DETAILED ACTION
Remarks
The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
This Office Action is responsive to the communication(s) filed on 03/22/2024. Claims 1-32, of which claims 1, 17 and 29 are independent, were pending in this application and are considered below.
Information Disclosure Statement
The references cited on the information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 03/25/2024, 06/27/2024, 09/30/2024, 10/14/2024, and 11/22/2024 have been considered and made of record by the examiner.
Specification
The lengthy specification has not been checked to the extent necessary to determine the presence of all possible minor errors. Applicant's cooperation is requested in correcting any errors of which applicant may become aware in the specification.
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 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 of this title, 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 set forth in Graham v. John Deere Co., 383 U.S. 1,148 USPQ 459 (1966), that are applied for establishing a background for determining obviousness under 35 U.S.C. 103(a) are summarized as follows:
Determining the scope and contents of the prior art.
Ascertaining the differences between the prior art and the claims at issue.
Resolving the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art.
Considering objective evidence present in the application indicating obviousness or nonobviousness.
The foregoing obviousness inquiry requires an expansive and flexible approach, not a rigid approach demanding express teachings, suggestions and motivations to combine prior art teachings. KSR International Co. v. Teleflex, Inc., 82 USPQ2d 1385, 1395, 97 (US 2007). The rationale supporting a conclusion of obviousness should be made explicit for review, but the rationale does not require precise teachings directed to the specific subject matter of the claim. Id. at 1396. A rejection can rely on inferences and creative steps that a person of ordinary skill in the art would employ. Id. Obviousness rejections are not limited to showing the obviousness of solutions to the problems Applicant was trying to solve. Id. at 1397. Rather, one can show obviousness of a claim by establishing the obviousness of any solution to any known problem in the field of endeavor and addressed by a patent application's subject matter. Id. Moreover, one of ordinary skill in the art is not an automaton, but is possessed of ordinary creativity. Id. One of ordinary skill could find alternative uses for prior art elements beyond the elements' primary purposes and fit prior art teachings together like a puzzle. Id. A combination of prior art teachings does not require absolute predictability. Eli Lilly and Co. v. Zenith Goldline Pharmaceuticals Inc., 81 USPQ2d 1324, 1329 (Fed. Cir. 2006). All that is required is a reasonable expectation of success. Id.
Claims 1-3, 5-18, 20-29, and 31-32 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103(a) as being unpatentable over International Publication No. WO/2006127115 A1 to Hanna in view of U.S. Patent Application Publication No. US 2022/0166454 A1 to Jaurigue et al.
Regarding claim 1, Hanna discloses a method comprising:
operatively connecting a communication interface via a network to an RF signal source for an RF radiation source (line 25 of page 4 to line 2 of page 5: "there is provided a radio transmitter arrangement comprising: a power amplifier for generating a radio frequency signal to be radiated from an antenna; power supply means for supplying a supply power to the power amplifier; sensor means for generating a radiated power indication by sensing a radiated signal strength of the radio frequency signal; and control means for controlling the supply power to the power amplifier in response to the radiated power indication."; lines 16-25 of page 11: "The base station comprises a transmit unit 101 which generates signals to be transmitted to mobile stations over the air interface of the cellular communication system. The transmit unit 101 is coupled to a power amplifier 103 which amplifies the signal to be transmitted to a suitable power level required to communicate with the mobile stations. The power amplifier is coupled to an antenna 105 which receives the signal and radiates this as a radio frequency electromagnetic signal.", line 32 of page 12 to line 11 of page 13: "The sensor element 111 specifically generates an electrical signal from the electromagnetic field around the antenna. In the preferred embodiment, the sensor element 111 is located proximal to the antenna such that the electromagnetic field at the sensor element 111 is predominantly caused by electromagnetic radiation from the antenna 105. Thus, the electrical signal generated by the sensor element 111 is predominantly caused by the transmissions of the radio frequency signal amplified by the power amplifier 103.") {the radio frequency signal to be radiated from an antenna, transmissions of the radio frequency signal}, the RF signal source including an application programming interface (API) for controlling a power of, or interrupting, an RF signal produced by the RF signal source (lines 22-26 of page 22: "The invention can be implemented in any suitable form including hardware, software, firmware or any combination of these. The invention may optionally be implemented partly as computer software running on one or more data processors and/or digital signal processors.", lines 5-14 of page 14: "In the base station 100 of FIG. 1, such an excessive radiation of power will result in a radiated power indication of the electrical signal generated by the sensor element 111 clearly indicating that the radiated power is outside the expected values. Accordingly, the fault condition may be detected by the feedback controller 113 which may control the power supply controller 107 to reduce the power to the power amplifier 103 thereby limiting the output power and the radiated power from the antenna.") {software running on data processors, reduce the power};
sending, (lines 22-26 of page 22: "The invention can be implemented in any suitable form including hardware, software, firmware or any combination of these. The invention may optionally be implemented partly as computer software running on one or more data processors and/or digital signal processors.", lines 16-21 of page 13: "The sensor element 111 is coupled to a feedback controller 113 which is further coupled to the power supply controller 107. The feedback controller 113 receives the electrical signal from the sensor element 111 and controls the power which is supplied to the power amplifier 103 through the power supply controller 107.") {software running on data processors, feedback controller 113 receives the electrical signal from the sensor element 111}, the first command being sent by the processor using the communication interface and configured to cause the API to temporarily reduce or interrupt the RF signal produced by the RF signal source (line 32 of page 12 lo line 11 of page 13: "The sensor element 111 specifically generates an electrical signal from the electromagnetic field around the antenna. In the preferred embodiment, the sensor element 111 is located proximal to the antenna such that the electromagnetic field at the sensor element 111 is predominantly caused by electromagnetic radiation from the antenna 105. Thus, the electrical signal generated by the sensor element 111 is predominantly caused by the transmissions of the radio frequency signal amplified by the power amplifier 103."; lines 5-14 of page 14: "In the base station 100 of FIG. 1, such an excessive radiation of power will result in a radiated power indication of the electrical signal generated by the sensor element 111 clearly indicating that the radiated power is outside the expected values. Accordingly, the fault condition may be detected by the feedback controller 113 which may control the power supply controller 107 to reduce the power to the power amplifier 103 thereby limiting the output power and the radiated power from the antenna."). Hana disclose as stated except for expressly teaching detecting, via one or more sensors operatively connected to a processor, that an object has entered an area of concern proximate to the RF radiation source; and sending, at least in response to detection by the one or more sensors that the object has entered the area of concern.
