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 § 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(s) 1-20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Chandra (EP 3776908 B1) in view of Avasarala (U.S. PG-PUB NO. 2022/0345180) and further in view of Duo (U.S. PG-PUB NO. 2022/0407573).
-Regarding claim 1, Chandra discloses a beam management method of an electronic device comprising: performing beamforming using an antenna array and a radio frequency (RF) front end circuit (transmitter 300, FIG. 3); detecting blocked antennas of the antenna array of the electronic device (blockage information 510, FIG. 5); and exciting only unblocked antennas of the antenna array (search/track the best beam on all the activated antenna modules 520, FIG. 5).
Chandra is silent to teaching that detecting blocked antennas of the antenna array of the electronic device using multiple RF chains in the RF front end circuit; and disabling the blocked antennas and dynamically focusing excited power on the unblocked antennas. However, the claimed limitation is well known in the art as evidenced by Avasarala and Duo.
In the same field of endeavor, Avasarala teaches detecting blocked antennas of the antenna array of the electronic device using multiple RF chains in the RF front end circuit (processor 512 and memory 514 may be configured to detect a presence of the object 560 within a range of the portable apparatus based at least in part on a model of a channel between the primary antenna 504 and the secondary antenna 506 generated using the signals, paragraph 71).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skills in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine the teaching of Chandra with the teaching of Avasarala in order to provide desirable transmit data rates, transmit latencies, and/or transmit signal quality from a transmitting entity due to the various object detection techniques.
In the same field of endeavor, Duo teaches disabling the blocked antennas and dynamically focusing excited power on the unblocked antennas (paragraph 66).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skills in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine the teaching of the combination with the teaching of Duo in order to precisely adjust power for each of the sets of antennas.
-Regrading claim 2, the combination further teaches detecting the blocked antennas of the antenna array of the electronic device comprises: transmitting a detecting signal (Avasarala, transmit signals output for transmission via the primary antenna 504, FIG. 5; paragraph 70); receiving a reflecting signal of the detecting signal (Avasarala, reflections 564, FIG. 5; paragraph 70); and determining the blocked antennas of the antenna array according to the reflecting signal (Avasarala, processor 512 and memory 514 may be configured to detect a presence of the object 560 within a range of the portable apparatus based at least in part on a model of a channel between the primary antenna 504 and the secondary antenna 506 generated using the signals, paragraph 71).
-Regarding claim 3, the combination further discloses transmitting the detecting signal is transmitting the detecting signal from a proximity sensor of the electronic device (Avasarala, transmit signals output for transmission via the primary antenna 504, FIG. 5; paragraph 70).
-Regarding claim 4, the combination further discloses receiving the reflecting signal of the detecting signal is receiving the reflecting signal of the detecting signal by the proximity sensor (Avasarala, reflections 564, FIG. 5; paragraph 70).
-Regarding claim 5, the combination further discloses transmitting the detecting signal is transmitting the detecting signal from a sub-6GHz antenna (Avasarala, paragraph 44).
-Regarding claim 6, the combination further discloses receiving the reflecting signal of the detecting signal is receiving the reflecting signal of the detecting signal by the sub-6GHz antenna (Avasarala, paragraph 44).
-Regarding claim 7, the combination further discloses determining the blocked antennas of the antenna array according to the reflecting signal is determining the blocked antennas of the antenna array according to the reflecting signal by a processor (Avasarala, processor 512 and memory 514 may be configured to detect a presence of the object 560 within a range of the portable apparatus based at least in part on a model of a channel between the primary antenna 504 and the secondary antenna 506 generated using the signals, paragraph 71; Duo, paragraph 66).
-Regarding claim 8, the combination further discloses exciting only unblocked antennas of the antenna array is exciting only unblocked antennas of the antenna array by a modem (Avasarala, modem, paragraph 66).
-Regarding claim 9, the combination further discloses performing beamforming with only the unblocked antennas (Chandra, search/track the best beam on all the activated antenna modules 520, FIG. 5; Duo, paragraph 66).
-Regarding claim 10, the combination further discloses performing beamforming with only the unblocked antennas is performing beamforming with only the unblocked antennas by the modem (Avasarala, modem, paragraph 66; Duo, paragraph 66).
