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 .
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.
Status of Claims
This action is in reply to the application filed on 01/23/2025.
Claims 1-15 are currently pending and have been examined.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 04/23/2025 and 04/29/2026 is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
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)(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.
Claims 1-4 and 9-15 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Wintermantel (US 20230275336 A1), hereinafter Wintermantel.
Regarding claim 1, Wintermantel discloses
an electronic component for transmitting and/or receiving radar signals (See at least [0014] “the radar system for detecting the surroundings includes a circuit board which includes at least one high-frequency component with at least one element for direct emission or receipt”); and
an antenna element, the antenna element being configured as a plastic body (See at least Fig. 2, [0041] “Such an antenna can be embodied as a cuboid plastic part and is, for example, depicted in FIG. 2”) into which channels with metallized channel walls are introduced, the channels forming waveguides (See at least Figs. 2, 4, [0041] “hollow space structures run inside the plastic part, wherein all of the surfaces are metallized on the outside and inside (only the surfaces in the region of the waveguides and the individual antennas would have to be metallized”),
wherein heat conducting elements are introduced into the antenna element (See at least Fig. 4, [0048] “chip 4.6—as depicted—is thermally coupled by way of thermal heatsink paste 4.4 to the cover 4.5 on the back of the sensor, which cover 4.5 can at least partially consist of aluminum and can have cooling fins”).
Regarding claim 2, Wintermantel, as shown above, discloses all of the limitations of claim 1. Wintermantel additionally discloses
the heat conducting elements comprise recesses and/or openings (See at least Fig. 4, [0048] “chip 4.6—as depicted—is thermally coupled by way of thermal heatsink paste 4.4 to the cover 4.5 on the back of the sensor, which cover 4.5 can at least partially consist of aluminum and can have cooling fins” Wintermantel discloses recesses between fins.).
Regarding claim 3, Wintermantel, as shown above, discloses all of the limitations of claims 1-2. Wintermantel additionally discloses
the recesses and/or openings form channels (See at least Fig. 4, [0048] “chip 4.6—as depicted—is thermally coupled by way of thermal heatsink paste 4.4 to the cover 4.5 on the back of the sensor, which cover 4.5 can at least partially consist of aluminum and can have cooling fins” Wintermantel discloses recesses between fins which are channels).
Regarding claim 4, Wintermantel, as shown above, discloses all of the limitations of claims 1-2. Wintermantel additionally discloses
the recesses and/or openings have a thermally conductive coating (See at least Fig. 4, [0048] “chip 4.6—as depicted—is thermally coupled by way of thermal heatsink paste 4.4 to the cover 4.5 on the back of the sensor, which cover 4.5 can at least partially consist of aluminum and can have cooling fins” Wintermantel discloses a thermal heatsink paste as a thermally conductive coating.).
Regarding claim 9, Wintermantel, as shown above, discloses all of the limitations of claim 1. Wintermantel additionally discloses
the heat conducting elements comprise surface structures (See at least Fig. 4, [0048] “chip 4.6—as depicted—is thermally coupled by way of thermal heatsink paste 4.4 to the cover 4.5 on the back of the sensor, which cover 4.5 can at least partially consist of aluminum and can have cooling fins” Wintermantel discloses fins as surface structures).
Regarding claim 10, Wintermantel, as shown above, discloses all of the limitations of claim 1. Wintermantel additionally discloses
the heat conducting elements comprise heat conducting bodies embedded in the antenna element (See at least Figs. 2, 4, [0041] “hollow space structures run inside the plastic part, wherein all of the surfaces are metallized on the outside and inside (only the surfaces in the region of the waveguides and the individual antennas would have to be metallized” The Examiner interprets the metallized surfaces as head conducting elements).
Regarding claim 11, Wintermantel, as shown above, discloses all of the limitations of claims 1 and 10. Wintermantel additionally discloses
the heat conducting bodies are made of metallic material (See at least Figs. 2, 4, [0041] “hollow space structures run inside the plastic part, wherein all of the surfaces are metallized on the outside and inside (only the surfaces in the region of the waveguides and the individual antennas would have to be metallized” The Examiner interprets the metallized surfaces as head conducting elements).
Regarding claim 12, Wintermantel, as shown above, discloses all of the limitations of claims 1 and 10. Wintermantel additionally discloses
the heat conducting bodies are made of thermally conductive plastic (See at least Fig. 2, [0041] “Such an antenna can be embodied as a cuboid plastic part and is, for example, depicted in FIG. 2” The Examiner notes that materials are always “thermally conductive”, but the quality of the thermal conductivity varies.).
