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 § 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.
Claim 31 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.
Claim 31 recites “the second region further comprises a second slot” however the claim depends from claim 24 which does not recite any ‘first slot’. Accordingly the limitation is indefinite because it is unclear whether ‘a second slot’ encompasses a first slot and what the relationship between a first slot and a second slot may be. A skilled artisan would be able to apprise the ‘metes and bounds’ of the limitation.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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) 24-26 and 30-33 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by WO 2021256589 A1 (hereinafter “Jung”).
Claim 24: Jung teaches an antenna assembly comprising: a dielectric substrate (e.g., see 1010, FIGS. 6-7, 11-13b); a first region (e.g., a region of 1110, 1120, 1130 on 1010, as shown in FIGS. 11-13b) comprising conductive patterns on one side of the dielectric substrate and configured to radiate a wireless signal; and a second region(e.g., a region of 1150a, 1150b and “FEEDING (CPW)” not on 1010, as shown in FIGS> 11-13b) comprising a ground conductive pattern and a feed pattern (e.g., of the CPW and feedline 1150a and ground lines 1150b not on 1010, see from bottom half of Pg. 22 of English translation to middle of Pg. 23), wherein the conductive patterns comprise: a first conductive pattern comprising a first portion (e.g., see 1110b and 1120) and a second portion (e.g., see 1150a of 1110b on 1010), wherein the first portion is substantially perpendicular to the second portion and the second portion is electrically connected to the feed pattern (e.g., 1110b perpendicular to 1150a as shown, see bottom half of Pg. 22 to top half of Pg. 23 of English translation); a second conductive pattern (e.g., see 1130) electrically connected to a first portion of the ground conductive pattern (e.g., through 1150b); and a third conductive pattern (e.g., see 1110a, 1150b of 1110a) electrically connected to a second portion of the ground conductive pattern (e.g., through 1150b of 1110a), wherein: the second conductive pattern has a size smaller than a size of the third conductive pattern (e.g., as shown); the second conductive pattern is located between the first portion of the first conductive pattern and the second portion of the first conductive pattern (e.g., see 1130 between 1110b and 1150b of 1110b); the first portion of the first conductive pattern is located opposite to the third conductive pattern with respect to the second portion of the first conductive pattern (e.g., 1110b, 1150a and 1110a, 1150b opposite to each other as shown in Figures), the first conductive pattern and the third conductive pattern are configured to operate in a dipole antenna mode (e.g., 1110 forming dipole, see first half of Pg. 23) in a first frequency band; the first conductive pattern is configured to operate in a monopole antenna mode (e.g., at least 1120 in a monopole mode, see middle of Pg. 23) in a second frequency band; and the second frequency band is higher than the first frequency band (e.g., see FIG. 14a).
Claim 25: Jung teaches the antenna assembly of claim 24, wherein the first conductive pattern and the third conductive pattern each have an asymmetrical structure (e.g., as shown).
Claim 26: Jung teaches the antenna assembly of claim 25, wherein the second conductive pattern operates in a third frequency band (e.g., triangle patch mode in FIG. 14a), and the third frequency band is higher than the second frequency band (e.g., as shown in FIG. 14a).
Claim 30: Jung teaches the antenna assembly of claim 24, wherein: the second region further comprises a first slot (e.g., see slot between 1150b and 1150a of 1110b or slot between 1150a and 1150b of 1110a); a length of the first slot is in a range from λ/2 to λ (e.g., wherein the λ is defined to meet the slot length range lacking any defined limitation); and an open region of the first slot faces the feed pattern (e.g., open region of slot facing 1150 on either side in Figures as shown).
Claim 31: Jung teaches the antenna assembly of claim 24, wherein the second region further comprises a second slot (e.g., see slot between 1150b and 1150a of 1110b or slot between 1150a and 1150b of 1110a); a length of the second slot is in a range from λ/2 to λ (e.g., wherein the λ is defined to meet the slot length range lacking any defined limitation); and an open region of the second slot faces the first region (e.g., open region facing upward toward first region in Figures as shown).
Claim 32: Jung teaches the antenna assembly of claim 24, wherein: the first conductive pattern, the second conductive pattern, and the third conductive pattern are configured to have a metal mesh shape having a plurality of open regions on the dielectric substrate (e.g., see FIG. 11); and the first conductive pattern, the second conductive pattern, and the third conductive pattern are configured to have a coplanar waveguide (CPW) structure on the dielectric substrate (e.g., see “FEEDING (CPW)” in FIGS. 6-7 and 13A).
Claim 33: Jung teaches the antenna assembly of claim 24, comprising a plurality of dummy metal grid patterns at an outside portion of the first region on the dielectric substrate (e.g., see ‘DUMMY MESH’ 1030 in FIG. 11-12), wherein the plurality of dummy metal grid patterns are not connected to the feed pattern and the ground conductive pattern, and wherein the plurality of dummy metal grid patterns are separate from each other (e.g., see bottom of Pg. 26 of English translation to middle of Pg. 27).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claim 27-29 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.
Cheng (US 10833418 B2) teaches an antenna structure having a dipole antenna element and a floating parasitic metal element adjacent the dipole antenna element.
Iijima (US 5657029) teaches a glass antenna having a radiation pattern including a vertical linear radiation pattern and signal leader pattern and rectangular ground pattern positioned on the right-hand side of radiation pattern and leader line including shield leader pattern and second feeder.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to AMAL PATEL whose telephone number is (571)270-7443. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Friday, 8:00 am - 5:00 pm.
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, 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.
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.
/AMAL PATEL/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2845
Prosecution Insights