Prosecution Insights
Last updated: August 16, 2026
Application No. 18/428,181

TRACKER AND TRACKING METHOD THEREOF AND CLUSTERED TRACKING SYSTEM AND TRACKING METHOD THEREOF

Non-Final OA §103
Filed
Jan 31, 2024
Priority
Feb 17, 2023 — TW 112105867
Examiner
GELIN, JEAN ALLAND
Art Unit
2643
Tech Center
2600 — Communications
Assignee
WISTRON NEWEB Corporation
OA Round
2 (Non-Final)
89%
Grant Probability
Favorable
2-3
OA Rounds
0m
Est. Remaining
93%
With Interview

Examiner Intelligence

Grants 89% — above average
89%
Career Allowance Rate
1122 granted / 1267 resolved
+26.6% vs TC avg
Minimal +4% lift
Without
With
+4.5%
Interview Lift
resolved cases with interview
Typical timeline
2y 3m
Avg Prosecution
28 currently pending
Career history
1294
Total Applications
across all art units

Statute-Specific Performance

§101
5.2%
-34.8% vs TC avg
§103
44.6%
+4.6% vs TC avg
§102
27.6%
-12.4% vs TC avg
§112
3.1%
-36.9% vs TC avg
Black line = Tech Center average estimate • Based on career data from 1267 resolved cases

Office Action

§103
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 . This is in response to the Applicant’s arguments, and amendments filed on May 23, 2026 in which claims 1, 3, 5, 6, 8, 10, 11, 13, 17, and 19 have been amended, and claims 2, 7, and 12 have been canceled. Claims 1, 3-6, 8-11, 13-15, and 17-19 are currently pending. 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. Claims 1, 5, 6, 10, 11, 13, and 19 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Ali et al. (US 2021/0185608) in view of Nakajima (US 2012/0108211). Regarding claim 1, Ali teaches a tracker (an apparatus, and a method for tracking an object using electronic devices), comprising: a positioning circuit configured to obtain a position information (i.e., Almost every recent smartphone is equipped with a WiFi and a positioning system [0003]. Cluster members (e.g., tracker) share the task of positioning [0035]-[0036]); a remote communication circuit configured to be signally connected to a cloud server (i.e., short-range and long-range remotely communicates gathered location data to the server [0009]); and a processing circuit connected to the positioning circuit and the remote communication circuit and operating in a default mode, wherein in the default mode, the processing circuit controls the remote communication circuit to transmit an identity information and the position information to the cloud server (i.e., The processing circuitry of the electronic device is configured to broadcast data via the short-range transmitter, the data including a clustering cost, identify as a regular node or a cluster head for a cluster based on at least the clustering cost associated with each of the electronic devices, transmit location data to the cluster head using the short-range transmitter when the electronic device is identified as the regular node, and transmit gathered location data to a server using the long-range transmitter when the electronic device is the cluster head, the gathered location data including the location data received from other electronic devices in the cluster [0009]-[0010], [0041]-[0043]); wherein in the cluster mode, the processing circuit controls the tracker to enter a working state in the working time period according to the work command the processing circuit controls the tracker to enter a sleep state according to the rest command (i.e., cluster node changes its role to regular node based on timer [0052], [claim 15]. The connection loss may also occur due to the failure of the cluster head itself such us switching off the short range communication method or switching off the electronic device [0054]. The GPS power is neglected since RN switch off their GPS [0069], [0098]-[0099]); the processing circuit is changed from the default mode to a cluster mode according to the cluster command and the cluster command comprises one of a work command and a rest command, and a working time period, wherein the tracker is classified into a tracked cluster, the tracked cluster comprises the tracker and another tracker, the cluster command further comprises a rendezvous time period, and the tracker further comprises: a short-distance communication circuit connected to the processing circuit, wherein in the cluster mode, the processing circuit wakes up the short-distance communication circuit in the rendezvous time period according to the cluster command so that tracker short-distance communication circuit exchanges information with the another tracker, (i.e., inherently present in figs. 1-5: nearby electronic devices, such as smartphones, to cooperate in tracking a person or object while using less battery power. Instead of every device turning on GPS and long-range communication all the time, the devices form clusters. Within each cluster, one device acts as a cluster head and does the heavier work, while the others send their location data to it over a short-range link such as Bluetooth. The cluster head then sends the grouped information to a server using a long-range connection such as Wi-Fi or cellular data. The system chooses which device should be the cluster head based on a clustering cost, such as battery level and related energy usage factors. Devices advertise their status over the short-range link, including cost, bandwidth, and location information. If a device has lower cost, it may be selected to lead the cluster, and if it is a regular node, it joins a nearby cluster and stops using its long-range transmitter [0009]-[0010], [0039]-[0047]). Ali does not specifically teach wherein the remote communication circuit receives a cluster command from the cloud server, so that the processing circuit is changed from the default mode to a cluster mode. However, the preceding limitation is known in the art of communication. Nakajima teaches an automatic mode changing, wherein the base station detects entrance and exit of the mobile terminal into and