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.
(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.
Claim(s) 1-2, 4-5 and 7-9 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by US 20090002254 by Patrick Dumon et al. (hereinafter Dumon).
Regarding claim 1, Dumon teaches: An antenna apparatus (an
antenna ¶ 0027, fig. 1), comprising:
a first element (see fig. 1 [First Element]) having a flat plate shape (The ground portion 300 has a flat plate shape. See fig. 1); and
a second element (see fig. 1 [Second Element]) that includes a plate-like portion (solid disc 600 ¶ 0042, fig. 1) provided parallel (placed parallel ¶ 0029, fig. 1) to the first element (see fig. 1 [First Element]), wherein
the plate-like portion (solid disc 600 ¶ 0042, fig. 1) includes:
three or more power feeding paths (Figure 1 shows 4 initial segments. See fig. 1 [Initial segments]) each of which radially extends (see fig. 1) from a power feeder (feed wire 100 ¶ 0031, fig. 1) in a central portion (second end 5b ¶ 0031, fig. 1);
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Dumon – Figure 1
and
three or more antenna portions (N radiating strands referenced as 210, 220, 230, 240, wherein this example N = 4, ¶ 0028, fig. 1) which extend from ends (Figure 1 shows 4 initial segment ends. See fig. 1 [Initial segment ends]) of the three or more power feeding paths (Figure 1 shows 4 initial segments. See fig. 1 [Initial segments]), respectively, and each of which is connected to a grounding portion (ground plane 300 ¶ 0027, fig. 1) of the first element (see fig. 1 [First Element]).
Regarding claim 2, Dumon teaches: The antenna apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:
the plate-like portion (solid disc 600 ¶ 0042, fig. 1) is provided at an interval (The solid disc 600 and the ground plane 300 are separated by a gap (interval), as seen in figure 1.) from the first element (see fig. 1 [First Element]), and
the second element (see fig. 1 [Second Element]) further includes a connection portion (rod 510 ¶ 0030, fig. 1) that connects (connect them to ¶ 0030, fig. 1) an end (end 217 ¶ 0054, fig. 1) of one of the three or more antenna portions (radiating strand 210 ¶ 0030, fig. 1; N radiating strands referenced as 210, 220, 230, 240, wherein this example N = 4, ¶ 0028, fig. 1) with the grounding portion (ground plane 300 ¶ 0027, fig. 1) of the first element (see fig. 1 [First Element]), the end (end 217 ¶ 0054, fig. 1) being on a side opposite (see fig. 1) to an end (end 512 ¶ 0053, fig. 1), on a side (see fig. 1) of one of the three or more power feeding paths (initial segment 211 ¶ 0047, fig. 1; Figure 1 shows 4 initial segments. See fig. 1 [Initial segments]), of the one of the three or more antenna portions (radiating strand 210 ¶ 0030, fig. 1; N radiating strands referenced as 210, 220, 230, 240, wherein this example N = 4, ¶ 0028, fig. 1), the one of the three or more power feeding paths (initial segment 211 ¶ 0049, fig. 1; Figure 1 shows 4 initial segments. See fig. 1 [Initial segments]) corresponding to the one of the three or more antenna portions (radiating strand 210 ¶ 0030, fig. 1; N radiating strands referenced as 210, 220, 230, 240, wherein this example N = 4, ¶ 0028, fig. 1).
Regarding claim 4, Dumon teaches: The antenna apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:
the first element (see fig. 1 [First Element]) includes a first element-side antenna portion (impedance matching device 400 ¶ 0057, fig. 1) formed by forming a notch (Figure 1 shows wherein the impedance matching device 400 is formed by forming a notch.), and
the first element-side antenna portion (impedance matching device 400 ¶ 0057, fig. 1-1.1) includes a first end and a second end (see fig. 1.1 [First end, Second end]), the first end (see fig. 1.1 [First end]) corresponding to the grounding portion (ground plane 300 ¶ 0027, fig. 1) of the first element (see fig. 1 [First Element]), the second end (see fig. 1.1 [Second end]) being a free end (occupied by air or a dielectric ¶ 0058, fig. 1).
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Dumon – Figure 1.1
Regarding claim 5, Dumon teaches: The antenna apparatus according to claim 4, wherein
the first element-side antenna portion (impedance matching device 400 ¶ 0057, fig. 1) includes a first portion and a second portion (see fig. 1-1.1 [300, 410]), the first portion (ground plane 300 ¶ 0027, fig. 1.1) including an outer edge (see fig. 1.1 [Outer edge]) of the first element (see fig. 1 [First Element]), the second portion (disc 410 ¶ 0058, fig. 1.1) including the free end (see fig. 1.1 [Second end]) and extending from an end (see fig. 1.1 [Outer edge]) of the first portion (ground plane 300 ¶ 0027, fig. 1.1) toward a center (X axis ¶ 0058, fig. 1-1.1) of the first element (see fig. 1 [First Element]).
Regarding claim 7, Dumon teaches: The antenna apparatus according to claim 1, wherein
a dielectric layer (dielectric material ¶ 0090) is provided between (space between ¶ 0090, fig. 1 [gap]) the first element (see fig. 1 [First Element]) and the plate-like portion (solid disc 600 ¶ 0042, fig. 1).
