Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status
This action is in response to the initial filing filed on May 22, 2023 Claims 1-16 havebeen examined in this application.
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
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 103 which forms the basis for all obviousness rejections set forth in this Office action:
A patent for a claimed invention may not be obtained, notwithstanding that the claimed invention is not identically disclosed as set forth in section 102, if the differences between the claimed invention and the prior art are such that the claimed invention as a whole would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a person having ordinary skill in the art to which the claimed invention pertains. Patentability shall not be negated by the manner in which the invention was made.
Claims 1, 3-5, and 7-8 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Mason et al (HSOAC, 2021) in view of Zhangvil et al (US 2022/0236425 A1).
Regarding Claim 1, Mason teaches method executed by one or more programmed processes at one or more computers in communication with base stations comprising a wireless train control network to detect spoofing attacks on position, navigation, and time (PNT) systems used by the wireless train control network [page 64, last paragraph for using PNT with railways to location (position) of trains using V2I (wireless communications), page 79, first paragprha for using PNT for defeating GNSS spoofing, and page 180 first paragraph for using arrival times from two base stations for timing],
the plurality of base stations having base radios configured for wireless transport of messages between railroad applications and asset radios on remote mobile railroad assets, the method comprising a position validation process that comprises [page 180, first paragraph for using a pair of base stations for getting location (position validation) based on 2 base stations at the foci]:
receiving a resilient PNT (RPNT) message from each of a plurality of participating base stations that received a wireless packet transmitted by an asset radio of a railroad asset and containing PNT information [page 85, Table 5.6 for using PNT resilience techniques jamming (spoofing)],
determining a calculated asset position based on the time of arrival of the wireless packet at each of the plurality of base stations [page 180, first paragraph for using a pair of base stations for getting location (position validation) based on 2 base stations at the foci of hyperbola using TDOA (time of arrival)];
comparing the calculated asset position to the asset position included in the PNT information in the wireless packet transmitted by the asset radio [page 64, last paragraph for using PNT with railways to location (position) and being aware of the location of the train using vehicle to infrastructure (wireless transmissions)];
and generating a notice of spoofing if the calculated asset position and asset position reported by the asset in the wireless packet differ by an amount that exceeds one or more predetermined thresholds and otherwise not generating the notice of spoofing [page 79, first paragraph for monitoring integrity of signals and warning (notifying) user].
Mason teaches PNT and RPNT positioning however, Mason fails to explicitly teach the PNT information transmitted by the asset radio being determined by the railroad asset using one or more captive satellite navigation system sensors and comprises a position of the railroad asset and each RPNT message containing a timestamp for a time of arrival of the wireless packet at the participating base station and the PNT information contained in the wireless packet.
Zangvil has an attack detector for detecting attacks on a satellite navigation system obtains navigation messages extracted from satellite navigation signals (abstract) and teaches the PNT information transmitted by the asset radio being determined by the railroad asset using one or more captive satellite navigation system sensors [0409, and 0426-0428]
and comprises a position of the railroad asset and each RPNT message containing a timestamp for a time of arrival of the wireless packet at the participating base station and the PNT information contained in the wireless packet [0437 for using time stamps to determine spoofing and modifying vehicle communications].
It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the applicant’s invention for modifying the rail position techniques, as disclosed by Mason, further including the wireless position calculations as taught by Zangvil for the purpose to mitigate its effects so that GNSS usage may be resumed at a later time (Zangvil, 0436).
Regarding Claim 3, Mason teaches the time validation process is performed prior to the position validation process [summary xxiii, last paragraph for ensuring data validation and integrity of GNSS signals for the PNT system].
Regarding Claim 4, Mason teaches requesting a current time from a plurality of non-participating base stations and using times returned by the non-participating base stations to determine a reference time [page 179, last paragraph for using base stations that have access to GPS signals (current time)].
Regarding Claim 5, Mason teaches the notice of spoofing is sent electronically to one or more of the following: the railroad asset, an operator of the railroad asset, an owner of the asset, and any one or more operators of any one or more of the plurality of participating base stations [page 79 first paragraph for warning (notifying) users (operations)].
