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 .
Priority
Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 06/09/2025 is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the Examiner.
Claim Objections
Claims 3-5 and 11-15 are objected to because of the following informalities:
Claim 3 (line 3): “at the first feed” should read “at a first feed” to avoid antecedent basis issues.
Claim 3 (line 4): “the center” should read “a center” to avoid antecedent basis issues.
Claim 3 (line 5): “in the first direction” should read “in a first direction”.
Claim 3 (line 6): “on a cross section” should read “in a cross section”.
Claim 3 (line 10): “the extending direction” should read “an extending direction” to avoid antecedent basis issues.
Claim 4 (line 7): “at the first feed” should read “at a first feed” to avoid antecedent basis issues.
Claim 4 (line 8): “the center” should read “a center”.
Claim 5 (lines 7-8): “the point of connection” should read “a point of connection” to avoid antecedent basis issues.
Claim 11 (line 12): “the first feed” should read “a first feed” to avoid antecedent basis issues.
Claim 11 (line 13): “from the center” should read “from a center” to avoid antecedent basis issues.
Claim 11 (line 14): “in the first direction” should read “in a first direction” to avoid antecedent basis issues.
Claim 11 (line 16): “at the second feed” should read “at a second feed” to avoid antecedent basis issues.
Claim 11 (line 18): “in the second direction” should read “in a second direction” to avoid antecedent basis issues.
Claim 12 (line 2): “wherein the plurality of first metal is” should read “wherein the plurality of first metal members is”.
Claim 12 (line 5): “first metal member” should read “first metal members”.
Claim 12 (line 6): “in corresponding four areas” should read “in a corresponding four areas” to avoid antecedent basis issues.
Claim 13: Lines 2-4 should read “wherein, in plan view in the normal direction, n first metal members four areas in the second radiating element and n first metal members of the four areas have”.
Claim 13: Lines 9-11 should read “wherein, in plan view in the normal direction, n first metal members of the four areas have”.
Claim 14 (line 2): “in the first area” should read “in a first area”.
Claim 14 (lines 6-7): the word “side” should be amended to “line”.
Claim 15 (lines 7, 10 & 15): “n first metal member” should be corrected to “n first metal members”.
Claim 15 (line 4): “wherein the n first metal members in the second area” should read “wherein of the four areas”.
Claim 15 (line 10): “wherein the n first metal members in the third area” should read “wherein of the four areas”.
Claim 15 (line 15): “wherein the n first metal members in the fourth area” should read “wherein of the four areas”.
Claim 15 (lines 17-19): “and the first metal member the count of which is n and that is disposed in the first area are disposed in line symmetry with respect to the second straight line” should read “and the n first metal members .
Appropriate correction is required.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 103 which forms the basis for all obviousness rejections set forth in this Office action:
A patent for a claimed invention may not be obtained, notwithstanding that the claimed invention is not identically disclosed as set forth in section 102, if the differences between the claimed invention and the prior art are such that the claimed invention as a whole would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a person having ordinary skill in the art to which the claimed invention pertains. Patentability shall not be negated by the manner in which the invention was made.
Claim(s) 1, 6, 7, 10, 20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Zhou et al. (US 2021/0135334) in view of Kim et al. (US 2010/0039345 – US equivalent of IDS doc JP 2010-503357; “Kim”).
Claim 1: Zhou discloses (¶131 and fig. 13, side view shown below) An antenna module comprising: a ground electrode (reference ground 7); a first radiating element of a plate shape (layer radiation patch 1) that faces the ground electrode (7); a second radiating element of a plate shape (layer radiation patch 2) between the ground electrode (7) and the first radiating element (1) to overlap the first radiating element in plan view in a normal direction of the ground electrode (7), the second radiating element (2) being larger in size than the first radiating element (1); a first feed wiring line (feed lines 10, 11) that penetrates through (via radiation patch window 3) the second radiating element (2) and through which a radio frequency signal is transmitted to the first radiating element (1); and at least one first member (feed lines which feed polarization feed points 8,9) that extends from the second radiating element (2) in the normal (vertical) direction without being in contact with the ground electrode (7).
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Zhou does not explicitly disclose at least one first metal member. However, Zhou discloses that the first member (8,9) is a feed line which is used to feed the lower patch (2) (¶132).
Kim teaches (figs. 3-5) at least one first metal member (holes 92a…n, ¶81, “A conductive material is applied on the inner surfaces of the holes 92 and 94 in order for electrical connection to the patch 70.”, ¶98, “in the first embodiment, the inner surfaces of the holes are plated with gold,”).
