Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status
1. The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
Status of Claims
2. This communication is responsive to Application No. 19/087,658 filed on March 24, 2025. Claims 1-10 are subject to examination.
Priority
3. Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55.
Information Disclosure Statement (IDS)
4. The IDS submitted on 03/24/25 has been entered and considered by the Examiner.
Drawings
5. 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(s) mentioned in the description: 103a and 103b in Fig. 1 (paragraph 18 discloses: the reflector unit cell 102 (Fig. 1) includes the first sub-unit cell 103a and the second sub-unit cell 103b). 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/Suggestions
6. Claim 6 is objected to because of the following informalities: “so as to” (line 3) should be replaced with “to”. Appropriate correction is required.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
7. 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.
8. Claims 1-10 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 pre-AIA the Applicant regards as the invention.
Claim 1 recites the limitations “the second patch electrode” (line 15) and “the first patch electrode” (line 16). There is insufficient antecedent basis for these limitations in the claim. In addition, claim 1 recites “a distance W1/2” (line 16) and “a distance W1/2” (line 17). It is not clear whether said "distance W1/2" (line 17) is different from or the same as recited in line 16. Hence, renders claim 1 and its dependent claims indefinite.
Reason for Allowance
9. Oh (US 2022/0302601 A1) teaches in Figures 1 & 3 a plurality of patch electrodes. JP 6995260 B2 (Provided the Foreign Document with an English Translation) teaches in in Figure 3 a plurality of patch electrodes. Ohtake (US 2021/0098875 A1) teaches in Figure 1 a plurality of patch electrodes. J. Yang et al. (“Fully Electronically Phase Modulation of Millimeter-Wave via Comb Electrodes and Liquid Crystal” –Attached as an NPL Document) teaches in in Figure 1 a plurality of patch electrodes. JP 6510394 B2 (Provided the Foreign Document with an English Translation) teaches in in Figure 1 a plurality of patch electrodes. Foo (US 2018/0083364 A1) teaches in Figures 1-2 a plurality of patch electrodes. However, the prior art of record when implemented, would not produce said intelligent reflecting surface as claimed in claim 1.
Conclusion
10. Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the Examiner should be directed to SHAWKAT M. ALI whose telephone number is (571) 270-1639. The Examiner can normally be reached on Monday-Thursday 8:30AM-3:30PM ET.
Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, Applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO AIR at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
If attempts to reach the Examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the Examiner’s Supervisor, SAM K. AHN can be reached on (571) 272-3044. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/SHAWKAT M ALI/
Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2633
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