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 .
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claims 1-6 and 12-16 have been considered but are moot because the new ground of rejection does not rely on any reference applied in the prior rejection of record for any teaching or matter specifically challenged in the argument.
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.
Claims 1, 2, 3, 6, 12, 14, and 16 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Darby, III (US 2018/0,309,505; hereinafter Darby) in view of Euler et al (WO 2021/066,696; hereinafter Euler) further in view of Reis (US 2016/0,374,047).
Regarding claim 1, Darby disclose a method for accommodating communication between a personal communication device and a satellite communication system comprising a constellation of satellites in low earth orbit (providing practical, orchestrated, coordinated, synchronized and tunable communications between a personal ground station (PGS) unit which may be generalized to take the form of any stationary, portable, mobile or self-mobile device(s) having the capability to do PGS functions (i.e. communicate with the LEOSAT and/or cube-satellite), under this generalized description, these devices are generically referred to as a Terrestrial Participant Device (TPD), and a constellation of low earth orbit satellites (LEOSATs) and arranging parallel and time division multiplexed communications with the satellite among the PGS units, with each PGS unit so directed, communicating in short communicating bursts with the satellite; paras. [0025]-[0026], [0031]-[0035],
[0039]), comprising:
identifying likely positions of one or more satellites of a satellite communication system comprising a constellation of satellites in low earth orbit (identify likely positions of satellites using ephemeris data and ESG-Grid computational cloud (CC) that provide orbital parameters and position description to predict each LEOSAT in the plurality of LEOSATs’ orbital location and orientation, at any given time in advance of the satellite's orbital pass over a cluster of PGS units; paras. [0035], [0044]);
determining by the personal communication device, based upon the identified likely positions of the one or more satellites, a desired orientation of a personal communication device having a non-omnidirectional antenna to potentially facilitate a wireless communication connection between the personal communication device and at least one of the one or more satellites of the satellite communication system (the terrestrial participant device (TPD) maybe be augmented to include a Global Positioning System (GPS) which is used to determine the device location using the satellites’ signals to calculate its distance from each satellite, and the LEOSATs transmit packets when the satellite radio antenna pattern best align with the best positioned TPD, the TPD is also equipped or is capable of using a variety sensors or automated sensors including a gyroscope, an accelerometer, and a compass which are used to measure the device’s orientation and angular velocity for more robust direction and motion sensing (paras. [0041], [0059], [0073], [0108]), the personal ground station (PGS)/ terrestrial participation device (TPD) is equipped with a non-omni directional antenna with directional control toward a specific direction that provides the best satellite reception, and the ESG-Grid computational cloud (CC) can determine based on the captured satellite ephemeris and predicted satellite position and the captured location of the user's PGS/TPD unit the desired orientation of the PGS/TPD unit, whereas the PGS/TPD unit receives beeps under orchestration by said computational cloud (CC) directing the user as to which direction to point the directional antenna for best satellite reception to achieve a practical level of communications between the PGS/TPD and the satellites; paras. [0023], [0035], [0041], [0073], [0077]);
providing information at a user interface of the personal communication device, the information including the desired orientation position of the personal communication device (the ESG-Grid computational cloud (CC) transmits to the user of the portable PGS/TPD unit via the user interface auditory beeping signals directing the user as to which direction to point the directional antenna for best satellite reception; para. [0077]);
detecting a signal received from the at least one of the one or more satellites of the satellite communication system (the TPDs may communicate with or receive originated or relayed communications or commands via radio from one or more LEOSATs, and wherein said TPD is capable of receiving radio or other wireless communications from said LEOSAT under orchestrated control by said CC, each TPD is further comprised such that said TPD is able to perform wireless or radio signal measurement on radio signals detected from said LEOSAT or to record or keep track of received radio signal power, packet counts and bit error counts associated with received transmissions from said LEOSAT, paras. [0025], [0047]); and
