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.
Claim Objections
Claims 9 and 18 are objected to because of the following informalities: acronym “PCB” does not recite its associated term within the claim. Applicants’ specification discloses a corresponding element 305 in Figure 4 which simply points to a box. For the purposes of examination, “PCB” will be interpreted as a circuit related box as per Figure 4. 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.
Claims 1, 9, 11 and 20 contain the trademark/trade name Sirius XM. Where a trademark or trade name is used in a claim as a limitation to identify or describe a particular material or product, the claim does not comply with the requirements of 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph. See Ex parte Simpson, 218 USPQ 1020 (Bd. App. 1982). The claim scope is uncertain since the trademark or trade name cannot be used properly to identify any particular material or product. A trademark or trade name is used to identify a source of goods, and not the goods themselves. Thus, a trademark or trade name does not identify or describe the goods associated with the trademark or trade name. In the present case, the trademark/trade name is used to identify/describe antenna and, accordingly, the identification/description is indefinite. Claims 2 – 10 and 12 – 20 are rejected as a result of their dependency to claims 1 and 11.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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 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.
The factual inquiries for establishing a background for determining obviousness under 35 U.S.C. 103 are summarized as follows:
1. Determining the scope and contents of the prior art.
2. Ascertaining the differences between the prior art and the claims at issue.
3. Resolving the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art.
4. Considering objective evidence present in the application indicating obviousness or nonobviousness.
Claim(s) 1 – 8, 10 – 15, 17, 19 and 20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Jung et al. (Pub. No.: US 2022/0320736 A1) in view of Boyd (Patent No.: US 10,536,038 B1).
Regarding claim 1, Jung teaches an antenna apparatus (1100, FIG. 1B) comprising:
a windshield (Similarly, window 310, FIG. 1B and ¶ 71);
a plurality of antennas disposed on a top of the windshield (transparent antenna may be dispose in an upper region 310a of front window ¶ 71 and also see 310a, FIG. 1B); and
an infotainment unit (600, FIG. 1B and ¶ 70),
wherein the plurality of antennas are arranged adjacent to each other and the windshield (transparent antennas may be arranged at locations 310a, 310b, 310c and 320; FIG. 1B and ¶ 71).
Jung is silent to an integration module comprising an SiriusXM (SXM) antenna, the integration module being attached to the windshield and arranged adjacent to the antennas. However, in a similar field of endeavor, Boyd teaches a system for harvesting energy for a vehicle including an antenna that may be integrated into a glass of the vehicle (i.e., windshield) (col. 3, lines55-58). An electrical system of the vehicle may include an infotainment system as well as a Sirius radio and XM radio (col. 4, lines 33-34). More specifically, a filter 206 is disclosed to filter RF frequency band for a particular communication system on the vehicle, such as the Sirius XM radio, which is integrated with the antenna 202 (FIG. 2 and col. 4, lines 30-34).
It would have been obvious to one with ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the plurality of antennas on a windshield taught by Jung to have an integration module comprising an SiriusXM (SXM) antenna, the integration module being attached to the windshield and arranged adjacent to the antennas as taught by Boyd in order to enhance flexibility in antenna arrangement.
Regarding claim 2, Jung discloses the antenna apparatus, wherein the integration module is attached and fixed to an inner surface of the windshield with an adhesive member (adhesive member ¶ 181).
Regarding claim 3, Jung discloses the antenna apparatus, wherein the infotainment unit comprises: a user interface module comprising a display (600, FIG. 1A) and multimedia and navigation functions (navigation system ¶ 110); and
a connection module comprising an RF receiver (RF circuit ¶ 119) and a communication modem for data communication between the plurality of antennas and an external network (communication network FIG. 2A).
Regarding claim 4, Jung discloses the antenna apparatus, wherein the infotainment unit is positioned adjacent to the integration module at a front of a vehicle (300, 600, 1100; FIG. 1B).
Regarding claim 5, Jung discloses the antenna apparatus, wherein the plurality of antennas are arranged in an upper area of the windshield and adjacent to the integration module (310a, 310b, 310c, 320; FIG. 1B).
Regarding claim 6, Jung discloses the antenna apparatus, wherein the plurality of antennas comprise at least one Cellular Communication System (CCS) antenna and a Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) antenna (Similarly, GPS, 4G, 5G ¶ 68; V2V and V2X services and LTE cellular service ¶¶ 88-90 and see also GPS and DGPS ¶ 118).
Regarding claim 7, Jung discloses the antenna apparatus, wherein the at least one CCS antennas is arranged symmetrically with respect to the integration module (310a, 310b; FIG. 1B).
Regarding claim 8, Jung discloses the antenna apparatus, wherein the GNSS antenna is arranged adjacent to the integration module and between at least two CCS antennas (310a, 310b, 310c, 320; FIG. 1B).
Regarding claim 10, Jung discloses the antenna apparatus, wherein the plurality of antennas are a plurality of transparent antennas (transparent antennas ¶ 71).
