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 .
Priority
Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement(s) (IDS) is/are in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement(s) is/are being considered by the examiner.
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) 1-8, 10-13, 16-17, and 20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Li et al. (U.S. Patent Application No. 20230083466), hereinafter known as Li, in view of Olsson et al. (U.S. Patent Application No. 20090289858), hereinafter known as Olsson.
Regarding claim 1, Li teaches (Figs. 1-15) an internal space (internal space of 10), a housing (12) comprising a first conducting layer (58); a display screen (64) comprising a second conducting layer (92, see Fig. 8), wherein the first conducting layer and the second conducting layer are layered in a thickness direction of the electronic device (see Fig. 8), and wherein the housing and the display screen jointly enclose the internal space (see Fig. 8); a conducting connection member (94) electrically connected between the first conducting layer and the second conducting layer ([0081]); and a cavity-backed slot antenna (40-4, [0049], [0068]) comprising: a cavity (60U) having a length extending in an extension direction (x axis), having a width extending in a direction (y axis) perpendicular to the extension direction and perpendicular to the thickness direction (see Fig. 7), and enclosed by the first conducting layer, the conducting connection member, and the second conducting layer (see Fig. 8); and a slot structure (100) having the length, disposed in the cavity, and extending in the extension direction (see Figs. 7-8).
Li does not teach further details regarding the dimensions of the antenna.
Olsson teaches (Figs. 1-4) an internal space (space within 4, see Fig. 1), a housing (4); a display screen ([0009]), and wherein the housing and the display screen jointly enclose the internal space (see Fig. 1); and a cavity-backed slot antenna (113) comprising: a cavity (cavity below 113a) having a length extending in an extension direction, having a width extending in a direction perpendicular to the extension direction and perpendicular to the thickness direction (see Fig. 4), and enclosed by the housing, wherein a ratio of the length to the width is greater than or equal to 3 ([0043]); and a slot structure (113a) having the length, disposed in the cavity, and extending in the extension direction (see Fig. 4).
It would have been obvious before the effective filing date of invention to one of ordinary skill in the art to adjust the dimensions of the antenna of Li as taught by Olsson because it provides frequency tuning ([0038]).
Regarding claim 2, Li as modified further teaches wherein the ratio is less than or equal to 10 (Olsson [0043]).
Regarding claim 3, wherein the ratio is greater than or equal to 4 and less than or equal to 6 (Olsson [0043]).
Regarding claims 4 and 20, Li further teaches (Figs. 1-15) : a first antenna element (40-4) comprising: the cavity; and the slot structure; a second antenna element (40-1 or 40-2) comprising a second conducting connection member (another of 94, [0081]) electrically connected between the first conducting layer and the second conducting layer; a spacing component (18-1), wherein the first antenna element is adjacent to the second antenna element, and wherein the spacing component is disposed between the first antenna element and the second antenna element (see Fig. 5); and a cavity-backed slot antenna (22) comprising: a second cavity (60L); and a second slot structure (100 for 60L), wherein the first conducting layer, the second conducting connection member, and the second Li as modified further teaches wherein a thickness of the cavity is greater than or equal to 1 mm in the thickness direction Olsson [0048]).
Regarding claim 5, Li further teaches (Figs. 1-15) wherein a thickness of the cavity is greater than or equal to 1 mm in the thickness direction (see Fig. 1).
Regarding claims 6 and 7, Li as modified teaches the limitations of claim 1, and Olsson further teaches dimensions and ratios for the slot length and widths ([0043], [0048]), but does not teach the specific ranges claimed at the operating frequencies.
It would have been obvious before the effective filing date of invention to one of ordinary skill in the art adjust the width and length of the cavity based on the ratios taught by Olsson to fall within the claimed ranges of claim 6 and 7 since it has been held to be within the general skill of a worker in the art to employ/use a known technique to improve similar devices (methods, products) in the same way is obvious. KSR International Co. v Teleflex Inc., 550 U.S. 398, 415-421, 82 USPQ2d 1385, 1395-97 (2007) Dimensions of slots are known as a result effective variable and can be adjusted based on the desired operating frequency and performance.
Regarding claim 8, Li further teaches (Figs. 1-15) wherein the housing is an integrated all-metal rear cover structure ([0059]), wherein a periphery of the housing and a periphery of the display screen are joined to form an enclosed assembly gap surrounding the display screen, and wherein the slot structure is part of the assembly gap (see Fig. 8).
Regarding claim 10, Li further teaches (Figs. 1-15) wherein the display screen comprises: a top edge; a bottom edge; and a lateral edge connected between the top edge and the bottom edge, and wherein the slot structure is straight and is formed on the lateral edge or the top edge (see Figs. 5-6, multiple locations shown for 40).
Regarding claim 11, Li further teaches (Figs. 1-15) wherein the display screen comprises: a first edge; and a second edge adjacent to the first edge, wherein the slot structure is bent and is disposed in a connection area between the first edge and the second edge, wherein a first part of the slot structure is formed on the first edge, and wherein a second part of the slot structure is formed on the second edge (see Figs. 5-6, multiple locations shown for 40).
Regarding claim 12, Li further teaches (Figs. 1-15) wherein the display screen comprises: a first edge; a second edge; and a third edge disposed opposite to the first edge, wherein the first edge, the second edge, and the third edge are sequentially connected, wherein the slot structure is half-encircling, wherein a first part of the slot structure is on the first edge, wherein a second part of the slot structure is on the second edge, and wherein a third part of the slot structure is on the third edge (see Figs. 5-6, multiple locations shown for 40).
Regarding claim 13, Li further teaches (Figs. 1-15) an assembly frame (82), wherein the assembly frame comprises the conducting connection member ([0081], and wherein the assembly frame is at least one of a battery compartment, a middle frame, or a camera assembly frame ([0080]).
Regarding claim 16, Li further teaches (Figs. 1-15) wherein when the range is greater than or equal to 3 and less than or equal to 7 (Olsson [0043]), the cavity is configured to generate two or three resonance modes within 50% of a bandwidth of a lowest resonance frequency of the cavity ([0045]).
Regarding claim 17, Li further teaches (Figs. 1-15) wherein when the range is greater than 7 and less than or equal to 10 (Olsson [0043]), the cavity is configured to generate four or more resonance modes within 50% of a bandwidth of a lowest resonance frequency of the cavity ([0045]).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 9, 14-15, and 18-19 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
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Park et al. (U.S. Patent Application No. 20230152865) teaches a slot antenna.
Ha et al. (U.S. Patent Application No. 20180261921) teaches a slot antenna.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to DANIEL MUNOZ whose telephone number is (571)270-1957. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 9 a.m. - 5 p.m.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Dimary Lopez can be reached at 571-270-7893. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/DANIEL MUNOZ/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2845
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