DETAILED ACTION
Response to Amendment
Applicant's submission filed on July 1, 2026 has been entered.
Claims 1-18 are amended.
Claims 1-18 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.
Claims 1-18 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Minetto et al (IEEE, 2022) in view of Chen et al (US 2017/0307760 A1) and Mueller et al (IEEE, 2014).
Regarding Claim 1, Minetto teaches a method for differential global navigation satellite system (GNSS) positioning, the method comprising [page 3485, right column, second paragraph for using CPS and CPA for measurement between registered applications]:
establishing a communicative coupling between a central computing node and a multiplicity of different roving receivers disposed within a geographic region of common atmospheric error [page 3485, right column, second paragraph for central node is in charge of managing the data dispatching],
owing to ionospheric or tropospheric delays experienced at the geographical region [page 3482, left column, 4th paragraph for ionosphere and troposphere multipath effects, with page 3487, right column, second paragraph for agent SM01 and agent SM02, were configured in order to continuously exchange GNSS data by exploiting 4 G/LTE data connectivity],
each of the different roving receivers generating observable data from GNSS signals received from different ones of a selection of satellites in a GNSS constellation [page 3486, left column, second paragraph for centralized data buffer oriented to the agile exchange of data among the registered agents];
selecting a specific one of the roving receivers [page 3487, left column, third paragraph for having a target agent and an aiding agent]
collecting the observable data from the different roving receivers in memory of the central computing node [page 3485, right column for centralized data collection and independent and distributed PVT computation],
and computing a position of the specific one of the different roving receivers based upon a reduction of a joint estimation of error determined from differencing performed upon the collected observable data from others of the different roving receivers [page 3484, left column, 2nd paragraph for double difference ranging with GNSS time scales for observable measurements]
and transmitting the computed position over the communicative coupling to the specific one of the roving receivers [page 3486, right column, #5) for GNSS container can be seen as the interface between the CPA and the embedded GNSS receiver].
Minetto fails to explicitly teach filtering the observable data to a sub-set of only those of the observables corresponding to ones of the different roving receivers within geographic proximity of the specific one of the roving receivers.
Chen has a correction message for regional GNSS data includes data from several stations in a network (abstract) and teaches filtering the observable data to a sub-set of only those of the observables corresponding to ones of the different roving receivers within geographic proximity of the specific one of the roving receivers [0204-0205 for compares its approximate current location with the list to determine which cluster messages are needed to construct synthetic reference station corrections appropriate to its current location].
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 GNSS position techniques, as disclosed by Minetto, further including the rover calculations as taught by Chen the purpose of save memory, processor time when processing rover location (Chen, 0205).
Minetto fails to explicitly teach wherein the joint estimation of error is determined exclusively from observables of the different roving receivers without relying upon a fixed reference station of known position.
Muller has absolute positions estimated in each vehicle and the differentiation of GNSS pseudoranges (abstract) and teaches filtering the observable data to a sub-set of only those of the observables corresponding to ones of the different roving receivers within geographic proximity of the specific one of the roving receivers [page 434, right column, 2nd paragraph for raw GNSS differential approach for vehicles, none of the nodes has the predominant role of the base station].
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 GNSS position techniques, as disclosed by Minetto, further including the regional calculations as taught by Muller for the purpose of correlated errors in both receivers are expected to cancel out (Muller, page 434, right column, 2nd paragraph).