Regarding claim 11, Jung teaches a vehicle (500, FIG. 1A) comprising:
a roof (vehicle roof ¶ 3);
a windshield (Window 310, FIG. 1B and ¶ 71);
a plurality of transparent antennas located at an upper center of the windshield towards the roof (transparent antenna may be dispose in an upper region 310a of front window ¶ 71 and also see 310a, FIG. 1B); and
an infotainment unit (600, FIG. 1B and ¶ 70),
wherein the plurality of transparent antennas are arranged adjacent to each other and to the windshield (transparent antennas may be arranged at locations 310a, 310b, 310c and 320; FIG. 1B and ¶ 71), and
wherein the integration module (telematics control unit TCU ¶ 70) is connected to the plurality of transparent antennas and the infotainment unit (Similarly, TCU 300 and infotainment 600 are connected ¶ 70 and antenna assembly may be coupled to TCU 300 ¶ 72).
Jung is silent to an integration module including an SXM antenna attached to the windshield and the integration module and plurality of antennas are arranged adjacent to each other on the windshield. However, in a similar field of endeavor, Boyd teaches a system for harvesting energy for a vehicle including an antenna that may be integrated into a glass of the vehicle (i.e., windshield) (col. 3, lines 55-58). An electrical system of the vehicle may include an infotainment system as well as a Sirius radio and XM radio (col. 4, lines 33-34). More specifically, a filter 206 is disclosed to filter RF frequency band for a particular communication system on the vehicle, such as the Sirius XM radio, which is integrated with the antenna 202 (FIG. 2 and col. 4, lines 30-34).
It would have been obvious to one with ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the plurality of antennas on a windshield taught by Jung to have an integration module comprising an SiriusXM (SXM) antenna, the integration module being attached to the windshield and arranged adjacent to the antennas as taught by Boyd in order to enhance flexibility in antenna arrangement.
Regarding claim 12, Jung discloses the vehicle, wherein the plurality of transparent antennas comprises at least one Cellular Communication System (CCS) antenna and a Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) antenna (Similarly, GPS, 4G, 5G ¶ 68; V2V and V2X services and LTE cellular service ¶¶ 88-90 and see also GPS and DGPS ¶ 118).
Regarding claim 13, Jung discloses the vehicle, wherein the at least one CCS antenna are arranged symmetrically with respect to the integration module (310a, 310b; FIG. 1B).
Regarding claim 14, Jung discloses the vehicle, wherein the GNSS antenna is arranged adjacent to the integration module and between at least two CCS antennas (310a, 310b, 310c, 320; FIG. 1B).
Regarding claim 15, Jung discloses the vehicle, wherein the integration module is attached to an inner surface of the windshield (300, FIG. 1B).
Regarding claim 17, Jung discloses the vehicle, wherein the infotainment unit comprises: a user interface module configured to display multimedia (600, FIG. 1A) and navigation functions (navigation system ¶ 110); and
a connection module including an RF receiver (RF circuit ¶ 119) and a communication modem for data communication between the plurality of transparent antennas and an external network (communication network FIG. 2A).
Regarding claim 19, Jung discloses the vehicle, wherein the integration module comprises a plurality of RF connectors configured to connect to the plurality of transparent antennas, and wherein the plurality of RF connectors consists of a first RF connector, a second RF connector, a third RF connector, and a fourth RF connector (¶ 13).
Regarding claim 20, Jung discloses the vehicle, wherein the first RF connector is connected to a first CCS antenna, a second CCS antenna, and a GNSS antenna, wherein the second RF connector is configured to receive power related to GNSS and SXM signals from the infotainment unit, wherein the third RF connector is connected to a data connectivity unit (DCU) of the infotainment unit and configured to transmit or receive LTE 1, LTE 2, LTE 3, and LTE 4 signals, and wherein the fourth RF connector is connected to a third CCS antenna and a fourth CCS antenna (Similarly, GPS, 4G, 5G ¶ 68; V2V and V2X services and LTE cellular service ¶¶ 88-90 and see also GPS and DGPS ¶ 118).
Claim(s) 9 and 18 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Jung et al. (Pub. No.: US 2022/0320736 A1) in view of Boyd (Patent No.: US 10,536,038 B1) as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of Thiam et al. (Pub. No.: US 2019/0237860 A1).
Regarding claims 9 and 18, Thiam teaches the antenna apparatus and vehicle, wherein the SXM antenna comprises a high dielectric constant ceramic material and is mounted on a PCB of the integration module (ceramic or other dielectric for antenna structure ¶¶ 24, 26).
It would have been obvious to modify the SXM antenna taught by Jung and Boyd to comprise a high dielectric constant ceramic material and is mounted on a PCB of the integration module as taught by Thiam to enhance antenna range and functionality (¶ 5).
Claim(s) 16 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Jung et al. (Pub. No.: US 2022/0320736 A1) in view of Boyd (Patent No.: US 10,536,038 B1) as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of Khan et al. (Pub. No.: US 2025/0350028 A1).
Regarding claim 16, Khan teaches the vehicle, wherein the infotainment unit is connected to the integration module via at least one Fachkreis Automobil (FAKRA) connector (¶ 47).
It would have been obvious to modify Jung and Boyd to wherein the infotainment unit is connected to the integration module via at least one Fachkreis Automobil (FAKRA) connector as taught by Khan to flexibly couple the infotainment unit and the integration unit.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to TYLER J LEE whose telephone number is (571)272-9727. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 7:30-5:00.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Abby Flynn can be reached at 571-272-9855. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/TYLER J LEE/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3663
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