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 .
DETAILED ACTION
Election/Restrictions
Applicant's election with traverse of Species I (Claims 1-3, 7, 10, 12, 16-19 and 22-25) in the reply filed on 05/07/2026 is acknowledged. The traversal is on the ground(s) that:
The election requirement fails to show that the identified species are independent and distinct.
A showing of serious burden has not been made.
This is not found persuasive because:
The species are independent or distinct because they are mutually exclusive. Species I requires the coupling PCB (152, figs. 3A-4D), the four metal pads (158-1 to 158-4), solder joints (126) to connect the signal and ground conductors to the four metal pads, the slot (156) on the coupling PCB (152) while Species II does not require those elements (para [0085]-[0086], figs. 5A-5B) but requires extending tabs (248-1 to 248-4) of the four dipole arms and solder masks (268-1, 268-2).
There is a serious search and/or examination burden for the patentably distinct species as set forth above because the species or groupings of patentably indistinct species require a different field of search (e.g., searching a different classes/subclasses or electronic resources, or employing different search strategies or search queries).
The requirement is still deemed proper and is therefore made FINAL.
Priority
Acknowledgment is made of applicant's claim for foreign priority based on an application filed in CN on 03/01/2024. Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 07/21/2025, 07/02/2025 and 02/20/2025 have been considered by the examiner.
Drawings
The drawings are objected to as failing to comply with 37 CFR 1.84(p)(5) because they do not include the following reference sign “170” mentioned in para [0069] of the spec. Corrected drawing sheets in compliance with 37 CFR 1.121(d) are required in reply to the Office action to avoid abandonment of the application. Any amended replacement drawing sheet should include all of the figures appearing on the immediate prior version of the sheet, even if only one figure is being amended. Each drawing sheet submitted after the filing date of an application must be labeled in the top margin as either “Replacement Sheet” or “New Sheet” pursuant to 37 CFR 1.121(d). If the changes are not accepted by the examiner, the applicant will be notified and informed of any required corrective action in the next Office action. The objection to the drawings will not be held in abeyance.
Claim Objections
Claim 24 is objected to because of the following informalities:
Claim 24: “respective ones of first through fourth sheet metal dipole arms” should read “respective ones of the first through fourth sheet metal dipole arms”.
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 18-19 and 24 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.
Claim 18 recites the limitation " wherein the first and second conductors of a first RF transmission line of the feed stalk printed circuit board " in 1-2 which renders the claim indefinite. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim. For the purpose of examination, Examiner interprets the claim as best understood.
Claim 19 inherits the indefiniteness of claim 18 and is subsequently rejected.
Claim 24 recites the limitation "wherein the plurality of sheet metal dipole arms comprises first through fourth sheet metal dipole arms" in 1-2 which renders the claim indefinite. It is not clear if these sheet metal dipole arms are the same or different to the sheet metal dipole arms recited in claim 22. For the purpose of examination, Examiner interprets the claim as best understood.
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.
(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 1-3, 10, 12, 16-19 and 22-24 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) & (a)(2) as being anticipated by Qin et al, WO-2023207343-A1 (hereinafter Qin).
Regarding claim 1, Qin discloses the following:
a radiating element, comprising:
a dielectric support (122, fig. 3);
first through fourth sheet metal dipole arms (123, page 12, last para – page 13, para 1) on the dielectric support (122); and
a feed stalk printed circuit board (131, fig. 4) that includes:
a first radio frequency ("RF") transmission line that has a first signal conductor (133a, figs. 10-11) that is coupled to the first sheet metal dipole arm through at least a first capacitive connection (page 13, para 1: the first feed coupling region 134 is arranged corresponding to the first radiation coupling region 125 of dipole arms 123 and is connected to the first signal terminal 133a, figs. 3-4) and a first ground conductor (133c) that is coupled to the second sheet metal dipole arm through at least a second capacitive connection (page 13, para 1); and
a second RF transmission line that has a second signal conductor (133b) that is coupled to the third sheet metal dipole arm through at least a third capacitive connection (page 13, para 1) and a second ground conductor (133d) that is coupled to the fourth sheet metal dipole arm through at least a fourth capacitive connection (page 13, para 1).
Regarding claim 2, Qin discloses the radiating element of Claim 1, further comprising a coupling printed circuit board (132, fig. 4) that is mounted on the feed stalk printed circuit board (131), the coupling printed circuit board including a first metal pad that is electrically connected to the first signal conductor through a first galvanic connection, a second metal pad that is electrically connected to the first ground conductor through a second galvanic connection, a third metal pad that is electrically connected to the second signal conductor through a third galvanic connection, and a fourth metal pad that is electrically connected to the second ground conductor through a fourth galvanic connection (page 12, para 5: Each feed coupling area/metal pad 134 can be electrically connected to the feed circuit 133 through at least one solder joint 135).
Regarding claim 3, Qin discloses wherein the first metal pad is capacitively coupled to the first sheet metal dipole arm, the second metal pad is capacitively coupled to the second sheet metal dipole arm, the third metal pad is capacitively coupled to the third sheet metal dipole arm, and the fourth metal pad is capacitively coupled to the fourth sheet metal dipole arm (page 13, para 1: the metal pads 134 capacitively couple to the radiation coupling region 125 of sheet metal dipole arms 123, figs. 1-4).
