Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status
1. The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
2. This communication is in response to the Application No. 18/613,726 filed on 3/22/24. Claims 1 – 20 has been examined.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
3. 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.
4. 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.
5. Claim(s) 1 – 3, 10 – 11 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Krishnamurthi et al. (US 2017/0272450, Krishnamurthi hereafter).
Regarding claim 1, Krishnamurthi teaches A sensing service processing method, comprising (FIG. 3 illustrates a method 300 of validating a report in accordance with an embodiment of Fig. 1A):
receiving, by a first network element (The method 300 may be performed by a processor in a server computing device, such as the network server 120 discussed above with reference to FIG. 1A; paragraph 47), a first sensing service request message, wherein the first sensing service request message is used for requesting for performing sensing for a service for a first user equipment (In block 302, the server/processor may receive a report from a reporting device. For example, the server/processor may receive vehicle information from a reporting vehicle that indicates a road is blocked; In block 304, the server/processor may determine a report type for the received report. For example, the server/processor may determine whether the report includes movement type information (e.g., a vehicle's speed, etc.) or event type information (e.g., a road closure, etc.), Fig. 3, Paragraph 50 – 51; the server computing device may poll the selected sensors by broadcasting or transmitting a control message to the sensors (or a vehicle control system in a vehicle that includes the sensor). The control message may include information suitable for causing the sensors (or vehicle control system) to activate, collect sensor information, and send the collected information to the server computing device, paragraph 43); and
selecting, by the first network element, a target sensing control function network element and/or a target sensing device according to location information of the first user equipment (In block 306, the server/processor may determine a location for the received report based on the information included in the report. For example, the server/processor may determine the location of a road that the report indicates is blocked. As another example, the server/processor may determine the location of a reporting vehicle/device if the report includes traffic congestion information; In block 308, the server/processor may determine the types of sensors that are suitable for use in determining the veracity of the report. In block 310, the server/processor may identify the suitable sensors (i.e., the sensors determined to be suitable for use in determining the veracity) that are in close proximity to the determined location, paragraph 52 - 53).
Regarding claim 2, Krishnamurthi teaches claim 1, Krishnamurthi further teaches wherein the first sensing service request message comprises identification information of the first user equipment and first sensing service description information, wherein the first sensing service description information comprises at least one of the following:
sensing service type information;
sensing object information (The variety of sensors 144 coupled to the vehicle control system 130 may include any of the vehicle's speedometer, wheel speed sensor, torquemeter, turbine speed sensor, variable reluctance sensor, sonar system, radar system, air-fuel ratio meter, water-in-fuel sensor, oxygen sensor, crankshaft position sensor, curb feeler, temperature sensor, Hall effect sensor, manifold absolute pressure sensor, various fluid sensors (e.g., engine coolant sensor, transmission fluid sensor, etc.), tire-pressure monitoring sensor, mass airflow sensor, speed sensor, blind spot monitoring sensor, parking sensor, cameras, microphones, accelerometers, compasses, GPS receiver, and other similar sensors for monitoring physical or environmental conditions in and around the vehicle, paragraph 37);
sensing measurement type information;
sensing service purpose or application information;
sensing service granularity information;
sensing service time information;
sensing data reporting information; or
quality of service requirement information of sensing service.
Regarding claim 3, The sensing service processing method according to claim 2, wherein the first sensing service request message further comprises: first sensing serving area information, wherein the first sensing serving area information comprises absolute location range information or relative location range information corresponding to the first user equipment (the server computing device may select sensors for polling by identifying spatially relevant sensors based on location information included in the received vehicle information. In an embodiment, the server computing device may select sensors for polling by using the received vehicle information to identify an applicable location (e.g., the location of an reporting vehicle, segment of a road reported as blocked, area near a reported emergency, etc.), identifying a vehicle that is in close proximity to the applicable location, and selecting the sensors included in the identified vehicle for polling, paragraph 41).