Jaurigue et al. disclose a method for automated RF safety compliance (abstract) and further discloses wherein:
detecting, via one or more sensors operatively connected to a processor, that an object has entered an area of concern proximate to the RF radiation source (¶[0076] "a sensor system may comprise a combination of sensors, including, for example, one or more cameras. System 100 could host artificial intelligence (e.g., one or more machine-learning models), or an augmented reality system, that processes images from the camera(s) to detect and/or confirm the presence of a human within the vicinity of one or more transmitting antennas, as well as determine the distance between the human and the transmitting antenna(s)."); and
sending, at least in response to detection by the one or more sensors that the object has entered the area of concern (¶[0078] " the system 100 may use individual sensors or a combination of multiple sensors, connected to transmitters, to provide information about security, attendance, status of transmitters and their associated antenna locations, and/or the like. Furthermore, the system 100 my utilize sensors, operating parameters, use cases, and/or artificial intelligence (Al) systems to trigger automated modification of transmitter characteristics to ensure compliance with current and any future updates of RF exposure regulations.") {i.e., to provide information about security, attendance, status of transmitters}. It is desirable to ensure in real-time compliance with RF exposure regulation while human presence is detected. Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to modify the system of Hanna to include detecting that an object has entered an area of concern, as disclosed by Jaurigue et al. in order to allow the system to control transmitter characteristics when human presence is detected, as disclosed Jaurigue et al. (¶[0076]).
Regarding claim 17, Hanna discloses a method comprising: operatively connecting a communication interface via a network to an RF signal source providing an RF signal to an RF radiation source (line 25 of page 4 to line 2 of page 5: "there is provided a radio transmitter arrangement comprising: a power amplifier for generating a radio frequency signal to be radiated from an antenna; power supply means for supplying a supply power to the power amplifier; sensor means for generating a radiated power indication by sensing a radiated signal strength of the radio frequency signal; and control means for controlling the supply power to the power amplifier in response to the radiated power indication."; lines 16-25 of page 11: "The base station comprises a transmit unit 101 which generates signals to be transmitted to mobile stations over the air interface of the cellular communication system. The transmit unit 101 is coupled to a power amplifier 103 which amplifies the signal to be transmitted to a suitable power level required to communicate with the mobile stations. The power amplifier is coupled to an antenna 105 which receives the signal and radiates this as a radio frequency electromagnetic signal.", line 32 of page 12 to line 11 of page 13: "The sensor element 111 specifically generates an electrical signal from the electromagnetic field around the antenna. In the preferred embodiment, the sensor element 111 is located proximal to the antenna such that the electromagnetic field at the sensor element 111 is predominantly caused by electromagnetic radiation from the antenna 105. Thus, the electrical signal generated by the sensor element 111 is predominantly caused by the transmissions of the radio frequency signal amplified by the power amplifier 103.") {the radio frequency signal to be radiated from an antenna, transmissions of the radio frequency signal};
sending, (lines 22-26 of page 22: "The invention can be implemented in any suitable form including hardware, software, firmware or any combination of these. The invention may optionally be implemented partly as computer software running on one or more data processors and/or digital signal processors.", lines 16-21 of page 13: "The sensor element 111 is coupled to a feedback controller 113 which is further coupled to the power supply controller 107. The feedback controller 113 receives the electrical signal from the sensor element 111 and controls the power which is supplied to the power amplifier 103 through the power supply controller 107.") {software running on data processors, feedback controller 113 receives the electrical signal from the sensor element 111, i.e., the feedback controller is the operator controlling through power supply} requesting that the operator temporarily reduce or interrupt the RF signal produced by the RF signal source (line 32 of page 12 lo line 11 of page 13: "The sensor element 111 specifically generates an electrical signal from the electromagnetic field around the antenna. In the preferred embodiment, the sensor element 111 is located proximal to the antenna such that the electromagnetic field at the sensor element 111 is predominantly caused by electromagnetic radiation from the antenna 105. Thus, the electrical signal generated by the sensor element 111 is predominantly caused by the transmissions of the radio frequency signal amplified by the power amplifier 103."; lines 5-14 of page 14: "In the base station 100 of FIG. 1, such an excessive radiation of power will result in a radiated power indication of the electrical signal generated by the sensor element 111 clearly indicating that the radiated power is outside the expected values. Accordingly, the fault condition may be detected by the feedback controller 113 which may control the power supply controller 107 to reduce the power to the power amplifier 103 thereby limiting the output power and the radiated power from the antenna."). Hana disclose as stated except for expressly teaching detecting, via one or more sensors operatively connected to a processor, that an object has entered an area of concern proximate to the RF radiation source; and sending, at least in response to detection by the one or more sensors that the object has entered the area of concern.