It would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a person having ordinary skill in the art to modify the antenna module of Zhou to include at least one first metal member, as taught by Kim. Doing so allows for a high-frequency signal to be transmitted to an antenna patch.
Claim 6: the modified Zhou teaches the antenna module according to Claim 1.
Zhou discloses wherein the at least one first metal member (8,9) extends in a direction from the second radiating element (2) toward the ground electrode (7).
Claim 7: the modified Zhou teaches the antenna module according to Claim 1.
Zhou discloses wherein the at least one first metal member (8,9) includes a plurality of first metal members (8,9).
Claim 10: the modified Zhou teaches the antenna module according to claim 7.
Zhou discloses wherein the plurality of first metal members (8,9) extend from the second radiating element (2) on only one side of a center of the second radiating element.
Claim 20: The modified Zhou teaches A communication apparatus (¶2 & ¶8 of Zhou, “field of mobile communications .. and a terminal device”), comprising: the antenna module according to Claim 1.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 103 which forms the basis for all obviousness rejections set forth in this Office action:
A patent for a claimed invention may not be obtained, notwithstanding that the claimed invention is not identically disclosed as set forth in section 102, if the differences between the claimed invention and the prior art are such that the claimed invention as a whole would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a person having ordinary skill in the art to which the claimed invention pertains. Patentability shall not be negated by the manner in which the invention was made.
Claim(s) 1-3, 6-9 and 20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Wallace et al. (US 2016/0261047 – US equivalent of IDS doc EP 3065219; “Wallace”) in view of Kim et al. (US 2010/0039345 – US equivalent of IDS doc JP 2010-503357; “Kim”).
Claim 1: Wallace discloses (¶¶36-37 & figs. 1A, 1B, 1C, 1D) An antenna module (dual-frequency patch antenna, title) comprising:
a ground electrode (ground plane 110);
a first radiating element (1st conductive element 102) of a plate shape that faces the ground electrode (110); a second radiating element (2nd conductive element 106) of a plate shape between the ground electrode (110) and the first radiating element (102) to overlap the first radiating element in plan view in a normal direction of the ground electrode (110), the second radiating element (106) being larger in size than the first radiating element (102); a first feed wiring line (feed 118) that penetrates through (¶48, “the feeds that are coupled to the top conductive element, the first conductive element 102, may pass through a hole or aperture in the bottom conductive element, the second conductive element 106,”) the second radiating element (106) and through which a radio frequency signal is transmitted to the first radiating element (102).
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Wallace does not explicitly disclose “at least one first metal member that extends from the second radiating element in the normal direction without being in contact with the ground electrode”.
Kim teaches (figs. 3-5) at least one first metal member (holes 92a…n, ¶81, “A conductive material is applied on the inner surfaces of the holes 92 and 94 in order for electrical connection to the patch 70.”, ¶98, “in the first embodiment, the inner surfaces of the holes are plated with gold,”) that extends from a radiating element (patch 70) in the normal direction without being in contact with the ground electrode (ground plate 80).
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It would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a person having ordinary skill in the art to modify the antenna module of Wallace to further include at least one first metal member that extends from the second radiating element in the normal direction without being in contact with the ground electrode, as taught by Kim. The motivation to do is to provide a smaller antenna which resonates in the frequency band of an existing GPS antenna (¶108 of Kim).
Claim 2: the modified Wallace teaches the antenna module according to Claim 1, wherein the first feed wiring line is electrically coupled to the first radiating element at a first feed point shifted from a center of the first radiating element in a first direction (the first feed point is shown in figs. 4 & 5 of Kim).
Wallace does not disclose wherein a length of the at least one first metal member in an extending direction of the at least one first metal member is half a length of the first radiating element in the first direction.
However, Kim teaches (¶83) “The diameter and number of holes 92 and 94 depend on a desired resonance frequency. That is, the resonance frequency can be changed according to the diameter, length, and number of holes 92 and 94” and “the holes 92 and 94 may be formed to have a predetermined depth. In this case, the larger the depth of the holes 92 and 94 becomes, the smaller the size of the patch antenna becomes.”.
One of ordinary skill in the art would recognize that the size of antenna radiating elements are typically half a wavelength long, and therefore it would be obvious to size the length of the at least one first metal members to be half a length of the first radiating element in the first direction (that is one quarter of a wavelength long) to achieve the desired resonance frequency.
