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 .
DETAILED ACTION
Priority
This application claims priority from, and the benefit of, Great Britain Application No. 2214012.3, filed on September 26, 2022.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statements (IDS) is submitted on 11/16/2023 was filed in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. According, the information disclosure statement has been considered by the examiner.
Specification
The abstract of the disclosure is objected to because the abstract recites “means”. The language should be clear and concise and should not repeat information given in the title. It should avoid using phrases which can be implied, such as, “The disclosure concerns,” “The disclosure defined by this invention,” “The disclosure describes,” etc. In addition, the form and legal phraseology often used in patent claims, such as “means” and “said,” should be avoided. A corrected abstract of the disclosure is required and must be presented on a separate sheet, apart from any other text. See MPEP § 608.01(b).
The use of the term 3GPP, which is a trade name or a mark used in commerce, has been noted in this application. The term should be accompanied by the generic terminology; furthermore the term should be capitalized wherever it appears or, where appropriate, include a proper symbol indicating use in commerce such as ™, SM , or ® following the term.
Although the use of trade names and marks used in commerce (i.e., trademarks, service marks, certification marks, and collective marks) are permissible in patent applications, the proprietary nature of the marks should be respected and every effort made to prevent their use in any manner which might adversely affect their validity as commercial marks.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 101
35 U.S.C. 101 reads as follows:
Whoever invents or discovers any new and useful process, machine, manufacture, or composition of matter, or any new and useful improvement thereof, may obtain a patent therefor, subject to the conditions and requirements of this title.
Claims 1-16 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 101 because the claimed invention is directed to an abstract idea without significantly more. Claims 1, 12 and 14 are directed to abstract idea such as an idea standing alone such as an instantiated concept, pan or scheme, as well as a mental process (thinking) that “can be performed in the human mind, or by a human using a pen and paper (including an observation, evaluation, judgment, opinion)”, for example receive antenna signals, determine ranges between devices using the antenna signals, and determine an orientation of the user apparatus. The claim(s) does/do not include additional elements that are sufficient to amount to significantly more than the judicial exception because the steps of the claimed invention can be done mentally and no additional features in the claims would preclude them from being performed as such.
The exemplary claim 1 recites limitations, “An apparatus for a wireless communication system, the apparatus comprising: one or more processing portions, and memory storing instructions that, when executed by the one or more processing portions, cause the apparatus to perform: receiving from antennas of another apparatus, herein referred to as user apparatus, antenna signals respectively; determining ranges between the apparatus and the antennas of the user apparatus using the antenna signals; determining an orientation of the user apparatus using the determined ranges”. Since the claim is directed to an apparatus, which is one of the statutory categories of the invention (Step 1: YES).
The claim is then analyzed to determine whether it is directed to any judicial exception. The claim recites receive antenna signals, determine ranges between devices using the antenna signals, and determine an orientation of the user apparatus, etc. This is interpreted as mental processes that comprises concepts performed in the human mind (including observation, evaluation, judgement, opinion). The mere nominal recitation that the various steps are being executed by a general computer does not take the limitations out of the mental process grouping (Step 2A: Prong One Abstract Idea = YES).
The claim is then analyzed if it requires an additional elements or a combination of additional elements in the claim to apply, reply on, or use the judicial exception in a manner that imposes a meaningful limit on the judicial exception, such that the claim is more than a drafting effort designed to monopolize the exception – i.e., limitation that are indicative of integration into a practical application; improving the functioning of a computer or to any other technology or technical field. In the current claims, there is no additional elements that would integrate the abstract idea into a practical application (Step 2A: Prong Two Abstract Idea = YES).
Next the claim as a whole is analyzed to determine if there are additional limitation recited in the claim such that the claim amount to significantly more than an abstract idea. In the current scenario there are no additional elements that would amount to significantly more than the abstract idea. Therefore, the claim does not amount to significantly more than the abstract idea itself (Step 2B: NO). Accordingly, the claim is not patent eligible.
Independent claims 12 and 14 are analyzed similarly and are rejected for similar reason as independent claim 1, and dependent claims 2-11, 13, 15 and 16 do not add any positive limitation or step that recite within the scope of the claim and does not carry patentable weight they are also rejected for the same reasons as independent claims.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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 the appropriate paragraphs of 35 U.S.C. 102 that form the basis for the rejections under this section made in this Office action:
A person shall be entitled to a patent unless –
(a)(1) the claimed invention was patented, described in a printed publication, or in public use, on sale, or otherwise available to the public before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claim 1-16 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Alwood et al. (US 20210208232 A1 and Alwood hereinafter).
