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 .
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statements (IDSs) submitted on 12/21/2023 and 05/28/2025 are in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
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.
The factual inquiries 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 1-8 and 10-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over McCabe et al. (US 5913172), McCabe hereinafter, in view of Pickett et al. (US 4051438).
Re. Claim 1. McCabe teaches a method (McCabe, Col. 2, lines 46-48: In accordance with the present invention, a method and apparatus for reducing the effects of phase cancellation in a simulcast broadcast system is provided.) comprising:
generating, at a base station or a controller (McCabe, Col. 4, lines 28-31: Each of the paging stations 107 includes a transmitter having a modulator. The modulator is used for modulating the pages onto a carrier signal, which the transmitter amplifies and broadcasts. And
Col. 7, lines 61-62: The modulator also includes a random number generator 323. [Paging stations 107 correspond to the base station.]),
a first random variable according to a given distribution (McCabe, Col. 8, lines 61-63: The random number generator 323 receives a predetermined frequency offset range and a random seed. The random seed can be generated in any suitable conventional manner. [The random seed corresponds to the first random variable.]);
mapping, at the base station or the controller, the first random variable to a second variable (McCabe, Col. 8, lines 63-68: In response to the random seed and the frequency offset range, the random number generator 323 generates random numbers corresponding to frequency offsets within the predetermined frequency offset range. [The random numbers corresponding to frequency offsets correspond to the second variable.])
using, at the base station, the second variable to offset a given respective frequency of transmitted symbols (McCabe, Col. 9, lines 15-18: The GA/OA 315 then outputs a voltage signal as a function of the frequency deviation for the current protocol and the random number received from the random number generator 323. And
Col. 9, lines 52-54: The LPF 319 then filters the voltage output signal to appropriately adjust the rise time of the signal. And
Col. 9, lines 58-61: In a next step 411, the filtered voltage signal is received by the VCO 321. The VCO 321 generates a complex output signal having a frequency corresponding the received filtered voltage signal.).
Yet, McCabe does not explicitly teach mapping, at the base station or the controller, the first random variable to a second variable using a bimodal distribution of offset values.
However, in the related art, Pickett teaches mapping, at the base station or the controller, the first random variable to a second variable using a bimodal distribution of offset values (Pickett, Col. 5, line 60 – Col. 6, line 5: In this embodiment the local oscillator signal for the known FM transmitter 16 is switched in one direction for one transmitter of two interfering transmitters and in the opposite for the other transmitter of the two interfering transmitters. The local oscillator signal produced by the voltage controlled oscillator 17 of the phase locked loop 18 is switched from 2 kHz above the nominal frequency of oscillator 17 to 2 kHz below the nominal frequency of oscillator 17 at a very slow switching rate controlled by source 19 through the switching arrangement 20 which is coupled to two sources of reference frequencies 21 and 22 having the appropriate offset value (2 kHz) above and below the nominal value of the oscillator output frequency. [For clarity, switching the voltage controlled oscillator between a +2 kHz and a -2 kHz frequency offset is a bimodal distribution of offset values.]).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine the invention of McCabe with the method for providing rms carrier frequency separation of Pickett. The resulting invention would provide for suppressing interference in overlapping transmission areas (Pickett, Col. 6, lines 28-46).
Re. Claim 2. McCabe in view of Pickett teaches claim 1,
McCabe further teaches wherein the offset values comprise a given number of given offset values (McCabe, Col. 8, lines 63-66: In response to the random seed and the frequency offset range, the random number generator 323 generates random numbers corresponding to frequency offsets within the predetermined frequency offset range.), and
wherein the mapping of the first random variable to the second variable comprises:
quantizing the first random variable to the given number of the given offset values (McCabe, Col. 8, lines 63-66: In response to the random seed and the frequency offset range, the random number generator 323 generates random numbers corresponding to frequency offsets within the predetermined frequency offset range. [In generating the random numbers corresponding to frequency offsets, it is necessary to quantize the random number to some offset.]); and
selecting a respective value of the second variable from the given number of given offset values using the first random variable as quantized (McCabe, Col. 8, lines 63-66: In response to the random seed and the frequency offset range, the random number generator 323 generates random numbers corresponding to frequency offsets within the predetermined frequency offset range.).
Re. Claim 3. McCabe in view of Pickett teaches claim 1,
McCabe further teaches wherein the mapping of the first random variable to the second variable comprises:
applying a mathematical function to the first random variable to compute the second variable (McCabe, Col. 8, lines 59-67: In addition, the GA/OA 315 receives a random number, which is generated by the random number generator 323. The random number generator 323 receives a predetermined frequency offset range and a random seed. In response to the random seed and the frequency offset range, the random number generator 323 generates random numbers corresponding to frequency offsets within the predetermined frequency offset range. And
Col. 9, lines 15-18: The GA/OA 315 then outputs a voltage signal as a function of the frequency deviation for the current protocol and the random number received from the random number generator 323.).
