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 .
Response to Amendment
The amendment filed 05/30/2026 is being entered. Claims 1, 3, 9, and 20 are amended. Claim 4, 6, 12, and 13 are canceled. Claims 1-3, 5, 7-11, and 14-20 are pending, and rejected as detailed below. This action is final as necessitated by amendment.
Claim rejections under 35 U.S.C. § 112(a)
Amendment to specification is entered. Therefore the claim rejections for claim 1 and 9 under 35 U.S.C. § 112(a) have been withdrawn.
Claim rejections under 35 U.S.C. § 112(b)
Amendment to claims 1 and 3 are entered. Therefore the claim rejections for claim 1 and 3 under 35 U.S.C. § 112(b) have been withdrawn.
Response to Arguments
Claim Rejections under 35 U.S.C. §103
Applicant argues that a plurality of radio frequency circuits on the first substrate of CHO, and there is one radio frequency circuit on the second substrate separated from the first substrate.
In order to maintain the purpose of reducing transmission line loss of high-frequency signals in 5G network communication as stated in CHO, a person skilled in this art have no incentive to remove the third radio frequency integrated circuit 226 from the second substrate. Therefore, CHO fails to disclose or teach "a wireless signal processing circuit disposed on the first circuit board; the wireless signal processing circuit comprises a microcontroller and a radio frequency circuit; the second circuit board is separated from the first circuit board; the second circuit board is free of any wireless signal processing circuit" of the amended claims 1 and 9 of the present application.
Applicant’s arguments, as amended herein, with respect to CHO failing to disclose or teach "a wireless signal processing circuit disposed on the first circuit board; the wireless signal processing circuit comprises a microcontroller and a radio frequency circuit; the second circuit board is separated from the first circuit board; the second circuit board is free of any wireless signal processing circuit" claim 1 and claim 9 under 35 U.S.C. §103 have been fully considered and not persuasive. More specifically, CHO disclosed “According to various embodiments, the third printed circuit board 470 may include a wireless communication circuit 330 , a PMIC 332 , an AP 372 , a CP 374 , and/or an IFIC 376 . According to an embodiment, the wireless communication circuit 330 is disposed on the plurality of first antenna elements 422 and the second printed circuit board 440 disposed on the first printed circuit board 410 as shown in FIG. 4B . The plurality of second antenna elements 452 may be electrically connected to each other. According to one embodiment, the wireless communication circuit 330 through the first antenna structure 420 and / or the second antenna structure 450 of the first frequency band (eg, about 1.8 GHz and / or 3 GHz ~ 100 GHz) of It may be configured to transmit and/or receive radio frequencies.”. In other words, the wireless communication circuit and the processor can be disposed on the first printed circuit board 420 (as shown in FIG. 4b, the correct term should be the first printed circuit board 420 and not the second printed circuit board 440.). Furthermore, the second printed circuit board 440 is separated from the first printed circuit board 420 and free of any wireless signal processing circuits.
Applicant argues when operating the Wi-Fi extender 100, the processing circuit 102 selectively utilize two vertical polarized antennas ANT_V1 and ANT_V2 (first type of antenna combination) for signal transmission and reception, or utilize the vertical polarized antenna ANT_V1 and the horizontal polarized antenna ANTH (second type of antenna combination) for signal transmission and reception. Specifically, when the signal quality of the first type of antenna combination is better than the signal quality of the second type of antenna combination, the switch circuit 110 continuously disable the connection between the horizontal polarized antenna ANT_H and the bandpass filter 120, the Wi-Fi extender 100 of Hsin always utilizes the first type of antenna combination for signal transmission and reception and the Wi-Fi extender 100 of Hsin does not utilize the first type of antenna combination and the second type of antenna combination alternately. Conversely, in the amended claims 1 and 9 of the present application, when the first state information and the second state information both comply with the threshold standard, the wireless signal processing circuit instructs the remote controller to enter the sleep state. In other words, the vehicle remote control system utilizes the first antenna and the second antenna alternately to receive the first signal and the second signal from the remote controller, and the wireless signal processing circuit reads the first signal and the second signal to calculate the first state information and the second state information. For at least the foregoing reasons, Hsin fails to disclose or teach the second feature recited in the amended claims 1 and 9.
Applicant’s arguments, as amended herein, with respect to Wi-Fi extender 100 of Hsin always utilizes the first type of antenna combination for signal transmission and reception and the Wi-Fi extender 100 of Hsin does not utilize the first type of antenna combination and the second type of antenna combination alternately in claim 1 and claim 9 under 35 U.S.C. §103 have been fully considered and not persuasive. More specifically, Hsin [para. 0013] also disclosed “As the Wi-Fi extender 100 is a portable device, and relative positions between the Wi-Fi extender 100 installed by a user and other electronic devices which require wireless communications are not fixed, this embodiment provides an antenna selection mechanism, which can detect a signal quality of using the two vertical polarized antennas ANT_V1 and ANT_V2 and a signal quality of using the vertical polarized antenna ANT_V1 and the horizontal polarized antenna ANT_H, in order to determine which one of the vertical polarized antenna ANT_V2 and the horizontal polarized antenna ANT_H will be utilized to be matched with the vertical polarized antenna ANT_V1 for subsequent signal transmission and reception.” Thus explaining the antenna switching process in relation to the transmission and reception. The corresponding antenna selection is then explained in detail within para. 0014-0015. More specifically, Hsin [para. 0013-0014] disclose the combination of antenna ANT_V1 and ANT_V2 configured as the first type of antenna for signal transmission thus preventing the signal transmission from antenna ANT_H in order to have better communication quality in horizontal direction and to transmit the first state of information. Hsin [para. 0013-0015] disclose the combination of antenna ANT_V1 and ANT_H configured as the second type of antenna for signal transmission thus preventing the signal transmission from antenna ANT_V2 in order to have better communication quality in vertical plane and to transmit the second state of information.
Applicant argues that Maldonado teaches "a signal transmission line, wherein a first end of the signal transmission line is electrically connected to the switch device" recited in original claim 1 of the present application. Referring to paragraph [0036] of Maldonado, the Ant 1 241 and Ant 3 243 are coupled to antenna switches 202 and 204 with a transmission line 206. However, the transmission line 206 of Maldonado is used in a mobile wireless device, so the length of the transmission line 206 must be less than 1.5 meters. Therefore, Maldonado fails to disclose or teach "a length of the signal transmission line is between 1.5 meters and 2 meters" recited in the amended claim 20.
Applicant’s arguments, as amended herein, with respect to “a length of the signal transmission line is between 1.5 meters and 2 meters” have been fully considered and not persuasive. More specifically, Lee teaches the first antenna (111a or 111b) and the second antenna (111c or 111d) as shown in FIG. 3. Maldonado teaches the transmission line which connect between the antennas Ant 1 and Ant 3, and the mobile apparatus can be an automotive or other transportation vehicle. Furthermore, Wu teaches that the control device can be a motorcycle. As a result, it is inherent, when the control device of Wu is a motorcycle, and the first antenna and the second antenna of the Lee are respectively positioned on the front end and the rear end of the motorcycle, and the transmission line is between 1.5 to 2 meters as the average length of standard motorcycles typically ranges 6-8 feet (approximately around two meters). In other words, it is obvious if the transmission line is less than 1.5 meters, the first antenna and the second antenna will not be able to effectually positioned at the front end and the rear end of the motorcycle as the short length (less than 1.5 meters) of the transmission line unbales to electrically connect the first antenna into the second antenna. Furthermore, it is also obvious if the transmission line is more than 2 meters, the first antenna and the second antenna will be able to connected with each other. However, the excessive length of the transmission line (being more than 2 meters) increases production cost and reduces efficiency of both antennas.
Applicant argues that claims 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 10, 11, and 14-20 which depend directly or indirectly from now allowable independent claims 1 and 9, are patentable as well.
Applicant’s arguments, as amended herein, with respect to corresponding dependent claims have been fully considered and not persuasive as the independent claim 1 and 9 are rejected in reference to the combination of Lee, Maldonano, Saiki, and Hsin.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
In the event the determination of the status of the application as subject to AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103 (or as subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103) is incorrect, any correction of the statutory basis (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) for the rejection will not be considered a new ground of rejection if the prior art relied upon, and the rationale supporting the rejection, would be the same under either status.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 103 which forms the basis for all obviousness rejections set forth in this Office action:
A patent for a claimed invention may not be obtained, notwithstanding that the claimed invention is not identically disclosed as set forth in section 102, 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.
Claim(s) 1, 5, 7, 9, and 14-17 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Lee (KR 20200005973 A), and further in view of Maldonano (US 20190097715 A1), CHO (WO 2022103187 A1), and Saiki (US 20240336226 A1).
Claim(s) 1, 5, 7, 9, and 14-17 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Lee (KR 20200005973 A), and further in view of Maldonano (US 20190097715 A1), CHO (WO 2022103187 A1), Saiki (US 20240336226 A1), and Hsin (US 20210297143 A1).
Regarding claim 1, Lee teaches (Currently amended) A vehicle remote control system (Lee, page 2 of translated copy; “The remote control system of the vehicle allows the driver to insert a separate key into the vehicle's key box or to open and close the vehicle door and start the vehicle from the outside without special operation for operation.”), which is adapted to a remote controller (Lee, FIG. 3; “the remote control device 200”) and a vehicle (Lee, FIG. 1; “the vehicle 100”), the vehicle remote control system comprising:
a first circuit board disposed in a first area of the vehicle (Lee, page 3 of translated copy and FIG. 3; “the front light 19aL and 19aR and the rear lights 19bL and 19bR may be provided with vehicle antennas 111a, 111b, 111c, and 111d capable of transmitting and receiving wireless signals”, wherein one of the antenna 111a or 111b can be the first antenna, For example, when the user approach the front end of the vehicle, the first antenna is in communication with the remote controller R. Resultantly, the wireless signal processing circuit only needs activate the first antenna (closest antenna to the remote controller R), and the second antenna can stay deactivated to reduce power consumption.) and (Lee, page 11 of translated copy; “Meanwhile, some of the components shown in FIG. 4 may be hardware components such as software and / or field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs) and application specific integrated circuits (ASICs).”, in other words, antenna 111a and 111b have their own circuit boards in the front area of the vehicle);
a second circuit board disposed in a second area of the vehicle, wherein the second circuit board is separated from the first circuit board, and the second area is separated from the first area (Lee, page 3 of translated copy and FIG. 3; “the front light 19aL and 19aR and the rear lights 19bL and 19bR may be provided with vehicle antennas 111a, 111b, 111c, and 111d capable of transmitting and receiving wireless signals”, wherein one of the antenna 111c or 111d can be the second antenna since 111a or 111b is identified as the first antenna, For example, when the user approach the rear end of the vehicle, the second antenna is in communication with the remote controller R. Resultantly, the wireless signal processing circuit only needs activate the second antenna (closest antenna to the remote controller R), and the first antenna can stay deactivated to reduce power consumption.) and (Lee, page 11 of translated copy; “Meanwhile, some of the components shown in FIG. 4 may be hardware components such as software and / or field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs) and application specific integrated circuits (ASICs).”, in other words, antenna 111c and 111d have their own circuit boards in the rear area of the vehicle);
a wireless signal processing circuit (Lee, page 6 of translated copy; “Referring to FIG. 4, the vehicle 100 according to an embodiment may include a UWB communication unit 110, an LF communication unit 120, and a control unit 140”)
wherein the wireless signal processing circuit comprises a microcontroller and a radio frequency circuit;
wherein the second circuit board is free of any wireless signal processing circuit;
a first antenna disposed on the first circuit board (Lee, page 3 of translated copy and FIG. 3; “the front light 19aL and 19aR and the rear lights 19bL and 19bR may be provided with vehicle antennas 111a, 111b, 111c, and 111d capable of transmitting and receiving wireless signals”, wherein one of the antenna 111a or 111b can be the first antenna, For example, when the user approach the front end of the vehicle, the first antenna is in communication with the remote controller R. Resultantly, the wireless signal processing circuit only needs activate the first antenna (closest antenna to the remote controller R), and the second antenna can stay deactivated to reduce power consumption.) and (Lee, page 11 of translated copy; “Meanwhile, some of the components shown in FIG. 4 may be hardware components such as software and / or field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs) and application specific integrated circuits (ASICs).”, in other words, antenna 111a and 111b have their own circuit boards in the front area of the vehicle);
a switch device disposed on the first circuit board and connected to the first antenna and the wireless signal processing circuit;
a signal transmission line, wherein a first end of the signal transmission line is electrically connected to the switch device;
a second antenna disposed on the second circuit board (Lee, page 3 of translated copy and FIG. 3; “the front light 19aL and 19aR and the rear lights 19bL and 19bR may be provided with vehicle antennas 111a, 111b, 111c, and 111d capable of transmitting and receiving wireless signals”, wherein one of the antenna 111c or 111d can be the second antenna since 111a or 111b is identified as the first antenna, For example, when the user approach the rear end of the vehicle, the second antenna is in communication with the remote controller R. Resultantly, the wireless signal processing circuit only needs activate the second antenna (closest antenna to the remote controller R), and the first antenna can stay deactivated to reduce power consumption.) and (Lee, page 11 of translated copy; “Meanwhile, some of the components shown in FIG. 4 may be hardware components such as software and / or field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs) and application specific integrated circuits (ASICs).”, in other words, antenna 111c and 111d have their own circuit boards in the rear area of the vehicle)
wherein, according to a switch instruction of the wireless signal processing circuit, the switch device allows one of the first antenna and the second antenna to be used in a switching manner;
wherein the wireless signal processing circuit obtains first state information between the remote controller and the vehicle by the first antenna (Lee, page 5 of translated copy and FIG. 3; “when a radio signal is transmitted from the remote control device 200 through the UWB communication network, the activated UWB antennas 111a to 111d respectively receive signals transmitted from the remote control device 200.” and “The vehicle 100 may measure a reception time of a wireless signal received by each of the UWB antennas”, wherein the information collected through antenna 111a is seen as the first state information between the remote control and the vehicle), and obtains second state information between the remote controller and the vehicle by the second antenna (Lee, page 5 of translated copy and FIG. 3; “when a radio signal is transmitted from the remote control device 200 through the UWB communication network, the activated UWB antennas 111a to 111d respectively receive signals transmitted from the remote control device 200.” and “The vehicle 100 may measure a reception time of a wireless signal received by each of the UWB antennas”, wherein the information collected through antenna 111c is seen as the second state information between the remote control and the vehicle);
wherein, when the wireless signal processing circuit determines that the first state information and the second state information (Lee, page 5 of translated copy; “The vehicle 100 may receive the reception intensity values of the radio signals transmitted by the LF antennas 121a and 121b from the remote control apparatus 200, and based on the received reception intensity values, the vehicle LF antennas 121a and 121b. And the distance between the remote control device 200 can be measured.”, wherein the first reception strength value is through 121a and the second reception strength value is through 121b)
wherein, when the switch device is in a first state, a first signal transmission path between the first antenna and the wireless signal processing circuit is in a conductive state, a second transmission path between the second antenna and the wireless signal processing circuit is in a non-conductive state, and the wireless signal processing circuit reads a first signal of the remote controller received by the first antenna to calculate the first state information;
wherein, when the switch device is in a second state, the first signal transmission path is in the non-conductive state, the second signal transmission path is in the conductive state, and the wireless signal processing circuit reads a second signal of the remote controller received by the second antenna to calculate the second state information.
