DETAILED ACTION
Response to Amendment
The amendment filed April 6, 2026 has been entered.
Claim 1, 3, 17 and 19-20 are amended.
Claim 2, 8-10 and 18 are cancelled.
Claims 1, 3-7, 11-17, and 19-20 are pending this application.
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.
Claim 20 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. The "media" need to be "non-transitory" and claim state a computer readable media (term is plural while A is singular).
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, 3, 7, 11-17, and 19-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Namboodiri et al (US 2019/0072395 A1) in view of Marti et al (US 2014/0171114 A1).
Regarding Claim 1, Namboodiri teaches reconfigurable environment wayfinding system comprising [0005 for way finding for conventions (reconfigurable environment)]:
a beacon detector mobile device capable of being moved within a reconfigurable environment that is provided with a plurality of beacons [0004 for using Bluetooth beacons and 0011],
wherein the beacon detector mobile device is receptive to beacon transmissions of the plurality of beacons and is operative to develop fixed location at a plurality of fixed locations arranged in a grid pattern as an X-Y array within the reconfigurable environment [0014 for determine beacon locations and [figure 11 for having a grid pattern based on floor plan and 0034 for a connectivity graph (grid means) in 2D x-y pattern];
a mapping server coupled to the fixed location fingerprint database and receptive to the fixed location and to a configuration map of the reconfigurable environment and operative to develop a navigable pathways map for the reconfigurable environment [0014 for using iBeaconMap for recommending beacon locations based on floor plan (navigable pathways)];
wherein the mapping server maps the configuration map of the reconfigurable environment to the X-Y array to develop a subset of the fixed location fingerprint database with inaccessible fixed locations disabled and with a plurality of accessible fixed locations designated as waypoints to provide the navigable pathways map [0038 for having disconnections like walls (inaccessible locations) and only activating walking path]
and a user mobile device receptive to the beacon transmissions of the plurality of beacons and to the navigable pathways map and operative to provide wayfinding for the user within the reconfigurable environment [0013, 0031].
Namboodiri fails to explicitly teach using location fingerprints and wherein the fixed location fingerprints are developed independently of a configuration map of a reconfigurable environment and are stored in a fixed location fingerprint database, and wherein the fixed location fingerprints only have to be generated once and the fixed location fingerprint database is usable for multiple configurations of the reconfigurable environment and without modifying the fixed location fingerprints in the fixed location fingerprint database.
Marti has systems for using a location fingerprint database to determine a location of a mobile device (abstract) and teaches using location fingerprints [0035 for generating location fingerprint data using a fingerprint engine]
wherein the fixed location fingerprints are developed independently of a configuration map of a reconfigurable environment and are stored in a fixed location fingerprint database [0035-0036 for using map features to determine location fingerprint],
and wherein the fixed location fingerprints only have to be generated once and the fixed location fingerprint database is usable for multiple configurations of the reconfigurable environment [0038]
and without modifying the fixed location fingerprints in the fixed location fingerprint database [0054 and 0056].
It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the applicant’s invention for modifying the beacon position techniques, as disclosed by Namboodiri, further including the fingerprinting calculations as taught by Marti for the purpose to derive the highest probable location as a function of the multidimensional match (Marti, 0037).
Regarding Claim 3, Namboodiri fails to explicitly teach the beacon detector mobile device calculates a fixed location fingerprint from beacon transmissions received at fixed locations on the grid pattern.
Marti has systems for using a location fingerprint database to determine a location of a mobile device (abstract) and teaches the beacon detector mobile device calculates a fixed location fingerprint from beacon transmissions received at fixed locations on the grid pattern [0056, and figure 6 for using an xy grid with locations mapped].
It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the applicant’s invention for modifying the beacon position techniques, as disclosed by Namboodiri, further including the fingerprinting calculations as taught by Marti for the purpose to allow various fingerprint data can be aggregated to form the location fingerprint data for a given location (Marti, 0056).
Regarding Claim 7, Namboodiri fails to explicitly teach a fixed location fingerprint includes a hash including a plurality of beacon IDs and associated RSSI measurements.
Marti has systems for using a location fingerprint database to determine a location of a mobile device (abstract) and teaches a fixed location fingerprint includes a hash including a plurality of beacon IDs and associated RSSI measurements [0047-0048 and 0056, and figure 6 for using an xy grid with locations mapped].