Regarding claim 8, Dumon teaches: The antenna apparatus according to claim 1, wherein
the three or more power feeding paths (Figure 1 shows 4 initial segments. See fig. 1 [Initial segments]) are provided such that each angle (see fig. 1.2) formed by two adjacent power feeding paths (Figures 1 and 1.2 shows 2 adjacent initial segments in the Y-axis.) among the three or more power feeding paths (Figure 1 shows 4 initial segments. See fig. 1 [Initial segments]) is identical (general trapezoidal shape 213 ¶ 0051, fig. 1 and 1.2).
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Dumon – Figure 1.2
Regarding claim 9, Dumon teaches: The antenna apparatus according to claim 1, wherein
the plate-like portion (solid disc 600 ¶ 0042, fig. 1) has a contour having a shape identical to a shape of the first element (The shape of the solid disc 600 is similar in shape to the disc 410 located in the first element. See fig. 1).
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 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.
Claim(s) 3 and 6 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Dumon in view of US 20150263416 by Motochika Okano et al. (hereinafter Okano).
Regarding claim 3, Dumon teaches: The antenna apparatus according to claim 2, wherein:
the connection portion (rod 510 ¶ 0030, fig. 1) is provided vertical (extend parallel to the X axis ¶ 0031, fig. 1) to the one of the three or more antenna portions (radiating strand 210 ¶ 0030, fig. 1; N radiating strands referenced as 210, 220, 230, 240, wherein this example N = 4, ¶ 0028, fig. 1), and
the one of the three or more antenna portions (radiating strand 210 ¶ 0030, fig. 1; N radiating strands referenced as 210, 220, 230, 240, wherein this example N = 4, ¶ 0028, fig. 1) the connection portion (rod 510 ¶ 0030, fig. 1) a radio wave that the antenna apparatus (antenna ¶ 0027, fig. 1) emits (λ is the preferential working wave length of the antenna).
Dumon does not explicitly teach a sum of lengths of the one of the three or more antenna portions and the connection portion is n times a fourth of a wavelength of a radio wave that the antenna apparatus emits, n being one or more.
However, Okano teaches the electrical length between the middle point A1 of the first coupling element 11 and the open end E1 is L1 (first electrical length). L1 is set to nxλ/4, where λ is the wave length corresponding to the frequency used for the above mentioned
close proximity wireless communication. The n is an odd number greater than or equal to 1 (¶ 0061, fig. 1).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to use the teaching of Okano to include the length with the radiating strands of the art of Dumon with the benefit of achieving resonance and efficient impedance matching.
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine the teachings of Dumon and Okano to obtain the invention:
a sum of lengths (Okano: length between ¶ 0061, fig. 1) of the one of the three or more antenna portions (Dumon: radiating strand 210 ¶ 0030, fig. 1; N radiating strands referenced as 210, 220, 230, 240, wherein this example N = 4, ¶ 0028, fig. 1) and the connection portion (Dumon: rod 510 ¶ 0030, fig. 1) is n times a fourth of a wavelength (Okano: nxλ/4 ¶ 0061, fig. 1) of a radio wave that the antenna apparatus (Dumon: antenna ¶ 0027, fig. 1) emits (Dumon: λ is the preferential working wave length of the antenna), n being one or more (Okano: n is an odd number greater than or equal to 1 ¶ 0061, fig. 1).
Regarding claim 6, Dumon teaches: The antenna apparatus according to claim 4,
the first element-side antenna portion (impedance matching device 400 ¶ 0057, fig. 1) a radio wave that the antenna apparatus (antenna ¶ 0027, fig. 1) emits (λ is the preferential working wave length of the antenna).
Dumon does not explicitly teach wherein a length of the first element-side antenna portion is a fourth of a wavelength of a radio wave that the antenna apparatus emits.
However, Okano teaches an electrical length L2 (second electrical length) of each of the feeding element 12, the short circuiting element 13, the feeding element 22 and the short circuiting element 23 is set to an odd multiple of ¼ of the wavelength λ. L2 is equal to mxλ/4 (¶ 0071, fig. 1).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to use the teaching of Okano to include the length with the impedance matching device of the art of Dumon with the benefit of achieving resonance, efficient impedance matching and utilizing a component as a coupling portion.
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine the teachings of Dumon and Okano to obtain the invention:
a length (Okano: length ¶ 0071, fig. 1) of the first element-side antenna portion (Dumon: impedance matching device 400 ¶ 0057, fig. 1) is a fourth of a wavelength (Okano: odd multiple of ¼ of the wavelength λ ¶ 0071, fig. 1) of a radio wave that the antenna apparatus (Dumon: antenna ¶ 0027, fig. 1) emits (Dumon: λ is the preferential working wave length of the antenna).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to JOSE A. MIRANDA GONZALEZ whose telephone number is (571)272-6070. The examiner can normally be reached Monday through Friday, from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm, ET.
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/JOSE A. MIRANDA GONZALEZ/ Examiner, Art Unit 2844
/REGIS J BETSCH/ SPE, Art Unit 2844