Jaurigue et al. disclose a method for automated RF safety compliance (abstract) and further discloses wherein:
detecting, via one or more sensors operatively connected to a processor, that an object has entered an area of concern proximate to the RF radiation source (¶[0076] "a sensor system may comprise a combination of sensors, including, for example, one or more cameras. System 100 could host artificial intelligence (e.g., one or more machine-learning models), or an augmented reality system, that processes images from the camera(s) to detect and/or confirm the presence of a human within the vicinity of one or more transmitting antennas, as well as determine the distance between the human and the transmitting antenna(s)."); and
sending, at least in response to detection by the one or more sensors that the object has entered the area of concern (¶[0078] " the system 100 may use individual sensors or a combination of multiple sensors, connected to transmitters, to provide information about security, attendance, status of transmitters and their associated antenna locations, and/or the like. Furthermore, the system 100 my utilize sensors, operating parameters, use cases, and/or artificial intelligence (Al) systems to trigger automated modification of transmitter characteristics to ensure compliance with current and any future updates of RF exposure regulations.") {i.e., to provide information about security, attendance, status of transmitters}. It is desirable to ensure in real-time compliance with RF exposure regulation while human presence is detected. Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to modify the system of Hanna to include detecting that an object has entered an area of concern, as disclosed by Jaurigue et al. in order to allow the system to control transmitter characteristics when human presence is detected, as disclosed Jaurigue et al. (¶[0076]).
Regarding claim 29, Hanna discloses a method comprising:
operatively connecting a communication interface via a network to a power supply for an RF radiation source (line 25 of page 4 to line 2 of page 5: "there is provided a radio transmitter arrangement comprising: a power amplifier for generating a radio frequency signal to be radiated from an antenna; power supply means for supplying a supply power to the power amplifier; sensor means for generating a radiated power indication by sensing a radiated signal strength of the radio frequency signal; and control means for controlling the supply power to the power amplifier in response to the radiated power indication."; lines 16-25 of page 11: "The base station comprises a transmit unit 101 which generates signals to be transmitted to mobile stations over the air interface of the cellular communication system. The transmit unit 101 is coupled to a power amplifier 103 which amplifies the signal to be transmitted to a suitable power level required to communicate with the mobile stations. The power amplifier is coupled to an antenna 105 which receives the signal and radiates this as a radio frequency electromagnetic signal.", line 32 of page 12 to line 11 of page 13: "The sensor element 111 specifically generates an electrical signal from the electromagnetic field around the antenna. In the preferred embodiment, the sensor element 111 is located proximal to the antenna such that the electromagnetic field at the sensor element 111 is predominantly caused by electromagnetic radiation from the antenna 105. Thus, the electrical signal generated by the sensor element 111 is predominantly caused by the transmissions of the radio frequency signal amplified by the power amplifier 103.") {the radio frequency signal to be radiated from an antenna, transmissions of the radio frequency signal} the power supply including an application programming interface (API) for controlling or interrupting power provided by the power supply (lines 22-26 of page 22: "The invention can be implemented in any suitable form including hardware, software, firmware or any combination of these. The invention may optionally be implemented partly as computer software running on one or more data processors and/or digital signal processors.", lines 5-14 of page 14: "In the base station 100 of FIG. 1, such an excessive radiation of power will result in a radiated power indication of the electrical signal generated by the sensor element 111 clearly indicating that the radiated power is outside the expected values. Accordingly, the fault condition may be detected by the feedback controller 113 which may control the power supply controller 107 to reduce the power to the power amplifier 103 thereby limiting the output power and the radiated power from the antenna.") {software running on data processors, reduce the power};
sending, (lines 22-26 of page 22: "The invention can be implemented in any suitable form including hardware, software, firmware or any combination of these. The invention may optionally be .implemented partly as computer software running on one or more data processors and/or digital signal processors.", lines 16-21 of page 13: "The sensor element 111 is coupled to a feedback controller 113 which is further coupled to the power supply controller 107. The feedback controller 113 receives the electrical signal from the sensor element 111 and controls the power which is supplied to the power amplifier 103 through the power supply controller 107.") {software running on data processors, feedback controller 113 receives the electrical signal from the sensor element 111} the first command being sent by the processor using the communication interface and configured to cause the API to temporarily reduce or interrupt the power provided by the power supply to the RF radiation source (line 32 of page 12 lo line 11 of page 13: "The sensor element 111 specifically generates an electrical signal from the electromagnetic field around the antenna. In the preferred embodiment, the sensor element 111 is located proximal to the antenna such that the electromagnetic field at the sensor element 111 is predominantly caused by electromagnetic radiation from the antenna 105. Thus, the electrical signal generated by the sensor element 111 is predominantly caused by the transmissions of the radio frequency signal amplified by the power amplifier 103."; lines 5-14 of page 14: "In the base station 100 of FIG. 1, such an excessive radiation of power will result in a radiated power indication of the electrical signal generated by the sensor element 111 clearly indicating that the radiated power is outside the expected values. Accordingly, the fault condition may be detected by the feedback controller 113 which may control the power supply controller 107 to reduce the power to the power amplifier 103 thereby limiting the output power and the radiated power from the antenna.").
Hana disclose as stated except for expressly teaching detecting, via one or more sensors operatively connected to a processor, that an object has entered an area of concern proximate to the RF radiation source; and sending: at least in response to detection by the one or more sensors that the object has entered the area of concern.
Jaurigue et al. disclose a method for automated RF safety compliance (abstract) and further discloses wherein:
detecting, via one or more sensors operatively connected to a processor, that an object has entered an area of concern proximate to the RF radiation source (¶[0076] "a sensor system may comprise a combination of sensors, including, for example, one or more cameras. System 100 could host artificial intelligence (e.g., one or more machine-learning models), or an augmented reality system, that processes images from the camera(s) to detect and/or confirm the presence of a human within the vicinity of one or more transmitting antennas, as well as determine the distance between the human and the transmitting antenna(s)."); and
sending: at least in response to detection by the one or more sensors that the object has entered the area of concern (¶[0078] " the system 100 may use individual sensors or a combination of multiple sensors, connected to transmitters, to provide information about security, attendance, status of transmitters and their associated antenna locations, and/or the like. Furthermore, the system 100 my utilize sensors, operating parameters, use cases, and/or artificial intelligence (Al) systems to trigger automated modification of transmitter characteristics to ensure compliance with current and any future updates of RF exposure regulations.") {i.e., to provide information about security, attendance, status of transmitters}. It is desirable to ensure in real-time compliance with RF exposure regulation while human presence is detected. Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to modify the system of Hanna to include detecting that an object has entered an area of concern, as disclosed by Jaurigue et al. in order to allow the system to control transmitter characteristics when human presence is detected, as disclosed Jaurigue et al. (¶[0076]).
