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 Objections
Claims 1-19 are objected to because of the following informalities:
All reference characters in claims 1-19 should be removed in order to clearly read on a particular embodiment of the invention.
Claims 2, 3, 5-9 and 13-18 are missing a comma before “and” in line 1, respectively.
Appropriate correction is required.
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 1-19 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.
Claims 1 and 11 respectively reciting “an antenna arrangement (1) that defines a main radiation direction (40)” are indefinite, since it’s unclear how a radiation direction is defined without any feed element or network.
Claims 1 and 11 respectively reciting “wherein the attenuation arrangement (37) has a first attenuation unit (38) that defines an access opening (39) within which the one or more antennas (2, 3, 4, 5) are jointly arranged” are indefinite, since (a) it’s not understood how merely one antenna can be “jointly arranged” and (b) it appears that all embodiments of the invention require two or more antennas for the “main radiation direction” and “joint [antenna] arrangement” to occur.
The spec. discloses, e.g., in ¶¶ 260-261 of the printed publication:
[0260] The antennas 2, 3, 4, 5 have a respective eccentrically offset feed-in point 9, wherein the respective eccentric offset d is identical for all antennas 2, 3, 4, 5. The feed-in point 9 is preferably located on the main axis of symmetry H, but this is not absolutely necessary. The feed-point 9 is normally matched to an input impedance of 50 Ohm; it should be noted here that a plurality of possible feed-in points 9 could accordingly also be present on the main area 6 of the respective antenna 2, 3, 4, 5, and for this reason the feed-in points 9 indicated in the exemplary embodiments are only to be understood as examples. It can essentially even be provided to use a plurality of feed-in points 9 simultaneously, but one single feed-in point per antenna 2, 3, 4, 5 is normally sufficient.
[0261] The antenna arrangement 1 shown enables extraordinarily effective isolation between the transmitter and the receiver if the transmit antennas 2, 3 of the transmit antenna group are excited with a signal that is phase-shifted through 180° and, in particular but not necessarily, if the received electromagnetic wave is likewise differentially evaluated by the receive antennas 4, 5 of the receive antenna group. Nevertheless, the antenna arrangement 1 can be designed with technically simple means, for example using simple printed circuit board technology.
As such, it appears that at least one transmit antenna (2,3) and at least one receive antenna (4,5) are required, absent which the invention cannot operate as its intended purpose, which is to define a main radiation direction and provide effective isolation between the (two or more) transmit and receive antennas.
Claims 2-10 and 12-19 are rejected by virtue of their dependencies on claims 1 and 11, respectively.
It is respectfully requested to amend claims 1 and 11 reciting “one or more antennas (2, 3, 4, 5)” to read --two or more antennas, each having a respective feed-in point--, thereby clearly reading on Figs. 1-6 and 18-20 of the invention.
There should be a clear recitation of interrelated structure in order to provide a complete and operable antenna arrangement or communication system.
The following claim, drafted by the examiner and considered to distinguish patentably over the art of record in this application, is presented to applicant for consideration:
1. (Currently Amended) An antenna arrangement
two or more antennas each having a respective feed-in point; and
a printed circuit board two or more antennas
an attenuation arrangement
the attenuation arrangement two or more antennas
wherein a central axis .
Claim 10 would be allowable if rewritten to overcome the rejection(s) under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), 2nd paragraph, set forth in this Office action and to include 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.
Sakai (US 11121461)
Jam (US 11652524)
Tang (US 12255409)
Kim (US 11362421)
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to HASAN ISLAM whose telephone number is (571)270-1719. The examiner can normally be reached Mon-Thu 9AM-7PM EST.
Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, DAMEON LEVI can be reached at (571)272-2105. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
Information regarding the status of published or unpublished applications may be obtained from Patent Center. Unpublished application information in Patent Center is available to registered users. To file and manage patent submissions in Patent Center, visit: https://patentcenter.uspto.gov. Visit https://www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/patent-center for more information about Patent Center and https://www.uspto.gov/patents/docx for information about filing in DOCX format. For additional questions, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000.
/HASAN ISLAM/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2845