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 § 102
In the event the determination of the status of the application as subject to AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103 (or as subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103) is incorrect, any correction of the statutory basis (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) for the rejection will not be considered a new ground of rejection if the prior art relied upon, and the rationale supporting the rejection, would be the same under either status.
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.
Claim(s) 30-33, 36-43, 48-58 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Izadian (US 2019/0187247).
Claim 30: Izadian discloses An apparatus comprising:
a processor configured to:
identify an environment-related attribute corresponding to an environment of a radar device (para 0091, 0096); and
based on the environment related attribute, determine an antenna polarization
setting to be applied for communication of radar signals by the radar device (para 0091, 0096); and
an output to provide antenna polarization information to configure the antenna polarization setting (para 0091, 0096)
Claim 31: Izadian discloses the processor is configured to determine, based on the environment related attribute, a selected antenna polarization setting from a plurality of antenna polarization settings, wherein the antenna polarization information is based on the selected antenna polarization setting (para 0091, 0096)
Claim 32: Izadian discloses the plurality of antenna polarization settings comprises a Horizontal (H) polarization setting, and at least one other antenna polarization setting different from the H polarization setting (para 0093)
Claim 33: Izadian discloses the plurality of antenna polarization settings comprises a Vertical (V) polarization setting, and at least one other antenna polarization setting different from the V polarization setting (para 0093)
Claim 36: Izadian discloses settings comprises a linear diagonal polarization setting, and at least one other antenna polarization setting different from the linear diagonal polarization setting (para 0093)
Claim 37: Izadian discloses the linear diagonal polarization setting comprises a Transmit (Tx) antenna linear diagonal polarization setting, and a Receive (Rx) antenna linear diagonal polarization setting, wherein both the Tx antenna linear diagonal polarization setting and the Rx antenna linear diagonal polarization setting are in a same diagonal polarization direction (para 0093, 0094)
Claim 38: Izadian discloses the processor is configured to identify the environment-related attribute based on interference information corresponding to interference in the environment of the radar device (para 0035, 0036)
Claim 39: Izadian discloses the processor is configured to determine the antenna polarization setting comprising a circular polarization setting or a linear diagonal polarization setting based on a determination that the interference in the environment of the radar device is above a predefined interference level (para 0035, 0036)
Claim 40: Izadian discloses the processor is configured to identify the environment-related attribute based on driving scenario information corresponding to a driving scenario of a vehicle comprising the radar device (para 0036-0038)
Claim 41: Izadian discloses to determine the antenna polarization setting comprising a Vertical (V) polarization setting based on a determination that the driving scenario comprises a highway or an open road (para 0036-0038)
Claim 42: Izadian discloses the processor is configured to determine the antenna polarization setting comprising a Horizontal (H) polarization setting based on a determination that the driving scenario comprises at least one of a sidewall, or a tunnel (para 0036-0038)
Claim 43: Izadian discloses a polarization-setting switch configured to switch an antenna of the radar device between a plurality of antenna polarization settings, the polarization-setting switch configured to switch the antenna of the radar device to the antenna polarization setting according to the antenna polarization information. (para 0036, 0037, 0093)
Claim 48: Izadian discloses the antenna of the radar device, wherein the antenna comprises a stacked series fed antenna. (fig 5, 6, para 0116)
Claim 49: Izadian discloses the antenna polarization setting comprises a Transmit (Tx) antenna polarization setting to be applied for transmission of radar Tx signals by the radar device (para 0035-0038, 0091, 0093, 0096)
Claim 50: Izadian discloses the antenna polarization setting comprises a Receive (Rx) antenna polarization setting to be applied for reception of radar Rx signals by the radar device (para 0035-0038, 0091, 0093, 0096)
Claim 51: Izadian discloses the radar device configured to generate radar information based on radar signals communicated according to the antenna polarization setting (para 0035-0038, 0091, 0093, 0096)
Claim 52: Izadian discloses A product comprising one or more tangible computer-readable non-transitory storage media comprising computer-executable instructions operable to, when executed by at least one processor, enable the at least one processor to:
identify an environment-related attribute corresponding to an environment of a radar device (para 0091, 0096); and
based on the environment related attribute, determine an antenna polarization setting to be applied for communication of radar signals by the radar device (para 0091, 0096); and
output antenna polarization information to configure the antenna polarization setting (para 0091, 0096)
Claim 53: Izadian discloses the instructions, when executed, cause the processor to determine, based on the environment related attribute, a selected antenna polarization setting from a plurality of antenna polarization settings, wherein the antenna polarization information is based on the selected antenna polarization setting (para 0091, 0096)
Claim 54: Izadian discloses the instructions, when executed, cause the processor to identify the environment-related attribute based on interference information corresponding to interference in the environment of the radar device (para 0035, 0036)
Claim 55: Izadian discloses the instructions, when executed, cause the processor to identify the environment-related attribute based on driving scenario information corresponding to a driving scenario of a vehicle comprising the radar device (para 0036-0038)
Claim 56: Izadian discloses A vehicle comprising:
a system controller configured to control one or more vehicular systems of the vehicle based on radar information (para 0026, 0027); and
a radar system configured to provide the radar information to the system controller, the radar system comprising: one or more Transmit (Tx) antennas to transmit radar Tx signals; one or more Receive (Rx) antennas to receive radar Rx signals based on the radar Tx signals, wherein the radar information is based on the radar Rx signals (para 0025-0036); and a processor configured to:
identify an environment-related attribute corresponding to an environment of the radar system (para 0091, 0096)
based on the environment related attribute, determine an antenna polarization setting to be applied for communication of radar signals by at least one antenna of the one or more Tx antennas or the one or more Rx antennas (para 0091, 0096) and
output antenna polarization information to configure the antenna polarization setting (para 0091, 0096)
Claim 57: Izadian discloses the processor is configured to determine, based on the environment related attribute, a selected antenna polarization setting from a plurality of antenna polarization settings, wherein the antenna polarization information is based on the selected antenna polarization setting (para 0035, 0036)
Claim 58: Izadian discloses the processor is configured to identify the environment-related attribute based on driving scenario information corresponding to a driving scenario of the vehicle (para 0036-0038)
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
In the event the determination of the status of the application as subject to AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103 (or as subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103) is incorrect, any correction of the statutory basis (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) for the rejection will not be considered a new ground of rejection if the prior art relied upon, and the rationale supporting the rejection, would be the same under either status.