Regarding claims 2 and 18, Hanna in view of Jaurigue et al. disclose as stated above. Jaurigue et al. further disclose wherein the object is a human (¶[0075] "a sensor may be a motion sensor that detects movement in the area surrounding the transmitter. When movement is detected, the system 100 may utilize camera images to identify the source of the movement. Based on the source of the movement, the system 100 may modify the operation of the transmitter to ensure compliance with RF exposure regulations. For example, operating characteristics may be adjusted if a person triggered the sensor, thereby reducing the exposure to within regulations."), the one or more sensors include an artificial intelligence (Al) camera, and detecting comprises distinguishing the human from other types of objects using the Al camera (¶[0076] "a sensor system may comprise a combination of sensors, including, for example, one or more cameras. System 100 could host artificial intelligence (e.g., one or more machine-learning models), or an augmented reality system, that processes images from the camera(s) to detect and/or confirm the presence of a human within the vicinity of one or more transmitting antennas, as well as determine the distance between the human and the transmitting antenna(s).").
Regarding claim 3, HANNA in view of Jaurigue et al. disclose as stated above. Jaurigue et al. further disclose wherein detecting comprises detecting that the object has entered the area of concern using at least one of a proximity sensor, a motion detector, a barrier tip/move sensor, or a photoelectric beam sensor (¶[0075] "As an example, a sensor may be a motion sensor that detects movement in the area surrounding the transmitter. When movement is detected, the system 100 may utilize camera images to identify the source of the movement. Based on the source of the movement, the system 100 may modify the operation of the transmitter to ensure compliance with RF exposure regulations. For example, operating characteristics may be adjusted if a person triggered the sensor, thereby reducing the exposure to within regulations.") {e.g., motion detector }.
Regarding claims 5 and 20, Hanna in view of Jaurigue et al. disclose as stated above. Jaurigue et al. further disclose wherein a signal reducer is operatively connected to the processor and disposed on a signal path between an input and an output, the input being operatively connected to the RF signal source and the output being operatively coupled to the RF radiation source (¶[0077) "sensors may be utilized by the system for monitoring access to antenna locations. The sensors may trigger an automated modification of the transmitter characteristics to ensure compliance with current and any future updates of RF exposure regulations. For example, the transmitter power to one or more antennas may be reduced or completely shut off by the system 100, in response to sensing motion towards the antenna(s) (e.g., indicative of a person gelling closer to the antenna(s)), to ensure that maximum exposure limits are not exceeded (e.g., for as long as motion is sensed near the antenna(s)).") {i.e., antenna, person, transmitter power to one or more antennas may be reduced or completely shut off by the system 100}, the method further comprising:
controlling the signal reducer, via the processor, to reduce or interrupt the RF signal between the input and the output in response to a condition (¶[0077) "sensors may be utilized by the system for monitoring access to antenna locations. The sensors may trigger an automated modification of the transmitter characteristics to ensure compliance with current and any future updates of RF exposure regulations. For example, the transmitter power to one or more antennas may be reduced or completely shut off by the system 100, in response to sensing motion towards the antenna(s) (e.g., indicative of a person getting closer to the antenna(s)), to ensure that maximum exposure limits are not exceeded (e.g., for as long as motion is sensed near the antenna(s)).") {i.e., person getting closer to the antenna, transmitter power to one or more antennas may be reduced or completely shut off by the system 100}.
Regarding claim 6, Hanna in view of Jaurigue et al. disclose as stated above. Jaurigue et al. further disclose tracking, by the processor, an amount of elapsed time since the first command was sent to the API, the condition comprising the elapsed time exceeding a predetermined time (¶[0140] "FIG. 8B is a flow diagram of the functions performed once a power down request email is sent to the transmitter owner or operator, according to an embodiment. This request is sent automatically by database administration module 444 of FIG. 5. At step 726, at predetermined time intervals, a check is carried out to determine if a response from the transmitter owner or operator has been received.").
Regarding claims 7 and 22, Hanna in view of Jaurigue et al. disclose as stated above. Jaurigue et al. further disclose:
tracking, by the processor, a power density of RF radiation within the area of concern or an RF radiation exposure to the object (¶[0076] "While the human presence is detected, the system 100 may continually modify the operation of the transmitting antenna(s), based on the calculated power density experienced by a human at the position of the human and/or at the determined distance between the human and the transmitting antenna(s), in real time, as that position and/or distance changes over time, to ensure real-time compliance with RF exposure regulations as the human moves around within the vicinity of the transmitting antenna(s)." {i.e., power density}; ¶[0086) "The system 100 may also be configured to determine the modifications to be made, for example, based on a determined MPE map and/or power density calculations of the detected area, and modify one or more transmitter characteristics to ensure compliance."), the condition comprising the power density within the area of concern or the RF radiation exposure to the object exceeding a predetermined level (¶[0086) "The system 100 may also be configured to determine the modifications to be made, for example, based on a determined MPE map and/or power density calculations of the detected area, and modify one or more transmitter characteristics to ensure compliance.") {i.e., power density, ensure compliance}.
