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 .
DETAILED ACTION
Election/Restrictions
Applicant’s election without traverse of Species I (Claims 1-15) in the reply filed on 11/24/2025 is acknowledged.
Claims 16-20 are withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b) as being drawn to a nonelected species, there being no allowable generic or linking claim. Election was made without traverse in the reply filed on 11/24/2025.
Specification
The disclosure is objected to because of the following informalities:
The use of the terms Wi-Fi, GLONASS, Galileo, Beidou, etc., which are trade name or mark used in commerce, has been noted in this application. The term should be accompanied by the generic terminology; furthermore the term should be capitalized wherever it appears or, where appropriate, include a proper symbol indicating use in commerce such as ™, SM , or ® following the term.
Although the use of trade names and marks used in commerce (i.e., trademarks, service marks, certification marks, and collective marks) are permissible in patent applications, the proprietary nature of the marks should be respected and every effort made to prevent their use in any manner which might adversely affect their validity as commercial marks.
Appropriate correction is required.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claim 6 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
Claim 6 contains phrase “4G or 5G”. Where a trademark or trade name is used in a claim as a limitation to identify or describe a particular material or product, the claim does not comply with the requirements of 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph. See Ex parte Simpson, 218 USPQ 1020 (Bd. App. 1982). The claim scope is uncertain since the trademark or trade name cannot be used properly to identify any particular material or product. A trademark or trade name is used to identify a source of goods, and not the goods themselves. Thus, a trademark or trade name does not identify or describe the goods associated with the trademark or trade name. In the present case, the trademark/trade name is used to identify/describe 4G and/or 5G and, accordingly, the identification/description is indefinite.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 101
35 U.S.C. 101 reads as follows:
Whoever invents or discovers any new and useful process, machine, manufacture, or composition of matter, or any new and useful improvement thereof, may obtain a patent therefor, subject to the conditions and requirements of this title.
Claims 1-15 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 101 because the claimed invention is directed to an abstract idea without significantly more.
the claimed invention is directed to an abstract idea without significantly more. The claim(s) recite(s) determine a location of a user device, determining that the user device lacks connectivity to a telecommunications network; request directions from the location of the user device to one or more locations that are within the coverage area of the home carrier, and receive the precise distance from the location of the user device to the target location. These claims are directed to abstract idea such as an idea standing alone such as an instantiated concept, pan or scheme, as well as a mental process (thinking) that “can be performed in the human mind, or by a human using a pen and paper”. This judicial exception is not integrated into a practical application because the generically recited computer elements do not add a meaningful limitation to the abstract idea because they amount to simply implementing the abstract idea on a computer. The claim(s) does/do not include additional elements that are sufficient to amount to significantly more than the judicial exception because the steps of the claimed invention can be done mentally and no additional features in the claims would preclude them from being performed as such.
CLAIM ANALYSIS
STEP 1: YES. The claims meet the statutory categories.
Claims 1-6 fall within a statutory category of process.
Claims 7-15 fall within a statutory category of machine.
STEP 2A: PRONG ONE YES. The claims are directed to a judicial exception.
Claims 1-15 recite a judicial exception being directed to an abstract idea.
As a representative example, take Claim 1:
1. A method for determining a distance to a cellular coverage area, the method comprising:
determining a location of a user device;
determining that the user device lacks connectivity to a telecommunications network through a home carrier and through a roaming carrier based on the location of the user device relative to a coverage area of the home carrier and a coverage area of the roaming carrier;
requesting, through a satellite network, directions from the location of the user device to one or more locations that are within the coverage area of the home carrier, within the coverage area of the roaming carrier, or a combination thereof, wherein the satellite network communicates with the home carrier to determine a precise distance measured from the location of the user device to each of the one or more locations, and to determine one target location in the one or more locations that is closest to the location of the user device relative to the other one or more locations; and
receiving, through a satellite connection, the precise distance from the location of the user device to the target location that is within the coverage area of the home carrier, the coverage area of the roaming carrier, or the combination thereof.