Regarding claim 1, Alwood teaches an apparatus for a wireless communication system (Figure 1), the apparatus comprising:
one or more processing portions (Paragraph 0007; a processor), and
memory storing instructions that, when executed by the one or more processing portions, cause the apparatus to perform (Paragraph 0007; a memory configured to store executable instructions; and a processor configured to execute the instructions to determine a three-dimensional position and three-axis angular orientation of an external RF device relative to the apparatus):
receiving from antennas of another apparatus (Figures 6 and 11 and Paragraphs 0058 and 0076; antenna 1, 2, and 3. Paragraph 0006; at least one transmitting antenna and at least two receiving antennae), herein referred to as user apparatus (Figures 6 and 11 and Paragraph 0076; TCR HMD device 120), antenna signals respectively (Figures 6 and 11 and Paragraph 0058; Signal A from Antenna 1, Signal B from antenna 2, and Signal C from antenna 3);
determining ranges between the apparatus and the antennas of the user apparatus using the antenna signals (Paragraph 0084; baseband distance/range – A baseband code phase measurement of round-trip RF time-of-flight (TOF), which represents the relative distance between transacting TCR devices. Paragraph 0085; Carrier Phase Range (CPR)—A carrier phase measurement of the relative distance between transacting TCR devices. Paragraph 0087; Carrier Phase Difference (CPD)—A carrier phase measurement of the interferometric Phase Difference of Arrival (PDoA) of a signal received on multiple coherent receive channels of a TCR device. This phase difference can be further expressed as a Time Difference of Arrival (TDoA) or a distance difference);
determining an orientation of the user apparatus using the determined ranges (Paragraph 0077; utilize additional antennae on the Controller device(s) 110 to constrain TCR Controller device 110 angular orientation and position relative to the TCR HMD device 120. The illustrative embodiment presented herein illustrates two antennas on the TCR Controller device 110, (resulting in one CPD calculation between each pair of antennae), primarily to aid in TCR Controller device 110 angular orientation/attitude estimation. Adding additional antennae may improve position and angular orientation accuracy and computational robustness. Figure 13 and Paragraph 0159; determining 1304 a three-dimensional position and three-axis angular orientation of the TCR RF Transponder device 1210 relative to the TCR RF Originator device 1220 based on calculating a carrier phase difference (CPD) measurement of phase difference based on signals received from the TCR RF Originator device 1220 between each discrete pair of receiving antennae of the at least three receiver antennae of the TCR RF device 1220. Figure 16 and Paragraph 0173; determining 1508 a second three-dimensional position and second three-axis angular orientation of the TCR RF Origination device 1420 relative to the reference TCR RF device 1430 based on calculating a second CPD measurement of phase difference based on signals received from the TCR RF Origination device 1420 between each discrete pair of receiving antennae of the at least three receiver antennae of the reference TCR RF device 1430).
Regarding claim 2, Alwood teaches all of the limitations of claim 1, as described above. Further, Alwood teaches the apparatus configured for determining the ranges using at least one of the following: carrier-phase measurements or code-phase measurements (Paragraphs 0044 and 0045; using an IMU on the TCR Controller device 110 or optionally using a IMU on the TCR HMD device 120 improves position and orientation/attitude tracking through aiding the fusion filter and TCR carrier phase measurement unwrap. Paragraphs 0084 and 0085; a baseband code phase measurement of round-trip RF time-of-flight, and carrier phase range (CPR) – a carrier phase measurement of the relative distance between transacting TCR devices).
Regarding claim 3, Alwood teaches all of the limitations of claim 1, as described above. Further, Alwood teaches the apparatus configured for repeatedly performing the receiving of antenna signals (Figure 1 and Paragraph 0083; an TCR Originator 100 broadcasts a preamble and data payload 130 which a TCR Transponder 110 observes, receives, and processes. The TCR Transponder 110 then responds with its own preamble and data payload 140 containing data products from its observations on the original transmission from the TCR Originator 100 and other data products. The TCR Originator 100 observes and receives TCR Transponder 110 transmission 140, makes its own data products from its observations, and reports the following measurements), the determining of the ranges (Paragraphs 0084 and 0085; a baseband code phase measurement and/or a carrier phase measurement) and the determining of the orientation (Figure 1 and Paragraphs 0009 and 0034; tracks and determines a position and orientation of an RF device).
Regarding claim 4, Alwood teaches all of the limitations of claim 1, as described above. Further, Alwood teaches the apparatus configured for determining the ranges (Paragraphs 0044; using an IMU on the TCR Controller device 110 or optionally using a IMU on the TCR HMD device 120 improves position and orientation/attitude tracking through aiding the fusion filter and TCR carrier phase measurement unwrap) using a configuration of the user apparatus (Figures 6 and 11, and Paragraphs 0056 and 0078; optimize the antennae configuration. Paragraph 0053; the TCR HMD device include four antennae with known geometric configuration), the configuration indicating at least one of the following: a body frame of the user apparatus or positions of the antennas with respect to a center point of rotation of the user apparatus (Paragraphs 0064, 0072 and 0074; baseline between the phase centers of the two antennas performing the CPD [carrier phase difference] measurements. Alternatively, the direct measurement of CPD can also be consumed as an aiding measurement as part of the larger position and orientation tracking filter).
