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 .
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 final rejection. 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and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114. Applicant's submission filed on 01/29/2026 has been entered.
Response to Amendment
The following is an office action in response to applicant’s amendment filed on 01/29/2026 for response of the final office action mailed on 12/02/2025. Independent Claims 1 and 13 and dependent Claim 3 are amended. Claims 1-14 are pending in the application.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claims, particularly independent Claims 1 and 13 have been fully 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
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 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 non-obviousness.
Claims 1-14 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Barnard et al. (US 20150373482 A1), hereinafter Barnard, in view of Zampini II et al. (US 20190132815 A1), hereinafter Zampini, further in view of MAGNAN et al (US 20190182671 A1), hereinafter MAGNAN.
Regarding Claim 1, Barnard teaches
a lighting device (Barnard FIG. 6, lighting node 102), the lighting device being mains-powered (Barnard, FIG. 6, 668 power Source to lighting node via Power input terminal 668; see also ¶0051, [each] lighting node may include a power input terminal for receiving electrical power, i.e. connected to the main), said lighting device comprising:
a wireless receiver (Barnard, FIG. 6, wireless uplink transceiver, 664 /beacon transceiver, 666);
a wireless transmitter (Barnard, FIG. 6, wireless uplink transceiver, 664 /beacon transceiver, 666); and
at least one processor (Barnard ¶0040, a processing unit/processor) configured to:
receive, via said wireless receiver, a wireless broadcast of a beacon signal from a battery-powered sensor device (Barnard, FIG. 6, ¶0079, beacon transceiver 666 may also receive signals from nearby sensor controller nodes SCN; FIG. 7B, ¶0041, Sensor Controller Node (SCN), 101), said beacon signal comprising sensor data of the battery- powered sensor device (Barnard as illustrated in FIG. 13, ¶0131, sensor data from SCNs via the beacon gateway 1330; see also ¶0055, the SCN/ sensor device may be battery powered, i.e. a “battery powered sensor device”), . ..[in response to sensor data] broadcast, via said wireless transmitter, a plurality of secondary beacon signals at different moments in time, each of said secondary beacon signals comprising said sensor data (Barnard, FIG. 13, ¶0131 light module/beacon node 1370 broadcasts a plurality of beacon signals comprising and in response to SCN data/sensor data 1314-1320); see also ¶0056, lighting nodes may transmit/”broadcast” recognizable [plurality of] wireless beacon signals at regular intervals, interpreted as “different moments in time”);
. . . changing a lighting output of the lighting device (Barnard, FIG. 6, node application controller 660 (of “lighting node”) may also send output signals to controllers to change the settings of connected, controlled devices such as an LED light 661);
wherein said at least one processor is configured to broadcast said plurality of secondary beacon signals until said at least one processor receives another beacon signal from said battery-power sensor device, said other beacon signal comprising said sensor data or second sensor data, and broadcast a plurality of other secondary beacon signals at different moments in time, each of said other secondary beacon signals comprising said sensor data or said second sensor data from said another beacon signal (Barnard, ¶0270, a processor of a lighting node may be configured to perform various operations in a time-shared manner, such as operations for measuring and reporting sensor data from coupled sensors by transmitting the sensor data to a gateway that is logically connected to a service platform, transmitting/broadcasting beacon signals that may be used by receiving devices (e.g., mobile devices) . . . scanning for beacon signals transmitted by other devices within the lighting infrastructure, tracking devices transmitting beacon signals, . . .; see also FIG. 13, ¶0131 see also “broadcast” citation herein).
Barnard does not explicitly teach [to] - determine if the beacon signal came from the battery-powered sensor device, and- in response to determining that the beacon signal came from the battery-powered sensor device [report/act].
However, in the analogous art Zampini explicitly discloses [to] determine if the beacon signal came from the battery-powered sensor device (Zampini, ¶0009 the mobile device can be preprogrammed or updated by a remote server to associate the specific data in the beacon broadcast, such as the beacon UUID (“device identifier”); ¶0148 the user's mobile device may periodically or continuously broadcast a customized UUID read by the advanced control beacon (ACB)); see also ¶0077, the ACB may be powered by AC mains voltage, see also Claim 10 mapping, where beacon signal comprises a device identifier) . . .
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of the ordinary skills in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to combine Barnard’s system and method for a wireless light sensor network with Zampini's system and method for beacon integrated with displays. The motivation would be to provide innovative systems and methods of building analytics [Zampini, ¶0025].
