Prosecution Insights
Last updated: April 19, 2026
Application No. 17/273,091

METHOD AND DEVICE FOR GENERATING A RADAR SIGNAL, ASSOCIATED RADAR DETECTION METHOD AND SYSTEM

Non-Final OA §102§103
Filed
Mar 03, 2021
Examiner
JENKINS, KIMBERLY YVETTE
Art Unit
3648
Tech Center
3600 — Transportation & Electronic Commerce
Assignee
Tdf
OA Round
3 (Non-Final)
75%
Grant Probability
Favorable
3-4
OA Rounds
3y 0m
To Grant
99%
With Interview

Examiner Intelligence

Grants 75% — above average
75%
Career Allow Rate
15 granted / 20 resolved
+23.0% vs TC avg
Strong +42% interview lift
Without
With
+41.7%
Interview Lift
resolved cases with interview
Typical timeline
3y 0m
Avg Prosecution
38 currently pending
Career history
58
Total Applications
across all art units

Statute-Specific Performance

§101
0.8%
-39.2% vs TC avg
§103
52.6%
+12.6% vs TC avg
§102
43.2%
+3.2% vs TC avg
§112
3.0%
-37.0% vs TC avg
Black line = Tech Center average estimate • Based on career data from 20 resolved cases

Office Action

§102 §103
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 . Continued Examination Under 37 CFR 1.114 A request for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, including the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e), was filed in this application after allowance or after an Office action under Ex Parte Quayle, 25 USPQ 74, 453 O.G. 213 (Comm'r Pat. 1935). Since this application is eligible for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, prosecution in this application has been reopened pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114. Applicant's submission filed on 11/17/2025 has been entered. Information Disclosure Statement The information disclosure statements (IDSs) submitted on 3/3/2021, 3/12/2021, and 9/16/2021 have been reconsidered by the examiner. Response to Arguments Applicant’s amendment filed on 11/17/2025 has been entered. Claims 1 and 15have been amended, and claims 7-8, 10, and 13 were previously canceled, and no new claims have been added. Applicant’s remarks concerning the interpretation of under 35 USC 103 have been fully considered and overcome the rejection on record. Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102 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 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. Claims 1-3, 5, 11-12, and 14-18 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Kellum et al (US10598763), hereinafter Kellum. Regarding claim 1, Kellum discloses: a method for generating a radar signal, comprising (Kellum, Abstract, A method for concurrent transmission of different signal types by a radar system includes: receiving a waveform request for transmitting a first signal type and a second signal type; determining whether the first signal or the second signal is optimized; when the first signal is optimized: transmitting the first and the second signal simultaneously in separate bands; and when the second signal is optimized: determining a time gap between transmission of the second signal, and adjusting pulse repetition interval (PRI) or pulse width of the first signal to fit in the time gap, transmitting the second signal, and transmitting the first signal in the time gap between the transmission of the second signal ), acquiring n+1 communication signals ( Kellum, col. 1, line 64-col. 2, line 28: There are growing interests to use digital beamforming to transmit two or more different types of signals simultaneously such as communications (comms) signals, commercially available Long-Term Evolution (LTE) protocol signals, radar signals, and/or electronic warfare (EW) signals. This requires spectrum sharing by the different types of signals, for example, a radio frequency (RF) signal for military or radar applications, and a lower frequency (communication) signal for command and control applications, need to be simultaneously transmitted off a radar array. For example, military radars and unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) that provide EW function may require concurrent use of C2 data links, the quality of service of which is not adversely effected by the RF fratricidal affects from EW and/or radar signals. However, many conventional methods require separate, custom systems for each type of application/mission. Moreover, in the conventional systems, high peak-to-average power ratio (PAPR) for OFDM waveforms becomes a problem for the amplification stages for radar system. Also, interleaving OFDM subcarriers dedicated for radar systems among communication subcarriers modulated with message symbols increase Integrated Side Lobes ratios and thus reducing SAR contrast image quality. Additionally, proposed optimal schemes are computationally expensive and have poor to moderate data rates. As a result, there is a need for a method and system to allocate spectrum for a variety of commercial communication protocols, such as LTE protocol, in a radar-prioritized modes, and to perform radar modes within commercial communication protocols accurately and effectively), where n is a non-zero natural integer, of frequency f0 for a first communication signal and of frequency fn =f0 + n.Af for a (n+1)th communication signal where Af is a reference frequency range (Kellum, col. 2, lines 32-48: In some embodiments, the disclosed invention is a radar system for concurrent transmission of different signal types including: a waveform manager for receiving a waveform request