DETAILED ACTION
This action is in response to applicant’s amendment filed on 20 July 2026. Claims 1, 3-6, 8-14, and 16 are now pending in the present application and claims 2, 7, and 15 are canceled. This office action is made Final.
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 § 102
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)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claim(s) 1, 3-6, 8-14, and 16 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Wang et al. (hereinafter Wang) (US 2021/0219254 A1; also, see US 12,004,105 B2).
Regarding claims 1, 11, and 16, Wang discloses a method for wireless synchronization of a mobile device (e.g., second node) with a base station (e.g., first node) via a radio connection, wherein the mobile device (e.g., second node) and the base station (e.g., first node) each have their own time base, wherein the time base of the base station serves as a reference, and wherein the radio connection uses a temporal sequence of time slots that form a frame, wherein at least one defined time slot of the frame is used for control information { (see Figs. 2-6) }, the method comprising the steps:
transmitting an initial signal from the base station (e.g., first node) to the mobile device (e.g., second node), wherein the initial signal constitutes a request to transmit a first synchronization signal (e.g., SSB) { (see pg. 4, [0051, 0052, 0053, 0058]; Fig. 2 ‘step 201’), where the system provides a base station to send a downlink signal (see pg. 7, [0097]) },
wherein the initial signal, or a control signal associated therewith, contains an individual identifier (e.g., target device) of the mobile device (e.g., second node) that is to be synchronized { (see pg. 4, [0052, 0044]; Figs. 2-6), where the system provides a base station to send a downlink signal (see pg. 7, [0097]), and the system provides information for the target device (e.g., second node) in which there must be an identifier (see pg. 3, [0041]) };
transmitting, in response to the received initial signal, the first synchronization signal from the mobile device to the base station (e.g., first node) at a time that lies in the time slot for control information according to the time base of the mobile device (e.g., second node) { (see pg. 4, [0051, 0053]; Fig. 2 ‘step 201’), where the system provides an uplink signal };
receiving the first synchronization signal in the base station (e.g., first node), wherein the time of reception is measured as the first measurement value according to the time base of the base station (e.g., first node) { (see pg. 4, [0055]; Figs. 2-6) };
transmitting a second synchronization signal from the base station (e.g., first node) to the mobile device (e.g., second node) at a time which lies in the next time slot for control information according to the time base of the base station { (see pg. 4, [0056, 0059]; Figs. 2 ‘step 202’ & 3-6) };
receiving the second synchronization signal in the mobile device (e.g., second node), wherein the time of reception is measured as the second measurement value according to the time base of the mobile device (e.g., second node) { (see pg. 5, [0061]; Figs. 2 ‘step 202’ & 3-6) };
transmitting the first measurement value from the base station (e.g., first node) to the mobile device (e.g., second node); receiving the first measurement value in the mobile device (e.g., second node) { (see pg. 5, [0062]; Figs. 2 ‘step 203’ & 3-6 ) }; and
correcting the time base of the mobile device, wherein an average or a difference from the first and second measurement values is calculated in the mobile device and the time base of the mobile device is corrected on the basis of the average or the difference { (see pg. 6, [0079, 0084]; Figs. 2-6) }.
Regarding claims 3 and 13, Wang discloses the method according to claim 1, wherein the mobile device does not transmit any further data other than the first synchronization signal before correcting its time base { (see pg. 6, [0083]), where the system provides time compensation }.
Regarding claim 4, Wang discloses the method according to claim 1, wherein the base station uses at least two active antennae for the radio connections, with the additional steps receiving the first synchronization signal sent from the mobile device to the base station at the at least two antennae; for each of the antennae, measuring the reception quality of the received first synchronization signal; detecting the antenna that, according to the measurement, provides the best reception quality for the mobile device; and selecting the detected antenna, wherein the time of reception is measured at the selected antenna as the first measurement value, and wherein the transmission of the second synchronization signal from the base station to the mobile device only takes place via the selected antenna { (see pg. 7, [0090]; pg. 3, [0044, 0051- 0053]; Figs. 2-6), where the system uses antenna }.
Regarding claim 5 and 11, Wang discloses the method according to claim 4, wherein reception of the first synchronization signal at the at least two antennae, measurement of the reception quality of the received first synchronization signal for each of the antennas, detection of the antenna with the best reception quality and selection of the detected antenna is repeated at certain time intervals, wherein the detected antenna can be a different one in each case { (see pg. 7, [0090]; pg. 3, [0044]; Figs. 2-6), where the system uses antenna }.
Regarding claims 6 and 14, Wang discloses the method according to claim 1, wherein the base station for several mobile devices uses the same radio connection with the same frequencies and the same frame, wherein each mobile device is assigned one or more individual time slots per frame in which it can transmit or receive utility data, and wherein the wireless synchronization is carried out separately for each mobile device { (see pg. 4, [0052, 0044, 0051, 0053]; pg. 7, [0090]; Figs. 2-6) }.
Regarding claim 8, Wang discloses the method according to claim 1, wherein the synchronization signal contains a Zadoff-Chu sequence { (see pg. 4, [0052, 0044]; Figs. 2-5) }.
Regarding claim 9, Wang discloses the method according to claim 1, wherein the base station and the mobile device are in a pairing mode { (see pg. 4, [0052, 0044]; Figs. 2-6) }.
Regarding claim 10, Wang discloses the method according to claim 1, wherein the frame has a length of approximately 1 ms and each time slot has a length of at least 50 μs, and wherein the deviation of the time bases from one another is initially a maximum of 2 μs and after correcting the time base of the mobile device is less than 100 ns { (see pg. 4, [0052, 0044, 0051, 0053]; Figs. 2-6) }.
Regarding claim 12, Wang discloses an apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the mobile device and the base station exchange data in time division multiplexing according to a TDMA frame containing control time slots and data time slots, and whereby the synchronization signals are transmitted in the control time slots { (see pg. 4, [0051, 0053]; Fig. 2 ‘step 201’) }.
Regarding claim 15, Wang discloses an apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the receiver is adapted to receive an initial signal from the base station, wherein the initial signal constitutes a request or release to transmit the first synchronization signal, and wherein the transmitter transmits the first synchronization signal to the base station in response to the received initial signal { (see pg. 4, [0051, 0053]; Figs. 2-6) }.
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments with respect to claims 1, 3-6, 8-14, and 16 have been considered but are moot in view of the new ground(s) of rejection necessitated by the amended language, new limitations, and/or new claims.
In response to applicant’s arguments, the Examiner respectfully disagrees as the applied reference(s) provide more than adequate support and to further clarify (see the above claims for relevant citations).
Conclusion
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.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to WILLIE J DANIEL JR whose telephone number is (571)272-7907. The examiner can normally be reached on 9 - 6.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Gary Mui can be reached on 571-270-1420. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/WILLIE J DANIEL JR/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2465
WJD,Jr
29 September 2026