Re. Claim 4. McCabe in view of Pickett teaches claim 1,
McCabe further teaches wherein the mapping of the first random variable occurs at a predetermined rate such that frequency offsets to the given respective frequency of the transmitted symbols occur at the predetermined rate (McCabe, Col. 9, lines 31-34: The random number generator can also be used to randomly vary the duration that a particular random frequency offset is used. Alternatively, the duration of the random frequency offset may be predetermined. [A predetermined offset duration has a corresponding predetermined offset rate.]).
Re. Claim 5. McCabe in view of Pickett teaches claim 1,
McCabe further teaches wherein the base station operates according to time division multiple access (TDMA) (McCabe, Col. 9, lines 18-22: Because of the digital programmable control of the modulator 203, the transmitter can broadcast pages according to different protocols in a time multiplexed manner with frequency offsets optimized for each protocol.), and
the mapping of the second variable occurs at a predetermined rate related to a given TDMA slot rate (McCabe, Col. 9, lines 36-41: Thus, not only can the frequency offset range be controlled, but also the "window" that a particular random frequency offset is used can be controlled. For example, the window can be controlled so that changes in frequency offset occur between symbols, packets or any other subdivision of the page.).
Re. Claim 6. McCabe in view of Pickett teaches claim 1,
McCabe further teaches coordinating the generating of the first random variable with generating of a respective first random variable at a further base station that is transmitting respective transmitted symbols that are same as the transmitted symbols (McCabe, Col. 1, lines 24-27: The paging switch then formulates a page to the subscriber and distributes the page to each of the paging base stations. The paging base stations then simultaneously broadcast (simulcast) the page.),
the base station and the further base station forming a simulcast system (McCabe, Col. 4, lines 21-27: In a simulcast paging system, the paging stations 107 are operative so that the pages are broadcast at exactly the same instant. This simulcasting ensures that when a pager/receiver 121 is in an area where broadcast from two or more paging stations 107 can be received, as represented by the overlap region 123 between circles 113, the pager 121 received a signal that can be readily processed.),
McCabe teaches the generating of random variables in simulcast systems, but McCabe does not explicitly teach coordinating the generating of the first random variable with generating of a respective first random variable at a further base station that is transmitting respective transmitted symbols that are same as the transmitted symbols [McCabe is silent regarding coordination between base stations.],
wherein the first random variable and the respective first random variable result in different respective offset values, of the offset values, for the base station and the further base station [McCabe is silent regarding a guaranty of different offset values between base stations.].
However, in the related art, Pickett teaches coordinating the generating of the first random variable with generating of a respective first random variable at a further base station that is transmitting respective transmitted symbols that are same as the transmitted symbols (Pickett, Col. 2, lines 19-28: A feature of the present invention is the provision of a co-channel multiple signal broadcasting system to suppress co-channel interference in overlapping areas of transmission signals comprising: at least two angularly modulated transmitters disposed in spaced relation with respect to each other such that their respective transmission signals have at least one overlapping area, each of the two transmitters transmitting identical speech bursts by angularly modulating a carrier signal having a given carrier frequency; [For clarity, Pickett teaches coordinating between two base stations.]);
wherein the first random variable and the respective first random variable result in different respective offset values, of the offset values, for the base station and the further base station (Pickett, Col. 2, lines 28-34: first means disposed in one of the two transmitters to deviate its associated carrier frequency in primarily a first given direction; and second means disposed in the other of the two transmitters to deviate its associated carrier frequency in primarily a second given direction opposite the first given direction;).
McCabe teaches using randomized frequency offsets in simulcast systems, and Pickett teaches guarantying the offsets of overlapping transmitters in the simulcast system are different. Taken together, McCabe and Pickett teach coordinating randomized frequency offsets between base stations to ensure the base stations are using different offsets.
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine the invention of McCabe with the method for providing rms carrier frequency separation of Pickett. The resulting invention would provide for suppressing interference in overlapping transmission areas (Pickett, Col. 6, lines 28-46).
Re. Claim 7. McCabe in view of Pickett teaches claim 1,
McCabe further teaches transmitting respective one or more transmitted symbols that are a same as the transmitted symbols (McCabe, Col. 1, lines 24-27: The paging switch then formulates a page to the subscriber and distributes the page to each of the paging base stations. The paging base stations then simultaneously broadcast (simulcast) the page.),
the base station and the further base station forming a simulcast system (McCabe, Col. 4, lines 21-27: In a simulcast paging system, the paging stations 107 are operative so that the pages are broadcast at exactly the same instant. This simulcasting ensures that when a pager/receiver 121 is in an area where broadcast from two or more paging stations 107 can be received, as represented by the overlap region 123 between circles 113, the pager 121 received a signal that can be readily processed.),
Yet, McCabe does not explicitly teach coordinating the mapping of the first random variable with a mapping of a respective first random variable at a further base station,
wherein respective mappings of respective first random variables to respective second random variables for the base station and the further base station result in different respective offset values, of the offset values, for the base station and the further base station.
