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) 1-20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Smith et al. (US 2016/0084936 A1) (Smith herein after).
Re Claim 1, Smith discloses a wireless access point operable with an additional wireless access point, the wireless access point comprising: memory circuitry; and processing circuitry coupled to the memory circuitry (memory and processor [0029]) and configured to:
obtain, from the additional wireless access point, a geolocation of a geolocation reference device (mobile devices 901 has been designated as reference mobile device [0196]) separate from the additional wireless access point (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 additional wireless access point (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]);
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 (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]); and
output the location of the wireless access point (mobile device/trilateration module 2104 may use the received input data to perform trilateration operations (e.g., trilateration API location operations, etc.), determine the geographical coordinates (e.g., latitude, longitude, and altitude coordinates) of the mobile device, generate a trilateration position estimate value, generate a final position set (e.g., a final location estimate value), generate an updated final position set (e.g., x, y and z coordinates, an updated position estimate value, more precise information, etc.), and send the updated final position set to the output/storage module 2106 [0301]).
Re Claim 2, Smith discloses the wireless access point defined in claim 1, wherein the processing circuitry is configured to determine the distance to the geolocation reference device using the obtained distance to the additional wireless access point and using a distance between the additional wireless access point and 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]).
Re Claim 3, Smith discloses the wireless access point defined in claim 2, wherein the processing circuitry is configured to obtain, from the additional wireless access point, the distance between the additional wireless access point and 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]).
Re Claim 4, Smith discloses the wireless access point defined in claim 1, wherein the processing circuitry is configured to obtain the distance to the additional wireless access point by performing one or more distance measurements and wherein the processing circuitry is configured to determine an uncertainty value associated with the location of the wireless access point based on an uncertainty associated with the one or more distance measurements (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]).
Re Claim 5, Smith discloses the wireless access point defined in claim 4, wherein the processing circuitry is configured to determine the uncertainty value associated with the location of the wireless access point further based on an uncertainty value associated with a location of the additional wireless access point (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]).
Re Claim 6, Smith discloses the wireless access point defined in claim 5, wherein the uncertainty value associated with the location of the wireless access point indicates an area within which the location of the wireless access point lies with at least a given confidence level (error window/area may be a combination of range errors from the mobile devices 902, 903, and 904. Contributing to the error window/area is the hybrid range errors illustrated by reference numbers 921, 922 and 923, where: reference number 921 is the hybrid range error associated with mobile device 902; reference number 922 is the hybrid range error associated with mobile device 903; and reference number 923 is the hybrid range error associated with mobile device 904 [0200]).
Re Claim 7, Smith discloses the wireless access point defined in claim 5, wherein the processing circuitry is configured to receive a location message from the additional wireless access point and wherein the received location message includes the geolocation of the geolocation reference device, a distance between the additional wireless access point and the geolocation reference device, and the uncertainty value associated with the location of the additional wireless access point (mobile device generates/computes/receives trilateration location values (X, Y, Z), a time value, trilateration location delta values (ΔX, ΔY, ΔZ), confidence values (C.sub.x,C.sub.y,C.sub.z), and one or more precision values, the combination of which may be stored or used as a waypoint (or a data set or estimate value) [0302]).
Re Claim 8, Smith discloses the wireless access point defined in claim 1 further comprising: wireless communication circuitry coupled to the processing circuitry, wherein the processing circuitry is configured to output the location of the wireless access point by transmitting, using the wireless communication circuitry, a location message that includes the location of the wireless access point and wherein the location message includes information indicative of proximity of the wireless access point 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]).
Re Claim 9, Smith discloses the wireless access point defined in claim 8, wherein the processing circuitry is configured to report the location of the wireless access point to a wireless access point management system (mobile device may be configured to report back to the network location server the distance vectors it has found between different mobiles. The other mobile devices also involved with the positioning enhancement may also report their distance vectors to the network to have their overall position accuracy improved as well. [0191]).
Re Claim 10, Smith discloses the wireless access point defined in claim 1, wherein the wireless access point and the additional wireless access point each lack geopositioning circuitry operable to obtain a geolocation (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]).
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]).
Re Claim 12, Smith discloses the wireless access point defined in claim 11, wherein the location message 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]).
Re Claim 13, Smith discloses the wireless access point defined in claim 12, 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]).
Re Claim 14, Smith discloses the wireless access point defined in claim 11, wherein the location message is a beacon message broadcasted by processing circuitry using the wireless communication circuitry (mobile device 102, eNodeB 3310, EPC system/component 3312 and E-SMLC system/component 3314 may communicate and perform various administrative tasks, such as initiation and authentication, by exchanging data and control information. In operation 3322, the GPS system/component 3302 may send GPS data to the mobile device 102. In operation 3324, the WiFi system/component 3304 may send WiFi data to the mobile device 102. In operation 3322, the Beacon/RFID system/component 3306 may send Beacon/RFID data to the mobile device 102. In operation 3322, the eNodeB component 3310 may send “network provided location information” to the mobile device 102. In operation block 3330, the mobile device may receive and use the GPS data, WiFi data, Beacon/RFID data, and network provided location information to determine the location of the mobile device 102 (e.g., by performing any or all of the operations illustrated in FIGS. 22-30, etc.) and generate a final waypoint (or final location estimate value) [0361]).
Re Claim 15, Smith discloses the wireless access point defined in claim 11, 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, Smith discloses the wireless access point defined in claim 11, 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]).
Re Claim 17, Smith discloses a wireless access point operable with first and second neighboring devices, the wireless access point comprising: wireless communication circuitry (wireless transceiver [0032]); memory circuitry; processing circuitry coupled to the wireless communication circuitry and the memory circuitry (memory and processor [0029]) and configured to:
receive a first message from the first neighboring device containing first information indicative of proximity to a first 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]);
receive a second message from the second neighboring device containing second information indicative of proximity to the first geolocation reference device or a second 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
based on a comparison between the first and second information, obtain a location of the wireless access point using the first message and the first neighboring 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]; position of mobile device 901 is validated or improved upon [0200]).
Re Claim 18, Smith discloses the wireless access point defined in claim 17, wherein the comparison indicates that the first neighboring device is closer in proximity to the first geolocation reference device than the second neighboring device is to the first geolocation reference device or the second 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. The time differences along with the x, y, and z coordinates may be compared with possible pulses or pings to establish an estimated distance vector between the devices [0189]).
Re Claim 19, Smith discloses the wireless access point defined in claim 17, wherein the comparison indicates that the first neighboring device has a same degree of proximity to the first geolocation reference device as the second neighboring device has to the first geolocation reference device or the second 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 n[0190]) and wherein the processing circuitry is configured to obtain the location of the wireless access point using the first message and the first neighboring device further based on a received signal strength criterion, a distance-to-neighboring-device criterion, or a distance measurement metric criterion (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 20, Smith discloses the wireless access point defined in claim 17, wherein the first message includes a geolocation of the first geolocation reference device, wherein the processing circuitry is configured to measure a distance to the first neighboring device, and wherein the processing circuitry is configured to obtain the location of the wireless access point using the geolocation of the first geolocation reference device and the measured distance to the first neighboring 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. The time differences along with the x, y, and z coordinates may be compared with possible pulses or pings to establish an estimated distance vector between the devices [0189]).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Manolakos et al. (US 2024/0410970 A1) – capabilities for user equipment registered as a reference location device and a location-target device
Jayaram et al. (US 2024/0393470 A1) – satellite-based operation of a mobile device
Zorgui et al. (US 2024/0196363 A1) – distance-dependent position reference signal configuration
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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/KENNETH T LAM/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2631