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 .
DETAILED ACTION
This office action is in response to the amendment filed on 07/01/2026. Claims 1-20 are pending in this application and have been considered below.
Response to Amendment
Applicant's arguments with respect to claims 1-20 have been considered but are moot in view of the new ground(s) of rejection because of the amendment changes the scope of the invention.
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) 11-16 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Smith et al. (US 2016/0084936 A1) (Smith herein after) in view of Sylvain (US 2007/0121557 A1).
Re Claim 11, Smith discloses a wireless access point comprising: wireless communication circuitry; memory circuitry; processing circuitry coupled to the wireless communication circuitry and the memory circuitry (memory and processor [0029]) and configured to:
obtain a location of a geolocation reference device (Several messages (e.g., three messages) may be exchanged quickly between the mobile devices to establish time synchronization and share location/positional information that includes horizontal, vertical, and altitude coordinates (e.g. x, y, and z coordinates), a velocity, and acceleration component in each message [0189]);
obtain a distance to the geolocation reference device (When the distance vector and the x, y, z coordinates of two mobile devices are known, a point-to-point fix may be established. This process may be repeated for all the mobile devices in a group that has been assigned or created by the mobile device itself. Having multiple distance vectors from other points to the mobile will enhance the positioning accuracy [0190]; distance vectors may be computed between the mobile devices 901, 902, 903, and 904 as part of an embodiment location determination solution [0197]); and
transmit, using the wireless communication circuitry, a location message that includes the location of the geolocation reference device and the distance to the geolocation reference device (As the mobile device receives other sensor data and more than a pre-described distance in any direction or a combined distance vector than the positional update process begins again. However if the x % of positional confidence level is less than desired additional positional, updates may be made with the mobile devices grouped together in an interactive process to improve the confidence level of the positional information [0193]; position of mobile device 901 is validated or improved upon [0200]; the device may transmit the generated information to the other devices in the communication group. These other devices may be configured to receive and forward the information to other network resources and/or to use the received information to compute or update their location information (e.g., compute an new location estimation set, etc.) [0290]).
Smith teaches the claimed invention except transmit a wireless local area network (WLAN) beacon frame that includes the location of the geolocation reference device and the distance to the geolocation reference device, wherein the location of the geolocation reference device is in an information element of the WLAN beacon frame.
However, Sylvain discloses a location broadcasting in wireless communication system wherein wireless access points 22 will systematically broadcast location information such that any communication terminals 24 within the corresponding local wireless zone A or B will receive the location information ([0024]). Beacon transmissions may be used to identify the presence of the wireless access point 22 to those communication terminals 24 within communication range ([0026]). The location information may take many forms, including geolocation coordinates (longitude, latitude, altitude), civic address (street, city, etc.), descriptive text (Baseball stadium) or any combinations thereof. The location information itself may not be static ([0027]).
Therefore, it would have been obvious at the time the invention was made to one of ordinary skill in the art to modify method and system of Smith, by making use of the technique taught by Sylvain, in order to improve the location estimation for wireless devices.
Both references are within the same field of telecommunication, and in particular of location estimation, the modification does not change a fundamental operating principle of Smith, nor does Smith teach away from the modification (Smith merely discloses a preferred embodiment). The combination has a reasonable expectation of success in that the modifications can be made using conventional and well known engineering and/or programming techniques, the location broadcast taught by Sylvain is not altered and continues to perform the same function as separately, and the resultant combination produces the highly predictable result of transmit a wireless local area network (WLAN) beacon frame that includes the location of the geolocation reference device and the distance to the geolocation reference device, wherein the location of the geolocation reference device is in an information element of the WLAN beacon frame.
Re Claim 12, the combined teachings disclose the wireless access point defined in claim 11, Smith discloses wherein the includes information indicative of proximity to the geolocation reference device (information shared between grouped/paired mobile devices, a comparison may be made for the path, range, between the mobile devices using any or all of the information available to the mobile devices (e.g., location coordinates, sensor information, proximity information, etc. [0149]) and Sylvain discloses WLAN beacon frame.