Regarding claim 13, Wintermantel, as shown above, discloses all of the limitations of claim 1. Wintermantel additionally discloses
the antenna element is configured in multiple layers (See at least Figs. 2, 4, [0041] “hollow space structures run inside the plastic part, wherein all of the surfaces are metallized on the outside and inside (only the surfaces in the region of the waveguides and the individual antennas would have to be metallized”, [0041] “Such an antenna is typically composed of at least two metallized layers in order to be able to realize inner waveguides”).
Regarding claim 14, Wintermantel, as shown above, discloses all of the limitations of claims 1 and 13. Wintermantel additionally discloses
a layer assigned to the electronic component has a higher thermal conductivity than other layers (See at least [0048] “chip 4.6—as depicted—is thermally coupled by way of thermal heatsink paste 4.4 to the cover 4.5 on the back of the sensor, which cover 4.5 can at least partially consist of aluminum and can have cooling fins”).
Regarding claim 15, Wintermantel, as shown above, discloses all of the limitations of claim 1. Wintermantel additionally discloses
the heat conducting elements comprise printed structures (See at least [0056] “In addition to plastic molded parts produced by injection molding, the surface of which is metallized, other production processes and materials can also be utilized; e.g., production with 3D printing and/or use of metal base materials”).
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 5 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Wintermantel, in view of Kono (DE 112019005233 T5), hereinafter Kono, in further view of Dreier (US 20040180978 A1), hereinafter Dreier.
Regarding claim 5, Wintermantel, as shown above, discloses all the limitations of claims 1 and 2. Wintermantel does not explicitly disclose
(See at least Fig. 9 “A plurality of support stands 41 are at positions corresponding to the plurality of MMIC chips 14th on the substrate 10 correspond on a front side of the heat dissipation plate 40 that the substrate 10 is facing, formed.”).
Furthermore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to modify the radar system disclosed by Wintermantel with the surface system disclosed by Kono. One would have been motivated to do so in order to advantageously improve heat dissipation (See at least “heat dissipation property of the MMIC chip 14th to improve”).
The combination of Wintermantel and Kono does not explicitly disclose between 3 and 15 recesses and/or openings are provided per square centimeter of
between 3 and 15 recesses and/or openings are provided per square centimeter of(See at least [0006] “The number of depressions in a surface of the structural element is 1 to 18 per cm.sup.2, preferably 4 to 15 per cm.sup.2”).
Furthermore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to modify the radar system disclosed by Wintermantel with the surface system disclosed by Kono with the thermal recess density system disclosed by Dreier. One would have been motivated to do so in order to advantageously improve thermal insulation (See at least [0002] “The main object of these panels is to ensure thermal insulation.”).
Claims 6-7 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Wintermantel, in view of Kono.
Regarding claim 6, Wintermantel, as shown above, discloses all the limitations of claims 1, 2, and 4. Wintermantel does not explicitly disclose the coating comprises a metallic material. However, Kono, in the same or in a similar field of endeavor, discloses
the coating comprises a metallic material (See at least Fig. 9, “the thin metal layer 28 and is a heat dissipation path R3 from the MMIC chip 14th to the heat dissipation plate 40 through the thin metal layer 28” Kono discloses a recess with a thin metal layer coating.).
Furthermore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to modify the radar system disclosed by Wintermantel with the surface system disclosed by Kono. One would have been motivated to do so in order to advantageously improve heat dissipation (See at least “heat dissipation property of the MMIC chip 14th to improve”).
Regarding claim 7, Wintermantel, as shown above, discloses all the limitations of claims 1, 2, and 4. Wintermantel does not explicitly disclose the coating comprises a metallic material. However, Kono, in the same or in a similar field of endeavor, discloses
a layer thickness of the coating is between 0.5 um and 40 um (See at least “the heat dissipation path R3 be formed by a thin copper layer which has a thickness of 10 .Math.m or more”).
Furthermore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to modify the radar system disclosed by Wintermantel with the surface system disclosed by Kono. One would have been motivated to do so in order to advantageously improve heat dissipation (See at least “heat dissipation property of the MMIC chip 14th to improve”).
Claim 8 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Wintermantel, in view of Kasper (DE 3613258 A1), hereinafter Kasper.
Regarding claim 8, Wintermantel, as shown above, discloses all the limitations of claims 1, 2, and 4. Wintermantel does not explicitly disclose the coating is configured as a galvanic coating. However, Kasper, in the same or in a similar field of endeavor, discloses
the coating is configured as a galvanic coating (See at least Fig. 2, “to achieve sufficient heat dissipation, the etched trench is filled with metal, for example by vapor deposition and subsequent galvanic reinforcement of a gold layer”).
