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 .
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) 1-4, 6-10, 12, 17-23, 25-29, 31 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Upton et al. (US 2022/0158356) in view of Savage et al. (US 2018/0301803).
Referring to Claim 1, Upton teaches a method for adjusting a pointing direction of an antenna beam, the method comprising:
forming a beam with a reflector antenna comprising a reflector and a feed including a planar array of N antenna elements, by activating a first set of antenna elements among the N antenna elements (see paragraph 15 which shows an antenna array and a reflector and paragraph 31 which shows the activation of the antenna elements forming a beam); and
measuring a signal metric of a signal communicated via the beam (see paragraph 63 which shows measuring the signal strength of beams).
Upton does not teach iteratively:
adjusting a pointing direction of the beam at least in part by activating a different set of antenna elements among the N antenna elements; and
re-measuring the signal metric of the signal with each iterative adjustment of the pointing direction; and
selecting a final pointing direction and associated final set of antenna elements for operation of the reflector antenna based on the signal metric measurements.
Savage teaches iteratively:
adjusting a pointing direction of the beam at least in part by activating a different set of antenna elements among the N antenna elements (see figs. 4A-4D which shows different sets of antenna elements activated); and
re-measuring the signal metric of the signal with each iterative adjustment of the pointing direction (see 212 of fig. 10 which shows measuring signal strength of every set of antenna elements); and
selecting a final pointing direction and associated final set of antenna elements for operation of the reflector antenna based on the signal metric measurements (see 218, 220, and 222 of fig. 10 which shows the pointing of the strongest set of antennas at an angle which has the highest signal strength).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was made to provide the teachings of Savage to the device of Upton in order to better maintain optimum communication levels.
Referring to Claim 17, Upton teaches a reflector antenna comprising:
a reflector and a feed including an array of N antenna elements, the feed being positioned to illuminate the reflector (see paragraph 15 which shows an antenna array and a reflector);
signal metric measurement circuitry (see paragraph 63 which shows measuring the signal strength of beams); and
a controller cooperating with the signal metric measurement circuitry to:
activate a first set of antenna elements among the N antenna elements and thereby cause the reflector antenna to form a beam (see paragraph 31 which shows the activation of the antenna elements forming a beam); and measure a signal metric of a signal communicated via the beam (see paragraph 63 which shows measuring the signal strength of beams).
Upton does not teach a combiner/divider coupled between the N antenna elements and an input/output port of the reflector antenna; signal metric measurement circuitry; and iteratively:
adjust a pointing direction of the beam at least in part by activating a different set of antenna elements among the N antenna elements; and
re-measure the signal quality metric of the signal with each iterative adjustment of the pointing direction; and
select a final pointing direction and associated final set of antenna elements for operation of the reflector antenna, based on the signal quality metric measurements.
Savage teaches a combiner/divider coupled between the N antenna elements and an input/output port of the reflector antenna (see fig. 1 which shows combiner 26 between antenna 12,14, and antenna elements 22); signal metric measurement circuitry; and iteratively:
adjust a pointing direction of the beam at least in part by activating a different set of antenna elements among the N antenna elements (see figs. 4A-4D which shows different sets of antenna elements activated); and
re-measure the signal quality metric of the signal with each iterative adjustment of the pointing direction (see 212 of fig. 10 which shows measuring signal strength of every set of antenna elements); and
select a final pointing direction and associated final set of antenna elements for operation of the reflector antenna, based on the signal quality metric measurements (see 218, 220, and 222 of fig. 10 which shows the pointing of the strongest set of antennas at an angle which has the highest signal strength).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was made to provide the teachings of Savage to the device of Upton in order to better maintain optimum communication levels.
Referring to Claims 2 and 21, Savage also teaches wherein the first set and different sets include common antenna elements (see fig. 4A and 4B which shows common active elements on the right side).
Referring to Claims 3 and 22, Savage also teaches wherein the first set and the different sets are composed of mutually exclusive ones of the antenna elements (see fig. 4A and 4B which shows one mutually common active element on the right side).
Referring to Claims 4 and 23, also teaches wherein the feed includes an input/output port, and a feed network coupled between the input/output port and the antenna elements, the feed network including a plurality of front end elements, each coupled to at least one of the antenna elements and each having a switching element for selectively activating and deactivating the at least one of the antenna elements (see transceiver 12 of fig. 1 having an input/output port to connect to antenna feed elements 22 and ABSTRACT which shows each element having it’s own switch to activate the element).
Referring to Claims 6 and 25, Savage also teaches the switching element of a said front end element as a series connected switch, the switch being closed and opened to activate and deactivate, respectively, the at least one antenna element coupled to the front end element (see paragraph 5 which shows switches connected to antenna elements switched on and off).
Referring to Claims 7 and 26, Savage also teaches antenna elements located within at least one peripheral region of the array deactivated and at least some of remaining antenna elements of the array are activated to form at least one of the first and different sets of activated antenna elements (see fig. 4A-4D which shows different elements activated and deactivated).
Referring to Claims 8 and 27, Savage also teaches antenna elements within peripheral regions of the array on opposite sides sequentially deactivated during a sequential activation of differing sets of the antenna elements (see fig. 4B which shows the left side of antenna elements deactivated).
