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 statements (IDS) submitted 7/03/2025 and 5/18/2026 are in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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.
(a)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claims 1-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) &35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Shimura (US 2019/0319663), hereinafter Shimura.
Regarding claim 1 Shimura discloses a vehicle antenna device (Fig. 5, at 90) installed on a vehicle, the vehicle antenna device comprising: a printed circuit board (e.g., paragraph 0076); a plurality of antennas (Fig. 5 shows a plurality of antennas) disposed on the printed circuit board and arranged to have 360° coverage (Fig. 5 shows 360 degree coverage; see also paragraph 0077); a plurality of phase shifters (Fig. 3, at 801, 803) electrically connected to the plurality of antennas in a one-to-one correspondence and each configured to control a phase of a wireless signal transmitted through a corresponding antenna (e.g., paragraph 0102); memory (e.g., paragraph 0061), comprising one or more storage media (e.g., paragraph 0061), storing instructions (e.g., paragraph 0061); and one or more processors (Fig. 5, at 830; see also paragraph 0061) communicatively coupled to the plurality of phase shifters and the memory, wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors individually or collectively, cause the vehicle antenna device to: transmit wireless signals of a same phase through at least two antennas among the plurality of antennas based on signal gains of wireless signals received through the plurality of antennas (e.g., paragraphs 0088 and 0102).
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Regarding claim 2 Shimura further discloses the vehicle antenna device of claim 1, wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors individually or collectively, further cause the vehicle antenna device to control the plurality of phase shifters to transmit and receive wireless signals in 360° directions through at least some of the plurality of antennas (Fig. 6 shows this feature).
Regarding claim 3 Shimura further discloses the vehicle antenna device of claim 1, wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors individually or collectively, further cause the vehicle antenna device to: when a number of antennas whose signal gain is greater than or equal to a reference value is less than a reference number, group two or more antennas among the plurality of antennas, and control the plurality of phase shifters to transmit and receive wireless signals of a same phase through the grouped two or more antennas (e.g., paragraphs 0034 and 0088).
Regarding claim 4 Shimura further discloses the vehicle antenna device of claim 3, wherein the grouped two or more antennas are continuously arranged among the plurality of antennas (Fig. 6, shows this feature).
Regarding claim 5 Shimura further discloses the vehicle antenna device of claim 3, wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors individually or collectively, further cause the vehicle antenna device to, when the plurality of antennas are grouped in units of n antennas (n is a natural number of 2 or more), control the plurality of phase shifters to perform n sets of wireless communications (e.g., Figs. 6 and 7 show this feature).
Regarding claim 6 Shimura further discloses the vehicle antenna device of claim 3, wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors individually or collectively, further cause the vehicle antenna device to, when a number of groups of grouped antennas whose signal gain is greater than or equal to the reference value is less than a first reference group number, group a plurality of antennas to increase a number of antennas for transmitting wireless signals of a same phase (e.g., paragraphs 0044 and 0090).
Regarding claim 7 Shimura further discloses the vehicle antenna device of claim 3, wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors individually or collectively, further cause the vehicle antenna device to, when a number of groups of grouped antennas whose signal gain is greater than or equal to the reference value is greater than or equal to a second reference group number, group a plurality of antennas to reduce a number of antennas for transmitting and receiving wireless signals of a same phase (e.g., paragraphs 0044 and 0090).
Regarding claim 8 Shimura further discloses the vehicle antenna device of claim 1, wherein the plurality of antennas are arranged to be symmetrical with respect to a center axis of the plurality of antennas (Figs. 5 and 6 show this feature).
Regarding claim 9 Shimura further discloses the vehicle antenna device of claim 1, wherein the plurality of antennas are arranged in a ring shape on the printed circuit board (Figs. 5 and 6 show this feature).
Regarding claim 10 Shimura further discloses the vehicle antenna device of claim 1, wherein at least one of the plurality of antennas has a divergence angle greater than or equal to a value obtained by dividing 360° by a number of the plurality of antennas (see Fig. 6, angles 220).
Regarding claim 11 Shimura further discloses the vehicle antenna device of claim 1, wherein the plurality of antennas are disposed on a first surface of the printed circuit board, and wherein the plurality of phase shifters are disposed on a second surface of the printed circuit board opposite to the first surface (Fig. 5, at 80 and 90; see also paragraph 0094).
Regarding claim 12 Shimura further discloses the vehicle antenna device of claim 1, wherein the printed circuit board comprises: a center area (Fig. 5 shows this feature); and an edge area surrounding the center area, wherein the plurality of antennas are disposed in the edge area, and wherein the one or more processors are disposed in the center area (Fig. 5 shows this feature).
