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 .
Status of Claims
The following is a non-final, first office action in response to the communication filed 09/16/2024. Claims 1-20 are currently pending and have been examined.
Priority
Applicant’s claim for the benefit of a prior-filed application under 35 U.S.C. 119(e) or under 35 U.S.C. 120, 121, 365(c), or 386(c) is acknowledged. Benefit is given to the priority document CN202111287396.9 and the effective filing date of 11/02/2021.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statements (IDS) submitted on 08/09/2024, 02/07/2025 and 02/28/2025 are in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statements have been considered by the examiner.
Specification
The disclosure is objected to because of the following informalities: S303 mentioned in paragraph [0126], and S301 and S302 mentioned in paragraph [0128] do not appear in the figures. It may be that there was a typographical error, and that S330, S310 and S320 were intended.
Appropriate correction is required.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claim 8 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
Regarding claim 8, lines 5-7 on page 7 state “wherein an average value of amplitudes corresponding to data that corresponds to the first target fitted curve and that is collected through a plurality of antenna channels is the largest”. The claim does not explicitly state to what the amplitude values are being compared when it states that they are the largest, which renders the meaning of the claim unclear. Appropriate clarification is required.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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.
Claims 1 and 9-15 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a) as being anticipated by Hiscock et al. (US-10499363-B1; hereinafter Hiscock).
Regarding claim 1, Hiscock discloses:
A ranging method applied to a communication apparatus (see at least Abs; “Disclosed are systems, devices and methods for determining a range estimate between two Bluetooth enabled devices…”), the method comprising:
obtaining first measurement information (see at least col. 8, lines 23-28; “For example, the first device 204 may transmit a first carrier signal 250 that is sampled by the first antenna element 244 to produce a first sample 252 (y1), the second antenna element 246 to produce a second sample 254 (y2), and the third antenna element 248 to produce a third sample 256 (y3).”) and second measurement information (see col. 8, lines 34-43; “Then, a reverse phase measurement is made, where the second device 206 transmits a second carrier signal 251 from the first antenna element 244 that is sampled by the antenna 208 to produce a fourth sample 262 (x1), from the second antenna element 246 to produce a fifth sample 264 (x2), and from the third antenna element 248 to produce a sixth sample 266 (x3). The six samples described are phase estimates that may be used to determine residual range estimates for each antenna pairing.”),
wherein the first measurement information comprises a plurality of groups of sampled data (see at least Fig. 2, fourth sample 262, fifth sample 264 and sixth sample 266) that are obtained by a first device (see at least Fig. 2, first device 204) by sampling retroreflection measurement signals (see at least Fig. 2, second carrier signal 251) received through a plurality of antenna channels of a single antenna (see at least Fig. 2, antenna 208), and
wherein the second measurement information comprises a plurality of groups of sampled data (see at least Fig. 2, first sample 252, second sample 254, third sample 256) that are obtained by a second device (see at least Fig. 2, second device 206) by sampling measurement signals (see at least Fig. 2, first carrier signal 250) received through a plurality of antenna channels of each of a plurality of antennas (see at least Fig. 2, antenna elements 244, 246 and 248); and
determining a distance between the first device and the second device based on the first measurement information and the second measurement information (see at least col. 8, lines 41-43; “The six samples described are phase estimates that may be used to determine residual range estimates for each antenna pairing.”).
Regarding claim 9, Hiscock discloses the method according to claim 1. Hiscock further teaches:
wherein frequencies of measurement signals transmitted through a plurality of antenna channels corresponding to one of the plurality of antennas (see at least Fig. 2, second carrier signal 251 originating from each of the three antennas 244, 246 and 248) are partially the same as or different from frequencies of measurement signals transmitted through a plurality of antenna channels corresponding to another one of the plurality of antennas (see at least col. 8, lines 60-63; “Also, while carrier signals 250 and 251 are shown, each carrier signal 250 and 251 may be three different signals at the same or different frequencies.”).
Regarding claim 10, Hiscock discloses the method according to claim 1. Hiscock further teaches:
wherein frequencies of a plurality of measurement signals transmitted through a plurality of antenna channels corresponding to each antenna are different (see at least col. 8, lines 60-63; “Also, while carrier signals 250 and 251 are shown, each carrier signal 250 and 251 may be three different signals at the same or different frequencies.”).
Regarding claim 11, Hiscock discloses:
A communication method (see at least col. 5, lines 18-21; “First and second devices 104 and 106 may be representative of any device, appliance or machine that is configurable to exchange data over a wireless communications network.”), wherein the method is applied to a second device (see at least Fig. 2, second device 206) comprising a plurality of antennas (see at least Fig. 2, antennas 244, 246 and 248), each of the plurality of antennas corresponds to a plurality of antenna channels (see at least col. 11, lines 62-65; “This process may be repeated over multiple frequencies for the first carrier signal 250 and the second carrier signal 251 (in the industrial, scientific, and medical radio (ISM) band for example), from which a range is determined.”), and the method comprises:
receiving, through each of the plurality of antenna channels corresponding to each antenna (see at least Fig. 2, antennas 244, 246, 248 receiving first carrier signal 250) based on a multi-antenna time division working mode (see at least col. 8, lines 28-33; “The first antenna element 244, a second antenna element 246, and a third antenna element 248 may be switched in a known sequence (or could capture all yn concurrently) during reception of the first carrier signal 250. If sequentially measured, the delta t will be known to a given accuracy.”) and a frequency hopping mode of each antenna (see at least col. 11, lines 62-65; “This process may be repeated over multiple frequencies for the first carrier signal 250 and the second carrier signal 251 (in the industrial, scientific, and medical radio (ISM) band for example), from which a range is determined.”), a measurement signal sent by a first device (see at least Fig. 2, first carrier signal 250); and
sampling the measurement signal received through each antenna channel, to obtain a plurality of groups of sampled data (see at least col. 8, lines 23-28; “For example, the first device 204 may transmit a first carrier signal 250 that is sampled by the first antenna element 244 to produce a first sample 252 (y1), the second antenna element 246 to produce a second sample 254 (y2), and the third antenna element 248 to produce a third sample 256 (y3).”), wherein the plurality of groups of sampled data are used to determine a distance between the first device and the second device (see at least col. 8, lines 41-43; “The six samples described are phase estimates that may be used to determine residual range estimates for each antenna pairing.”).
