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 & 7-10 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Amadjikpe et al. US Patent Application Publication 2017/0353338 (cited by applicant).
Regarding Claim 1, Amadjikpe et al. teaches communication apparatus (Figs. 1-4 Par. 0020, 0021), comprising a first channel (top half Figs. 1, 2B), wherein the first channel comprises:
a first power divider (top most power divider connecting β0 & β1 Fig. 1), a first switch (15 Fig. 1 Par. 0022), a first phase shifter (phase shifter β0 Fig. 1 Par. 0062), a first antenna subarray (ANT0,0-0,3 of array antenna 10 Fig. 1 Par. 0022), and a third antenna subarray (ANT1,0-1,3 of array antenna 10 Fig. 1 Par. 0022), wherein
the first power divider is separately connected to the first antenna subarray and the third antenna subarray (Fig. 1);
the first switch is disposed on a branch circuit on which the first power divider is connected to the first antenna subarray (Fig. 1); and
the first phase shifter is disposed on the branch circuit on which the first power divider is connected to the first antenna subarray (Fig. 1) or a branch circuit on which the first power divider is connected to the third antenna subarray.
Regarding Claim 7, Amadjikpe et al. teaches wherein each antenna subarray in the communication apparatus is vertically placed or horizontally placed (Figs. 1-4).
Regarding Claim 8, Amadjikpe et al. teaches wherein each antenna subarray in the communication apparatus comprises at least one antenna element (Fig. 1 Par. 0023).
Regarding Claim 9, Amadjikpe et al. teaches wherein the communication apparatus further comprises a control chip, and the control chip is configured to control each phase shifter and each switch in the communication apparatus (Par. 0021, 0026, 0029 / 203 Fig. 2B Par. 0039, 0041).
Regarding Claim 10, Amadjikpe et al. teaches further comprising a second channel, wherein a plurality of antenna subarrays in the first channel and a plurality of antenna subarrays in the second channel are sequentially arranged, and a connection manner of a power divider, a switch, and the plurality of antenna subarrays in the second channel is mirror-symmetric with that in the first channel (bottom half chain / channel with subarrays ANT2,0-3,3 of array antenna 10 Fig. 1 / Fig. 2B).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 2-6 are objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including 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 2, the prior art of record, when taken alone or in combination, does not fairly teach nor render obvious the limitations “wherein the first antenna subarray, the second antenna subarray, the third antenna subarray, and the fourth antenna subarray are sequentially arranged; the second power divider is separately connected to the first power divider and the third power divider; the third power divider is separately connected to the second antenna subarray and the fourth antenna subarray; the second switch is disposed on a branch circuit on which the third power divider is connected to the second antenna subarray; the second phase shifter is disposed on a branch circuit on which the second power divider is connected to the first power divider or a branch circuit on which the second power divider is connected to the third power divider; and the third phase shifter is disposed on the branch circuit on which the third power divider is connected to the second antenna subarray or a branch circuit on which the third power divider is connected to the fourth antenna subarray” in the arrangement as required by the claim. Claims 3 & 4 depend therefrom.
Regarding Claim 2, the prior art of record, when taken alone or in combination, does not fairly teach nor render obvious the limitations “wherein the first antenna subarray, the third antenna subarray, the second antenna subarray, and the fourth antenna subarray are sequentially arranged; the second power divider is separately connected to the fifth switch and the third power divider; the third power divider is separately connected to the fifth switch and the fourth antenna subarray; the fourth phase shifter is disposed on a branch circuit on which the second power divider is connected to the fifth switch; the fifth switch comprises a first single-pole double-throw switch, a second single-pole double-throw switch, and a gating switch, wherein the first single-pole double-throw switch is connected to the second power divider, the second single-pole double-throw switch is connected to the second antenna subarray, and the gating switch is connected to the third power divider; the first single-pole double-throw switch comprises an interface 1 and an interface 2, the gating switch comprises an interface 3, and the second single-pole double-throw switch comprises an interface 4 and an interface 5; and the interface 1 is connected to the first power divider, the interface 2 is connected to the interface 4, and the interface 5 is connected to the interface 3” in the arrangement as required by the claim. Claim 6 depends therefrom.
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.
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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.
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/MICHAEL M BOUIZZA/Examiner, Art Unit 2845
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