It would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a person having ordinary skill in the art to modify the antenna module of Wallace in view of Kim, wherein a length of the at least one first metal member in an extending direction of the at least one first metal member is half a length of the first radiating element in the first direction, as taught by Kim. Doing so allow the user to achieve the desired resonance frequency (¶83 of Kim).
Also, it has been held that discovering an optimum value of a result effective variable involves only routine skill in the art. In re Boesch, 617 F.2d 272, 205 USPQ 215 (CCPA 1980).
Claim 3: the modified Wallace teaches the antenna module according to Claim 1, wherein the first feed wiring line is electrically coupled to the first radiating element at a first feed point shifted from a center of the first radiating element in a first direction (the first feed point is shown in figs. 4 & 5 of Kim).
Wallace does not disclose wherein, in a cross section of the at least one first metal member, a maximum dimension of the at least one first metal member is one-tenth or less of the length of the first radiating element in the first direction, the cross section being orthogonal to an extending direction of the at least one first metal member.
However, Kim teaches (¶82) “The holes 92 and 94 may be formed in various shapes, such as a circle, a triangle, a rectangle, and a pentagon, in plan view”, and (¶83) “The diameter and number of holes 92 and 94 depend on a desired resonance frequency. That is, the resonance frequency can be changed according to the diameter, length, and number of holes 92 and 94. As the diameter of the holes 92 and 94 increases, the size of the patch antenna becomes smaller”.
Kim therefore teaches that the size of the diameter can be changed in comparison to the size of a radiating patch.
It would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a person having ordinary skill in the art to modify the antenna module of Wallace in view of Kim,
wherein, in a cross section of the at least one first metal member, a maximum dimension of the at least one first metal member is one-tenth or less of the length of the first radiating element in the first direction, the cross section being orthogonal to an extending direction of the at least one first metal member. Doing so allow the user to achieve the desired resonance frequency (¶83 of Kim).
Also, it has been held that discovering an optimum value of a result effective variable involves only routine skill in the art. In re Boesch, 617 F.2d 272, 205 USPQ 215 (CCPA 1980).
Claim 6: the modified Wallace teaches the antenna module according to Claim 1, wherein the at least one first metal member (92) extends in a direction from the second radiating element toward the ground electrode (80) (shown in fig. 5 of Kim).
Claim 7: the modified Wallace teaches the antenna module according to Claim 1, wherein the at least one first metal member (92) includes a plurality of first metal members (92a…n) (shown in fig. 3 of Kim).
Claim 8: the modified Wallace teaches the antenna module according to Claim 7, wherein the plurality of first metal members (92a…n) include a first member (92a) and a second member (92n) (shown in fig. 3 of Kim).
The modified Wallace does not teach the first member and second member have mutually different lengths.
Kim teaches, in the embodiment of figure 8, wherein the first member (one of holes 95) and second member (another of holes 95) have mutually different lengths (¶96, “the holes 95 formed in the dielectric layer 90 have different depths. Therefore, the metal pins 100 also have different lengths.”).
It would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a person having ordinary skill in the art to modify the antenna module of Wallace in view of Kim, wherein the first member and second member have mutually different lengths, as taught by Kim. Doing so allows for the resonance frequency of the antenna module to be adjusted according to user requirements by deforming the edge of the dielectric layer (¶97 of Kim).
Claim 9: the modified Wallace teaches the antenna module according to Claim 8, wherein the first member (95 at central portion of edge of patch 70) is longer than the second member (95 closer to end of patch 90) and closer to a center of the second radiating element than the second member (members 95 are arranged along the base of a virtual triangle, with the center of the radiating element as the apex of the triangle, therefore longer first member 95 is closer to the apex of the triangle than shorter member 95) (see fig. 8 of Kim).
Claim 20: the modified Wallace teaches communication apparatus (dual-frequency patch antenna configured to receive global navigation satellite system (GNSS) signals, abstract of Wallace), comprising: the antenna module according to Claim 1.
Claim(s) 11 and 13 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Wallace in view of Kim, and further in view of Hwang et al. (US 2022/0311142).
Claim 11: the modified Wallace teaches the antenna module according to Claim 1, wherein the at least one first metal member includes a plurality of first metal members, the antenna module further comprising: a second feed wiring line (fig. 1D of Wallace, 117), and wherein the first feed wiring line is electrically coupled to the first radiating element at the first feed point shifted from the center of the first radiating element in the first direction (fig. 5 of Kim).