It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the applicant’s invention for modifying the beacon position techniques, as disclosed by Namboodiri, further including the fingerprinting calculations as taught by Marti for the purpose to allow various fingerprint data can be aggregated to form the location fingerprint data for a given location (Marti, 0056).
Regarding Claim 11, Namboodiri fails to explicitly teach the user mobile device is a smartphone provided with an app stores the navigable pathways map on the smartphone to facilitate offline wayfinding within the reconfigurable environment.
Marti has systems for using a location fingerprint database to determine a location of a mobile device (abstract) and teaches the user mobile device is a smartphone provided with an app stores the navigable pathways map on the smartphone to facilitate offline wayfinding within the reconfigurable environment [0051-0052].
It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the applicant’s invention for modifying the beacon position techniques, as disclosed by Namboodiri, further including the fingerprinting calculations as taught by Marti for the purpose to allow for a high confidence value (Marti, 0052).
Regarding Claim 12, Namboodiri teaches the smartphone is receptive to beacon transmissions of the plurality of beacons and is operative to develop a current location fingerprint [0010-0011].
Regarding Claim 13, Namboodiri teaches the smartphone compares the current location fingerprint to the pathways map to determine a current location on the navigable pathways map [0038-0040].
Regarding Claim 14, Namboodiri teaches the smartphone provides wayfinding to a designated waypoint using the current location and the navigable pathways map [0038-0040].
Regarding Claim 15, Namboodiri teaches the smartphone includes one or more of a compass, a gyroscope, and a GPS module [0005, 0037].
Regarding Claim 16, Namboodiri teaches the current location fingerprint is calculated as a weighted average of the fixed location signature and one or more of a compass measurement, a gyroscope measurement, a GPS measurement and an accelerometer measurement by the user mobile device [0037].
Regarding Claim 17, Namboodiri teaches a computer implemented method for wayfinding in a reconfigurable environment comprising [0005 for way finding for conventions (reconfigurable environment)]:
developing with a beacon detector mobile device having a processor and a memory [0004 for using Bluetooth beacons with smart phone (beacon detector) and 0011]
a plurality of fixed location fingerprints derived from a plurality of beacon transmissions received at a plurality of fixed locations arranged in a grid pattern as an X-Y array within a reconfigurable environment [0004 for using Bluetooth beacons and 0011 with 0032-0034 for getting a beacon connectivity graph (grid) with beacon distance market in feet];
developing with a mapping server having a microprocessor and a memory a navigable pathways map from the plurality of fixed location fingerprints and a configuration map of the reconfigurable environment [0029, 0032];
wherein the mapping server maps the configuration map of the reconfigurable environment to the X-Y array to develop a subset of the fixed location fingerprint database with inaccessible fixed locations disabled and with a plurality of accessible fixed locations designated as waypoints to provide the navigable pathways map [0038 for having disconnections like walls (inaccessible locations) and only activating walking path]
and displaying with a user mobile device having a processor and memory the navigable pathways map to provide wayfinding for a user within the reconfigurable environment [0013, 0031].
Namboodiri fails to explicitly teach using location fingerprints and wherein the fixed location fingerprints are developed independently of a configuration map of a reconfigurable environment and are stored in a fixed location fingerprint database, and wherein the fixed location fingerprints only have to be generated once and the fixed location fingerprint database is usable for multiple configurations of the reconfigurable environment and without modifying the fixed location fingerprints in the fixed location fingerprint database.
Marti has systems for using a location fingerprint database to determine a location of a mobile device (abstract) and teaches using location fingerprints [0035 for generating location fingerprint data using a fingerprint engine]
wherein the fixed location fingerprints are developed independently of a configuration map of a reconfigurable environment and are stored in a fixed location fingerprint database [0035-0036 for using map features to determine location fingerprint],
and wherein the fixed location fingerprints only have to be generated once and the fixed location fingerprint database is usable for multiple configurations of the reconfigurable environment [0038]
and without modifying the fixed location fingerprints in the fixed location fingerprint database [0054 and 0056].
It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the applicant’s invention for modifying the beacon position techniques, as disclosed by Namboodiri, further including the fingerprinting calculations as taught by Marti for the purpose to derive the highest probable location as a function of the multidimensional match (Marti, 0037).
Regarding Claim 19, Namboodiri teaches the user mobile device provides wayfinding to a designated waypoint using a current location fingerprint and the navigable pathways map [0004 for using Bluetooth beacons and 0011 with 0032-0034 for getting a beacon connectivity graph (grid) with beacon distance market in feet].