Barnard teaches [to] change a lighting output of the lighting device (cited herein); see also Zampini (¶0012; ¶0148 the mobile device may be used to broadcast a signal that is heard by the ACB, in which case the ACB performs a light effect;).
Yet, Barnard and Zampini do not explicitly teach [to] receive, via said wireless receiver, a wireless broadcast of another beacon signal from a user device, the another beacon signal indicating that the user device is searching for a certain lighting node, determine if the lighting device corresponds to the indicated certain lighting node, and [peform] in response to determining that the lighting device corresponds to the indicated certain lighting node.
However, in the analogous art, MAGNAN explicitly discloses [to] receive, via said wireless receiver, a wireless broadcast of another beacon signal from a user device, the another beacon signal indicating that the user device is searching for a certain lighting node (MAGNAN, FIG. 1, ¶0028 smart lighting fixture network accessible by one or more authorized wireless devices 150 (e.g., smartphone, tablet computer, etc.) / a “user device”; ¶0029 lighting infrastructure can be used to provide wireless communication (e.g., WiFi, etc.) access; and communicatively coupled to the fixture 120-128 to facilitate exchange of information; ¶0064,smart lighting fixture detects electronic device; ),
determine if the lighting device corresponds to the indicated certain lighting node (MAGNAN, FIG. 1, ¶0064, smart lighting fixture detects electronic device [and] ¶0065 authorization of the electronic device is determined by the smart fixture / “lighting node”), and [perform] in response to determining that the lighting device corresponds to the indicated certain lighting node (MAGNAN, FIG. 11, ¶0086-¶0087 device or node searching for an available connection; at 1104, device and comm node 414/”another beacon signal” from UE; FIG. 1, ¶0036 wireless node 414 can collect data and relay messages with respect to one or more devices and a wireless gateway 420. ).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of the ordinary skills in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to combine Barnard’s system and method for a wireless light sensor network and Zampini's system and method for beacon integrated with displays with MAGNAN’s smart light fixture communication network infrastructure and methods of use. The motivation would be to dynamically improve sensor productivity and efficiency [MAGNAN, ¶0038].
Regarding Claim 2, Barnard, Zampini and MAGNAN teach Claim 1.
Barnard further teaches a light source for illuminating an environment (Barnard, ¶0047, the lighting nodes and gateway nodes may be located within the lighting infrastructure (e.g., at individual street light fixtures; light source 9, may comprise one or more LEDs).
Regarding Claim 3, Barnard, Zampini and MAGNAN teach Claim 1.
Barnard further teaches said at least one processor is configured to determine an amount of time (¶0055 sensor data and determine required update time from sensor data) and broadcast said plurality of secondary beacon signals for said determined amount of time (Barnard, ¶0056, lighting nodes may transmit recognizable wireless beacon signals at regular intervals / “a determined amount of time”).
Regarding Claim 4, Barnard, Zampini and MAGNAN teach Claim 3.
Barnard further teaches said beacon signal specifies said amount of time and said at least one processor is configured to determine said amount of time from said beacon signal (Barnard, ¶0055, the SCNs 101a-1011 may communicate the values of connected sensors to the lighting nodes 102a-102f by (1) having a SCN insert the sensor data in an advertising packet that is transmitted at set intervals (“said amount of time”) (e.g., in an open advertising mode); (2) having a lighting node (e.g., 102a-102f) connect in a round robin to local sensors to retrieve the sensor data (e.g., a time-shared connection mode.).
Regarding Claim 5, Barnard, Zampini and MAGNAN teach Claim 3.
Barnard further teaches . . . said at least one processor is configured to receive the another beacon signal from said battery-power sensor device, determine an interval between receiving said beacon signal (Barnard, ¶0056, lighting nodes may transmit recognizable wireless beacon signals at regular intervals) and receiving said other beacon signal and determine said amount of time based on said interval (Barnard, ¶0042, lighting nodes may receive signals from other lighting nodes or sensor controller nodes SCNs (interpreted as “another beacon signal(s)”; see also FIG. 13, beacon node/lighting node, 1370 receives another beacon signal 1315/1316, from SCN 1361/ 1362 respectively); see also ¶0131 the application software platform 108/“processor” polls periodically for filtered sensor data over communication path 1303a; see also, ¶0055, the SCNs 101a-1011 may communicate the values of connected sensors to the lighting nodes 102a-102f by (1) having a SCN insert the sensor data in an advertising packet that is transmitted at set intervals (“said amount of time”) (e.g., in an open advertising mode); (2) having a lighting node (e.g., 102a-102f) connect in a round robin to local sensors to retrieve the sensor data (e.g., a time-shared connection mode.).
