www.uspto.gov
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`UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
`United States Patent and TrademarkOffice
`Address; COMMISSIONER FOR PATENTS
`P.O. Box 1450
`Alexandria, Virginia 22313-1450
`
`16/198,912
`
`11/23/2018
`
`RYOSUKE SHIOZAKI
`
`731056.448
`
`6849
`
`Seed IP Law Group LLP/Panasonic
`701 Fifth Avenue, Suite 5400
`Seattle, WA 98104
`
`LIU, HARRY K
`
`PAPER NUMBER
`
`ART UNIT
`
`3648
`
`NOTIFICATION DATE
`
`DELIVERY MODE
`
`10/05/2020
`
`ELECTRONIC
`
`Please find below and/or attached an Office communication concerning this application or proceeding.
`
`The time period for reply, if any, is set in the attached communication.
`
`Notice of the Office communication was sent electronically on above-indicated "Notification Date" to the
`following e-mail address(es):
`USPTOeAction @ SeedIP.com
`
`pairlinkdktg @seedip.com
`
`PTOL-90A (Rev. 04/07)
`
`

`

`Office Action Summary
`
`Application No.
`16/198,912
`Examiner
`HARRY K LIU
`
`Applicant(s)
`SHIOZAK( etal.
`Art Unit
`AIA (FITF) Status
`3648
`Yes
`
`-- The MAILING DATEofthis communication appears on the cover sheet with the correspondence address --
`Period for Reply
`
`A SHORTENED STATUTORY PERIOD FOR REPLYIS SET TO EXPIRE 3 MONTHS FROM THE MAILING
`DATE OF THIS COMMUNICATION.
`Extensions of time may be available underthe provisions of 37 CFR 1.136(a). In no event, however, may a reply betimely filed after SIX (6) MONTHSfrom the mailing
`date of this communication.
`If NO period for reply is specified above, the maximum statutory period will apply and will expire SIX (6) MONTHSfrom the mailing date of this communication.
`-
`- Failure to reply within the set or extended period for reply will, by statute, cause the application to become ABANDONED (35 U.S.C. § 133}.
`Any reply received by the Office later than three months after the mailing date of this communication, evenif timely filed, may reduce any earned patent term
`adjustment. See 37 CFR 1.704(b).
`
`Status
`
`
`
`1) Responsive to communication(s) filed on 11/23/2018.
`LC} A declaration(s)/affidavit(s) under 37 CFR 1.130(b) was/werefiled on
`
`2a)(J This action is FINAL. 2b))This action is non-final.
`3) An election was madeby the applicant in responseto a restriction requirement set forth during the interview
`on
`; the restriction requirement and election have been incorporated into this action.
`4\(Z Since this application is in condition for allowance except for formal matters, prosecution as to the merits is
`closed in accordance with the practice under Exparte Quayle, 1935 C.D. 11, 453 O.G. 213.
`
`Disposition of Claims*
`1-13 is/are pending in the application.
`)
`Claim(s)
`5a) Of the above claim(s) ___ is/are withdrawn from consideration.
`CL) Claim(s)
`is/are allowed.
`Claim(s) 1-8 and 10-13 is/are rejected.
`Claim(s) 9 is/are objectedto.
`C) Claim(s)
`are subjectto restriction and/or election requirement
`* If any claims have been determined allowable, you maybeeligible to benefit from the Patent Prosecution Highway program at a
`participating intellectual property office for the corresponding application. For more information, please see
`http:/Awww.uspto.gov/patents/init_events/pph/index.jsp or send an inquiry to PPHfeedback@uspto.gov.
`
`) ) ) )
`
`Application Papers
`10)C The specification is objected to by the Examiner.
`11)M The drawing(s) filed on 11/23/2018 is/are:
`a)@) accepted or b)() objected to by the Examiner.
`Applicant may not request that any objection to the drawing(s) be held in abeyance. See 37 CFR 1.85(a).
`Replacement drawing sheet(s) including the correction is required if the drawing(s) is objected to. See 37 CFR 1.121 (d).
`
`Priority under 35 U.S.C. § 119
`12)[¥) Acknowledgment is made of a claim for foreign priority under 35 U.S.C. § 119(a)-(d)or (f).
`Certified copies:
`c)() None ofthe:
`b)( Some**
`a)) All
`1.4) Certified copies of the priority documents have been received.
`2.1) Certified copies of the priority documents have beenreceived in Application No.
`3.2.) Copies of the certified copies of the priority documents have been received in this National Stage
`application from the International Bureau (PCT Rule 17.2(a)).
`* See the attached detailed Office action for a list of the certified copies not received.
`
`Attachment(s)
`
`1)
`
`Notice of References Cited (PTO-892)
`
`Information Disclosure Statement(s) (PTO/SB/08a and/or PTO/SB/08b)
`2)
`Paper No(s)/Mail Date
`U.S. Patent and Trademark Office
`
`3) (J Interview Summary (PTO-413)
`Paper No(s)/Mail Date
`(Qj Other:
`
`4)
`
`PTOL-326 (Rev. 11-13)
`
`Office Action Summary
`
`Part of Paper No./Mail Date 20200929
`
`