determining whether the at least one of the one or more satellites is capable of establishing the wireless communication connection between the personal communication device and the at least one of the one or more satellites of the satellite communication system (determining whether the TPD has a good radio view of the satellite using the wireless radio channel used to communicate with the satellite or a different one of the satellites, determining whether TPD is capable of radio or other wireless communications to said LEOSAT and also of receiving radio or other wireless communications from said LEOSAT under orchestrated control by said CC; paras. [0040], [0047]). Derby do not explicitly disclose the TPD determine the desired orientation using the identified likely positions of the satellites. In the same field of endeavor, Euler et al disclose the UE stores preprogrammed and updated ephemeris data which describes the locations of the satellites relative to an earth-centered earth-fixed reference frame, the ephemeris data include parameters that describe the shape and position of the satellites, the position of a satellite can be predicted based on these parameters orbital equations which are also a function of time and the UE uses the accurate ephemeris data with the UE’s approximate current location and approximate current time wherein the UE use the highly directive antenna beams with maximum gain in a very narrow beamwidth for the acquisition of satellite signals to determine the desired orientation the personal device using the directed beams from the non-omnidirectional antenna towards the satellite (pg. 15, lines 4-22). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to do so in order for the personal device to calculate its distance from the satellites and compute its own location and determine a desired orientation the personal device by using the gyroscope, compass, accelerometer and GPS that the TPD of Darby is equipped with and the stored data indicating the likely orbital position of the communication satellites as taught by Euler for more accurate location determination of the satellites and the personal devices and for better signal strength reception. Darby and Euler do not explicitly disclose detecting, when the personal communication device is positioned in the desired orientation, a signal received from the at least one of the one or more satellites of the satellite communication system; and determining, by the personal communication device, whether the at least one of the one or more satellites is capable of establishing the wireless communication connection between the personal communication device and the at least one of the one or more satellites of the satellite communication system based on the signal. In the same field of endeavor, Reis detecting, when the personal communication device is positioned in the desired orientation, a signal received from the at least one of the one or more satellites of the satellite communication system; and determining, by the personal communication device, whether the at least one of the one or more satellites is capable of establishing the wireless communication connection between the personal communication device and the at least one of the one or more satellites of the satellite communication system based on the signal (paras. [0023], [0028]-[0029], [0048], [0062], [0053], [0078]; Fig. 5, 10). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to do so in order to acquire a strong signal strength satellite signal between the personal communication device and the satellite (Reis; ¶ [0023]).
Regarding claim 2, Darby, Euler, and Reis disclose the method of claim 1, wherein identifying likely positions of the one or more satellites of the satellite communication system comprises: accessing ephemeris data regarding the one or more satellites of the satellite communication system that is preloaded into the personal communication device; and identifying likely positions of the one or more satellites of the satellite communication system using the ephemeris data (Darby; ephemeris data, i.e. satellites orbital parameters and position description of one or more LEOSATs that is stored in the database of LOESAT’s predicted orbital position; paras. [0044], [0058]; Euler, pg. 15, lines 4-22).
Regarding claim 6, Darby, Euler, and Reis disclose the method of claim 1, wherein the personal communication device comprises an accelerometer and a direction sensor, and further comprising determining a current orientation of the personal communication device relative to the likely positions of the one or more satellites of the satellite communication system (the TPD may be equipped with a variety of sensors, these sensor may including but not limited to accelerometers, compass for sensing direction, gyroscope to measure and determine current orientation relative to the satellites, Global Positioning System to fix location, and others, the ESG Grid also know the spatial location or orientation of each PGS unit and where each PGS unit is with respect to the passing satellite and hence how the satellite's antenna pattern will best align with PGS unit, coordinating the current location and current route or planned route with module 2, so that the TPD can be accommodated and impingement of the LEOSAT(s) radio antenna pattern can be predicted for the TPD(s) that can be oriented based on actual or predicted orientation; Darby; paras. [0035], [0041], [0073], [0085], Reis, paras. [0076]-[0078]).