from an area covered by the base station and notifies the cooperative server of a detection result. The cooperative server acquires positional information on the mobile terminal from the notification, and stores a residence history of the mobile terminal based on the positional information and a script indicating a rule of a mode setting designated in each mobile terminal in history storing means. The cooperative server activates the script to determine a mode changing command in each mobile terminal based on the residence history and transmits the mode changing command to the base station [abstr.], [0010]-[0011]. The mobile terminal performs mode changing in designated timing [0027]). the base station mode changing command transmitting means 113 of the cooperative server 110 distributes the default mode changing command 330 to all the base stations 120A, 120B, and 120C. The operation can change a mode of the mobile terminal 130 from each base station before an inquiry is made at the cooperative server 110, when the mobile terminal 130 enters the area covered by the base station 120A, 120B, or 120C that is placed under the charge of the cooperative server 110 ([0040]-[0042], [0070]). Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, at the time of the invention, to have implemented the technique of Nakajima within the system of Ali in order to automatically change mobile phone’s setting when you enter or leave a signal area, based on a plan shared by multiple network towers. Regarding claim 5, Ali in view of Nakajima teaches all the limitations above. In combination with changing mode taught by Nakajima, Ali teaches the cluster command further comprises another identity information of the another tracker, and in response to determining that the short-distance communication circuit does not receive the another identity information from the another tracker after the rendezvous time period, the processing circuit is changed from the cluster mode to the default mode (a corresponding system for an object using electronic devices while minimizing power consumption of the electronic devices… cooperative energy efficient tracking (CEET) system and associated methodology based on electronic devices (e.g., smartphones) clustering where neighboring electronic devices form a cluster and cooperatively perform the tracking task. Cluster members share the task of positioning. A single electronic device performs positioning to determine positioning information and then shares the positioning information with the rest of its cluster members, instead of making each electronic device do the positioning operations individually [0035]). Regarding claim 6, Ali teaches a tracker tracking method (a method for tracking an object using electronic devices), comprising: performing an information collecting step comprising configuring a processing circuit of a tracker to operate in a default mode, wherein in the default mode, the processing circuit collects a position information from a positioning circuit of the tracker and performing an information transmitting step comprising configuring the processing circuit to control a remote communication circuit of the tracker to transmit an identity information and the position information to a cloud server (i.e., The processing circuitry of the electronic device is configured to broadcast data via the short-range transmitter, the data including a clustering cost, identify as a regular node or a cluster head for a cluster based on at least the clustering cost associated with each of the electronic devices, transmit location data to the cluster head using the short-range transmitter when the electronic device is identified as the regular node, and transmit gathered location data to a server using the long-range transmitter when the electronic device is the cluster head, the gathered location data including the location data received from other electronic devices in the cluster [0009]-[0010], [0041]-[0043]); wherein in the cluster mode, the processing circuit controls the tracker to enter a working state in the working time period according to the work command the processing circuit controls the tracker to enter a sleep state according to the rest command (i.e., cluster node changes its role to regular node based on timer [0052], [claim 15]. The connection loss may also occur due to the failure of the cluster head itself such us switching off the short range communication method or switching off the electronic device [0054]. The GPS power is neglected since RN switch off their GPS [0069], [0098]-[0099]); the processing circuit is changed from the default mode to a cluster mode according to the cluster command and the cluster command comprises one of a work command and a rest command, and a working time period, wherein the tracker is classified into a tracked cluster, the tracked cluster comprises the tracker and another tracker, the cluster command further comprises a rendezvous time period, and the tracker further comprises: a short-distance communication circuit connected to the processing circuit, wherein in the cluster mode, the processing circuit wakes up the short-distance communication circuit in the rendezvous time period according to the cluster command so that tracker short-distance communication circuit exchanges information with the another tracker, (i.e., inherently present in figs. 1-5: nearby electronic devices, such as smartphones, to cooperate in tracking a person or object while using less battery power. Instead of every device turning on GPS and long-range communication all the time, the devices form clusters. Within each cluster, one device acts as a cluster head and does the heavier work, while the others send their location data to it over a short-range link such as Bluetooth. The cluster head then sends the grouped information to a server using a long-range connection such as Wi-Fi or cellular data. The system