However, in the related art, Pickett teaches coordinating the mapping of the first random variable with a mapping of a respective first random variable at a further base station (Pickett, Col. 2, lines 19-28: A feature of the present invention is the provision of a co-channel multiple signal broadcasting system to suppress co-channel interference in overlapping areas of transmission signals comprising: at least two angularly modulated transmitters disposed in spaced relation with respect to each other such that their respective transmission signals have at least one overlapping area, each of the two transmitters transmitting identical speech bursts by angularly modulating a carrier signal having a given carrier frequency; [For clarity, Pickett teaches coordinating between two base stations.] And
Col. 5, lines 60-64: In this embodiment the local oscillator signal for the known FM transmitter 16 is switched in one direction for one transmitter of two interfering transmitters and in the opposite for the other transmitter of the two interfering transmitters. [For clarity, the switching arrangement of Pickett corresponds to the coordinated mapping.])
wherein respective mappings of respective first random variables to respective second random variables for the base station and the further base station result in different respective offset values, of the offset values, for the base station and the further base station (Pickett, Col. 2, lines 28-34: first means disposed in one of the two transmitters to deviate its associated carrier frequency in primarily a first given direction; and second means disposed in the other of the two transmitters to deviate its associated carrier frequency in primarily a second given direction opposite the first given direction;).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine the invention of McCabe with the method for providing rms carrier frequency separation of Pickett. The resulting invention would provide for suppressing interference in overlapping transmission areas (Pickett, Col. 6, lines 28-46).
Re. Claim 8. McCabe in view of Pickett teaches claim 1,
McCabe further teaches offsetting the given respective frequency by: multiplying the second variable by a predetermined scaling factor to generate an offset frequency (McCabe, Col. 8, lines 59-67: In addition, the GA/OA 315 receives a random number, which is generated by the random number generator 323. The random number generator 323 receives a predetermined frequency offset range and a random seed. In response to the random seed and the frequency offset range, the random number generator 323 generates random numbers corresponding to frequency offsets within the predetermined frequency offset range. And
Col. 9, lines 15-18: The GA/OA 315 then outputs a voltage signal as a function of the frequency deviation for the current protocol and the random number received from the random number generator 323. [While McCabe is silent regarding how the random numbers generated by the random number generator 323, a correspondence between the random numbers and the predetermined frequency offset range provides an equivalent output (mapping between the second variable and the frequency offset) and would not necessarily be distinguishable from multiplying the second variable by a predetermined scaling factor to obtain the frequency offset.]); and
adding the offset frequency to the given respective frequency (McCabe, Col. 12, line 67 - Col. 13, line 8: In the step 1122, current map level CML(i) is multiplied by the gain value to result in a value corresponding to frequency deviation for the symbol to be transmitted, according to the current protocol. Thus, the current symbol variable BI(i) is equal to C(i) times the gain. Then in a next step 1124, the value of the random offset variable RO is added to the value of the current symbol variable BI(i) and stored back in the current symbol variable BI(i).).
Re. Claim 10. McCabe in view of Pickett teaches claim 1,
McCabe further teaches wherein the offset values comprises a zero mean offset sequence (McCabe, Col. 9, lines 7-12: For example, for the POCSAG protocol, frequency offsets in the range of about
±
200 Hz appear to minimize phase cancellation data reception errors. On the other hand, for FLEX.TM. schemes, frequency offsets in the range of about 0-150 Hz appear to minimize the phase cancellation data reception errors. [The symmetric frequency offset ranges result in a zero mean offset sequence.]),
such that a sum of all of the offset values adds to zero (McCabe, Col. 9, lines 7-12: For example, for the POCSAG protocol, frequency offsets in the range of about
±
200 Hz appear to minimize phase cancellation data reception errors. On the other hand, for FLEX.TM. schemes, frequency offsets in the range of about 0-150 Hz appear to minimize the phase cancellation data reception errors. [The symmetry of the frequency offset ranges results in a set of offset values which sum to zero.]).
Re. Claim 11. McCabe in view of Pickett teaches claim 1,
McCabe further teaches wherein the given distribution of the first random variable comprises one of a uniform distribution, a Gaussian distribution, and a bell-shaped distribution (McCabe, Col. 8, lines 62-63: The random seed can be generated in any suitable conventional manner. [The random seed corresponds to the first random variable, and selecting a random variable from a uniform, Gaussian, or bell-shaped distribution is a conventional manner for generating a random variable.]).