Regarding claims 8 and 23, Hanna in view of Jaurigue et al. disclose as stated above. Jaurigue et al. further disclose:
wherein tracking the RF radiation exposure comprises tracking a cumulative RF radiation exposure to the object since the object entered the area of concern (¶[0109) "The engineering tools module 436 may generate and provide an MPE map based on dynamic resident database information and/or modified data. For example, the engineering tools module 436 may utilize the dynamic resident database information to calculate power densities for antennas in the database, including calculations for intermodulation, isolation, and creation of a hypothetical site called a "try-out" site. For the MPE map, the user can select any antennae from the site to view all information about the antennae. The user can manipulate some of the data to see how it affects the MPE maps. For intermodulation, the module 436 calculates the intermodulation between two selected antennas. For isolation, the module 436 calculates the isolation between the two selected antennas. The user can create try-out sites by placing new antennas into the site to create a preview of MPE maps or calculate intermodulation and isolation.") {i.e., dynamic resident database information, MPE maps}.
Regarding claim 9, Hanna in view of Jaurigue et al. disclose as stated above. Hanna further discloses wherein controlling the signal reducer comprises controlling a relay (line 21 of page 18, to line 5 of page 19 "The capacitor 203 is coupled to a comparator 207 which is furthermore provided with a reference voltage from a voltage generator 209. The comparison voltage of the voltage generator 209 is set to provide an upper threshold for the measured signal level above which a fault is deemed to have occurred. The output of the comparator 207 is fed to a latching relay 211. The relay 211 operates a switch 213 of a power supply line 215 feeding power to the power amplifier 103. Thus, as long as the signal level measured by the sensor element 111 is sufficiently low for the comparison voltage to exceed that of the capacitor voltage, the comparator 207 provides a low voltage resulting in the relay remaining in the position where the switch 213 is closed thus allowing power to be supplied to the power amplifier 103.").
Regarding claim 10, Hanna in view of Jaurigue et al. disclose as stated above. Hanna further discloses wherein controlling the signal reducer comprises controlling an attenuator (lines 22-24 of page 8 "According to an optional feature of the invention, the resonating element is tuned to a frequency of the radio frequency signal. The resonating element may specifically be tuned to attenuate signals outside a frequency interval comprising the frequency of the radio frequency signal. This may allow improved performance and may in particular allow increased accuracy of the sensing by attenuating sources of interference.") {i.e., resonating element, attenuate signals}.
Regarding claim 11, Hanna in view of Jaurigue et al. disclose as stated above. Hanna further discloses wherein controlling the attenuator comprises controlling a variable attenuator configured to temporarily reduce the RF signal by a variable amount (lines 22-31 of page 8"According to an optional feature of the invention, the resonating element is tuned to a frequency of the radio frequency signal. The resonating element may specifically be tuned to attenuate signals outside a frequency interval comprising the frequency of the radio frequency signal. This may allow improved performance and may in particular allow increased accuracy of the sensing by attenuating sources of interference.") {i.e., attenuate signals outside a frequency interval}.
Regarding claim 12, Hanna in view of Jaurigue et al. disclose as stated above. Jaurigue et al. further disclose further comprising:
receiving information about the power of the RF signal, a power density of RF radiation within the area of concern, or RF radiation
exposure to the object within the area of concern (¶[0086] "The system 100 may also be configured to determine the modifications to be made, for example, based on a determined MPE map and/or power density calculations of the detected area, and modify one or more transmitter characteristics to ensure compliance. In an embodiment, the system 100 may issue a warning or other indication to a user to cause the modification.") {power density calculations}; and
determining whether to send the first command based on the information and the detection by the one or more sensors that the object has entered the area of concern (¶[0086] "The system 100 may also be configured to determine the modifications to be made, for example, based on a determined MPE map and/or power density calculations of the detected area, and modify one or more transmitter characteristics to ensure compliance. In an embodiment, the system 100 may issue a warning or other indication to a user to cause the modification.") {i.e., indication to a user to cause the modification}.
Regarding claims 13 and 27, Hanna in view of Jaurigue et al. disclose as stated above. Jaurigue et al. further disclose:
operatively connecting an input to the RF signal source (¶[0158] "power densities may be measured using equipment (e.g., customer equipment and/or custom equipment) positioned within an operating range of the antenna (e.g., a controlled and/or restricted area of the MPE map). For example, the equipment may be configured to detect output from an antenna and measure the power across a detection area. By utilizing such equipment, the systems described herein may be configured to measure power densities for RF transmitters of wireless networks utilizing, but not limited to MIMO, Massive MIMO, antenna arrays, and beamforming algorithms, and provide proper safety instructions to ensure compliance with existing and any future RF exposure regulations.") {i.e., customer equipment};
operatively connecting an output to the RF radiation source (¶[0158] "In an embodiment, power densities may be measured using equipment (e.g., customer equipment and/or custom equipment) positioned within an operating range of the antenna (e.g., a controlled and/or restricted area of the MPE map). For example, the equipment may be configured to detect output from an antenna and measure the power across a detection area. By utilizing such equipment, the systems described herein may be configured to measure power densities for RF transmitters of wireless networks utilizing, but not limited to MIMO, Massive MIMO, antenna arrays, and beamforming algorithms, and provide proper safety instructions to ensure compliance with existing and any future RF exposure regulations.") {i.e., detect output from an antenna}; and
determining the power of the RF signal from the RF signal source via a signal meter disposed on a path between the input and the output (¶[0158] "In an embodiment, power densities may be measured using equipment (e.g., customer equipment and/or custom equipment) positioned within an operating range of the antenna (e.g., a controlled and/or restricted area of the MPE map). For example, the equipment may be configured to detect output from an antenna and measure the power across a detection area. By utilizing such equipment, the systems described herein may be configured to measure power densities for RF transmitters of wireless networks utilizing, but not limited to MIMO, Massive MIMO, antenna arrays, and beamforming algorithms, and provide proper safety instructions to ensure compliance with existing and any future RF exposure regulations.") {i.e., measure the power across a detection area}.