for transmitting a first signal with a first frequency and a first power level and a second signal with a second frequency and a second power level, wherein the first frequency is higher than the second frequency and the first power level is higher than the second power level; a radar manager for determining whether the first signal or the second signal is optimized; and a transmitter for transmitting the first and the second signal simultaneously in separate bands, when the first signal is optimized, wherein when the second signal is optimized, a scheduler determines a time gap between transmission of the second signal, and the waveform manager adjusts pulse repetition interval (PRI) or pulse width of the first signal to fit in the time gap, and the transmitter transmits the second signal and transmits the first signal in the time gap between the transmission of the second signal), each communication signal comprising frames assigned to the communication and frames not assigned to the communication (Kellum, col. 4, lines 35-51: Fig. 2 is an exemplary simplified high level block diagram for a waveform manager, according to some embodiments of the disclosed invention. In this example, a radar signal and an LTE protocol signals are used as examples for two different signal types. However, as explained above, the disclosed invention is not limited to radar and LTE signals and other types of signals such as commercial satellite communication signal, or television or radio signals, are well within the scope of the disclosed invention. As shown, a waveform manager 201 optimizes the spectrum of the transmission of a radar signal or a LTE signal such that it uses the minimum amount of spectrum or uses the given spectrum to maximum efficiency to transmit as much information as possible. In some embodiments, the radar signal transmission and the commercial communication signal transmission are optimized depending on system requirement, and inserting a radar pulse into at least one frame not assigned to the communication, referred to as a radar frame, of each of said n+1 communication signals (Kellum, col. 1, line 64-col. 2, line 28), said radar pulse being of a duration adapted to a frame not assigned to the communication at a time Tn = TO + n.AT for a given communication signal (Kellum, Abstract, and col. lines 33-67: In some embodiments, the disclosed invention is a method for concurrent transmission of different signal types by a radar system. The method includes: receiving a waveform request for transmitting a first signal with a first frequency and a first power level and a second signal with a second frequency and a second power level, wherein the first frequency is higher than the second frequency and the first power level is higher than the second power level; determining whether the first signal or the second signal is optimized; when the first signal is optimized: transmitting the first and the second signal simultaneously in separate bands; and when the second signal is optimized: determining a time gap between transmission of the second signal, and adjusting pulse repetition interval (PRI) or pulse width of the first signal to fit in the time gap, transmitting the second signal, and transmitting the first signal in the time gap between the transmission of the second signal. In some embodiments, the disclosed invention is a radar system for concurrent transmission of different signal types including: a waveform manager for receiving a waveform request for transmitting a first signal with a first frequency and a first power level and a second signal with a second frequency and a second power level, wherein the first frequency is higher than the second frequency and the first power level is higher than the second power level; a radar manager for determining whether the first signal or the second signal is optimized; and a transmitter for transmitting the first and the second signal simultaneously in separate bands, when the first signal is optimized, wherein when the second signal is optimized, a scheduler determines a time gap between transmission of the second signal, and the waveform manager adjusts pulse repetition interval (PRI) or pulse width of the first signal to fit in the time gap, and the transmitter transmits the second) where AT designates a reference time interval and TO with a reference time common to said n+1 communication signals (Kellum, col. 6, line 46- col. 7, lines 3: A radar manager 322 sends radar mode commands describing the desired waveform to be generated to a waveform manager 318, such as the number of coherent processing intervals or radar frames to run, the pulse repetition interval of the waveforms, the actual waveform to be generated, the frequency and other waveform and timeline parameters to generate the radar mode. The radar manager 322 also receives radar data including detection and track information from the radar mode. This information often appears as symbols on a screen or other user interface to signify where a target has been detected by the radar. The waveform manager 318 receives different waveform requests such as various communications and radar waveform requests from the individual mode managers, such as a communications manager 324 or the radar manager 322. The requests may be received concurrently. Further, the request may include a request that radar and communications waveforms be transmitted concurrently. If