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 .
This is a response to the Applicants' file on 11/01/24. In virtue of this filing, claims 1-20 are currently presented in the instant application.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 1/15/25 is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97 &1.98. Accordingly, the information disclosure statements are being considered by the examiner.
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)(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 1-9,11-15,18-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(2) as being anticipated by Gonazalez (WO2022/028669).
With respect to claim 1, Gonazalez discloses an antenna structure (figure 1, 100) comprising:
a first stacked radiating structure comprising a plurality of radiators each at a respective stack level(figures 1-2, 101, page 10,lines 27-32); a second stacked radiating structure comprising a plurality of radiators each stacked at a respective stack level(figures 1-2,101,pages 27-32); and a feeding network for supplying a signal to the radiators(figure 1, 104_a), the feeding network comprising a first branch configured to feed a first radiator of each of the first and second stacked radiating structures (figure 1, 104_a; the feeding branch in plane 102 )and a second branch configured to feed a second radiator of each of the first and second stacked radiating structures(figure 1, 104_a; the feeding branch in plane 103)(additional, the 2D arrays are stacks along the Z direction, the antenna (101) in one plane corresponding to one antenna of a radiating structure are fed by feedline (105_a) that is connected to feedline 104_a which forms an antenna port).
With respect to claim 2, Gonazalez discloses wherein the first branch of the feeding network(104_a) is configured to feed only the first radiator (101) of each of the first and second stacked radiating structures (figure 1, 101, 104_a).
With respect to claim 3, Gonazalez discloses, wherein the second branch of the feeding network(104_C) is configured to feed only the second radiator (101) of each of the first and second stacked radiating structures as shown in figure 1.
With respect to claim 4, Gonazalez discloses wherein the first radiator (101) of the first radiating
structure is disposed at the same stack level as the first radiator of the second stacked radiating
structure. Figure 1, 105_C.
With respect to claim 5, Gonazalez discloses wherein the first radiator (101) of the first radiating
structure is disposed at a different stack level to the first radiator of the second stacked radiating
structure. Figure 1, 105_C.
With respect to claim 6, Gonazalez discloses wherein radiators at each respective stack level of
the first and second stacked radiating structures form a layer of radiators disposed in a respective
plane (102). Figure 1, a layer of radiating elements 101, page 9, lines 25-27.
With respect to claim 7, Gonazalez discloses wherein the antenna structure further comprises a
planar reflector for reflecting electromagnetic radiation emitted by the plurality of radiators of the
first and second stacked radiating structures, wherein each respective plane (102,103) is parallel to but offset from the planar reflector. Figure 1, 101, first plane (102) and second plane (103) and figure 4, page 15, lines 1-10, the base structure 404 may be Printed Circuit Board (PCB) that carries at least a part of the feeding structure 104 and/or may comprise a reflector for directing radiation from the first radiating element 101_a and the second radiating element 101_b along a main radiation direction, for instance, with the common axis 401 as center.
With respect to claim 8, Gonazalez discloses wherein the plurality of radiators (figure 1, 101) of the first and second stacked radiating structures have a common grounding structure.
With respect to claim 9, Gonazalez discloses wherein each of the plurality of radiators (101) of the first and second stacked radiating structures has an independent feeding point(104_a,104_c).
With respect to claim 11, Gonazalez discloses wherein each branch of the feeding network is
combined with the other branches of the feeding network at an antenna port. figure 1, 104_a; the feeding branch in plane 103) (additional, the 2D arrays are stacks along the Z direction, the antenna (101) in one plane corresponding to one antenna of a radiating structure are fed by feedline (105_a) that is connected to feedline 104_a which forms an antenna port).
With respect to claim 12, Gonazalez discloses wherein each of the first and second stacked
radiating structures comprises a first radiator configured to emit electromagnetic radiation having
a first operational frequency band and a second radiator configured to emit electromagnetic
radiation having a second operational frequency band. Abstract, a plurality of feeding structures for connecting a plurality of clusters of radiating elements to a plurality of radio chains.
