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 .
Double Patenting
The nonstatutory double patenting rejection is based on a judicially created doctrine grounded in public policy (a policy reflected in the statute) so as to prevent the unjustified or improper timewise extension of the “right to exclude” granted by a patent and to prevent possible harassment by multiple assignees. A nonstatutory double patenting rejection is appropriate where the conflicting claims are not identical, but at least one examined application claim is not patentably distinct from the reference claim(s) because the examined application claim is either anticipated by, or would have been obvious over, the reference claim(s). See, e.g., In re Berg, 140 F.3d 1428, 46 USPQ2d 1226 (Fed. Cir. 1998); In re Goodman, 11 F.3d 1046, 29 USPQ2d 2010 (Fed. Cir. 1993); In re Longi, 759 F.2d 887, 225 USPQ 645 (Fed. Cir. 1985); In re Van Ornum, 686 F.2d 937, 214 USPQ 761 (CCPA 1982); In re Vogel, 422 F.2d 438, 164 USPQ 619 (CCPA 1970); In re Thorington, 418 F.2d 528, 163 USPQ 644 (CCPA 1969).
A timely filed terminal disclaimer in compliance with 37 CFR 1.321(c) or 1.321(d) may be used to overcome an actual or provisional rejection based on nonstatutory double patenting provided the reference application or patent either is shown to be commonly owned with the examined application, or claims an invention made as a result of activities undertaken within the scope of a joint research agreement. See MPEP § 717.02 for applications subject to examination under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA as explained in MPEP § 2159. See MPEP § 2146 et seq. for applications not subject to examination under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA . A terminal disclaimer must be signed in compliance with 37 CFR 1.321(b).
The filing of a terminal disclaimer by itself is not a complete reply to a nonstatutory double patenting (NSDP) rejection. A complete reply requires that the terminal disclaimer be accompanied by a reply requesting reconsideration of the prior Office action. Even where the NSDP rejection is provisional the reply must be complete. See MPEP § 804, subsection I.B.1. For a reply to a non-final Office action, see 37 CFR 1.111(a). For a reply to final Office action, see 37 CFR 1.113(c). A request for reconsideration while not provided for in 37 CFR 1.113(c) may be filed after final for consideration. See MPEP §§ 706.07(e) and 714.13.
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Claims 1-10 rejected on the ground of nonstatutory double patenting as being unpatentable over claims 1-24 of U.S. Patent No. 11/005,159 B1. Although the claims at issue are not identical, they are not patentably distinct from each other because the difference thereof merely involves with description language that would been deemed obvious variations of forms of representation to a person skilled in the art.
Instant application: 18/944,091
U.S Patent No. 11/005,159 B1
1. A wireless communication device comprising: a counterpoise; a first antenna having a longitudinal axis extending in a direction substantially perpendicular to the counterpoise; a second antenna extending in a plane that is substantially parallel to the counterpoise, the first and second antennas sharing the counterpoise; and a radio-frequency communication circuit coupled to the first and second antennas for transmitting a first wireless signal via the first antenna at a transmission frequency and a second wireless signal via the second antenna at the transmission frequency; wherein the first and second antennas are spaced apart by less than a quarter of a wavelength of the transmission frequency.
2. The wireless communication device of claim 1, further comprising: a control circuit coupled to the radio-frequency communication circuit for causing the radio-frequency communication circuit to transmit the first wireless signal in a first time slot and the second wireless signal in a second time slot.
3. The wireless communication device of claim 1, wherein the second antenna is substantially co-planar with a plane of the counterpoise.
4. The wireless communication device of claim 1, wherein the counterpoise is configured to operate as a ground plane.
5. The wireless communication device of claim 1, wherein the second antenna extends along a perimeter of the counterpoise in an area outside the area of the counterpoise.
6. The wireless communication device of claim 1, further comprising: a printed circuit board that comprises the counterpoise, wherein the second antenna is located on the printed circuit board and the second antenna extends along at least a portion of a perimeter of the PCB.
7. The wireless communication device of claim 1, wherein the wireless communication device is configured to be mounted on a ceiling and wherein the first antenna is configured to extend perpendicularly from the ceiling.
8. The wireless communication device of claim 1 wherein the first antenna extends from the counterpoise at a point substantially central to the counterpoise.
9. The wireless communication device of claim 1 wherein a length of the first antenna is approximately equal to a quarter of a wavelength of the transmission frequency.
10. The wireless communication device of claim 1 wherein the transmission frequency is less than 1 GHz.
1. A wireless communication device for use in a load control system for controlling one or more electrical loads, the wireless communication device comprising: a counterpoise; a first antenna having a longitudinal axis extending substantially perpendicular to the counterpoise; a second antenna extending in a plane that is substantially parallel to the counterpoise and substantially perpendicular to the first antenna, the first and second antennas sharing the counterpoise such that the counterpoise operates as a common radio frequency ground for the first and second antennas; and a radio-frequency communication circuit coupled to the first and second antennas for transmitting a first wireless signal via the first antenna at a transmission frequency and a second wireless signal via the second antenna at the transmission frequency, wherein the second antenna extends along a perimeter of the counterpoise in an area outside the area of the counterpoise.
8. The wireless communication device of claim 1, wherein the first and second antennas are spaced apart by less than a quarter of a wavelength of the transmission frequency.
2. The wireless communication device of claim 1, wherein the second antenna is substantially co-planar with the counterpoise.
3. The wireless communication device of claim 1, wherein the counterpoise comprises a substantially circular perimeter.
4. The wireless communication device of claim 1, wherein the second antenna extends along the perimeter of the counterpoise in a substantially circular manner.