the requests are received concurrently, the radar manager arbitrates and determines first whether the requested waveforms are orthogonal in frequency and whether they can be time interleaved. If not, the radar manager may have to grant only a subset of the requests based on system priority such as LTE prioritized mode or radar prioritized mode, as shown in FIG. 2), in order to form said radar signal to the frequencies of the communication signals (Kellum, col. 8, lines 43-60: Once gaps (in time-frequency map) available for radar are identified in block 410, then the PRI and pulse width of the radar mode is adjusted in block 412 to fit within the available gap. For example, to extend the range of the radar, longer PRI's are needed. In order to fit within the available time gap, the range of the radar may need to be adjusted. For instance, the range of the radar can be reduced in block 412 to fit within the available time slot. Conversely, the number of pulses and pulse width partially determines the signal processing gain of the radar, and fewer pulses or shorter pulses can be transmitted to fit the available time gap. The radar waveform and the non-radar (e.g., comms) waveform are then transmitted concurrently in block 414. at the frame level. In this context, concurrently at the frame level means that the radar pulse pattern is transmitted concurrently as the comms signal pattern, even though at the pulse level the radar pulses are time interleaved with the communications signals). Regarding claim 2, Kellum discloses: the method for generating a radar signal according to claim 1 (Kellum, Abstract), further comprising a step of obtaining an instruction for transmitting a radar pulse which conditions said inserting step (Kellum, Fig. 2, Abstract, and col. lines 33-67), said radar pulse transmission instruction comprising a frequency (f0; fl; f2;...; fn) at which each communication signal is intended to be transmitted (Kellum, Abstract, and col. lines 33-67). Regarding claim 3, Kellum discloses: the method for generating a radar signal according to claim 2 (Kellum, Abstract), wherein said radar pulse transmission instruction comprises at least one of the following radar pulse features (Kellum, Abstract, and col. lines 33-67): a waveform of the radar pulse (Kellum, col. 6, line 46- col. 7, lines 3), an occurrence and periodicity of the radar pulse (Kellum, col. 6, line 46- col. 7, lines 3), a duration of the radar pulse (Kellum, col. 6, line 46- col. 7, lines 3), a power of the radar pulse (Kellum, col. 8, lines 43-60: Once gaps (in time-frequency map) available for radar are identified in block 410, then the PRI and pulse width of the radar mode is adjusted in block 412 to fit within the available gap. For example, to extend the range of the radar, longer PRI's are needed. In order to fit within the available time gap, the range of the radar may need to be adjusted. For instance, the range of the radar can be reduced in block 412 to fit within the available time slot. Conversely, the number of pulses and pulse width partially determines the signal processing gain of the radar, and fewer pulses or shorter pulses can be transmitted to fit the available time gap. The radar waveform and the non-radar (e.g., comms) waveform are then transmitted concurrently in block 414. at the frame level. In this context, concurrently at the frame level means that the radar pulse pattern is transmitted concurrently as the comms signal pattern, even though at the pulse level the radar pulses are time interleaved with the communications signals) Examiner interprets pulse width as power, and a duration of a silent period following the radar pulse (Kellum, col. 6, line 46- col. 7, lines 3). Regarding claim 5, Kellum discloses: the method for generating a radar signal according to claim 1 (Kellum, Abstract), wherein each communication signal acquired at said acquiring step is a signal using the communication protocol according to the DVB-T2 standard (Keller, col. 5, lines 12-27:An exemplary plot 202 of the LTE waveform 204 and the radar waveform 206 is shown over power, frequency and time/symbol. As shown, the LTE waveform 204 (denoted as the OFDM Waveform) operates at lower frequencies and lower power levels than the radar waveform 206. Also, a guard band (safe band) 207 of about 6000 KHz separates the LTE waveform 204 and the radar waveform 206. Plot 202 shows a three dimensional (3D) plot of power spectral density (power vs frequency) vs time. Note that the power of the radar signal 202 is higher than the power of the communications (e.g., LTE) signal 204. Also, as time progresses for the radar signal, the time dimension 206, the communications OFDM waveform and the radar waveform remain orthogonal and therefore can be transmitted simultaneously since they never overlap in the frequency dimension) Examiner understands that OFDM is used by DVB-T2, Hong discloses: and the frames not assigned to the communication of said at least one communication signal are frames of the Future Extension Frame type defined in said standard (Hong, col. 9, lines 3-10: The present invention relates to an apparatus and method for transmitting and receiving an additional broadcast signal, while sharing an RF frequency band with related art broadcasting system, such as a conventional terrestrial broadcast system (or also referred to as a T2 system), e.g., DVB-T2. In the present invention, the additional