With respect to claim 13, Gonazalez discloses, wherein the first and second operational frequency bands at least partially overlap. Figure 1, the radiating elements (101).
With respect to claim 14, Gonazalez discloses wherein the antenna structure comprises at least
one additional stacked radiating structure comprising a plurality of radiators (101) each stacked at a
respective stack level. Figures 1-2 and 4.
With respect to claim 15, Gonazalez discloses wherein the feeding network further comprises at
least one additional branch, each of the at least one additional branch being configured to feed a
respective additional radiator of each of the first and second stacked radiating structures. Figures 1-2.
With respect to claim 18, Gonazalez discloses wherein at least one of the plurality of radiators of
the first and second stacked radiating structures comprises two dipoles and wherein the
polarization of electromagnetic radiation emitted by the two dipoles is orthogonal. Figures 1 and 4, page 6, lines 25-30 for the radiating element may be a dipole radiating element.
With respect to claim 19, Gonazalez discloses wherein at least a portion of the radiators are planar. Figures 1-2.
With respect to claim 20, Gonazalez discloses wherein the first stacked radiating structure is
adjacent to the second stacked radiating structure. Figures 1-2.
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 10,16-17 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over by Gonazalez (WO2022/028669) as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of Soga et al (US Pub. No: 2021/0075099).
With respect to claim 10, Gonazalez discloses, wherein each branch of the feeding network as shown in figure 1.
Gonazalez does not disclose each branch of the feeding network comprises one or more phase shifters.
Soga et al disclose each branch of the feeding network (40-1,40-2) comprises one or more phase shifters (30). Figure 2, paragraphs [85, 110-111].
It would have been obvious for one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to incorporate the one or more phase shifter of Soga et al into the antenna device of Gonazalez to provide different phase shifter from the antennas.
With respect to claim 16, Gonazalez discloses wherein at least one branch of the feeding network as shown in figures 1 or 4.
Gonazalez does not explicitly disclose the at least one branch of the feeding network comprises a power splitter, wherein the power splitter is a Wilkinson power divider or a hybrid
power divider.
Soga et al disclose the at least one branch of the feeding network comprises a power splitter (20), wherein the power splitter is a Wilkinson power divider or a hybrid power divider (20). Figure 2, paragraphs [85,110-111].
It would have been obvious for one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to incorporate the power splitter (20) of Soga et al into the antenna device of Gonazalez to configure an individual (separate) component(module) without flexibility (with rigidity).
With respect to claim 17, Gonazalez discloses wherein the plurality of radiators (101) of the first and second stacked radiating structures as shown in figures 1 and 4.
Gonazalez does not explicitly disclose wherein the plurality of radiators of the first and second stacked radiating structures are configured to be fed with a phase difference between their respective signals.
Soga et al disclose the plurality of radiators (10-1,10-2,10-3 and 10-4,10-5,10-6) of the first and second stacked radiating structures are configured to be fed with a phase (30) difference between their respective signals. Figure 2, paragraphs [85,110-111].
It would have been obvious for one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to incorporate the one or more phase (30) of Soga et al into the antenna device of Gonazalez to provide different phase shifter signal from the antennas.
Citation of pertinent prior art
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicants' disclosure. See prior arts/references listed on the PTO-892 form attached.
Inquiry
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to MINH TRAN whose telephone number is (571)272-1817. The examiner can normally be reached on 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Taningco Alexander H can be reached on 571-272-8048. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300. Information regarding the status of an application may be obtained from the Patent Application Information Retrieval (PAIR) system. Status information for published applications may be obtained from either Private PAIR or Public PAIR. Status information for unpublished applications is available through Private PAIR only. For more information about the PAIR system, see http://pair-direct.uspto.gov. Should you have questions on access to the Private PAIR system, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from USPTO Customer Service Representative or access to the automated information system, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000.
/Minh Tran/
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 2844