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 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.
The text of those sections of Title 35, U.S. Code not included in this action can be found in a prior Office action.
Claims 1-2 and 11-12 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Tsai (US Pat. 6417812).
Tsai discloses;
Regarding claim 1:
(in Figs. 4-6) an antenna system (7) for use with an RJ-style connector (6), the antenna system (7) comprising: an antenna carrier (70) comprising an RJ-style connector clearance area (defined by 700), the RJ-style connector clearance area (defined by 700) being sized to accommodate portions of the RJ-style connector (6); a printed circuit board (100) that is configured to be disposed about a plurality of distinct sides (along 72 and 700) of the antenna carrier (70); and a coaxial wire (90), the coaxial wire (90) being connected with the printed circuit board (100).
Regarding claim 2:
the antenna carrier (70) comprises a top side (laterally along 700) that is oriented parallel with a top side (along 60) of the RJ-style connector (6), a back side (vertically along 72 and 700) that is oriented generally orthogonal with the top side (along 700) of the antenna carrier (70), and a bottom side (laterally along 72) that is oriented adjacent to the RJ-style connector (6) when the antenna carrier (70) is mounted thereon (see Figs.), the bottom side (laterally along 72) being parallel with the top side (laterally along 700) of the antenna carrier (70).
Regarding claim 11:
(in Figs. 4-6) an antenna on magnetics system (7), the antenna on magnetics system (7) comprising: an RJ-style connector (6); and an antenna system (7), the antenna system (7) comprising: an antenna carrier (70) comprising an RJ-style connector clearance area (defined by 700), the RJ-style connector clearance area (defined by 700) being sized to accommodate portions of the RJ-style connector (6); a printed circuit board (100) that is configured to be disposed about a plurality of distinct sides (along 72 and 700) of the antenna carrier (70); and a coaxial wire (90), the coaxial wire (90) being connected with the printed circuit board (100).
Regarding claim 12:
the antenna carrier (70) comprises a top side (laterally along 700) that is oriented parallel with a top side (along 60) of the RJ-style connector (6), a back side (vertically along 72 and 700) that is oriented generally orthogonal with the top side (along 700) of the antenna carrier (70), and a bottom side (laterally along 72) that is oriented adjacent to the RJ-style connector (6) when the antenna carrier (70) is mounted thereon (see Figs.), the bottom side (laterally along 72) being parallel with the top side (laterally along 700) of the antenna carrier (70).
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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 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 text of those sections of Title 35, U.S. Code not included in this action can be found in a prior Office action.
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 3-4 and 13-14 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Tsai (US Pat. 6417812) in view of Annamaa et al. (US 20080136716).
Regarding claims 3 and 13:
Tsai discloses the plurality of distinct sides of the antenna carrier (70) comprises the top side of the antenna carrier (70), the back side of the antenna carrier (70), and the bottom side of the antenna carrier (70).
Tsai is silent on that the printed circuit board comprises a flexible printed circuit board.
Annamaa et al. disclose the printed circuit board comprises a flexible printed circuit board (Para. 0084, Lines 5-7; Para. 0093, Lines 11-14).
Accordingly, it would have been to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to implement the printed circuit board (PCB) comprises a flexible printed circuit board as taught by Annamaa et al. into the PCB structure of Tsai because it is often much simpler and cost effective to modify the substrate to incorporate one or more types of antennas than it is to modify the connector itself (Para. 0094, Lines 7-9) to accomplish the desired design objectives of a compact electronic device (Para. 0084, Lines 5-7; Para. 0093, Lines 11-14).
Regarding claims 4 and 14:
Tsai discloses the printed circuit board (100) comprises an antenna ground (connecting to the braid, 92 of the coax), the antenna ground (connecting to the braid, 92 of the coax) being located on both the back side of the antenna carrier (70) and the bottom side of the antenna carrier (70) when the printed circuit board (100) is mounted on the antenna carrier (70).
Claims 5-9 and 15-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Tsai (US Pat. 6417812) in view of Annamaa et al. (US 20080136716) as applied to claims 4 and 14 above, and further in view of Begic (US 20030157903).
Regarding claims 5 and 15:
Tsai discloses the printed circuit board (100) comprises a radiator (8) located on the side of the antenna carrier (70) when the printed circuit board (100) is mounted on the antenna carrier (70).
Tsai as modified is silent on a U-shaped radiator and an L-shaped radiator, the U-shaped radiator and the L-shaped radiator being located on the top side of the antenna carrier.
Begic discloses (in Fig. 2) the printed circuit board (16) comprises a U-shaped radiator (20 adjacent to 20b) and an L-shaped radiator (20), the U-shaped radiator (20 adjacent to 20b) and the L-shaped radiator (20) being located on the top side of the antenna carrier (26) when the printed circuit board (16) is mounted on the antenna carrier (26).