broadcast signal may correspond to an extension (or enhanced) broadcast signal and/or a mobile broadcast signal) and (col. 9, lines 23-41: FIG. 1 illustrates an exemplary super frame structure including an additional broadcast signal (e.g., mobile broadcast signal) according to the present invention. A super frame may be configured of a plurality of signal frames, and the signal frames belonging to one super frame may be transmitted by using the same transmission method. The super frame according to the embodiment of the present invention may be configured of multiple T2 frames (also referred to as a terrestrial broadcast frame) and additional non-T2 frames for the additional broadcast signal. Herein, a non-T2 frame may include an FEF (Future Extension Frame) part being provided by the related art T2 system. The FEF part may not be contiguous and may be inserted in-between the T2 frames. The additional broadcast signal may be included in the T2 frame or FEF part, so as to be transmitted. When a mobile broadcast signal is transmitted through FET part, the FEF part will be referred to as an NGH (Next Generation Handheld) frame) It would have been obvious to someone in the art prior to the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Kellum with Hong to incorporate the features of: and the frames not assigned to the communication of said at least one communication signal are frames of the Future Extension Frame type defined in said standard. Both arts are considered analogous arts as they both disclose communication signals to mobile receiving equipment. The modification would render the predictable results of the reduction of interference of communication and radar signals, improved synchronization and efficiency. Regarding claim 11, Kellum discloses: The method for generating a radar signal according to claim 1 (Kellum, Abstract), wherein the radar pulse is inserted for a given communication signal at a time Tn=TO+n.AT where AT designates a reference time interval and TO designates the reference time common to the communication signals (Kellum, Fig. 2) Regarding claim 12, Kellum discloses: the method for generating a radar signal according to claim 11 (Kellum, Abstract), wherein the reference time interval AT is zero (Kellum, Figs. 2-3 Frequency vs Time). Regarding claim 14, Kellum discloses: a radar detection method, comprising: (Kellum, Abstract) generating a radar signal in accordance with the generation method according to claim 1 (Kellum, Abstract), transmitting said generated radar signal (Kellum, Abstract), receiving the transmitted radar signal (Kellum, Abstract), and extracting the radar pulse from the received radar signal (Kellum, col. 10 line 57- col. 11 line 2: In the receiving mode, the radar system receiving bandwidth is tuned to the bandwidth of the received signals whether they are communications signals, radar signals, or both, if the radar system has a sufficiently wide bandwidth to cover all of the received signals. In both of the radar case and the communications case, the received waveforms are typically input through a digital down converter and/or re-sampler to resample the signals or frequency convert them from IF to baseband, if the signals are not already at baseband. In the radar case, matched filtering may be used similar to the communications case as matched filtering is often used, but a de-spreader and/or a demodulator and decoder are also typically applied to the received signal) Examiner interprets receiver demodulation as extraction of the received signals Claim 15 is rejected under the same analysis as claim 1. Regarding claim 16, Kellum discloses: the device for generating a radar signal according to claim 15 (Kellum, Abstract)), further comprising multiplexing means adapted to multiplex a plurality of communication signals (Kellum, (Kellum, col. 5, lines 12-27), into which a radar pulse has been inserted by said insertion means, to form the radar signal (Kellum, Fig 2) Claim 17 is rejected under the same analysis as claim 14. Regarding claim 18, Kellum discloses: the radar detection system according to claim 17 (Kellum, Abstract), Hong discloses: further comprising demultiplexing means for demultiplexing said radar signal received at the output of said at least one receiver into a plurality of communication signals from which the radar pulse is extracted by said extraction means (Hong, Fig. 16 “first demux”, “second demux”, “demux”; Fig. 23) and (col. 30, lines 43-64: The first DEMUX (132130) may perform demultiplexing on the bit-interleaved PLP data in a single FEC block unit. In another example, the first DEMUX (132130) may perform demultiplexing by using two FEC block units. As described above, when performing demultiplexing by using two FEC block units, cells that respectively form a pair in the frame builder, which will be described in detail later on, may each be generated from different FEC blocks. Accordingly, by ensuring diversity, the broadcast signal receiver may enhance its receiving performance. The constellation mapper (132140) may map the demultiplexed bit-unit PLP data on a constellation in symbol units. In this case, the constellation mapper (132140) may rotate the constellation by a predetermined angle depending upon the modulation type. The rotated constellations may be expressed with I-phase (In-phase) elements and Q-phase (Quadrature-phase) elements, and, herein, the constellation mapper (132140) may