Lee does not explicitly teach
a wireless signal processing circuit disposed on the first circuit board;
wherein the wireless signal processing circuit comprises a microcontroller and a radio frequency circuit;
wherein the second circuit board is free of any wireless signal processing circuit;
a switch device disposed on the first circuit board and connected to the first antenna and the wireless signal processing circuit;
a signal transmission line, wherein a first end of the signal transmission line is electrically connected to the switch device;
a second antenna electrically connected to a second end of the signal transmission line;
wherein, according to a switch instruction of the wireless signal processing circuit, the switch device allows one of the first antenna and the second antenna to be used in a switching manner;
both comply with a threshold standard, the wireless signal processing circuit instructs the remote controller to enter a sleep state;
wherein, when the switch device is in a first state, a first signal transmission path between the first antenna and the wireless signal processing circuit is in a conductive state, a second transmission path between the second antenna and the wireless signal processing circuit is in a non-conductive state, and the wireless signal processing circuit reads a first signal of the remote controller received by the first antenna to calculate the first state information;
wherein, when the switch device is in a second state, the first signal transmission path is in the non-conductive state, the second signal transmission path is in the conductive state, and the wireless signal processing circuit reads a second signal of the remote controller received by the second antenna to calculate the second state information.
CHO, in the same field of endeavor (CHO, technical-field; “Various embodiments of the present invention relate to an apparatus and method for processing a wireless signal in an electronic device.”) teaches a wireless signal processing circuit disposed on the first circuit board (CHO, technical-field; “the communication module 190 is a wireless communication module 192 (eg, a cellular communication module, a short-range communication module, or a global navigation satellite system (GNSS) communication module) or a wired communication module 194 (eg, : It may include a local area network (LAN) communication module, or a power line communication module). A corresponding communication module among these communication modules is a first network 198 (eg, a short-range communication network such as Bluetooth, wireless fidelity (WiFi) direct, or infrared data association (IrDA)) or a second network 199 (eg, legacy It may communicate with the external electronic device 104 through a cellular network, a 5G network, a next-generation communication network, the Internet, or a computer network (eg, a telecommunication network such as a LAN or a WAN). These various types of communication modules may be integrated into one component (eg, a single chip) or may be implemented as a plurality of components (eg, multiple chips) separate from each other. ”) and (CHO, technical-field; “the wireless communication module 192 or the processor 120 may be disposed on the first substrate (eg, main PCB).”);
wherein the wireless signal processing circuit comprises a microcontroller and a radio frequency circuit (CHO, BEST-MODE; “According to various embodiments, the third printed circuit board 470 may include a wireless communication circuit 330 , a PMIC 332 , an AP 372 , a CP 374 , and/or an IFIC 376 . According to an embodiment, the wireless communication circuit 330 is disposed on the plurality of first antenna elements 422 and the second printed circuit board 440 disposed on the first printed circuit board 410 as shown in FIG. 4B . The plurality of second antenna elements 452 may be electrically connected to each other. According to one embodiment, the wireless communication circuit 330 through the first antenna structure 420 and / or the second antenna structure 450 of the first frequency band (eg, about 1.8 GHz and / or 3 GHz ~ 100 GHz) of It may be configured to transmit and/or receive radio frequencies.”);
wherein the second circuit board is free of any wireless signal processing circuit (CHO, technical-field; “According to an embodiment, the third RFIC 226 and the antenna 248 may be disposed on the same substrate to form the third antenna module 246 . For example, the wireless communication module 192 or the processor 120 may be disposed on the first substrate (eg, main PCB). In this case, the third RFIC 226 is located in a partial area (eg, the bottom surface) of the second substrate (eg, sub PCB) separate from the first substrate”);
a switch device disposed on the first circuit board and connected to the first antenna and the wireless signal processing circuit;
a signal transmission line, wherein a first end of the signal transmission line is electrically connected to the switch device;
a second antenna electrically connected to a second end of the signal transmission line;
wherein, according to a switch instruction of the wireless signal processing circuit, the switch device allows one of the first antenna and the second antenna to be used in a switching manner;
both comply with a threshold standard, the wireless signal processing circuit instructs the remote controller to enter a sleep state;
wherein, when the switch device is in a first state, a first signal transmission path between the first antenna and the wireless signal processing circuit is in a conductive state, a second transmission path between the second antenna and the wireless signal processing circuit is in a non-conductive state, and the wireless signal processing circuit reads a first signal of the remote controller received by the first antenna to calculate the first state information;
wherein, when the switch device is in a second state, the first signal transmission path is in the non-conductive state, the second signal transmission path is in the conductive state, and the wireless signal processing circuit reads a second signal of the remote controller received by the second antenna to calculate the second state information.
Lee and CHO are both considered to be analogous to the claimed invention because Lee and CHO are in the same field of processing a wireless signal in an electronic device as the claimed invention. Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filling date of the claimed invention, to have modified the wireless signal processing circuit of Lee with teaching of CHO. One of the ordinary skill in the art would have been motivated to make this modification because the claim would have been obvious because the substitution of one known element for another would have yielded predictable results.
The combination of Lee and CHO does not explicitly teach a switch device disposed on the first circuit board and connected to the first antenna and the wireless signal processing circuit;
a signal transmission line, wherein a first end of the signal transmission line is electrically connected to the switch device;
a second antenna electrically connected to a second end of the signal transmission line;
wherein, according to a switch instruction of the wireless signal processing circuit, the switch device allows one of the first antenna and the second antenna to be used in a switching manner;
both comply with a threshold standard, the wireless signal processing circuit instructs the remote controller to enter a sleep state;
wherein, when the switch device is in a first state, a first signal transmission path between the first antenna and the wireless signal processing circuit is in a conductive state, a second transmission path between the second antenna and the wireless signal processing circuit is in a non-conductive state, and the wireless signal processing circuit reads a first signal of the remote controller received by the first antenna to calculate the first state information;
wherein, when the switch device is in a second state, the first signal transmission path is in the non-conductive state, the second signal transmission path is in the conductive state, and the wireless signal processing circuit reads a second signal of the remote controller received by the second antenna to calculate the second state information.
Maldonano, in the same field of endeavor (Maldonano, at least one para. 0005; “According to an aspect, the present disclosure provides a method for controlling a wireless device having at least one radio frequency (RF) system. In particular, the method includes selecting an antenna for transmission of signals from radio components of the at least one RF system from between a first default antenna that is normally coupled to the radio components of the at least one RF system for transmission of signals and one of a plurality of other antennas in the wireless device.”) teaches a switch device disposed on the first circuit board and connected to the first antenna and the wireless signal processing circuit (Maldonano, at least one para. 0036 and FIG. 2; “Apparatus 200, as illustrated, includes an arrangement where Ant 1 241 and Ant 3 243 are coupled to antenna switches 202 and 204 with a transmission line or trace 206.”, wherein the antenna 241 is connected to the bottom receiver 224 through the antenna switch 204);
a signal transmission line, wherein a first end of the signal transmission line is electrically connected to the switch device (Maldonano, at least one para. 0036 and FIG. 2; “Apparatus 200, as illustrated, includes an arrangement where Ant 1 241 and Ant 3 243 are coupled to antenna switches 202 and 204 with a transmission line or trace 206.”, wherein the transmission line 206 is electrically connected to the antenna switch 204);
a second antenna electrically connected to a second end of the signal transmission line (Maldonano, at least one para. 0036 and FIG. 2; “Apparatus 200, as illustrated, includes an arrangement where Ant 1 241 and Ant 3 243 are coupled to antenna switches 202 and 204 with a transmission line or trace 206.”, wherein the antenna 243 is electrically connected to the transmission line 206);
wherein, according to a switch instruction of the wireless signal processing circuit, the switch device allows one of the first antenna and the second antenna to be used in a switching manner (Maldonano, at least one para. 0036; “The processing circuitry for determining the best antenna for signal transmission may be any of a number of various processing circuitry within the wireless device including a transceiver and processing circuitry 212 or some other processing circuitry shown represented by processor circuitry 214.”);
both comply with a threshold standard, the wireless signal processing circuit instructs the remote controller to enter a sleep state;
wherein, when the switch device is in a first state, a first signal transmission path between the first antenna and the wireless signal processing circuit is in a conductive state, a second transmission path between the second antenna and the wireless signal processing circuit is in a non-conductive state, and the wireless signal processing circuit reads a first signal of the remote controller received by the first antenna to calculate the first state information;
wherein, when the switch device is in a second state, the first signal transmission path is in the non-conductive state, the second signal transmission path is in the conductive state, and the wireless signal processing circuit reads a second signal of the remote controller received by the second antenna to calculate the second state information.
The combination of Lee, CHO, and Maldonano are considered to be analogous to the claimed invention because Lee and Maldonano are in the same field of vehicle remote control system as the claimed invention. Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filling date of the claimed invention, to have modified the first antenna and the second antenna of Lee with teaching of Maldonano. One of the ordinary skill in the art would have been motivated to make this modification so that optimal antenna can be determined for signal transferring (Maldonano; 0043).