chooses which device should be the cluster head based on a clustering cost, such as battery level and related energy usage factors. Devices advertise their status over the short-range link, including cost, bandwidth, and location information. If a device has lower cost, it may be selected to lead the cluster, and if it is a regular node, it joins a nearby cluster and stops using its long-range transmitter [0009]-[0010], [0039]-[0047]). Ali does not specifically teach wherein the remote communication circuit receives a cluster command from the cloud server, so that the processing circuit is changed from the default mode to a cluster mode. However, the preceding limitation is known in the art of communication. Nakajima teaches an automatic mode changing, wherein the base station detects entrance and exit of the mobile terminal into and from an area covered by the base station and notifies the cooperative server of a detection result. The cooperative server acquires positional information on the mobile terminal from the notification, and stores a residence history of the mobile terminal based on the positional information and a script indicating a rule of a mode setting designated in each mobile terminal in history storing means. The cooperative server activates the script to determine a mode changing command in each mobile terminal based on the residence history and transmits the mode changing command to the base station [abstr.], [0010]-[0011]. The mobile terminal performs mode changing in designated timing [0027]). the base station mode changing command transmitting means 113 of the cooperative server 110 distributes the default mode changing command 330 to all the base stations 120A, 120B, and 120C. The operation can change a mode of the mobile terminal 130 from each base station before an inquiry is made at the cooperative server 110, when the mobile terminal 130 enters the area covered by the base station 120A, 120B, or 120C that is placed under the charge of the cooperative server 110 ([0040]-[0042], [0070]). Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, at the time of the invention, to have implemented the technique of Nakajima within the system of Ali in order to automatically change mobile phone’s setting when you enter or leave a signal area, based on a plan shared by multiple network towers Regarding claim 10, Ali in view of Nakajima teaches all the limitations above. In combination with changing mode taught by Nakajima, Ali teaches the cluster command further comprises another identity information of the another tracker, and in response to determining that the short-distance communication circuit does not receive the another identity information from the another tracker after the rendezvous time period, the processing circuit is changed from the cluster mode to the default mode (a corresponding system for an object using electronic devices while minimizing power consumption of the electronic devices… cooperative energy efficient tracking (CEET) system and associated methodology based on electronic devices (e.g., smartphones) clustering where neighboring electronic devices form a cluster and cooperatively perform the tracking task. Cluster members share the task of positioning. A single electronic device performs positioning to determine positioning information and then shares the positioning information with the rest of its cluster members, instead of making each electronic device do the positioning operations individually [0035]). Regarding claim 13, Ali teaches a clustered tracking system, comprising: a plurality of trackers (fig. 1), wherein each of the trackers comprises a remote communication circuit (i.e., Almost every recent smartphone is equipped with a WiFi and a positioning system [0003]. Cluster members (e.g., tracker) share the task of positioning [0035]-[0036]); a remote communication circuit (i.e., short-range and long-range remotely communicates gathered location data to the server [0009]); a positioning circuit configured to obtain position information (i.e., the electronic devices are equipped with Bluetooth, WLAN/mobile data and GPS [0043]); and a processing circuit connected to the positioning circuit and the remote communication circuit and operating in a default mode (i.e., The processing circuitry of the electronic device is configured to broadcast data via the short-range transmitter, the data including a clustering cost, identify as a regular node or a cluster head for a cluster based on at least the clustering cost associated with each of the electronic devices, transmit location data to the cluster head using the short-range transmitter when the electronic device is identified as the regular node, and transmit gathered location data to a server using the long-range transmitter when the electronic device is the cluster head, the gathered location data including the location data received from other electronic devices in the cluster [0009]-[0010], [0041]-[0043]); a cloud server respectively receiving a plurality of identity information and a plurality of the position information from a plurality of the remote communication circuits and classifying the trackers being adjacent to each other into a tracked cluster according to the plurality of identity information and the plurality of the position information, wherein the trackers in the tracked cluster are divided into a first tracker and at least one second tracker ([0040]-[0043]); wherein the processing circuit of the first tracker controls the first tracker to enter a working state in a working time period according to the cluster command; wherein the processing circuit of the at least one second tracker controls the at least one second tracker to enter a sleep state according to the cluster command (i.e., Cluster head advertisement: When a node is booted up, the node announces itself as a cluster head and the node broadcasts information about itself like the