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 § 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.
Claims 1-7, 9, 12-16 & 18-24 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Fakoukakis et al. Novel Nolen Matrix-Based Beamforming Networks for Series-Fed Low SLL Multibeam Antennas (cited by applicant).
Regarding Claim 1, Fakoukakis et al. teaches a multibeam antenna (Figs. 1, 4), comprising:
first through M first polarization radio frequency ("RF") ports (1-N Figs. 1, 4 P. 36, 38);
an antenna array that includes N columns of radiating elements (A1-AN Figs. 1, 4 P. 36, 38);
a first polarization beamforming network having M rows and N columns of directional couplers (directional couplers (θ-devices) Figs. 1, 4 P. 36, 38), where each row has a different number of directional couplers (Figs. 1, 4), where M and N are natural numbers (Figs. 1, 4).
Regarding Claim 2, Fakoukakis et al. teaches wherein a top row of the M rows of directional couplers has the most directional couplers and each row below the top row has one less directional coupler than the row above it (Figs. 1, 4).
Regarding Claim 3, Fakoukakis et al. teaches wherein a coupling port of each directional coupler in the top row of the M rows of directional couplers is coupled to a respective one of the N columns of radiating elements (Figs. 1, 4).
Regarding Claim 4, Fakoukakis et al. teaches wherein a first directional coupler in each of the rows of directional couplers is coupled to a respective one of the first polarization RF ports (Figs. 1, 4).
Regarding Claim 5, Fakoukakis et al. teaches wherein a through port of the last directional coupler in the top row of the M rows of directional couplers is coupled to electrical ground via a matched termination (Fig. 4 P. 38).
Regarding Claim 6, Fakoukakis et al. teaches wherein a through port of each directional coupler in each of the M rows of directional couplers except for a last directional coupler in each of the M rows of directional couplers is coupled to the input port of a respective adjacent directional coupler in the row through a respective first delay element (phase shifters (Φ-devices) Figs. 1, 4 P. 36, 38, 41).
Regarding Claim 7, Fakoukakis et al. teaches wherein the through port of the last directional coupler in each of the M rows of directional couplers except for the top row of the M rows of directional couplers is coupled to an isolated port of the last directional coupler in the row of the M rows of directional couplers that is below it through a second delay element (phase shifters (Φ-devices) Figs. 1, 4 P. 36, 38, 41).
Regarding Claim 9, Fakoukakis et al. teaches wherein an isolated port of each directional coupler in the bottom row of the M rows of directional couplers is coupled to a combiner, and an output of the combiner is coupled to ground via a matched termination (Fig. 4 P. 38).
Regarding Claim 12, Fakoukakis et al. teaches a multibeam antenna (Figs. 1, 4), comprising:
an antenna array that includes N columns of radiating elements (1-N Figs. 1, 4 P. 36, 38); and
a first polarization beamforming network having a plurality of rows of directional couplers (directional couplers (θ-devices) Figs. 1, 4 P. 36, 38) including a top row and a bottom row (Figs. 1, 4), where each row of directional couplers below the top row has one less directional coupler than the row above it (Figs. 1, 4),
wherein the last directional coupler in the top row has a port that is coupled to ground via a matched termination (Fig. 4 P. 38).
Regarding Claim 13, Fakoukakis et al. teaches wherein the top row has N directional couplers, and wherein a coupling port of each directional coupler in the top row is coupled to a respective one of the N columns of radiating elements (Figs. 1, 4).
Regarding Claim 14, Fakoukakis et al. teaches further comprising first through M first polarization radio frequency ("RF") ports, wherein a first directional coupler in each of the rows of directional couplers is coupled to a respective one of the first polarization RF ports (Figs. 1, 4).
Regarding Claim 15, Fakoukakis et al. teaches wherein for each of the rows of directional couplers, a through port of each directional coupler in the row except for a last directional coupler in the row is coupled to the input port of an adjacent directional coupler in the row through a respective first delay element (phase shifters (Φ-devices) Figs. 1, 4 P. 36, 38, 41).
Regarding Claim 16, Fakoukakis et al. teaches wherein for each of the rows of directional couplers except for the top row, the through port of the last directional coupler in the row is coupled to an isolated port of the last directional coupler in the row of directional couplers that is below the row through a second delay element (phase shifters (Φ-devices) Figs. 1, 4 P. 36, 38, 41).
Regarding Claim 18, Fakoukakis et al. teaches wherein an isolated port of each directional coupler in the bottom row is coupled to a combiner, and an output of the combiner is coupled to ground via a matched termination (combiner P. 38).
Regarding Claim 19, Fakoukakis et al. teaches wherein a through port of each directional coupler except for a last directional coupler in each of the rows is coupled to the input port of an adjacent directional coupler in the row through a respective phase shifter (phase shifters (Φ-devices) Figs. 1, 4 P. 36, 38, 41).
Regarding Claim 20, Fakoukakis et al. teaches wherein the through port of the last directional coupler in each of the rows of directional couplers except for the top row is coupled to an isolated port of the last directional coupler in the row of directional couplers that is below it through a respective phase shifter (phase shifters (Φ-devices) Figs. 1, 4 P. 36, 38, 41).
Regarding Claim 21, Fakoukakis et al. teaches a multibeam antenna (Figs. 1, 4), comprising:
an antenna array that includes N columns of radiating elements (1-N Figs. 1, 4 P. 36, 38); and
a first polarization beamforming network having a plurality of rows of directional couplers (directional couplers (θ-devices) Figs. 1, 4 P. 36, 38) including a top row and a bottom row (Figs. 1, 4),
wherein for each of the rows of directional couplers, a through port of each directional coupler in the row except for a last directional coupler in the row is coupled to the input port of an adjacent directional coupler in the row through a respective first delay element (phase shifters (Φ-devices) Figs. 1, 4 P. 36, 38, 41), and
wherein for each of the rows of directional couplers except for the top row, the through port of the last directional coupler in the row is coupled to an isolated port of the last directional coupler in the row of directional couplers that is below the row through a second delay element (phase shifters (Φ-devices) Figs. 1, 4 P. 36, 38, 41).
Regarding Claim 22, Fakoukakis et al. teaches wherein the top row has N directional couplers, and wherein a coupling port of each directional coupler in the top row is coupled to a respective one of the N columns of radiating elements (Figs. 1, 4).
Regarding Claim 23, Fakoukakis et al. teaches further comprising first through M first polarization radio frequency ("RF") ports, wherein a first directional coupler in each of the rows of directional couplers is coupled to a respective one of the first polarization RF ports (Figs. 1, 4).
Regarding Claim 24, Fakoukakis et al. teaches wherein an isolated port of each directional coupler in the bottom row is coupled to electrical ground via a matched termination (Fig. 4 P. 38).
Conclusion
The cited art in PTO-892 was found during the examiner's search, but was not relied upon for this office action. However it is still considered pertinent to the applicant's disclosure.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to MICHAEL M BOUIZZA whose telephone number is (571)272-6124. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday, 9am-5pm, EST.
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 Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Dimary Lopez can be reached at (571) 270-7893. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
Information regarding the status of published or unpublished applications may be obtained from Patent Center. Unpublished application information in Patent Center is available to registered users. To file and manage patent submissions in Patent Center, visit: https://patentcenter.uspto.gov. Visit https://www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/patent-center for more information about Patent Center and https://www.uspto.gov/patents/docx for information about filing in DOCX format. For additional questions, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000.
/MICHAEL M BOUIZZA/Examiner, Art Unit 2845
Prosecution Insights