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 .
Specification
The disclosure is objected to because of the following informalities: [67] references “Decawave [5]” yet [189] recites “[5] B. Verso, HRP UWB PHY enhancements”, IEEE Standards Association – Documents,”….
Further “Decawave” is not listed on the IDSs.
Appropriate correction is required.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claims 2 and 12 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
Regarding claim 2/12, the phrase " optionally identifying, by the LMF, a second subset of UEs from the set of UEs and localising, via the gNB, the second subset of UEs" renders the claim indefinite because there are no meets or bounds or parameters to set forth the any such options thus one would not even know if such identifying and localizing if performed were “optional”, much less any options of how or why to perform such.
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) 1-6, 8, 11-16, and 18 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Henry et al. (2022/0070816) hereinafter “Henry” and Takeda et al. (2024/0098677) hereinafter “Takeda”.
As to claims 1/11, (Original) Henry discloses An apparatus (claim 11) and method (claim 1) of localising user equipments, UEs, in a 5G new radio, NR, network, comprising a location management function, LMF (180/190) -comprising; a transceiver (105) ; and a processor (185) coupled with the transceiver, (see [0033]-[0034] – claim 11), and a [next generation] node B, [gNB] (105), defining a cell, using an ultra wideband, UWB, anchor (115) located in the cell, the method comprising:
managing, by the network, interworking with the UWB anchor (see [0034]: “configured to manage location-related transmissions involving radio devices 105, peripheral UWB anchor device 115…”); and
localising, via the UWB anchor, a first subset of UEs selected from a set of UEs within the cell (see [0036]: “configured to coordinate client ranging procedures… select an optimal set of UWB anchor points for UWB ranging…”). See [0015] and [0019]-[0024].
Henry implies a 5G NR implementation in [0027]: “Fifth Generation (5G), etc” and again in [0097] however fail to actually provide for the node B being a next generation node B gNB. In an analogous art, Takeda discloses the use of a next generation node B, gNB (see [0033]-[0041]: “eNB (ng-eNB)… base station”, Fig 1: 102, Fig 13: 1304). Before the effective filing date of the instant invention it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to implement the node B as next generation in order to keep up with the times as suggested by each.
As to claims 2/12. (Original) The combination of Henry and Takeda discloses the method/apparatus according to claim 1/11, Henry discloses further comprising selecting, by the LMF, the first subset of UEs and optionally identifying, by the LMF, a second subset of UEs from the set of UEs and localising, via the gNB, the second subset of UEs. See Fig 13.
It is noted that the BRI of the claim omits the optional portion of the claim.
As to claims 3/13, (Original) The combination of Henry and Takeda discloses the method/apparatus according to claim 2/12, wherein selecting, by the LMF, the first subset of UEs is based, at least in part, on mutual proximity and/or mutual adjacency thereof. See Henry [0065]-[0066], [0069].
As to claims 4/14. (Original) The combination of Henry and Takeda discloses the method/apparatus according to claim 1/11, Henry discloses comprising transferring, by the LMF, the first subset of UEs for localising, via the UWB anchor, using a single broadcast message or multiple unicast messages. See [0070]-[0071].
As to claims 5/15, (Original) The combination of Henry and Takeda discloses the method/apparatus according to claim 1/11, Henry discloses comprising requesting, by the LMF to the first subset of UEs, to respectively activate UWB localising or via a UWB interworking- function of the LMF. See [0070]-[0071].
As to claims 6/16, (Original) The combination of Henry and Takeda discloses the method/apparatus according to claim 1/11, is silent to yet applicant admits [0067] of the instant specification wherein localising, via the UWB anchor, the first subset of UEs comprises staggered simultaneous ranging of the selected subset of UEs was proposed by Decawave [5] to increase the time resource usage efficiency and is thus admitted prior art. Before the effective filing date of the instant invention it would have been obvious to one or ordinary skill in the art wherein localising, via the UWB anchor, the first subset of UEs comprises staggered simultaneous ranging of the selected subset of UEs to increase the time resource usage efficiency as proposed by Decawave.
As to claims 8/18. (Original) The combination of Henry and Takeda discloses the method/apparatus according to claim 1/11, Henry discloses transferring, by the LMF, the first subset of UEs for localising, via the UWB anchor, based on a predetermined location and/or a predetermined time. Also See [0073].
Claim(s) 7 and 17 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Henry and Takeda as applied to claims 1/11 above, and further in view of Bao et al (2022/0248366) hereinafter “Bao”.
(Original) The combination of Henry and Takeda discloses the method/apparatus according to claim 1/11, is silent to yet in an analogous art Bao discloses [0062] wherein interworking with the UWB anchor is included in a Non-3GPP Interworking Function, N3IWF, a Trusted Non-3GPP Gateway Function, TNGF, or an interworking function for UWB. Before the effective filing date of the instant invention it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art wherein interworking with the UWB anchor is included in a Non-3GPP Interworking Function, N3IWF, a Trusted Non-3GPP Gateway Function, TNGF, or an interworking function for UWB in order to support all communication technologies.
Claim(s) 9 and 19 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Henry and Takeda as applied to claim 1/11 above, and further in view of Martin et al. (EP3680687) hereinafter “Martin”.
(Original) The combination of Henry and Takeda discloses the method/apparatus according to claim 1, is silent to yet in an analogous art Martin discloses [0026], [0045], [0050], etc. comprising controlling access at a barrier using the localising of the first subset of UEs. Before the effective filing date of the instant invention it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to controlling access at a barrier using the localising of the first subset of UEs as taught by Martin for the purpose of added security.
Claim(s) 10 and 20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Henry and Takeda as applied to claim 1/11 above, and further in view of Ren et al. (2020/0169947) hereinafter “Ren”.
(Original) The combination of Henry and Takeda discloses the method/apparatus according to claim 1/11, is silent to yet in an analogous art Ren discloses [0003] time synchronisation, by the UWB anchor, with the network, with a gNB clock thereof through off an air alignment to 5G- NR primary synchronization signal, PSS, and/or secondary synchronization signal, SSS. Before the effective filing date of the instant invention it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to perform time synchronisation, by the UWB anchor, with the network, with a gNB clock thereof through off an air alignment to 5G- NR primary synchronization signal, PSS, and/or secondary synchronization signal, SSS for the purpose of improving performance.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Thomas et al. (2024/0019525) provide for UWB localization with LMF, [0042]+.
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LESTER G. KINCAID
Primary Patent Examiner
Art Unit 2649
/LESTER G KINCAID/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2649