the substrate regions encompasses the antenna structure (192) or the control chip, a foldable portion (153) of the at least one flexible substrate is foldable at a junction line between the substrate regions (151, 152), and the radio frequency circuit module is foldable at the foldable portion;
wherein the antenna structure (192) comprises: a first antenna radiation plate (192); and
a second antenna radiation plate (193) disposed under the first antenna radiation plate (194) and overlapped with the first antenna radiation plate (194) along the normal direction of the first antenna radiation plate, wherein there is a distance located between the first antenna radiation plate and the second antenna radiation plate, and the distance enables the second antenna radiation plate to couple with the first antenna radiation plate.
Kamgaing does not disclose the first antenna radiation plate having a plurality of open slots extending from a plurality of edges of the first antenna radiation plate to the center of the first antenna radiation plate.
Ou discloses in Figures 6 and 11 and par. 0048, the first antenna radiation plate (626a, Fig. 6) having a plurality of open slots extending from a plurality of edges of the first antenna radiation plate to the center of the first antenna radiation plate (see 1110-1120, Fig. 11).
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of claimed invention to modify the first antenna radiation plate of Kamgaing with the first antenna radiation plate as taught by Ou to achieve desired the radiation characteristic for the antenna structure. Therefore, to employ having the first antenna radiation plate as claimed invention would have been obvious to person skill in the art.
Regarding claim 2, as applied to claim 1, Kamgaing discloses in Figure 6,
wherein the radio frequency circuit module is capable of being bent in an L-shape, and disposed at a corner of the wireless communication device (100).
Regarding claim 6, Kamgaing discloses in Figure 7, further comprising
a storage device (912) storing a plurality of first data sets and electrically connected to the radio frequency circuit module to use the radio frequency circuit module to transmit the first data sets, or to receive a plurality of second data sets and store the second data sets into the storage device.
Regarding claim 8, as applied to claim 1, Kamgaing discloses par. 0017, wherein material of the at least one flexible substrate is liquid crystal polymer (LCP).
Claims 3-5 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kamgaing et al (US 2019/0288371) in view of Ou et al (US 2020/0021010) and further in view of Onaka et al (US 2020/0153116).
Regarding claim 3, Kamgaing discloses every feature of claimed invention as expressly recited in claim 1, except for
wherein the second antenna radiation plate of the antenna structure further comprises at least one first feeding portion and at least one second feeding portion, wherein the least one first feeding portion is electrically connected to a transmission (TX) pin of the control chip, and the at least one second feeding portion is electrically connected to a receiving (RX) pin of the control chip.
Onaka discloses in Figure 2 and par. 0053, wherein the second antenna radiation plate (11a) of the antenna structure further comprises at least one first feeding portion (12a) and at least one second feeding portion (13a), wherein the least one first feeding portion (12a) is electrically connected to a transmission (TX) pin of the control chip, and the at least one second feeding portion (13a) is electrically connected to a receiving (RX) pin of the control chip (20, Fig. 1 and par. 0053).
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of claimed invention to modify the second antenna radiation plate of Kamgaing with the second antenna radiation plate as taught by Onaka to achieve a compact, lightweight, and cost-effective antenna structure. Therefore, to employ having the second antenna radiating element as claimed invention would have been obvious to person skill in the art.
Regarding claim 4, Onaka discloses every feature of claimed invention as expressly recited in claim 3, except for wherein the length of each of the open slots is ranging from 0.015λ to 0.1λ, the width of each of the open slots is ranging from 0.015λ to 0.1λ, and λ is the wavelength of the wireless communication device. However, such difference is not patentable. It would have been obvious to ne having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of claimed invention to select the length and width of each of the open slots at desired values to achieve desired radiation characteristic for the antenna structure based on particular application or environment of use, and 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 5, Onaka discloses every feature of claimed invention as expressly recited in claim 3, except for the distance between the first antenna radiation plate and the second antenna radiation plate ranging from 0.015λ to 0.1λ, and λ is the wavelength of the wireless communication device. 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 distance between the first antenna radiation plate and the second antenna radiation plate ranging from 0.015λ to 0.1λ to ensure strong coupling between the antenna radiation plates, and 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 and 10 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kamgaing et al (US 2019/0288371) in view of Ou et al (US 2020/0021010) and further in view Hong (US 2016/0344224).
Regarding claim 7, as applied to claim 6, Kamgaing discloses in Figure 7, a battery (932) configured to provide electric power to the radio frequency circuit module and the storage device.
Kamgaing is silent on a wireless charging device configured to charge the battery.
Hong discloses in Figure 2, a wireless charging device (180, 181) configured to charge the battery (190).
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of claimed invention to modify the wireless device of Kamgaing with the wireless device having a wireless charging device as taught by Hong to provide a wireless charging functionality for the wireless device. Therefore, to employ having the wireless charging device as claimed invention would have been obvious to person skill in the art.