The combination of Lee, CHO, and Maldonano does not explicitly teach
both comply with a threshold standard, the wireless signal processing circuit instructs the remote controller to enter a sleep state;
wherein, when the switch device is in a first state, a first signal transmission path between the first antenna and the wireless signal processing circuit is in a conductive state, a second transmission path between the second antenna and the wireless signal processing circuit is in a non-conductive state, and the wireless signal processing circuit reads a first signal of the remote controller received by the first antenna to calculate the first state information;
wherein, when the switch device is in a second state, the first signal transmission path is in the non-conductive state, the second signal transmission path is in the conductive state, and the wireless signal processing circuit reads a second signal of the remote controller received by the second antenna to calculate the second state information.
Saiki, in the same field of endeavor (Saiki, at least one para. 0003; “An electronic key system for a vehicle determines a position of a vehicle mobile device relative to a vehicle.”) teaches both comply with a threshold standard (Saiki, at least one para. 0144; “Step S402 is a step of determining the device position based on the combination of the reception strength and the device distance acquired in step S401. The processor 41 determines that the device is present in the interior area when the BLE_RSSI is greater than or equal to a predetermined first strength threshold and the device distance is less than a first distance.”, wherein the processor determine that the device is outside of the interior area when the BLE_RSSI is less than the predetermined first strength threshold), the wireless signal processing circuit instructs the remote controller to enter a sleep state (Saiki, at least one para. 0051; “In addition, when a state where no communication connection to the in-vehicle system 1 is detected continues for a given period in the active mode and when a state where the operation unit 21 is not operated continues for a given period, the key control unit 20 shifts the smart key 2 to the sleep mode.”);
wherein, when the switch device is in a first state, a first signal transmission path between the first antenna and the wireless signal processing circuit is in a conductive state, a second transmission path between the second antenna and the wireless signal processing circuit is in a non-conductive state, and the wireless signal processing circuit reads a first signal of the remote controller received by the first antenna to calculate the first state information;
wherein, when the switch device is in a second state, the first signal transmission path is in the non-conductive state, the second signal transmission path is in the conductive state, and the wireless signal processing circuit reads a second signal of the remote controller received by the second antenna to calculate the second state information.
The combination of Lee, CHO, Maldonano, and Saiki is considered to be analogous to the claimed invention because Lee and Saiki are in the same field of vehicle remote control system as the claimed invention. Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filling date of the claimed invention, to have modified the Bluetooth communication circuit of Lee with teaching of Saiki. One of the ordinary skill in the art would have been motivated to make this modification in order to save battery life of the smart key (Saiki; 0046) and to implement remote keyless entry system (Saiki; 0046).
The combination of Lee, CHO, Maldonano, and Saiki does not explicitly teach
wherein, when the switch device is in a first state, a first signal transmission path between the first antenna and the wireless signal processing circuit is in a conductive state, a second transmission path between the second antenna and the wireless signal processing circuit is in a non-conductive state, and the wireless signal processing circuit reads a first signal of the remote controller received by the first antenna to calculate the first state information;
wherein, when the switch device is in a second state, the first signal transmission path is in the non-conductive state, the second signal transmission path is in the conductive state, and the wireless signal processing circuit reads a second signal of the remote controller received by the second antenna to calculate the second state information.
Hsin, in the same field of endeavor (Hsin, at least one para. 0004; “One embodiment of the present invention discloses an antenna selection method.”) teaches wherein, when the switch device is in a first state, a first signal transmission path between the first antenna and the wireless signal processing circuit is in a conductive state, a second transmission path between the second antenna and the wireless signal processing circuit is in a non-conductive state, and the wireless signal processing circuit reads a first signal of the remote controller received by the first antenna to calculate the first state information (Hsin, at least one para. 0014; “In particular, the baseband circuit 160 within the processing circuit 102 generates the control signal Vc to the switch circuit 110 for setting the vertical polarized antenna ANT_V2, i.e. the two vertical polarized antenna ANT_V1 and ANT_V2 are configured as the first type of antenna combination for signal transmission and reception. The switch circuit 110 may disable connection between the horizontal polarized antenna ANT_H and the bandpass filter 120 at this point.”, wherein the combination of antenna ANT_V1 and ANT_V2 configured as the first type of antenna for signal transmission thus preventing the signal transmission from antenna ANT_H in order to have better communication quality in horizontal direction and to transmit the first state of information);
wherein, when the switch device is in a second state, the first signal transmission path is in the non-conductive state, the second signal transmission path is in the conductive state, and the wireless signal processing circuit reads a second signal of the remote controller received by the second antenna to calculate the second state information (Hsin, at least one para. 0015; “In particular, the baseband circuit 160 within the processing circuit 102 generates the control signal Vc to the switch circuit 110 to switch to the horizontal polarized antenna ANT_H, i.e. the vertical polarized antenna ANT_V1 and the horizontal polarized antenna ANT_H are configured as the second type of antenna combination for signal transmission and reception. The switch circuit 110 may disable connection between the vertical polarized antenna ANT_V2 and the bandpass filter 120 at this point.”, wherein the combination of antenna ANT_V1 and ANT_H configured as the second type of antenna for signal transmission thus preventing the signal transmission from antenna ANT_V2 in order to have better communication quality in vertical plane and to transmit the second state of information).
The combination of Lee, CHO, Maldonano, Saiki, and Hsin is considered to be analogous to the claimed invention because Lee, CHO, Maldonano, Saiki, and Hsin are in the same field of antenna selection as the claimed invention. Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filling date of the claimed invention, to have modified the antenna switch of Maldonano with teaching of Hsin. One of the ordinary skill in the art would have been motivated to make this modification so that the processing circuit is able to select between the first signal quality parameter and the second signal quality parameter (Hsin; 0016).
Regarding claim 5, The combination of Lee, CHO, Maldonano, Saiki, and Hsin teaches the limitations of claim 1, upon which the instant claim depends, as discussed supra. Further, Lee teaches (Previously Presented) The vehicle remote control system according to claim 1, wherein the threshold standard is a strength threshold value (Lee, page 10 of translated copy; “RSSI1” and “RSSI2”, it is inherent that RSSI1 and RSSI2 values have predetermined ranges to determine the signal strength), the wireless signal processing circuit is a BLUETOOTH® communication circuit (Lee, page 5 of translated copy; “An RF communication network is a communication network for radio signals transmitted in a high frequency band of 300 kHz or more. For example, the RF communication network may be a network using an ultra-high frequency (UHF) frequency band of 300 MHz or more and 3 GHz”, wherein Bluetooth frequency ranges from 2.402 GHz to 2.48 GHz) and (Lee, page 10 of translated copy; “For another example, when the RF communication unit 130 receives the reception strength value of the LF signal, the control unit 140 may receive the reception strength value of the LF signal from the RF communication unit 130.”), the first state information is a first received signal strength between the remote controller and the vehicle, and the second state information is a second received signal strength between the remote controller and the vehicle (Lee, page 5 of translated copy; “The vehicle 100 may receive the reception intensity values of the radio signals transmitted by the LF antennas 121a and 121b from the remote control apparatus 200, and based on the received reception intensity values, the vehicle LF antennas 121a and 121b. And the distance between the remote control device 200 can be measured.”, wherein the first reception strength value is through 121a and the second reception strength value is through 121b);
wherein, when the BLUETOOTH® communication circuit determines that the first received signal strength and the second received signal strength are both less than the strength threshold value, the BLUETOOTH® communication circuit instructs the remote controller to enter the sleep state;
wherein, when the BLUETOOTH® communication circuit determines that at least one of the first received signal strength and the second received signal strength is greater than or equal to the strength threshold value, the BLUETOOTH® communication circuit determines a status reported by an electronic control unit of the vehicle.
Lee does not explicitly teach wherein, when the BLUETOOTH® communication circuit determines that the first received signal strength and the second received signal strength are both less than the strength threshold value, the BLUETOOTH® communication circuit instructs the remote controller to enter the sleep state;
wherein, when the BLUETOOTH® communication circuit determines that at least one of the first received signal strength and the second received signal strength is greater than or equal to the strength threshold value, the BLUETOOTH® communication circuit determines a status reported by an electronic control unit of the vehicle.
Saiki, in the same field of endeavor (Saiki, at least one para. 0003; “An electronic key system for a vehicle determines a position of a vehicle mobile device relative to a vehicle.”) teaches wherein, when the BLUETOOTH® communication circuit determines that the first received signal strength and the second received signal strength are both less than the strength threshold value (Saiki, at least one para. 0144; “Step S402 is a step of determining the device position based on the combination of the reception strength and the device distance acquired in step S401. The processor 41 determines that the device is present in the interior area when the BLE_RSSI is greater than or equal to a predetermined first strength threshold and the device distance is less than a first distance.” , wherein the processor determine that the device is outside of the interior area when the BLE_RSSI is less than the predetermined first strength threshold), the BLUETOOTH® communication circuit instructs the remote controller to enter the sleep state (Saiki, at least one para. 0051; “In addition, when a state where no communication connection to the in-vehicle system 1 is detected continues for a given period in the active mode and when a state where the operation unit 21 is not operated continues for a given period, the key control unit 20 shifts the smart key 2 to the sleep mode.”);
wherein, when the BLUETOOTH® communication circuit determines that at least one of the first received signal strength and the second received signal strength is greater than or equal to the strength threshold value (Saiki, at least one para. 0144; “Step S402 is a step of determining the device position based on the combination of the reception strength and the device distance acquired in step S401. The processor 41 determines that the device is present in the interior area when the BLE_RSSI is greater than or equal to a predetermined first strength threshold and the device distance is less than a first distance.”, wherein the processor determine that the device is outside of the interior area when the BLE_RSSI is less than the predetermined first strength threshold), the BLUETOOTH® communication circuit determines a status reported by an electronic control unit of the vehicle (Saiki, at least one para. 0059; “The smart ECU 4 is an ECU that determines a device position with respect to the vehicle Hv in cooperation with the BLE communication device 7 or the like and performs vehicle control according to the determination result of the device position.”).
The combination of Lee, CHO, Maldonano, Saiki, and Hsin is considered to be analogous to the claimed invention because Lee, CHO, Maldonano, Saiki, and Hsin are in the same field of vehicle remote control system as the claimed invention. Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filling date of the claimed invention, to have modified the Bluetooth communication circuit of Lee with teaching of Saiki. One of the ordinary skill in the art would have been motivated to make this modification in order to save battery life of the smart key (Saiki; 0046) and to implement remote keyless entry system (Saiki; 0046).
Regarding claim 7, The combination of Lee, CHO, Maldonano, Saiki, and Hsin teaches the limitations of claim 1, upon which the instant claim depends, as discussed supra. Further, Lee teaches (Previously Presented) The vehicle remote control system according to claim 1, wherein the threshold standard is a distance threshold value (Lee, page 8 of translated copy; “first reference distance” and “second reference distance”), the wireless signal processing circuit is an ultra-wideband communication circuit (Lee, page 5 of translated copy; “Referring to FIG. 3, when a radio signal is transmitted from the remote control device 200 through the UWB communication network, the activated UWB antennas 111a to 111d respectively receive signals transmitted from the remote control device 200.”), the first state information is a first distance between the remote controller and the vehicle, and the second state information is a second distance between the remote controller and the vehicle (Lee, page 5 of translated copy and FIG. 3; “The vehicle 100 remotely operates with each of the UWB antennas 111a-111d based on the transmission timing and reception timing of the radio signal of the vehicle 100, and the transmission timing and reception timing of the radio signal of the remote control apparatus 200. The distance between the devices 200 can be measured.” As illustrated in FIG. 3, a first distance is shown between 111a and remote. A second distance is shown between 111b and remote);
wherein, when the ultra-wideband communication circuit determines that the first distance and the second distance are both greater than the distance threshold value (Lee, page 8 of translated copy; “Referring back to FIG. 5, the controller 140 determines whether the calculated distance between the UWB antenna 111 and the remote control apparatus 200 is equal to or less than the first reference distance dref1 (1112), and the first If the reference distance (dref1) or less ("YES" of 1112), the UWB communication unit 110 reduces the period of the pulse transmitted through the UWB communication network (1113), if not less than or equal to the first reference distance (dref1) (1111) "No"), the UWB communication unit 110 may be controlled to transmit the radio signal while maintaining the pulse period (1111).”),
wherein, when the ultra-wideband communication circuit determines that at least one of the first distance and the second distance is less than or equal to the distance threshold value (Lee, page 8 of translated copy; “Referring back to FIG. 5, the controller 140 determines whether the calculated distance between the UWB antenna 111 and the remote control apparatus 200 is equal to or less than the first reference distance dref1 (1112), and the first If the reference distance (dref1) or less ("YES" of 1112), the UWB communication unit 110 reduces the period of the pulse transmitted through the UWB communication network (1113), if not less than or equal to the first reference distance (dref1) (1111) "No"), the UWB communication unit 110 may be controlled to transmit the radio signal while maintaining the pulse period (1111).”),
Lee does not explicitly teach the ultra-wideband communication circuit instructs the remote controller to enter the sleep state;
the ultra-wideband communication circuit determines a status reported by an electronic control unit of the vehicle.
