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 .
Response to Amendment
The amendment filed on 05/18/2026 has been entered. Claims 1-20 remain pending in this application. Claims 1, 4, and 13 have been amended. No claims have been cancelled or are new.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments filed 05/18/2026 regarding prior art rejections have been fully considered and are persuasive. All previous prior art rejections are overcome in consideration of amendment, however additional prior art rejections are presented below.
Claim Objections
Claim 1 is objected to because of the following informalities: In amendment the claim recites “a wireless connection with the second wireless device”, however the previous introduction of a ‘second wireless device’ has been deleted. Therefore, “a wireless connection with the second wireless device” is clearly meant to read “a wireless connection with a second wireless device”. Appropriate correction is required.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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.
Claims 1, 4-8, 12-17, and 20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Forbes (US 20230296751 A1), hereinafter Forbes, in view of Tertinek (US 20240295648 A1), hereinafter Tertinek.
Regarding claim 1, Forbes, as shown below, discloses a wireless device system comprising the following limitations:
a first antenna (See at least Fig. 2, Item 30TX, [0033] “transmit antenna 30TX”);
a second antenna (See at least Fig. 2, Item 30RX, [0033] “receive antenna 30RX”);
a processing device (See at least Figs. 1-2, Items 18, 24, [0032] “wireless circuitry 24 may include processing circuitry (e.g., one or more processors) that forms a part of processing circuitry 18” See also [0021]);
a baseband processor comprising radio logic and radar logic, wherein the baseband processor is coupled to the processing device, the first antenna, and the second antenna (See at least Figs. 1-2, [0032] “control circuitry 14 may include baseband circuitry (e.g., one or more baseband processors), […] that forms part of communications circuitry 26 and/or sensing circuitry 28”), and wherein the first wireless device is configured to (See at least [0036] “Communications circuitry 26 may use antennas 30 to transmit and/or receive radio-frequency signals that convey the wireless communications data between device 10 and external wireless communications equipment”)
establish, using the radio logic in a first frequency channel, a wireless connection with the second wireless device (See at least [0027] “Communications circuitry 26 may transmit and/or receive radio-frequency signals within corresponding frequency bands at radio frequencies”); and
radio frequency front-end (RFFE) circuitry comprising a transmit (TX) chain coupled to the first antenna and a receive (RX) chain coupled to the second antenna (See at least Fig. 2, [0033] “TX chains 42 or TX circuitry 42) coupled to a first antenna 30 such as transmit antenna 30TX. Sensing circuitry 28 may also include one or more receive (RX) paths 44 (sometimes referred to herein as RX chains 44”);
memory storing wireless communication configuration data identifying the first frequency channel as a communication channel used for communication with the second wireless device (See at least [0032] “The baseband circuitry may, for example, access a communication protocol stack on control circuitry 14 (e.g., storage circuitry 20)”); and
a local oscillator (LO) coupled to the TX chain by a first mixer and coupled to the RX chain by a second mixer, wherein the LO generates an LO signal (See at least Fig. 2, [0036] “Mixers 56 and 66 may have second inputs that receive a local oscillator (LO) signal from LO generator 62”), and wherein the first wireless device is configured to generate, using the radar logic, a first baseband signal comprising a set of chirps (See at least Fig. 2, [0036] “signal generator 34 generates chirp signals that are provided to I/Q modulator 52.”);
generate, using the first mixer, a first RF signal by mixing the first baseband signal with the LO signal (See at least Fig. 2, [0039] “Radio-frequency TX mixer 56 may upconvert the chirp signal to radio-frequencies using the LO signal received from LO generator 62”);
send, via the TX chain in the second frequency channel, the first RF signal (See at least [0040] “The reflected signals may include the chirp signals transmitted by transmit antenna 30TX”);
receive, via the RX chain, a second RF signal comprising reflected signals corresponding to the first RF signal (See at least Fig. 2 [0040] “Receive antenna 30RX may receive reflected signals 50 and may pass the reflected signals down receive path 44.”);
generate, using the second mixer, a second baseband signal by mixing the second RF signal with the LO signal (See at least Fig. 2, [0040] “Radio-frequency RX mixer 66 may use the LO signal from LO generator 62 to downconvert the reflected signals from radio-frequencies to baseband”);
generate, using the radar logic, digital values representing a beat signal using the first and second baseband signals (See at least Fig. 2, [0040] “De-chirp mixer 70 may mix the signals received at its first and second inputs to produce or generate baseband signals that correspond to beats associated with the difference in phase between the chirp signal in the transmitted radio-frequency signals 48 and the chirp signal in the received reflected signals 50”, [0041] “ADC 74”); and
determine, using the digital values, that an environment in which the first wireless device is located has been disrupted by a presence or motion of an object. (See at least Fig. 2, Item 80, [0049] “Range detector 80 may then process the recovered SOI to identify (e.g., generate, estimate, produce, compute, calculate, recover, measure, etc.) range R between device 10 and external object 46”)
Forbes does not explicitly disclose perform, using the radar logic in a second frequency channel different from the first frequency channel, radar sensing. However, Tertinek, in the same or in a similar field of endeavor, discloses:
perform, using the radar logic in a second frequency channel different from the first frequency channel, radar sensing (See at least [0037] “In one or more embodiments, the first radar mode involves operating the UWB communication unit at a first channel frequency and wherein the second radar mode involves operating the UWB communication unit at a second channel frequency.”);
Furthermore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to modify the wireless device system disclosed by Forbes with the frequency system disclosed by Tertinek. One would have been motivated to do so in order to advantageously improve accuracy and efficiency as required (See at least [0036] “Thus, the UWB communication unit may be switched into a high range resolution mode when this is appropriate, for example to increase the accuracy of tracking the movement of a target that is present within a predefined perimeter around the communication device.”).