Regarding claim 14, Hanna in view of Jaurigue et al. disclose as stated above. Hanna further discloses wherein the processor is operatively connected to the signal meter, the method further comprising:
receiving, by the processor from the signal meter, information about the power of the RF signal (lines 5-9 of page "In the base station 100 of FIG. 1, such an excessive radiation of power will result in a radiated power indication of the electrical signal generated by the sensor element 111 clearly indicating that the radiated power is outside the expected values."); and
calculating, by the processor, a reduction lo the power of the RF signal to reduce RF radiation emitted by the RF radiation source below a predetermined level (lines 9-14 of page 14 "Accordingly, the fault condition may be detected by the feedback controller 113 which may control the power supply controller 107 to reduce the power to the power amplifier 103 thereby limiting the output power and the radiated power from the antenna.");
wherein the first command sent to the API includes an indication of the reduction calculated by the processor (lines 22-26 of page "The invention can be implemented in any suitable form including hardware, software, firmware or any combination of these. The invention may optionally be implemented partly as computer software running on one or more data processors and/or digital signal processors." {i.e., software running on data processors, reduce the power}; lines 9-14 of page 14 "Accordingly, the fault condition may be detected by the feedback controller 113 which may control the power supply controller 107 to reduce the power to the power amplifier 103 thereby limiting the output power and the radiated power from the antenna.").
Regarding claim 15, Hanna in view of Jaurigue et al. disclose as stated above. Jaurigue et al. further disclose wherein the predetermined level is a function of a maximum permissible exposure (MPE) of the RF radiation for a human (¶[0063] "RF Information table 222 may store the information used to calculate power density levels used for creating MPE maps by module 430 of FIG. 5 and for the Engineering tools functionalities of module 436 of FIG. 5."; ¶[0086] "The system 100 may recognize the detection signal, process the signal, and determine to modify the operation of the transmitter to ensure compliance with RF regulations. The system 100 may also be configured to determine the modifications to be made, for example, based on a determined MPE map and/or power density calculations of the detected area, and modify one or more transmitter characteristics to ensure compliance.").
Regarding claim 16, Hanna in view of Jaurigue et al. disclose as stated above. Jaurigue et al. further disclose initiating, by the processor, at least one of an audible warning or a visual warning to the object that has entered the area of concern (¶[0055] "Remote user devices 110 include traditional computers, mobile computers, mobile telephones, smart phones, and/or other mobile or fixed computing devices which can provide a user interface (e.g., a display and input mechanism) and access to the system 100 via a network 114, such as the Internet." {i.e., visual warning}; ¶[0086] "The system 100 may also be configured to determine the modifications to be made, for example, based on a determined MPE map and/or power density calculations of the detected area, and modify one or more transmitter characteristics to ensure compliance. In an embodiment, the system 100 may issue a warning or other indication to a user to cause the modification.").
Regarding claim 21, Hanna in view of Jaurigue et al. disclose as stated above. Jaurigue et al. further disclose tracking, by the processor, an amount of elapsed time since the first request was sent to the operator of the RF signal source, the condition comprising the elapsed time exceeding a predetermined time (¶[0140] "FIG. 8B is a flow diagram of the functions performed once a power down request email is sent to the transmitter owner or operator, according to an embodiment. This request is sent automatically by database administration module 444 of FIG. 5. At step 726, at predetermined time intervals, a check is carried out to determine if a response from the transmitter owner or operator has been received.").
Regarding claim 24, Hanna in view of Jaurigue et al. disclose as stated above. Hanna further discloses wherein the signal reducer includes a relay or an attenuator (line 21 of page 18, to line 5 of page 19 "The capacitor 203 is coupled to a comparator 207 which is furthermore provided with a reference voltage from a voltage generator 209. The comparison voltage of the voltage generator 209 is set to provide an upper threshold for the measured signal level above which a fault is deemed to have occurred. The output of the comparator 207 is fed to a latching relay 211. The relay 211 operates a switch 213 of a power supply line 215 feeding power to the power amplifier 103. Thus, as long as the signal level measured by the sensor element 111 is sufficiently low for the comparison voltage to exceed that of the capacitor voltage, the comparator 207 provides a low voltage resulting in the relay remaining in the position where the switch 213 is closed thus allowing power to be supplied to the power amplifier 103.").
Regarding claim 25, Hanna in view of Jaurigue et al. disclose as stated above. Hanna further discloses wherein the attenuator is a variable attenuator, and wherein controlling the signal reducer comprises controlling the variable attenuator to temporarily reduce the RF signal by a variable amount determined by the processor (lines 22-31 of page 8"According to an optional feature of the invention, the resonating element is tuned to a frequency of the radio frequency signal. The resonating element may specifically be tuned to attenuate signals outside a frequency interval comprising the frequency of the radio frequency signal. This may allow improved performance and may in particular allow increased accuracy of the sensing by attenuating sources of interference.") {i.e., attenuate signals outside a frequency interval}..
Regarding claim 26, Hanna in view of Jaurigue et al. disclose as stated above. Jaurigue et al. further disclose:
receiving information about a power of the RF signal, a power density of RF radiation within the area of concern, or RF radiation exposure to the object within the area of concern (¶[0086] "The system 100 may also be configured to determine the modifications to be made, for example, based on a determined MPE map and/or power density calculations of the detected area, and modify one or more transmitter characteristics to ensure compliance. In an embodiment, the system 100 may issue a warning or other indication to a user to cause the modification.") {power density calculations}; and
determining whether to send the first request based on the information and the detection by the one or more sensors that the object has entered the area of concern (¶[0086] "The system 100 may also be configured to determine the modifications to be made, for example, based on a determined MPE map and/or power density calculations of the detected area, and modify one or more transmitter characteristics to ensure compliance. In an embodiment, the system 100 may issue a warning or other indication to a user to cause the modification.") {i.e., indication to a user to cause the modification}.
