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
Acknowledgment is made of applicant’s claim for foreign priority under 35 U.S.C. 119 (a)-(d). Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted 1/17/2025 is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97 and being considered by the examiner.
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.
Claims 1-10 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor, or a joint inventor, regards as the invention.
Claim 1 recites “wherein the metal cavity (1) is internally provided with a transverse rib (10) to be separated into two upper and lower hollow cavities that are independent, and two upper and lower side surfaces of the transverse rib (10) are provided with separators (5) toward the hollow cavities respectively; the separators (5) comprise parallel walls (51) that are parallelly arranged at intervals relative to the transverse rib (10), and a vertical wall (52) is connected between the parallel wall (51) and the transverse rib (10); and a metal strip line (4) of an integrated structure is mounted in a single hollow cavity respectively.” The recited portion renders the claim indefinite because it is unclear:
how the “a transverse rib to be separated”;
whether the metal cavity is separated into “two upper cavities and two lower cavities” or “an upper cavity and a lower cavity”, i.e., two total;
from what the upper and lower cavities are “independent”;
whether the transverse rib contains “two upper, two lower and two side surfaces” or “an upper surface, a lower surface” and/or one or two “side surface[s];”
the antecedent basis for “the hollow cavities”;
the antecedent basis for “the parallel wall”;
what is “an integrated structure”;
the meaning of “a single hollow cavity respectively” [respectively of what?].
For examination purposes, the recited portion will be understood to mean:
--wherein the metal cavity is internally provided with a transverse rib separating the metal cavity into a separate upper hollow cavity and a separate lower hollow cavity, and an upper surface and a lower surface of the transverse rib are provided with separators arranged in the upper hollow cavity and the lower hollow cavity respectively; the separators comprise parallel walls that are parallelly arranged at intervals relative to the transverse rib, and a vertical wall connecting each parallel wall and the transverse rib; and a metal strip line mounted in the upper hollow cavity and the lower hollow cavity--
Claims 2, 6-8: there is insufficient antecedent basis for the term “parallel wall.” For examination purposes, this term will be understood to mean “parallel walls,” recited in claim 1.
Claim 3: there is insufficient antecedent basis for “the phase shifting function regions.” For examination purposes, this term will be understood to mean “one or more phase shifting function regions.”
Claim 9: there is insufficient antecedent basis for “the two hollow cavities.” For examination purposes, this term will be understood to mean “the upper hollow cavity and the lower hollow cavity.”
Claim 10 recites “wherein a phase shifter is formed in two hollow cavities of a metal cavity (1) respectively, and an input signal excites a radiation array through two phase shifters respectively.” For examination purposes, the recited language will be understood to mean: -- wherein a first phase shifter is formed in the upper hollow cavity and a second phase shifter is formed in the lower hollow cavity, and an input signal excites a radiation array through the first and second phase shifters, respectively--
Appropriate correction is required.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 1-10 would be allowable if rewritten to overcome the rejection(s) under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) set forth in this Office action.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter: the closest prior art references identified to date, Liu (PGPUB 2021/0384625) and Love (US6,683,582), do not disclose or render obvious “wherein the metal cavity is internally provided with a transverse rib separating the metal cavity into a separate upper hollow cavity and a separate lower hollow cavity, and an upper surface and a lower surface of the transverse rib are provided with separators arranged in the upper hollow cavity and the lower hollow cavity respectively; the separators comprise parallel walls that are parallelly arranged at intervals relative to the transverse rib, and a vertical wall connecting each parallel wall and the transverse rib;” in combination with the remaining limitations of claim 1.
Claims 2-10 would be allowable if rewritten to overcome the rejection(s) under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) set forth in this Office action and to include all of the limitations of the base claim(s) and any intervening claims.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to VICTOR COLE, telephone number (571) 272-4686. The examiner can be reached Monday-Friday, 9AM-5PM ET.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, ANDREA LINDGREN BALTZELL, can be reached at (571) 272-5918. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is (571) 273-8300.
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/VICTOR COLE/
Examiner, Art Unit 2843
/ANDREA LINDGREN BALTZELL/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2843
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