Furthermore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to modify the radar system disclosed by Wintermantel with the galvanic coating system disclosed by Kasper. One would have been motivated to do so in order to advantageously improve heat dissipation (See at least “to achieve sufficient heat dissipation, the etched trench is filled with metal, for example by vapor deposition and subsequent galvanic reinforcement of a gold layer”).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Bui-Van (US 20230305142 A1) - A vehicular radar sensing system includes a radar sensor disposed at a vehicle and having a printed circuit board (PCB). The radar sensor includes an antenna structure having a transmitting port for a transmitter of the radar sensor and a receiving port for a receiver of the radar sensor. The antenna structure includes a wall structure that extends from a first side of the antenna structure toward a first side of the PCB to at least partially define a transmitting area and a receiving area to isolate radio frequency signals at the transmitting area from radio frequency signals at the receiving area. The antenna structure includes a transmitting wave-guide that guides transmitted radio signals from the transmitter through the transmitting area to the transmitting port. The antenna structure includes a receiving wave-guide that guides received radio signals from the receiving port through the receiving area to the receiver.
Brandenburg (US 20230208016 A1) - This document describes techniques, apparatuses, and systems of a metal antenna assembly with integrated features. The described antenna assembly comprises an antenna structure including an antenna body having at least one antenna element formed from a metal alloy while in a thixotropic state. The antenna structure includes a surface having a corrosion inhibitor coating. The antenna assembly further includes an air-waveguide structure. In implementations, the antenna structure is configured to attach to a mounting. The antenna structure includes at least one integrated alignment feature promoting alignment during manufacturing of the antenna assembly. The antenna structure further includes an internal portion in the antenna body defining an integrated heatsink portion and an integrated electromagnetic interference portion within which circuit components can reside. In aspects, using the at least one integrated alignment feature, multiple antenna elements can be assembled or stacked together to form an antenna assembly with complex waveguide patterns.
Gupta (US 20220151074 A1) - Waveguide assemblies are described that utilize a surface-mount waveguide for vertical transitions of a printed circuit board (PCB). The surface-mount waveguide enables low transmission-loss (e.g., increased return-loss bandwidth) by utilizing a waveguide cavity positioned over a plated slot to efficiently transfer electromagnetic energy from one side of the PCB to another side. The waveguide cavity is designed to excite two resonant peaks of the EM energy to reduce a return-loss of power and increase power delivered to an antenna while supporting a high bandwidth of EM energy. Furthermore, the surface-mount waveguide does not require precise fabrication often required for vertical transitions, allowing the surface-mount waveguide to be compatible with low-cost PCB materials (e.g., hybrid PCB stack-ups).
Hartner (US 20210359387 A1) - A radio-frequency device comprises an encapsulation material and a radio-frequency chip embedded into the encapsulation material, wherein the radio-frequency chip has a first main surface and a second main surface. The radio-frequency device furthermore comprises an electrical redistribution layer arranged over the first main surface of the radio-frequency chip and the encapsulation material, and a radio-frequency antenna formed in the redistribution layer and configured to emit signals in a direction pointing from the second main surface to the first main surface and/or to receive signals in a direction pointing from the first main surface to the second main surface. The radio-frequency device furthermore comprises a microwave component having an electrically conductive wall structure, the microwave component being arranged below the radio-frequency antenna and embedded into the encapsulation material.
Seler (US 20210225719 A1) - A radio-frequency device comprises a semiconductor device, comprising a radio-frequency chip, and a first connection element, which is configured to mechanically and electrically connect the semiconductor device to a circuit board. The radio-frequency device furthermore comprises a waveguide component arranged over the semiconductor device, comprising a waveguide embodied in the waveguide component, and a second connection element, which mechanically connects the waveguide component to the semiconductor device. At least one from the first connection element or the second connection element is embodied in an elastic fashion.
Hartzstein (US 20050285773 A1) – An assembly for receiving and transmitting millimeter (mm) waves, including at least one mm wave reflector (84, 86, 88)and at least one mm transmission wave feed (72) configured in a transmission feed location (34) within the at least one mm wave reflector. The assembly also includes a plurality of receiving mm wave feeds (72) configured in respective receiving feed locations (36) within the at least one mm wave reflector; and a radio frequency (RF) module (38). The RF module is coupled to the at least one mm transmission wave feed and to the plurality of the receiving mm wave feeds, so as to drive the at least one mm transmission wave feed to transmit outgoing mm waves and to simultaneously receive incoming mm waves from all of the plurality of the receiving mm wave feeds.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to KENNETH W GOOD whose telephone number is (571)272-4186. The examiner can normally be reached Mon - Thu 7:30 am - 5:00 pm.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Resha H Desai can be reached at (571) 270-7792. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/KENNETH W GOOD/
Examiner, Art Unit 3648
Prosecution Insights