Regarding claim 10, A sensing service processing method, comprising:
receiving, by a sensing control function network element (The method 300 may be performed by a processor in a server computing device, such as the network server 120 discussed above with reference to FIG. 1A; paragraph 47), a third sensing service request message transmitted by a first network element (In block 302, the server/processor may receive a report from a reporting device. For example, the server/processor may receive vehicle information from a reporting vehicle that indicates a road is blocked; In block 304, the server/processor may determine a report type for the received report. For example, the server/processor may determine whether the report includes movement type information (e.g., a vehicle's speed, etc.) or event type information (e.g., a road closure, etc.), Fig. 3, Paragraph 50 – 51; the server computing device may poll the selected sensors by broadcasting or transmitting a control message to the sensors (or a vehicle control system in a vehicle that includes the sensor). The control message may include information suitable for causing the sensors (or vehicle control system) to activate, collect sensor information, and send the collected information to the server computing device, paragraph 43); and
selecting, by the sensing control function network element, a target sensing device according to the third sensing service request message (In block 306, the server/processor may determine a location for the received report based on the information included in the report. For example, the server/processor may determine the location of a road that the report indicates is blocked. As another example, the server/processor may determine the location of a reporting vehicle/device if the report includes traffic congestion information; In block 308, the server/processor may determine the types of sensors that are suitable for use in determining the veracity of the report. In block 310, the server/processor may identify the suitable sensors (i.e., the sensors determined to be suitable for use in determining the veracity) that are in close proximity to the determined location, paragraph 52 - 53),
wherein the third sensing service request message comprises at least one of the following:
second sensing service description information (The variety of sensors 144 coupled to the vehicle control system 130 may include any of the vehicle's speedometer, wheel speed sensor, torquemeter, turbine speed sensor, variable reluctance sensor, sonar system, radar system, air-fuel ratio meter, water-in-fuel sensor, oxygen sensor, crankshaft position sensor, curb feeler, temperature sensor, Hall effect sensor, manifold absolute pressure sensor, various fluid sensors (e.g., engine coolant sensor, transmission fluid sensor, etc.), tire-pressure monitoring sensor, mass airflow sensor, speed sensor, blind spot monitoring sensor, parking sensor, cameras, microphones, accelerometers, compasses, GPS receiver, and other similar sensors for monitoring physical or environmental conditions in and around the vehicle, paragraph 37);
information of a first area; or
identification information of a candidate sensing device in the first area.
Regarding claim 11, The sensing service processing method according to claim 10, wherein the second sensing service description information comprises at least one of the following:
sensing service type information;
sensing object information (The variety of sensors 144 coupled to the vehicle control system 130 may include any of the vehicle's speedometer, wheel speed sensor, torquemeter, turbine speed sensor, variable reluctance sensor, sonar system, radar system, air-fuel ratio meter, water-in-fuel sensor, oxygen sensor, crankshaft position sensor, curb feeler, temperature sensor, Hall effect sensor, manifold absolute pressure sensor, various fluid sensors (e.g., engine coolant sensor, transmission fluid sensor, etc.), tire-pressure monitoring sensor, mass airflow sensor, speed sensor, blind spot monitoring sensor, parking sensor, cameras, microphones, accelerometers, compasses, GPS receiver, and other similar sensors for monitoring physical or environmental conditions in and around the vehicle, paragraph 37);
sensing measurement type information;
sensing service purpose or application information;
sensing service granularity information;
sensing service time information;
sensing data reporting information; or quality of service requirement information of sensing service.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
6. 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.
7. 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.
8. 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.
9. Claim(s) 4 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Krishnamurthi et al. (US 2017/0272450, Krishnamurthi hereafter) in further view of Marks (US 9,344,969).
Regarding claim 4, Krishnamurthi teaches selecting sensor based on the location information; however, does not specifically disclose reselecting, by the first network element, the target sensing control function network element and/or the target sensing device according to an update of the location information of the first user equipment. Even though the examiner can broadly interpret that at different times the different sensor can be selected but for the examination purpose the another reference Marks is introduced.
Marks teaches reselecting, by the first network element, the target sensing control function network element and/or the target sensing device according to an update of the location information of the first user equipment (sensors to sense for a change in location of the mobile phone with respect to the BTS according to the following process; (i) sampling a first sensor to collect a first set of samples, said first sensor is selected from the group consisting of an inclinometer, an accelerometer, a magnetometer, a global positioning system (GPS), gyroscope, or wireless signals received from a Local Area Network (LAN), claim 9).
It would have been obvious to one of the ordinary skilled in the art at the time of the filing to combine the teachings of Marks re-selecting or updating sensor based on the location update with the system of Krishnamurthi. One would be motivated to combine these teachings because in doing so it can select the appropriate sensor base on the location update; making system work efficiently.
Allowable Subject Matter
10. Claims 5 – 9, 12 – 15 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.
11. Claims 16 – 20 are allowed.
Reasons for Allowance
12. The following is an examiner’s statement of reasons for allowance:
Regarding claim 16, Closest prior art(s) teaches A sensing service processing method, comprising:
receiving, by a sensing control function network element, a first sensing service request message, wherein the first sensing service request message is used for requesting for performing sensing for a service for a first user equipment;
transmitting, by the sensing control function network element, a first request message to a first network element, wherein the first request message is used for requesting to acquire identification information of a sensing device in a sensing serving area corresponding to the first user equipment.
However, does not specifically teach and/or suggest receiving, by the sensing control function network element, a first request response message transmitted by the first network element, and acquiring identification information of a candidate sensing device in the sensing serving area corresponding to the first user equipment; and
selecting, by the sensing control function network element, a target sensing device for the sensing service according to the identification information of the candidate sensing device.
It would have not been obvious to one of the ordinary skilled in the art at the time of the filing to teach and/or suggest above mentioned limitation(s) alone and/or in combination with any other reference(s).
13. 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
14. Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to TANMAY K SHAH whose telephone number is (571)270-3624. The examiner can normally be reached Mon - Fri - 8:00 - 5:00.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Chieh Fan can be reached at 571-272-3042. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/TANMAY K SHAH/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2632
TANMAY K. SHAH
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 2632