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 Examiner acknowledges the receipt of the Applicant’s amendment filed on 12/19/2025. Claims 1, and 17 have been amended. Claim 18 has been added. Claims 1-18 are currently pending in the present application.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claims 1-17 have been considered but are moot because the new ground of rejection.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 103 which forms the basis for all obviousness rejections set forth in this Office action:
A patent for a claimed invention may not be obtained, notwithstanding that the claimed invention is not identically disclosed as set forth in section 102, if the differences between the claimed invention and the prior art are such that the claimed invention as a whole would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a person having ordinary skill in the art to which the claimed invention pertains. Patentability shall not be negated by the manner in which the invention was made.
The factual inquiries for establishing a background for determining obviousness under 35 U.S.C. 103 are summarized as follows:
1. Determining the scope and contents of the prior art.
2. Ascertaining the differences between the prior art and the claims at issue.
3. Resolving the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art.
4. Considering objective evidence present in the application indicating obviousness or nonobviousness.
This application currently names joint inventors. In considering patentability of the claims the examiner presumes that the subject matter of the various claims was commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the claimed invention(s) absent any evidence to the contrary. Applicant is advised of the obligation under 37 CFR 1.56 to point out the inventor and effective filing dates of each claim that was not commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the later invention in order for the examiner to consider the applicability of 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(2)(C) for any potential 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) prior art against the later invention.
Claims 1-18 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Foegelle (US 2018/0034562 A1), and further in view of Kaksonen (US 8,869,110 B2).
Regarding claim 1, Foegelle teaches a method for configuring a mobile communication tester (read as wireless communication tester 68) (Foegelle – Figure 1, Figure 7, [0003], [0067]), the method comprising the steps of:
providing a mobile communication tester (read as wireless communication tester 68) (Foegelle – Figure 1, Figure 7, [0003], [0067]) with an electronic circuit (read as radio and channel emulator can be implement by software executed by a processor, such as a digital signal processor or combination of hardware and software) (Foegelle – [0110], [0161]) configured for testing a wireless device under test (read as DUT 22) (Foegelle - Figure 8, [0075]);
receiving, by the electronic circuit, at least one configuration message (read as multiple input multiple output (MIMO) boundary array configuration 10 for a test of a device under test (DUT) 22, showing boundary array antennas 12 in an anechoic chamber 14 with a wireless communication tester 16 connected through a spatial channel emulator 18 and amplifiers 20) (Foegelle – Figure 1, and [0003]);
processing, by the electronic circuit, the at least one configuration message (read as configurations require multiple individual channel emulators synchronized together to produce sufficient output channels to drive all of the antenna elements in the chamber) (Foegelle – Figure 1, and [0003]); and
deriving, by the electronic circuit, a configuration setting of the mobile communication tester for testing the wireless device under test at least partly from the at least one configuration message received (read as transmit signals from wireless communication tester are routed to spatial channel emulator 18a by signal routing 62a and would enable switching to calibration paths or other test paths in order to provide flexibility to alter the configuration as desired) (Feogelle – Figure 5, and [0012]).
However, Foegelle fails to teach the at least one configuration message is formatted at least partially in ASN.1.
In the related art, Kaksonen teaches the at least one configuration message is formatted at least partially in ASN.1 (read as protocol model may e.g. describe the syntax of the protocol message and message sequence; the model may be defined by various formal notations such as ASN.1; protocol model may comprise information describing actual semantic meaning and/or data type of value of data items of a test case instance) (Kaksonen – column 2 lines 6-12, column 5 lines 7-34).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to incorporate the teachings of Kaksonen into the teachings of Foegelle for the purpose of providing a formatted formal notation for sending configuration messages.
Regarding claim 2 as applied to claim 1, Foegelle as modified by Kaksonen further teaches wherein the at least one configuration message relates to a 5G protocol using the ASN.1 format, and wherein the content of the at least one configuration message is consolidated according to the corresponding protocol specification (Foegelle – [0008]; Kaksonen – column 4 lines 2-18).
Regarding claim 3 as applied to claim 2, Foegelle as modified by Kaksonen further teaches wherein the at least one configuration message relates to 5G Radio Resource Control protocol (Foegelle – [0008]; Kaksonen – column 4 lines 2-18).
