DETAILED ACTION
Response to Amendment
Applicant's submission filed on July 30, 2026 has been entered.
Claims 1 and 2 are amended.
Claim 7 is cancelled.
Claims 1-6 and 8-10 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.
Claims1- 6 and 8-10 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kundak et al (US 2017/0192103 A1) in view of Vollath (US 2011/0148698 A1).
Regarding Claim 1, Kundak discloses a method for determining GNSS sensor data using a GNSS sensor, comprising [0018, 0022 for a GNSS receiver]:
receiving with a GNSS sensor, a GNSS satellite signal from at least one GNSS satellite [0017-0018];
resolving an ambiguity of at least one carrier frequency of the GNSS satellite signal using an estimation algorithm configured to output (i), at least one estimation result and (ii) at least one indication of an accuracy of the estimation result [0023-0024 for estimation algorithms accuracy using weighting];
receiving at least one item of information, which enables, in addition to the at least one indication of the accuracy of the estimation from the estimation algorithm a conclusion to be drawn about the accuracy of the estimation, [0024-0025 for estimation algorithms accuracy]
and determining the GNSS sensor data, including a geospatial position of the GNSS sensor [0017-0018 for getting carrier phase measurements (geospatial orientation)];
based on the estimation result and the at least one indication of the accuracy of the estimation result [0020-0022 for float ambiguities for error covariance (estimation accuracies) also 0027-0029 for determine RMS error with baseline residuals].
Kundak fails to explicitly teach adjusting the at least one indication of the accuracy of the estimation result from the estimation algorithm by adding a penalty factor so as to artificially degrade the at least one indication of the accuracy, the penalty factor being determined based on the at least one item of information.
Vollath has apparatus are provided for estimating parameters, i.e. ambiguities, derived from GNSS signals (abstract) and teaches adjusting the at least one indication of the accuracy of the estimation result from the estimation algorithm by adding a penalty factor so as to artificially degrade the at least one indication of the accuracy, the penalty factor being determined based on the at least one item of information [claims 2-4 for determining the quality measurements by adjusting covariance of the error ranges (penalty factor)].
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 sensor techniques, as disclosed by Kundak, further including the penalty calculations as taught by Vollath for the purpose to converge more rapidly to the correct solution in a reasonable amount of computation time (Vollath, 0149).
Regarding Claim 2, Kundak discloses the ambiguity of the at least one carrier frequency is resolved by using an ambiguity filter, which determines a covariance matrix as an indication of the accuracy of the estimation [0037,0041].
Regarding Claim 3, Kundak discloses the at least one item of information includes one or more [0029]:
information from a GNSS antenna [0017-0018];
information from an inertial sensor [0029];
information from a speed sensor;
and information from a GNSS correction data source [0026].
Regarding Claim 4, Kundak discloses the at least one item of information includes information from a GNSS correction data source [0026].
Regarding Claim 5, Kundak discloses the at least one item of information includes information from a GNSS correction data source describing the accuracy and/or reliability of GNSS correction data [0001].
Regarding Claim 6, Kundak discloses the at least one item of information is provided by a sensor of a vehicle equipped with the GNSS sensor [0004].
Regarding Claim 8, Kundak discloses computer program configured to perform a method when executed by a controller [0061].
Regarding Claim 9, Kundak discloses non-transitory machine-readable storage medium on which the computer program is stored [0061].
Regarding Claim 10, Kundak discloses geolocation device configured to perform the method [0042-0043 and 0061].
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments fail to comply with 37 CFR 1.111(b) because they amount to a
general allegation that the claims define a patentable invention without specifically pointing out how the language of the claims patentably distinguishes them from the references.
On page 7, third paragraph of applicant’s argument, the applicant states that the combination of Kundak and Vollath fails to teach adjusting the indication of accuracy. The examiner respectfully disagrees: Vollath teaches a broadened distribution by addiding a penalty/scaling factor to the covariance [Vollath, 0224-0227] and Kundak has a float ambiguity covariance outputs that are more realistic when aided with sensor error change [Kundak, 0020-0022, 0037].
On page 8, last paragraph of applicant’s arguments, the applicant states that Vollath fails to teach the adjustment is performed by adding a penalty factor. The examiner respectfully disagrees: Vollath teaches the quality measure distribution is broadened. If the best candidate set is better than the expectation value [Vollath, 0224-0227 and claim 1 for adapting the quality measure based on the error measure] therefore determining the penalty factor from information in addition to indication of accuracy.
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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