Regarding claim 13 Shimura further discloses the vehicle antenna device of claim 1, further comprising: a plurality of connection wirings connecting the plurality of antennas to the phase shifters corresponding to the plurality of antennas in a one-to-one correspondence (Fig. 7 shows this feature).
Regarding claim 14 Shimura further discloses the vehicle antenna device of claim 13, wherein at least one of the plurality of connection wirings comprises a conductive line included in the printed circuit board (e.g., paragraph 0077).
Regarding claim 15 Shimura discloses a method performed by a vehicle antenna device (e.g., Fig. 5, at 90) comprising a plurality of antennas arranged to have 360° coverage (e.g., Fig. 5 shows this feature), the method comprising: calculating, by the vehicle antenna device, a signal gain of a wireless signal received through each of the plurality of antennas; and transmitting, by the vehicle antenna device, wireless signals of a same phase through at least two antennas among the plurality of antennas based on the signal gain of the wireless signal (e.g., paragraphs 0088 and 0102).
Regarding claim 1 Shimura discloses a vehicle antenna device (e.g., Fig. 5, at 90) installed on a vehicle, the vehicle antenna device comprising: a printed circuit board (e.g., paragraph 0076); a plurality of antennas (Fig. 5 shows a plurality of antennas) disposed on the printed circuit board and arranged to have 360° coverage (Fig. 5 shows 360 degree coverage; see also paragraph 0077); a plurality of phase shifters (Fig. 3, at 801, 803) electrically connected to the plurality of antennas in a one-to-one correspondence and each configured to control a phase of a wireless signal transmitted through a corresponding antenna (e.g., paragraph 0102); memory (e.g., paragraph 0061), comprising one or more storage media (e.g., paragraph 0061), storing instructions (e.g., paragraph 0061); and one or more processors (Fig. 5, at 830; see also paragraph 0061) communicatively coupled to the plurality of phase shifters and the memory, wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors individually or collectively, cause the vehicle antenna device to: transmit wireless signals of a same phase through at least two antennas among the plurality of antennas based on signal gains of wireless signals received through the plurality of antennas (e.g., paragraphs 0088 and 0102).
Regarding claim 16 Shimura further discloses the method of claim 15, further comprising: controlling a plurality of phase shifters of the vehicle antenna device to transmit and receive wireless signals in 360° directions through at least some of the plurality of antennas (e.g., paragraphs 0088 and 0102).
Regarding claim 17 Shimura further discloses the method of claim 15, further comprising: when a number of antennas of the vehicle antenna device whose signal gain is greater than or equal to a reference value is less than a reference number, grouping two or more antennas among the plurality of antennas; and controlling a plurality of phase shifters of the vehicle antenna device to transmit and receive wireless signals of a same phase through the grouped two or more antennas (e.g., paragraphs 0034 and 0088).
Regarding claim 18 Shimura further discloses the method of claim 17, further comprising: when the plurality of antennas are grouped in units of n antennas (n is a natural number of 2 or more), controlling the plurality of phase shifters to perform n sets of wireless communications (e.g., Figs. 6 and 7 show this feature).
Regarding claim 19 Shimura discloses one or more non-transitory computer-readable storage media storing one or more computer programs including computer-executable instructions that, when executed by one or more processors (Fig. 5, at 830; see also paragraph 0061) of vehicle antenna device individually or collectively, cause the vehicle antenna device to perform operations, the operations comprising: calculating, by the vehicle antenna device, a signal gain of a wireless signal received through each of a plurality of antennas of the vehicle antenna device (e.g., paragraphs 0088 and 0102); and transmitting, by the vehicle antenna device, wireless signals of a same phase through at least two antennas among the plurality of antennas based on the signal gain of the wireless signal (e.g., paragraphs 0088 and 0102).
Regarding claim 20 Shimura further discloses the one or more non-transitory computer-readable storage media of claim 19, the operations further comprising: controlling a plurality of phase shifters of the vehicle antenna device to transmit and receive wireless signals in 360° directions through at least some of the plurality of antennas (e.g., paragraphs 0088 and 0102).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. The International Search Report disclosed by Applicant’s IDS contains additional references and analysis that are highly relevant to the current application.
The Examiner has pointed out particular references contained in the prior art of record within the body of this action for the convenience of the Applicant. Although the specified citations are representative of the teachings in the art and are applied to the specific limitations within the individual claim, other passages and figures may apply.
Applicant, in preparing the response, should consider fully the entire reference aspotentially teaching all or part of the claimed invention, as well as the context of thepassage as taught by the prior art or disclosed by the Examiner.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to DAVID E LOTTER whose telephone number is (571)270-7422. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 10am-6pm.
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, 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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DAVID E. LOTTER
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 2845
/DAVID E LOTTER/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2845
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