-Regarding claim 11, Candra discloses an electronic device (UE 201, FIG. 2), comprising: an antenna array (antenna 246, FIG. 2); a processor coupled to the antenna array (processor 210, FIG. 2); a radio frequency (RF) front end circuit comprising multiple RF chains (transmitter 300, FIG. 3); a modem coupled to the antenna array and the processor (TX and RX processing circuitry 242, FIG. 2); a proximity sensor coupled to the modem (sensors 265, FIG. 2); wherein the electronic device detects blocked antennas of the antenna array of the electronic device (blockage information 510, FIG. 5) and excites only unblocked antennas of the antenna array (search/track the best beam on all the activated antenna modules 520, FIG. 5).
Chandra is silent to teaching that a sub-6GHz antenna coupled to the modem; detects blocked antennas of the antenna array of the electronic device using the multiple RF chains; disabling the blocked antennas and dynamically focusing excited power on the unblocked antennas. However, the claimed limitation is well known in the art as evidenced by Avasarala.
In the same field of endeavor, Avasarala teaches a sub-6GHz antenna coupled to the modem (paragraph 44); detects blocked antennas of the antenna array of the electronic device using the multiple RF chains (processor 512 and memory 514 may be configured to detect a presence of the object 560 within a range of the portable apparatus based at least in part on a model of a channel between the primary antenna 504 and the secondary antenna 506 generated using the signals, paragraph 71).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skills in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine the teaching of Chandra with the teaching of Avasarala in order to provide desirable transmit data rates, transmit latencies, and/or transmit signal quality from a transmitting entity due to the various object detection techniques.
In the same field of endeavor, Duo teaches disabling the blocked antennas and dynamically focusing excited power on the unblocked antennas (paragraph 66).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skills in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine the teaching of the combination with the teaching of Duo in order to precisely adjust power for each of the sets of antennas.
-Regarding claim 12, the combination further discloses the modem controls the proximity sensor to detect the blocked antennas of the antenna array (Avasarala, modem, paragraph 66).
-Regarding claim 13, the combination further discloses the modem controls the sub-6GHz antenna to detect the blocked antennas of the antenna array (Avasarala, paragraph 44).
-Regarding claim 14, the combination further discloses the modem controls the antenna array to detect the blocked antennas of the antenna array (Avasarala, paragraph 44).
-Regarding claim 15, the combination further discloses the antenna array is a millimeter wave antenna array (Chandra, 5G millimeter wave (mmWave) module 240).
-Regarding claim 16, the combination further discloses the antenna array is a sub-6GHz antenna array (Avasarala, paragraph 44).
-Regarding claim 17, the combination further discloses the electronic device is a mobile device (Chandra, UE 201, FIG. 2).
-Regarding claim 18, the combination further discloses the electronic device detects the blocked antennas of the antenna array of the electronic device comprises: transmitting a detecting signal (Avasarala, transmit signals output for transmission via the primary antenna 504, FIG. 5; paragraph 70); receiving a reflecting signal of the detecting signal (Avasarala, reflections 564, FIG. 5; paragraph 70); and determining the blocked antennas of the antenna array according to the reflecting signal (Avasarala, processor 512 and memory 514 may be configured to detect a presence of the object 560 within a range of the portable apparatus based at least in part on a model of a channel between the primary antenna 504 and the secondary antenna 506 generated using the signals, paragraph 71).
-Regarding claim 19, the combination further discloses the modem excites only the unblocked antennas (Avasarala, modem, paragraph 66; Chandra, search/track the best beam on all the activated antenna modules 520, FIG. 5; Duo, paragraph 66).
-Regarding claim 20, the combination further discloses the modem performs beamforming with only the unblocked antennas (Avasarala, modem, paragraph 66; Chandra, search/track the best beam on all the activated antenna modules 520, FIG. 5; Duo, paragraph 66).
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claim(s) 1-20 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.
Conclusion
Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). 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 PING Y HSIEH whose telephone number is (571)270-3011. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday, 9am-4pm.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Jennifer Mehmood can be reached at (571) 272-2976. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/PING Y HSIEH/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2664