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 12/19/2023 has been fully considered by examiner and made of record.
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 1-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 101 because the claimed invention is directed to an abstract idea without significantly more.
Claims 1, 13, and 20 recite generating first correlation results comparing the first received symbols to the first training sequence, generating second correlation results comparing the second received symbols to the second training sequence, generating third correlation results comparing the third received symbols to a third training sequence, which includes both the first and second training sequences, identifying a plurality of peaks in the third correlation result, and determining which of the plurality is a true peak indicating end of a sequence. The broadest reasonable interpretation of these limitations covers performance of the claimed invention in the human mind and using a series of mathematical calculations and comparisons. For example, but for the generic receiver and processor language, the claim encompasses a person obtaining the received symbols, comparing the received symbols with expected training symbols to generate correlation values, and merging and comparing the correlation values to determine data peaks. The mere recitation of generic computer-implemented elements does not amount to significantly more, and the claims recite both a mental process and mathematical concept.
This judicial exception is not integrated into a practical application because the claim generically recites the computing elements of a receiving device, such as a receiver, memory, and detection logic. The computing structure is recited so generically, the actual type of device being discussed is not indicated whatsoever, and these limitations can be viewed as nothing more than an attempt to generally link the use of the judicial exception to the technological environment of a computer. It should be noted that because the courts have made it clear that mere physicality or tangibility of an additional element or elements is not a relevant consideration in the eligibility analysis, the physical nature of these computer components does not affect this analysis. See MPEP 2106.05(I) for more information on this point, including explanations from judicial decisions including Alice Corp. Pty. Ltd. V. CLS Bank Int'l, 573 U.S. 208, 224-26 (2014).
Even when viewed in combination, the additional elements in this claim do no more than automate the mental process and mathematical concept used to correlate received symbols with expected symbols using a computer component as a tool. The correlation is a mental determination of the pulses associated with the first and second normalized phase shifts as being from the same transmitter. There is no change to the computers and other technology that are recited in the claim as automating the abstract ideas, and thus this claim cannot improve computer functionality or other technology. See, e.g., Trading Technologies Int'l V. IBG, Inc., 921 F.3d 1084, 1093 (Fed. Cir. 2019) (using a computer to provide a trader with more information to facilitate market trades improved the business process of market trading, but not the computer) and the cases discussed in MPEP 2106.05(a)(I), particularly FairWarning IP, LLC V. latric Sys., 839 F.3d 1089, 1095 (Fed. Cir. 2016) (accelerating a process of analyzing audit log data is not an improvement when the increased speed comes solely from the capabilities of a general-purpose computer) and Credit Acceptance Corp. V. Westlake Services, 859 F.3d 1044, 1055 (Fed. Cir. 2017) (using a generic computer to automate a process of applying to finance a purchase is not an improvement to the computer's functionality). Accordingly, the claim as a whole does not integrate the recited judicial exception into a practical application and thus the claim is directed to the judicial exception.
Claims 2-12 and 14-19 are rejected for the same reasons because, even in combination, these additional claim elements not integrate the abstract idea into a practical application because they do not impose any meaningful limits on practicing the abstract idea. The claims do not include additional elements that are sufficient to amount to significantly more than the judicial exception, for the same reasons as discussed above. Therefore, the claims are not eligible.
Pertinent Prior Art
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure: Xin et al (US 2016/0241425) discloses method includes adding a phase shift to a short training field (STF) to produce a phase shifted STF, and transmitting in a 60 GHz frequency band a wireless packet comprising the phase shifted STF, a header, a payload, and a training field, the phase shifted STF producing a first quantity of cross-correlation peaks when correlated with a first preamble component sequence and a second quantity of cross-correlation peaks when correlated with a second preamble component sequence, the phase shifted STF producing a third quantity of cross-correlation peaks when correlated with the first preamble component sequence and a fourth quantity of cross-correlation peaks when correlated with the second preamble component sequence after the phase shift is removed from the phase shifted STF, the first quantity being a first threshold or the second quantity being a second threshold for a first packet type, the third quantity being the first threshold or the fourth quantity being the second threshold for a second packet type ([0011]);
Agarwal et al (US 2012/0026994) discloses a method for classifying a detected burst of an input signal as corresponding to an OFDM signal or as not corresponding to an OFDM signal may involve the operations shown in FIG. 4. The operations may be performed by a computer system, e.g., a computer system that is coupled to (or incorporated within) a receiver ([0119]), At 425, the computer system may determine whether or not the correlation function includes three peaks with: (a) amplitude greater than a threshold and (b) interpeak spacing corresponding to a known symbol distance between the two repetitions of the base pattern. (The interpeak spacing is said to correspond to the known symbol distance when both the spacing between the left and middle peaks of the three peaks and the spacing between the middle and right peaks of the three peaks agree with the known symbol distance.) This action of determining whether or not the correlation function includes three peaks may be performed ([0123]), At 435, the computer system may output a decision indicating whether or not the burst corresponds to an OFDM signal based on the Boolean result of said determining whether or not the selected portion corresponds to an instance of the training sequence. In other words, if the computer system determines that the selected portion corresponds to an instance of the training sequence, the computer system may output the decision that the burst corresponds to an OFDM signal. In contrast, if the computer system determines that the selected portion does not correspond to an instance of the training sequence, the computer system may output the decision that the burst does not correspond to an OFDM signal;