available bandwidth, current cost, location information, ID and network address [0047]); wherein a number of the at least one second tracker is plural, and each of the trackers which is connected to the processing circuit and configured to provide a battery information, the cloud server respectively receives a plurality of the battery information from the plurality of the remote communication circuits of the trackers, the cloud server assigns one of the trackers in the tracked cluster as the first tracker and assigns a rest of the trackers in the tracked cluster as the second trackers, and the battery information of the first tracker is better than the plurality of the battery information of the second trackers (i.e., inherently present in figs. 1-5: nearby electronic devices, such as smartphones, to cooperate in tracking a person or object while using less battery power. Instead of every device turning on GPS and long-range communication all the time, the devices form clusters. Within each cluster, one device acts as a cluster head and does the heavier work, while the others send their location data to it over a short-range link such as Bluetooth. The cluster head then sends the grouped information to a server using a long-range connection such as Wi-Fi or cellular data. The system chooses which device should be the cluster head based on a clustering cost, such as battery level and related energy usage factors. Devices advertise their status over the short-range link, including cost, bandwidth, and location information. If a device has lower cost, it may be selected to lead the cluster, and if it is a regular node, it joins a nearby cluster and stops using its long-range transmitter [0009]-[0010], [0039]-[0047]). Ali does not specifically teach wherein the remote communication circuit receives a cluster command from the cloud server, so that the processing circuit is changed from the default mode to a cluster mode. However, the preceding limitation is known in the art of communication. Nakajima teaches an automatic mode changing, wherein the base station detects entrance and exit of the mobile terminal into and from an area covered by the base station and notifies the cooperative server of a detection result. The cooperative server acquires positional information on the mobile terminal from the notification, and stores a residence history of the mobile terminal based on the positional information and a script indicating a rule of a mode setting designated in each mobile terminal in history storing means. The cooperative server activates the script to determine a mode changing command in each mobile terminal based on the residence history and transmits the mode changing command to the base station [abstr.], [0010]-[0011]. The mobile terminal performs mode changing in designated timing [0027]). the base station mode changing command transmitting means 113 of the cooperative server 110 distributes the default mode changing command 330 to all the base stations 120A, 120B, and 120C. The operation can change a mode of the mobile terminal 130 from each base station before an inquiry is made at the cooperative server 110, when the mobile terminal 130 enters the area covered by the base station 120A, 120B, or 120C that is placed under the charge of the cooperative server 110 ([0040]-[0042], [0070]). Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, at the time of the invention, to have implemented the technique of Nakajima within the system of Ali in order to automatically change mobile phone’s setting when you enter or leave a signal area, based on a plan shared by multiple network towers. Regarding claim 19, Ali in view of Nakajima teaches all the limitations above. In combination with changing mode taught by Nakajima, Ali teaches the cluster command further comprises another identity information of the another tracker, and in response to determining that the short-distance communication circuit does not receive the another identity information from the another tracker after the rendezvous time period, the processing circuit is changed from the cluster mode to the default mode (a corresponding system for an object using electronic devices while minimizing power consumption of the electronic devices… cooperative energy efficient tracking (CEET) system and associated methodology based on electronic devices (e.g., smartphones) clustering where neighboring electronic devices form a cluster and cooperatively perform the tracking task. Cluster members share the task of positioning. A single electronic device performs positioning to determine positioning information and then shares the positioning information with the rest of its cluster members, instead of making each electronic device do the positioning operations individually [0035]). Claims 3, 8, 11, 14, and 17 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Ali et al. (US 2021/0185608) in view of Nakajima (US 2012/0108211) further in view of Wenjie et al. (US CN205880607U). Regarding claim 3, Ali in view of Nakajami teaches all the limitations above except the tracker comprising: a power supply circuit connected to the processing circuit and configured to provide a battery information, wherein the short-distance communication circuit randomly operates in one of a peripheral mode and a central mode in the rendezvous time period, in the peripheral mode, the short-distance communication circuit sends the identity information and the battery information to the another tracker, and in the central mode, the short-distance communication circuit receives another identity information and another battery information from the another tracker. However, the preceding limitations are known in the art of communications. It is known in communication that The purpose of IoT (Internet of Things) in communication is to allow everyday physical objects (like fig. 1 in Ali shows electronic devices 108 communicate information