Regarding claim 28, Hanna in view of Jaurigue et al. disclose as stated above. Hanna further discloses:
receiving, by the processor from the signal meter, information about the power of the RF signal (lines 5-9 of page "In the base station 100 of FIG. 1, such an excessive radiation of power will result in a radiated power indication of the electrical signal generated by the sensor element 111 clearly indicating that the radiated power is outside the expected values."); and
calculating, by the processor, a reduction to the power of the RF signal to reduce RF radiation emitted by the RF radiation source below a predetermined level (lines 9-14 of page 14 "Accordingly, the fault condition may be detected by the feedback controller 113 which may control the power supply controller 107 to reduce the power to the power amplifier 103 thereby limiting the output power and the radiated power from the antenna.");
wherein the first request sent to the operator of the RF signal source includes an indication of the reduction calculated by the processor "The invention can be implemented in any suitable form including hardware, software, firmware or any combination of these. The invention may optionally be implemented partly as computer software running on one or more data processors and/or digital signal processors." {i.e., software running on data processors, reduce the power}; lines 9-14 of page 14 "Accordingly, the fault condition may be detected by the feedback controller 113 which may control the power supply controller 107 to reduce the power to the power amplifier 103 thereby limiting the output power and the radiated power from the antenna.").
Regarding claim 31, Hanna in view of Jaurigue et al. disclose as stated above. Jaurigue et al. further disclose:
operatively connecting an input to the power supply (¶[0158] "power densities may be measured using equipment (e.g., customer equipment and/or custom equipment) positioned within an operating range of the antenna (e.g., a controlled and/or restricted area of the MPE map). For example, the equipment may be configured to detect output from an antenna and measure the power across a detection area. By utilizing such equipment, the systems described herein may be configured to measure power densities for RF transmitters of wireless networks utilizing, but not limited to MIMO, Massive MIMO, antenna arrays, and beamforming algorithms, and provide proper safety instructions to ensure compliance with existing and any future RF exposure regulations.") {i.e., customer equipment};
operatively connecting an output to the RF radiation source (¶[0158] "In an embodiment, power densities may be measured using equipment (e.g., customer equipment and/or custom equipment) positioned within an operating range of the antenna (e.g., a controlled and/or restricted area of the MPE map). For example, the equipment may be configured to detect output from an antenna and measure the power across a detection area. By utilizing such equipment, the systems described herein may be configured to measure power densities for RF transmitters of wireless networks utilizing, but not limited to MIMO, Massive MIMO, antenna arrays, and beamforming algorithms, and provide proper safety instructions to ensure compliance with existing and any future RF exposure regulations.") {i.e., detect output from an antenna}; and
determining the power provided by the power supply via a power monitor disposed on a path between the input and the output (¶[0158] "In an embodiment, power densities may be measured using equipment (e.g., customer equipment and/or custom equipment) positioned within an operating range of the antenna (e.g., a controlled and/or restricted area of the MPE map). For example, the equipment may be configured to detect output from an antenna and measure the power across a detection area. By utilizing such equipment, the systems described herein may be configured to measure power densities for RF transmitters of wireless networks utilizing, but not limited to MIMO, Massive MIMO, antenna arrays, and beamforming algorithms, and provide proper safety instructions to ensure compliance with existing and any future RF exposure regulations.") {i.e., measure the power across a detection area}.
Regarding claim 32, Hanna in view of Jaurigue et al. disclose as stated above. Hanna further discloses:
receiving, by the processor from the signal meter, information about the power of the RF signal (lines 5-9 of page "In the base station 100 of FIG. 1, such an excessive radiation of power will result in a radiated power indication of the electrical signal generated by the sensor element 111 clearly indicating that the radiated power is outside the expected values."); and
calculating, by the processor, a reduction lo the power of the RF signal to reduce RF radiation emitted by the RF radiation source below a predetermined level (lines 9-14 of page 14 "Accordingly, the fault condition may be detected by the feedback controller 113 which may control the power supply controller 107 to reduce the power to the power amplifier 103 thereby limiting the output power and the radiated power from the antenna.");
wherein the first command sent to the API includes an indication of the reduction calculated by the processor (lines 22-26 of page "The invention can be implemented in any suitable form including hardware, software, firmware or any combination of these. The invention may optionally be implemented partly as computer software running on one or more data processors and/or digital signal processors." {i.e., software running on data processors, reduce the power}; lines 9-14 of page 14 "Accordingly, the fault condition may be detected by the feedback controller 113 which may control the power supply controller 107 to reduce the power to the power amplifier 103 thereby limiting the output power and the radiated power from the antenna."). Jaurigue et al. further disclose wherein the predetermined level is a function of a maximum permissible exposure (MPE) of the RF radiation for a human (¶[0063] "RF Information table 222 may store the information used to calculate power density levels used for creating MPE maps by module 430 of FIG. 5 and for the Engineering tools functionalities of module 436 of FIG. 5."; ¶[0086] "The system 100 may recognize the detection signal, process the signal, and determine to modify the operation of the transmitter to ensure compliance with RF regulations. The system 100 may also be configured to determine the modifications to be made, for example, based on a determined MPE map and/or power density calculations of the detected area, and modify one or more transmitter characteristics to ensure compliance.").
Claims 4, 19 and 30 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103(a) as being unpatentable over Hanna in view of Jaurigue et al. and further in view of U.S. Patent Application Publication No. US 2021/0297104 A1 to Zhou et al.
