DETAILED ACTION
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and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114.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 February 27, 2026 has been entered.
Claims 1-2, and 4-15 are amended.
Claim 3 is cancelled.
Claims 1-2, and 4-15 are pending this application.
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 1-2, 4-12, and 14-15 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kitayama et al (US 2019/0377077 A1) in view of Brown et al (US 2006/0140251A1).
Regarding Claim 1, Kitayama discloses an electronic device comprising [0079]:
a transmission antenna configured to transmit a transmission wave [0079 element 101];
and a reception antenna configured to receive a reflection wave generated by reflection of the transmission wave [0079],
wherein the electronic device is configured to detect an object based on a transmission signal transmitted as the transmission wave and a reception signal received as the reflection wave, the electronic device further comprising [0079]:
determine how frequently to transmit the transmission wave in each of the multiple segments at which the transmission wave is transmitted in accordance with noise powers in the multiple segments [0079-0081 for band selection unit (segments of frequencies)]
[0080-0081].
Kitayama fails to explicitly teach a controller configured to divide at least one frequency band into multiple segments, determine which of the multiple segments has a lowest noise power, and control the transmission antenna to transmit the transmission wave most frequently in the segment having the lowest noise power among the multiple segments, and control the transmission antenna to transmit the transmission wave less frequently in each of the multiple segments having a noise power higher than the lowest noise power.
Brown has an adaptive frequency hopping spread-spectrum (FHSS) transmission system and method (abstract) teach a controller configured to divide at least one frequency band into multiple segments, determine which of the multiple segments has a lowest noise power [0099 for using a probabilistic spectrum with 0120-0123 for using probability values assigned per segment],
and control the transmission antenna to transmit the transmission wave most frequently in the segment having the lowest noise power among the multiple segments [0118-0123],
and control the transmission antenna to transmit the transmission wave less frequently in each of the multiple segments having a noise power higher than the lowest noise power [0118-0123 for higher noise regions are given a lower probability (less frequent transmission) and noise regions with higher Wi,n selected more frequently using preferred and available regions].
It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the applicant’s invention for modifying the radar interference techniques, as disclosed by Kitayama, further including the transmission signal calculations as taught by Martone for the purpose to adapt to a changing transmission interference environment (Brown, 0123).
Regarding Claim 2, Kitayama discloses the controller transmits the transmission wave more frequently in a segment having a lower noise power among the multiple segments [0039, 0080-0081].
Regarding Claim 4, Kitayama discloses the controller transmits the transmission wave less frequently in a segment having a higher noise power among the multiple segments [0069-0072].
Regarding Claim 5, Kitayama discloses the controller transmits the transmission wave least frequently in a segment having a highest noise power among the multiple segments [0069-0072].
Regarding Claim 6, Kitayama discloses a measuring unit configured to measure noise power in the multiple segments at which the transmission wave is received [0065-0067].
Regarding Claim 7, Kitayama discloses the measuring unit is configured to measure noise power in the multiple segments at which the transmission wave is received based on noise power in the multiple segments at which the reflection wave is received [0067-0069].
Regarding Claim 8, Kitayama discloses the measuring unit is configured to measure noise power in the multiple segments at which the transmission wave is received based on an average noise power in the multiple segments of the frequencies at which the reflection wave is received [0065].
Regarding Claim 9, Kitayama discloses the multiple segments at which the transmission wave is transmitted are segments obtained by dividing a specific frequency band [0083-0085].
Regarding Claim 10, Kitayama discloses the multiple segments at which the transmission wave is transmitted are segments belonging to multiple different frequency bands [0083-0085].
Regarding Claim 11, Kitayama discloses the multiple segments at which the transmission wave is transmitted are segments belonging to any of multiple different frequency bands and are obtained by dividing any of the multiple different frequency bands [0083-0085].
Regarding Claim 12, Kitayama discloses the multiple segments at which the transmission wave is transmitted are included in at least any one of a 24 GHz band, a 77 GHz band, a 79 GHz band, and a 140 GHz band [0002].
Regarding Claim 14, Kitayama discloses a method for controlling an electronic device, the method comprising [0079]:
transmitting a transmission wave using a transmission antenna [0079];
receiving a reflection wave generated by reflection of the transmission wave using a reception antenna [0079];
detecting an object based on a transmission signal transmitted as the transmission wave and a reception signal received as the reflection wave [0079],
and determining by the controller, which of the multiple segments has the lowest noise power, how frequently to transmit the transmission at which the transmission wave is transmitted in accordance with noise powers in the multiple segments [0079-0081]
Kitayama fails to explicitly teach dividing by the controller, at least one frequency band into multiple segments, determine which of the multiple segments has a lowest noise power, and controlling, by the controller, the transmission antenna to transmit the transmission wave most frequently in a segment having the lowest noise power among the multiple segments and to transmit the transmission wave less frequently in each of the multiple segments having a noise power higher than the lowest noise power.