Regarding Claim 7, Mason teaches in a wireless train control network radios for wireless transport of messages for railroad applications to and from asset radios of remote railroad assets and base stations, a method for use in detecting detect attacks on position, navigation, and time (PNT) systems used by the wireless train control network [page 64, last paragraph for using PNT with railways to location (position) of trains using V2I (wireless communications), page 79, first paragprha for using PNT for defeating GNSS spoofing, and page 180 first paragraph for using arrival times from two base stations for timing],
comprising: receiving at a base station radio a wireless packeted transmitted by an asset radio of a remote mobile railroad asset [page 180, first paragraph for using a pair of base stations for getting location (position validation) based on 2 base stations at the foci],
the wireless packet containing PNT determined by the railroad asset using one or more satellite navigation system sensors at the remote railroad asset [page 64, last paragraph for using PNT with railways to location (position) and being aware of the location of the train using vehicle to infrastructure (wireless transmissions)],
the PNT information indicative of any one or more of the railroad asset’s position, heading, speed, and time [page 65 first paragraph for knowing if train is slow or stopped (position and speed)].
Mason fails to explicitly teach and in response to receiving the wireless packet, sending a message to a predetermined server process for detecting spoofing attacks on PNT systems used by the wireless network, message containing a timestamp for the time of arrival of the wireless packet at the base station radio and the PNT information from the wireless packet.
Zangvil has an attack detector for detecting attacks on a satellite navigation system obtains navigation messages extracted from satellite navigation signals (abstract) and teaches and in response to receiving the wireless packet, sending a message to a predetermined server process for detecting spoofing attacks on PNT systems used by the wireless network [0432-0435],
message containing a timestamp for the time of arrival of the wireless packet at the base station radio and the PNT information from the wireless packet [0437 for using time stamps to determine spoofing and modifying vehicle communications].
It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the applicant’s invention for modifying the rail position techniques, as disclosed by Mason, further including the wireless position calculations as taught by Zangvil for the purpose to mitigate its effects so that GNSS usage may be resumed at a later time (Zangvil, 0436).
Regarding Claim 8, Mason teaches the base station radio inserts in the message a time of transmission of the message by the base station radio [page 96, third paragraph for base stations having UTC synchronization messages (time of transmission)].
Claims 10-16 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Mason et al (HSOAC, 2021) in view of Potter et al (US 2019/0126961 A1).
Regarding Claim 10, Mason teaches a method implemented by computer for use in detecting detect attacks on position, navigation, and time (PNT) systems on railroad assets by a wireless train control network, comprising [page 64, last paragraph for using PNT with railways to location (position) of trains using V2I (wireless communications), page 79, first paragraph for using PNT for defeating GNSS spoofing, and page 180 first paragraph for using arrival times from two base stations for timing]:
generating in response to a trigger a message containing information representing at least one PNT parameter obtained from at least one GNSS sensor at the railroad asset [page 180, first paragraph for using a pair of base stations for getting location (position validation) based on 2 base stations at the foci].
Mason fails to explicitly teach the message having an application-level protocol header for exchanging data between railroad applications that allows for multiple different message transport protocol; transmitting with the radio a wireless packet containing the message to at least one base station of the wireless train control network.
Potter has a method of exchanging application messages generated by an applications with a format specified by a predetermined protocol and then encapsulating the message (abstract) and teaches the message having an application-level protocol header for exchanging data between railroad applications that allows for multiple different message transport protocol [0009];
transmitting with the radio a wireless packet containing the message to at least one base station of the wireless train control network [0008-0010 and 0039].
It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the applicant’s invention for modifying the rail position techniques, as disclosed by Mason, further including the wireless position calculations as taught by Potter for the purpose to transport messages from different applications, over the same communications segment (Potter, 0009).
Regarding Claim 11, Mason fails to explicitly teach the message encapsulated with an envelope that complies with AAR (Association of American Railroads) S-9354 Edge Message Protocol (EMP), the header being part of an EMP envelop.