Regarding claim 4 as applied to claim 1, Foegelle as modified by Kaksonen further teaches wherein the at least one configuration message comprises a plurality of Radio Resource Control messages and wherein the Radio Resource Control messages are consolidated according to 5G Radio Resource Control protocol specification (Foegelle – [0008], [0012]; Kaksonen – column 4 lines 2-18).
Regarding claim 5 as applied to claim 4, Foegelle as modified by Kaksonen further teaches wherein the Radio Resource Control messages concern user equipment (Foegelle – [0008], [0012]; Kaksonen – column 4 lines 2-18).
Regarding claim 6 as applied to claim 1, Foegelle as modified by Kaksonen further teaches wherein the at least one configuration message received by the electronic circuit is obtained from a user input (read as number of inputs) (Foegelle – [0006], [0015], [0022]).
Regarding claim 7 as applied to claim 6, Foegelle as modified by Kaksonen further teaches wherein the at least one configuration message is input via a client connected to an interface of the mobile communication tester (read as control signals received from a user interface and controller are distributed to the node and additional nodes to enable a user to control the communication testers of the nodes) (Foegelle – [0105]).
Regarding claim 8 as applied to claim 1, Foegelle as modified by Kaksonen further teaches wherein the mobile communication tester is a wireless network emulator, a radio frequency analyzer, or a conformance test system (read as spatial channel emulator 18) (Foegelle – Figure 1, [0003], [0056], [0065]).
Regarding claim 9 as applied to claim 1, Foegelle as modified by Kaksonen further teaches wherein missing configuration settings of the mobile communication tester are automatically added (Foegelle – [0079]).
Regarding claim 10 as applied to claim 9, Foegelle as modified by Kaksonen further teaches wherein the missing configuration settings are not derived from messages formatted in ASN.1 (Foegelle – [0079]).
Regarding claim 11 as applied to claim 9, Foegelle as modified by Kaksonen further teaches wherein the user is informed about the automatically added configuration settings (Foegelle – [0079]-[0081]).
Regarding claim 12 as applied to claim 9, Foegelle as modified by Kaksonen further teaches wherein the mobile communication tester receives a user input and adapts the automatically added configuration settings based on the received user input (read as transmit signals from wireless communication tester are routed to spatial channel emulator 18a by signal routing 62a and would enable switching to calibration paths or other test paths in order to provide flexibility to alter the configuration as desired) (Feogelle – Figure 5, and [0012]).
Regarding claim 13 as applied to claim 1, Foegelle as modified by Kaksonen further teaches wherein the mobile communication tester receives a user input and adapts further configuration settings based on the received user input, wherein the further configuration settings pertain to a different aspect than the configuration settings derived from the at least one configuration message received (read as transmit signals from wireless communication tester are routed to spatial channel emulator 18a by signal routing 62a and would enable switching to calibration paths or other test paths in order to provide flexibility to alter the configuration as desired) (Feogelle – Figure 5, and [0012]).
Regarding claim 14 as applied to claim 1, Foegelle as modified by Kaksonen further teaches wherein the configuration setting is stored in a database of the mobile communication tester (read as stored in computer readable memory or storage medium that can direct a computer or other programmable data processing apparatus to function in a particular matter, such that the instructions stored in the computer readable memory produce an article of manufacture including instruction means) (Foegelle – [0162]).
Regarding claim 15 as applied to claim 14, Foegelle as modified by Kaksonen further teaches wherein the database comprises a class for user equipment settings and a class for cell settings (read as stored in computer readable memory or storage medium that can direct a computer or other programmable data processing apparatus to function in a particular matter, such that the instructions stored in the computer readable memory produce an article of manufacture including instruction means) (Foegelle – [0162]).
Regarding claim 16 as applied to claim 1, Foegelle as modified by Kaksonen further teaches wherein properties of a device under test are tested while the mobile communication tester is at least partly configured according to the at least one configuration message received (read as transmit signals from wireless communication tester are routed to spatial channel emulator 18a by signal routing 62a and would enable switching to calibration paths or other test paths in order to provide flexibility to alter the configuration as desired) (Feogelle – Figure 5, and [0012]).