Saiki, in the same field of endeavor (Saiki, at least one para. 0003; “An electronic key system for a vehicle determines a position of a vehicle mobile device relative to a vehicle.”) teaches the ultra-wideband communication circuit instructs the remote controller to enter the sleep state (Saiki, at least one para. 0051; “In addition, when a state where no communication connection to the in-vehicle system 1 is detected continues for a given period in the active mode and when a state where the operation unit 21 is not operated continues for a given period, the key control unit 20 shifts the smart key 2 to the sleep mode.”);
the ultra-wideband communication circuit determines a status reported by an electronic control unit of the vehicle (Saiki, at least one para. 0059; “The smart ECU 4 is an ECU that determines a device position with respect to the vehicle Hv in cooperation with the BLE communication device 7 or the like and performs vehicle control according to the determination result of the device position.”).
The combination of Lee, CHO, Maldonano, Saiki, and Hsin is considered to be analogous to the claimed invention because Lee, CHO, Maldonano, Saiki, and Hsin are in the same field of vehicle remote control system as the claimed invention. Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filling date of the claimed invention, to have modified the Bluetooth communication circuit of Lee with teaching of Saiki. One of the ordinary skill in the art would have been motivated to make this modification in order to save battery life of the smart key (Saiki; 0046) and to implement remote keyless entry system (Saiki; 0046).
Regarding claim 9, Lee teaches (Currently amended) An operation method of a vehicle remote control system (Lee, page 2 of translated copy; “The remote control system of the vehicle allows the driver to insert a separate key into the vehicle's key box or to open and close the vehicle door and start the vehicle from the outside without special operation for operation.”), which is adapted to a remote controller (Lee, FIG. 3; “the remote control device 200”) and a vehicle (Lee, FIG. 1; “the vehicle 100”), the operation method comprising:
obtaining, by a first antenna disposed on a first circuit board disposed in a first area of the vehicle (Lee, page 3 of translated copy and FIG. 3; “the front light 19aL and 19aR and the rear lights 19bL and 19bR may be provided with vehicle antennas 111a, 111b, 111c, and 111d capable of transmitting and receiving wireless signals”, wherein one of the antenna 111a or 111b can be the first antenna, For example, when the user approach the front end of the vehicle, the first antenna is in communication with the remote controller R. Resultantly, the wireless signal processing circuit only needs activate the first antenna (closest antenna to the remote controller R), and the second antenna can stay deactivated to reduce power consumption.) and (Lee, page 11 of translated copy; “Meanwhile, some of the components shown in FIG. 4 may be hardware components such as software and / or field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs) and application specific integrated circuits (ASICs).”, in other words, antenna 111a and 111b have their own circuit boards in the front area of the vehicle), a first signal of the remote controller (Lee, page 5 of translated copy and FIG. 3; “when a radio signal is transmitted from the remote control device 200 through the UWB communication network, the activated UWB antennas 111a to 111d respectively receive signals transmitted from the remote control device 200.”);
reading, by a wireless signal processing circuit vehicle (Lee, page 5 of translated copy and FIG. 3; “The vehicle 100 may measure a reception time of a wireless signal received by each of the UWB antennas”, wherein the information collected through antenna 111a is seen as the first state information between the remote control and the vehicle);
wherein the wireless signal processing circuit comprises a microcontroller and a radio frequency circuit;
performing, by a switch device disposed on the first circuit board, an antenna switching action;
obtaining, by a second antenna disposed on a second circuit board disposed in a second area of the vehicle (Lee, page 3 of translated copy and FIG. 3; “the front light 19aL and 19aR and the rear lights 19bL and 19bR may be provided with vehicle antennas 111a, 111b, 111c, and 111d capable of transmitting and receiving wireless signals”, wherein one of the antenna 111c or 111d can be the second antenna since 111a or 111b is identified as the first antenna, For example, when the user approach the rear end of the vehicle, the second antenna is in communication with the remote controller R. Resultantly, the wireless signal processing circuit only needs activate the second antenna (closest antenna to the remote controller R), and the first antenna can stay deactivated to reduce power consumption.) and (Lee, page 11 of translated copy; “Meanwhile, some of the components shown in FIG. 4 may be hardware components such as software and / or field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs) and application specific integrated circuits (ASICs).”, in other words, antenna 111c and 111d have their own circuit boards in the rear area of the vehicle), a second signal of the remote controller (Lee, page 5 of translated copy and FIG. 3; “when a radio signal is transmitted from the remote control device 200 through the UWB communication network, the activated UWB antennas 111a to 111d respectively receive signals transmitted from the remote control device 200.”); and
reading, by the wireless signal processing circuit, the second signal to calculate second state information between the remote controller and the vehicle (Lee, page 5 of translated copy and FIG. 3; “The vehicle 100 may measure a reception time of a wireless signal received by each of the UWB antennas”, wherein the information collected through antenna 111c is seen as the second state information between the remote control and the vehicle).
determining, by wireless signal processing circuit, whether the first state information and the second state information (Lee, page 5 of translated copy; “The vehicle 100 may receive the reception intensity values of the radio signals transmitted by the LF antennas 121a and 121b from the remote control apparatus 200, and based on the received reception intensity values, the vehicle LF antennas 121a and 121b. And the distance between the remote control device 200 can be measured.”, wherein the first reception strength value is through 121a and the second reception strength value is through 121b)
wherein, when wireless signal processing circuit determines that the first state information and the second state information both comply with the threshold standard, the wireless signal processing circuit instructs the remote controller to enter a sleep state;
wherein, when the switch device is in a first state, a first signal transmission path between the first antenna and the wireless signal processing circuit is in a conductive state, a second transmission path between the second antenna and the wireless signal processing circuit is in a non-conductive state, and the wireless signal processing circuit reads a first signal of the remote controller received by the first antenna to calculate the first state information;
wherein, when the switch device is in a second state, the first signal transmission path is in the non-conductive state, the second signal transmission path is in the conductive state, and the wireless signal processing circuit reads a second signal of the remote controller received by the second antenna to calculate the second state information.
Lee does not explicitly teach
a wireless signal processing circuit disposed on the first circuit board
wherein the wireless signal processing circuit comprises a microcontroller and a radio frequency circuit;
performing, by a switch device disposed on the first circuit board, an antenna switching action;
both comply with a threshold standard;
wherein, when wireless signal processing circuit determines that the first state information and the second state information both comply with the threshold standard, the wireless signal processing circuit instructs the remote controller to enter a sleep state;
wherein, when the switch device is in a first state, a first signal transmission path between the first antenna and the wireless signal processing circuit is in a conductive state, a second transmission path between the second antenna and the wireless signal processing circuit is in a non-conductive state, and the wireless signal processing circuit reads a first signal of the remote controller received by the first antenna to calculate the first state information;
wherein, when the switch device is in a second state, the first signal transmission path is in the non-conductive state, the second signal transmission path is in the conductive state, and the wireless signal processing circuit reads a second signal of the remote controller received by the second antenna to calculate the second state information.
CHO, in the same field of endeavor (CHO, technical-field; “Various embodiments of the present invention relate to an apparatus and method for processing a wireless signal in an electronic device.”) teaches a wireless signal processing circuit disposed on the first circuit board (CHO, technical-field; “the communication module 190 is a wireless communication module 192 (eg, a cellular communication module, a short-range communication module, or a global navigation satellite system (GNSS) communication module) or a wired communication module 194 (eg, : It may include a local area network (LAN) communication module, or a power line communication module). A corresponding communication module among these communication modules is a first network 198 (eg, a short-range communication network such as Bluetooth, wireless fidelity (WiFi) direct, or infrared data association (IrDA)) or a second network 199 (eg, legacy It may communicate with the external electronic device 104 through a cellular network, a 5G network, a next-generation communication network, the Internet, or a computer network (eg, a telecommunication network such as a LAN or a WAN). These various types of communication modules may be integrated into one component (eg, a single chip) or may be implemented as a plurality of components (eg, multiple chips) separate from each other. ”) and (CHO, technical-field; “the wireless communication module 192 or the processor 120 may be disposed on the first substrate (eg, main PCB).”);
wherein the wireless signal processing circuit comprises a microcontroller and a radio frequency circuit (CHO, BEST-MODE; “According to various embodiments, the third printed circuit board 470 may include a wireless communication circuit 330 , a PMIC 332 , an AP 372 , a CP 374 , and/or an IFIC 376 . According to an embodiment, the wireless communication circuit 330 is disposed on the plurality of first antenna elements 422 and the second printed circuit board 440 disposed on the first printed circuit board 410 as shown in FIG. 4B . The plurality of second antenna elements 452 may be electrically connected to each other. According to one embodiment, the wireless communication circuit 330 through the first antenna structure 420 and / or the second antenna structure 450 of the first frequency band (eg, about 1.8 GHz and / or 3 GHz ~ 100 GHz) of It may be configured to transmit and/or receive radio frequencies.”);
performing, by a switch device disposed on the first circuit board, an antenna switching action;
both comply with a threshold standard;
wherein, when wireless signal processing circuit determines that the first state information and the second state information both comply with the threshold standard, the wireless signal processing circuit instructs the remote controller to enter a sleep state;
wherein, when the switch device is in a first state, a first signal transmission path between the first antenna and the wireless signal processing circuit is in a conductive state, a second transmission path between the second antenna and the wireless signal processing circuit is in a non-conductive state, and the wireless signal processing circuit reads a first signal of the remote controller received by the first antenna to calculate the first state information;
wherein, when the switch device is in a second state, the first signal transmission path is in the non-conductive state, the second signal transmission path is in the conductive state, and the wireless signal processing circuit reads a second signal of the remote controller received by the second antenna to calculate the second state information.
Lee and CHO are both considered to be analogous to the claimed invention because Lee and CHO are in the same field of processing a wireless signal in an electronic device as the claimed invention. Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filling date of the claimed invention, to have modified the wireless signal processing circuit of Lee with teaching of CHO. One of the ordinary skill in the art would have been motivated to make this modification because the claim would have been obvious because the substitution of one known element for another would have yielded predictable results.
The combination of Lee and Cho does not explicitly teaches performing, by a switch device disposed on the first circuit board, an antenna switching action;
both comply with a threshold standard;
wherein, when wireless signal processing circuit determines that the first state information and the second state information both comply with the threshold standard, the wireless signal processing circuit instructs the remote controller to enter a sleep state;
wherein, when the switch device is in a first state, a first signal transmission path between the first antenna and the wireless signal processing circuit is in a conductive state, a second transmission path between the second antenna and the wireless signal processing circuit is in a non-conductive state, and the wireless signal processing circuit reads a first signal of the remote controller received by the first antenna to calculate the first state information;
wherein, when the switch device is in a second state, the first signal transmission path is in the non-conductive state, the second signal transmission path is in the conductive state, and the wireless signal processing circuit reads a second signal of the remote controller received by the second antenna to calculate the second state information.
