DETAILED ACTION
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
1. 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.
2. Claims 1, 5, 7, 9-11, 14, and 15 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Gollakota et al. (US 2013/0028305).
Regarding claim 1, Gollakota et al. discloses a communication apparatus (see Figs. 1 and 3) comprising:
a control circuit (transmitter as disclosed in section 0075) configured to:
generate plurality of radio signals (such as s1(t) and s2(t)), and
transmit the radio signal plurality of radio signals (as disclosed in section 0075) via a plurality of propagation paths the plurality of propagation paths including a first propagation path and a second propagation (paths from ith antenna as disclosed in section 0075), path different from the first propagation path (from each antenna as shown in Figs. 1 and 2), each radio signal of the plurality of radio signals having a first segment including transmission data (as disclosed in section 0079) and a second segment (preamble as disclosed in section 0094) not including the transmission data,
wherein a second radio signal (y2(t) as disclosed in sections 0081, 0097, and 0107) of the plurality of radio signals transmitted via the second propagation path is configured to enable a receiver of the plurality of radio signals to decode (as disclosed in section 0097) a first radio signal (y1(t) as disclosed in sections 0081, 0097, and 0107) of the plurality of radio signals transmitted via the first propagation path, and wherein the first radio signal is the same as the second radio signal (as shown in Equations 15 and 16).
Regarding claim 5, Gollakota et al. discloses the second segment is a non-transmission segment (preamble as disclosed in section 0076) not transmitting a transmission signal.
Regarding claim 7, Gollakota et al. discloses the second segment is arranged at a head (start of each frame as disclosed in section 0076) or a tail of the radio signal.
Regarding claim 9, Gollakota et al. discloses the first segment includes a plurality of symbols having a cyclic prefix (as disclosed in section 0094) added at a head or a tail.
Regarding claim 10, Gollakota et al. disclose a communication apparatus (see Figs. 1 and 3) comprising: a control circuit (Fig. 3, block 302)configured to receive a plurality of radio signals via a plurality of propagation paths (paths from ith antenna as disclosed in section 0075), the plurality of propagation paths including a first propagation path and a second propagation path different from the first propagation path (from each antenna as shown in Figs. 1 and 2), each radio signal of the plurality of radio signals having a first segment including transmission data (as disclosed in section 0079) and a second segment (preamble as disclosed in section 0094) not including the transmission data,
wherein a second radio signal (y2(t) as disclosed in sections 0081, 0097, and 0107) of the plurality of radio signals received via the second propagation path is used by the control circuit to decode (as disclosed in section 0097) a first radio signal (y1(t) as disclosed in sections 0081, 0097, and 0107) of the plurality of radio signals received via the first propagation path, and wherein the first radio signal is the same as the second radio signal (as shown in Equations 15 and 16).
Regarding claim 11, Gollakota et al. discloses the control circuit cancels an interference signal included in the first radio signal (as disclosed in sections 0097-0102) and decodes (as disclosed in section 0102) the first radio signal by using a signal in the first segment of the first radio signal received via the first propagation path among the plurality of propagation paths, the first segment corresponding to the second segment (as disclosed in Equations 15 and 16) of the second radio signal received via the second propagation path among the plurality of propagation paths.
Regarding claims 14 and 15, the claimed method includes limitations corresponding to the above rejection of claims 1 and 10, which is applicable hereto.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
3. 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.
4. Claims 2-4 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Gollakota et al. (US 2013/0028305) in view of Bakr et al. (previously cited in Office Action 2/10/20206).
Regarding claims 2-4, Gollakota et al. discloses the plurality of propagation paths include different stations from each other (see Fig. 1, section 0058). However, Gollakota et al. does not specifically disclose the stations are non-ground stations at different altitudes from each other. Gollakota et al. further does not disclose the plurality of propagation paths includes reflectors different from each other.