delay only the Q-phase element by an arbitrary (or random) value. Subsequently, the constellation mapper (132140) may use the In-phase element and the delayed Q-phase element, so as to remap the demultiplexed PLP data to a new constellation); and (col. 41, lines -19) It would have been obvious to someone in the art prior to the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Keller with Hong to incorporate the features of: further comprising demultiplexing means for demultiplexing said radar signal received at the output of said at least one receiver into a plurality of communication signals from which the radar pulse is extracted by said extraction means. Both arts are considered analogous arts as they both disclose communication systems that comprise OFMD method; however, the modification would render the predictable results of improved extraction of data and radar features; improved sensing and communication; and improved efficiency. 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 text of those sections of Title 35, U.S. Code not included in this action can be found in a prior Office action. 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 4 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kellum et al (US10598763), hereinafter Kellum in view of Hong et al (US9769635), hereinafter Hong. Regarding claim 4, Kellum discloses: the method for generating a radar signal according to claim (Kellum, Abstract), Hong discloses: further comprising a step of adding a header (P1) in at least one radar frame of the radar signal, said header comprising information on the nature of the radar pulse (Hong, col. 37, line 52 – col. 38, line 14: FIG. 20 illustrates a block diagram showing an exemplary structure of an OFDM demodulator (131800) of the broadcast signal receiving apparatus. More specifically, the OFDM demodulator of FIG. 20 performs an inverse process of the OFDM generator of FIG. 18. According to the embodiment of the present invention, in order to receive a broadcast signal, which is transmitted by using a MIMO or MISO, two reception antennae (Rx1, Rx2) are used. An embodiment according to the present invention according uses a polarity multiplexing MIMO method. The OFDM demodulator (138100) of FIG. 20 includes a first receiving unit configured to perform OFDM demodulation on a signal, which is received through the first reception antenna (Rx1), and a second receiving unit configured to perform OFDM demodulation on a signal, which is received through the second reception antenna (Rx2). The first receiving unit may include a tuner (139000-0), an ADC (139100-0), a P1 symbol detector (139200-0), an AP1 symbol detector (139250-0), a time/frequency synchronization unit (139300-0), a GI remover (139400-0), an FFT module (139500-0), and a channel estimator (139600-0). And, the second receiving unit may include a tuner (139000-1), an ADC (139100-1), a P1 symbol detector (139200-1), an AP1 symbol detector (139250-1), a time/frequency synchronization unit (139300-1), a GI remover (139400-1), an FFT module (139500-1), and a channel estimator (139600-1). And, since the operations of the blocks included in the second receiving unit are identical to those of the blocks included in the first receiving unit, the detailed description of the same will be omitted for simplicity) and (col. 38, lines 36-39: The time/frequency synchronization unit (139300-0) uses at least one of the P1 signaling information and the AP1 signaling information so as to perform GI extraction and time synchronization and carrier frequency synchronization) It would have been obvious to someone in the art prior to the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Kellum with Hong to incorporate the features of: further comprising a step of adding a header (P1) in at least one radar frame of the radar signal, said header comprising information on the nature of the radar pulse. Both arts are considered analogous arts as they both disclose communication signals to mobile receiving equipment. The modification would render the predictable results of improved synchronization and data management. Claims 6 and 9 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kellum et al (US10598763), hereinafter Kellum in view of Fay (US 9326295 B1) Regarding claim 6, Kellum discloses: the method for generating a radar signal according to claim 1 (Kellum, Abstract), (Kellum, col. 5, lines 12-27) Examiner notes that while Kellum discloses OFDM that is used by ATSC 3.0, it is not clearly disclosed. Fay discloses: wherein each communication signal acquired in said acquiring step is a signal using the communication protocol according to the ATSC 3.0 standard (Fay, col. 2, lines 29-30: FIG. 8 illustrates a proposed ATSC 3.0 physical layer architecture according to one embodiment); (col. 8, lines 5-52: FIG. 7 illustrates a block diagram of a transmission apparatus. The transmission apparatus may be used, for example, to transmit video images and audio signals in accordance with the proposed ATSC 3.0 standard, DVB-T, Digital Video Broadcasting for Handhelds (DVB-H), DVB-T2, or DVB-C2 standards. The transmission apparatus includes a COFDM modulator 700, a preamble insertion module 704, a DAC 706, and an antenna 708. The COFDM modulator 700 is further illustrated in FIG. 8. The preamble insertion module 704 inserts the system parameters including the a-priori information signal. The digital signal is transformed