Brown has an adaptive frequency hopping spread-spectrum (FHSS) transmission system and method (abstract) teach dividing by the controller, at least one frequency band into multiple segments [0099 for using a probabilistic spectrum with 0120-0123 for using probability values assigned per segment],
and control the transmission antenna to transmit the transmission wave most frequently in the segment having the lowest noise power among the multiple seg determine which of the multiple segments has a lowest noise power [0118-0123],
controlling, by the controller, the transmission antenna to transmit the transmission wave most frequently in a segment having the lowest noise power among the multiple segments and to transmit the transmission wave less frequently in each of the multiple segments having a noise power higher than the lowest noise power [0118-0123 for higher noise regions are given a lower probability (less frequent transmission) and noise regions with higher Wi,n selected more frequently using preferred and available regions].
It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the applicant’s invention for modifying the radar interference techniques, as disclosed by Kitayama, further including the transmission signal calculations as taught by Martone for the purpose to adapt to a changing transmission interference environment (Brown, 0123).
Regarding Claim 15, Kitayama discloses a non-transitory computer-readable recording medium storing computer program instructions, which when executed by a computer, cause the computer to execute [0079]:
transmit a transmission wave using a transmission antenna [0079];
receive a reflection wave generated by reflection of the transmission wave using a reception antenna [0079];
detect an object based on a transmission signal transmitted as the transmission wave and a reception signal received as the reflection wave [0079],
and determine how frequently to transmit the transmission wave in each of multiple segments of frequencies at which the transmission wave is transmitted in accordance with noise powers in the multiple segments of the frequencies [0079-0081]
determine which segment of the multiple segments of frequencies has a lowest noise power [0080-0081].
Kitayama fails to explicitly teach divide at least one frequency band into multiple segments, determine which of the multiple segments has a lowest noise power, determine which of the multiple segments has a lowest noise power and control the transmission antenna to transmit the transmission wave most frequently in a segment having the lowest noise power among the multiple segments of the frequencies and to transmit the transmission wave less frequently in each of the multiple segments having a noise power higher than the lowest noise power.
Brown has an adaptive frequency hopping spread-spectrum (FHSS) transmission system and method (abstract) teach divide at least one frequency band into multiple segments [0099 for using a probabilistic spectrum with 0120-0123 for using probability values assigned per segment],
determine which of the multiple segments has a lowest noise power [0118-0123],
determine which of the multiple segments has a lowest noise power and control the transmission antenna to transmit the transmission wave most frequently in a segment having the lowest noise power among the multiple segments of the frequencies and to transmit the transmission wave less frequently in each of the multiple segments having a noise power higher than the lowest noise power [0118-0123 for higher noise regions are given a lower probability (less frequent transmission) and noise regions with higher Wi,n selected more frequently using preferred and available regions].
It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the applicant’s invention for modifying the radar interference techniques, as disclosed by Kitayama, further including the transmission signal calculations as taught by Martone for the purpose to adapt to a changing transmission interference environment (Brown, 0123).
Claim 13 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kitayama et al (US 2019/0377077 A1) in view of Brown et al (US 2006/0140251A1) as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of Bordes (US 2018/0031674 A1).
Regarding Claim 13, Kitayama fails to explicitly teach the controller performs frequency hopping for the transmission wave in the multiple segments.
Bordes has a radar sensing system for a vehicle includes a transmitter, a receiver, and a processor. The transmitter is configured to transmit a radio signal (abstract) and teaches the controller performs frequency hopping for the transmission wave in the multiple segments [0061-0062].
It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the applicant’s invention for modifying the radar interference techniques, as disclosed by Kitayama, further including the frequency hopping calculations as taught by Bordes for the purpose to passively mitigate PMCW-PMCW interference (Bordes, 0061).
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claims 1-2, and 4-15 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.
In applicant’s arguments page 6, last paragraph, the applicant states that the limitation of controlling the antenna to transmit in less in segment with higher noise power. The examiner respectfully disagrees: Brown, ranks frequency segments by measuring interference energy and assigning probability values (Wi,n). The probability is inversely proportional to the noise power, and transmission in segments is based on the probabilities [Brown, 0118-0123].
In applicant’s arguments page 7, second paragraph, the applicant states that the limitation of controlling the antenna to transmit in less in segment with higher noise power. The examiner respectfully disagrees: Brown teaches a weighted pseudo random selection of frequency ranges based on measured spectral energy and directing the system to adapt to the interference environment [Brown, 0099].
In applicant’s arguments page 7, third paragraph, the applicant states that the limitation of controlling the antenna to transmit in less in segment with higher noise power. The examiner respectfully disagrees: Brown teaches a four stage process of measuring RF energy per regions, and ranking regions by power content, and selecting preferred regions based on a design goal [Brown, 0104-0108].
Conclusion
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/SAMARINA MAKHDOOM/
Examiner, Art Unit 3648