(Additional elements appearing in bold analyzed in Steps 2A,2B below)
In plain language, the claim steps above in the broadest reasonable interpretation (BRI) comprise determine a location of a user device, determining that the user device lacks connectivity to a telecommunications network; request directions from the location of the user device to one or more locations that are within the coverage area of the home carrier, and receive the precise distance from the location of the user device to the target location.
These steps are merely a mental process (i.e. receiving and sharing information). Examiner notes mental process includes describe mental observations and evaluations that can be performed in the human mind using observation, evaluation, judgment, and opinion and also those performed with a pen/pencil or a general purpose computer (i.e. graphing, mapping, calculations), as noted in the case law cited above.
Claims 8 and 15 contain the same process steps as claim 1, performed using general purpose computer.
STEP 2A Prong Two: NO. Evaluating additional elements recited in the claim individually and in combination, the claim as a whole does not integrate the exception into a practical application.
The additional elements in in claim 1 appear in bold and account for insignificant extra solution activity. The limitations merely define the intended environment defined generally and are mere generic entities such as “user device”, “telecommunications network”, “home carrier”, “roaming carrier”, “coverage area”, “satellite connection” constitute mere data gathering and output recited at a high level of generality and amount to receiving or transmitting data generally, which is well-understood, routine, conventional activity. See MPEP 2106.05(d), subsection II. The limitations remain insignificant extra-solution activity even upon reconsideration. Even when considered in combination, the additional elements represent mere instructions to apply an exception and insignificant extra-solution activity, which cannot provide an inventive concept.
STEP 2B: NO. Evaluating additional elements recited, the claim as a whole does not recite additional elements that amount to significantly more than the judicial exception.
The analysis above in parts and re-evaluated again for the claims as a whole, the additional elements are mere generic entities such as “user device”, “telecommunications network”, “home carrier”, “roaming carrier”, “coverage area”, “satellite connection” without any given implementation thus amount to data gathering and output recited at a high level of generality and amount to receiving or transmitting data over a network, which is well-understood, routine, conventional activity. See MPEP 2106.05(d), subsection II.
The limitations remain insignificant extra-solution activity even upon reconsideration. Even when considered in combination, the additional elements represent mere instructions to apply an exception and insignificant extra-solution activity, which cannot provide an inventive concept.
ANALYSIS 2A Dependent Claims 2-6 and 8-15
Dependent claims recite additional elements: emergency-only carriers of claims 2 and 9, location on a map of claims 3 and 13, navigation system of claims 4, 8 and 14, graphical user interface of claims 5, 10-12 and 15, 4G or 5G of claim 6.
The dependent claims further recite additional elements that are recited at a high level of generality and thus amount to intended environment descriptors. Thus, the claims are mere data gathering and output recited at a high level of generality, and thus are insignificant extra-solution activity. See MPEP 2106.05(g) (“whether the limitation is significant”). In addition, all uses of the recited judicial exceptions require such data gathering and output, and, as such, these limitations do not impose any meaningful limits on the claim. These limitations amount to necessary data gathering and outputting. See MPEP 2106.05.
ANALYSIS 2B Dependent Claims 2-6 and 8-15 NO. Evaluating additional elements recited, the claim as a whole does not recite additional elements that amount to significantly more than the judicial exception.
The analysis above in parts and re-evaluated again for the claims as a whole, the additional elements are mere data gathering and output recited at a high level of generality and amount to receiving or transmitting data over a network, and display information on user interface, which is well-understood, routine, conventional activity. See MPEP 2106.05(d), subsection II.
The limitations remain insignificant extra-solution activity even upon reconsideration. Even when considered in combination, the additional elements represent mere instructions to apply an exception and insignificant extra-solution activity, which cannot provide an inventive concept.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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 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 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 of this title, 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.