Referring to Claims 9 and 28, Upton also teaches wherein the reflector antenna is a ground-based antenna, and the signal communicated via the beam is a satellite signal (SD) received by the reflector antenna (see paragraph 2 which shows the antenna as a fixed antenna and paragraph 3 which shows satellite communications).
Referring to Claims 10 and 29, Upton also teaches wherein the signal metric is signal strength, signal to noise ratio (SNR), signal to interference and noise ratio (SINR), Energy per bit / Noise-spectral density (EbNo), Energy per symbol / Noise-spectral density (EsNo), Error Vector Magnitude (EVM), Bit Error Rate (BER), or any combination thereof (see paragraph 63 which shows measuring the signal strength of beams).
Referring to Claims 12 and 31, Savage also teaches maintaining the feed at a stationary position relative to the reflector throughout a time of said forming the beam and the selecting of the final pointing direction (see paragraph 75 which shows the feed going to the angle and orientation of greatest signal strength which implies a stationary position once the ideal orientation is obtained).
Referring to Claim 18, Upton also teaches the reflector antenna further comprising a support pier for mounting the reflector antenna to a surface (see fig. 7 which shows support pier 9 for mounting antenna elements 8), and a mounting bracket assembly (see fig. 7 which shows antenna elements 8 mounted on a bracket) for initially adjusting a pointing direction of the reflector relative to the surface (see paragraph 69 which shows the antennas moving with respect to reflectors 6 and 10).
Referring to Claim 19, Upton also teaches a planar array (see paragraph 69 which shows a planar array of elements).
Referring to Claim 20, Upton also teaches the reflector offset-fed by the feed, the reflector antenna thereby being an offset-fed reflector antenna (see ABSTRACT which shows an offset antenna arrangement).
Claim(s) 5, 11, 13, 24, 30, and 32 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Upton and Savage and further in view of Cerro et al. (US 5,038,147).
Referring to Claims 5 and 24, the combination of Upton and Savage does not teach the switching element of a said front end element as at least one amplifier, the at least one amplifier being turned on and off to activate and deactivate, respectively, the at least one antenna element coupled to the front end element. Cerro teaches the switching element of a said front end element as at least one amplifier, the at least one amplifier being turned on and off to activate and deactivate, respectively, the at least one antenna element coupled to the front end element (see amplifiers 21 of fig. 3 connected to the antenna elements 29). Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was made to provide the teachings of Cerro to the modified device of Upton and Savage in order to more accurately select the ideal antenna elements to communicate.
Referring to Claims 11 and 30, Cerro also teaches sets of the antenna elements are individually activated and deactivated by controlling front end elements arranged between two sets of combiner/dividers and each coupled to a respective group of at least two of the antenna elements (see fig. 4 which shows multiple combiners 28 for the multiple antenna elements 29). Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was made to provide the teachings of Cerro to the modified device of Upton and Savage in order to more accurately select the ideal antenna elements to communicate.
Referring to Claims 13 and 32, during operation of the reflector antenna using the final set of antenna elements, monitoring signal metric of a signal communicated by the reflector antenna; when the monitored signal metric falls below a threshold, repeating the iterative adjustment of the pointing direction and re-measurement of the signal metric with each iterative adjustment; and selecting the re-measured set having the highest signal metric as an updated final set for operation of the reflector antenna (see col. 4, line 57-col. 5, line 4 which shows how a displacement exceeding a threshold causes beam readjustments to maintain highest possible gain). Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was made to provide the teachings of Cerro to the modified device of Upton and Savage in order to more accurately select the ideal antenna elements to communicate.
Claim(s) 15, 16, 34, and 35 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Upton and Savage and further in view of Bonthron (US 2005/0225481).
Referring to Claims 15 and 34, the combination of Upton and Savage does not teach wherein the feed includes a plurality of electromagnetic (EM) couplers, each arranged to couple signal energy simultaneously to at least two of the antenna elements. Bonthron teaches wherein the feed includes a plurality of electromagnetic (EM) couplers, each arranged to couple signal energy simultaneously to at least two of the antenna elements (see paragraph 335 which shows electromagnetic coupoling means used for antenna arrays which implies signal energy coupled to multiple antenna elements). Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was made to provide the teachings of Bonthron to the modified device of Upton and Savage in order to better regulate power within the device.
Referring to Claims 16 and 35, Bonthron also teaches wherein the feed further comprises a plurality of front end elements, each including a switching element and each coupled to one of the EM couplers, wherein the at least two of the antenna elements are activated when the switching element is closed (see paragraph 204 which shows a switch for every beam where it is implied that an antenna element is activated when the switch is closed since an open switch would show a disconnect).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 14 and 33 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.
Referring to Claims 14 and 33, Upton, Savage, Cerro, and Bonthron do not teach the array of antenna elements comprises transmit antenna elements and receive antenna elements interleaved with the transmit antenna elements; and the feed comprises an (N/2):1 divider coupled to the transmit antenna elements, and an (N/2):1 combiner coupled to the receive antenna elements.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to EUGENE YUN whose telephone number is (571)272-7860. The examiner can normally be reached 9am-5pm.
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/EUGENE YUN/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2648
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