Regarding claim 17, Foegelle teaches a mobile communication tester (read as wireless communication tester 68) (Foegelle – Figure 1, Figure 7, [0003], [0067]) for testing a wireless device under test (read as DUT 22) (Foegelle - Figure 8, [0075]), wherein the mobile communication tester comprises an electronic circuit (read as radio and channel emulator can be implement by software executed by a processor, such as a digital signal processor or combination of hardware and software) (Foegelle – [0110], [0161]) configured to:
receive at least one configuration message (read as multiple input multiple output (MIMO) boundary array configuration 10 for a test of a device under test (DUT) 22, showing boundary array antennas 12 in an anechoic chamber 14 with a wireless communication tester 16 connected through a spatial channel emulator 18 and amplifiers 20) (Foegelle – Figure 1, and [0003]);
process the at least one configuration message (read as configurations require multiple individual channel emulators synchronized together to produce sufficient output channels to drive all of the antenna elements in the chamber) (Foegelle – Figure 1, and [0003]); and
derive a configuration setting of the mobile communication tester for testing the wireless device under test at least partly from the at least one configuration message received (read as transmit signals from wireless communication tester are routed to spatial channel emulator 18a by signal routing 62a and would enable switching to calibration paths or other test paths in order to provide flexibility to alter the configuration as desired) (Feogelle – Figure 5, and [0012]).
However, Foegelle fails to teach the at least one configuration message that is formatted at least partially in ASN. 1.
In the related art, Kaksonen teaches the at least one configuration message that is formatted at least partially in ASN.1 (read as protocol model may e.g. describe the syntax of the protocol message and message sequence; the model may be defined by various formal notations such as ASN.1; protocol model may comprise information describing actual semantic meaning and/or data type of value of data items of a test case instance) (Kaksonen – column 2 lines 6-12, column 5 lines 7-34).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to incorporate the teachings of Kaksonen into the teachings of Foegelle for the purpose of providing a formatted formal notation for sending configuration messages.
Regarding claim 18, Foegelle teaches a mobile communication tester (read as wireless communication tester 68) (Foegelle – Figure 1, Figure 7, [0003], [0067]) for testing a wireless device under test (read as DUT 22) (Foegelle - Figure 8, [0075]), wherein the mobile communication tester comprises an electronic circuit (read as radio and channel emulator can be implement by software executed by a processor, such as a digital signal processor or combination of hardware and software) (Foegelle – [0110], [0161]) configured to:
receive at least one configuration message (read as multiple input multiple output (MIMO) boundary array configuration 10 for a test of a device under test (DUT) 22, showing boundary array antennas 12 in an anechoic chamber 14 with a wireless communication tester 16 connected through a spatial channel emulator 18 and amplifiers 20) (Foegelle – Figure 1, and [0003]);
process the at least one configuration message (read as configurations require multiple individual channel emulators synchronized together to produce sufficient output channels to drive all of the antenna elements in the chamber) (Foegelle – Figure 1, and [0003]);
derive a configuration setting of the mobile communication tester at least partly from the at least one configuration message received (read as transmit signals from wireless communication tester are routed to spatial channel emulator 18a by signal routing 62a and would enable switching to calibration paths or other test paths in order to provide flexibility to alter the configuration as desired) (Feogelle – Figure 5, and [0012]);
implement the derived configuration setting in the mobile communication tester (read as variations of the circuit 83 may be implemented to achieve digital to analog conversion, up-conversion and amplification) (Foegelle – [0082], [0110], and [0112]); and
test signaling properties of the wireless device under test (read as electromagnetic measurement system to perform radio frequency, RF, testing on a device under test, DUT, in a chamber) (Foegelle – [0071], [0131]).
However, Foegelle fails to teach the at least one configuration message that is formatted at least partially in ASN. 1.
In the related art, Kaksonen teaches the at least one configuration message that is formatted at least partially in ASN.1 (read as protocol model may e.g. describe the syntax of the protocol message and message sequence; the model may be defined by various formal notations such as ASN.1; protocol model may comprise information describing actual semantic meaning and/or data type of value of data items of a test case instance) (Kaksonen – column 2 lines 6-12, column 5 lines 7-34).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to incorporate the teachings of Kaksonen into the teachings of Foegelle for the purpose of providing a formatted formal notation for sending configuration messages.
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.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to APRIL GUZMAN GONZALES whose telephone number is (571)270-1101. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Friday 8:00 am to 4:00 pm EST. The examiner’s email address is April.guzman@uspto.gov.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Wesley L. Kim can be reached at (571) 272-7867. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/APRIL G GONZALES/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2648
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