Wallace does not disclose the second feed wiring line that penetrates through the second radiating element and through which a radio frequency signal is transmitted to the first radiating element; and a third feed wiring line and a fourth feed wiring line through which radio frequency signals are transmitted to the second radiating element, wherein the second feed wiring line is electrically coupled to the first radiating element at the second feed point shifted from the center of the first radiating element in the second direction different from the first direction, wherein the third feed wiring line is electrically coupled to the second radiating element at a third feed point shifted from a center of the second radiating element in a third direction, wherein the fourth feed wiring line is electrically coupled to the second radiating element at a fourth feed point shifted from the center of the second radiating element in a fourth direction different from the third direction, wherein, in plan view in the normal direction, the first radiating element is disposed to superpose the center of the first radiating element on the center of the second radiating element, wherein the third direction is opposite to the first direction across the center of the first radiating element, and wherein the fourth direction is opposite to the second direction across the center of the first radiating element.
However, Wallace does disclose (¶48) “The feeds 115, 116, 117, 118, 119 are shown merely as examples of some of the feed configurations that may be used with embodiments of dual-frequency patch antennas described herein. The dual-frequency patch antennas described herein, however, are not limited to these or any other feed configurations. For example, one or both of the conductive elements may have dual feeds in some embodiments. Further, many details associated with the feeds are not included in the figures. For example, the feeds typically pass through a hole or aperture in the ground plane that provides isolation from the ground plane. Also, the feeds that are coupled to the top conductive element (the first conductive element 102) may pass through a hole or aperture in the bottom conductive element (the second conductive element 106) that provides isolation from the bottom conductive element. Additionally, the feeds may be coupled with the conductive elements at different locations in accordance with known techniques based on desired polarization characteristics”.
Hwang teaches (fig. 37 below) an antenna module (multi-band patch antenna, title) having a first radiating element (¶84, upper radiating patch 820), a second radiating element (¶84, lower radiating patch 840), a first feed wiring line that penetrates through the second radiating element (¶101, The first and second feed pins 510 and 520 feeds power to the upper radiation patch 820, in order to operate the upper radiation patch 820 as the first antenna. The first and second feed pins 510 and 520 extend through the multi-band patch antenna) and a second feed wiring line (second feed pin 520) that penetrates through the second radiating element (840); and a third feed wiring line (third feed pin 530) and a fourth feed wiring line (fourth feed pin 540) through which radio frequency signals are transmitted to the second radiating element (840) (¶120), wherein the first feed wiring line (510) is electrically coupled to the first radiating element (820) at a first feed point shifted from a center of the first radiating element (861) in a first direction, wherein the second feed wiring line (520) is electrically coupled to the first radiating element (820) at a second feed point shifted from the center of the first radiating element in a second direction different from the first direction (see fig. 38 below), wherein the third feed wiring line (530) is electrically coupled to the second radiating element (840) at a third feed point shifted from a center (861) of the second radiating element (840) in a third direction, wherein the fourth feed wiring line (540) is electrically coupled to the second radiating element (840) at a fourth feed point shifted from the center of the second radiating element in a fourth direction different from the third direction (see fig. 38), wherein, in plan view in the normal direction, the first radiating element (820) is disposed to superpose the center of the first radiating element on the center of the second radiating element (840), wherein the third direction is opposite to the first direction across the center (861) of the first radiating element (820), and wherein the fourth direction is opposite to the second direction across the center of the first radiating element (see fig. 38).
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It would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a person having ordinary skill in the art to modify the antenna module of Wallace in view of Kim, wherein the second feed wiring line that penetrates through the second radiating element and through which a radio frequency signal is transmitted to the first radiating element; and a third feed wiring line and a fourth feed wiring line through which radio frequency signals are transmitted to the second radiating element, wherein the second feed wiring line is electrically coupled to the first radiating element at the second feed point shifted from the center of the first radiating element in the second direction different from the first direction, wherein the third feed wiring line is electrically coupled to the second radiating element at a third feed point shifted from a center of the second radiating element in a third direction, wherein the fourth feed wiring line is electrically coupled to the second radiating element at a fourth feed point shifted from the center of the second radiating element in a fourth direction different from the third direction, wherein, in plan view in the normal direction, the first radiating element is disposed to superpose the center of the first radiating element on the center of the second radiating element, wherein the third direction is opposite to the first direction across the center of the first radiating element, and wherein the fourth direction is opposite to the second direction across the center of the first radiating element, as taught by Hwang. Doing so allows for a multi-band antenna which requires a minimum mounting space due to its reduced height (¶6 of Hwang).