Re. Claim 12. McCabe in view of Pickett teaches claim 1,
McCabe further teaches wherein at least offsetting of the given respective frequency of the transmitted symbols occurs using one or more of a digital signal processor and a modulator of the base station (McCabe, (34): The DSP module 505 is programmed to produce the in-phase and quadrature component signals from the digital signal received by the configurable interface 501. As described above, the modulator 203 (more specifically, the DSP module 505) is also programmed with predetermined frequency offset ranges and the frequency deviations of the paging protocols being supported. The DSP module 505 is programmed to generate random numbers within the range defined by the predetermined frequency offset range and the predetermined window optimized for the current protocol and modulation scheme.).
Re. Claim 13. A computing device (McCabe, Col. 4, lines 45-48: FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a transmitter 201 of a paging station 107 (FIG. 1) according to one embodiment of the present invention.) comprising:
one or more of a base station and a controller (McCabe, Col. 4, lines 50-54: In a forward signal processing path, the transmitter 201 includes a modulator 203, a predistorter 207, a digital quadrature modulator 211, a digital-to-analog converter 212, an analog upconverter 213, a power amplifier 215 and a transmitting antenna 217. [Paging station 107 corresponds to the one or more base stations, and modulator 203 corresponds to the controller.]);
a communication interface (McCabe, Col. 10, lines 2-13: The modulator 203 includes a configurable interface 501 and a DSP module 505. The configurable interface 501 is connected to receive digital signals from the transmission controller 235 (FIG. 2).);
a processor (McCabe, Col. 5, line 66 – Col. 6, line 5: In this embodiment, the modulator 203 includes a Texas Instruments TMS320C44 microprocessor that is programmed to perform the in-phase and quadrature modulation on the symbols (described below in conjunction with FIGS. 5 and 6), although any suitable processor or controller may be used.); and
a computer-readable storage medium having stored thereon program instructions that, when executed by the processor, causes the processor to perform a set of operations (McCabe, Col. 11, lines 29-39: With reference to FIGS. 7-11B, the modulator 203 operates as follows. The modulator performs a step 802 to reset the modulator upon powering up or being reset. During this reset operation, the digital signal processor boots up from a start-up ROM or boot memory. Then in a step 804, the modulator 203 downloads from the boot memory an operational program to the digital quadrature modulator 211, which configures the digital quadrature modulator 211 to operate on the digital signals received from the modulator 203 with the desired quadrature modulation algorithm.)
Further components of claim 13 correspond to the method of claim 1 and are rejected for similar reasons. See Claim 1 above.
Re. Claim 14. McCabe in view of Pickett teaches claim 13,
Claim 14 is directed toward an apparatus corresponding to claim 2 and does not further define or limit over the subject matter of claim 2. Therefore, claim 14 is rejected for similar reasons to claim 2.
Re. Claim 15. McCabe in view of Pickett teaches claim 13,
Claim 15 is directed toward an apparatus corresponding to claim 3 and does not further define or limit over the subject matter of claim 3. Therefore, claim 15 is rejected for similar reasons to claim 3.
Re. Claim 16. McCabe in view of Pickett teaches claim 13,
Claim 16 is directed toward an apparatus corresponding to claim 4 and does not further define or limit over the subject matter of claim 4. Therefore, claim 16 is rejected for similar reasons to claim 4.
Re. Claim 17. McCabe in view of Pickett teaches claim 13,
Claim 17 is directed toward an apparatus corresponding to claim 5 and does not further define or limit over the subject matter of claim 2. Therefore, claim 17 is rejected for similar reasons to claim 5.
Re. Claim 18. McCabe in view of Pickett teaches claim 13,
Claim 18 is directed toward an apparatus corresponding to claim 6 and does not further define or limit over the subject matter of claim 6. Therefore, claim 18 is rejected for similar reasons to claim 6.
Re. Claim 19. McCabe in view of Pickett teaches claim 13,
Claim 19 is directed toward an apparatus corresponding to claim 7 and does not further define or limit over the subject matter of claim 7. Therefore, claim 19 is rejected for similar reasons to claim 7.
Re. Claim 20. McCabe in view of Pickett teaches claim 13,
Claim 20 is directed toward an apparatus corresponding to claim 8 and does not further define or limit over the subject matter of claim 8. Therefore, claim 20 is rejected for similar reasons to claim 8.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claim 9 is 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
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to CASON H MORSE whose telephone number is (571)270-5235. The examiner can normally be reached 8:30-6:00 Mon.-Thurs., Fri. varies.
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/C.H.M./Examiner, Art Unit 2417
/REBECCA E SONG/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2417
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