Regarding Claim 6, Barnard, Zampini and MAGNAN teach Claim 1.
Barnard further teaches said at least one processor is configured to:
receive, via said wireless receiver, a second wireless broadcast of a rebroadcasted beacon signal from another lighting device, said rebroadcasted beacon signal comprising further sensor data, said further sensor data being received by said other lighting device from another battery-powered sensor device as part of an original beacon signal (Barnard, ¶0042, lighting nodes may receive signals from other lighting nodes (“another lighting device”). . . and re-transmit (“rebroadcast”) the information in those signals with the same transceiver or a different transceiver (“a second wireless broadcast”); FIG. 10, ¶0110, the processor repeats blocks 1004, 1005, 1006, 1007, 1008, 1009 for the individual beacon signals until block 1010 determines that enough beacon signals have been received, “individual beacon signals here interpreted to correspond to “repetitions from said rebroadcasted beacon signal”).
broadcast, via said wireless transmitter, a further secondary beacon signal, said further secondary beacon signal comprising said further sensor data from said further beacon signal (Barnard, FIG. 10, ¶0110, processor repeats blocks 1004, 1005, 1006, 1007, 1008, 1009 for the individual beacon signals until block 1010 determines that enough beacon signals have been received; “individual beacon signals” interpreted to correspond to “repetitions from said rebroadcasted beacon signal”; see also FIG. 1, ¶0056, lighting nodes 102a-102f may…. (4) communicate received signals and sensor data to neighboring lighting nodes (e.g., 102a-102f) . . . [and]; . . .may also be connected to other sensors or controllers that interact programmatically with the lighting nodes 102a-102f.)
Regarding Claim 7, Barnard, Zampini and MAGNAN teach Claim 6.
Barnard further teaches said at least one processor is configured to determine a number of repetitions from said rebroadcasted beacon signal, increment said number of repetitions by one, and include said incremented number of repetitions in said further secondary beacon signal (Barnard, FIG. 10, ¶0110, processor repeats blocks 1004, 1005, 1006, 1007, 1008, 1009 for the individual beacon signals until block 1010 determines that enough beacon signals have been received; the sequential block repetition to corresponds to incrementing a number of repetitions”).
Regarding Claim 8, Barnard, Zampini and MAGNAN teach Claim 7.
Barnard further teaches to compare said number of repetitions with a threshold and broadcast said further secondary beacon signal in dependence on said number of repetitions not exceeding said threshold (Barnard, FIG. 10, ¶0110, processor repeats blocks 1004, 1005, 1006, 1007, 1008, 1009 for the individual beacon signals until block 1010 determines that enough beacon signals have been received; examiner interprets "until block 1010 determines that enough beacon signals have been received" to correspond “a threshold of a number of repetitions”)).
Regarding Claim 9, Barnard, Zampini and MAGNAN teach Claim 1.
Barnard further teaches said beacon signal comprises location information indicative of a location of said battery-powered sensor device (Barnard, ¶0092, the beacon signals provide location-based information) and said at least one processor is configured to include said location information in said plurality of secondary beacon signals (Barnard, ¶0092 mobile devices (i.e., within the communication range of beacon signals) may receive beacon signals from lighting nodes (secondary beacon signals) within BSCLANs; see also ¶0072, local networks are referred to as beacon, sensor, and controller LAN or “BSCLAN”).
Regarding Claim 10, Barnard, Zampini and MAGNAN teach Claim 1.
Barnard further teaches [to] receive, via said wireless receiver, a second wireless broadcast of a user beacon signal from a user device (Barnard, ¶0042, lighting nodes may receive signals from other lighting nodes (“another lighting device”). . . and re-transmit (“rebroadcast”) the information in those signals with the same transceiver or a different transceiver (“a second wireless broadcast”); FIG.10,¶0110, the processor repeats blocks 1004, 1005, 1006, 1007, 1008, 1009 for the individual beacon signals until block 1010 determines that enough beacon signals have been received, “individual beacon signals here interpreted to correspond to “repetitions from said rebroadcasted beacon signal”),
Barnard does not explicitly teach said user beacon signal comprising a device identifier, . . .[to]
compare said received device identifier with a locally stored device identifier, and - provide visual feedback in dependence on said device identifier matching said locally stored device identifier.
