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 application currently names joint inventors. In considering patentability of the claims the examiner presumes that the subject matter of the various claims was commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the claimed invention(s) absent any evidence to the contrary. Applicant is advised of the obligation under 37 CFR 1.56 to point out the inventor and effective filing dates of each claim that was not commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the later invention in order for the examiner to consider the applicability of 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(2)(C) for any potential 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) prior art against the later invention.
Priority
Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55.
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 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, and 4 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Wang (WO 2022242636 A1; see translation).
With regards to claim 1. Wang disclose(s):
An electronic device (figs 1-4) comprising:
a first body (10) including one or more antennas (1-5);
and a second body (20) configured to be capable of flipping ([0033]) relative to the first body (10), and including one or more antennas (A-E);
wherein:
the one or more antennas (1-5) of the first body (10) and the one or more antennas (A-E) of the second body (20) are configured to at least form a plurality of target antennas with multiple inputs and multiple outputs (see multiple wireless ranges; [0031; 0045]), and the plurality of target antennas are configured to be capable of simultaneously being in a working state and have a same communication frequency band ([0046-0048]);
the plurality of target antennas include a first antenna (1-5) that is one of the one or more antennas of the first body and a second antenna (A-E) that is one of the one or more antennas of the second body [0046];
and the plurality of target antennas are configured such that:
when the first body and the second body are in a non-stacked position relationship, the plurality of target antennas are in the working state, and a distance between the first antenna and the second antenna meets an isolation requirement (see operation in open and closed states; [0033, 0037]; the examiner takes the position operating in certain frequency involves meeting isolation requirements);
and when the first body and the second body are in a stacked position relationship, the plurality of target antennas are in the working state, and an antenna form of the first antenna and an antenna form of the second antenna meet the isolation requirement (see operation in open and closed states; [0033, 0037]; the examiner takes the position operating in certain frequency involves meeting isolation requirements).
With regards to claim 2. Wang disclose(s):
The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the first antenna includes a monopole antenna, and the second antenna includes a dipole antenna ([0030]).
With regards to claim 4. Wang disclose(s):
The electronic device according to claim 1,
wherein the first antenna (1-5) and the second antenna (A-E)are configured such that: when the first body (10) and the second body (20) are in the non-stacked position relationship (“open” [0033]), the first antenna and the second antenna are located on a same side of the electronic device (see segments 5 and E in fig 1);
and when the first body and the second body are in the stacked position relationship ([0033]), the second antenna is located within a projection of the first antenna on the second body (see segment 5 corresponding to segment E when folded in 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 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 of this title, 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) 3 and 12 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Wang (WO 2022242636 A1; see translation) in view of Choi (US 20250392031 A1).
With regards to claim 3. Wang disclose(s):
The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein:
the first antenna (1-5) includes a first
and the second antenna (A-E) includes a second
Wang does not disclose(s):
The antenna segments being metal
Choi teaches:
The antenna segments being metal (see “When a signal is provided to both the conductive portion 312 and the conductive portion 313, the conductive portion 312 and the conductive portion 313 may be understood as a metal structure of a dipole antenna having a length of 2 L”; [0087])
Before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, it would have been obvious for one of ordinary skill in the art to have modified the device/method/system of Wang by implementing the antenna segments being metal as disclosed by Choi in order to radiate electromagnetic signals efficiently as taught/suggested by Choi ([0121]).
With regards to claim 12. Wang disclose(s):
The electronic device according to claim 1,
wherein the first antenna (1-5) includes a
Wang does not disclose(s):
The antenna segments being metal
Choi teaches:
The antenna segments being metal (see “When a signal is provided to both the conductive portion 312 and the conductive portion 313, the conductive portion 312 and the conductive portion 313 may be understood as a metal structure of a dipole antenna having a length of 2 L”; [0087])
Before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, it would have been obvious for one of ordinary skill in the art to have modified the device/method/system of Wang by implementing the antenna segments being metal as disclosed by Choi in order to radiate electromagnetic signals efficiently as taught/suggested by Choi ([0121]).
Claim(s) 5 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Wang (WO 2022242636 A1; see translation) in view of Yan (WO 2024046220 A1).
With regards to claim 5. Wang disclose(s):
The electronic device according to claim 1,
Wang does not disclose(s):
wherein a target radiation direction of the first antenna and a target radiation direction of the second antenna satisfy an orthogonal relationship.
Yan teaches:
wherein a target radiation direction of the first antenna and a target radiation direction of the second antenna satisfy an orthogonal relationship [0049].
Before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, it would have been obvious for one of ordinary skill in the art to have modified the device/method/system of Wang by implementing the target radiation direction of the first antenna and a target radiation direction of the second antenna satisfy an orthogonal relationship as disclosed by Yan in order to improve mutual influence between multiple radiators in a foldable electronic device as taught/suggested by Yan ([0032]).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claim(s) 6-9 ,10-11, and 13-14 is/are 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.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to RENAN LUQUE whose telephone number is (571)270-1044. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 9:00AM-5:00PM.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Jessica Han can be reached on 571-272-2078. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/RENAN LUQUE/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2896