`

`Application/Control Number: 16/198,912
`Art Unit: 3648
`
`Page 2
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`Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status
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`1.
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`The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined underthe
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`first inventor to file provisions of the AJA.
`
`Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
`
`2.
`
`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 madein this Office action:
`
`A personshall be entitled to a patent unless —
`
`(a)(2) the claimed invention wasdescribed 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, namesanother inventor and waseffectively filed before the effective filing date of the
`claimed invention.
`
`3.
`
`Claims 1-8, 10-11 and 13 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by
`
`Yonemoto (20110279304).
`
`Regarding claim 1, Yonemoto discloses a radar device (Fig. 1), comprising:
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`a housing (headlamp 50) that includes an aperture in a front direction as a transmitting
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`direction of an electromagnetic wave;
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`a circuit board (control module 38, paragraph 0050, Fig. 1) that is disposed in the housing
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`such that a board surface extends along the front direction;
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`an antenna unit that includes two or more antenna elements being arrayed along a
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`direction intersecting the front direction in the circuit board, and that transmits the
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`electromagnetic wave upward (antenna module 32, paragraph 0050) of the board surface of the
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`circuit board and receives a reflected wave (through reflection mirror 36, paragraph 0051) of the
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`electromagnetic wave;
`
`

`

`Application/Control Number: 16/198,912
`Art Unit: 3648
`
`Page 3
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`a reflection unit (reflection mirror 36, paragraph 0051) that is supported in the housing
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`abovethe board surface of the circuit board andthat reflects the electromagnetic wave
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`transmitted from the antenna unit to change a traveling direction of the electromagnetic waveto
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`the front direction and reflects the reflected wave from the front direction to changea traveling
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`direction of the reflected wave to a direction toward the antenna unit; and
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`a dielectric lens (lens 12) that is disposed in the aperture of the housing to extend along a
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`direction in which the two or more antenna elements are arrayed, and that has a semi-cylindrical
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`shape or a parabolic-cylindrical shape projecting in the front direction.
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`Regarding claim 2, Yonemoto discloses each of the two or more antenna elementsis
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`composedof a conductor pattern formed on the board surface of the circuit board (waveguide 34,
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`Fig. 1).
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`Regarding claim 3, Yonemoto discloses wherein each of the two or more antenna
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`elements is a patch antenna (see Fig. | and Fig. 2).
`
`Regarding claim 4, Yonemoto discloses the radar device according to Claim 1, further
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`comprising a signal processing unit (control module 38, paragraph 0050, 0053) that controls a
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`phase (paragraph 0024, 0095) of the electromagnetic wave transmitted from each of the two or
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`more antenna elements and changesthe transmitting direction of the electromagnetic wave
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`transmitted to outside of the housing.
`
`Regarding claim 5, Yonemoto discloses based on a front-rear direction corresponding to
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`the transmitting direction of the electromagnetic wave and a top-bottom direction corresponding
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`to a direction normalto the board surface of the circuit board, a length in the front-rear direction
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`of the housing is longer than a length in the top-bottom direction of the housing (see the
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`comparison of Fig. 1 vs. Fig. 2).
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`