to electronic devices 106) to "talk" to each other and the internet. The purpose is to let battery-powered devices send small amounts of data across long distances or deep underground without draining their batteries. Wenjie teaches a tracker based on NBIOT technology, the tracker comprising: a main control chip; the NBIOT communication module is connected with the main control chip module and is used for transmitting the position information and the state information of the tracker to a remote server for monitoring the tracker; and the power supply module is connected with the main control chip and supplies power to the tracker through a battery ([0007]); the locator includes through acquiring the peripheral WIFI access point information of tracker acquires the WIFI orientation module of tracker positional information [0008]. the power module 105 is connected to the main control chip 101 to supply power to the tracker 100 through a battery. The battery in the power module 105 may be a rechargeable battery, the power module 105 is configured with a charging interface to charge the battery, the battery may also be a disposable charging and discharging battery, and the power module 105 may be configured with an openable cover to replace the battery ([0048]-[0050]). Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art of communication, at the time of the invention to have implemented the NBIoT technology taught by Wenjie within the combination system of Ali and Nakajima in order to utilize the characteristics of ultra-low power consumption and high signal penetration of the NBIOT communication technology, which can greatly prolong the service time of the tracker, avoid frequent charging, enable the tracker to have ultra-strong signal penetration, and significantly expand the use range of the tracker. Regarding claim 8, Ali in view of Nakajami teaches all the limitations above except the tracker comprising: a power supply circuit connected to the processing circuit and configured to provide a battery information, wherein the short-distance communication circuit randomly operates in one of a peripheral mode and a central mode in the rendezvous time period, in the peripheral mode, the short-distance communication circuit sends the identity information and the battery information to the another tracker, and in the central mode, the short-distance communication circuit receives another identity information and another battery information from the another tracker. However, the preceding limitations are known in the art of communications. It is known in communication that The purpose of IoT (Internet of Things) in communication is to allow everyday physical objects (like fig. 1 in Ali shows electronic devices 108 communicate information to electronic devices 106) to "talk" to each other and the internet. The purpose is to let battery-powered devices send small amounts of data across long distances or deep underground without draining their batteries. Wenjie teaches a tracker based on NBIOT technology, the tracker comprising: a main control chip; the NBIOT communication module is connected with the main control chip module and is used for transmitting the position information and the state information of the tracker to a remote server for monitoring the tracker; and the power supply module is connected with the main control chip and supplies power to the tracker through a battery ([0007]); the locator includes through acquiring the peripheral WIFI access point information of tracker acquires the WIFI orientation module of tracker positional information [0008]. the power module 105 is connected to the main control chip 101 to supply power to the tracker 100 through a battery. The battery in the power module 105 may be a rechargeable battery, the power module 105 is configured with a charging interface to charge the battery, the battery may also be a disposable charging and discharging battery, and the power module 105 may be configured with an openable cover to replace the battery ([0048]-[0050]). Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art of communication, at the time of the invention to have implemented the NBIoT technology taught by Wenjie within the combination system of Ali and Nakajima in order to utilize the characteristics of ultra-low power consumption and high signal penetration of the NBIOT communication technology, which can greatly prolong the service time of the tracker, avoid frequent charging, enable the tracker to have ultra-strong signal penetration, and significantly expand the use range of the tracker. Regarding claim 11, Ali teaches a clustered tracking system, comprising: a plurality of trackers (fig. 1), wherein each of the trackers comprises a remote communication circuit (i.e., Almost every recent smartphone is equipped with a WiFi and a positioning system [0003]. Cluster members (e.g., tracker) share the task of positioning [0035]-[0036]); a remote communication circuit (i.e., short-range and long-range remotely communicates gathered location data to the server [0009]); a positioning circuit configured to obtain position information (i.e., the electronic devices are equipped with Bluetooth, WLAN/mobile data and GPS [0043]); and a processing circuit connected to the positioning circuit and the remote communication circuit and operating in a default mode (i.e., The processing circuitry of the electronic device is configured to broadcast data via the short-range transmitter, the data including a clustering cost, identify as a regular node or a cluster head for a cluster based on at least the clustering cost associated with each of the electronic devices, transmit location data to the cluster head using the short-range transmitter when the electronic device is identified as the regular node, and transmit gathered location data to a server using the long-range transmitter when the electronic device is the cluster head, the