Regarding Claim 20, Namboodiri teaches computer readable media including code segments executable by a processor for [0005 for way finding for conventions (reconfigurable environment)]:
developing a plurality of fixed location from a plurality of beacon transmissions received at a plurality of fixed locations arranged in a grid pattern as an X-Y array within a reconfigurable environment [0004 for using Bluetooth beacons and 0011 with0032-0034 for getting a beacon connectivity graph (grid) with beacon distance market in feet];
developing a navigable pathways map from the plurality of fixed location fingerprints of the fixed location fingerprint database developing a navigable pathways map from the plurality of fixed location fingerprints and the configuration map of the reconfigurable environment [0029, 0032];
wherein the configuration map of the reconfigurable environment is mapped to the X-Y array to develop a subset of the fixed location fingerprint database with inaccessible fixed locations disabled and with a plurality of accessible fixed locations designated as waypoints to provide the navigable pathways map [0038 for having disconnections like walls (inaccessible locations) and only activating walking path];
and displaying the navigable pathways map to provide wayfinding for a user within the reconfigurable environment [0013, 0031].
Namboodiri fails to explicitly teach using location fingerprints and wherein the fixed location fingerprints are developed independently of a configuration map of a reconfigurable environment and are stored in a fixed location fingerprint database, and wherein the fixed location fingerprints only have to be generated once and the fixed location fingerprint database is usable for multiple configurations of the reconfigurable environment and without modifying the fixed location fingerprints in the fixed location fingerprint database.
Marti has systems for using a location fingerprint database to determine a location of a mobile device (abstract) and teaches using location fingerprints [0035 for generating location fingerprint data using a fingerprint engine]
wherein the fixed location fingerprints are developed independently of a configuration map of a reconfigurable environment and are stored in a fixed location fingerprint database [0035-0036 for using map features to determine location fingerprint],
and wherein the fixed location fingerprints only have to be generated once and the fixed location fingerprint database is usable for multiple configurations of the reconfigurable environment [0038]
and without modifying the fixed location fingerprints in the fixed location fingerprint database [0054 and 0056].
It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the applicant’s invention for modifying the beacon position techniques, as disclosed by Namboodiri, further including the fingerprinting calculations as taught by Marti for the purpose to derive the highest probable location as a function of the multidimensional match (Marti, 0037).
Claim 4-6 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Namboodiri et al (US 2019/0072395 A1) in view of Marti et al (US 2014/0171114 A1), as applied to Claim 1 above, and further in view of Pasricha et al (US 2021/0092611 A1).
Regarding Claim 4, Namboodiri fails to explicitly teach the beacon detector mobile device calculates a fixed location fingerprint by ranking beacon transmissions by respective Received Signal Strength Indicator (RSSI) measurements.
Pasricha has an exemplary radio fingerprint-based indoor localization method and system (abstract) and teaches the beacon detector mobile device calculates a fixed location fingerprint by ranking beacon transmissions by respective Received Signal Strength Indicator (RSSI) measurements [0052 for using radio sources (beacons) to measure fingerprint data and 0066 for using RSSI for fingerprint signature].
It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the applicant’s invention for modifying the beacon position techniques, as disclosed by Namboodiri, further including the fingerprinting calculations as taught by Pasricha for the purpose to determine one or more radio sources for the location (Pasricha, 0052).
Regarding Claim 5, Namboodiri fails to explicitly teach the fixed location fingerprints are calculated using a subset of the received beacon transmissions at the fixed location that have the highest RSSI measurements.
Pasricha has an exemplary radio fingerprint-based indoor localization method and system (abstract) and teaches the fixed location fingerprints are calculated using a subset of the received beacon transmissions at the fixed location that have the highest RSSI measurements [0052 for using radio sources (beacons) to measure fingerprint data and 0066 for using RSSI for fingerprint signature].
It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the applicant’s invention for modifying the beacon position techniques, as disclosed by Namboodiri, further including the fingerprinting calculations as taught by Pasricha for the purpose to determine one or more radio sources for the location (Pasricha, 0052).
Regarding Claim 6, Namboodiri teaches each beacon transmission includes a beacon ID [0034 for having beacon ID information location, weights, orientations].
Conclusion
THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to SAMARINA MAKHDOOM whose telephone number is (703)756-1044. The examiner can normally be reached Monday – Thursdays from 8:30 to 5:30 pm eastern time.
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/SAMARINA MAKHDOOM/
Examiner, Art Unit 3648
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