Regarding claim 4, Forbes, as shown below, discloses a wireless device system comprising the following limitations:
at a first time, sending, using a transmit (TX) chain of radio frequency front-end (RFFE) circuitry of the first wireless device in a first frequency channel, data to a second wireless device (See at least [0036] “Communications circuitry 26 may use antennas 30 to transmit and/or receive radio-frequency signals that convey the wireless communications data between device 10 and external wireless communications equipment”);
storing wireless communication configuration data identifying the first frequency channel as a communication (See at least [0032] “The baseband circuitry may, for example, access a communication protocol stack on control circuitry 14 (e.g., storage circuitry 20)”); and
at a second time, at the first wireless device: generating a chirp signal (See at least Fig. 2, [0036] “signal generator 34 generates chirp signals that are provided to I/Q modulator 52.”);
sending, using the TX chain (See at least Fig. 2, [0039] “Transmit antenna 30TX may transmit the amplified chirp signal as radio-frequency signals 48”);
receiving, using a RX chain of the RFFE circuitry, reflected signals corresponding to the chirp signal (See at least Fig. 2 [0040] “Receive antenna 30RX may receive reflected signals 50 and may pass the reflected signals down receive path 44.”);
determining, using the reflected signals and the chirp signal, a first set of digital values (See at least Fig. 2, [0040] “De-chirp mixer 70 may mix the signals received at its first and second inputs to produce or generate baseband signals that correspond to beats associated with the difference in phase between the chirp signal in the transmitted radio-frequency signals 48 and the chirp signal in the received reflected signals 50”, [0041] “ADC 74”); and
determining, using the first set of digital values, that an environment in which the first wireless device is located has been disrupted by an object (See at least Fig. 2, Item 80, [0049] “Range detector 80 may then process the recovered SOI to identify (e.g., generate, estimate, produce, compute, calculate, recover, measure, etc.) range R between device 10 and external object 46”);
Forbes does not explicitly disclose
(See at least [0037] “In one or more embodiments, the first radar mode involves operating the UWB communication unit at a first channel frequency and wherein the second radar mode involves operating the UWB communication unit at a second channel frequency.”);
Furthermore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to modify the wireless device system disclosed by Forbes with the frequency system disclosed by Tertinek. One would have been motivated to do so in order to advantageously improve accuracy and efficiency as required (See at least [0036] “Thus, the UWB communication unit may be switched into a high range resolution mode when this is appropriate, for example to increase the accuracy of tracking the movement of a target that is present within a predefined perimeter around the communication device.”).
Regarding claim 5, The combination of Forbes and Tertinek, as shown above, discloses all of the limitations of claim 4. Forbes additionally discloses
generating a second set of digital values (See at least Fig. 2, [0036] “signal generator 34 generates chirp signals that are provided to I/Q modulator 52.”);
converting, via a digital-to-analog converter (DAC) of the TX chain (See at least Fig. 2, [0036] “Signal generator 34 may include a chirp generator 36 having an output coupled to digital-to-analog converter (DAC) 38”), the second set of digital values into a first baseband signal, wherein generating the chirp signal comprises combining the first baseband signal and a local oscillator (LO) signal (See at least Fig. 2, [0039] “Radio-frequency TX mixer 56 may upconvert the chirp signal to radio-frequencies using the LO signal received from LO generator 62”);
determining a second baseband signal by removing the LO signal from the reflected signals (See at least Fig. 2, [0040] “Radio-frequency RX mixer 66 may use the LO signal from LO generator 62 to downconvert the reflected signals from radio-frequencies to baseband”); and
converting, via an analog-to-digital converter (ADC) of the RX chain, the second baseband signal into a third set of digital values, wherein determining the first set of digital values comprises comparing the second and third sets of digital values (See at least Fig. 2, [0040] “De-chirp mixer 70 may mix the signals received at its first and second inputs to produce or generate baseband signals that correspond to beats associated with the difference in phase between the chirp signal in the transmitted radio-frequency signals 48 and the chirp signal in the received reflected signals 50” , [0041] “ADC 74”).