Maldonano, in the same field of endeavor (Maldonano, at least one para. 0005; “According to an aspect, the present disclosure provides a method for controlling a wireless device having at least one radio frequency (RF) system. In particular, the method includes selecting an antenna for transmission of signals from radio components of the at least one RF system from between a first default antenna that is normally coupled to the radio components of the at least one RF system for transmission of signals and one of a plurality of other antennas in the wireless device.”) teaches performing, by a switch device disposed on the first circuit board (Maldonano, at least one para. 0036 and FIG. 2; “Apparatus 200, as illustrated, includes an arrangement where Ant 1 241 and Ant 3 243 are coupled to antenna switches 202 and 204 with a transmission line or trace 206.”, wherein the antenna 241 is connected to the bottom receiver 224 through the antenna switch 204), an antenna switching action (Maldonano, at least one para. 0036; “The processing circuitry for determining the best antenna for signal transmission may be any of a number of various processing circuitry within the wireless device including a transceiver and processing circuitry 212 or some other processing circuitry shown represented by processor circuitry 214.”);
both comply with a threshold standard;
wherein, when wireless signal processing circuit determines that the first state information and the second state information both comply with the threshold standard, the wireless signal processing circuit instructs the remote controller to enter a sleep state;
wherein, when the switch device is in a first state, a first signal transmission path between the first antenna and the wireless signal processing circuit is in a conductive state, a second transmission path between the second antenna and the wireless signal processing circuit is in a non-conductive state, and the wireless signal processing circuit reads a first signal of the remote controller received by the first antenna to calculate the first state information;
wherein, when the switch device is in a second state, the first signal transmission path is in the non-conductive state, the second signal transmission path is in the conductive state, and the wireless signal processing circuit reads a second signal of the remote controller received by the second antenna to calculate the second state information.
The combination of Lee, CHO, and Maldonano is considered to be analogous to the claimed invention because Lee, CHO, and Maldonano are in the same field of vehicle remote control system as the claimed invention. Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filling date of the claimed invention, to have modified the first antenna and the second antenna of Lee with teaching of Maldonano. One of the ordinary skill in the art would have been motivated to make this modification so that optimal antenna can be determined for signal transferring (Maldonano; 0043).
The combination of Lee, CHO and Maldonano does not explicitly teach both comply with a threshold standard;
wherein, when wireless signal processing circuit determines that the first state information and the second state information both comply with the threshold standard, the wireless signal processing circuit instructs the remote controller to enter a sleep state;
wherein, when the switch device is in a first state, a first signal transmission path between the first antenna and the wireless signal processing circuit is in a conductive state, a second transmission path between the second antenna and the wireless signal processing circuit is in a non-conductive state, and the wireless signal processing circuit reads a first signal of the remote controller received by the first antenna to calculate the first state information;
wherein, when the switch device is in a second state, the first signal transmission path is in the non-conductive state, the second signal transmission path is in the conductive state, and the wireless signal processing circuit reads a second signal of the remote controller received by the second antenna to calculate the second state information.
Saiki, in the same field of endeavor (Saiki, at least one para. 0003; “An electronic key system for a vehicle determines a position of a vehicle mobile device relative to a vehicle.”) teaches both comply with a threshold standard (Saiki, at least one para. 0144; “Step S402 is a step of determining the device position based on the combination of the reception strength and the device distance acquired in step S401. The processor 41 determines that the device is present in the interior area when the BLE_RSSI is greater than or equal to a predetermined first strength threshold and the device distance is less than a first distance.”, wherein the processor determine that the device is outside of the interior area when the BLE_RSSI is less than the predetermined first strength threshold);
wherein, when wireless signal processing circuit determines that the first state information and the second state information both comply with the threshold standard, the wireless signal processing circuit instructs the remote controller to enter a sleep state (Saiki, at least one para. 0051; “In addition, when a state where no communication connection to the in-vehicle system 1 is detected continues for a given period in the active mode and when a state where the operation unit 21 is not operated continues for a given period, the key control unit 20 shifts the smart key 2 to the sleep mode.”);
wherein, when the switch device is in a first state, a first signal transmission path between the first antenna and the wireless signal processing circuit is in a conductive state, a second transmission path between the second antenna and the wireless signal processing circuit is in a non-conductive state, and the wireless signal processing circuit reads a first signal of the remote controller received by the first antenna to calculate the first state information;
wherein, when the switch device is in a second state, the first signal transmission path is in the non-conductive state, the second signal transmission path is in the conductive state, and the wireless signal processing circuit reads a second signal of the remote controller received by the second antenna to calculate the second state information.
The combination of Lee, CHO, Maldonano, and Saiki is considered to be analogous to the claimed invention because Lee, CHO, Maldonano, and Saiki are in the same field of vehicle remote control system as the claimed invention. Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filling date of the claimed invention, to have modified the Bluetooth communication circuit of Lee with teaching of Saiki. One of the ordinary skill in the art would have been motivated to make this modification in order to save battery life of the smart key (Saiki; 0046) and to implement remote keyless entry system (Saiki; 0046).
The combination of Lee, CHO, Maldonano, and Saiki does not explicitly teach
wherein, when the switch device is in a first state, a first signal transmission path between the first antenna and the wireless signal processing circuit is in a conductive state, a second transmission path between the second antenna and the wireless signal processing circuit is in a non-conductive state, and the wireless signal processing circuit reads a first signal of the remote controller received by the first antenna to calculate the first state information;
wherein, when the switch device is in a second state, the first signal transmission path is in the non-conductive state, the second signal transmission path is in the conductive state, and the wireless signal processing circuit reads a second signal of the remote controller received by the second antenna to calculate the second state information.
Hsin, in the same field of endeavor (Hsin, at least one para. 0004; “One embodiment of the present invention discloses an antenna selection method.”) teaches wherein, when the switch device is in a first state, a first signal transmission path between the first antenna and the wireless signal processing circuit is in a conductive state, a second transmission path between the second antenna and the wireless signal processing circuit is in a non-conductive state, and the wireless signal processing circuit reads a first signal of the remote controller received by the first antenna to calculate the first state information (Hsin, at least one para. 0014; “In particular, the baseband circuit 160 within the processing circuit 102 generates the control signal Vc to the switch circuit 110 for setting the vertical polarized antenna ANT_V2, i.e. the two vertical polarized antenna ANT_V1 and ANT_V2 are configured as the first type of antenna combination for signal transmission and reception. The switch circuit 110 may disable connection between the horizontal polarized antenna ANT_H and the bandpass filter 120 at this point.”, wherein the combination of antenna ANT_V1 and ANT_V2 configured as the first type of antenna for signal transmission thus preventing the signal transmission from antenna ANT_H in order to have better communication quality in horizontal direction and to transmit the first state of information);
wherein, when the switch device is in a second state, the first signal transmission path is in the non-conductive state, the second signal transmission path is in the conductive state, and the wireless signal processing circuit reads a second signal of the remote controller received by the second antenna to calculate the second state information (Hsin, at least one para. 0015; “In particular, the baseband circuit 160 within the processing circuit 102 generates the control signal Vc to the switch circuit 110 to switch to the horizontal polarized antenna ANT_H, i.e. the vertical polarized antenna ANT_V1 and the horizontal polarized antenna ANT_H are configured as the second type of antenna combination for signal transmission and reception. The switch circuit 110 may disable connection between the vertical polarized antenna ANT_V2 and the bandpass filter 120 at this point.”, wherein the combination of antenna ANT_V1 and ANT_H configured as the second type of antenna for signal transmission thus preventing the signal transmission from antenna ANT_V2 in order to have better communication quality in vertical plane and to transmit the second state of information).
The combination of Lee, CHO, Maldonano, Saiki, and Hsin is considered to be analogous to the claimed invention because Lee, CHO, Maldonano, Saiki, and Hsin are in the same field of antenna selection as the claimed invention. Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filling date of the claimed invention, to have modified the antenna switch of Maldonano with teaching of Hsin. One of the ordinary skill in the art would have been motivated to make this modification so that the processing circuit is able to select between the first signal quality parameter and the second signal quality parameter (Hsin; 0016).
Regarding claim 14, The combination of Lee, CHO, Maldonano, Saiki, and Hsin teaches the limitations of claim 9, upon which the instant claim depends, as discussed supra. Further, Lee teaches (Previously Presented) The operation method according to claim 9, wherein the threshold standard is a strength threshold value (Lee, page 10 of translated copy; “RSSI1” and “RSSI2”, it is inherent that RSSI1 and RSSI2 values have predetermined ranges to determine the signal strength), the wireless signal processing circuit is a BLUETOOTH* communication circuit (Lee, page 5 of translated copy; “An RF communication network is a communication network for radio signals transmitted in a high frequency band of 300 kHz or more. For example, the RF communication network may be a network using an ultra-high frequency (UHF) frequency band of 300 MHz or more and 3 GHz”, wherein Bluetooth frequency ranges from 2.402 GHz to 2.48 GHz) and (Lee, page 10 of translated copy; “For another example, when the RF communication unit 130 receives the reception strength value of the LF signal, the control unit 140 may receive the reception strength value of the LF signal from the RF communication unit 130.”), the first state information is a first received signal strength, and the second state information is a second received signal strength (Lee, page 5 of translated copy; “The vehicle 100 may receive the reception intensity values of the radio signals transmitted by the LF antennas 121a and 121b from the remote control apparatus 200, and based on the received reception intensity values, the vehicle LF antennas 121a and 121b. And the distance between the remote control device 200 can be measured.”, wherein the first reception strength value is through 121a and the second reception strength value is through 121b);
wherein, when the BLUETOOTH* communication circuit determines that the first received signal strength and the second received signal strength are both less than the strength threshold value, the BLUETOOTH* communication circuit instructs the remote controller to enter the sleep state;
wherein the operation method further comprises:
determining, by the BLUETOOTH® communication circuit, a status reported by an electronic control unit of the vehicle when at least one of the first received signal strength and the second received signal strength is greater than or equal to the strength threshold value.
Lee does not explicitly teach wherein, when the BLUETOOTH* communication circuit determines that the first received signal strength and the second received signal strength are both less than the strength threshold value, the BLUETOOTH* communication circuit instructs the remote controller to enter the sleep state;
wherein the operation method further comprises:
determining, by the BLUETOOTH® communication circuit, a status reported by an electronic control unit of the vehicle when at least one of the first received signal strength and the second received signal strength is greater than or equal to the strength threshold value.
Saiki, in the same field of endeavor (Saiki, at least one para. 0003; “An electronic key system for a vehicle determines a position of a vehicle mobile device relative to a vehicle.”) teaches wherein, when the BLUETOOTH* communication circuit determines that the first received signal strength and the second received signal strength are both less than the strength threshold value (Saiki, at least one para. 0144; “Step S402 is a step of determining the device position based on the combination of the reception strength and the device distance acquired in step S401. The processor 41 determines that the device is present in the interior area when the BLE_RSSI is greater than or equal to a predetermined first strength threshold and the device distance is less than a first distance.” , wherein the processor determine that the device is outside of the interior area when the BLE_RSSI is less than the predetermined first strength threshold), the BLUETOOTH* communication circuit instructs the remote controller to enter the sleep state (Saiki, at least one para. 0051; “In addition, when a state where no communication connection to the in-vehicle system 1 is detected continues for a given period in the active mode and when a state where the operation unit 21 is not operated continues for a given period, the key control unit 20 shifts the smart key 2 to the sleep mode.”);
wherein the operation method further comprises:
determining, by the BLUETOOTH® communication circuit, a status reported by an electronic control unit of the vehicle when at least one of the first received signal strength and the second received signal strength is greater than or equal to the strength threshold value (Saiki, at least one para. 0144; “Step S402 is a step of determining the device position based on the combination of the reception strength and the device distance acquired in step S401. The processor 41 determines that the device is present in the interior area when the BLE_RSSI is greater than or equal to a predetermined first strength threshold and the device distance is less than a first distance.”, wherein the processor determine that the device is outside of the interior area when the BLE_RSSI is less than the predetermined first strength threshold).
The combination of Lee, CHO, Maldonano, Saiki, and Hsin is considered to be analogous to the claimed invention because Lee, CHO, Maldonano, Saiki, and Hsin are in the same field of vehicle remote control system as the claimed invention. Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filling date of the claimed invention, to have modified the Bluetooth communication circuit of Lee with teaching of Saiki. One of the ordinary skill in the art would have been motivated to make this modification in order to save battery life of the smart key (Saiki; 0046) and to implement remote keyless entry system (Saiki; 0046).