The factual inquiries set forth in Graham v. John Deere Co., 383 U.S. 1, 148 USPQ 459 (1966), that are applied for establishing a background for determining obviousness under 35 U.S.C. 103 are summarized as follows:
1. Determining the scope and contents of the prior art.
2. Ascertaining the differences between the prior art and the claims at issue.
3. Resolving the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art.
4. Considering objective evidence present in the application indicating obviousness or nonobviousness.
Claims 1-9 and 13-15 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Ekici et al. (US 20240089841 A1 and Ekici hereinafter), in view of Dagan et al. (WO 2021038294 A1 and Dagan hereinafter).
Regarding claim 1, Ekici teaches a method for determining a distance to a cellular coverage area (Figures 4 and 11), the method comprising:
determining a location of a user device (Paragraph 0038; user equipment (UE) 10 may include the GNSS receiver 60 that may enable the user equipment 10 to receive GNSS signals from a GNSS network that includes one or more GNSS satellites or GNSS ground stations. The GNSS receiver 60 may process the GNSS signals to determine a global position of the user equipment 10. Paragraph 0049; a user equipment is determined to be off-grid when the UE does not have cellular connectivity and the UE is in a remote location, such as an area sparsely covered by Wi-Fi routers 108 and base stations 104);
determining that the user device lacks connectivity to a telecommunications network through a home carrier (Figure 3 and Paragraphs 0037 and 0040; UE 10 may communicatively coupled to a first communication network (e.g., a cellular network) and through a roaming carrier (Figure 3 and Paragraphs 0040 and 0041; when cellular signal may be too weak to effectively transmit/receive data or unable to reach the UE, the UE may be outside of the cellular communication network, and may connect to the Internet via a wireless W-Fi network 106 and exchange data by sending and receiving Wi-Fi signal) based on the location of the user device relative to a coverage area of the home carrier and a coverage area of the roaming carrier (Paragraph 0049; when UE is located in a remote location and does not have cellular connectivity, the UE is considered off-grid);
requesting, through a satellite network (Paragraph 0066; the UE may include a global navigation satellite system (GNSS) receiver. The UE may receive a time and a location from the GNSS receiver based on the indication), directions from the location of the user device to one or more locations that are within the coverage area of the home carrier, within the coverage area of the roaming carrier, or a combination thereof (Figure 10 and Paragraph 0057; the notification 158 may display a map interface and/or terminate after a threshold period of time. In some embodiments, the notification 158 may enable the user to provide user input, e.g., to select the map interface. For example, if the user clicks the notification 158, the user equipment 10 may display the map interface. The map interface may include a visual representation of locations without cellular service and locations with cellular service within a threshold distance or range of the user equipment 10. The map interface 200 may show a map of the current location 202 of the user equipment 10, a nearest location 204 to the user equipment 10 with cellular connectivity, and a path (e.g., a path through the no-service area to the nearest location 204). The path may include the tracked path 206 traveled by the user equipment 10 from an area with cellular connectivity to the current location 202 (e.g., a location without cellular connectivity) and a proposed path 208 from the current location 202 to the nearest location 204 with cellular connectivity), to determine a precise distance measured from the location of the user device to each of the one or more locations (Paragraph 0047; the processed data may be indexed to crate tuples of off-grid location coordinates and coordinates of closest corresponding locations with cellular connectivity. Paragraph 0054; the processor may determine the distances from the current location of the UE 10 to known in-service locations), and to determine one target location in the one or more locations that is closest to the location of the user device relative to the other one or more locations (Paragraph 0053; the notification may include text to be displayed indicated that the UE has been in an area with no cellular connectivity for ten minutes and that the closest area with cellular connectivity is 100 meters away. Paragraph 0054; determine the distances from the current location of the user equipment 10 to known in-service locations, and select the known in-service location with the shortest distance); and
receiving the precise distance from the location of the user device to the target location that is within the coverage area of the home carrier, the coverage area of the roaming carrier, or the combination thereof (Figures 6-9; showing different notifications can be displayed on the UE to indicate the lost cellular service and a distance to the closest cellular service area. Figure 10 and Paragraph 0057; user selection to select map interface include a visual representation of locations with and without cellular services within a threshold of distance/range. The map interface 200 of Figure 10 may show a map of the current location 202 of the user equipment 10, a nearest location 204 to the user equipment 10 with cellular connectivity, and a path (e.g., a path through the no-service area to the nearest location 204). The path may include the tracked path 206 traveled by the user equipment 10 from an area with cellular connectivity to the current location 202 (e.g., a location without cellular connectivity) and a proposed path 208 from the current location 202 to the nearest location 204 with cellular connectivity).