gathered location data including the location data received from other electronic devices in the cluster [0009]-[0010], [0041]-[0043]); a cloud server respectively receiving a plurality of identity information and a plurality of the position information from a plurality of the remote communication circuits and classifying the trackers being adjacent to each other into a tracked cluster according to the plurality of identity information and the plurality of the position information, wherein the trackers in the tracked cluster are divided into a first tracker and at least one second tracker ([0040]-[0043]); wherein the processing circuit of the first tracker controls the first tracker to enter a working state in a working time period according to the cluster command; wherein the processing circuit of the at least one second tracker controls the at least one second tracker to enter a sleep state according to the cluster command (i.e., Cluster head advertisement: When a node is booted up, the node announces itself as a cluster head and the node broadcasts information about itself like the available bandwidth, current cost, location information, ID and network address [0047]); wherein a number of the at least one second tracker is plural, and each of the trackers which is connected to the processing circuit and configured to provide a battery information, the cloud server respectively receives a plurality of the battery information from the plurality of the remote communication circuits of the trackers, the cloud server assigns one of the trackers in the tracked cluster as the first tracker and assigns a rest of the trackers in the tracked cluster as the second trackers, and the battery information of the first tracker is better than the plurality of the battery information of the second trackers (i.e., inherently present in figs. 1-5: nearby electronic devices, such as smartphones, to cooperate in tracking a person or object while using less battery power. Instead of every device turning on GPS and long-range communication all the time, the devices form clusters. Within each cluster, one device acts as a cluster head and does the heavier work, while the others send their location data to it over a short-range link such as Bluetooth. The cluster head then sends the grouped information to a server using a long-range connection such as Wi-Fi or cellular data. The system chooses which device should be the cluster head based on a clustering cost, such as battery level and related energy usage factors. Devices advertise their status over the short-range link, including cost, bandwidth, and location information. If a device has lower cost, it may be selected to lead the cluster, and if it is a regular node, it joins a nearby cluster and stops using its long-range transmitter [0009]-[0010], [0039]-[0047]). Ali does not specifically teach wherein the remote communication circuit receives a cluster command from the cloud server, so that the processing circuit is changed from the default mode to a cluster mode. However, the preceding limitation is known in the art of communication. Nakajima teaches an automatic mode changing, wherein the base station detects entrance and exit of the mobile terminal into and from an area covered by the base station and notifies the cooperative server of a detection result. The cooperative server acquires positional information on the mobile terminal from the notification, and stores a residence history of the mobile terminal based on the positional information and a script indicating a rule of a mode setting designated in each mobile terminal in history storing means. The cooperative server activates the script to determine a mode changing command in each mobile terminal based on the residence history and transmits the mode changing command to the base station [abstr.], [0010]-[0011]. The mobile terminal performs mode changing in designated timing [0027]). the base station mode changing command transmitting means 113 of the cooperative server 110 distributes the default mode changing command 330 to all the base stations 120A, 120B, and 120C. The operation can change a mode of the mobile terminal 130 from each base station before an inquiry is made at the cooperative server 110, when the mobile terminal 130 enters the area covered by the base station 120A, 120B, or 120C that is placed under the charge of the cooperative server 110 ([0040]-[0042], [0070]). Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, at the time of the invention, to have implemented the technique of Nakajima within the system of Ali in order to automatically change mobile phone’s setting when you enter or leave a signal area, based on a plan shared by multiple network towers. Wenjie does not specifically each tracker includes a power supply. Wenjie teaches a tracker based on NBIOT technology, the tracker comprising: a main control chip; the NBIOT communication module is connected with the main control chip module and is used for transmitting the position information and the state information of the tracker to a remote server for monitoring the tracker; and the power supply module is connected with the main control chip and supplies power to the tracker through a battery ([0007]); the locator includes through acquiring the peripheral WIFI access point information of tracker acquires the WIFI orientation module of tracker positional information [0008]. the power module 105 is connected to the main control chip 101 to supply power to the tracker 100 through a battery. The battery in the power module 105 may be a rechargeable battery, the power module 105 is configured with a charging interface to charge the battery, the battery may also be a disposable charging and discharging battery, and the power module 105 may be configured with an openable cover to replace the battery ([0048]-[0050]). Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art of communication, at the time of the invention to have implemented the NBIoT technology taught by Wenjie within the combination system of Ali and Nakajima in order to utilize the characteristics of ultra-low power consumption and high signal penetration of the NBIOT communication technology, which can greatly prolong the service time of the tracker, avoid frequent charging, enable the tracker to have ultra-strong signal penetration, and significantly expand the use range of the tracker. Regarding claim 14, Ali in view of Nakajami teaches all the limitations above except the tracker comprising: a power supply circuit which is configured to provide a battery information. However, the preceding limitations are known in the art of communications. Wenjie teaches a tracker based on NBIOT technology, the tracker comprising: a main control chip; the power supply module is connected with the main control chip and supplies power to the tracker through a battery ([0007]); the locator includes through acquiring the peripheral WIFI access point information of tracker acquires the WIFI orientation module of tracker positional information [0008]. the power module 105 is connected to the main control chip 101 to supply power to the tracker 100 through a battery. The battery in the power module 105 may be a rechargeable battery, the power module 105 is configured with a charging interface to charge the battery, the battery may also be a disposable charging and discharging battery, and the power module 105 may be configured with an openable cover to replace the battery ([0048]-[0050]). Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art of communication, at the time of the invention to have implemented the NBIoT technology taught by Wenjie within the combination system of Ali and Nakajima in order to utilize the characteristics of ultra-low power consumption and high signal penetration of the NBIOT communication technology, which can greatly prolong the service time of the tracker, avoid frequent charging, enable the tracker to have ultra-strong signal penetration, and significantly expand the use range of the tracker. Regarding claim 17, Ali in view of Nakajami teaches all the limitations above except the tracker comprising: a power supply circuit connected to the processing circuit and configured to provide a battery information, wherein the short-distance communication circuit randomly operates in one of a peripheral mode and a central mode in the rendezvous time period, in the peripheral mode, the short-distance communication circuit sends the identity information and the battery information to the another tracker, and in the central mode, the short-distance communication circuit receives another identity information and another battery information from the another tracker. However, the preceding limitations are known in the art of communications. It is known in communication that The purpose of IoT (Internet of Things) in communication is to allow everyday physical objects (like fig. 1 in Ali shows electronic devices 108 communicate information to electronic devices 106) to "talk" to each other and the internet. The purpose is to let battery-powered devices send small amounts of data across long distances or deep underground without draining their batteries. Wenjie teaches a tracker based on NBIOT technology, the tracker comprising: a main control chip; the NBIOT communication module is connected with the main control chip module and is used for transmitting the position information and the state information of the tracker to a remote server for monitoring the tracker; and the power supply module is connected with the main control chip and supplies power to the tracker through a battery ([0007]); the locator includes through acquiring the peripheral WIFI access point information of tracker acquires the WIFI orientation module of tracker positional information [0008]. the power module 105 is connected to the main control chip 101 to supply power to the tracker 100 through a battery. The battery in the power module 105 may be a rechargeable battery, the power module 105 is configured with a charging interface to charge the battery, the battery may also be a disposable charging and discharging battery, and the power module 105 may be configured with an openable cover to replace the battery ([0048]-[0050]). Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art of communication, at the time of the invention to have implemented the NBIoT technology taught by Wenjie within the combination system of Ali and Nakajima in order to utilize the characteristics of ultra-low power consumption and high signal penetration of the NBIOT communication technology, which can greatly prolong the service time of the tracker, avoid frequent charging, enable the tracker to have ultra-strong signal penetration, and significantly expand the use range of the tracker. Claims 4, 9, and 15 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Ali et al. (US 2021/0185608) in view of Nakajima (US 2012/0108211) further in view of Wenjie et al. (US CN205880607U), and further in view of Sun (US 2024/0187994). Regarding claim 4, Ali in view of Nakajima teaches all the limitations above except the processing circuit compares the battery information with the another battery information after the rendezvous time period, wherein, in response to determining that the battery information is better than the another battery information, the processing circuit controls the tracker to enter the working state in the working time period; and in response to determining that the another battery information is better than the battery information, the processing circuit controls the tracker to enter the sleep state. However, the preceding limitation is known in the art of communications. Sun teaches the tracker Y enables its remote communication network to communicate with the data center. The other trackers disable their respective remote communication network circuits and transmit information to the tracker Y through short-range communication, and the information is then transmitted to the data center through the remote communication network of the tracker Y [0023]-[0028], [0034]-[0035], selecting one other tracker with lowest power consumption as the remote communication device from the other trackers which can provide the remote communication function for the tracker when the current network selection mode is an optimal power consumption mode [0054]). Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, at the time of the invention, to have implemented the technique of Sun within the system Ali, Nakajima, and Wenjie in order to perform, by the tracker, short-range communication with another device to determine whether the another device can provide a remote communication function for the tracker, and disable, by the tracker, a remote communication function of the tracker in response to determining that the another device can provide the remote communication function for the tracker. Regarding claim 9, Ali in view of Nakajima teaches all the limitations above except the processing circuit compares the battery information with the another battery information after the rendezvous time period, wherein, in response to determining that the battery information is better than the another battery information, the processing circuit controls the tracker to enter the working state in the working time period; and in response to determining that the another battery information is better than the battery information, the processing circuit controls the tracker to enter the sleep state. However, the preceding limitation is known in the art of communications. Sun teaches the tracker Y enables its remote communication network to communicate with the data center. The other trackers disable their respective remote communication network circuits and transmit information to the tracker Y through short-range communication, and the information is then transmitted to the data center through the remote communication network of the tracker Y [0023]-[0028], [0034]-[0035], selecting one other tracker with lowest power consumption as the remote communication device from the other trackers which can provide the remote communication function for the tracker when the current network selection mode is an optimal power consumption mode [0054]). Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, at the time of the invention, to have implemented the technique of Sun within the system Ali, Nakajima, and Wenjie in order to perform, by the tracker, short-range communication with another device to determine whether the another device can provide a remote communication function for the tracker, and disable, by the tracker, a remote communication function of the tracker in response to determining that the another device can provide the remote communication function for the tracker. Regarding claim 15, Ali in view of Nakajima teaches all the limitations above except the processing circuit compares the battery information with the another battery information after the rendezvous time period, wherein, in response to determining that the battery information is better than the another battery information, the processing circuit controls the tracker to enter the working state in the working time period; and in response to determining that the another battery information is better than the battery information, the processing circuit controls the tracker to enter the sleep state. However, the preceding limitation is known in the art of communications. Sun teaches the tracker Y enables its remote communication network to communicate with the data center. The other trackers disable their respective remote communication network circuits and transmit information to the tracker Y through short-range communication, and the information is then transmitted to the data center through the remote communication network of the tracker Y [0023]-[0028], [0034]-[0035], selecting one other tracker with lowest power consumption as the remote communication device from the other trackers which can provide the remote communication function for the tracker when the current network selection mode is an optimal power consumption mode [0054]). Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, at the time of the invention, to have implemented the technique of Sun within the system Ali, Nakajima, and Wenjie in order to perform, by the tracker, short-range communication with another device to determine whether the another device can provide a remote communication function for the tracker, and disable, by the tracker, a remote communication function of the tracker in response to determining that the another device can provide the remote communication function for the tracker. Allowable Subject Matter Claim 18 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. Response to Arguments Applicant’s arguments with respect to claims 1, 3-6, 8-11, 13-15, and 17-19 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. Conclusion Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to JEAN ALLAND GELIN whose telephone number is (571)272-7842. The examiner can normally be reached MON-FR 9-6 PM. 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, JINSONG HU can be reached at 571-272-3965. 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. /JEAN A GELIN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2643
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Prosecution Timeline

Jan 31, 2024
Application Filed
Feb 27, 2026
Non-Final Rejection mailed — §103
May 23, 2026
Response Filed
Jul 07, 2026
Non-Final Rejection mailed — §103 (current)

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2-3
Expected OA Rounds
89%
Grant Probability
93%
With Interview (+4.5%)
2y 3m (~0m remaining)
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