Re Claim 13, the combined teachings disclose the wireless access point defined in claim 12, Smith discloses wherein the processing circuitry is configured to obtain a wireless access point location uncertainty value and wherein the location message includes wireless access point location uncertainty value (When collecting the distance vectors and other positional information, if the error in position is greater than x % for a lower positional confidence level then no update may be required. As the mobile device receives other sensor data and more than a pre-described distance in any direction or a combined distance vector than the positional update process begins again. However if the x % of positional confidence level is less than desired additional positional, updates may be made with the mobile devices grouped together in an interactive process to improve the confidence level of the positional information [0193]) and Sylvain discloses WLAN beacon frame.
Re Claim 14, the combined teachings disclose the wireless access point defined in claim 11, Sylvain discloses wherein the WLAN beacon frame is one of a plurality of periodic WLAN beacon frames transmitted by the processing circuitry using the wireless communication circuitry (beacon transmissions are provided at periodic intervals by the wireless access point [0028]) and wherein each of the plurality of periodic WLAN beacon frames includes the location of the geolocation reference device (location information may take many forms, including geolocation coordinates (longitude, latitude, altitude), civic address (street, city, etc.), descriptive text (Baseball stadium) or any combinations thereof [0027]).
Re Claim 15, the combined teachings disclose the wireless access point defined in claim 11, Smith discloses wherein the processing circuitry is configured to obtain the distance to the geolocation reference device by performing distance measurement using request and response messages, using received signal strength, or using radio-frequency ranging (the estimated distance from a measurement location (location of another mobile device) to the mobile device may be derived from the measured signal strength. Since signal strength roughly decreases as the inverse square of the separation distance, and the transmission power of the mobile device can be presumed [0207]).
Re Claim 16, the combined teachings disclose the wireless access point defined in claim 11, Smith discloses wherein the wireless access point lacks geopositioning circuitry operable to obtain a geolocation of the wireless access point (Dead reckoning may provide the needed positional corrections as a local datum method for positioning when GPS or other network related positioning solutions are not available. Additionally dead reckoning may enhance the location position accuracy and precision calculations by providing and additional horizontal and vertical datum comparisons. [0177]).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 1-10, 17-20 are allowed.
The following is an examiner’s statement of reasons for allowance:
Claim 1 which recites the wireless access point for location estimation, the prior art of record discloses obtain distance to additional wireless access point; and obtain a location of the wireless access point. However, the prior art of record neither anticipate nor render obvious the limitation as claimed, with respect to wireless access point comprising: wireless communication circuitry; memory circuitry; and processing circuitry coupled to the wireless communication circuitry and the memory circuitry and configured to: receive, from the additional wireless access point using a first radio-frequency band, a geolocation of a geolocation reference device separate from the additional wireless access point; obtain a distance to the additional wireless access point; obtain a location of the wireless access point, wherein the location is specified by the geolocation of the geolocation reference device and a distance to the geolocation reference device that includes the distance to the additional wireless access point; prior to the wireless access point operating on a second radio-frequency band, output the location of the wireless access point for reporting to an Automated Frequency Coordination (AFC) system; and using an operating parameter provided by the AFC system based on the location of the wireless access point, control the wireless communication circuitry to operate in the second radio-frequency band.
The prior art of record, also does not teach or suggest the wireless access point as recited in claim 17 comprising: wireless communication circuitry; memory circuitry; and processing circuitry coupled to the wireless communication circuitry and the memory circuitry and configured to: receive a first message from the first neighboring device containing a first value indicative of a first degree of proximity of the first neighboring device to a first geolocation reference device; receive a second message from the second neighboring device containing a second value indicative of a second degree of proximity of the second neighboring device to the first geolocation reference device or a second geolocation reference device; and based on a comparison between the first value and the second value indicating the first degree of proximity being a greater degree of proximity than the second degree of proximity, obtain a location of the wireless access point using the first message and the first neighboring device.
Any comments considered necessary by applicant must be submitted no later than the payment of the issue fee and, to avoid processing delays, should preferably accompany the issue fee. Such submissions should be clearly labeled “Comments on Statement of Reasons for Allowance.”
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 KENNETH T LAM whose telephone number is (571)270-1862. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 8:30-5:00 PM.
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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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/KENNETH T LAM/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2631
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