into an analog signal by the DAC 706 and then modulated to radio frequency. In other embodiments, the a-priori information is inserted as an analog signal after the DAC 706. For example, a chirp signal representing the a-priori information is inserted into the analog signal according to a predetermined timing. (47) FIG. 8 illustrates an ATSC 3.0 physical layer architecture according to one embodiment. ATSC 3.0 is expected to improve and add functionality for broadcast television. A framer 800 combines multiple input streams into a frame with many physical layers or pipes. The scheduler 802 and scrambler 804 place the frames in a selected order and scrambles data per pipe. A forward error correction unit 806 adds information data protection per pipe. A bit interleaver 808 randomizes data bit placement within a pipe to reduce a channel's effect. A mapper unit 810 assigns a group of data bits to a symbol per pipe. A time interleaver unit 812 randomizes symbols per pipe to reduce the channel's effect. An OFDM framer 814 combines multiple inputs into a single stream and format it is frames. A frequency interleaver randomizes data cells to reduce the channel's effect. A pilots insertion unit inserts pilots and reserved tones for channel estimation and synchronization. Then, the preamble that includes the a-priori information may be inserted. An IFFT unit 822 generates the COFDM waveform. The GI insertion unit inserts a repeated portion of the COFDM waveform. The guard interval is used to combat ISI and inter-carrier interference (ICI) caused by delay spread in a communication channel. The GI length may be chosen to match the level of multipath expected. For example, in digital audio broadcasting (DAB), the guard interval length is chosen as one fourth of the receiver integration period. DVB-H and ISDB-T support four different guard lengths of ¼, ⅛, 1/16, and 1/32 of a COFDM symbol or frame data. Control information provides the COFDM with parameters. For example, the control information may indicate the level of protection for certain data. The modulation type is then chosen according to the level of protection. For example, for high protection the modulation type is chosen as QPSK) It would have been obvious to someone in the art prior to the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Keller with Fay to incorporate the features of: wherein each communication signal acquired in said acquiring step is a signal using the communication protocol according to the ATSC 3.0 standard. Both arts are considered analogous arts as they both disclose communication signals to mobile receiving equipment and OFDM. OFDM is used by ATSC 3.0 and is clearly disclosed within Fay. The predictable results of augment the quality of the signal and improve the merge between communication and radar signals; augment transmission using OFDM and coding; and more flexible multiplexing of multiple services. Regarding claim 9, Kellum discloses: the method for generating a radar signal according to claim 6) (Kellum, Abstract), wherein after the step of inserting the radar pulse (Kellum, Fig. 2), said n+1 communication signals are multiplexed to form said radar signal (Kellum, col. 10 lines 45-56: In some embodiments, when the radar and comms packets are frequency multiplexed, a single multi-carrier waveform containing both radar and comms information at different frequency bands is transmitted through the above described architecture/circuit. In the case, where the radar comms packets are time multiplexed and exist at the same frequency, a comms packet is transmitted through the system and then a radar pulse is transmitted through the system, or vice versa, as dictated by the waveform manager timeline. Packets and radar returns are also scheduled in this similar way and the process is repeated for reception of the waveforms for the communications and the radar modes) References Cited but not Relied Upon The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure as thus: Richert et al US9939253 showing interleaved frames from different channels (alternating interleaver of input) Figs 3a/3b of Gulden et al US-20170176583-A1 discloses OFDM and frequency hopping Hammond et al US-20200036487-A1 discloses multi-dimensional shared spectrum access that includes OFDM and frequency hopping Li et al US-20190098493-A1 discloses authentication of a ranging device and frequency hopping and OFDM modulation Lee et al US-20200359354-A1 discloses a method by which terminal transmits ranging response signal in wireless communication system that has OFDM modulation and frequency hopping Niesen et al US-20190369233-A1 discloses signaling for radar systems that includes OFDM modulation and frequency hopping Xu et al US-20180365975-A1 disclose a method, apparatus and system for wireless event detection and monitoring that includes OFDM modulation and frequency hopping Conclusion Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to KIMBERLY JENKINS whose telephone number is (571)272-0404. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Friday 8a-5p EST. 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, Vladimir Magloire can be reached at 517.270.5144. 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. /KIMBERLY JENKINS/ Examiner, Art Unit 3648 /VLADIMIR MAGLOIRE/ Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3648
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Prosecution Timeline