Regarding claims 4 and 30, Hanna in view of Jaurigue et al. disclose as stated above, except for expressly teaching sending, at least in response to the one or more sensors detecting that the object has exited the area of concern, a second request via the communication interface to the API to restore the RF signal produced by the RF signal source to an original level.
Zhou et al. disclose a method for exposure detection and reporting (abstract) and further discloses sending, at least in response to the one or more sensors detecting that the object has exited the area of concern, a second request via the communication interface to the API to restore the RF signal produced by the RF signal source to an original level (¶[0314] "FIG. 30 shows an example method for coverage recovery and/or coverage loss mitigation. A method 3000 may comprise uplink coverage recovery and/or coverage loss mitigation. At step 3010, a wireless device may start a detection timer (e.g., an MPE detection timer) based on initializing a coverage recovery. At step 3015, the wireless device may determine whether an exposure instance (e.g., an MPE instance) has been detected. If no exposure instance is detected (e.g., step 3020), then the wireless device may repeat step 3015. At step 3025, the wireless device may increment a coverage recovery counter. At step 3030, the wireless device may determine whether the CR counter is greater than a quantity and/or whether the CR timer is running. The quantity may be preset, prestored, and/or provided in one or more configuration parameters received from a base station or another wireless device. If the CR counter is not greater than the quantity (e.g., step 3035), the wireless device may repeat step 3015 to determine whether an exposure instance has been detected. At step 3040, the wireless device may reset the CR counter and/or stop the detection timer. At step 3050, the wireless device may trigger/initiate/send a transmission of a CR signal. The CR signal may be associated with a reporting of one or more MPE indication(s).") {i.e., coverage recovery, send a transmission of a CR signal}. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to modify the system Hanna in view of Jaurigue et al. to include sending a second request to restore RF signal disclosed by Zhou et al. because it allows the system to recover the coverage area for
the transmission equipment based on MPE indicators, as suggested by Zhou et al. (¶[03141).
Regarding claim 19, Hanna in view of Jaurigue et al. disclose as stated above, except for expressly teaching sending, at least in response to the one or more sensors detecting that the object has exited the area of concern, a second request via the communication interface to the operator of the RF signal source requesting that the operator restore the RF signal produced by the RF signal source to an original level.
Zhou et al. disclose a method for exposure detection and reporting (abstract) and further discloses sending, at least in response to the one or more sensors detecting that the object has exited the area of concern, a second request via the communication interface to the operator of the RF signal source requesting that the operator restore the RF signal produced by the RF signal source to an original level. (¶[0314] "FIG. 30 shows an example method for coverage recovery and/or coverage loss mitigation. A method 3000 may comprise uplink coverage recovery and/or coverage loss mitigation. At step 3010, a wireless device may start a detection timer (e.g., an MPE detection timer) based on initializing a coverage recovery. At step 3015, the wireless device may determine whether an exposure instance (e.g., an MPE instance) has been detected. If no exposure instance is detected (e.g., step 3020), then the wireless device may repeat step 3015. At step 3025, the wireless device may increment a coverage recovery counter. At step 3030, the wireless device may determine whether the CR counter is greater than a quantity and/or whether the CR timer is running. The quantity may be preset, prestored, and/or provided in one or more configuration parameters received from a base station or another wireless device. If the CR counter is not greater than the quantity (e.g., step 3035), the wireless device may repeat step 3015 to determine whether an exposure instance has been detected. At step 3040, the wireless device may reset the CR counter and/or stop the detection timer. At step 3050, the wireless device may trigger/initiate/send a transmission of a CR signal. The CR signal may be associated with a reporting of one or more MPE indication(s).") {i.e., coverage recovery, send a transmission of a CR signal}. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to modify the system Hanna in view of Jaurigue et al. to include sending a second request to restore RF signal disclosed by Zhou et al. because it allows the system to recover the coverage area for the transmission equipment based on MPE indicators, as suggested by Zhou et al. (¶[03141) {as stated earlier above, the software running on data processors, feedback controller 113 receives the electrical signal from the sensor element 111, i.e., the feedback controller is the operator controlling through power supply}.
Conclusion
Examiner's note: As applied to the claims above, the specific columns, line numbers, and figures in the references has been cited for the Applicant’s convenience. Although the specified citations are representative of the teachings of the art and are applied to the particular limitations within the individual claims, other passages and figures may apply as well. The Applicant is respectfully requested to fully consider the references, in entirety as potentially teaching all or part of the claimed invention, as well as the context of the passage taught by the prior art or disclosed by the Examiner, in preparing responses. Applicant(s) are reminded that MPEP 2123 I. states: “The use of patents as references is not limited to what the patentees describe as their own inventions or to the problems with which they are concerned. They are part of the literature of the art, relevant for all they contain.” In re Heck, 699 F.2d 1331, 1332-33, 216 USPQ 1038, 1039 (Fed. Cir. 1983) (quoting In re Lemelson, 397 F.2d 1006, 1009, 158 USPQ 275, 277 (CCPA 1968)). A reference may be relied upon for all that it would have reasonably suggested to one having ordinary skill the art, including nonpreferred embodiments. Merck & Co. v. Biocraft Laboratories, 874 F.2d 804, 10 USPQ2d 1843 (Fed. Cir.), cert. denied, 493 U.S. 975 (1989).
Reliance on the US Pre-Grant Publication (PG PUB) of this application, which is not part of the image file wrapper of the patent application, in the prosecution is improper. All references in the reply to the office action are to be made to the latest version on record of the patent application as filed not as published. The latest version on record of the patent application means the patent application as originally filed and modified by previously entered amendment(s).
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant’s disclosure. Gerszberg et al. (US 2016/0112132 A1) is equivalent of the IDS cited Foreign application No. WO 2016/06450 A1
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/Nader Bolourchi/
Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2631