Regarding claim 12, Darby, Euler, and Reis disclose the method of claim 1, further comprising establishing the wireless communication connection between the personal communication device and the at least one of the one or more satellites of the satellite communication system (the present disclosure herein provides includes the following features and benefits, i.e. ability to overcome the cube-satellite and LEOSAT stabilization and short temporal window limitations on communications and to achieve a practical level of packet data communications between the plurality of stationary, portable, mobile, or self-mobile ground stations or terrestrial participation devices, (TPDs), and the satellite(s) making up the system through automatic, coordinated, and orchestrated communications control made possible by the interaction of communications, instrumentation, control actuation, and location and orientation functions among the plurality of TPDs and the LEOSAT/cube-satellite, the TPDs optionally may communicate with, relay to, or receive originated or relayed communications or commands via radio from one or more LEOSATs; Darby; paras. [0023], [0025]).
Regarding claim 3, Darby, Euler, and Reis disclose the method of claim 2, further comprising using the ephemeris data to determine a current direction of the one or more satellites of the satellite communication system to potentially facilitate the wireless communication connection (for portable PGS units, a user may receive beeps under orchestration by said CC directing the user as to which way to point the hand-held antenna for best satellite reception since it is able to capture both the satellite ephemeris and the location of the user's PGS unit; Darby; paras. [0044], [0073], [0077]), Reis, ¶ [0013]), and using a current azimuth angle and using ephemeris data to the one or more satellites of the satellite communication system to determine the desired orientation of the personal communication device to potentially facilitate the wireless communication connection (Euler; pg. 15, lines 4-22).
Regarding claim 14, Darby, Euler, and Reis disclose the method of claim 1, wherein Darby disclose the information provided at the user interface of the personal communication device comprises auditory cues (audio beeps) to a user of the personal communication device (Darby; para. [0077]).
Regarding claim 16, Darby, Euler, and Reis disclose the method of claim 2, wherein Darby disclose said CC module 1 is comprised of programming and functionality that contains a database containing a priori manually or automatically calculated and stored data as to the LEOSAT's predicted orbital position, or ephemeris, with respect to time and relative to known geographic locations prior to or during each overhead orbital pass of said LEOSAT, the database is optionally capable of being updated automatically from said LEOSAT or from TPD(s) or from other automatic ground station locator sources (Darby; paras. [0058]), wherein ephemeris data includes initial ephemeris data and further comprising: receiving, at the personal communication device, updated ephemeris data regarding the one or more satellites of the satellite communication system; storing the updated ephemeris data at the personal communication device; and identifying likely positions of the one or more satellites of the satellite communication system, using the updated ephemeris data (the accuracy of the predicted satellite position, i.e., based on the ephemeris parameters, will generally be quite good at or near the timestamp, or within the duration of validity, but will degrade as time progress in the future, a UE that is pre-programmed with ephemeris data might determine at some point that the ephemeris data is beyond its duration of validity, such that the UE can no longer predict the satellite positions with the required accuracy, accordingly, exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure provide techniques for updating ephemeris data stored in an UE, the method performed by a user equipment (UE), for updating ephemeris data configured to operate as a radio access network (RAN), the method comprising: receiving, from a network node, updated ephemeris data related to one or more satellites so that the updated ephemeris data will allow the UE predict the satellite positions of the satellites with the required accuracy; Euler; pg. 15, line 17 - pg. 18, line 6; pg. 45, line 30 - pg. 46, line 3).
Claim 4 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Darby, III (US 2018/0,309,505) in view of Euler et al (WO 2021/066,696) in view of Reis (US 2016/0,374,047) further in view of Celia (US 2014/0,129,136).
Regarding claim 4, Darby, Reis, and Euler disclose the method of claim 3, wherein Reis disclose using the GPS location and the orientation of the phone to reposition the device as needed to facilitate communication (¶ [0078]. Darby, Reis, and Euler do not disclose the method further comprising: determining a current position of the personal communication device using a global navigation satellite system (GNSS); and using the current position of the personal communication device to determine the position of the personal communication device to potentially facilitate the wireless communication connection. In the same field of endeavor, Celia teach determining a current position of the personal communication device using a global navigation satellite system (GNSS) (the microprocessor 120 activates the satellite signal reception module 100, which receives and acquires GNSS satellite signals in order to calculate the current position of the personal navigation device 10; paras. [0065]); and using the current position of the personal communication device to determine the position of the personal communication device to potentially facilitate the wireless communication connection (the current position found by the acquired GNSS signal is stored and used as the initial current position, e.g. when the personal device is first turned on and attempt to connect with the wireless communications network; paras. [0055], [0113]). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to do so in order to accurately detect the present location of the personal communication device and make a faster connection with other personal communication devices or satellites via the wireless communications network.