Regarding claim 5, Alwood teaches all of the limitations of claim 4, as described above. Further, Alwood teaches the apparatus configured for receiving the configuration from the user apparatus (Paragraphs 0064, 0072 and 0074; baseline between the phase centers of the two antennas performing the CPD [carrier phase difference] measurements. Figures 6 and 11 and Paragraphs 0056 and 0078; optimize the antennae configuration).
Regarding claim 6, Alwood teaches all of the limitations of claim 1, as described above. Further, Alwood teaches the apparatus configured for receiving the antenna signals simultaneously, concurrently or quasi concurrently (Figures 6 and 11, and Paragraph 0058; Figures 6 and 11 and Paragraph 0058; Signal A from Antenna 1, Signal B from antenna 2, and Signal C from antenna 3).
Regarding claim 7, Alwood teaches all of the limitations of claim 1, as described above. Further, Alwood teaches the apparatus configured for determining a location of the user apparatus using the determined ranges (Paragraphs 0044 and 0045; using an IMU on the TCR Controller device 110 or optionally using a IMU on the TCR HMD device 120 improves position and orientation/attitude tracking through aiding the fusion filter and TCR carrier phase measurement unwrap. Paragraphs 0084 and 0085; a baseband code phase measurement of round-trip RF time-of-flight, and carrier phase range (CPR) – a carrier phase measurement of the relative distance between transacting TCR devices).
Regarding claim 8, Alwood teaches all of the limitations of claim 1, as described above. Further, Alwood teaches the apparatus configured for sending the determined orientation to the user apparatus or to another apparatus that provides based on the orientation content to the user apparatus (Figure 13 and Paragraph 0160; rendering 1306 an image on the graphical display 1226 of the TCR RF Originator device 1220 in one a virtual reality or an augmented realty environment based on the determined three-dimensional position and three-axis angular orientation of the TCR RF Transponder device 1210 relative to the TCR RF Originator device 1220).
Regarding claim 9, Alwood teaches all of the limitations of claim 1, as described above. Further, Alwood teaches the orientation a relative orientation or absolute orientation (Paragraphs 0044 and 0045; using an IMU on the TCR Controller device 110 or optionally using a IMU on the TCR HMD device 120 improves position and orientation/attitude tracking through aiding the fusion filter and TCR carrier phase measurement unwrap).
Regarding claim 10, Alwood teaches all of the limitations of claim 1, as described above. Further, Alwood teaches the apparatus configured to receive the antenna signals through a radio interface or a direct link interface (Figure 6 and 0053; CPD can be calculated based on RF signals received between the first Tx/RX antenna and second RX antenna).
Regarding claim 11, Alwood teaches all of the limitations of claim 1, as described above. Further, Alwood teaches the apparatus configured for sending the determined ranges to the user apparatus (Paragraph 0083; an TCR Originator 100 broadcasts a preamble and data payload 130 which a TCR Transponder 110 observes, receives, and processes. The TCR Transponder 110 then responds with its own preamble and data payload 140 containing data products from its observations on the original transmission from the TCR Originator 100 and other data products. The TCR Originator 100 observes and receives TCR Transponder 110 transmission 140, makes its own data products from its observations, and reports the following measurements. Paragraphs 0084-0088; CPR, CPV, CPD and/or TDR measurements).
Regarding claim 12, claim 12 recites similar features as claim 1, therefore is rejected for at least the same reason as discussed above regarding claim 1.
Regarding claim 13, Alwood teaches all of the limitations of claim 12, as described above. Further, Alwood teaches the received signal being a Positioning Reference Signal (Figure 14 and Paragraph 0167; a position and orientation of the TCR Transponder device 1420 is calculated relative to a reference frame of the TCR Originator device 1410).
