UNITED STATES PATENT AND TRADEMARK OFFICE
`
`
`
`UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
`United States Patent and Trademark Office
`Address: COMMISSIONER FOR PATENTS
`PO. Box 1450
`Alexandria, Virginia 2231371450
`www.uspto.gov
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`16/026,998
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`07/03/2018
`
`Tomohiro UCHIDA
`
`PANDP0292US
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`1 128
`
`MARK D. SARALINO (PAN)
`RENNER, OTTO, BOISSELLE & SKLAR, LLP
`1621 EUCLID AVENUE
`19TH FLOOR
`CLEVELAND, OH 441 15
`
`LE~ LANA N
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`ART UNIT
`2656
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`PAPER NUMBER
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`NOTIFICATION DATE
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`DELIVERY MODE
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`01/18/2019
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`ELECTRONIC
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`Please find below and/or attached an Office communication concerning this application or proceeding.
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`The time period for reply, if any, is set in the attached communication.
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`Notice of the Office communication was sent electronically on above—indicated "Notification Date" to the
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`following e—mail address(es):
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`ipdoeket@rennerotto.eom
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`PTOL-90A (Rev. 04/07)
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`

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`Off/09 A0170” Summary
`
`Application No.
`16/026,998
`Examiner
`LANA N LE
`
`Applicant(s)
`UCHIDA et al.
`Art Unit
`2656
`
`AIA Status
`Yes
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`- The MAILING DA TE of this communication appears on the cover sheet wit/7 the correspondence address -
`Period for Reply
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`A SHORTENED STATUTORY PERIOD FOR REPLY IS SET TO EXPIRE g MONTHS FROM THE MAILING
`DATE OF THIS COMMUNICATION.
`Extensions of time may be available under the provisions of 37 CFR 1.136(a). In no event, however, may a reply be timely filed after SIX (6) MONTHS from the mailing
`date of this communication.
`|f NO period for reply is specified above, the maximum statutory period will apply and will expire SIX (6) MONTHS from 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, even if timely filed, may reduce any earned patent term
`adjustment. See 37 CFR 1.704(b).
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`Status
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`1). Responsive to communication(s) filed on 7/03/18.
`[:1 A declaration(s)/affidavit(s) under 37 CFR 1.130(b) was/were filed on
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`2a)D This action is FINAL.
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`2b)
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`This action is non-final.
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`3)[:] An election was made by the applicant in response to a restriction requirement set forth during the interview on
`; the restriction requirement and election have been incorporated into this action.
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`4)[:] 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 Expat/7e Quay/e, 1935 CD. 11, 453 O.G. 213.
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`Disposition of Claims*
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`5)
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`Claim(s) fl is/are pending in the application.
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`5a) Of the above claim(s)
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`is/are withdrawn from consideration.
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`Claim(s) § is/are allowed.
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`Claim(s) fl is/are rejected.
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`E] Claim(s) _ is/are objected to.
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`) ) ) )
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`6 7
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`8
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`
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`are subject to restriction and/or election requirement
`[:1 Claim(s)
`9
`* If any claims have been determined allowable, you may be eligible to benefit from the Patent Prosecution Highway program at a
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`participating intellectual property office for the corresponding application. For more information, please see
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`http://www.uspto.gov/patents/init events/pph/index.'sp or send an inquiry to PPeredback@uspto.gov.
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`Application Papers
`10):] The specification is objected to by the Examiner.
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`11):] The drawing(s) filed on
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`is/are: a)C] accepted or b)E] objected to by the Examiner.
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`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)C] Acknowledgment is made of a claim for foreign priority under 35 U.S.C. § 119(a)-(d) or (f).
`Certified copies:
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`a)C] All
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`b)C] Some”
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`c)C] None of the:
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`1C] Certified copies of the priority documents have been received.
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`2C] Certified copies of the priority documents have been received in Application No.
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`3.[:] 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)).
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`** See the attached detailed Office action for a list of the certified copies not received.
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`Attachment(s)
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`1)
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`Notice of References Cited (PTO-892)
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`Information Disclosure Statement(s) (PTO/SB/08a and/or PTO/SB/08b)
`2)
`Paper No(s)/Mail Date_
`U.S. Patent and Trademark Office
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`3) C] Interview Summary (PTO-413)
`Paper No(s)/Mail Date
`4) CI Other-
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`PTOL-326 (Rev. 11-13)
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`Office Action Summary
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`Part of Paper No./Mai| Date 20181218
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`