Claim 5 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Darby III (US 2018/0,309,505) in view of Euler et al (WO 2021/066,696; hereinafter Euler) in view of Reis (US 2016/0,374,047) further in view of Kim (KR 2021/0,056,229).
Regarding claim 5, Darby, Reis, and Euler disclose the method of claim 2, wherein the ephemeris data includes information regarding expected position and footprint for the at least one of the one or more satellites of the satellite communication system (determining the predicted position and LEOSAT antenna pattern projection or footprint through the ephemeris predictive mechanisms; paras. [0050], [0063]-[0064], [0116]; Euler; pg. 15, lines 4-22). Darby, Reis, and Euler do not disclose the ephemeris data includes information regarding beam patterns for the at least one of the one or more satellites. In the same field of endeavor, Kim disclose the ephemeris data includes information regarding beam patterns for the at least one of the one or more satellites (pg. 5, lines 22-26). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to do so in order for the system to recognize any shape distortion or widening of the beam pattern using e.g. the beam boresight characteristic of the beam pattern.
Claim 13 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Darby III (US 2018/0,309,505) in view of Euler et al (WO 2021/066,696; hereinafter Euler) in view of Reis (US 2016/0,374,047) in view of Yu (US 2017/0,262,244).
Regarding claim 13, Darby, Reis, and Euler disclose the method of claim 1, wherein Reis disclose information at the user interface in user interface 10 by the personal communications device 2 shows the display image of the environment with a recommended change in position image 26-6 (Fig. 3; ¶ [0049]-[0053]). Darby, Reis, and Euler do not explicitly disclose the information provided at the user interface of the personal communication device comprises visual cues to a user of the personal communication device. In the same field of endeavor, Yu discloses the information provided at the user interface of the personal communication device comprises visual cues to a user of the personal communication device (para. [0137]). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to do so in order to provide graphic image indicator or via a button associated with a selectively illuminated icon to the user at the user interface.
Claim 15 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Darby III (US 2018/0,309,505) in view of Euler et al (WO 2021/066,696; hereinafter Euler) in view of Reis (US 2016/0,374,047) in view of Blahnik (WO 2017/213,934).
Regarding claim 15, Darby, Reis, and Euler disclose the method of claim 1, wherein they do not disclose information provided at the user interface of the personal communication device comprises haptic cues to a user of the personal communication device. In the same field of endeavor, Blahnik disclose the information provided at the user interface of the personal communication device comprises haptic cues to a user of the personal communication device (haptic cues; paras. [0024], [0026], [0241]). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to do so in order to improve the human machine interface between a user and the device because the user can perceive the cues as suggested by Blahnik (paras. [0241]).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 7-11 and 17-20 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.
Regarding claim 7, Darby and Euler disclose the method of claim 1, wherein identifying likely positions of one or more satellites of a satellite communication system comprises identifying likely positions of a first satellite and a second satellite of the satellite communication system, and further comprising: determining that the first satellite is likely to be a better candidate of the first satellite and the second satellite to potentially facilitate a wireless communication connection between the personal communication device and the at least one of the one or more satellites of the satellite communication system; providing an instruction at the user interface to orient the personal communication device toward the likely position of the first satellite; after providing the instruction to orient the personal communication device toward the likely position of the first satellite, determining that the first satellite is not a good candidate to potentially facilitate a wireless communication connection between the personal communication device and the at least one of the one or more satellites of the satellite communication system; and providing an instruction at the user interface to orient the personal communication device toward the likely position of the second satellite, in response to determining that the first satellite is not a good candidate to potentially facilitate a wireless communication connection between the personal communication device and the at least one of the one or more satellites of the satellite communication system.