Potter has a method of exchanging application messages generated by an applications with a format specified by a predetermined protocol and then encapsulating the message (abstract) and teaches the message encapsulated with an envelope that complies with AAR (Association of American Railroads) S-9354 Edge Message Protocol (EMP), the header being part of an EMP envelop [0048].
It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the applicant’s invention for modifying the rail position techniques, as disclosed by Mason, further including the wireless position calculations as taught by Potter for the purpose to exchanges CTC control signals for changing switch positions and signal indications (Potter, 0047).
Regarding Claim 12, Mason teaches the GNSS sensor is integrated with the radio, the radio being configured to obtain the at least one PNT parameter from the integrated GNSS sensor and to generate the packet [page 104, second and third paragraphs for using sensors and GPS to determine surroundings of vehicle].
Regarding Claim 13, Mason teaches the GNSS sensor is a captive GNSS sensor, and the method further comprises obtaining the at least one PNT parameter from the captive GNSS sensor, generating the message containing at least one PNT parameter [page 97 third paragraphs for using 5G communications for PNT infrastructure and networks],
and routing the message to the radio over a local network at the railroad asset [page97 fourth paragraph for routing signals over local networks for positioning and navigation].
Regarding Claim 14, Mason fails to explicitly teach the message is encapsulated in an envelope that complies with AAR (Association of American Railroads) S-9354 Edge Message Protocol (EMP), and wherein the method further comprises adding a Class C or Class D AAR standard messaging protocol header to the EMP envelope before it is routed over the captive local area network to a network interface of the radio using UDP/IP or TCP/IP headers.
Potter has a method of exchanging application messages generated by an applications with a format specified by a predetermined protocol and then encapsulating the message (abstract) and teaches the message is encapsulated in an envelope that complies with AAR (Association of American Railroads) S-9354 Edge Message Protocol (EMP), and wherein the method further comprises adding a Class C or Class D AAR standard messaging protocol header to the EMP envelope before it is routed over the captive local area network to a network interface of the radio using UDP/IP or TCP/IP headers [0045, 0048].
It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the applicant’s invention for modifying the rail position techniques, as disclosed by Mason, further including the wireless position calculations as taught by Potter for the purpose to exchanges CTC control signals for changing switch positions and signal indications (Potter, 0047).
Regarding Claim 15, Mason teaches the wireless packet is a predefined packet type for transmitting PNT information [page 89 second and third paragraph for using PNT with communication networks (transmitting packet information].
Mason fails to explicitly teach and wherein transmitting the wireless packet comprises transmitting the wireless packet a predetermined data rate, with predefined modulation, coding, and error correction parameters, based on the predefined packet type for transmitting PNT information.
Potter has a method of exchanging application messages generated by an applications with a format specified by a predetermined protocol and then encapsulating the message (abstract) and teaches and wherein transmitting the wireless packet comprises transmitting the wireless packet a predetermined data rate, with predefined modulation, coding, and error correction parameters, based on the predefined packet type for transmitting PNT information [0117-0118 for transmitted messages (packets) with error and timing information between assets (trains for control and information)].
It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the applicant’s invention for modifying the rail position techniques, as disclosed by Mason, further including the wireless position calculations as taught by Potter for the purpose to exchanges CTC control signals for changing switch positions and signal indications (Potter, 0047).
Regarding Claim 16, Mason teaches the message contains the following PNT information as understood by the asset’s GNSS sensor: position (latitude, longitude, altitude), navigation (heading, speed), and time (UTC date, UTC time) [page 55 first paragraph for getting coordinate information for GNSS such as latitude, with page 65 first paragraph for knowing if train is slow or stopped (position and speed), page 96, third paragraph for using UTC].
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 2, 6, and 9 are objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Johannes (DE 102021203898 A1) relates to a sensor arrangement for determining the position of a rail vehicle.
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/SAMARINA MAKHDOOM/
Examiner, Art Unit 3648