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 .
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claim(s) 1-27 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.
Upon further review of the Applicant’s arguments, the Applicant argued that the prior art references failed to teach the limitations of dependent claim 4 (i.e. “wherein the backend infrastructure information system comprises a plurality of connectivity data servers that includes at least one of: a wired connectivity data server configured to provide connectivity information for a wired network; a wireless network connectivity data server configured to provide connectivity information for a wireless network; a cellular connectivity data server configured to provide connectivity information for a distributed antenna system for a cellular network; and an electrical power distributed data server configured to provide connectivity information regarding a facility electrical distribution infrastructure”). (Emphasis Added).
In response the Examiner respectfully disagrees with the Applicant’s argument because the at least claimed limitation in question does not uniquely and/or particularly define the at least limitation “a plurality of data servers that includes at least one of: … a wireless network connectivity data server configured to provide connectivity information for a wireless network” so as to be distinguished from the applied prior art. During patent examination, the claims must be given their broadest reasonable interpretation. See also MPEP §2111. The at least limitation is broadly claimed, therefore, is fairly characterized as discussed in Emadzadeh, e.g. fig. 4, pp0060, which discussed that the positioning server 410 may also be implemented at least in part by one or more of the access points 420 and/or mobile devices 100. Thus, the plurality of access point, determines and provides different connectivity metrics (i.e. RSSI for multiple Aps), see also pp0080. (Emphasis Added).
Furthermore, the Applicant initiated an interview on 04/21/2026 to discuss some proposed amendments and clarifications on the rejections on record. The Examiner extensively reviewed the proposed amendments and provided suggestions to the Applicant to include further details so as to clearly distinguish the Applicant’s invention from the applied prior arts and/or well-known information in the communication technology. However, the Applicant simply repeated the same proposed amendments discussed during the interview without any further details to clarify the Applicant’s broadly claimed invention as discussed during the interview.
Thus, the Examiner kindly directs the Applicant to the rejection below.
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, 2, 4-15, 19-21, 23-24, is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Emadzadeh et al. (US Publication No. 20150172865) in view of Lal et al. (US Patent No. 10827322) and further in view of Shin et al. (US Patent No. 9253718).
As to claims 1 and 19, Emadzadeh teaches an integrated connectivity assessment system (fig. 3, fig. 4, fig. 5), the system comprising: a user terminal (fig. 2), wherein the user terminal is configured to define a location of interest within a facility (fig. 5, fig. 6, #602, identify a region within the indoor venue in which a mobile device is located); and a backend query and aggregation system (fig. 2, AP detection module and AD receiving module), wherein the backend query and aggregation system is configured to query a backend infrastructure information system for connectivity information based on the location of interest and determine a plurality of connectivity metrics for the location of interest based on responses from the backend infrastructure information system (fig. 2, fig. 3, fig. 5, pp0068, and pp0080, mobile device scans for Aps within its communication range, and determine different received signal strengths e.g. RSSI for AP-F and AP-G), wherein the plurality of connectivity metrics is associated with a plurality of different types of connectivity (fig. 3, fig. 5C, pp0068, and pp0080, mobile device scans for Aps within its communication range, and determine different received signal strengths e.g. RSSI for AP-F and AP-G). However, Emadzadeh fails to explicitly teach wherein the user terminal is configured to present the connectivity metrics on a user interface as an augmented reality presentation over an image of the location of interest.
In an analogous field of endeavor, Lal teaches the concept wherein the user terminal is configured to present the connectivity metrics on a user interface as an augmented reality presentation over an image of the location of interest (fig. 1, fig. 8, col. 8, lines 22-36, the one or more signal strength indicia 804 may augment the perception of the room 802 with signal strengths levels determined by the processor 202, 204. The real-time display of the room 802 may be based on one or more images of the room obtained by a camera or similar optical sensor of the wireless device 102. In some embodiments, the processor may present the signal strength indicia 804 as a numerical indication of signal strength (e.g., 1 indicating a lowest signal strength, 10 indicating a highest signal strength, and so forth)). Thus, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine the teachings of Emadzadeh with the teachings of Lal to achieve the goal of efficiently and reliably providing augmented reality visualization for presenting a real-time display of signal strength indicia and a live room image based on the one or more signal strength levels at the plurality of locations in the room (Lal, col. 1, lines 35-37). However, they failed to explicitly teach wherein the different types of connectivity include at least two of a wired connectivity, a wireless connectivity that includes cellular connectivity, and an electrical connectivity.
In an analogous field of endeavor, Shin teaches the concept of wherein the different types of connectivity include at least two of a wired connectivity, a wireless connectivity that includes cellular connectivity, and an electrical connectivity (fig. 1, col. 16, lines 7-11, scanning access points in an area associated with the wireless terminal; obtaining wireless connection status information, wired connection status information, and access point status information from each of the scanned access points, and col. 5, lines 27-52). Thus, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine the teachings of Emadzadeh and Lal with the teachings of Shin to achieve the goal of efficiently and reliably obtaining a system status and a maximum capacity of establishing communications in a communication system (Shin, col. 3, line 40).