Regarding Claim 7, Minetto discloses a data processing system adapted for differential global navigation satellite system (GNSS) positioning, the system comprising [page 3485, right column, second paragraph for using CPS and CPA for measurement between registered applications]:
a central computing node comprising a host computing platform of one or more computers, each with memory and one or processing units including one or more processing cores [page 3485, right column, 2nd paragraph];
and, a positioning module comprising computer program instructions enabled while executing in the memory of at least one of the processing units of the host computing platform to perform: establishing a communicative coupling between the central computing node and a multiplicity of different roving receivers disposed within a geographic region of common atmospheric error [page 3485, right column, second paragraph for central node is in charge of managing the data dispatching],
owing to ionospheric or tropospheric delays experienced at the geographical region [page 3482, left column, 4th paragraph for ionosphere and troposphere multipath effects, with page 3487, right column, second paragraph for agent SM01 and agent SM02, were configured in order to continuously exchange GNSS data by exploiting 4 G/LTE data connectivity],
each of the different roving receivers generating observable data from GNSS signals received from different ones of a selection of satellites in a GNSS constellation [page 3486, left column, second paragraph for centralized data buffer oriented to the agile exchange of data among the registered agents];
selecting a specific one of the roving receivers [page 3487, left column, third paragraph for having a target agent and an aiding agent]
collecting the observable data from the different roving receivers in memory of the central computing node [page 3485, right column for centralized data collection and independent and distributed PVT computation],
collecting the observable data from the different roving receivers in the memory of the central computing node [page 3485, right column for centralized data collection and independent and distributed PVT computation],
and computing a position of the specific one of the different roving receivers based upon a reduction of a joint estimation of error determined from differencing performed upon the collected observable data from others of the different roving receivers [page 3484, left column, 2nd paragraph for double difference ranging with GNSS time scales for observable measurements];
and transmitting the computed position over the communicative coupling to the specific one of the roving receivers [page 3486, right column, #5) for GNSS container can be seen as the interface between the CPA and the embedded GNSS receiver].
Minetto fails to explicitly teach filtering the observable data to a sub-set of only those of the observables corresponding to ones of the different roving receivers within geographic proximity of the specific one of the roving receivers.
Chen has a correction message for regional GNSS data includes data from several stations in a network (abstract) and teaches filtering the observable data to a sub-set of only those of the observables corresponding to ones of the different roving receivers within geographic proximity of the specific one of the roving receivers [0204-0205 for compares its approximate current location with the list to determine which cluster messages are needed to construct synthetic reference station corrections appropriate to its current location].
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 GNSS position techniques, as disclosed by Minetto, further including the rover calculations as taught by Chen the purpose of save memory, processor time when processing rover location (Chen, 0205).
Minetto fails to explicitly teach wherein the joint estimation of error is determined exclusively from observables of the different roving receivers without relying upon a fixed reference station of known position.
Muller has absolute positions estimated in each vehicle and the differentiation of GNSS pseudoranges (abstract) and teaches filtering the observable data to a sub-set of only those of the observables corresponding to ones of the different roving receivers within geographic proximity of the specific one of the roving receivers [page 434, right column, 2nd paragraph for raw GNSS differential approach for vehicles, none of the nodes has the predominant role of the base station].
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 GNSS position techniques, as disclosed by Minetto, further including the regional calculations as taught by Muller for the purpose of correlated errors in both receivers are expected to cancel out (Muller, page 434, right column, 2nd paragraph).
Regarding Claim 13, Minetto discloses a computing device comprising a non-transitory computer readable storage medium having program instructions stored therein, the instructions being executable by at least one processing core of a processing unit to cause the processing unit to perform differential global navigation satellite system (GNSS) positioning by [page 3485, right column, second paragraph for using CPS and CPA for measurement between registered applications]:
establishing a communicative coupling between a central computing node and a multiplicity of different roving receivers disposed within a geographic region of common atmospheric error [page 3485, right column, second paragraph for central node is in charge of managing the data dispatching],
owing to ionospheric or tropospheric delays experienced at the geographical region [page 3482, left column, 4th paragraph for ionosphere and troposphere multipath effects, with page 3487, right column, second paragraph for agent SM01 and agent SM02, were configured in order to continuously exchange GNSS data by exploiting 4 G/LTE data connectivity],
each of the different roving receivers generating observable data from GNSS signals received from different ones of a selection of satellites in a GNSS constellation [page 3486, left column, second paragraph for centralized data buffer oriented to the agile exchange of data among the registered agents];
selecting a specific one of the roving receivers [page 3487, left column, third paragraph for having a target agent and an aiding agent]
collecting the observable data from the different roving receivers in memory of the central computing node [page 3485, right column for centralized data collection and independent and distributed PVT computation],
and computing a position of the specific one of the different roving receivers based upon a reduction of a joint estimation of error determined from differencing performed upon the collected observable data from others of the different roving receivers [page 3484, left column, 2nd paragraph for double difference ranging with GNSS time scales for observable measurements];
and transmitting the computed position over the communicative coupling to the specific one of the roving receivers [page 3486, right column, #5) for GNSS container can be seen as the interface between the CPA and the embedded GNSS receiver].