Claim 13: the modified Wallace teaches the antenna module according to Claim 11.
The modified Wallace does not teach wherein, in plan view in the normal direction, n first metal members are disposed in a first area of the four areas and n first metal members are disposed in a second area have a relationship of point symmetry with respect to the center of the first radiating element, the second area being located in point symmetry with the first area with respect to the center of the first radiating element, and wherein in plan view in the normal direction, n first metal members are in a third area of the four areas and n first metal members are in a fourth area have a relationship of point symmetry with respect to the center of the first radiating element, the fourth area being located in point symmetry with the third area with respect to the center of the first radiating element.
However, Kim teaches, in the second embodiment shown in fig. 7, seven first metal members (95) disposed in each of a first, second, third and fourth area of a radiating element (patch 70). The four areas can be defined by a first diagonal line through the center of the radiating element and a second diagonal line orthogonal to the first diagonal line. In this manner, the first metal members and the four areas have a relationship of point symmetry with respect to the center of the radiating element.
It would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a person having ordinary skill in the art to modify the antenna module of Wallace in view of Kim, wherein, in plan view in the normal direction, n first metal members are disposed in a first area of the four areas and n first metal members are disposed in a second area have a relationship of point symmetry with respect to the center of the first radiating element, the second area being located in point symmetry with the first area with respect to the center of the first radiating element, and wherein in plan view in the normal direction, n first metal members are in a third area of the four areas and n first metal members are in a fourth area have a relationship of point symmetry with respect to the center of the first radiating element, the fourth area being located in point symmetry with the third area with respect to the center of the first radiating element, as taught by the second embodiment of Kim. Doing so allows for a smaller antenna module that can resonate in the frequency band of an existing antenna (¶108 of Kim).
Claim(s) 16-18 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Wallace in view of Kim, and further in view of Quinlan et al. (US 2019/0267697; “Quinlan”).
Claim 16: the modified Wallace teaches the antenna module according to Claim 1.
The modified Wallace does not teach further comprising: a third radiating element of a plate shape that is disposed between the first radiating element and the second radiating element to overlap with the first radiating element in plan view in the normal direction of the ground electrode, and wherein the first feed wiring line penetrates through the third radiating element, and wherein the third radiating element is larger in size than the first radiating element and is smaller in size than the second radiating element.
However, it is well-known in the art to provide three radiating elements of a plate shape wherein a first feed wiring line penetrates through all three radiating elements, and wherein the size of the radiating elements decreases towards the “top” of the antenna module. This is taught by Quinlan (¶¶179-180, fig. 4 below) which has a first radiating element (132), a second radiating element (112) and a third radiating element (122) disposed between the first (132) and second (112) radiating elements, and a ground electrode (113). The first feed wiring line (134) penetrates through the second (112) and third (102) radiating elements.
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It would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a person having ordinary skill in the art to modify the antenna module of Wallace in view of Kim, further comprising: a third radiating element of a plate shape that is disposed between the first radiating element and the second radiating element to overlap with the first radiating element in plan view in the normal direction of the ground electrode, and wherein the first feed wiring line penetrates through the third radiating element, and wherein the third radiating element is larger in size than the first radiating element and is smaller in size than the second radiating element, as taught by Quinlan. Doing so allows for a multiband antenna in a single module in a compact structure (¶13 of Quinlan).
Claim 17: the modified Wallace teaches the antenna module according to Claim 1.
The modified Wallace does not teach further comprising: a third radiating element of a plate shape that is disposed between the first radiating element and the second radiating element to overlap with the first radiating element in plan view in the normal direction of the ground electrode, and wherein the first feed wiring line penetrates through the third radiating element, and wherein the third radiating element is larger in size than the first radiating element and is smaller in size than the second radiating element.
However, it is well-known in the art to provide three radiating elements of a plate shape wherein a first feed wiring line penetrates through all three radiating elements, and wherein the size of the radiating elements decreases towards the “top” of the antenna module. This is taught by Quinlan (¶¶179-180, fig. 4). Furthermore, Kim teaches (figs. 3-5) at least one first metal member (92) that extends from a radiating element (patch 70) in the normal direction without being in contact with the ground electrode (ground plate 80), and one of ordinary skill in the art would recognize that the at least one first metal members can be formed in any of the radiating elements as Kim teaches that the first metal members provide a smaller antenna which can resonate in the frequency band of an existing antenna.