Regarding claim 8, Darby and Euler disclose the method of claim 2, wherein the cited prior art fails to further disclose or fairly suggest identifying likely positions of one or more satellites of a satellite communication system comprises identifying likely positions of a first satellite and a second satellite of the satellite communication system, and the ephemeris data regarding the one or more satellites of the satellite communication system includes ephemeris data regarding the first satellite and the second satellite, and further comprising: determining expected positions of the first satellite and the second satellite relative to each other; and wherein determining a desired orientation of the personal communication device to potentially facilitate a wireless communication connection between the personal communication device and at least one of the one or more satellites of the satellite communication system comprises using the expected positions of the first satellite and the second satellite relative to each other to determine the desired orientation of the personal communication device to potentially facilitate a wireless communication connection between the personal communication device and at least one of the one or more satellites of the satellite communication system.
Regarding claim 9, Darby and Euler disclose the method of claim 1, wherein the cited prior art fails to further disclose or fairly suggest identifying likely positions of one or more satellites of a satellite communication system comprises identifying likely positions of a first satellite, a second satellite and a third satellite of the satellite communication system, and further comprising: determining that the first satellite is likely to be a better candidate of the first satellite, the second satellite and the third satellite to potentially facilitate a wireless communication connection between the personal communication device and the at least one of the one or more satellites of the satellite communication system; determining a first desired orientation of the personal communication device toward the first satellite; determining a second desired orientation of the personal communication device toward the second satellite and the third satellite, simultaneously; and providing an instruction at the user interface to orient the personal communication device to the second desired orientation position.
Regarding claim 10, Darby and Euler disclose the method of claim 1, the cited prior art fails to further disclose or fairly suggest wherein identifying likely positions of one or more satellites of a satellite communication system comprising a constellation of satellites in low earth orbit comprises: providing an instruction at the graphical user interface of the personal communication device to scan above at least a portion of a horizon of the earth; receive signals from at least a first satellite, a second satellite, and a third satellite of the satellite communication system, respectively, during the scan above at least a portion of a horizon of the earth; measure respective signal strengths of the received signals; determine a likelihood of establishing a wireless communication connection with each of the first satellite, the second satellite, and a third satellite of the satellite communication system, respectively, based upon the measured respective signal strengths of the received signals; determining that the likelihood of establishing a wireless communication connection with the first satellite is higher than the likelihood of establishing a wireless communication connection with the second satellite and the likelihood of establishing a wireless communication connection with the third satellite; and wherein the desired orientation of the personal communication device comprises an orientation suitable to potentially facilitate a wireless communication connection between the personal communication device and the first satellite of the satellite communication system.
Regarding claim 11, the cited prior art fails to further disclose or fairly suggest the method of claim 10, wherein providing an instruction at the graphical user interface of the personal communication device to scan above at least a portion of a horizon of the earth comprises providing an instruction at the graphical user interface of the personal communication device to scan above approximately 360 degrees of a horizon of the earth.
Regarding claim 17, Darby and Euler disclose the method of claim 1, wherein the cited prior art fails to further disclose or fairly suggest determining a desired orientation of the personal communication device to potentially facilitate a wireless communication connection between the personal communication device and at least one of the one or more satellites of the satellite communication system comprises: receiving information from at least one other personal communication device regarding its past ability to establish communications with the one or more satellites of the satellite communication system; and using the information received from the at least one other personal communication device to determine the desired orientation.
Regarding claim 18, the cited prior art fails to further disclose or fairly suggest the method of claim 17, wherein the information received from the at least one other personal communication device is received via WiFi or Bluetooth communications between the personal communication device and the at least one other personal communication device.
Regarding claim 19, the cited prior art fails to further disclose or fairly suggest the method of claim 17, wherein the information received from the at least one other personal communication device is received from one of the one or more satellites of the satellite communication system.
Regarding claim 20, the cited prior art fails to further disclose or fairly suggest the method of claim 17, wherein the at least one other personal communication device comprises a plurality of other personal communication devices and wherein the information received from the at least one other personal communication device is received from each of the plurality of other communication devices.
Conclusion
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/LANA N LE/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2648