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 .
Drawings
The drawings are objected to under 37 CFR 1.83(a). The drawings must show every feature of the invention specified in the claims. Therefore, the features must be shown or the features would be canceled from the claims:
Claim 7 recites “wherein the multilayer substrate further comprises a ground wall in which conductive patterns are connected between the plurality of dielectric layers through ground vias, the feed line connected to the first sub pattern is arranged within the ground wall, and the feed line is arranged between ground patterns within the ground wall to constitute a coplanar waveguide (CPW) feed structure” which is not shown in the drawings. Fig. 7A only shows a plurality of through vias connected a plurality of dielectric layers, so it is not clear which one are the conductive patterns, which one are the ground patterns. Moreover, it is not clear if “conductive patterns” and “ground patterns” are the same because they are both within the ground wall and connected by a plurality of through vias (para [0241]).
Claims 8-10 and 13-14 recite “first axial direction”, “second axis”, “second axial direction” but it is not clear what the difference between the axial direction and the axis are. Para [0216] mentions “the first axis and the second axis may be set as an x-axis and a y-axis” but there is no x and y-axis in fig. 11A while para [0218] mentions “The distance d1, in the first axial direction, from one end portion of the first sub pattern 1151f to another end portion of the first sub pattern 1151f located at the first connection point P1” and fig. 12A show d1 is along the x-axis, so it is not clear if the axial direction and the axis are the same.
Claim 14 recites “wherein sub patterns constituting ground connection patterns of the first horizontally polarized antenna are connected to each other at a second point in the second axial direction”. Drawings and para [0192] stated the first horizontally polarized antenna H-ANT 1 has only one ground connection pattern 1150gb.
Claim 15 recites “wherein a distance d from the shield can to a flexible substrate on which the third conductive pattern” but there is no drawings showing this limitation.
No new matter should be entered.
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. The figure or figure number of an amended drawing should not be labeled as “amended.” If a drawing figure is to be canceled, the appropriate figure must be removed from the replacement sheet, and where necessary, the remaining figures must be renumbered and appropriate changes made to the brief description of the several views of the drawings for consistency. Additional replacement sheets may be necessary to show the renumbering of the remaining figures. 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
Claims 8 and 14-16 are objected to because of the following informalities:
Claims 8 and 14 should define what λo is.
Claim 14: “the first horizontally polarized antenna” should read “the first horizontally polarized antenna element”.
Claim 14: “the second horizontally polarized antenna” should read “the second horizontally polarized antenna element”.
Claim 15 should define what n and λo are.
Claim 16: “an antenna module” on line 5 should read “the antenna module”.
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 1-20 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 recites the limitation "An antenna module comprising a multilayer substrate made of a plurality of dielectric materials and a conductive pattern,
wherein the multilayer substrate comprises:
a first layer made of a flexible first material;
second layers comprising a plurality of layers made of a rigid second material arranged on one side surface of the first layer; and
third layers comprising a plurality of layers made of the rigid second material arranged on another side surface of the first layer" in lines 1-8 which renders the claim indefinite. It is not clear how these first and second materials relate to the plurality of dielectric materials. For the purpose of examination, Examiner interprets the claim as best understood.
Similar rejection would be applied to claim 16.
Claims 2-15 and 17-20 inherit the indefiniteness of claims 1 and 16 and are subsequently rejected.
Claim 7 recites the limitation " wherein the multilayer substrate further comprises a ground wall in which conductive patterns are connected between the plurality of dielectric layers through ground vias, the feed line connected to the first sub pattern is arranged within the ground wall, and the feed line is arranged between ground patterns within the ground wall to constitute a coplanar waveguide (CPW) feed structure " in lines 1-6 which renders the claim indefinite. It is not clear if these conductive patterns and the ground patterns are the same of different. There is insufficient antecedent basis for the limitation “the plurality of dielectric layers” in the claim. It is not clear if the plurality of dielectric layers relate to the first, second and third layers or the plurality of dielectric materials recited in claim 1.
Claims 8-10 and 13-14 recite the limitation “first axial direction”, “second axis”, “second axial direction” which renders the claim indefinite. It is not clear what these axial directions and axis are and if they are the same or different.
Claim 9 recites the limitation "a first point on a second axis of the feed line connected to one end portion of the first sub pattern is a further inner point in the printed circuit board (PCB) compared to a second point on the second axis of the ground line connected to one end portion of the third sub pattern" in lines 3-6 which renders the claim indefinite. It is not clear if these one end portions are the same or different to the one end portions recited in claim 8.
Claim 12 recites the limitation " a vertically polarized antenna comprising the fourth conductive pattern vertically connected to a feed pattern arranged on a second sub-layer other than the first sub-layer to extend to an upper region is further comprised" in lines 3-5 which renders the claim indefinite. It is not clear if the second sub-layer is a part of the second or third layers and it is not clear an upper region of which component.
Claim 13 recites the limitation "wherein the antenna element is arranged in plurality in the first axial direction to constitute an array antenna,
a first horizontally polarized antenna element to a fourth horizontally polarized antenna element of the array antenna are configured to radiate a beamformed first wireless signal in the first axial direction, and
a first vertically polarized antenna element to a fourth vertically polarized antenna element of the array antenna are configured to radiate a beamformed second wireless signal in the first axial direction" in lines 1-8 which renders the claim indefinite. Claim 12 recites “the antenna element operates as a horizontally polarized antenna”, so the array antenna only comprises horizontally polarized antenna, therefore, the first to fourth vertically polarized antenna elements do not belong to the antenna array and it is not clear how these first to fourth vertically polarized antenna elements relate to the vertically polarized antenna element recited in claim 12.
Claim 14 recites “wherein sub patterns constituting ground connection patterns of the first horizontally polarized antenna are connected to each other at a second point in the second axial direction, sub patterns constituting a feed pattern of the second horizontally polarized antenna adjacent to the first horizontally polarized antenna are connected to each other at a third point in the second axial direction” in lines 1-6 which renders the claim indefinite. It is not clear how these sub patterns relate to the first to fourth sub patterns recited in claim 1 because the first to fourth sub patterns are connected to the feed line and ground line, therefore they constitute ground and feed connection patterns.
Claim 15 recites “The antenna module of claim 7, further comprising a shield can arranged on a ground pattern” in lines 1-2 which renders the claim indefinite. It is not clear how this ground pattern relate to the ground patterns recited in claim 7.
Citation of Pertinent Art
Jenwatanavet et al, WO-2019165193-A1 – dual polarized antennas
Chen et al, US-20200176891-A1 – dual polarized antennas
Woo, WO-2020262745-A1 – dual polarized antennas
Sato, JP-2003087022-A – flexible substrate
Park, KR-20220112037-A – flexible substrate
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