As to claims 2 and 21, Emadzadeh in view of Lal and Shin teaches the limitations of the independent claims as discussed above. Emadzadeh further teaches wherein the user terminal is configured to define the location of interest within the facility based on a detected location of the user terminal (fig. 5, fig. 6, #602, identify a region within the indoor venue in which a mobile device is located).
As to claim 4, Emadzadeh in view of Lal and Shin teaches the limitations of the independent claims as discussed above. Emadzadeh further teaches wherein the backend infrastructure information system comprises a plurality of connectivity data servers that includes at least one of: a wired connectivity data server configured to provide connectivity information for a wired network; a wireless network connectivity data server configured to provide connectivity information for a wireless network (fig. 3, fig. 4, fig. 5, pp0061, pp0062, server 410 is configured to send assistance data pertaining to those APs within a region the mobile device 100 is currently located within. It can be appreciated that while RSSI values are shown in the assistance data entry 540, RTT values may also be shown); a cellular connectivity data server configured to provide connectivity information for a distributed antenna system for a cellular network; and an electrical power distributed data server configured to provide connectivity information regarding a facility electrical distribution infrastructure.
As to claims 5 and 20, Emadzadeh in view of Lal and Shin teaches the limitations of the independent claims as discussed above. Emadzadeh further teaches wherein the plurality of connectivity metrics associated with the plurality of different types of connectivity comprise one or more of: a connectivity metric for the location of interest based on signal quality connectivity information for one or more wireless access points of a wireless network (fig. 3, fig. 5C, pp0068, and pp0080, mobile device scans for Aps within its communication range, and determine different received signal strengths e.g. RSSI for AP-F and AP-G); a connectivity metric for the location of interest based on signal quality connectivity information for one or more remote antenna units of a distributed antenna system; a connectivity metric for the location of interest based on connectivity information for a wired network; and a connectivity metric for the location of interest based on connectivity information for electric power availability.
As to claim 6, Emadzadeh in view of Lal and Shin teaches the limitations of the independent claims as discussed above. Emadzadeh further teaches wherein the user terminal comprises one of a smart phone, a tablet computer, or a wearable computing device (fig. 2, fig. 7, pp0082).
As to claim 7, Emadzadeh in view of Lal and Shin teaches the limitations of the independent claims as discussed above. Emadzadeh further teaches wherein the user terminal further comprises one or more positioning sensors; wherein the user terminal is configured to determine the location of interest within based on measurements from the positioning sensors (fig. 2, #155, pp0045, the SPS signals 159 and uses these SPS signals 159 to determine the location of the mobile device 100, and fig. 5, fig. 6, #602, identify a region within the indoor venue in which a mobile device is located).
As to claim 8, Emadzadeh in view of Lal and Shin teaches the limitations of the independent claims as discussed above. Emadzadeh further teaches wherein the user terminal comprises: a processor coupled to a memory, wherein the user interface is coupled to the processor (fig. 2, fig. 7). However, fails to explicitly teach wherein the processor executes an augmented reality (AR) engine, wherein the AR engine is configured to present the connectivity metrics on the user interface.
In an analogous field of endeavor, Lal teaches the concept wherein the processor executes an augmented reality (AR) engine, wherein the AR engine is configured to present the connectivity metrics on the user interface (fig. 2, fig. 3, col. 6, lines 20-22, the processor 202, 204 may employ an augmented reality framework such as ARKit or ARCore that may enable the processor, and fig. 8). Thus, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine the teachings of Emadzadeh with the teachings of Lal to achieve the goal of efficiently and reliably providing augmented reality visualization for presenting a real-time display of signal strength indicia and a live room image based on the one or more signal strength levels at the plurality of locations in the room (Lal, col. 1, lines 35-37).
As to claims 9 and 23, Emadzadeh in view of Lal and Shin teaches the limitations of the independent claims as discussed above. However, fails to explicitly teach wherein the AR engine graphically present the connectivity metrics on the user interface.
In an analogous field of endeavor, Lal teaches the concept wherein the AR engine graphically present the connectivity metrics on the user interface (fig. 1, fig. 8, col. 8, lines 22-36, the one or more signal strength indicia 804 may augment the perception of the room 802 with signal strengths levels determined by the processor 202, 204, the processor may present the signal strength indicia 804 graphically). Thus, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine the teachings of Emadzadeh with the teachings of Lal to achieve the goal of efficiently and reliably providing augmented reality visualization for presenting a real-time display of signal strength indicia and a live room image based on the one or more signal strength levels at the plurality of locations in the room (Lal, col. 1, lines 35-37).
As to claim 10, Emadzadeh in view of Lal and Shin teaches the limitations of the independent claims as discussed above. However, fails to explicitly teach wherein the user terminal further comprises an image capturing device, wherein the AR engine is configured to present the connectivity metrics on the user interface over and image of the location of interest captured by the image capturing device.