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`Application/Control Number: 16/026,998
`Art Unit: 2656
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`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
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`under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA.
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`Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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`2.
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`The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 103 which forms the basis for all
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`obviousness rejections set forth in this Office action:
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`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.
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`3.
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`Claims 1-2, and 5 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable
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`over Kazuyuri (JP 2015-142159) in view of Lee (US 2016/0335,980).
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`Regarding claim 1, Kazuyuri disclose a radio communication device comprising:
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`first and second communication units (80); a first antenna terminal (A) used to receive
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`one of first and second signals; a second antenna terminal (B) used to receive another
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`one of the first and second signals; a terminal switch (82) configured to perform
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`switching between a first coupling state in which the first communication unit and the
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`first antenna terminal are coupled, and the second communication unit and the second
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`antenna terminal are coupled, and a second coupling state in which the first
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`communication unit and the second antenna terminal are coupled, and the second
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`communication unit and the first antenna terminal are coupled; and a controller (50)
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`configured to control the terminal switch so as to switch to the first coupling state when
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`in a first reception state in which the first antenna terminal receives the first signal, and
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`

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`Application/Control Number: 16/026,998
`Art Unit: 2656
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`Page 3
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`the second antenna terminal receives the second signal, and to control the terminal
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`switch so as to switch to the second coupling state when in a second reception state in
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`which the first antenna terminal receives the second signal, and the second antenna
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`terminal receives the first signal (switch 82 is connected so that the two respective
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`antenna terminals A, B of the wireless LAN/Bluetooth module 80 correspond one to one
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`with the respective antennas 84, 86 and switches the connection between a connection
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`state where the antenna terminal A for the wireless LAN is connected to antenna 84 and
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`the antenna terminal B for Bluetooth is connected to antenna 86, and a connection state
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`where the antenna terminal A for the wireless LAN is connected to antenna 86 and the
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`antenna terminal B for Bluetooth is connected to antenna 84; 11s 22-24, 33-36).
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`Kazuyuri do not disclose the wireless LAN module and the Bluetooth module are
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`separate communication modules.
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`In the same field of endeavor, Lee disclose the
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`wireless LAN module and the Bluetooth module are separate communication modules
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`(11 66).
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`It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time the
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`invention was made to do so, since it has been held that constructing a formerly integral
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`structure in various elements involves only routine skill in the art. Nen/vin v. Erlichmena,
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`168 USPQ 177, 179.
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`Regarding claim 2, Kazuyuri and Lee disclose the radio communication device
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`according to claim 1, wherein each of the first communication unit and the second
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`communication unit is a communication module for transmitting and receiving or for
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`receiving only (Lee; wireless LAN module and Bluetooth module; 11 66), and a
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`communication system to which the first communication unit conforms and a
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`

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`Application/Control Number: 16/026,998
`Art Unit: 2656
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`Page 4
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`communication system to which the second communication unit conforms differ from
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`each other (Kazuyuri/Lee; wireless LAN and Bluetooth communication systems).
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`Regarding claim 5, Kazuyuri and Lee disclose the radio communication device
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`according to claim 2, wherein each of the first communication unit and the second
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`communication unit is the communication module conforming to one of communication
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`systems of Bluetooth (BT), wireless LAN (Wi-Fi), Global Positioning System (GPS), third
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`generation mobile communication system (3G), and Long-Term Evolution (LTE)
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`(Kazuyuri, 1] 37; Lee; 1] 66).
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`4.
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`Claims 3 and 6-7 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over
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`Kazuyuri (JP 2015-142159) in view of Lee (US 2016/0335,980) further in view of Wang
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`et al (US 2003/0,040,206).
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`Regarding claim 3, Kazuyuri and Lee disclose the radio communication device
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`according to claim 1, wherein Kazuyuri and Lee do not disclose the first signal is a
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`signal to be received by a first external antenna, and the second signal is a signal to be
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`received by a second external antenna.
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`In the same field of endeavor, Wang et al
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`disclose the first signal is a signal to be received by a first external antenna (35), and
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`the second signal is a signal to be received by a second external antenna (36) (11s 24,
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`28; fig. 5).
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`It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the
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`effective filing date of the claimed invention to do so in order to provide an antenna that
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`can be detachably attached to the wireless LAN/Bluetooth module.
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`Regarding claim 6, Kazuyuri and Lee disclose the radio communication device
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`according to claim 1, wherein Kazuyuri and Lee do not disclose a base detachably
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`

