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 .
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 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.
In addressing the rejection ground, each claim may not have been separately discussed to the extent the claimed features are the same as or similar to the previously-discussed features; the previous discussion is construed to apply for the other claims in the same or similar way.
In the office action, “/” should be read as and/or as generally understood. For example, “A/B” means A and B, or A or B.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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.
Claim 1, 4-5, 7-15, 18, and 20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Schoepf et al. (US 2011/0181366) in view of Babitch (US 2008/0164952) and Bagnall et al. (US 2015/0180480).
Regarding claim 1, Schoepf discloses a radio device [e.g. fig. 5/6/7/8 excluding oscillator, a temperature measurement unit] comprising: a radio transceiver [e.g. see at least paras. 0042, 0044, 0070, 0084, 0087, see transmit path; and 508, 510, 514/614, 516/616 (or 815 fig. 8)]; a resonator configured to generate a periodic resonator signal or an interface to a resonator configured to receive a periodic resonator signal [e.g. oscillator/302; periodic resonator signal 304]; a fractional frequency synthesizer [e.g. 530]; and a processing system [518/520/memory (1108 fig. 11/12)/LUT (fig. 13)], wherein the radio device is configured to: use the signal to determine a respective estimated frequency offset for the resonator, stored in a memory [e.g. memory (1108 fig. 11/12)/LUT (fig. 13)] of the processing system; provide the periodic resonator signal to the fractional frequency synthesizer; control the fractional frequency synthesizer, in dependence on the estimated frequency offset [see at least paras. 0058-0059], to generate a periodic local signal [e.g. 512/812] from the periodic resonator signal use the periodic local signal as a local-oscillator signal for transmitting a respective outgoing radio signal [e.g. a transmitted signal] from the radio transceiver; receive a respective incoming radio signal [see at least paras. 0058, 0076; e.g. the received radio signal (also, see the desired target frequency)] at the radio transceiver, wherein the respective incoming radio signal comprises a periodic component having a respective received-signal frequency; determine a respective error value representative of a difference [see at least paras. 0058, 0076] between the received-signal frequency and a frequency of the periodic local signal; and use the respective error value to update one or more parameters [e.g. the value of the frequency steering signal/the arbitrary frequency/the value 320; or see at least paras. 0040, 0054, 0061-0062] stored in the memory. Figs. 4-8 of Schoepf do not disclose a temperature measurement unit configured to generate a temperature signal or an interface to a temperature measurement unit configured to receive a temperature signal, the temperature signal being representative of a measured temperature of the resonator, use the temperature signal to determine an estimated frequency offset for the resonator, stored in a memory of the processing system, that relates frequency offset to temperature, and a model. However, Babitch discloses a temperature measurement unit [fig. 1/2/3/4] configured to generate a temperature signal [e.g. the output signal of the temperature sensor/121] or an interface to a temperature measurement unit configured to receive a temperature signal, the temperature signal being representative of a measured temperature of the resonator [see at least para. 0013], use the temperature signal to determine a respective estimated frequency offset for the resonator, stored in a memory [e.g. memory] of the processing system, that relates frequency offset to temperature, wherein the model comprises one or more parameters [see at least paras. 0013, 0032-0043, 0046 and parameter memory], and to update, or further update, one or more parameters [see at least paras. 0013, 0032-0043, 0046 and parameter memory] of a model [see at least model function] stored in the memory. In addition, Figs. 11-15 of Schoepf discloses a temperature measurement unit configured to generate a temperature signal or an interface to a temperature measurement unit configured to receive a temperature signal, the temperature signal being representative of a measured temperature of the resonator [e.g. 1316 and its output signal fig. 13], use the temperature signal to determine a respective estimated frequency offset for the resonator, stored in a memory [e.g. memory (1108 fig. 11/12)/LUT (fig. 13/14/15)] of the processing system, that relates frequency offset to temperature. Therefore, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the device disclosed by Schoepf in accordance with the teaching of Babitch regarding a temperature sensor in a model in order to provide an improved systems and methods [para. 0011].
Babitch discloses to update the one or more parameters during the calibration procedure. However, Bagnall discloses to continue update one or more parameters of a model in real time during the operation procedure [see at least paras. 0050, 0052]. Therefore, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the device disclosed by Schoepf and Babitch in accordance with the teaching of Bagnall regarding to update one or more parameters of a model in real time in order to improve the speed and accuracy of a system [para. 0007].
Regarding claim 4, the combination discussed above discloses the radio device of claim 1, wherein the resonator is a quartz crystal resonator [para. 0039 Schoepf/104 Babitch/para. 0001 He].
Regarding claim 5, the combination discussed above discloses the radio device of claim 1, wherein the radio transceiver is configured, at each interval, to transmit the respective outgoing radio signal and receive the respective incoming radio signal according to a half-duplex radio protocol [see at least fig. 5 Schoepf].
