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 .
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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 the appropriate paragraphs of 35 U.S.C. 102 that form the basis for the rejections under this section made in this Office action:
A person shall be entitled to a patent unless –
(a)(1) the claimed invention was patented, described in a printed publication, or in public use, on sale, or otherwise available to the public before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claim(s) 1-6, 8-13, 15-20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Melzer (US 2019/0242972).
Claim 1: Melzer discloses a radar ranging method, comprising:
receiving an echo signal (para 0040)
mixing a signal from a frequency modulated continuous wave (FMCW) radar and the echo signal to obtain a beat frequency signal (para 0040, 0041)
performing low frequency suppression on the beat frequency signal to obtain a first signal (para 0040, 0041, 0043, 0049, 0054-0056)
performing a mean gradient calculation on the first signal in a frequency domain to obtain a second signal, wherein the mean gradient calculation indicates a difference between a first signal value of each sampling point in the first signal and a second signal value of a surrounding sampling point (para 0069-0078, Melzer discloses correcting for distorted a sample point phase values by using a statistical value of neighboring phase slopes such as an average);
determining a peak signal in the second signal (para 0040, 0041, 0078); and
calculating at least one of a speed or a distance of a target object based on the peak signal (para 0040, 0041, 0078)
Claim 2: Melzer discloses performing low frequency suppression on the beat frequency signal to obtain the first signal comprises performing low frequency suppression on the beat frequency signal to obtain a first transition signal; and performing a discrete Fourier transform or a short-time Fourier transform on the first transition signal to obtain the first signal (para 0040, 0041, 0043, 0049, 0054-0056)
Claim 3: Melzer discloses performing low frequency suppression on the beat frequency signal to obtain the obtaining a first signal comprises performing a discrete Fourier transform or a short-time Fourier transform on the beat frequency signal to obtain a second transition signal; and performing low frequency suppression on the second transition signal to obtain the first signal (para 0040, 0041, 0043, 0049, 0054-0056)
Claim 4: Melzer discloses performing the low frequency suppression is implemented by using a digital tap filter, or performing the low frequency suppression is implemented-by performing scaling processing on a preset sequence parameter (para 0040, 0041, 0043, 0049, 0054-0056)
Claim 5: Melzer discloses performing the mean gradient calculation on the first signal in the frequency domain to obtain the second signal comprises performing, in the frequency domain, a target operation on a third signal of each sampling point in a plurality of sampling points in the first signal to obtain a sub-signal of each sampling point that is in the second signal and that corresponds to each of the sampling point, wherein the target operation comprises performing a difference operation between the first signal value of each sampling point and a reference value to obtain the sub-signal, and wherein the reference value is an average value based on signal values of at least two other sampling points than different from the sampling point (fig 6, 13, 17, 20, para 0069-0078, Melzer discloses correcting for distorted a sample point phase values by using a statistical value of neighboring phase slopes such as an average);
Claim 6: Melzer discloses in the frequency domain, a spacing between the at least two other sampling points and the sampling point is greater than a first preset threshold and less than a second preset threshold (fig 6, 13, 17, 20, para 0069-0078)
Claim 8: Melzer discloses an apparatus, comprising:
a memory configured to store instructions (para 0032, 0081, 0083); and
a processor coupled to the memory and configured to execute the instructions (para 0032, 0081, 0083) to cause the apparatus to:
receive an echo signal (para 0040)
mix a signal from a frequency modulated continuous wave (FMCW) radar and the echo signal to obtain a beat frequency signal (para 0040, 0041)
perform low frequency suppression on the beat frequency signal to obtain a first signal (para 0040, 0041, 0043, 0049, 0054-0056)
perform a mean gradient calculation on the first signal in a frequency domain to obtain a second signal, wherein the mean gradient calculation indicates a difference between a first signal value of each sampling point in the first signal and a second signal value of a surrounding sampling point (para 0069-0078, Melzer discloses correcting for distorted a sample point phase values by using a statistical value of neighboring phase slopes such as an average);
determine a peak signal in the second signal (para 0040, 0041, 0078); and
calculate at least one of a speed or a distance of a target object based on the peak signal (para 0040, 0041, 0078)
Claim 9: Melzer discloses performing low frequency suppression on the beat frequency signal to obtain the first signal comprises performing low frequency suppression on the beat frequency signal to obtain a first transition signal; and performing a discrete Fourier transform or a short-time Fourier transform on the first transition signal to obtain the first signal (para 0040, 0041, 0043, 0049, 0054-0056)
Claim 10: Melzer discloses performing low frequency suppression on the beat frequency signal to obtain the obtaining a first signal comprises performing a discrete Fourier transform or a short-time Fourier transform on the beat frequency signal to obtain a second transition signal; and performing low frequency suppression on the second transition signal to obtain the first signal (para 0040, 0041, 0043, 0049, 0054-0056)