Regarding claim 15, The combination of Lee, CHO, Maldonano, Saiki, and Hsin teaches the limitations of claim 9, upon which the instant claim depends, as discussed supra. Further, Lee teaches (Previously Presented) The operation method according to claim 9, wherein the threshold standard is a distance threshold value (Lee, page 8 of translated copy; “first reference distance” and “second reference distance”), the wireless signal processing circuit is an ultra-wideband communication circuit (Lee, page 5 of translated copy; “Referring to FIG. 3, when a radio signal is transmitted from the remote control device 200 through the UWB communication network, the activated UWB antennas 111a to 111d respectively receive signals transmitted from the remote control device 200.”), the first state information is a first distance, and the second state information is a second distance (Lee, page 5 of translated copy and FIG. 3; “The vehicle 100 remotely operates with each of the UWB antennas 111a-111d based on the transmission timing and reception timing of the radio signal of the vehicle 100, and the transmission timing and reception timing of the radio signal of the remote control apparatus 200. The distance between the devices 200 can be measured.” As illustrated in FIG. 3, a first distance is shown between 111a and remote. A second distance is shown between 111b and remote);
wherein, when the ultra-wideband communication circuit determines that the first distance and the second distance are both greater than the distance threshold value (Lee, page 8 of translated copy; “Referring back to FIG. 5, the controller 140 determines whether the calculated distance between the UWB antenna 111 and the remote control apparatus 200 is equal to or less than the first reference distance dref1 (1112), and the first If the reference distance (dref1) or less ("YES" of 1112), the UWB communication unit 110 reduces the period of the pulse transmitted through the UWB communication network (1113), if not less than or equal to the first reference distance (dref1) (1111) "No"), the UWB communication unit 110 may be controlled to transmit the radio signal while maintaining the pulse period (1111).”),
wherein the operation method further comprises:
determining, by the ultra-wideband communication circuit, a status reported by an electronic control unit of the vehicle when at least one of the first distance and the second distance is less than or equal to the distance threshold value (Lee, page 8 of translated copy; “Referring back to FIG. 5, the controller 140 determines whether the calculated distance between the UWB antenna 111 and the remote control apparatus 200 is equal to or less than the first reference distance dref1 (1112), and the first If the reference distance (dref1) or less ("YES" of 1112), the UWB communication unit 110 reduces the period of the pulse transmitted through the UWB communication network (1113), if not less than or equal to the first reference distance (dref1) (1111) "No"), the UWB communication unit 110 may be controlled to transmit the radio signal while maintaining the pulse period (1111).”).
Lee does not explicitly teach the ultra-wideband communication circuit instructs the remote controller to enter the sleep state;
Saiki, in the same field of endeavor (Saiki, at least one para. 0003; “An electronic key system for a vehicle determines a position of a vehicle mobile device relative to a vehicle.”) teaches the ultra-wideband communication circuit instructs the remote controller to enter the sleep state (Saiki, at least one para. 0051; “In addition, when a state where no communication connection to the in-vehicle system 1 is detected continues for a given period in the active mode and when a state where the operation unit 21 is not operated continues for a given period, the key control unit 20 shifts the smart key 2 to the sleep mode.”);
The combination of Lee, CHO, Maldonano, Saiki, and Hsin is considered to be analogous to the claimed invention because Lee, CHO, Maldonano, Saiki, and Hsin are in the same field of vehicle remote control system as the claimed invention. Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filling date of the claimed invention, to have modified the Bluetooth communication circuit of Lee with teaching of Saiki. One of the ordinary skill in the art would have been motivated to make this modification in order to save battery life of the smart key (Saiki; 0046) and to implement remote keyless entry system (Saiki; 0046).
Regarding claim 16, The combination of Lee, CHO, Maldonano, Saiki, and Hsin teaches the limitations of claim 9, upon which the instant claim depends, as discussed supra. Further, Lee teaches (Previously Presented) The operation method according to claim 9, wherein the threshold standard is a first strength threshold value (Lee, page 10 of translated copy; “RSSI1” and “RSSI2”, it is inherent that RSSI1 and RSSI2 values have predetermined ranges to determine the signal strength), the wireless signal processing circuit is a BLUETOOTH® communication circuit (Lee, page 5 of translated copy; “An RF communication network is a communication network for radio signals transmitted in a high frequency band of 300 kHz or more. For example, the RF communication network may be a network using an ultra-high frequency (UHF) frequency band of 300 MHz or more and 3 GHz”, wherein Bluetooth frequency ranges from 2.402 GHz to 2.48 GHz) and (Lee, page 10 of translated copy; “For another example, when the RF communication unit 130 receives the reception strength value of the LF signal, the control unit 140 may receive the reception strength value of the LF signal from the RF communication unit 130.”), the first state information is a first received signal strength, and the second state information is a second received signal strength (Lee, page 5 of translated copy; “The vehicle 100 may receive the reception intensity values of the radio signals transmitted by the LF antennas 121a and 121b from the remote control apparatus 200, and based on the received reception intensity values, the vehicle LF antennas 121a and 121b. And the distance between the remote control device 200 can be measured.”, wherein the first reception strength value is through 121a and the second reception strength value is through 121b);
wherein, when the BLUETOOTH® communication circuit determines that the first received signal strength and the second received signal strength are both less than the first strength threshold value, the BLUETOOTH® communication circuit instructs the remote controller to enter the sleep state;
wherein the operation method further comprises:
determining, by the BLUETOOTH® communication circuit, whether the first received signal strength is less than or equal to a second strength threshold value and whether the second received signal strength is greater than or equal to a third strength threshold value when at least one of the first received signal strength and the second received signal strength is greater than or equal to the first strength threshold value; and
determining, by the BLUETOOTH® communication circuit, a status reported by an electronic control unit of the vehicle when the first received signal strength is less than or equal to the second strength threshold value and the second received signal strength is greater than or equal to the third strength threshold value; wherein the third strength threshold value is greater than the first strength threshold value and the first strength threshold value is greater than the second strength threshold value.
Lee does not explicitly teach wherein, when the BLUETOOTH® communication circuit determines that the first received signal strength and the second received signal strength are both less than the first strength threshold value, the BLUETOOTH® communication circuit instructs the remote controller to enter the sleep state;
wherein the operation method further comprises:
determining, by the BLUETOOTH® communication circuit, whether the first received signal strength is less than or equal to a second strength threshold value and whether the second received signal strength is greater than or equal to a third strength threshold value when at least one of the first received signal strength and the second received signal strength is greater than or equal to the first strength threshold value; and
determining, by the BLUETOOTH® communication circuit, a status reported by an electronic control unit of the vehicle when the first received signal strength is less than or equal to the second strength threshold value and the second received signal strength is greater than or equal to the third strength threshold value; wherein the third strength threshold value is greater than the first strength threshold value and the first strength threshold value is greater than the second strength threshold value.
Saiki, in the same field of endeavor (Saiki, at least one para. 0003; “An electronic key system for a vehicle determines a position of a vehicle mobile device relative to a vehicle.”) teaches wherein, when the BLUETOOTH® communication circuit determines that the first received signal strength and the second received signal strength are both less than the first strength threshold value (Saiki, at least one para. 0144; “Step S402 is a step of determining the device position based on the combination of the reception strength and the device distance acquired in step S401. The processor 41 determines that the device is present in the interior area when the BLE_RSSI is greater than or equal to a predetermined first strength threshold and the device distance is less than a first distance.”, wherein the processor determine that the device is outside of the interior area when the BLE_RSSI is less than the predetermined first strength threshold), the BLUETOOTH® communication circuit instructs the remote controller to enter the sleep state (Saiki, at least one para. 0051; “In addition, when a state where no communication connection to the in-vehicle system 1 is detected continues for a given period in the active mode and when a state where the operation unit 21 is not operated continues for a given period, the key control unit 20 shifts the smart key 2 to the sleep mode.”);
wherein the operation method further comprises: determining, by the BLUETOOTH® communication circuit, whether the first received signal strength is less than or equal to a second strength threshold value and whether the second received signal strength is greater than or equal to a third strength threshold value when at least one of the first received signal strength and the second received signal strength is greater than or equal to the first strength threshold value (Saiki, at least one para. 0145; “In addition, the processor 41 determines that the device is located in the left area EA_B when the BLE_RSSI is less than a predetermined second strength threshold and the device distance is less than a second distance. The second strength threshold can be set to a value that is a predetermined amount smaller than the first strength threshold, taking into consideration that the BLE communication device 7 is disposed on the interior side of the C-pillar. The second distance can be set to a value such as the distance from the left C-pillar to the outside door handle for the left front seat plus a predetermined value, such as 0.5 m. Furthermore, the processor 41 determines that the device is located in the right area EA_A or the rear area EA_C when the BLE_RSSI is less than a third strength threshold and the device distance is greater than the third distance and less than a fourth distance. The third strength threshold can be set to a value equal to or smaller than the second strength threshold, taking into account the presence of an obstruction such as a right door between the left C-pillar and the right area EA_A. ”); and
determining, by the BLUETOOTH® communication circuit, a status reported by an electronic control unit of the vehicle when the first received signal strength is less than or equal to the second strength threshold value and the second received signal strength is greater than or equal to the third strength threshold value; wherein the third strength threshold value is greater than the first strength threshold value and the first strength threshold value is greater than the second strength threshold value (Saiki, at least one para. 0059; “The smart ECU 4 is an ECU that determines a device position with respect to the vehicle Hv in cooperation with the BLE communication device 7 or the like and performs vehicle control according to the determination result of the device position.”).
The combination of Lee, CHO, Maldonano, Saiki, and Hsin is considered to be analogous to the claimed invention because Lee, CHO, Maldonano, Saiki, and Hsin are in the same field of vehicle remote control system as the claimed invention. Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filling date of the claimed invention, to have modified the Bluetooth communication circuit of Lee with teaching of Saiki. One of the ordinary skill in the art would have been motivated to make this modification in order to save battery life of the smart key (Saiki; 0046) and to implement remote keyless entry system (Saiki; 0046).
Regarding claim 17, The combination of Lee, CHO, Maldonano, Saiki, and Hsin teaches the limitations of claim 9, upon which the instant claim depends, as discussed supra. Further, Lee teaches (Previously Presented) The operation method according to claim 9, wherein the threshold standard is a first distance threshold value (Lee, page 8 of translated copy; “first reference distance” and “second reference distance”), the wireless signal processing circuit is an ultra-wideband communication circuit (Lee, page 5 of translated copy; “Referring to FIG. 3, when a radio signal is transmitted from the remote control device 200 through the UWB communication network, the activated UWB antennas 111a to 111d respectively receive signals transmitted from the remote control device 200.”), the first state information is a first distance, and the second state information is a second distance (Lee, page 5 of translated copy and FIG. 3; “The vehicle 100 remotely operates with each of the UWB antennas 111a-111d based on the transmission timing and reception timing of the radio signal of the vehicle 100, and the transmission timing and reception timing of the radio signal of the remote control apparatus 200. The distance between the devices 200 can be measured.” As illustrated in FIG. 3, a first distance is shown between 111a and remote. A second distance is shown between 111b and remote);
wherein, when the ultra-wideband communication circuit determines that the first distance and the second distance are both greater than the first distance threshold value (Lee, page 8 of translated copy; “Referring back to FIG. 5, the controller 140 determines whether the calculated distance between the UWB antenna 111 and the remote control apparatus 200 is equal to or less than the first reference distance dref1 (1112), and the first If the reference distance (dref1) or less ("YES" of 1112), the UWB communication unit 110 reduces the period of the pulse transmitted through the UWB communication network (1113), if not less than or equal to the first reference distance (dref1) (1111) "No"), the UWB communication unit 110 may be controlled to transmit the radio signal while maintaining the pulse period (1111).”),
wherein the operation method further comprises: determining, by the ultra-wideband communication circuit, whether the first distance is less than or equal to a second distance threshold value and whether the second distance is greater than or equal to a third distance threshold value when at least one of the first distance and the second distance is less than or equal to the first distance threshold value; and
determining, by a BLUETOOTH® communication circuit, a status reported by an electronic control unit of the vehicle when the first distance is less than or equal to the second distance threshold value and the second distance is greater than or equal to the third distance threshold value; wherein the third distance threshold value is greater than the first distance threshold value and the first distance threshold value is greater than the second distance threshold value.
