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 .
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.
Claim(s) 1-33 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Zhang et al., US2024/0280682 A1, and further in view of Torin et al., US2009/0094495 A1.
Regarding claim 1, Zhang teaches Methodology for a radio (par. 0005; methods for software-defined millimeter-wave (SDMMW) massive multiple-input-multiple-output (MIMO) radar), comprising: receiving an analog signal corresponding to a radio frequency waveform (par. 0008; the multiple SDMMW nodes receive the reflected and coupled mm-wave FMCW signal from the imaging domain.); converting the analog signal to a digital signal corresponding to the radio frequency waveform (par. 0008; the multiple SDMMW nodes coupled mm-wave FMCW signal from the imaging domain and convert it into the digital baseband waveform samples.); acquiring data samples from the radio frequency waveform in a first mode of operation (par. 0080; In reception mode, the SDMMW transceiver nodes 110 accept (i.e., acquires) the received mm-wave FMCW signal from the massive MIMO array 112 and convert it into digital waveform samples.); and monitoring data samples from the radio frequency waveform for detecting a predetermined trigger waveform within the radio frequency waveform (par. 0086; The software continues triggering for the next measurement such that the radar operates continuously, and the processor performs image processing 308 and produces a video-like representation of the targets in 3D.).
Zhang fails to teach the following recited limitations. However, Torin teaches producing a triggering signal whenever the predetermined waveform is detected (par. 0025; The detector 78 performs a straight line fit to the phase differences and computes the error. If the phase signature and the incoming signal match, the phase error is close to zero. When the phase error is below a threshold value, the comparator 60 will produce a trigger signal.); and acquiring a predetermined number of subsequent data samples from the radio frequency waveform in a second mode of operation whenever the triggering signal is produced (par. 0032; The first trigger could use a first method, or a first signature, and subsequent triggers could use a different method, or signature, to construct a trigger system that would be able to find a portion of a signal under test containing more complicated signatures.). Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to combine Zhang’s teachings with Torin’s teachings in order to provide the ability to trigger on more complex signals, or signal anomalies (Torin, par. 0005).
Regarding claims 2 and 20, Zhang and Torin teach all the limitations in claims 1 and 19. Zhang further teaches wherein the second mode of operation comprises forwarding the obtained data samples followed by the predetermined trigger waveform (par. 0145).
Regarding claims 3 and 21, Zhang and Torin teach all the limitations in claims 2 and 20. Zhang further teaches further comprising processing the forwarded obtained data samples for transmission (par. 0145).
Regarding claims 4 and 22, Zhang and Torin teach all the limitations in claims 1 and 19. Zhang further teaches wherein the monitoring step comprises using at least one of a field-programmable gate array (FPGA) or application-specific integrated circuit or integrated circuit (IC) layout design for detecting the predetermined trigger waveform (par. 0083).
Regarding claims 5 and 23, Zhang and Torin teach all the limitations in claims 1 and 19. Torin further teaches wherein the monitoring step comprises using a poly-phase detector (PPD) for detecting the predetermined trigger waveform (par. 0022). Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to combine Zhang’s teachings with Torin’s teachings in order to provide the ability to trigger on more complex signals, or signal anomalies (Torin, par. 0005).
Regarding claims 6 and 24, Zhang and Torin teach all the limitations in claims 5 and 23. Torin further teaches wherein the poly-phase detector (PPD) comprises a set of poly-phase detectors in a cross-correlation implementation, such that any one of the set of poly-phase detectors can detect the predetermined trigger waveform, and produce the triggering signal (par. 0022). Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to combine Zhang’s teachings with Torin’s teachings in order to provide the ability to trigger on more complex signals, or signal anomalies (Torin, par. 0005).
Regarding claims 7 and 25, Zhang and Torin teach all the limitations in claims 2 and 20. Torin further teaches wherein the predetermined number of data samples comprise a predetermined number of in-phase/quadrature (IQ) data samples (par. 0022). Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to combine Zhang’s teachings with Torin’s teachings in order to provide the ability to trigger on more complex signals, or signal anomalies (Torin, par. 0005).
Regarding claims 8 and 26, Zhang and Torin teach all the limitations in claims 2 and 20. Zhang further teaches wherein the first mode of operation comprises acquiring data samples from the radio frequency waveform under the control of a programmable system (par. 0080).
Regarding claims 9 and 27, Zhang and Torin teach all the limitations in claims 8 and 26. Zhang further teaches wherein the second mode of operation comprises forwarding the obtained data samples followed by the predetermined trigger waveform to the programmable system (par. 0080).
Regarding claims 10 and 28, Zhang and Torin teach all the limitations in claims 1 and 19. Torin further teaches wherein the second mode of operation comprises obtaining a predetermined number of in-phase/quadrature (IQ) data samples for a predetermined number of times (par. 0022). Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to combine Zhang’s teachings with Torin’s teachings in order to provide the ability to trigger on more complex signals, or signal anomalies (Torin, par. 0005).