`

`Application/Control Number: 16/198,912
`Art Unit: 3648
`
`Page 4
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`Regarding claim 6, Yonemoto discloses the housing includes a connection unitthatis
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`thermally bonded to the circuit board or a circuit part mounted on the circuit board (The control
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`module 38 is fixed to a lower end opening 20a of the holder 20 in a state in which the control
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`module 38 is contained in a casing, paragraph 0053)(a module fixed in a casing is generally
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`bonded thermally).
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`Regarding claim 7, Yonemoto discloses the electromagnetic waveis transmitted through
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`a cover memberdisposed to cover a region in the front direction of the housing (inside of the
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`headlamp assembly 50).
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`Regarding claim 8, Yonemoto discloses the radar device is supported such that the front
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`direction as the transmitting direction of the electromagnetic waveis parallel to the ground (a
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`headlamp assemblyis supported this wayin orderto shinestraight).
`
`Regarding claim 10, Yonemoto discloses based on an upward direction and a downward
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`direction orthogonal to an extending direction of the circuit board, the antenna unit is disposed at
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`a position deviated from an optical axis of the dielectric lens in the downward direction in the
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`housing and transmits the electromagnetic wave in the transmitting direction being tilted to the
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`upward direction (see Fig. 1, the transmitting direction is upward) from the extending direction
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`of the circuit board.
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`Regarding claim 11, Yonemoto discloses the radar device according to Claim 1 mounted
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`in a vehicle (vehicle headlamp assembly).
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`Regarding claim 13, Yonemoto discloses the radar device according to Claim 11
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`mounted on a vehicle body bottom of the vehicle (a headlamp assembly is generally installed
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`close to the bottom of a vehicle).
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`

`

`Application/Control Number: 16/198,912
`Art Unit: 3648
`
`Page 5
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`Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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`4,
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`The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 103 which formsthe basis for all obviousness
`
`rejectionsset forth in this Office action:
`
`A patent for a claimed invention maynot 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 obviousbefore 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 mannerin which the invention was made.
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`5.
`
`Claim 12 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Yonemoto
`
`(20110279304).
`
`Regarding claim 12, Yonemoto discloses a radar inside of a headlamp assembly but does
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`not specifically disclose mounted on top of a vehicle. However, there are applications of tough
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`terrain vehicle with lamp mounted ontop (or close to top) of a vehicle in order to protect it from
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`being blocked or submergedinto water. It would have been obvious to modify the assembly and
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`mountit on top of vehicle if this requirement is requested.
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`Allowable Subject Matter
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`6.
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`Claim 9 is objected to as being dependent upona rejected base claim, but would be
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`allowable if rewritten in independentform includingall of the limitations of the base claim and
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`any intervening claims.
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`Conclusion
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`Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the
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`examiner should be directed to HARRY K LIU whosetelephone numberis (571)270-1338. The
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`examiner can normally be reached on every M-F 10 AM to 6:30 PM.
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`

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`Application/Control Number: 16/198,912
`Art Unit: 3648
`
`Page 6
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`If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, please leave a voice
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`message with application serial number and nature ofcall, a response within 24 hours can be
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`expected during regular business days. Also, the Examiner’s supervisor Vladimir Magloire can
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`be reached at (571)270-5144. The fax phone numberfor the organization where this application
`
`or proceeding is assigned is 571-270-2338.
`
`Information regarding the status of an application may be obtained from the Patent
`
`Application Information Retrieval (PAIR) system. Status information for published applications
`
`maybe obtained from either Private PAIR or Public PAIR. Status information for unpublished
`
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`
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`
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`
`like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative or access to the automated
`
`information system, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA)or 571-272-1000.
`
`/HARRYK LIU/
`Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3648
`Tel:
`(571) 270-1338
`Fax:
`(571) 270-2338
`Email: harry.liu@uspto.gov
`
`