Regarding claim 10, Qin discloses wherein each of the first through fourth sheet metal dipole arms is positioned adjacent two other of the first through fourth sheet metal dipole arms so that together the first through fourth sheet metal dipole arms form a radiating surface that has a square perimeter (fig. 3: radiating surface of the sheet metal dipole arms 123 has a square perimeter).
Regarding claim 12, Qin discloses wherein the first signal conductor (133a, figs. 1-4, 10) is coupled to the first sheet metal dipole arm (123, figs. 1-4) through both a solder joint (135) and the first capacitive connection (page 13, para 1).
Regarding claim 16, Qin discloses the following:
a radiating element, comprising:
a plurality of sheet metal dipole arms (123, fig. 3, page 12, last para – page 13, para 1);
a feed stalk printed circuit board (131, fig. 4); and
a coupling printed circuit board (132) that is mounted on the feed stalk printed circuit board (131) and configured to capacitively couple radio frequency ("RF") signals between the feed stalk printed circuit board and the sheet metal dipole arms (page 13, para 1).
Regarding claim 17, Qin discloses wherein a base of the feed stalk printed circuit board (figs. 1-4: base of 131) is positioned rearwardly of the dipole arms (123) and the coupling printed circuit board (132) is positioned forwardly of the dipole arms (123).
Regarding claim 18, as best understood, Qin discloses wherein the first and second conductors of a first RF transmission line of the feed stalk printed circuit board are galvanically connected to respective first and second metal pads on the coupling printed circuit board (page 12, para 5: Each feed coupling area/metal pad 134 can be electrically connected to the feed circuit 133 through at least one solder joint 135).
Regarding claim 19, Qin discloses wherein the first and second metal pads (134, fig. 4) are on a forward surface of a dielectric substrate of the coupling printed circuit board (132).
Regarding claim 22, Qin discloses wherein the feed stalk printed circuit board comprises a first RF transmission line (133a, 133c, figs. 10-11, page 13, para 1) that is coupled to first and second of the sheet metal dipole arms (123) and a second RF transmission line (133b, 133d) that is coupled to third and fourth of the sheet metal dipole arms (123).
Regarding claim 23, Qin discloses wherein the coupling printed circuit board includes a first metal pad that is galvanically connected to a signal conductor of the first RF transmission line, a second metal pad that is galvanically connected to a ground conductor of the first RF transmission line, a third metal pad that is galvanically connected to a signal conductor of the second RF transmission line, and a fourth metal pad that is galvanically connected to a ground conductor of the second RF transmission line (page 12, para 5: Each feed coupling area/metal pad 134 can be electrically connected to the feed circuit 133a-133d through at least one solder joint 135, page 13, para 1).
Regarding claim 24, as best understood, Qin discloses wherein the plurality of sheet metal dipole arms comprises first through fourth sheet metal dipole arms, and the first through fourth metal pads are capacitively coupled to respective ones of first through fourth sheet metal dipole arms (page 13, para 1: the metal pads 134 capacitively couple to the radiation coupling region 125 of sheet metal dipole arms 123, figs. 1-4).
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 7 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Qin as applied to claim 1 above, and in view of Hastürkoglu et al, US-20250174894-A1 (hereinafter Hastürkoglu).
Regarding claim 7, Qin does not disclose wherein the first ground conductor includes a first meandered trace segment and the second ground conductor includes a second meandered trace segment.
Hastürkoglu suggests wherein the first ground conductor includes a first meandered trace segment and the second ground conductor includes a second meandered trace segment (fig. 5, para [0096], [0124]).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to provide the meandered trace segments as suggested in Hastürkoglu in the first and second ground conductors taught in Qin as claimed for the purpose of achieving the desired impedance value in order to improve the antenna’s performance.
Claim 25 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Qin as applied to claim 16 above, and in view of Zhu et al, US-20260018793-A1 (hereinafter Zhu).
Regarding claim 25, Qin discloses wherein the feed stalk printed circuit board includes at least one tab (fig. 10 below).
Qin does not disclose the at least one tab that extends through a slot in the coupling printed circuit board.
Zhu suggests wherein the feed stalk printed circuit board includes at least one tab (para [0068], fig. 12A below) that extends through a slot (1310, fig. 13B) in the printed circuit board (1202, para [0065]).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to provide the at least one tab and the slot as suggested in Zhu to the radiating element taught in Qin as claimed for the purpose of improving the mounting of the coupling printed circuit board on the feed stalk printed circuit board and providing easy access to the solder joints between the transmission lines and the metal pads on top of the coupling printed circuit board.
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Citation of Pertinent Art
Sun et al, US-20230361475-A1, fig. 3A could read on claim 1
Zhu et al, US-20230361472-A1, fig. 4 could read on claim 1
Battlov et al, KR-102555472-B1, fig. 3 could read on claim 1
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ANH N HO whose telephone number is (571)272-4657. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 8:00-5:00.
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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.
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/DAMEON E LEVI/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2845
/ANH HO/Examiner, Art Unit 2845
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