Regarding claim 12, Hiscock discloses the method according to claim 11. The remaining limitations of claim 12 are analogous to those of claim 9 and are rejected for similar reasons.
Regarding claim 13, Hiscock discloses the method according to claim 11. The remaining limitations of claim 13 are analogous to those of claim 10 and are rejected for similar reasons.
Regarding claim 14, Hiscock discloses the method according to claim 11. Hiscock further teaches:
further comprising: sending a retroreflection measurement signal to the first device (see at least Fig. 2, second carrier signal 251) through an antenna channel of the received measurement signal (see at least col. 9, lines 2-3; “Ideally, each carrier signal 250 and 251 is the same frequency.”) based on the multi-antenna time division working mode (see at least col. 8, lines 43-47; “Furthermore, the first antenna element 244, a second antenna element 246, and a third antenna element 248 may be switched in a known sequence during transmission of the second carrier signal 251.”) and the frequency hopping mode of each antenna (see at least col. 11, lines 62-65; “This process may be repeated over multiple frequencies for the first carrier signal 250 and the second carrier signal 251 (in the industrial, scientific, and medical radio (ISM) band for example), from which a range is determined.”).
Regarding claim 15, Hiscock discloses:
A communication apparatus (see at least col. 6, lines 23-26; “First device 104 may include, for example, a communication interface 130 that provides for or otherwise supports the operative coupling of first device 104 to a wireless communications network at least through an antenna 108.”), comprising:
a memory (see at least Fig. 1, memory 122), configured to store a processor-executable instruction (see at least col. 5, lines 53-56; “Thus, by way of example but not limitation, first device 104 may include at least one processing unit 120 that is operatively coupled to a memory 122 through a bus 128.”);
a processor (see at least Fig. 1, processing unit 120), configured to invoke and execute the processor-executable instruction to cause the communication apparatus to perform operations (see at least col. 6, lines 7-10; “In a particular implementation, memory 122 and processing unit 120 may be configured to execute one or more aspects of process discussed herein in connection with FIG. 8.”) including:
obtaining first measurement information (see at least col. 8, lines 23-28; “For example, the first device 204 may transmit a first carrier signal 250 that is sampled by the first antenna element 244 to produce a first sample 252 (y1), the second antenna element 246 to produce a second sample 254 (y2), and the third antenna element 248 to produce a third sample 256 (y3).”) and second measurement information (see col. 8, lines 34-43; “Then, a reverse phase measurement is made, where the second device 206 transmits a second carrier signal 251 from the first antenna element 244 that is sampled by the antenna 208 to produce a fourth sample 262 (x1), from the second antenna element 246 to produce a fifth sample 264 (x2), and from the third antenna element 248 to produce a sixth sample 266 (x3). The six samples described are phase estimates that may be used to determine residual range estimates for each antenna pairing.”),
wherein the first measurement information comprises a plurality of groups of sampled data (see at least Fig. 2, fourth sample 262, fifth sample 264 and sixth sample 266) that are obtained by a first device (see at least Fig. 2, first device 204) by sampling retroreflection measurement signals (see at least Fig. 2, second carrier signal 251) received through a plurality of antenna channels of a single antenna (see at least Fig. 2, antenna 208), and
wherein the second measurement information comprises a plurality of groups of sampled data (see at least Fig. 2, first sample 252, second sample 254, third sample 256) that are obtained by a second device (see at least Fig. 2, second device 206) by sampling measurement signals (see at least Fig. 2, first carrier signal 250) received through a plurality of antenna channels of each of a plurality of antennas (see at least Fig. 2, antenna elements 244, 246 and 248); and
determining a distance between the first device and the second device based on the first measurement information and the second measurement information (see at least col. 8, lines 41-43; “The six samples described are phase estimates that may be used to determine residual range estimates for each antenna pairing.”).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 2 and 16 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. Claims 3-8 and 17-20 are dependent on claims 2 and 16 and are similarly objected to; they would be allowable should claims 2 and 16 be incorporated into the rejected base claim and the 35 U.S.C. 112(b) rejection of claim 8 be resolved.
The subject matter of claims 2 and 16 requires that the target sample data be fitted using a sequence piecewise linear algorithm to obtain at least one target fitted curve. A second patent by Hiscock (US-20210124061-A1) teaches fitting a best fit line to sample data to obtain a distance estimate (see at least [0026]; “A best fit line is determined from the fine phase measurements to obtain a rough gradient, which is proportional to a rough distance estimate.”). However, the prior art does not teach performing a fit using a sequence piecewise linear algorithm. A modification would require significant redesign, and therefore it would not be reasonable to modify.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure: Kazaz (US-20220095262-A1) is considered relevant prior art as it is directed to a similar method to Hiscock and explicitly teaches using non-frequency selective fading channels (see [0088]).
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Ashley B. Raynal whose telephone number is (703)756-4546. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Friday, 8 AM - 4 PM.
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/ASHLEY BROWN RAYNAL/Examiner, Art Unit 3648
/VLADIMIR MAGLOIRE/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3648