Ekici does not explicitly teach wherein the satellite network communicates with the home carrier; and receiving, through a satellite connection, information regarding cellular connectivity. In an analogous art, Dagan teaches wherein the satellite network communicates with the home carrier (Figure 29 and Paragraph 0354; Provider 2920 may be a system associated with a network communications provider (e.g., cellular network host, satellite host, etc.) which may be associated with network device 2904. Provider 2920 may receive information from System 2902, the information may be signal information collected from other vehicles indicating quality characteristics of a signal based on geography and over time. This aggregated information is then communicated between System 2902 and Provider 2920. Examiner asserts that this information sharing is interpreted as satellite network (Provider 2920) communicates with home carrier (System 2902) regarding cellular signal characteristics (such as coverage, signal strength, etc.)); and receiving, through a satellite connection, information regarding cellular connectivity (Figure 29 and Paragraph 0354; the Network Device 2904 that is associated with Provider 2920 (satellite host) may provide the aggregated information regarding cellular signal characteristics to the Vehicle 2912 (which may be the UE)). Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to combine the teachings of Ekici and Dagan because it would address the problem when a weak or non-existent connection that may lead to lack of navigation data at a vehicle (Dagan, Paragraph 0004).
Regarding claim 7, claim 7 recites similar features as claim 1, therefore is rejected for at least the same reason as discussed above regarding claim 1. Further, Ekici teaches a system for determining a precise distance to a cellular coverage area (Figure 3), the system comprising:
one or more processors (Figures 1 and 2, and Paragraph 0028; processor 12); and
one or more computer storage hardware devices (Figure 1 and 2, Paragraph 0030; memory 14) storing computer-usable instructions, that, when used by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform functions (Figures 1 and 2, Paragraph 0030; tangible, computer-readable media may include the memory 14 and/or the nonvolatile storage 16 to store the instructions or routines. Programs (e.g., an operating system) encoded on such a computer program product may also include instructions that may be executed by the processor 12 to enable the user equipment 10 to provide various functionalities).
Regarding claims 2 and 9, the combination of Ekici and Dagan teaches all of the limitations of claims 1 and 7, as described above. Further, Ekici teaches determining that the user device is attempting to make an emergency call (Figure 7 and Paragraph 0056; if a user has attempted to make a phone call and the phone call ha failed as shown by a connection failure message 167, the user equipment may display notification 158 that was triggered by a connection failure of a telephony application. Paragraphs 0027 and 0057; segments where only emergency calls may be made); determining that there are not any emergency-only carriers (Paragraphs 0027 and 0057; segments where only emergency calls may be made) that can provide connectivity to the user device at the location (Figure 7 and Paragraphs 0026, 0042 and 0056; if a user has attempted to make a phone call and the phone call has failed as shown by a connection failure message 167 on telephony application interface 166, the user equipment 10 may next display the notification 158 on the phone application interface 166 indicating that the phone call failed due to loss of cellular service); and using the satellite network (Paragraph 0066; the UE may include a global navigation satellite system (GNSS) receiver. The UE may receive a time and a location from the GNSS receiver based on the indication) and the location of the user device, determining directions from the user device to a location where the connectivity is provided by the emergency-only carrier (Figures 6-9; showing different notifications can be displayed on the UE to indicate the lost cellular service and a distance to the closest cellular service area. Figure 10 and Paragraph 0057; user selection to select map interface include a visual representation of locations with and without cellular services within a threshold of distance/range. The map interface 200 of Figure 10 may show a map of the current location 202 of the user equipment 10, a nearest location 204 to the user equipment 10 with cellular connectivity, and a path (e.g., a path through the no-service area to the nearest location 204). The path may include the tracked path 206 traveled by the user equipment 10 from an area with cellular connectivity to the current location 202 (e.g., a location without cellular connectivity) and a proposed path 208 from the current location 202 to the nearest location 204 with cellular connectivity).