Regarding claims 11 and 29, Zhang and Torin teach all the limitations in claims 1 and 19. Zhang further teaches further comprising temporarily storing converted digital signals for processing prior to subsequent transmission, in order to create a receive and transmit buffer for discontinuous transmissions (par. 0182).
Regarding claims 12 and 30, Zhang and Torin teach all the limitations in claims 1 and 19. Zhang further teaches further comprising using integrated two phased-antenna arrays (PAAs) for radio transmission and reception, respectively (par. 0135).
Regarding claims 13 and 31, Zhang and Torin teach all the limitations in claims 12 and 30. Torin further teaches further comprising using a software-defined transceiver having a homodyne in-phase/quadrature (IQ) modulator/demodulator (par. 0033). Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to combine Zhang’s teachings with Torin’s teachings in order to provide the ability to trigger on more complex signals, or signal anomalies (Torin, par. 0005).
Regarding claims 14 and 31, Zhang and Torin teach all the limitations in claims 13 and 30. Zhang further teaches wherein: the software-defined transceiver is tunable within a range of from 57 to 71 GHz (par. 0124); and each PAA provides a plurality of channels, where each channel is wired to a plurality of patch antennas (par. 0088).
Regarding claims 15 and 32, Zhang and Torin teach all the limitations in claims 14 and 31. Torin further teaches wherein the transceiver stores a plurality of custom antenna weighting vectors (AWVs), by which the phases of in-phase and quadrature components for each channel can be controlled (par. 0029). Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to combine Zhang’s teachings with Torin’s teachings in order to provide the ability to trigger on more complex signals, or signal anomalies (Torin, par. 0005).
Regarding claims 16 and 33, Zhang and Torin teach all the limitations in claims 1 and 19. Zhang further teaches wherein the radio comprises a millimeter-wave software-defined radio (SDR), and the methodology further comprises using a plurality of the millimeter-wave software-defined radios (SDRs) in a set-up for wireless experimentation, with one SDR used as a fixed SDR and one SDR used as a mobile SDR (par. 0025).
Regarding claim 17, Zhang and Torin teach all the limitations in claim 16. Zhang further teaches wherein each SDR comprises a homodyne transceiver providing a Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP)-based interface for interface with companion computer (CC)-based baseband signal processing, and each SDR is controlled by a CC over an access point (AP) (par. 0079).
Regarding claim 18, Zhang and Torin teach all the limitations in claim 1. Zhang further teaches wherein the radio comprises a millimeter-wave software-defined radio (SDR), and the methodology further comprises using the millimeter-wave software-defined radio (SDR) as an application programming interface (API) for companion computer (CC)-based baseband signal processing, with the SDR further comprising a Radio Frequency System-on-Chip (RFSoC) device, comprising high-accuracy analog-to-digital converters (ADCs) and digital-to-analog converters (DACs) operating at Giga samples per second with programmable heterogeneous compute engines (par. 0082).
Regarding claim 19, Zhang teaches A millimeter-wave software-defined radio (SDR) (Fig. 2 item 200, par. 0081; a single SDMMW transceiver node 200), comprising: at least one antenna (par. 0081; massive MIMO array 112) for receiving an analog signal corresponding to a radio frequency waveform (par. 0008; the multiple SDMMW nodes receive the reflected and coupled mm-wave FMCW signal from the imaging domain.); at least one analog to digital converter (ADC) (par. 0082; ADC 202 is an analog-to-digital converter) converting the analog signal to a digital signal corresponding to the radio frequency waveform (par. 0008; the multiple SDMMW nodes coupled mm-wave FMCW signal from the imaging domain and convert it into the digital baseband waveform samples.); one or more processors (par. 0082; FPGA 212 is a field-programmable gate array) programmed for: acquiring data samples from the radio frequency waveform in a first mode of operation (par. 0080; In reception mode, the SDMMW transceiver nodes 110 accept (i.e., acquires) the received mm-wave FMCW signal from the massive MIMO array 112 and convert it into digital waveform samples.); and monitoring data samples from the radio frequency waveform for detecting a predetermined trigger waveform within the radio frequency waveform (par. 0086; The software continues triggering for the next measurement such that the radar operates continuously, and the processor performs image processing 308 and produces a video-like representation of the targets in 3D.).
Zhang fails to teach the following recited limitations. However, Torin teaches producing a triggering signal whenever the predetermined waveform is detected (par. 0025; The detector 78 performs a straight line fit to the phase differences and computes the error. If the phase signature and the incoming signal match, the phase error is close to zero. When the phase error is below a threshold value, the comparator 60 will produce a trigger signal.); and acquiring data samples from the radio frequency waveform in a second mode of operation whenever the triggering signal is produced (par. 0032; The first trigger could use a first method, or a first signature, and subsequent triggers could use a different method, or signature, to construct a trigger system that would be able to find a portion of a signal under test containing more complicated signatures.). Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to combine Zhang’s teachings with Torin’s teachings in order to provide the ability to trigger on more complex signals, or signal anomalies (Torin, par. 0005).
Conclusion
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/AYODEJI O AYOTUNDE/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2649