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 § 112
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claims 1-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
Regarding claim 1, The phrase "first mode or second mode". This causes confusion at that location and further into the claim. The question is doe the first mode and second mode both exist in the claimed embodiment or is the claim structured such that only a first mode or a second mode need exist to meet the claim structure. Claims 2-13 inherit this issue and are rejected for the same reasons.
Thus claim 1 (and dependent claims) is interpreted as need only a first OR a second mode set forth in the claim.
Regarding claim 3, Similar to claim 1, the claim sets forth that the circuit is "configured to operate in the first mode, the second mode, or a third mode" The alternative language is interpreted here such that to meet the claim, the circuit need only operate in one of the three modes listed.
Regarding claim 13, The term "the housing" in the last line of the claim lacks antecedent basis in the claim.
Regarding claims 14 and 18, The words "close to" is a relative term. It's not clear if the term "specified level" is an attempt to define the term close to or if it's a part of the determining steps.
The language used in the "determining" steps of the claim is confusing.
The first determining step states that the closeness is determination is based on a specific level or higher. It is not clear what level is higher. The second determining step is based on the object being close to the first segment "at specified level or higher"
This second step is confusing because it is not clear what level is being looked at to make the determination. Furthermore, it is not clear if the determining is based on this specified level being higher or if the determination is based on the first segment being connected to the second segment.
The third determining step states that the determining is based on the object being close to a third segment "at a specified level. It is unclear what level is being examined to make the determination. Furthermore, it is not clear if the determining is based on this specified level being higher or if the determination is based on the first segment being connected to the second segment.
Assume that the connection step is to connect the second and third segment if the object is close to the third segment. The 'specified level' is assumed to be a threshold of the closeness.
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.
Claim(s) 1-3,7,9 and 10 are is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by PROS (9007275).
Regarding claim 1, PROS shows An electronic device comprising: a housing including a conductive portion, the conductive portion including a first segment (1610,1616,1617)and a second segment separated from the first segment by a first gap; a first switch configured to selectively connect the first segment and the second segment;
a first wireless communication circuit (inherent) including a first port and a second port, the first port being electrically connected to the first segment (through input port 124); and
a second switch (123) configured to selectively connect the second port and the second segment, wherein the first wireless communication circuit is configured to operate in a first mode or a second mode,
wherein the first mode is configured to: transmit and/or receive a wireless signal in a first frequency range by using a first antenna formed from the first segment electrically open to the second segment through the first switch, and transmit and/or receive a wireless signal in the first frequency range by using a second antenna formed from the second segment electrically open to the first segment through the first switch and electrically connected to the second port through the second switch (see col 6 lines 16-28 and col. 13 lines 35-57).
(6:16-28) As mentioned earlier, while in an array the bandwidth of each individual element is usually adjusted to cover the operating frequency band or bands of the array system, in the present invention, the bandwidth of the individual antenna elements may be substantially smaller than the resulting bandwidth of the antenna system. One of said antenna elements can be tuned to at least one resonant frequency that is substantially different from a resonant frequency of another one of said antenna elements, for example, two of the antenna elements can be tuned to substantially different resonant frequencies within the same operating band of the antenna system.
Note that the alternative language used in claim 1 is interpreted such that only one mode needs to be taught by the references.
PROS teaches the second frequency range is different from the first frequency range. (Col 6 lines 16-28)
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(13:35-57)) FIG. 16c) shows how two distributed antenna systems according to the invention are combined to form a higher level distributed antenna system. In FIG. 16c) two antenna elements 1610 are mounted at the top end of a PCB totally over the ground-plane layer of said PCB. The antenna elements 1610 are driven by their respective driven points 1611 and the antenna element placed at the left hand top of the PCB is connected at its driven point 1611 to a phase shifting element 1612. Both antenna elements 1610 are connected through means for routing and transmitting the signal 1613 to combining means 1614 that interconnects the signals from antenna elements 1610 to the input/output port 1615. As it can be seen in FIG. 16c), two more antenna elements 1616, 1617 having different electrical lengths are mounted over the PCB at the bottom end of said PCB. The antenna elements 1616, 1617 are driven by their respective driven points 1618 and through their respective driven points 1618 they are connected to their respective phase shifting elements 1619. Both antenna elements 1616, 1617 are connected through means for routing and transmitting the signal 1620 to combining means 1621 that interconnects the signals from antenna elements 1616, 1617 to the input/output port 1622.
Regarding claim 2, PROS teaches the conductive portion includes a third segment (four antennas disclosed, 1610,1610,1617,1616)separated from the first segment and/or the second segment by a second gap, wherein the first wireless communication circuit includes a third port (each antenna has it's own port 1618,1611), and wherein the electronic device further comprises: a second wireless communication circuit, and a third switch connected to the third segment and configured to selectively connect the third segment to the third port of the first wireless communication circuit or the second wireless communication circuit (arrangements of elements in figure 16C can be described to meet the broadly claimed language).