Accordingly, it would have been an obvious matter of design consideration to implement the printed circuit board comprises a U-shaped radiator and an L-shaped radiator, the U-shaped radiator and the L-shaped radiator being located on the top side of the antenna carrier when the printed circuit board is mounted on the antenna carrier as taught by Begic into the modified device of Tsai to flexibly design the length and shape of the feed and the antenna element in order to resonate the antenna at an optimal frequency within a specific range limitation and for impedance matching for maximum power transfer.
Regarding claims 6 and 16:
Tsai discloses the antenna carrier (70) comprises a connection clearance area (along 71) and a coaxial clearance ledge (along 62), the connection clearance area (along 71) and the coaxial clearance ledge (along 62) enabling the coaxial wire (90) to be attached to the printed circuit board (100) at a position below the top side of the antenna carrier (70).
Regarding claims 7 and 17:
Tsai discloses the printed circuit board (100) comprises a ground connection (connected to the braid, 92) for the coaxial wire (90) and a feed connection (91) for the coaxial wire (90), the ground connection (connected to the braid, 92) and the feed connection (91) being oriented orthogonal with the top side of the antenna carrier (70) when the printed circuit board (100) is mounted on the antenna carrier (70).
Regarding claims 8 and 18:
Tsai discloses the ground connection (connected to the braid, 92) for the coaxial wire (90) and the feed connection (91) for the coaxial wire (90) are also oriented orthogonal with the back side of the antenna carrier (70) when the printed circuit board (100) is mounted on the antenna carrier (70).
Regarding claims 9 and 19:
Tsai is silent on that a top portion of the U-shaped radiator extends from a left-hand portion of the printed circuit board towards a mid-line of the printed circuit board.
Begic discloses that a top portion of the U-shaped radiator (20 adjacent to 20b) extends from a left-hand portion of the printed circuit board (16) towards a mid-line of the printed circuit board (16).
Accordingly, it would have been an obvious matter of design consideration to implement the U-shaped radiator extends from a left-hand portion of the printed circuit board towards a mid-line of the printed circuit board for the benefit of since the form factors for mobile communications devices are increasingly sleek and compact putting space within the device at a premium and making it difficult to accommodate multiple antennas, therefore shaped to achieve optimum space management.
Regarding claim 20:
Tsai (in Figs. 4-6) is silent on that the RJ-style connector comprises shielding and conductive foam is disposed between the RJ-style connector shielding and the antenna ground disposed on the bottom side of the antenna carrier.
Tsai (in Figs. 2-3) disclose the RJ-style connector comprises shielding (5) and conductive foam (12) is disposed between the RJ-style connector shielding (5) and the antenna ground (123) disposed on the bottom side (122) of the antenna carrier (3).
Accordingly, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to implement the embodiment of Figs. 2-3 instead of the embodiment of Figs. 4-6 for the ease of achieving a Universal Serial Bus connector through stacking electrical connectors and a shield with antenna assembly is mounted within (Col. 2, Lines 3-11).
Accordingly, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was filed to recognize such combinations of features in embodiments especially since combining two embodiments disclosed adjacent to each other in a prior art patent does not require a leap of inventiveness and the results would have been predictable to one of ordinary skill in the art. Boston Sci. Scimed, 554 F.3d at 991.
Claim 10 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Tsai (US Pat. 6417812) in view of Annamaa et al. (US 20080136716) as applied to claims 11 and 11 above, and further in view of Begic (US 20030157903) and Li et al. (US 20110187618).
Regarding claim 10:
Tsai as modified is silent on that the antenna carrier comprises one or more alignment posts, the one or more alignment posts being received within respective ones of one or more alignment holes on the printed circuit board when the printed circuit board is mounted to the antenna carrier.
Li et al. disclose the antenna carrier (40) comprises one or more alignment posts (413, 423 and 424), the one or more alignment posts (413, 423 and 424) being received within respective ones of one or more alignment holes (201) on the printed circuit board (200) when the printed circuit board (201) is mounted to the antenna carrier (40).
Accordingly, it would have been to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to implement the antenna carrier comprises one or more alignment posts, the one or more alignment posts being received within respective ones of one or more alignment holes on the printed circuit board when the printed circuit board is mounted to the antenna carrier as taught by Park into the modified device of Tsai for the benefit of providing mechanical strength and attachment means to prevent deformation if squeezed or impacted during installation and usage and improved signal integrity (Para. 0004, Lines 1-7).
Conclusion
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/BAMIDELE A IMMANUEL/Examiner, Art Unit 2845
/DIMARY S LOPEZ CRUZ/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2845