However, Bakr et al. also discloses transmitting and receiving signals through multiple propagation paths using a multipoint to multipoint system as disclosed in column 22, lines 39-59 and column 31, line 36-column 32, line 34), wherein the plurality of propagation paths includes non-ground stations (satellites as disclosed in column 36, line 40-column 37, line 50) at different altitudes (see Fig. 35, column 37, lines 31-50, see GEO, MEO, or LEO satellites) from each other. Bakr et al. further discloses the plurality of propagation paths include reflectors different from each other (see column 55, lines 28-44 and column 58, lines 23-51). Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the present invention to modify the propagation paths of Gollakota et al. with the non-ground stations and reflectors as taught by Bakr et al. since Bakr et al. discloses the non-ground stations (satellites) enable wireless network providers to overcome economic challenges associated with coverage and capacity (see column 11, lines 6-17) and reflections can be used to improve link distance, reliability, and coverage (see column 1, line 53-column 2, line 9).
5. Claim 6 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Gollakota et al. (US 2013/0028305) in view of Sahin et al. (previously cited in Office Action 2/10/2026).
Regarding claim 6, Gollakota et al. does not specifically disclose the second segment (cyclic prefix/guard interval) has a length according to a path length difference of the plurality of propagation paths. However, Sahin et al. also discloses transmitting and receiving signals through multiple propagation paths using coordinated multi-point technology (see section 0078). Sahin et al. further discloses generating a radio signal having a first segment including transmission data (OOK data symbols as disclosed in section 0121) and a second segment (guard interval as disclosed in section 0121) not including the transmission data. Sahin et al. further discloses the length of the guard interval (second segment) is variable (see section 0113). Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the present invention to modify the method/apparatus of Gollakota et al. with the variable guard interval as taught by Sahin et al. since Gollakota et al. discloses guard intervals (cyclic prefixes) can be used to eliminate interference from adjacent symbols (see section 0094).
6. Claim 8 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Gollakota et al. (US 2013/0028305) in view of Park et al. (previously cited in Office Action 2/10/2026).
Regarding claim 8, Gollakota et al. discloses the control unit arranges a reference signal (pilot subcarriers as disclosed in sections 0079-0085) in at least a part of a third segment of the first segment (pilot subcarrier as disclosed in section 0085). Gollakota et al. does not specifically the third segment being adjacent to the second segment; and the third segment having a same length as the second segment.
However, Park et al. also discloses a signal including transmission data, guard intervals, and pilot (reference) signals in segments (see sections 0009-0010). Park et al. further discloses the pilot signals have a variable length (see sections 0025 and 0050-0052). Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the present invention to modify the method/apparatus of Gollakota et al. with the pilot signals of variable length as taught by Park et al. since Park et al. discloses the pilot signals enable synchronization, channel estimation, and identification (see section 0014).
7. Claim 12 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Gollakota et al. (US 2013/0028305) in view of Stadelmeier et al. (previously cited in Office Action 2/10/2026).
Regarding claim 12, Gollakota et al. discloses the control unit cancels an interference signal (using an interferer’s channel ratio as disclosed in sections 0070-0072) included in the second radio signal. Gollakota et al. does not specifically disclose decoding the second radio signal using the first radio signal decoded. However, Stadelmeier et al. discloses transmitting multiple signals through multiple propagation paths, wherein second signals transmitted on a second path are decoded using first signals transmitted on a first path during different data periods (see sections 0027 and 0052). Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the present invention to modify the method/apparatus of Gollakota et al. with the decoding as taught by Stadelmeier et al. since Stadelmeier et al. discloses the decoding allows the received signals can be decoded even in the instance that the signal are disturbed or destroyed (see section 0020).
Allowable Subject Matter
8. Claim 13 is allowable over prior art references.
Conclusion
9. Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
10. Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to CURTIS B ODOM whose telephone number is (571)272-3046. The examiner can normally be reached 8-5.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Hannah S Wang can be reached at (571)-272-9018. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/CURTIS B ODOM/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2631 June 17, 2026
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