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.
The factual inquiries for establishing a background for determining obviousness under 35 U.S.C. 103 are summarized as follows:
1. Determining the scope and contents of the prior art.
2. Ascertaining the differences between the prior art and the claims at issue.
3. Resolving the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art.
4. Considering objective evidence present in the application indicating obviousness or nonobviousness.
Claim(s) 34, 35, 44-47 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Izadian (US 2019/0187247) as applied to claim 31 above, and further in view of Caille (US 5659322).
Claim 34: Izadian does not specifically disclose the plurality of antenna polarization settings comprises a circular polarization setting, and at least one other antenna polarization setting different from the circular polarization setting.
Caille discloses a variable polarization antenna for setting an antenna polarization based on environmental factors (col 5 lines 41-47) wherein the plurality of antenna polarization settings comprises a circular polarization setting, and at least one other antenna polarization setting different from the circular polarization setting (col 7 lines 42-57).
It would have been obvious to modify the invention such that it comprised the above limitations, as taught by Caille, in order to take advantage of diverse polarization schemes for improved signal transmission and reception.
Claim 35: Caille discloses the circular polarization setting comprises a Transmit (Tx) antenna circular polarization setting in a first circular polarization direction, and a Receive (Rx) antenna circular polarization setting in a second circular polarization direction opposite to the first circular polarization direction (col 7 lines 42-57).
It would have been obvious to modify the invention such that it comprised the above limitations, as taught by Caille, in order to take advantage of diverse polarization schemes for improved signal transmission and reception.
Claim 44: Caille discloses the polarization-setting switch is
configured to provide a first phase to a first port of the antenna, and a second phase to a second port of the antenna, wherein the second phase is different from the first phase, wherein the first phase and the second phase are based on the antenna polarization setting according to the antenna polarization information (col 6 line 20 – col 10 line 44)
It would have been obvious to modify the invention such that it comprised the above limitations, as taught by Caille, in order to take advantage of diverse polarization schemes for improved signal transmission and reception.
Claim 45: Caille discloses the polarization-setting switch comprises:
a differential amplifier comprising a first differential amplifier port on a first Radio Frequency (RF) path and a second differential amplifier port on a second RF path, the first differential amplifier port and the second differential amplifier port having a phase difference of 180 degrees;
a 90-degree hybrid coupler having a first hybrid coupler port coupled to the first differential amplifier port, a second hybrid coupler port on the second RF path, a third hybrid coupler port on the first RF path, and a fourth hybrid coupler port coupled to the second port of the antenna;
a first configurable phase shifter to apply a first configurable phase shift between the second differential amplifier port and the second hybrid coupler port, the first configurable phase shift based on the polarization setting according to the antenna polarization information; and
a second configurable phase shifter to apply a second configurable phase shift between the third hybrid coupler port and the first port of the antenna, the second configurable phase shift based on the polarization setting according to the antenna polarization information (col 6 line 20 – col 10 line 44)
It would have been obvious to modify the invention such that it comprised the above limitations, as taught by Caille, in order to take advantage of diverse polarization schemes for improved signal transmission and reception.
Claim 46: Caille discloses the polarization-setting switch comprises:
a differential amplifier comprising a first differential amplifier port on a first Radio Frequency (RF) path and a second differential amplifier port on a second RF path, the first differential amplifier port and the second differential amplifier port having a phase difference of 180 degrees, wherein the first differential amplifier port is coupled to the first port of the antenna; and
a configurable phase shifter to apply a configurable phase shift between the second differential amplifier port and the second port of the antenna, the configurable phase shift based on the polarization setting according to the antenna polarization information. (col 6 line 20 – col 10 line 44)
It would have been obvious to modify the invention such that it comprised the above limitations, as taught by Caille, in order to take advantage of diverse polarization schemes for improved signal transmission and reception.
Claim 47: Caille discloses the polarization-setting switch comprises:
a first differential amplifier comprising a first pair of differential amplifier ports having a phase difference of 180 degrees;
a second differential amplifier comprising a second pair of differential amplifier ports having a phase difference of 180 degrees; and
a digitally configurable Balancing Unit (BALUN) configured to couple the first pair of differential amplifier ports to the first port of the antenna with the first phase, and to couple the second pair of differential amplifier ports to the second port of the antenna with the second phase. (col 6 line 20 – col 10 line 44)
It would have been obvious to modify the invention such that it comprised the above limitations, as taught by Caille, in order to take advantage of diverse polarization schemes for improved signal transmission and reception.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to PETER M BYTHROW whose telephone number is (571)270-1468. The examiner can normally be reached on Monday-Friday 830am-5pm.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, William Kelleher can be reached on (571) 272-7753. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/PETER M BYTHROW/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3648