It would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a person having ordinary skill in the art to modify the antenna module of Wallace in view of Kim, further comprising: a third radiating element of a plate shape that is disposed between the first radiating element and the second radiating element to overlap with the first radiating element in plan view in the normal direction of the ground electrode, and wherein the first feed wiring line penetrates through the third radiating element, and wherein the third radiating element is larger in size than the first radiating element and is smaller in size than the second radiating element, as taught by Quinlan and Kim. Doing so allows for a multiband antenna in a single module in a compact structure (¶13 of Quinlan and ¶108 of Kim).
Claim 18: the modified Wallace teaches the antenna module according to Claim 17, further comprising: at least one second metal member disposed to extend from the fourth radiating element in the normal direction without contacting the ground electrode (Kim teaches (figs. 3-5) a metal member (92) that extends from a radiating element (patch 70) in the normal direction without being in contact with the ground electrode (ground plate 80)).
Claim 19 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Wallace in view of Kim, and further in view of Mierke et al. (US 2010/0073236; “Mierke”).
Claim 19: the modified Wallace teaches the antenna module according to Claim 1.
The modified Wallace does not teach wherein the at least one first metal member extends in a direction from the second radiating element toward the first radiating element.
Mierke teaches (fig. 2 below) an antenna module having a second radiating element (parasitic patch element 13) wherein at least one first metal member (¶4, patch element to consist of a metal plate or metal sheet which is provided with circumferential rims), which is extends in a normal direction without being in contact with the ground electrode (3), extends in a direction from the second radiating element (13) toward the first radiating element (107).
It would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a person having ordinary skill in the art to modify the antenna module of Wallace in view of Kim, wherein the at least one first metal member extends in a direction from the second radiating element toward the first radiating element, as taught by Mierke. Doing so allows for the second radiating element to modify/direct the radiating pattern of the antenna module according to user requirements while providing a more compact antenna module (¶¶17-19 of Mierke).
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Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 4-5, 12, 14-15 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.
Regarding claim 4, Hwang (US 2022/0311142) teaches (fig. 37) a second wiring line (520) that penetrates through a second radiating element (840) and through which a radio frequency signal is transmitted to the first radiating element (820), wherein the first feed wiring line (510) is electrically coupled to the first radiating element (820) at a first feed point shifted from a center (861) of the first radiating element in a first direction, wherein the second feed wiring line (520) is electrically coupled to the first radiating element at a second feed point shifted from the center of the first radiating element in a second direction different from the first direction (see fig. 38).
Hwang does not teach, or suggest, wherein, in plan view in the normal direction, the at least one first metal member is disposed such that a first distance from a point of connection between the at least one first metal member and the second radiating element to the first feed point, and a second distance from the point of connection to the second feed point are equal.
Regarding claim 5, Hwang teaches (fig. 37) a third feed wiring line (530) through which a radio frequency signal is transmitted to the second radiating element (840).
Hwang does not teach, or suggest, wherein in plan view of the at least one first metal member in the normal direction, a shortest distance from the point of connection between the at least one first metal member and the second radiating element to an end portion of the second radiating element is longer than a shortest distance from a third feed point to the end portion of the second radiating element, the third feed wiring line and the second radiating element being electrically coupled at the third feed point.
Regarding claim 12, Kim teaches (¶79 and fig. 3) a plurality of first metal members (92). Kim also teaches (fig. 7) 4n (n>=1) metal members, and wherein, in plan view in the normal direction, four metal members disposed in four areas of a radiating element, the four areas formed by division by using a first straight line and a second straight line. However, Kim does not teach, or suggest, four metal members of the plurality of first metal members are singly disposed in a corresponding four areas in the second radiating element, the first straight line connecting the first feed point and the third feed point, the second straight line connecting the second feed point and the fourth feed point.
Claims 14-15 are objected to due to their dependence on claim 12.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure:
Furuhi (US 2021/0184344) – an antenna module having a multilayer structure (e.g. fig. 29).
Takayama (US 2021/0036414) – antenna module having a multilayer structure and a second antenna which includes metal members (fig. 7).
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ANNA N HAMADYK whose telephone number is (703)756-1672. The examiner can normally be reached 7:30 am - 5:00 pm.
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.
/ANNA N HAMADYK/Examiner, Art Unit 2845
/ALEXANDER H TANINGCO/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2845
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