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`Application/Control Number: 16/026,998
`Art Unit: 2656
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`Page 5
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`mounted with the radio communication device, the base including: a third antenna
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`terminal used to output the first signal; and a fourth antenna terminal used to output the
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`second signal.
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`In the same field of endeavor, Wang disclose a base (30) detachably
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`mounted with the radio communication device, the base including: a third antenna
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`terminal (34, 36) used to output the first signal; and a fourth antenna terminal (33, 35)
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`used to output the second signal (fig. 5; 11 24).
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`It would have been obvious to one of
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`ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to do so in
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`order to provide a detachable connection to external antennas for communication.
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`Regarding claim 7, Kazuyuri, Lee, and Wang disclose the radio communication
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`system according to claim 6, further comprising a detector (63) configured to detect the
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`first reception state and the second reception state (Kazuyuri; 11s 45, 68-70).
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`5.
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`Claim 4 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kazuyuri
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`(JP 2015-142159) in view of Lee (US 2016/0335,980) further in view of Kim (US
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`2015/0,110,229).
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`Regarding claim 4, Kazuyuri and Lee disclose the radio communication device
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`according to claim 1, wherein Kazuyuri and Lee do not disclose the device further
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`comprising: a first internal antenna; a second internal antenna, a first antenna switch
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`configured to couple the first communication unit to the first internal antenna or the
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`terminal switch; and a second antenna switch configured to couple the second
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`communication unit to the second internal antenna or the terminal switch.
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`In the same
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`field of endeavor, Kim disclose a first internal antenna (1202-1, 1362; figs. 12-13); a
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`second internal antenna (1202-2, 1302-1); a first antenna switch (1264-1, 1364)
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`

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`Application/Control Number: 16/026,998
`Art Unit: 2656
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`Page 6
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`configured to couple the first communication unit to the first internal antenna or the
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`terminal switch; and a second antenna switch (1264-2, 1304) configured to couple the
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`second communication unit to the second internal antenna or the terminal switch (11s
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`137, 142, 147; figs. 12-13).
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`It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art
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`before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to do so in order to provide
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`switching between antennas for communication diversity.
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`6.
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`7.
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`Allowable Subject Matter
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`Claim 8 is allowed.
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`The following is an examiner’s statement of reasons for allowance:
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`Regarding claim 8, Kazuyuri disclose a radio communication system comprising:
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`a radio communication device; and a base mounted with the radio communication
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`device, wherein the radio communication device includes communication unit (80), a
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`first antenna terminal coupled to the first communication unit, and a second antenna
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`terminal coupled to the second communication unit (11s 22-24, 33-36). Lee disclose the
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`radio communication device includes first and second communication units (11 66).
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`However, the cited prior art fails to disclose or suggest the base includes a third
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`antenna terminal to be coupled to one of the first and second antenna terminals, a
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`fourth antenna terminal to be coupled to another one of the first and second antenna
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`terminals, a fifth antenna terminal used to receive a first signal, a sixth antenna terminal
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`used to receive a second signal, a terminal switch configured to perform switching
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`between a first coupling state in which the third antenna terminal and the fifth antenna
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`terminal are coupled, and the fourth antenna terminal and the sixth antenna terminal are
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`

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`Application/Control Number: 16/026,998
`Art Unit: 2656
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`Page 7
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`coupled, and a second coupling state in which the third antenna terminal and the sixth
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`antenna terminal are coupled, and the fourth antenna terminal and the fifth antenna
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`terminal are coupled, and a controller configured to control the terminal switch, and
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`wherein the controller controls the terminal switch so as to switch to the first coupling
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`state when the radio communication device is mounted on the base such that the first
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`antenna terminal and the fourth antenna terminal are coupled, and the second antenna
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`terminal and the third antenna terminal are coupled.
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`Conclusion
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`8.
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`Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the
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`examiner should be directed to LANA N LE whose telephone number is (571 )272—7891.
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`The examiner can normally be reached on M-F 7:30am-12:30pm.
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`Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video
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`conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an
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`interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request
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`(AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
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`If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s
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`supervisor, Curtis Kuntz can be reached on 571-272—7499. The fax phone number for
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`the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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`Information regarding the status of an application may be obtained from the
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`Patent Application Information Retrieval (PAIR) system. Status information for
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`published applications may be obtained from either Private PAIR or Public PAIR.
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`Status information for unpublished applications is available through Private PAIR only.
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