Regarding claim 6, The combination of Forbes and Tertinek, as shown above, discloses all of the limitations of claims 4 and 5. Forbes additionally discloses
comparing the second and third sets of digital values comprises determining a phase difference between the first and second baseband signals (See at least Fig. 2, [0040] “De-chirp mixer 70 may mix the signals received at its first and second inputs to produce or generate baseband signals that correspond to beats associated with the difference in phase between the chirp signal in the transmitted radio-frequency signals 48 and the chirp signal in the received reflected signals 50”).
Regarding claim 7, The combination of Forbes and Tertinek, as shown above, discloses all of the limitations of claims 4 and 5. Forbes additionally discloses
comparing the second and third sets of digital values comprises generating a beat signal using the second and third sets of digital values, wherein the first set of digital values is the beat signal (See at least Fig. 2, [0040] “De-chirp mixer 70 may mix the signals received at its first and second inputs to produce or generate baseband signals that correspond to beats associated with the difference in phase between the chirp signal in the transmitted radio-frequency signals 48 and the chirp signal in the received reflected signals 50”).
Regarding claim 8, The combination of Forbes and Tertinek, as shown above, discloses all of the limitations of claim 4. Forbes additionally discloses
the TX chain is configured for Wi-Fi® operations (See at least [0027] “The frequency bands handled by communications circuitry 26 may include wireless local area network (WLAN) frequency bands (e.g., Wi-Fi® (IEEE 802.11)”).
Regarding claim 12, The combination of Forbes and Tertinek, as shown above, discloses all of the limitations of claim 4. Forbes additionally discloses
determining that a value of the first set of digital values satisfies a threshold (See at least Fig. 2, Item 78, [0049] “RF impairment canceller 78 may then subtract the second baseband signals stored on the buffer from the first baseband signals stored on the buffer (e.g., RF impairment canceller 78 may generate a difference value between the first and second reflected signals using a subtractor). The 180-degree phase difference between the first and second baseband signals may cause this subtraction to recover the SOI from the baseband signals while removing the non-SOI produced by the RF impairments” Forbes discloses filtering through cancellation, a threshold such that non signals of interest are removed); and
identifying, in response to determining that the value satisfies the threshold, one or more peaks of the first set of digital values (See at least Fig. 2, Item 80, [0060] “Range detector 80 may then more easily resolve the SOI in the signal (e.g., by peak-detecting peak 108) for accurately detecting range R due to the removal of on-chip leakage from the signal.”).
Regarding claim 13, applicant recites limitations of the same or substantially the same scope as claim 4. Accordingly, claim 13 is rejected in the same or substantially the same manner as claim 4, shown above.
Regarding claim 14, applicant recites limitations of the same or substantially the same scope as claim 5. Accordingly, claim 14 is rejected in the same or substantially the same manner as claim 5, shown above.
Regarding claim 15, applicant recites limitations of the same or substantially the same scope as claim 6. Accordingly, claim 15 is rejected in the same or substantially the same manner as claim 6, shown above.
Regarding claim 16, applicant recites limitations of the same or substantially the same scope as claim 7. Accordingly, claim 16 is rejected in the same or substantially the same manner as claim 7, shown above.
Regarding claim 17, applicant recites limitations of the same or substantially the same scope as claim 8. Accordingly, claim 17 is rejected in the same or substantially the same manner as claim 8, shown above.
Regarding claim 20, applicant recites limitations of the same or substantially the same scope as claim 12. Accordingly, claim 20 is rejected in the same or substantially the same manner as claim 12, shown above.
Claim 2 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Forbes, in view of Tertinek, in further view of DeSalvo (US 11221404 B1), hereinafter DeSalvo.
Regarding claim 2, The combination of Forbes and Tertinek, as shown above, discloses all the limitations of claim 1. The combination of Forbes and Tertinek does not explicitly disclose the beat signal indicates a delay between sending the first RF signal and receiving the reflected signals, and wherein the delay corresponds to a physical distance between the first wireless device and a location within the environment that has been disrupted by the presence or motion of the object. However, DeSalvo, in the same or in a similar field of endeavor, discloses
the beat signal indicates a delay between sending the first RF signal and receiving the reflected signals, and wherein the delay corresponds to a physical distance between the first wireless device and a location within the environment that has been disrupted by the presence or motion of the object (See at least Col. 16 Lines 49-52 “the range (e.g., distance) of a target may be determined by measuring a time period of a beat frequency signal associated with a radar signal returned from the target.”).