Regarding claim 7, the combination discussed above discloses the radio device of claim 1, wherein the periodic local signal is a local-oscillator signal that is input to a mixer [e.g. 508/808 Schoepf] in the radio transceiver.
Regarding claim 8, the combination discussed above discloses the radio device of claim 1, wherein the radio device is a semiconductor chip and comprises an interface for connection to an off-chip resonator [e.g. 104 Babitch] and an interface for connection to an off-chip temperature measurement unit [e.g. 102 Babitch].
Regarding claim 9, the combination discussed above discloses the radio device of claim 1, wherein the radio device comprises the resonator and the temperature measurement unit, and wherein the temperature measurement unit is thermally coupled to the resonator [see at least 102 Babitch].
Regarding claim 10, the combination discussed above discloses the radio device of claim 1, wherein the one or more parameters are one or more parameters for a predetermined equation [see at least paras. 0061 Babitch], and wherein the processing system is configured to evaluate the equation numerically, by inputting the measured temperature, to determine the estimated frequency offset.
Regarding claim 11, the combination discussed above discloses the radio device of claim 1, comprising one or more further environmental sensors, wherein the model additionally relates frequency offset to one or more additional environmental factors [see at least para. 0047 Schoepf].
Regarding claim 12, the combination discussed above discloses the radio device of claim 1, wherein the processing system is configured to provide the estimated frequency offset, or a value derived therefrom, as input to a fractional divider of the fractional frequency synthesizer [e.g.530 Schoepf].
Regarding claim 13, the combination discussed above discloses the radio device of claim 1, wherein the periodic component of the respective incoming radio signal at each interval [by Bagnall] is the carrier frequency of the respective incoming radio signal [see at least fig. 5 Schoepf].
Regarding claim 14, the combination discussed above discloses the radio device of claim 1, wherein the radio transceiver comprises an automatic frequency control unit [e.g. AFC fig. 5 Schoepf], and wherein the processing system is configured to generate the respective error value, at each interval [by Bagnall], at least in part using the automatic frequency control unit.
Regarding claim 15, the combination discussed above discloses the radio device of claim 1, wherein the processing system is configured to use a gradient descent process [e.g. polynomial function] to minimize a cost function when updating the one or more parameters of the model at each interval [by Bagnall].
Regarding claim 18, the combination discussed above discloses the radio device of claim 1, wherein the processing system is configured to use, at times, one or more predetermined auxiliary values [see at least paras. 0013, 0032, 0033, claims 11-12 Babitch], in addition to one or more determined error values and measured temperatures, when updating the model.
Regarding claim 20, the combination discussed above discloses a method comprising, repeatedly, at intervals, overtime: receiving a temperature signal representative of a respective measured temperature of a resonator; using the temperature signal to determine a respective estimated frequency offset for the resonator, using a model that relates frequency offset to temperature, wherein the model comprises one or more parameters; receiving a periodic resonator signal from the resonator; using the respective estimated frequency offset to control a fractional frequency synthesizer to generate a periodic local signal from the periodic resonator signal; using the periodic local signal [see at least paras. 0042-0044, 0070, 0087 Schoepf] as a local-oscillator signal to transmit a respective outgoing radio signal; receiving a respective incoming radio signal, wherein the incoming radio signal comprises a periodic component having a respective received-signal frequency; determining a respective error value representative of a difference between the respective received-signal frequency and a frequency of the periodic local signal; and using the respective error value to update, or further update, one or more of the one or more parameters of the model. See rejection of claim 1.
Claim 19 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Schoepf et al. (US 2011/0181366) in view of Babitch (US 2008/0164952), Bagnall et al. (US 2015/0180480) and Bai et al. (US 2018/0139791).
Regarding claim 19, the combination discussed above discloses a radio communication system comprising: a radio device as claimed in claim 1. The combination does not disclose a remote radio transceiver for interact with the radio device. However, it’s well-known to have a remote radio transceiver for interacting with the radio device. For example, Bai discloses a remote radio transceiver [120/110 fig. 1] for interacting with a radio device. Therefore, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the device disclosed by Schoepf and Babitch in accordance with the teaching of Bai regarding a remote device in order to communicate with each other.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 21-22 are allowed. Claims 6, 16-17 are objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claim(s) have been considered but are moot because the new ground of rejection rely on a new reference, Bagnall et al. (US 2015/0180480), that was not applied in the prior rejection of record for any teaching or matter specifically challenged in the argument.
Conclusion
Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to PATRICK C CHEN whose telephone number is (571)270-7207. The examiner can normally be reached M-F Flexible 9:00-5:30.
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/PATRICK C CHEN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2842