Regarding claim 14, Alwood teaches a user apparatus for a wireless communication system (Figure 1), the user apparatus comprising:
one or more processing portions (Paragraph 0007; a processor), and
memory storing instructions that, when executed by the one or more processing portions, cause the user apparatus to perform (Paragraph 0007; a memory configured to store executable instructions; and a processor configured to execute the instructions to determine a three-dimensional position and three-axis angular orientation of an external RF device relative to the apparatus):
receiving a signal from another apparatus (Figures 6 and 11 and Paragraph 0058; Signal A from Antenna 1, Signal B from antenna 2, and Signal C from antenna 3) at multiple antennas of the user apparatus (Figures 6 and 11 and Paragraphs 0058 and 0076; antenna 1, 2, and 3. Paragraph 0006; at least one transmitting antenna and at least two receiving antennae. Paragraph 0053; the TCR HMD device include four antennae with known geometric configuration), resulting in multiple antenna signals (Figures 6 and 11 and Paragraph 0058; Signal A from Antenna 1, Signal B from antenna 2, and Signal C from antenna 3);
determining ranges between the other apparatus and the antennas of the user apparatus using the antenna signals (Paragraph 0084; baseband distance/range – A baseband code phase measurement of round-trip RF time-of-flight (TOF), which represents the relative distance between transacting TCR devices. Paragraph 0085; Carrier Phase Range (CPR)—A carrier phase measurement of the relative distance between transacting TCR devices. Paragraph 0087; Carrier Phase Difference (CPD)—A carrier phase measurement of the interferometric Phase Difference of Arrival (PDoA) of a signal received on multiple coherent receive channels of a TCR device. This phase difference can be further expressed as a Time Difference of Arrival (TDoA) or a distance difference);
sending the determined ranges to the other apparatus (Paragraph 0083; an TCR Originator 100 broadcasts a preamble and data payload 130 which a TCR Transponder 110 observes, receives, and processes. The TCR Transponder 110 then responds with its own preamble and data payload 140 containing data products from its observations on the original transmission from the TCR Originator 100 and other data products. The TCR Originator 100 observes and receives TCR Transponder 110 transmission 140, makes its own data products from its observations, and reports the following measurements. Paragraphs 0084-0088; CPR, CPV, CPD and/or TDR measurements) for determining by the other apparatus an orientation of the user apparatus using the sent ranges (Paragraph 0077; utilize additional antennae on the Controller device(s) 110 to constrain TCR Controller device 110 angular orientation and position relative to the TCR HMD device 120. The illustrative embodiment presented herein illustrates two antennas on the TCR Controller device 110, (resulting in one CPD calculation between each pair of antennae), primarily to aid in TCR Controller device 110 angular orientation/attitude estimation. Adding additional antennae may improve position and angular orientation accuracy and computational robustness. Figure 13 and Paragraph 0159; determining 1304 a three-dimensional position and three-axis angular orientation of the TCR RF Transponder device 1210 relative to the TCR RF Originator device 1220 based on calculating a carrier phase difference (CPD) measurement of phase difference based on signals received from the TCR RF Originator device 1220 between each discrete pair of receiving antennae of the at least three receiver antennae of the TCR RF device 1220. Figure 16 and Paragraph 0173; determining 1508 a second three-dimensional position and second three-axis angular orientation of the TCR RF Origination device 1420 relative to the reference TCR RF device 1430 based on calculating a second CPD measurement of phase difference based on signals received from the TCR RF Origination device 1420 between each discrete pair of receiving antennae of the at least three receiver antennae of the reference TCR RF device 1430).
Regarding claim 15, Alwood teaches all of the limitations of claim 14, as described above. Further, Alwood teaches the received signal being a Positioning Reference Signal (Figure 14 and Paragraph 0167; a position and orientation of the TCR Transponder device 1420 is calculated relative to a reference frame of the TCR Originator device 1410).
Regarding claim 16, Alwood teaches all of the limitations of claim 14, as described above. Further, Alwood teaches the user apparatus configured for receiving the orientation of the user apparatus from the other apparatus (Figure 13 and Paragraph 0160; rendering 1306 an image on the graphical display 1226 of the TCR RF Originator device 1220 in one a virtual reality or an augmented realty environment based on the determined three-dimensional position and three-axis angular orientation of the TCR RF Transponder device 1210 relative to the TCR RF Originator device 1220).
Pertinent Prior Art
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Ahmed et al. (US 20220303680 A1) discloses first device may receive audio signals corresponding to the second device, and can render the audio signals into audio output to a user of the first device according to the determined orientation.
Kana et al. (US 20220075082 A1) disclose estimating attitude and heading are provided. The systems and methods utilize carrier phase single difference (CSD) measurements or carrier phase double difference (CDD) measurements and a validation test for CSD or CDD measurement residuals.
Cha et al. (US 20220132463 A1) discloses various embodiments in determining a device positioning and orientation.
Akkarakaran et al. (US 20190369201 A1) discloses utilizes beamformed communication to determine position and orientation of device.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Jing Gao whose telephone number is (571)270-7226. The examiner can normally be reached on 9am - 6pm M-F.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor Alison Slater can be reached on (571) 270-0375. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/Jing Gao/
Examiner
Art Unit 2647