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
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)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claims 1-6, 11-18 and 21 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Wu et al. (2026/0173015).
Regarding claim 1, Wu discloses a non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising instructions that, when executed by processing circuitry (see abstract, fig.18, elements 1806’/1806, paragraphs [0031], [0148] and its description), cause the processing circuitry to: receive an indication of a location of a first electronic device of a plurality of electronic devices (see abstract, fig.1, elements 104, 170, fig.16, element 1104, fig.18, element 1816, paragraphs [0008], [0029], [0031], [0060-0061], [0148] and its description); and cause one or more radio frequency (RF) signals to be transmitted to the first electronic device by a satellite based on the first electronic device not being communicatively coupled to a cellular network and the location of the first electronic device being separated from a second electronic device of the plurality of electronic devices by a distance exceeding a threshold distance (see abstract, fig.1, elements 104, 170, fig.16, elements 1104, 1106, fig.18, element 1816, paragraphs [0008], [0029], [0031], [0060-0061], [0106-0107], [0132], [0148] and its description).
Regarding claim 3, Wu further discloses wherein the instructions, when executed, cause the processing circuitry to cause the one or more RF signals to be transmitted via the cellular network based on the first electronic device being communicatively coupled to the cellular network (see abstract, fig.1, elements 104, 140, fig.16, element 1102, 1104, paragraphs [0008], [0029], [0052-0056], [0131-0132] and its description).
Regarding claim 4, Wu further discloses wherein the instructions, when executed, cause the processing circuitry to cause the one or more RF signals to be transmitted using ultra-wideband communication based on the first electronic device not being communicatively coupled to the cellular network and the distance not exceeding the threshold distance (see paragraph [0055]).
Regarding claim 5, Wu further discloses wherein the instructions, when executed, cause the processing circuitry to: cause the one or more RF signals to be transmitted via device-to-device (D2D) communication based on the first electronic device being within a D2D threshold distance of one or more electronic devices of the plurality of electronic devices, the first electronic not being communicatively coupled to the cellular network, and the distance not exceeding the threshold distance (see abstract, fig.1, elements 104, 170, fig.16, elements 1104, 1106, fig.18, element 1816, paragraphs [0008], [0029], [0031], [0060-0061], [0106-0107], [0132], [0148] and its description); and cause the one or more RF signals to be transmitted to the first electronic device by the satellite based on the first electronic device not being within the D2D threshold distance of the one or more electronic devices (see paragraph [0053]).
Regarding claim 6, Wu further discloses wherein the instructions, when executed, cause the processing circuitry to: receive a user input indicative of a value to use as a second threshold distance, wherein the second threshold distance is less than the threshold distance; set the value as the second threshold distance; and cause the one or more RF signals to be transmitted based on the distance exceeding the second threshold distance (see paragraph [0132 and table 2).
Regarding claim 11, Wu further discloses wherein the one or more RF signals are indicative of waypoint data, the waypoint data being indicative of navigational directions for a user of the first electronic device (see paragraph [0058]).
Regarding claims 12-18 and 21 recite limitations substantially similar to claims 1, 3-6 and 11. Therefore, these claims were rejected for similar reasons as stated above.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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.
Claims 1 and 12-18 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Mulaosmanovic et al. (2018/0041983).
Regarding claim 12, Mulaosmanovic discloses an electronic device (see abstract, figs.1-2, element 102, paragraphs [0004-0005] and its description) comprising: a transceiver (see abstract, fig2. element 114, paragraphs [0005], [0021] and its description); and processing circuitry operatively coupled to the transceiver, wherein the processing circuitry is configured to receive an indication of a location of a first electronic device of a plurality of electronic devices (see abstract, fig.1, elements 102, 240, fig.2, elements 104, 114, 120, paragraphs [0004-0005], [0016][0019-0021] and its description); and, cause one or more radio frequency (RF) signals indicative of waypoint data to be transmitted to the first electronic device by a satellite based on the first electronic device not being communicatively coupled to a cellular network and the location of the first electronic device being separated from a second electronic device of the plurality of electronic devices by a distance exceeding a threshold distance, the waypoint data being indicative of navigational directions for a user of the first electronic device (see abstract, fig1, elements 120, 180, paragraphs [0004-0005], [0019-0021], [0091-0092] and its description).
Regarding claim 13, Mulaosmanovic further discloses wherein the processing circuitry is configured to cause the transceiver to transmit one or more RF signals based on the first electronic device not being communicatively coupled to the cellular network and the distance not exceeding the threshold distance (see paragraphs [0091-0092]).
Regarding claim 14, Mulaosmanovic further discloses wherein after the one or more RF signals are transmitted, the processing circuitry is configured to receive notification data indicative of the user being separated from one or more users of one or more electronic devices of the plurality of electronic devices other than the first electronic device (see abstract, fig.1, elements 102, 240 and its description).
Regarding claim 15, Mulaosmanovic further discloses, wherein the electronic device comprises the second electronic device (see abstract, fig.1, element 240 and its description).
Regarding claims 1 and 16-18 recite limitations substantially similar to claims 12-15. Therefore, these claims were rejected for similar reasons as stated above.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 7-10, and 19-20 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.
Examiner's Note: Examiner has cited particular columns and line numbers in the references applied to the claims above for the convenience of the applicant. Although the specified citations are representative of the teachings of the art and are applied to specific limitations within the individual claim, other passages and figures may apply as well. It is respectfully requested from the applicant in preparing responses, to fully consider the references in entirety as potentially teaching all or part of the claimed invention, as well as the context of the passage as taught by the prior art or disclosed by the Examiner.
When responding to this Office Action, Applicant is advised to clearly point out the patentable novelty which he or she thinks the claims present, in view of the state of the art disclosed by the references cited or the objections made. He or she must also show how the amendments avoid such references or objections See 37 CFR 1.111(c).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to CongVan Tran whose telephone number is (571) 272-7871. The examiner can normally be reached Mon-Th.
Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request
(AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner's supervisor, Alison Slater can be reached on (571) 270-0375. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
Information regarding the status of published or unpublished applications may be obtained from Patent Center. Unpublished application information in Patent Center is available to registered users. To file and manage patent submissions in Patent Center, visit: https://patentcenter.uspto.gov. Visit https://www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/patent center for more information about Patent Center and https://www.uspto.gov/patents/docx for information about filing in DOCX format. For additional questions, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197(toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000.
PNG
media_image1.png
100
100
media_image1.png
Greyscale
UNITED STATES PATENT AND TRADEMARK OFFICE
/CONGVAN TRAN/
Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2647
Prosecution Insights