Furthermore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to modify the wireless device system disclosed by Forbes with the frequency system disclosed by Tertinek with the ranging system disclosed by DeSalvo. One would have been motivated to do so in order to advantageously improve beat frequency detection in order to further optimize transponder localization (See at least Col. 8 Lines 9-10 “techniques for improving beat frequency detection in order to further optimize transponder localization”).
Claim 10 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Forbes, in view of Tertinek, in further view of Subburaj (US 20170023663 A1), hereinafter Subburaj.
Regarding claim 10, The combination of Forbes and Tertinek, as shown above, discloses all the limitations of claim 4. Forbes additionally discloses
extracting the (See at least Fig. 2, Items 54, 68, 70, [0039] “Signal splitter 54 may pass the chirp signal to radio-frequency TX mixer 56 and to de-chirp mixer 70 over de-chirp path 68”); and
sending the baseband signal to an analog-to-digital converter (ADC) (See at least Fig. 2, [0040] “De-chirp mixer 70 may mix the signals received at its first and second inputs to produce or generate baseband signals that correspond to beats associated with the difference in phase between the chirp signal in the transmitted radio-frequency signals 48 and the chirp signal in the received reflected signals 50”, [0041] “ADC 74”)
The combination of Forbes and Tertinek does not explicitly disclose generating a delayed chirp signal by causing the chirp signal to propagate through delay circuitry, wherein an amount of delay corresponding to the delay circuitry is associated with a distance between a first antenna and a second antenna, the first antenna being coupled to the TX chain and the second antenna being coupled to the RX chain;
generating a delayed chirp signal by causing the chirp signal to propagate through delay circuitry, wherein an amount of delay corresponding to the delay circuitry is associated with a distance between a first antenna and a second antenna, the first antenna being coupled to the TX chain and the second antenna being coupled to the RX chain (See at least [0097] “Thus, the routing delay on the external path 708 is designed to be equal to the defined delay. A length of the external path 708 is designed such that it achieves the defined delay. […] a matching of the routing delay and the defined delay is limited by the following (but not limited to) distance between a transmit antenna and a receive antenna”, [0003] “This transmit signal is referred as a ramp signal or a chirp signal”);
(See at least [0097] “Thus, the routing delay on the external path 708 is designed to be equal to the defined delay. A length of the external path 708 is designed such that it achieves the defined delay. […] a matching of the routing delay and the defined delay is limited by the following (but not limited to) distance between a transmit antenna and a receive antenna”, [0003] “This transmit signal is referred as a ramp signal or a chirp signal”); and
Furthermore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to modify the wireless device system disclosed by Forbes with the frequency system disclosed by Tertinek with the delay system disclosed by Subburaj. One would have been motivated to do so in order to advantageously reduce cost (See at least [0100] “This would unduly increase the size of the radar apparatus 700 and the overall costs. Therefore, an external path such as external path 708 provides a feasible solution for compensating the defined delay.”).
Allowable Subject Matter
The following is an examiner’s statement of reasons for allowance:
Allowance of claims 3, 9, 11, and 18-19 is indicated because:
None of the prior art of record teach or suggest the subject matter of dependent claims 3, 9, 11, and 18-19. The prior art of record does not anticipate or render fairly obvious in combination to teach all of the additional limitations of the claimed invention, as best understood within the context of Applicant’s claimed invention as a whole, such as in claim 3, wherein the radar logic comprises a look-up table (LUT) comprising an offset value representing a difference between historical FMCW and OFDM power levels at a frequency or frequency range, and in claims 9, and similarly claim 18, generating the chirp signal comprises repeatedly rotating an index of a circular buffer storing a second set of digital values representing a chirp, and wherein the chirp signal comprises multiple instances of the chirp, and in claims 11, and similarly claim 19, generating the chirp signal comprises determining an offset value representing a difference between historical frequency modulated continuous wave (FMCW) and OFDM power levels at a frequency or frequency range, the chirp signal being an FMCW signal.
Accordingly, claims 3, 9, 11, and 18-19 are deemed to have allowable subject matter.
Claims 3, 9, 11, and 18-19 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.
Conclusion
Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any extension fee pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the date of this final action.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to KENNETH W GOOD whose telephone number is (571)272-4186. The examiner can normally be reached Mon - Thu 7:30 am - 5:00 pm.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Resha H Desai can be reached at (571) 270-7792. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/KENNETH W GOOD/Examiner, Art Unit 3648
/RESHA DESAI/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3648
Prosecution Insights