In an analogous field of endeavor, Lal teaches the concept wherein the user terminal further comprises an image capturing device, wherein the AR engine is configured to present the connectivity metrics on the user interface over and image of the location of interest captured by the image capturing device (fig. 1, fig. 8, col. 8, lines 22-36, the one or more signal strength indicia 804 may augment the perception of the room 802 with signal strengths levels determined by the processor 202, 204. The real-time display of the room 802 may be based on one or more images of the room obtained by a camera or similar optical sensor of the wireless device 102. In some embodiments, the processor may present the signal strength indicia 804 as a numerical indication of signal strength (e.g., 1 indicating a lowest signal strength, 10 indicating a highest signal strength, and so forth)). Thus, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine the teachings of Emadzadeh with the teachings of Lal to achieve the goal of efficiently and reliably providing augmented reality visualization for presenting a real-time display of signal strength indicia and a live room image based on the one or more signal strength levels at the plurality of locations in the room (Lal, col. 1, lines 35-37).
As to claim 11, Emadzadeh in view of Lal and Shin teaches the limitations of the independent claims as discussed above. Emadzadeh further teaches wherein the user terminal further comprises one or more positioning sensors (fig. 2, #155, and fig. 7), wherein attitude and orientation measurements from the one or more positioning sensors (fig. 2, #155, fig. 7, and pp0034, pp0051, coordinates with respect to earth). However, fails to explicitly teach wherein the AR engine is configured to present the connectivity metrics on the user interface based on [room location].
In an analogous field of endeavor, Lal teaches the concept wherein the AR engine is configured to present the connectivity metrics on the user interface based on [room location] (fig. 1, fig. 8, col. 8, lines 22-36, the one or more signal strength indicia 804 may augment the perception of the room 802 with signal strengths levels determined by the processor 202, 204, the processor may present the signal strength indicia 804 graphically). Thus, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine the teachings of Emadzadeh with the teachings of Lal to achieve the goal of efficiently and reliably providing augmented reality visualization for presenting a real-time display of signal strength indicia and a live room image based on the one or more signal strength levels at the plurality of locations in the room (Lal, col. 1, lines 35-37).
As to claim 12, Emadzadeh in view of Lal and Shin teaches the limitations of the independent claims as discussed above. Emadzadeh further teaches wherein the backend query and aggregation system is executed at least in part on the user terminal (fig. 2, AP detection module and AD receiving module).
As to claim 13, Emadzadeh in view of Lal and Shin teaches the limitations of the independent claims as discussed above. Emadzadeh further teaches wherein the backend query and aggregation system is executed at least in part by a server of the backend infrastructure information system (fig. 3, fig. 4, fig. 5, pp0013, the assistance data is received from a server computer, and pp0032, data includes information pertaining to APs within a geospace and expected RSSI and/or RTT data for each AP).
As to claim 14, Emadzadeh in view of Lal and Shin teaches the limitations of the independent claims as discussed above. Emadzadeh further teaches wherein the backend infrastructure information system is configured with signal quality information maps that correlate signal quality information to physical locations within the facility (fig. 5A-C, pp0062, expected RSSI values for "AP F" are listed at fourteen nodes within the indoor venue, and pp0064, venue 500 also includes a plurality of nodes 530 at various locations within the indoor venue 500.).
As to claims 15 and 24, Emadzadeh in view of Lal and Shin teaches the limitations of the independent claims as discussed above. Emadzadeh further teaches wherein the backend infrastructure information system comprises a facility map data server that includes a facility map representing a physical layout of the facility (fig. 4, fig. 5A-C); wherein the backend query and aggregation system is configured to query the facility map data server to correlate the location of interest to a map segment of the facility map, and then query the backend infrastructure information system for connectivity information associated with the map segment to request the connectivity information (fig. 4, fig. 5, pp0031, detected APs in an area of interest, a server containing assistance data about the indoor venue may generate and send the relevant assistance data to the mobile device. Whether the assistance data is relevant may be determined based on a current region of the indoor venue that the mobile device is currently located in).
Claim(s) 3 and 22 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Emadzadeh et al. (US Publication No. 20150172865) in view of Lal et al. (US Patent No. 10827322) and further in view of Shin et al. (US Patent No. 9253718) and Yadav et al. (US Publication No. 20160105807).
As to claims 3 and 22, Emadzadeh in view of Lal and Shin teaches the limitations of the independent claims as discussed above. However, failed to teach wherein the user terminal is configured to define the location of interest within the facility based on an input entered by a user of the user terminal.
In an analogous field of endeavor, Yadav teaches the concept wherein the user terminal is configured to define the location of interest within the facility based on an input entered by a user of the user terminal (fig. 4, location of interest where signal strength quality is to be determined, pp0027, the user may provide information pertaining to his/her location (e.g., information of building/floor number, in which the mobile device 102 is located, and fig. 3, #302). Thus, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine the teachings of Emadzadeh, Lal, and Shin with the teachings of Yadav to achieve the goal of efficiently and reliably providing signal quality at locations to avoid frequent call drops, degradation of the throughput, and high battery consumption for the mobile users in a communication system (Yadav, pp0002).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 16-18 and 25-27, 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.
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 OMONIYI OBAYANJU whose telephone number is (571)270-5885. The examiner can normally be reached M-Thur 10:30-7pm.
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/OMONIYI OBAYANJU/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2645
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