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 Objections
Claims 1, 4, 5, 14 are objected to because of the following informalities:
Claim 1 lines 8-9, claim 14 line 10: “two shifting portion” appears to be --two shifting portions--.
Claim 1 line 9, claim 14 line 11: “the front side” appears to be --a front side--.
Claim 1 lines 10-11, claim 14 line 12: “the signal conductor” appears to be --the at least two signal conductors--.
Claim 1 line 16, claim 4, claim 5, claim 14 line 18: “the shifting portion” appears to be --the shifting portions--.
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 1-17 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.
Regarding claims 1, 5, 8, 11, 12, 14, 16, the phrase "in particular" renders the claim indefinite because it is unclear whether the limitation(s) following the phrase are part of the claimed invention. See MPEP § 2173.05(d).
Claims 2-4, 6, 7, 9, 10, 13, 15, 17 are rejected due to the dependency from at least parent claims 1 and 14.
Appropriate correction is required.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 1-17 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.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter:
The closest reference, Hsu US 2017/0005387, discloses a phase shifter assembly for use in antenna array, comprising: a substrate, a shifting device, and a cover; at least two signal conductor are located on a front surface of the substrate and each of the at least two signal conductors comprises a delay section; the shifting device comprises an actuation portion and two shifting portions, the shifting portions located at a front side of the substrate and each of the two shifting portions covering one of the at least two delay sections of the signal conductors at least partly, wherein the shifting device is movable with respect to the substrate in a direction of motion parallel to the front surface; wherein the substrate comprises a slot extending in the direction of motion and vertically through the substrate, wherein the slot is located between the delay sections of the at least two signal conductors, wherein the actuation portion of the shifting device extends from the shifting portions through the slot; and the cover is located on the front side of the substrate covering the slot at least in the vertical direction; but does not explicitly disclose a ground plane is provided at a rear surface of the substrate, the slot is located between the delay sections with respect to the direction of motion, and the cover is electrically connected to the ground plane.
Kitano US 2015/0042530 discloses a similar phase shifter assembly but does not disclose a substrate.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Grävendieck US 12,401,106, Chen US 10,910,688, So US 2024/0145913, Hampel US 6,075,424, each discloses phase shifting device with movable part.
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/A.W/Examiner, Art Unit 2843
/ANDREA LINDGREN BALTZELL/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2843
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