However, in the analogous art, Zampini explicitly discloses . . . said user beacon signal comprising a device identifier (Zampini, ¶0009 the mobile device can be preprogrammed or updated by a remote server to associate the specific data in the beacon broadcast, such as the beacon UUID (“device identifier”); ¶0148 the user's mobile device may periodically or continuously broadcast a customized UUID read by the advanced control beacon (ACB)); see also ¶0077, the ACB may be powered by AC mains voltage);
- compare said received device identifier with a locally stored device identifier (Zampini, ¶0148, the advanced control beacon (ACB) is capable of placing greater weight on previously recognized (“locally stored”) UUIDs, compared to new UUIDs; see also FIG. 19A, ¶0287 at 1908/1910 mobile device authentication policy), and
- provide visual feedback in dependence on said device identifier matching said locally stored device identifier (Zampini, ¶0148 the mobile device may be used to broadcast a signal that is heard by the ACB, in which case the ACB performs a light effect; see also ¶0154 disclosed throughout, location identification with user Location Requests and ACB Location Response; see also process FIG. 19A/19B, ¶0286).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of the ordinary skills in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to combine Barnard’s system and method for a wireless light sensor network with Zampini's system and method for beacon integrated with displays. The motivation would be to provide innovative systems and methods of building analytics [Zampini, ¶0025].
Regarding Claim 11, Barnard, Zampini and MAGNAN teach Claim 10.
Barnard further teaches said at least one processor is configured to broadcast, via said wireless transmitter, a tertiary beacon signal, said tertiary beacon signal comprising said received device identifier (Barnard, FIG. 14; ¶0145 the processor of each beacon node (e.g., 1401a-1401c) may periodically scan for beacon signals from tracked devices (e.g. 1403/1404); and at ¶0147, broadcast a beacon signal (e.g., 1430-1432 and 1440-1442), comprising a tracked device identifier); Zampini also discloses a beacon signal comprising the received device identifier.
Regarding Claim 12, Barnard, Zampini and MAGNAN teach Claim 10.
Barnard further teaches said at least one processor is configured to include said locally stored device identifier in said plurality of secondary beacon signals (Barnard, ¶0040, the beacon node includes a transceiver that is configured to receive and/or transmit beacon signals (plurality of secondary beacon signals); . . .a beacon signal includes a unique identifier for particular beacon device and the transmitter power of the device transmitting the beacon signal (“locally stored device identifier).
Regarding Claim 13, the claim discloses similar features of Claim 1 and is rejected based on the same rationale of Claim 1, in method form (Barnard, abstract, ¶0084, ¶0096 disclosed throughout).
Regarding Claim 14, Barnard, Zampini and MAGNAN teach Claim 13.
Barnard further teaches a computer program product for a computing device, the computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer readable medium comprising instructions, the instructions when executed by a processor cause the processor to perform the method of claim 13 (Barnard, ¶0275, [t]he steps of a method or algorithm disclosed herein may be embodied in a processor-executable software module or processor-executable software instructions which may reside on a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium).; . . . which may be incorporated into a computer program product).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Ryan et al. (US 20150147067 A1): Abstract; FIG. 29; ¶0204 FIG. 29 is a schematic depiction of aspects of a commissioning process of a lighting mesh 2900. The locations of some or all of the nodes of the mesh 2900 are not initially known; a commissioner 2902 carries a mobile device 2904 and wishes to associate a physical location with a next light in the mesh (e.g., the light 2906).
Klefsjo (US 20180310131 A1): Abstract; discloses a method and system for handling position of a UE (associated with a vehicle)
Taylor (US 20200084863 A1): Abstract; FIG. 9, disclosed throughout, a distributed intelligent network-based lighting system [where] Abstract, smart nodes may also receive signals from legacy control devices, and map the received control signals to control signals that are compatible with the light fixtures; ¶0111 transmitting beacon signals 35 that may be used by the smart nodes 12 is the iBeacon protocol, an implementation of Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) beacons.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to TRACY L WILLIAMS whose telephone number is 571-270-7694. The examiner can normally be reached Mon - Fri 8:30-5:30.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Ayman Abaza can be reached at 571-270-0422. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/TRACY L WILLIAMS/Examiner, Art Unit 2465 /CHRISTOPHER T WYLLIE/Examiner, Art Unit 2465