Minetto fails to explicitly teach filtering the observable data to a sub-set of only those of the observables corresponding to ones of the different roving receivers within geographic proximity of the specific one of the roving receivers.
Chen has a correction message for regional GNSS data includes data from several stations in a network (abstract) and teaches filtering the observable data to a sub-set of only those of the observables corresponding to ones of the different roving receivers within geographic proximity of the specific one of the roving receivers [0204-0205 for compares its approximate current location with the list to determine which cluster messages are needed to construct synthetic reference station corrections appropriate to its current location].
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 GNSS position techniques, as disclosed by Minetto, further including the rover calculations as taught by Chen the purpose of save memory, processor time when processing rover location (Chen, 0205).
Minetto fails to explicitly teach wherein the joint estimation of error is determined exclusively from observables of the different roving receivers without relying upon a fixed reference station of known position.
Muller has absolute positions estimated in each vehicle and the differentiation of GNSS pseudoranges (abstract) and teaches filtering the observable data to a sub-set of only those of the observables corresponding to ones of the different roving receivers within geographic proximity of the specific one of the roving receivers [page 434, right column, 2nd paragraph for raw GNSS differential approach for vehicles, none of the nodes has the predominant role of the base station].
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 GNSS position techniques, as disclosed by Minetto, further including the regional calculations as taught by Muller for the purpose of correlated errors in both receivers are expected to cancel out (Muller, page 434, right column, 2nd paragraph).
Regarding Claim 2, 8, and 14, Minetto teaches the joint estimation of error pertains to transmission delays owing to atmospheric delays of the geographic region of common atmospheric error [page 3482, left column, 5th paragraph for satellite-related biases due to ionospheric, and tropospheric, relativistic and multipath effects].
Regarding Claim 3, 9, and 15, Minetto teaches the joint estimation of error pertains to satellite clock bias [page 3484, left column, 2nd paragraph for shared and synchronized, a measurement can be obtained as the difference of two Single Differences between these pseudorange measurements].
Regarding Claim 4, 10, and 16, Minetto teaches the computed position accounts for correction of the joint estimation of error using a combination of the observable data based upon either or both of pseudorange and pseudorange + carrier-phase [page 3484, left column, first paragraph for Doppler measurements thus aligning in time all the raw pseudorange measurements].
Regarding Claim 5, 11, and 17, Minetto fails to explicitly teach the observable data is additionally collected from at least one base station geographically proximate to the different roving receivers.
Chen has a correction message for regional GNSS data includes data from several stations in a network (abstract) and teaches the observable data is additionally collected from at least one base station geographically proximate to the different roving receivers [0106].
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 GNSS position techniques, as disclosed by Minetto, further including the rover calculations as taught by Chen the purpose of save memory, processor time when processing rover location (Chen, 0205).
Regarding Claim 6, 12, and 18, Minetto teaches observable data is collected in a queue filtered according to a maximum lapsed period of time from collection of the observable data page 3486, right column, section 5)].
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claims 1-18 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.
On page 19, first paragraph of the applicant’s argument, the applicant states that Dai does teach the features of the independent claims. The examiner thanks the applicant for the amendments. New reference Minetto teaches cooperative positioning using DGNSS signals in a central location [Minetto, page 3485, right column, section IV].
On page 20, first paragraph of the applicant’s argument, the applicant states that Chen does not teach joint estimation of error without relying on a fixed reference location. The examiner respectfully disagrees, Muller teaches this feature by ensuring no nodes are have a predominant role [Muller, page 434, right column, 2nd paragraph].
On page 21, last paragraph of the applicant’s argument, the applicant states that Dai and Ferguson do not teach the independent claim limitations. The examiner thanks the applicant for the amendments, therefore Dai and Ferguson are not part of the current office action.
Conclusion
THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. 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 SAMARINA MAKHDOOM whose telephone number is (703)756-1044. The examiner can normally be reached Monday – Thursdays from 8:30 to 5:30 pm eastern time.
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/SAMARINA MAKHDOOM/
Examiner, Art Unit 3648
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