5. The wireless communication device of claim 1, wherein the second antenna has a contour substantially different than a contour of the counterpoise.
6. The wireless communication device of claim 1, wherein the counterpoise comprises a plurality of layers of conductive material, each of the plurality of layers of conductive material defining a plane.
7. The wireless communication device of claim 6, wherein the second antenna is substantially co-planar with one of the planes of the counterpoise.
9. The wireless communication device of claim 8, wherein an RF isolation between the first and second antennas is greater than approximately 15 dB.
10. The wireless communication device of claim 8, wherein an RF isolation between the first and second antennas is greater than approximately 24 dB.
11. The wireless communication device of claim 1, further comprising: a control circuit coupled to the radio-frequency communication circuit for causing the radio-frequency communication circuit to transmit the first wireless signal in a first time slot and the second wireless signal in a second time slot.
12. The wireless communication device of claim 1, wherein the counterpoise is configured to operate as a ground plane.
13. The wireless communication device of claim 1, further comprising: a printed circuit board that comprises the counterpoise; wherein the second antenna is located on the printed circuit board and the second antenna extends along at least a portion of a perimeter of the printed circuit board.
14. The wireless communication device of claim 1, wherein the first antenna comprises a helical antenna.
15. The wireless communication device of claim 1, wherein the wireless communication device is configured to be mounted on a ceiling and wherein the first antenna is configured to extend perpendicularly from the ceiling.
16. The wireless communication device of claim 1, wherein the transmission frequency is less than 1 GHz.
17. The wireless communication device of claim 1, further comprising a jumper for changing the transmission frequency of the first and second antennas.
18. The wireless communication device of claim 1, wherein the perimeter of the counterpoise is substantially confined within the area defined by the second antenna.
19. A wireless communication device for use in a load control system for controlling one or more electrical loads, the wireless communication device comprising: a counterpoise defining a substantially circular area; a first antenna having a longitudinal axis extending from the area of the counterpoise in a direction substantially perpendicular to the counterpoise; a second antenna extending in a substantially circular manner in an area that is outside the area of the counterpoise and substantially parallel to the counterpoise and substantially perpendicular to the first antenna, the first and second antennas sharing the counterpoise such that the counterpoise operates as a common radio frequency ground for the first and second antennas; a radio-frequency communication circuit coupled to the first and second antennas for transmitting a first wireless signal via the first antenna at a transmission frequency and a second wireless signal via the second antenna at the transmission frequency; and a control circuit coupled to the radio-frequency communication circuit for causing the radio-frequency communication circuit to transmit the first wireless signal in a first time slot and the second wireless signal in a second time slot.
20. The wireless communication device of claim 19, wherein the second antenna is substantially co-planar with a plane of the counterpoise.
21. The wireless communication device of claim 19, wherein the counterpoise is configured to operate as a ground plane.
22. The wireless communication device of claim 19, wherein the second antenna extends along a portion of a perimeter of the counterpoise.
23. The wireless communication device of claim 19, further comprising: a printed circuit board that comprises the counterpoise; wherein the second antenna is located on the printed circuit board and the second antenna extends along at least a portion of a perimeter of the printed circuit board.
24. The wireless communication device of claim 19, wherein a distance between the first and second antennas is less than a quarter of a wavelength of the transmission frequency.
25. The wireless communication device of claim 19, wherein a perimeter of the counterpoise is substantially confined within the area defined by the second antenna.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 11-14 are allowed.
The following is an examiner’s statement of reasons for allowance:
In regards to claims 11-14, recites “a second antenna extending in a plane that is substantially parallel to the counterpoise, the first and second antennas sharing the counterpoise; a radio-frequency communication circuit coupled to the first and second antennas for transmitting a first wireless signal via the first antenna at a transmission frequency and a second wireless signal via the second antenna at the transmission frequency; and one or more light-emitting diodes (LEDs); and a housing disposed about the printed circuit board, the housing including a light transmissive cover disposed about at least a portion of the first antenna; wherein the one or more LEDs are disposed on the printed circuit board such that the one or more LEDs illuminate the light transmissive cover when illuminated.” as shown in claim 11.
The claim in the application are deemed to be directed to an nonobvious improvement over the prior art Bit-Babik et al [US 2015/0123868 A1] who teaches An antenna includes a ground support, an electrically conductive, endless element mounted at a distance relative to the ground support, and a trio of ports arranged along the endless element for conveying radio frequency signals in an operating band of frequencies. The antenna is compact and has high port isolation and low pattern correlation due to successively spacing the ports apart along the endless element by a spacing of one-half of a guided wavelength at a center frequency of the operating band.
The primary reason of allowance is improvement with a second antenna extending in a plane that is substantially parallel to the counterpoise, the first and second antennas sharing the counterpoise; a radio-frequency communication circuit coupled to the first and second antennas for transmitting a first wireless signal via the first antenna at a transmission frequency and a second wireless signal via the second antenna at the transmission frequency; and one or more light-emitting diodes (LEDs); and a housing disposed about the printed circuit board, the housing including a light transmissive cover disposed about at least a portion of the first antenna; wherein the one or more LEDs are disposed on the printed circuit board such that the one or more LEDs illuminate the light transmissive cover when illuminated.
Any comments considered necessary by applicant must be submitted no later than the payment of the issue fee and, to avoid processing delays, should preferably accompany the issue fee. Such submissions should be clearly labeled “Comments on Statement of Reasons for Allowance.”
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to WEI (VICTOR) CHAN whose telephone number is (571)272-5177. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 9:00am to 6:00pm.
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WEI (VICTOR) CHAN
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 2844
/WEI (VICTOR) Y CHAN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2844