Mar 03, 2021
Application Filed
Mar 05, 2025
Non-Final Rejection — §102, §103
Apr 01, 2025
Applicant Interview (Telephonic)
Apr 01, 2025
Examiner Interview Summary
Apr 15, 2025
Response Filed
Jul 12, 2025
Final Rejection — §102, §103
Nov 17, 2025
Request for Continued Examination
Nov 23, 2025
Response after Non-Final Action
Mar 21, 2026
Non-Final Rejection — §102, §103 (current)

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INFORMATION PROCESSING DEVICE, VEHICLE, INFORMATION PROCESSING METHOD, AND COMPUTER-READABLE STORAGE MEDIUM
2y 5m to grant Granted Apr 14, 2026
Patent 12578415
LOS TRAINING DATASET IMBALANCE DETECTION
2y 5m to grant Granted Mar 17, 2026
Patent 12578425
MIMO RADAR APPARATUS AND MIMO RADAR METHOD
2y 5m to grant Granted Mar 17, 2026
Patent 12571897
VEHICLE-MOUNTED POSITIONING ASSEMBLY, METHOD, DEVICE, AND APPARATUS EMPLOYING ULTRA-WIDEBAND
2y 5m to grant Granted Mar 10, 2026
Study what changed to get past this examiner. Based on 5 most recent grants.

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Prosecution Projections

3-4
Expected OA Rounds
75%
Grant Probability
99%
With Interview (+41.7%)
3y 0m
Median Time to Grant
High
PTA Risk
Based on 20 resolved cases by this examiner. Grant probability derived from career allow rate.

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