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.
Claims 1 and 7-16 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 1, first clause reciting “wherein the radiator is configured to radiate a wireless signal” is indefinite, since it’s unclear how such functionality is obtained absent any feed structure.
The spec. discloses, e.g., in the printed publication:
[0180] As shown in FIGS. 8A and 8B, the feed structure 1120 may be disposed in a lower layer of the radiator 1110 such that a wireless signal is coupled to the radiator 1110 without being connected to the radiator 1110. However, the present disclosure is not limited to this structure, and the feed structure 1120 and the radiator 1110 may be connected by a vertical via structure.
[0181] When the radiator 1110 and the feed structure 1120 are disposed in different layers, the coupled signal is transmitted from the feed structure 1120 to the radiator 1110 to operate as an antenna. Accordingly, a conductor disposed at an upper portion of the feed structure 1120 may also functionally operate as a radiator. In this regard, the radiator disposed in a first layer may be referred to as a first radiator 1110a. Furthermore, conductors disposed at an upper portion of the feed structure 1120 to apply polarization signals orthogonal to each other to the radiator 1110 may be referred to as a second radiator 1120a and a third radiator 1120b, respectively.
…
[0198] In the dual polarized antenna, the first radiator 1110a, the second radiator 1120a, and the third radiator 1120b may be disposed as a first patch antenna, a second patch antenna, and a third patch antenna, respectively. The second patch antenna and the third patch antenna are disposed in the one axial direction and the other axial direction in the same layer of the multi-layer substrate. Accordingly, a first signal and a second signal formed in the second patch antenna and the third patch antenna may be transmitted to the first patch antenna thereabove. Accordingly, the first patch antenna, which is the first radiator 1110a fed by the second radiator 1120a and the third radiator 1120b, may operate as a dual polarized antenna with horizontal polarization and vertical polarization.
As such, it appears that a feed structure is critical to the invention, absent which the “antenna module” cannot operate as it’s intended purpose, which is to radiate a wireless signal (and operate in multiple 5G frequencies; see ¶¶ 187-188 of the printed publication).
Claim 1 reciting “a second patch antenna…configured to transmit a first signal” and “a third patch antenna…configured to transmit a second signal” are indefinite, since it’s unclear whether these signals are related (or in addition) to “a wireless signal” earlier claimed.
Claim 1, last clause reciting “wherein the plurality of ground layers are disposed in a side region as being disposed in the lower region” is indefinite, since it’s unclear whether the “side region” is related (or in addition) to “one side region” earlier claimed.
In view of the aforementioned, scope of claim 1 cannot be ascertained.
Claims 7-16 are rejected for depending therefrom.
There should be a clear recitation of interrelated structure in order to provide a complete and operable antenna module.
The following claim, drafted by the examiner and considered to distinguish patentably over the art of record in this application, is presented to applicant for consideration:
1. (Currently Amended) An antenna module implemented as a multi-layer substrate, the antenna module comprising:
a radiator having at least one conductive layer and disposed at an inner region or upper region of the multi-layer substrate, wherein the radiator is configured to radiate a wireless signal;
a lower ground layer disposed at a lower region of the at least one conductive layer and configured to operate as a ground for the radiator;
wherein the radiator comprises:
a first patch antenna disposed in a first layer,
a feed structure including a second patch antenna disposed to be offset in one axial direction from a center of the first patch antenna in a second layer which is a lower layer of the first patch antenna, and configured to transmit a first feed signal to the first patch antenna;
the feed structure including a third patch antenna disposed to be offset in the another axial direction orthogonal to the one axial direction and configured to transmit a second feed signal to the first patch antenna[[,]]; and
a multi-layer ground structure connected to the lower ground layer, and disposed at one side region of the multi-layer substrate, wherein respective ends of layers of the multi-layer ground structure are spaced apart from the radiator by different distances,
wherein the multi-layer ground structure is configured to have a plurality of ground layers, and
wherein the plurality of ground layers are the plurality of ground layers in the one axial direction in the lower region.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claim 1 would be allowable if rewritten or amended to overcome the rejection(s) under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), 2nd paragraph, set forth in this Office action.
Claims 9-16 would be allowable if rewritten to overcome the rejection(s) under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), 2nd paragraph, set forth in this Office action and to include all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter:
Regarding claim 1, none of the prior art shows, teaches or fairly suggests the features of “the feed structure including a third patch antenna disposed to be offset in another axial direction orthogonal to the one axial direction and configured to transmit a second feed signal to the first patch antenna; and a multi-layer ground structure connected to the lower ground layer, and disposed at one side region of the multi-layer substrate, wherein respective ends of layers of the multi-layer ground structure are spaced apart from the radiator by different distances, wherein the multi-layer ground structure is configured to have a plurality of ground layers, and wherein the plurality of ground layers are configured to further decrease a length of each ground layer disposed in the plurality of ground layers in the one axial direction in the lower region.”
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Carceller (US 11424543)
Tatarnikov (US 8842045)
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/HASAN ISLAM/
Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2845