In addition, Dagan teaches satellite network (Figure 29 and Paragraph 0354; satellite host associated with network device). Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to combine the teachings of Ekici and Dagan because it would address the problem when a weak or non-existent connection that may lead to lack of navigation data at a vehicle (Dagan, Paragraph 0004).
Regarding claims 3 and 13, the combination of Ekici and Dagan teaches all of the limitations of claims 1 and 7, as described above. Further, Ekici teaches wherein determining the location of the user device further comprises using latitude and longitude coordinate pairs on a map (Paragraph 0038; the UE may comprise GNSS receiver for receiving GNSS signals from Global Positioning System network and process the GNSS signals to determine a global position of the UE 10. Paragraph 0047; information specifying off-grid location may include timestamped global navigation satellite system (GNSS) location coordinates (which may include GPS coordinates). Examiner asserts that GPS coordinates include latitude and longitude coordinate pair on a map. Further in Figure 10, Paragraphs 0057, 0058 and 0061; UE displays a map upon detecting the UE 10 is off-grid. The map interface may include a visual representation of locations without cellular service and locations with cellular service within a threshold distance or range of the user equipment 10. An example of the map interface 200 shown on the display 18 of FIG. 1 is illustrated in FIG. 10. The map interface 200 may show a map of the current location 202 of the user equipment 10, a nearest location 204 to the user equipment 10 with cellular connectivity, and a path (e.g., a path through the no-service area to the nearest location 204)).
Regarding claims 4 and 14, the combination of Ekici and Dagan teaches all of the limitations of claims 1 and 7, as described above. Further, Ekici teaches wherein the user device receives the precise distance from the location of the user device to the target location (Figures 6-9; showing different notifications can be displayed on the UE to indicate the lost cellular service and a distance to the closest cellular service area) using a navigation system (Figure 10 and Paragraph 0057; user selection to select map interface include a visual representation of locations with and without cellular services within a threshold of distance/range. The map interface 200 of Figure 10 may show a map of the current location 202 of the user equipment 10, a nearest location 204 to the user equipment 10 with cellular connectivity, and a path (e.g., a path through the no-service area to the nearest location 204). The path may include the tracked path 206 traveled by the user equipment 10 from an area with cellular connectivity to the current location 202 (e.g., a location without cellular connectivity) and a proposed path 208 from the current location 202 to the nearest location 204 with cellular connectivity)
Regarding claims 5 and 15, the combination of Ekici and Dagan teaches all of the limitations of claims 4 and 14, as described above. Further, Ekici teaches wherein the navigation system is generated on a graphical user interface on the user device (Figure 10 and Paragraph 0057; an example of the map interface 200 shown on the display 18 of FIG. 1 is illustrated in FIG. 10. If the user clicks the notification 158, the user equipment 10 may display the map interface. The map interface includes a visual representation of locations with and without cellular services within a threshold of distance/range. The map interface 200 of Figure 10 may show a map of the current location 202 of the user equipment 10, a nearest location 204 to the user equipment 10 with cellular connectivity, and a path (e.g., a path through the no-service area to the nearest location 204)).
Regarding claim 6, the combination of Ekici and Dagan teaches all of the limitations of claim 1, as described above. Further, Ekici teaches wherein the user device is capable of communicating using 4G or 5G (Paragraph 0032; the UE may enable user to interface/communicate with 4G cellular network, 5G cellular network, and so on).