Lee does not explicitly teach the ultra-wideband communication circuit instructs the remote controller to enter the sleep state;
wherein the operation method further comprises: determining, by the ultra-wideband communication circuit, whether the first distance is less than or equal to a second distance threshold value and whether the second distance is greater than or equal to a third distance threshold value when at least one of the first distance and the second distance is less than or equal to the first distance threshold value; and
determining, by a BLUETOOTH® communication circuit, a status reported by an electronic control unit of the vehicle when the first distance is less than or equal to the second distance threshold value and the second distance is greater than or equal to the third distance threshold value; wherein the third distance threshold value is greater than the first distance threshold value and the first distance threshold value is greater than the second distance threshold value.
Saiki, in the same field of endeavor (Saiki, at least one para. 0003; “An electronic key system for a vehicle determines a position of a vehicle mobile device relative to a vehicle.”) teaches the ultra-wideband communication circuit instructs the remote controller to enter the sleep state (Saiki, at least one para. 0051; “In addition, when a state where no communication connection to the in-vehicle system 1 is detected continues for a given period in the active mode and when a state where the operation unit 21 is not operated continues for a given period, the key control unit 20 shifts the smart key 2 to the sleep mode.”);
wherein the operation method further comprises: determining, by the ultra-wideband communication circuit, whether the first distance is less than or equal to a second distance threshold value and whether the second distance is greater than or equal to a third distance threshold value when at least one of the first distance and the second distance is less than or equal to the first distance threshold value (Saiki, at least one para. 0145; “In addition, the processor 41 determines that the device is located in the left area EA_B when the BLE_RSSI is less than a predetermined second strength threshold and the device distance is less than a second distance. The second strength threshold can be set to a value that is a predetermined amount smaller than the first strength threshold, taking into consideration that the BLE communication device 7 is disposed on the interior side of the C-pillar. The second distance can be set to a value such as the distance from the left C-pillar to the outside door handle for the left front seat plus a predetermined value, such as 0.5 m. Furthermore, the processor 41 determines that the device is located in the right area EA_A or the rear area EA_C when the BLE_RSSI is less than a third strength threshold and the device distance is greater than the third distance and less than a fourth distance. The third strength threshold can be set to a value equal to or smaller than the second strength threshold, taking into account the presence of an obstruction such as a right door between the left C-pillar and the right area EA_A. ”); and
determining, by a BLUETOOTH® communication circuit, a status reported by an electronic control unit of the vehicle when the first distance is less than or equal to the second distance threshold value and the second distance is greater than or equal to the third distance threshold value; wherein the third distance threshold value is greater than the first distance threshold value and the first distance threshold value is greater than the second distance threshold value (Saiki, at least one para. 0059; “The smart ECU 4 is an ECU that determines a device position with respect to the vehicle Hv in cooperation with the BLE communication device 7 or the like and performs vehicle control according to the determination result of the device position.”).
The combination of Lee, CHO, Maldonano, Saiki, and Hsin is considered to be analogous to the claimed invention because Lee, CHO, Maldonano, Saiki, and Hsin are in the same field of vehicle remote control system as the claimed invention. Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filling date of the claimed invention, to have modified the Bluetooth communication circuit of Lee with teaching of Saiki. One of the ordinary skill in the art would have been motivated to make this modification in order to save battery life of the smart key (Saiki; 0046) and to implement remote keyless entry system (Saiki; 0046).
Claim(s) 2-3 and 10-11 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Lee (KR 20200005973 A), CHO (WO 2022103187 A1), Maldonano (US 20190097715 A1), Saiki (US 20240336226 A1), and Hsin (US 20210297143 A1), and in further view of Chang (US 20200151975 A1).
Regarding claim 2, The combination of Lee, CHO, Maldonano, Saiki, and Hsin teaches the limitations of claim 1, upon which the instant claim depends, as discussed supra. Further, Lee teaches (Previously Presented) The vehicle remote control system according to claim 1, wherein, when the remote controller is located between the first antenna and the second antenna (Lee, page 9 of translated copy and FIG. 3; “For example, when the UWB antennas 111a-111d are installed as shown in FIG. 3 and the remote control apparatus 200 approaches the left region of the vehicle 100, the controller 140 controls the left front light of the vehicle 100.”) and at least one of the first state information and the second state information complies with the threshold standard (Lee, page 8 of translated copy; “Referring back to FIG. 5, the controller 140 determines whether the calculated distance between the UWB antenna 111 and the remote control apparatus 200 is equal to or less than the first reference distance dref1 (1112), and the first If the reference distance (dref1) or less ("YES" of 1112), the UWB communication unit 110 reduces the period of the pulse transmitted through the UWB communication network (1113), if not less than or equal to the first reference distance (dref1) (1111) "No"), the UWB communication unit 110 may be controlled to transmit the radio signal while maintaining the pulse period (1111).”),
Lee does not explicitly teach the wireless signal processing circuit determines a status reported by an electronic control unit of the motorcycle.
Chang, in the same field of endeavor (Chang, at least one para. 0011; “Please refer to FIG. 1, which is a schematic diagram of a wireless control system 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention. In this example, the wireless control system 10 is an access control management system.”) teaches the wireless signal processing circuit determines a status reported by an electronic control unit of the vehicle (Chang, at least one para. 0023; “The central control device 300 includes a Bluetooth module 304 and a logic module 306. The Bluetooth module 304 is able to establish a Bluetooth connection with the portable electronic device 302 and to transmit related information to the logic module 306. The logic module 306 is able to determine whether to activate the vehicle 32 accordingly.”).
The combination of Lee and Chang is considered to be analogous to the claimed invention because Lee, CHO, Maldonano, Saiki, Hsin, and Chang are in the same field of vehicle remote control system as the claimed invention. Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filling date of the claimed invention, to have modified the first state information and the second state information of Lee with teaching of Chang. One of the ordinary skill in the art would have been motivated to make this modification in order to adopt a secondary or auxiliary authentication between the remote control and the vehicle (Chang; 0023).
Regarding claim 3, The combination of Lee, CHO, Maldonano, Saiki, Hsin, and Chang teaches the limitations of claim 2, upon which the instant claim depends, as discussed supra. Further, Chang teaches (Currently amended) The vehicle remote control system according to claim 2, wherein the status is a status of a power switch of the vehicle or a status of an engine of the vehicle (Chang, at least one para. 0024; “Specifically, after a user enters the vehicle 32 (by utilizing a key or the portable electronic device 302 to unlock a car door), the user enables connection between the battery 320 and the logic module 306 via the activation switch 322 (for example, by rotating a key or pressing an activation button). Then, the battery 320 outputs an activation signal SI to the logic module 306 to start up the Bluetooth module 304 and the logic module 306.”).
Regarding claim 10, The combination of Lee, CHO, Maldonano, Saiki, and Hsin teaches the limitations of claim 9, upon which the instant claim depends, as discussed supra. Further, Lee teaches (Previously Presented) The operation method according to claim 9, wherein, when the remote controller is located between the first antenna and the second antenna (Lee, page 9 of translated copy and FIG. 3; “For example, when the UWB antennas 111a-111d are installed as shown in FIG. 3 and the remote control apparatus 200 approaches the left region of the vehicle 100, the controller 140 controls the left front light of the vehicle 100.”) and at least one of the first state information and the second state information complies with the threshold standard (Lee, page 8 of translated copy; “Referring back to FIG. 5, the controller 140 determines whether the calculated distance between the UWB antenna 111 and the remote control apparatus 200 is equal to or less than the first reference distance dref1 (1112), and the first If the reference distance (dref1) or less ("YES" of 1112), the UWB communication unit 110 reduces the period of the pulse transmitted through the UWB communication network (1113), if not less than or equal to the first reference distance (dref1) (1111) "No"), the UWB communication unit 110 may be controlled to transmit the radio signal while maintaining the pulse period (1111).”),
Lee does not explicitly teach the wireless signal processing circuit determines a status reported by an electronic control unit of the vehicle.
Chang, in the same field of endeavor (Chang, at least one para. 0011; “Please refer to FIG. 1, which is a schematic diagram of a wireless control system 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention. In this example, the wireless control system 10 is an access control management system.”) teaches the wireless signal processing circuit determines a status reported by an electronic control unit of the vehicle (Chang, at least one para. 0023; “The central control device 300 includes a Bluetooth module 304 and a logic module 306. The Bluetooth module 304 is able to establish a Bluetooth connection with the portable electronic device 302 and to transmit related information to the logic module 306. The logic module 306 is able to determine whether to activate the vehicle 32 accordingly.”).
The combination of Lee and Chang is considered to be analogous to the claimed invention because Lee and Chang are in the same field of vehicle remote control system as the claimed invention. Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filling date of the claimed invention, to have modified the first state information and the second state information of Lee with teaching of Chang. One of the ordinary skill in the art would have been motivated to make this modification in order to adopt a secondary or auxiliary authentication between the remote control and the vehicle (Chang; 0023).
Regarding claim 11, The combination of Lee, CHO, Maldonano, Saiki, Hsin, and Chang teaches the limitations of claim 10, upon which the instant claim depends, as discussed supra. Further, Chang teaches (Previously Presented) The operation method according to claim 10, wherein the status is a status of a power switch of the vehicle or a status of an engine of the vehicle (Chang, at least one para. 0024; “Specifically, after a user enters the vehicle 32 (by utilizing a key or the portable electronic device 302 to unlock a car door), the user enables connection between the battery 320 and the logic module 306 via the activation switch 322 (for example, by rotating a key or pressing an activation button). Then, the battery 320 outputs an activation signal SI to the logic module 306 to start up the Bluetooth module 304 and the logic module 306.”).
Claim(s) 8 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Lee (KR 20200005973 A), CHO (WO 2022103187 A1), Maldonano (US 20190097715 A1), Saiki (US 20240336226 A1), and Hsin (US 20210297143 A1), and further in view of Lei (CN 114299644 A).
Regarding claim 8, The combination of Lee, CHO, Maldonano, Saiki, and Hsin teaches the limitations of claim 1, upon which the instant claim depends, as discussed supra. Further, Lee teaches (Previously Presented) The vehicle remote control system according to claim 7, further comprising a BLUETOOTH® communication circuit and a BLUETOOTH® antenna, wherein the BLUETOOTH® communication circuit is connected to the BLUETOOTH® antenna (Lee, page 4 of translated copy; “the vehicle 100 may further include an RF antenna for receiving a radio signal through a radio frequency (RF) communication network.”), the ultra-wideband communication circuit (Lee, page 5 of translated copy; “Referring to FIG. 3, when a radio signal is transmitted from the remote control device 200 through the UWB communication network”),
wherein, when the BLUETOOTH® communication circuit determines that a received signal strength between the remote controller and the vehicle is greater than a strength threshold value, the BLUETOOTH® communication circuit enables the ultra-wideband communication circuit.
Lee does not explicitly teach the switch device;
wherein, when the BLUETOOTH® communication circuit determines that a received signal strength between the remote controller and the vehicle is greater than a strength threshold value, the BLUETOOTH® communication circuit enables the ultra-wideband communication circuit.
Maldonano, in the same field of endeavor (Maldonano, at least one para. 0005; “According to an aspect, the present disclosure provides a method for controlling a wireless device having at least one radio frequency (RF) system. In particular, the method includes selecting an antenna for transmission of signals from radio components of the at least one RF system from between a first default antenna that is normally coupled to the radio components of the at least one RF system for transmission of signals and one of a plurality of other antennas in the wireless device.”) teaches the switch device (Maldonano, at least one para. 0036 and FIG. 2; “Apparatus 200, as illustrated, includes an arrangement where Ant 1 241 and Ant 3 243 are coupled to antenna switches 202 and 204 with a transmission line or trace 206.”, wherein the antenna 241 is connected to the bottom receiver 224 through the antenna switch 204);
wherein, when the BLUETOOTH® communication circuit determines that a received signal strength between the remote controller and the vehicle is greater than a strength threshold value, the BLUETOOTH® communication circuit enables the ultra-wideband communication circuit.