Regarding claim 10, as applied to claim 1, Hong discloses in Figure 2, further comprising a magnetic device (191), wherein an iron structure or a magnetic structure (291) of a corresponding wireless communication device and the magnetic device (191) are attracted by each other for positioning.
Claims 11-12, 16 and 18 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Mankowski et al (US 2014/0168012) in view of Kamgaing et al (US 2019/0288371) and Ou et al (US 2020/0021010).
Regarding claim 11, Mankowski discloses in Figure 1, a wireless communication system, comprising a plurality of wireless communication devices (102, 110), wherein each of the wireless communication devices comprises: a radio frequency circuit module, comprising: an antenna module (104, 112); wherein when a first one (102) of the wireless communication devices communicates with a second one (110) of the wireless communication devices, the antenna module (104) of the first one (102) of the wireless communication devices and the antenna module (112) of the second one (110) of the wireless communication devices are arranged to face each other.
Mankowski does not disclose the antenna module according to claim 1.
Kamgaing and Ou discloses the antenna module according to claim 1.
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 module of Mankowski with the antenna module as taught by Kamgaing and Ou to achieve desired orientation of the antenna module for high frequency communications. Therefore, to employ having the antenna module as claimed invention would have been obvious to person skill in the art.
Regarding claims 12, 16 and 18, as applied to claim 11, Kamgaing discloses in Figure 6,
wherein the radio frequency circuit module is capable of being bent in an L-shape, and disposed at a corner of the wireless communication device (100);
a storage device (912) storing a plurality of first data sets and electrically connected to the radio frequency circuit module to use the radio frequency circuit module to transmit the first data sets, or to receive a plurality of second data sets and store the second data sets into the storage device;
wherein material of the at least one flexible substrate is liquid crystal polymer (LCP, see par. 0017).
Claims 13-15 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Mankowski et al (US 2014/0168012) in view of Kamgaing et al (US 2019/0288371) and Ou et al (US 2020/0021010) and further in view of Onaka et al (US 2020/0153116).
Regarding claim 13, Mankowski, Kamgaing and Ou discloses every feature of claimed invention as expressly recited in claim 11, except for wherein the second antenna radiation plate of the antenna structure further comprises at least one first feeding portion and at least one second feeding portion, wherein the least one first feeding portion is electrically connected to a transmission (TX) pin of the control chip, and the at least one second feeding portion is electrically connected to a receiving (RX) pin of the control chip.
Onaka discloses in Figure 2 and par. 0053, wherein the second antenna radiation plate (11a) of the antenna structure further comprises at least one first feeding portion (12a) and at least one second feeding portion (13a), wherein the least one first feeding portion (12a) is electrically connected to a transmission (TX) pin of the control chip, and the at least one second feeding portion (13a) is electrically connected to a receiving (RX) pin of the control chip (20, Fig. 1 and par. 0053).
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of claimed invention to modify the second antenna radiation plate of Kamgaing with the second antenna radiation plate as taught by Onaka to achieve a compact, lightweight, and cost-effective antenna structure. Therefore, to employ having the second antenna radiating element as claimed invention would have been obvious to person skill in the art.
Regarding claim 14, Onaka discloses every feature of claimed invention as expressly recited in claim 13, except for wherein the length of each of the open slots is ranging from 0.015λ to 0.1λ, the width of each of the open slots is ranging from 0.015λ to 0.1λ, and λ is the wavelength of the wireless communication device. However, such difference is not patentable. It would have been obvious to ne having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of claimed invention to select the length and width of each of the open slots at desired values to achieve desired radiation characteristic for the antenna structure based on particular application or environment of use, and 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 15, Onaka discloses every feature of claimed invention as expressly recited in claim 13, except for the distance between the first antenna radiation plate and the second antenna radiation plate ranging from 0.015λ to 0.1λ, and λ is the wavelength of the wireless communication device. 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 distance between the first antenna radiation plate and the second antenna radiation plate ranging from 0.015λ to 0.1λ to ensure strong coupling between the antenna radiation plates, and 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 17 and 20 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Mankowski in view of Kamgaing et al (US 2019/0288371) and Ou et al (US 2020/0021010) and further in view Hong (US 2016/0344224).
Regarding claim 17, as applied to claim 16, Kamgaing discloses in Figure 7, a battery (932) configured to provide electric power to the radio frequency circuit module and the storage device.
Kamgaing is silent on a wireless charging device configured to charge the battery.
Hong discloses in Figure 2, a wireless charging device (180, 181) configured to charge the battery (190).
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of claimed invention to modify the wireless device of Kamgaing with the wireless device having a wireless charging device as taught by Hong to provide a wireless charging functionality for the wireless device. Therefore, to employ having the wireless charging device as claimed invention would have been obvious to person skill in the art.
Regarding claim 20, as applied to claim 11, Hong discloses in Figure 2, further comprising a magnetic device (191), wherein an iron structure or a magnetic structure (291) of a corresponding wireless communication device and the magnetic device (191) are attracted by each other for positioning.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 9 and 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.
Inquiry
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/DIEU HIEN T DUONG/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2845