Lee et al (US 2006/0176984) discloses a method and apparatus provide an improved technique for identifying a location of a predetermined data sequence (e.g., a header) in a data stream (e.g., a symbol stream) by correlating the data stream with a locally-stored training sequence over two or more predetermined segments (e.g., symbol frames) of the data stream to generate a correlator value for each position in the data stream. By accumulating the correlator values for a plurality of positions in a plurality of the data stream segments, a peak correlator value can be identified from the accumulated correlator values, and its corresponding timing address value can be used to identify the location of the predetermined data sequence in the data stream. In addition or in the alternative, a predetermined threshold requirement may be applied to the largest accumulated correlator value for purposes of identifying the peak correlator value. If correlator values are accumulated for each and every position in the predetermined segment, then a relatively large memory may be required to store the accumulation results. On the other hand, the memory requirements may be reduced by accumulating correlator values for only predetermined positions in the predetermined segment of the data stream, where the predetermined positions are the positions corresponding to the top ranked correlator values. For example, a comparator may be used to pick out the top N correlator values, the corresponding N timing addresses may be stored in an address memory and used to identify which positions in the predetermined segment of the data stream are accumulated ([0008]);
Kao (US 2007/0047433) discloses A synchronization circuit for fine timing synchronization is also provided. An exemplary embodiment of a synchronization circuit comprises a matched filter, for correlating the samples with an impulse response of an ideal long training symbol to generate a plurality of correlation peaks. The synchronization circuit also comprises an enable circuit, for generating a first trigger signal when detecting an end point of the short preamble. The synchronization circuit also comprises a peak search circuit, coupled to the enable circuit and the matched filter, for searching the correlation peaks generated from the samples of the first LTS for a first maximal peak point which is the correlation peak with a first maximal intensity and obtaining the first time index of the first maximal peak point once receiving the first trigger signal, and generating an second trigger signal at the first peak time index ([0012]);
Berger et al (US 2019/0254113) discloses receiving, at a first communication device, an indication of a sequence corresponding to a training field in an NDP in a range measurement exchange session with a second communication device, wherein the training field corresponds to an OFDM symbol, wherein the sequence specifies frequency domain values for the OFDM symbol, and wherein the sequence includes complex number values; determining, at the first communication device, a signal corresponding to the training field using the indication of the sequence that specifies the frequency domain values for the OFDM symbol corresponding to the training field; generating, at the first communication device, a cross-correlation between a received signal and the signal corresponding to the training field; detecting, at the first communication device, the training field in the received signal; and using, at the first communication device, the detection of the training field in the received signal to determine a time of arrival at the first communication device of the NDP ([0010]);
Hofmann et al (US 2020/0059966) discloses In an embodiment, upon receipt of the transmission, the base station may first IQ combine blind physical layer transmissions of both the bursts and identify the TSC location and start of burst based on the cross correlation energy. The combination of long burst and access burst is identified by a particular TSC, which is different to TSC's specified in 3GPP Rel-13 for EC-RACH. After identifying the start of both bursts, the base station may identify the positions of the different instances of the encoded data block within the two bursts. The base station may use these multiple copies of the encoded data block contained in both bursts to perform coherent IQ combining of the data symbols, equalize the data symbols and decode the data bits. In an embodiment, the base station may also perform soft combining of the data symbols after equalization of both bursts and use this result in combination with coherent IQ combining for optimum decoding. Embodiments of the invention are able to yield superior link level performance over 3GPP Rel-13 2TS EC-RACH channel ([0036]); and
Yang et al (US 2017/0019287) discloses a signal transmission method is provided, where the method includes: generating, by a transmit-end device, an initial short training sequence, where the initial short training sequence includes M sub-sequences b, and each sub-sequence b includes N transmission sampling points; determining a quantity of reception sampling points used by a receive-end device when the receive-end device performs correlation processing; generating a symbol sequence according to the quantity of the reception sampling points, where the symbol sequence is represented as {a.sub.0, a.sub.1, . . . , a.sub.i, . . . , a.sub.K-1}, and generating a target short training sequence according to the symbol sequence and the initial short training sequence, where the target short training sequence is represented as {a.sub.0b, a.sub.1b, . . . , a.sub.ib, . . . , a.sub.K-1b}, so that only one peak value greater than a preset target threshold exists in a processing result obtained through autocorrelation processing that is performed by the receive-end device on the target short training sequence according to a preset rule; and sending a target signal to the receive-end device, where a short training sequence field of the target signal carries a short training sequence symbol, and the short training sequence symbol is used to indicate the target short training sequence ([0009]).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to MARGARET G WEBB whose telephone number is (571)270-7803. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 9:00-6:00 PM.
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/MARGARET G WEBB/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2641