Lee and Maldonano are both considered to be analogous to the claimed invention because Lee and Maldonano are in the same field of vehicle remote control system as the claimed invention. Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filling date of the claimed invention, to have modified the first antenna and the second antenna of Lee with teaching of Maldonano. One of the ordinary skill in the art would have been motivated to make this modification so that optimal antenna can be determined for signal transferring (Maldonano; 0043).
The combination of Lee and Maldonano does not explicitly teach wherein, when the BLUETOOTH® communication circuit determines that a received signal strength between the remote controller and the vehicle is greater than a strength threshold value, the BLUETOOTH® communication circuit enables the ultra-wideband communication circuit.
Saiki, in the same field of endeavor (Saiki, at least one para. 0003; “An electronic key system for a vehicle determines a position of a vehicle mobile device relative to a vehicle.”) teaches wherein, when the BLUETOOTH® communication circuit determines that a received signal strength between the remote controller and the vehicle is greater than a strength threshold value (Saiki, at least one para. 0144; “Step S402 is a step of determining the device position based on the combination of the reception strength and the device distance acquired in step S401. The processor 41 determines that the device is present in the interior area when the BLE_RSSI is greater than or equal to a predetermined first strength threshold and the device distance is less than a first distance.”),
The combination of Lee, Maldonano, and Saiki is all considered to be analogous to the claimed invention because Lee, Maldonano, and Saiki are all in the same field of vehicle remote control system as the claimed invention. Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filling date of the claimed invention, to have modified the Bluetooth communication circuit of Lee with teaching of Saiki. One of the ordinary skill in the art would have been motivated to make this modification in order to save battery life of the smart key (Saiki; 0046) and to implement remote keyless entry system (Saiki; 0046).
The combination of Lee, Maldonano, and Saiki does not explicitly teach the BLUETOOTH® communication circuit enables the ultra-wideband communication circuit.
Lei, in the same field of endeavor (Lei, page 2 of translated copy; “In view of this, the purpose of the invention is to provide a vehicle entering system and vehicle entering method capable of more accurately locating the vehicle key to improve the user experience.”) teaches the BLUETOOTH® communication circuit enables the ultra-wideband communication circuit (Lei, page 6 of translated copy; “the signal intensity of at least 2 from the Bluetooth unit 21 of the slave node module 2 after receiving the second distance measuring control signal to open the first ultra-wideband unit 22”).
The combination of Lee, Maldonano, Saiki, and Lei is all considered to be analogous to the claimed invention because Lee, Maldonano, Saiki, and Lei are all in the same field of vehicle remote control system as the claimed invention. Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filling date of the claimed invention, to have modified selection of ultra-wideband communication circuit of Lee with teaching of Lei. One of the ordinary skill in the art would have been motivated to make this modification in order to precisely calculate the position of the vehicle key to improve the sensitivity of unlocking and locking doors (Lei; page 6 of translated copy).
Claim(s) 18-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Lee (KR 20200005973 A), CHO (WO 2022103187 A1), Maldonano (US 20190097715 A1), and Saiki (US 20240336226 A1), and Hsin (US 20210297143 A1), and further in view of Wu (US 20230193869 A1).
Regarding claim 18, The combination of Lee, CHO, Maldonano, Saiki, and Hsin teaches the limitations of claim 1, upon which the instant claim depends, as discussed supra. Further, Saiki teaches (Previously Presented) The vehicle remote control system according to claim 1, wherein, when at least one of the first state information and the second state information does not comply with the threshold standard (Saiki, at least one para. 0144; “Step S402 is a step of determining the device position based on the combination of the reception strength and the device distance acquired in step S401. The processor 41 determines that the device is present in the interior area when the BLE_RSSI is greater than or equal to a predetermined first strength threshold and the device distance is less than a first distance.” , wherein the processor determine that the device is outside of the interior area when the BLE_RSSI is less than the predetermined first strength threshold), the wireless signal processing circuit checks whether an engine of the vehicle is started; when the engine is started, the wireless signal processing circuit instructs the remote controller to enter the sleep state; when the engine of the vehicle is not started, the wireless signal processing circuit instructs an electronic control unit of the vehicle to start the engine.
Saiki does not explicitly teach that the wireless signal processing circuit checks whether an engine of the vehicle is started; when the engine is started, the wireless signal processing circuit instructs the remote controller to enter the sleep state; when the engine of the vehicle is not started, the wireless signal processing circuit instructs an electronic control unit of the vehicle to start the engine.
However, Wu, in the same field of endeavor (Wu, at least one para. 0003; “The present disclosure relates to a remote controller, a remote-control system and a control method thereof.”) teaches the wireless signal processing circuit checks whether an engine of the vehicle is started; when the engine is started, the wireless signal processing circuit instructs the remote controller to enter the sleep state; when the engine of the vehicle is not started, the wireless signal processing circuit instructs an electronic control unit of the vehicle to start the engine (Wu, at least one para. 0037; “When the received signal strength indication is greater than or equal to the strength threshold, the first micro-control unit 142 of the first BLUETOOTH circuit 14 transmits the motion index value saved in the third register 146 to the controlled device E. Or, when the received signal strength indication is greater than or equal to the strength threshold and the remote controller KS1 is in communication with the controlled device E, the first micro-control unit 142 of the first BLUETOOTH circuit 14 transmits the motion index value saved in the third register 146 to the controlled device E. When the controlled device E receives the motion index value, the controlled device E notifies the remote controller KS1 to be switched from the working state to the sleep state. When the received signal strength indication is less than the strength threshold, the first BLUETOOTH circuit 14 is switched from the working state to the sleep state.”) and (Wu, at least one para. 0036; “The first BLUETOOTH circuit 14 is switched from the sleep state to a working state due to the interrupt signal, and the working state includes a startup state.”).
The combination of Lee, CHO, Maldonano, Saiki, Hsin and Wu is considered to be analogous to the claimed invention because Lee, CHO, Maldonano, Saiki, Hsin and Wu are in the same field of vehicle remote control system as the claimed invention. Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filling date of the claimed invention, to have modified the Bluetooth communication circuit of Lee Saiki teaching of Wu. One of the ordinary skill in the art would have been motivated to make this modification in order to set a safe distance between the remote controller and controlled device (Wu; 0037). Furthermore, All the claimed elements were known in the prior art and one skilled in the art could have combined the elements as claimed by known methods with no change in their respective functions, and the combination would have yielded predictable results to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of the invention.
Regarding claim 19, The combination of Lee, CHO, Maldonano, Saiki, and Hsin teaches the limitations of claim 9, upon which the instant claim depends, as discussed supra. Further, Saiki teaches (Previously Presented) The operation method according to claim 9, wherein, when at least one of the first state information and the second state information does not comply with the threshold standard (Saiki, at least one para. 0144; “Step S402 is a step of determining the device position based on the combination of the reception strength and the device distance acquired in step S401. The processor 41 determines that the device is present in the interior area when the BLE_RSSI is greater than or equal to a predetermined first strength threshold and the device distance is less than a first distance.” , wherein the processor determine that the device is outside of the interior area when the BLE_RSSI is less than the predetermined first strength threshold), the wireless signal processing circuit checks whether an engine of the vehicle is started; when the engine is started, the wireless signal processing circuit instructs the remote controller to enter the sleep state; when the engine of the vehicle is not started, the wireless signal processing circuit instructs an electronic control unit of the vehicle to start the engine.
Saiki does not explicitly teach that the wireless signal processing circuit checks whether an engine of the vehicle is started; when the engine is started, the wireless signal processing circuit instructs the remote controller to enter the sleep state; when the engine of the vehicle is not started, the wireless signal processing circuit instructs an electronic control unit of the vehicle to start the engine.
However, Wu, in the same field of endeavor (Wu, at least one para. 0003; “The present disclosure relates to a remote controller, a remote-control system and a control method thereof.”) teaches the wireless signal processing circuit checks whether an engine of the vehicle is started; when the engine is started, the wireless signal processing circuit instructs the remote controller to enter the sleep state; when the engine of the vehicle is not started, the wireless signal processing circuit instructs an electronic control unit of the vehicle to start the engine (Wu, at least one para. 0037; “When the received signal strength indication is greater than or equal to the strength threshold, the first micro-control unit 142 of the first BLUETOOTH circuit 14 transmits the motion index value saved in the third register 146 to the controlled device E. Or, when the received signal strength indication is greater than or equal to the strength threshold and the remote controller KS1 is in communication with the controlled device E, the first micro-control unit 142 of the first BLUETOOTH circuit 14 transmits the motion index value saved in the third register 146 to the controlled device E. When the controlled device E receives the motion index value, the controlled device E notifies the remote controller KS1 to be switched from the working state to the sleep state. When the received signal strength indication is less than the strength threshold, the first BLUETOOTH circuit 14 is switched from the working state to the sleep state.”) and (Wu, at least one para. 0036; “The first BLUETOOTH circuit 14 is switched from the sleep state to a working state due to the interrupt signal, and the working state includes a startup state.”).
The combination of Lee, CHO, Maldonano, Saiki, Hsin and Wu is considered to be analogous to the claimed invention because Lee, CHO, Maldonano, Saiki, Hsin and Wu are in the same field of vehicle remote control system as the claimed invention. Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filling date of the claimed invention, to have modified the Bluetooth communication circuit of Lee Saiki teaching of Wu. One of the ordinary skill in the art would have been motivated to make this modification in order to set a safe distance between the remote controller and controlled device (Wu; 0037). Furthermore, All the claimed elements were known in the prior art and one skilled in the art could have combined the elements as claimed by known methods with no change in their respective functions, and the combination would have yielded predictable results to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of the invention.
Regarding claim 20, The combination of Lee, CHO, Maldonano, Saiki, and Hsin teaches the limitations of claim 1, upon which the instant claim depends, as discussed supra. Further, Maldonano teaches (Currently Amended) The vehicle remote control system according to claim 1, wherein the vehicle is a motorcycle (Maldonano, at least one para. 0032; “A mobile apparatus may additionally be an automotive or other transportation vehicle”, wherein the mobile apparatus can be seen as the motorcycle), and a length of the signal transmission line is between 1.5 meters and 2 meters (Maldonano, at least one para. 0036; “Apparatus 200, as illustrated, includes an arrangement where Ant 1 241 and Ant 3 243 are coupled to antenna switches 202 and 204 with a transmission line or trace 206”, In other words, Maldonado teaches the transmission line which connect between the antennas Ant 1 and Ant 3, and the mobile apparatus can be an automotive or other transportation vehicle. As a result, it is inherent, when mobile apparatus can be an automotive or other transportation vehicle is a motorcycle, and the first antenna and the second antenna of the Lee are respectively positioned on the front end and the rear end of the motorcycle, and the transmission line is between 1.5 to 2 meters as the average length of standard motorcycles typically ranges 6-8 feet (approximately around two meters). In other words, it is obvious if the transmission line is less than 1.5 meters, the first antenna and the second antenna will not be able to effectually positioned at the front end and the rear end of the motorcycle as the short length (less than 1.5 meters) of the transmission line unbales to electrically connect the first antenna into the second antenna. Furthermore, it is also obvious if the transmission line is more than 2 meters, the first antenna and the second antenna will be able to connected with each other. However, the excessive length of the transmission line (being more than 2 meters) increases production cost and reduces efficiency of both antennas).
Even though the claimed automotive or other transportation vehicle of Maldonado can be a motorcycle, Maldonado does not explicitly state that the vehicle is a motorcycle.
However, Wu, in the same field of endeavor (Wu, at least one para. 0003; “The present disclosure relates to a remote controller, a remote-control system and a control method thereof.”) teaches that the vehicle can be a motorcycle (Wu, at least one para. 0039; “The type of the controlled device E is not limited, such as a motorbike, a bicycle, a car or a multimedia audio-visual device.”)
The combination of Lee, CHO, Maldonano, Saiki, Hsin and Wu is considered to be analogous to the claimed invention because Lee, CHO, Maldonano, Saiki, Hsin and Wu are in the same field of vehicle remote control system as the claimed invention. Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filling date of the claimed invention, to have modified the Bluetooth communication circuit of Lee Saiki teaching of Wu. The claim would have been obvious because the substitution of one known element for another would have yielded predictable results to one of ordinary skill in the art.
Conclusion
Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). 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.
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/U.P.C./Examiner, Art Unit 3665 /CHRISTIAN CHACE/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3665
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