Regarding claim 8, the combination of Ekici and Dagan teaches all of the limitations of claim 7, as described above. Further, Ekici teaches wherein the precise distance from the location of the user device to the target location (Figures 6-9; showing different notifications can be displayed on the UE to indicate the lost cellular service and a distance to the closest cellular service area. Figure 10 and Paragraph 0057; user selection to select map interface include a visual representation of locations with and without cellular services within a threshold of distance/range. The map interface 200 of Figure 10 may show a map of the current location 202 of the user equipment 10, a nearest location 204 to the user equipment 10 with cellular connectivity, and a path (e.g., a path through the no-service area to the nearest location 204)) further comprises generating and causing display of a graphical interface on the user device, wherein the graphical interface displays a navigation system (Figure 10 and Paragraph 0057; An example of the map interface 200 shown on the display 18 of FIG. 1 is illustrated in FIG. 10. If the user clicks the notification 158, the user equipment 10 may display the map interface. The map interface includes a visual representation of locations with and without cellular services within a threshold of distance/range. The map interface 200 of Figure 10 may show a map of the current location 202 of the user equipment 10, a nearest location 204 to the user equipment 10 with cellular connectivity, and a path (e.g., a path through the no-service area to the nearest location 204)).
Claims 10-12 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Ekici in view of Dagan, as applied in the claims above, further in view of Chapelle (US 20060035588 A1).
Regarding claim 10, the combination of Ekici and Dagan teaches all of the limitations of claim 7, as described above. Ekici teaches the user device displaying an indication on a graphic user interface (Figures 6-10 and Paragraph 0057; examples of user device displaying various indication on a graphic user interface).
The combination of Ekici and Dagan does not exilically teach the indication comprising orientation information for the user device to connect to the satellite network. In an analogous art, Chapelle teaches the indication comprising orientation information for the user device to connect to the satellite network Paragraph 0030; each MESPA antenna has the capability to electronically scan in azimuth and elevation to track the satellites 30 with which it is communicating). Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to combine the teachings of Ekici, Dagan and Chapelle because it would be desirable to provide a satellite communication system for mobile platforms that offers the benefits of small, inexpensive antennas at operating frequencies that correspond to the principal commercial satellite communication bands (Chapelle, Paragraph 0005).
Regarding claim 11, the combination of Ekici/Dagan/Chapelle teaches all of the limitations of claim 10, as described above. Chapelle teaches wherein the orientation information comprises an instruction to maintain an unobstructed view of the sky (Paragraph 0028; achieve an unobstructed view of the satellites 30) along a bearing to a satellite having an elevation and azimuth (Paragraph 0030; each MESPA antenna 18 has the capability to electronically scan in azimuth and elevation to track the satellites 30 and also has the ability to electronically adjust polarization to match that of the satellite transponders with which it is communicating). Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to combine the teachings of Ekici, Dagan and Chapelle because it would be desirable to provide a satellite communication system for mobile platforms that offers the benefits of small, inexpensive antennas at operating frequencies that correspond to the principal commercial satellite communication bands (Chapelle, Paragraph 0005).
Regarding claim 12, the combination of Ekici/Dagan/Chapelle teaches all of the limitations of claim 10, as described above. Chapelle teaches wherein the orientation information comprises an instruction to hold the user device in a first position, the first position matching a polarization of a satellite (Paragraph 0030; each MESPA antenna 18 has the ability to electronically adjust polarization to match that of the satellite transponders with which it is communicating). Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to combine the teachings of Ekici, Dagan and Chapelle because it would be desirable to provide a satellite communication system for mobile platforms that offers the benefits of small, inexpensive antennas at operating frequencies that correspond to the principal commercial satellite communication bands (Chapelle, Paragraph 0005).
Pertinent Prior Art
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Edge et al. (US 20250016721 A1) discloses UE may receive satellite coverage data from the serving PLMN via the communication satellite indicating at which locations and/or at which times satellite coverage is available. The UE may determine, based on the satellite coverage data, a first time of satellite unavailability for a location of the UE and a second time of satellite availability. The UE may enter a no coverage state following the first time. The UE may inhibit mobile originating requests and/or reduce a frequency of satellite cell searching while in the no coverage state.
Svennebring et al. (US 20220209874 A1) discloses radio link quality prediction along the predicted path that may be produced via a dynamic coverage map.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Jing Gao whose telephone number is (571)270-7226. The examiner can normally be reached on 9am - 6pm M-F.
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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.
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/Jing Gao/
Examiner, Art Unit 2647