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 .
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statements (IDS) submitted on 3/5/25, 10/14/25, 1/9/26, 6/15/26 are being considered by the examiner.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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 (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) 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.
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) 1, 2, 4, 7, 8, 15, 17, 20 and 23 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Zhang et al. (CN 106207487 – cited by Applicant).
With respect to claim 1,
Figure 2 of Zhang discloses an antenna assembly, comprising:
a first dielectric layer (1-2) that is laminated;
a second dielectric layer (1-4) that is laminated and comprising a surface that is distal from the first dielectric layer (see Figure 2);
an intermediate dielectric layer (1-3) disposed between the first dielectric layer and the second dielectric layer (see Figure 2);
a first antenna element (5) disposed on the surface;
a second antenna element (4) disposed between the intermediate dielectric layer (1-3) and the first dielectric layer (1-2); and
a third antenna element (2) disposed between the intermediate dielectric layer (1-3) and the second dielectric layer (1-4).
With respect to claim 2,
Zhang further teaches a reflection element (3) disposed on a side that is of the second dielectric layer (1-4) that is distal from the first dielectric layer (see Figure 2), wherein the reflection element (3) is configured to reflect signals transmitted by the first antenna element (5), the second antenna element (4), and the third antenna element (2) toward the reflection element (3).
With respect to claim 4,
Zhang further teaches wherein the reflection element (3) lies in a plane parallel with the first antenna element, the second antenna element, and the third antenna element (see Figure 2), and wherein an area of the reflection element is less than areas of the first antenna element, the second antenna element, and the third antenna element (see Figure 2 – where the area of 3 is less than areas of 5, 4, and 2).
With respect to claim 7,
Zhang further teaches a third dielectric layer (1-5) is disposed between the first antenna element (5) and the reflection element (3).
With respect to claim 8,
Zhang further teaches wherein the reflection element (3) comprises a reflection plate (see Figure 2).
With respect to claim 15,
Zhang further teaches wherein the antenna assembly further comprises a feed line (6) electrically connected to the first antenna element (5).
With respect to claim 17,
Figure 2 of Zhang discloses an antenna assembly, comprising:
an antenna element (4) lying in a first plane, having a first area, and configured to transmit a signal (see Figure 2); and
a reflection element (3) spaced part from the antenna element, lying in a second plane that is parallel to the first plane (see Figure 2), having a second area that is greater than or equal to the first are and configured to reflect the signal (see Figure 2).
With respect to claim 20,
Figure 2 of Zhang discloses a vehicle comprising:
an antenna assembly (Figure 2) comprising:
an antenna element (4) lying in a first plane, having a first area, and configured to transmit a signal (see Figure 2); and
a reflection element (3), spaced part from the antenna element, lying in a second plane that is parallel to the first plane (see Figure 2), having a second area that is greater than or equal to the first are and configured to reflect the signal (see Figure 2).
With respect to claim 23,
Zhang further teaches a dielectric layer (1-5) disposed between the antenna element (4) and the reflection element (3).
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) 6 and 22 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Zhang.
With respect to claims 6 and 22,
Zhang teaches the invention as claimed and further teaches a distance from the reflection element (3), but is silent to wherein a first distance between the reflection element and the first antenna element is 0.05 to 1 times a wavelength of the signals transmitted by the first antenna element, the second antenna element, and the third antenna element.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to adjust the first distance to be 0.05 to 1 times a wavelength since adjusting the distance is common design option and since all the claimed elements were known in the prior art and one skilled in the art could have combine the elements as claimed by known methods with no change in their respective functions, and the combination yielded nothing more than predictable results to one of ordinary skill in the art. (KSR Int'l Co. v. Teleflex Inc., 550 U.S. 398, 415-421, 82 USPQ2d 1385).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 3, 5, 9-14, 16 and 21 are 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
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Jany Richardson whose telephone number is (571)270-5074. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Friday, 7:30am to 3:30pm.
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/JANY RICHARDSON/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2845
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