Regarding claim 3, The alternative language set forth for claim 3 is broadly interpreted to mean that the claim covers any of the first, second OR third modes. Since the first mode is taught by PROS, claim 3 is unpatentable.
Regarding claim 7, PROS shows a minimum value of the first frequency range is higher than a maximum value of the second frequency range. (figure 17 shows F1 below F2).
Regarding claim 9, PROS further teaches: a ground part, wherein the first segment is connected to the ground part, and wherein the first switch is configured to connect the first segment to the second segment or the ground part.
(6:33-43)) By having at least a second antenna element, it is possible to change the current distribution of the whole distributed antenna system in such a manner that the currents are minimum in most of the PCB except for the area occupied by the antenna elements. In other words, the antenna system of the present invention increases the contribution (in terms of radiation) of the antenna elements and reduces the contribution of the ground-plane. By doing so, this solution relies less on the ground-plane radiation efficiency and is thus less sensitive to hand loading, while still keeping a wide bandwidth and maintaining a small size.
Regarding claim 10, PROS teaches the first mode is configured to: transmit and/or receive a wireless signal in the first frequency range by using the first antenna formed from the first segment, which is electrically open to the second segment through the first switch and which is connected to the ground part; and transmit and/or receive a wireless signal in the first frequency range by using the second antenna formed from the second segment, which is electrically open to the first segment through the first switch, which is connected to the ground part through the first switch, and which is electrically connected to the second port through the second switch.
PROS teaches Connecting antenna elements to ground planes to activate the antenna through he modulation type switches, see figure 16c.
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.
Claim(s) 8 and 11 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over PROS as applied to claim1 above, and further in view of OH (20220115768).
Regarding claim 8, in an analogous art, OH teaches multiple antennas with gaps in between the antennas, wherein the first gap is filled with a non-conductive material. See figure 6a and paragraph 164.
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[0164] According to an embodiment, the second side member 620 may include at least one of a fourth conductive unit B4 (e.g., the fourth conductive unit A4 of FIG. 5), a third insulating unit 543 (e.g., the third insulating unit 543 of FIG. 5), a fifth conductive unit B5 (e.g., the fifth conductive unit A5 of FIG. 5), a fourth insulating unit 644 (e.g., the fourth insulating unit 544 of FIG. 5), and a sixth conductive unit B6 (e.g., the sixth conductive unit A6 of FIG. 5) which are sequentially disposed from the hinge structure 630.
Therefore it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to have insulating material between the antennas or antenna segments in PROS in order to properly separate the antennas.
Regarding claim 11, OH further comprising: a ground part, wherein the first segment is connected to the ground part, and wherein the second switch is configured to electrically connect the second segment to the second port or the ground part.
In OH (20220115768), the switches (691) and selectively connect a chosen antenna segment to a ground part (G51 and G52) See figure 6a.
Claim(s) 13 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over PROS as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of KIM (20200333855).
Regarding claim 13, In an analogous art, KIM shows a phone housing with a hinge 210 and the mobile phone also comprising: a first housing; and a second housing pivotably connected to the first housing, wherein the second housing includes at least one connector for connecting an external device to the electronic device, and wherein the housing is the second housing. See paragraph 53.
[0053] The interface unit 160 serves as an interface with various types of external devices that can be coupled to the mobile terminal 100. The interface unit 160, for example, may include any of wired or wireless ports, external power supply ports, wired or wireless data ports, memory card ports, ports for connecting a device having an identification module, audio input/output (I/O) ports, video I/O ports, earphone ports, and the like. In some cases, the mobile terminal 100 may perform assorted control functions associated with a connected external device, in response to the external device being connected to the interface unit 16.
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Therefore it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to have included an external port in the electronic device of PROS to provide a usable connection with various external devices as taught by KIM.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 4-6,14-20 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. It is noted that these claims do include 112b issues and certain interpretations were applied to come to the conclusions herein. If those conclusions are incorrect a rejection may need to be revisited.
Regarding claims 14 to 20, it is noted that LEI (20210075461) does teaches having sensors associated with antennas/segments to detect if a person is near to the electronic device.
Regarding each of the allowed claims, the references do not disclose the interconnection of antennas or antenna segments to form an arrayed antenna that can be switched into connection based on the claimed arrangements.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to BRIAN A ZIMMERMAN whose telephone number is (571)272-3059. The examiner can normally be reached m,t,tr 6-4; w,f 6-noon.
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/BRIAN A ZIMMERMAN/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2686
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