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 .
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 3/8/2024 is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
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.
Claim(s) 1, 3-6, 8, 10-13, 15, and 17-19 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Shpak (2025/0247812) and Kang et al. (2022/0359983) hereinafter “Kang”.
As to claim 1, Shpak discloses A receiving device (AP1) for determining an angle of arrival of a radiofrequency signal received at the receiving device and transmitted by a target device ([0072]: “…Alternatively, at this step, a multi-antenna receiver, again at AP1 for example, receives signals from one or more antennas of a transmitter, such as a mobile station 28…”), the receiving device comprising:
a first antenna (34 / TX1) [[array configured to adjust a first steering angle of the first antenna array]] in a first plane;
a second antenna (34 / TX2) [[array configured to adjust a second steering angle of the second antenna array]] in a second plane;
a phase difference of arrival calculator communicatively coupled to the first antenna array and the second antenna array and configured to determine a first phase shift between the first antenna array and the target device, a second phase shift between the second antenna array and the target device, and a phase difference of arrival between the first phase shift and the second phase shift ([0057]: “… access points 22, 24, 26,…, at different locations may measure CPD between the respective signals received by their antennas 34 from mobile station 28 in order to measure angles of arrival”, [0061]:”… if the receiver itself has multiple antennas, it may apply phased detection in distinguishing the signals received from each of antennas 34 of the transmitter, and thus measure the CPD between the signals.”); and
a target device tracking circuit (79) electrically coupled (78) to the phase difference of arrival calculator (77) and configured to determine the angle of arrival (theta i) of the radiofrequency signal at the receiving device based on the phase difference of arrival between the first phase shift and the second phase shift ([0064]: “…The map also indicates a respective orientation angle (theta i) for each access point… may use angles of arrival…”, Fig 6, [0080]-[0081]).
In an analogous art, Kang discloses a receiving device with
a first antenna (11) array configured to adjust a first steering angle of the first antenna array in a first plane (vertical);
a second antenna (12) array configured to adjust a second steering angle of the second antenna array in a second plane (horizontal). See [0021], [0032]-[0034]. Before the effective filing date of the instant invention it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to modify Shpak by utilizing steerable antenna arrays as taught by Kang for the purpose of enabling reception of signals from any direction as taught by Kang in [0009]-[0010].
As to claim 3, the combination of Shpak and Kang discloses The receiving device of claim 1, Kang further discloses:
phase shifter circuitry (21) configured to adjust the first steering angle by adjusting a phase of a control signal supplied to at least one antenna of the first antenna array and to adjust the second steering angle by adjusting a phase of a control signal supplied to at least one antenna of the second antenna array. See [0037]-[0042].
As to claim 4, the combination of Shpak and Kang discloses The receiving device of claim 1, is silent to yet the examiner takes official notice that before the effective filing date of the instant invention it was well known in the art to choose wherein the second plane is substantially parallel to the first plane and it would have been a design choice to implement such.
It is noted that the BRI of the claim is such that the plane configuration of the first and second antenna arrays are independent from the calculator and tracking circuit.
As to claim 5, the combination of Shpak and Kang discloses The receiving device of claim 1, Shpak discloses wherein the angle of arrival is determined in a third plane substantially orthogonal to the first plane and the second plane. See [0069].
As to claim 6. the combination of Shpak and Kang discloses The receiving device of claim 1, Kang discloses wherein the antenna (51) includes at least a first antenna (521) and a second antenna (522-524) aligned in the first plane, see [0048]. Before the effective filing date of the instant invention it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to modify Shpak by implementing the antennas a arrays including first and second / third and fourth antennas for the purpose of achieving a phase offset to detect the angle of arrival.
Claims 8 and 10-13 recite method claims corresponding the device of claims 1 and 3-6 respectively.
Claims 15 and 17-19 recite a device corresponding to but broader than claims 1 and 4-6 respectively.
Claim(s) 2, 9, and 16 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Shpak and Kang as applied to claim 1/8/15 above, and further in view of Meyer et al. (2019/0131703) hereinafter “Meyer”.
The combination of Shpak and Kang discloses The receiving device of claim 1/8/15, is silent to yet in an analogous art Meyer discloses a tilt sensor (120) configured to detect a tilt angle of the receiving device with respect to a reference (see [0021]); and phase shifter circuitry (130) configured to adjust the first steering angle to offset the tilt angle detected by the tilt sensor and to adjust the second steering angle to offset the tilt angle detected by the tilt sensor (see [0022]-[0024]). Before the effective filing date of the instant invention it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to modify Shpak by including a tilt sensor and phase shifter circuitry as taught by Meyer for the purpose of adjusting for sway.
Claim(s) 7, 14, and 20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Shpak and Kang as applied to claim 1/8/15 above, and further in view of Johansson et al. (2024/0275075) hereinafter “Johansson”.
The combination of Shpak and Kang discloses The receiving device of claim 1/8/15, is silent to yet in an analogous art Johansson discloses:
phase shifter circuitry configured to dynamically scan the first steering angle of the first antenna array to maximize signal strength of a first beam of the radiofrequency signal and the second steering angle of the second antenna array to maximize signal strength a second beam of the radiofrequency signal. See [0046], [0074], [0080] for three examples. Before the effective filing date of the instant invention it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to modify Shpak by including phase shifter circuitry configured to dynamically scan the first steering angle of the first antenna array to maximize signal strength of a first beam of the radiofrequency signal and the second steering angle of the second antenna array to maximize signal strength a second beam of the radiofrequency signal for the purpose of optimizing the steering.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Mueller et al. (2025/0102611) provide for the general method claimed. See [0029], Figs 1b & 2.
Gomez Martinez et al. (2025/0093458) provide for a method of determining angle of arrival, see step 520.
Choi (2024/0175962) provides for determining angle of arrival, (see [0100]-[0102], [0108].
Dawar et al. (2022/0196782) provide for 3D angle of arrival determination.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to LESTER KINCAID whose telephone number is (571)272-7922. The examiner can normally be reached M-Th: 7-5.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Yuwen Pan can be reached at 571-272-7855. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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LESTER G. KINCAID
Primary Patent Examiner
Art Unit 2649
/LESTER G KINCAID/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2649
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