Claim 11: Melzer discloses performing the low frequency suppression is implemented by using a digital tap filter, or performing the low frequency suppression is implemented-by performing scaling processing on a preset sequence parameter (para 0040, 0041, 0043, 0049, 0054-0056)
Claim 12: Melzer discloses performing the mean gradient calculation on the first signal in the frequency domain to obtain the second signal comprises performing, in the frequency domain, a target operation on a third signal of each sampling point in a plurality of sampling points in the first signal to obtain a sub-signal of each sampling point that is in the second signal and that corresponds to each of the sampling point, wherein the target operation comprises performing a difference operation between the first signal value of each sampling point and a reference value to obtain the sub-signal, and wherein the reference value is an average value based on signal values of at least two other sampling points than different from the sampling point (fig 6, 13, 17, 20, para 0069-0078, Melzer discloses correcting for distorted a sample point phase values by using a statistical value of neighboring phase slopes such as an average);
Claim 13: Melzer discloses in the frequency domain, a spacing between the at least two other sampling points and the sampling point is greater than a first preset threshold and less than a second preset threshold (fig 6, 13, 17, 20, para 0069-0078)
Claim 15: Melzer discloses A computer program product comprising computer-executable instructions stored on a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium (para 0032, 0081, 0083), wherein the computer-executable instructions, when executed by a processor of an apparatus, cause the apparatus to:
receive an echo signal (para 0040)
mix a signal from a frequency modulated continuous wave (FMCW) radar and the echo signal to obtain a beat frequency signal (para 0040, 0041)
perform low frequency suppression on the beat frequency signal to obtain a first signal (para 0040, 0041, 0043, 0049, 0054-0056)
perform a mean gradient calculation on the first signal in a frequency domain to obtain a second signal, wherein the mean gradient calculation indicates a difference between a first signal value of each sampling point in the first signal and a second signal value of a surrounding sampling point (para 0069-0078, Melzer discloses correcting for distorted a sample point phase values by using a statistical value of neighboring phase slopes such as an average);
determine a peak signal in the second signal (para 0040, 0041, 0078); and
calculate at least one of a speed or a distance of a target object based on the peak signal (para 0040, 0041, 0078)
Claim 16: Melzer discloses performing low frequency suppression on the beat frequency signal to obtain the first signal comprises performing low frequency suppression on the beat frequency signal to obtain a first transition signal; and performing a discrete Fourier transform or a short-time Fourier transform on the first transition signal to obtain the first signal (para 0040, 0041, 0043, 0049, 0054-0056)
Claim 17: Melzer discloses performing low frequency suppression on the beat frequency signal to obtain the obtaining a first signal comprises performing a discrete Fourier transform or a short-time Fourier transform on the beat frequency signal to obtain a second transition signal; and performing low frequency suppression on the second transition signal to obtain the first signal (para 0040, 0041, 0043, 0049, 0054-0056)
Claim 18: Melzer discloses performing the low frequency suppression is implemented by using a digital tap filter, or performing the low frequency suppression is implemented-by performing scaling processing on a preset sequence parameter (para 0040, 0041, 0043, 0049, 0054-0056)
Claim 19: Melzer discloses performing the mean gradient calculation on the first signal in the frequency domain to obtain the second signal comprises performing, in the frequency domain, a target operation on a third signal of each sampling point in a plurality of sampling points in the first signal to obtain a sub-signal of each sampling point that is in the second signal and that corresponds to each of the sampling point, wherein the target operation comprises performing a difference operation between the first signal value of each sampling point and a reference value to obtain the sub-signal, and wherein the reference value is an average value based on signal values of at least two other sampling points than different from the sampling point (fig 6, 13, 17, 20, para 0069-0078, Melzer discloses correcting for distorted a sample point phase values by using a statistical value of neighboring phase slopes such as an average);
Claim 20: Melzer discloses in the frequency domain, a spacing between the at least two other sampling points and the sampling point is greater than a first preset threshold and less than a second preset threshold (fig 6, 13, 17, 20, para 0069-0078)
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 7 and 14 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.
Claims 7 and 14 recite a specific relationship between the sub-signals of sampling points and their frequencies that is not specifically disclosed nor rendered obvious by the prior art.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to PETER M BYTHROW whose telephone number is (571)270-1468. The examiner can normally be reached on Monday-Friday 830am-5pm.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Resha Desai can be reached at (571) 270-7792. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/PETER M BYTHROW/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3648