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 .
Status of the Claims
Claims 1-20 filed on 10 MAY 2024 are currently pending and have been examined.
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 (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) for the rejection will not be considered a new ground of rejection if the prior art relied upon, and the rationale supporting the rejection, would be the same under either status.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 103 which forms the basis for all obviousness rejections set forth in this Office action:
A patent for a claimed invention may not be obtained, notwithstanding that the claimed invention is not identically disclosed as set forth in section 102, if the differences between the claimed invention and the prior art are such that the claimed invention as a whole would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a person having ordinary skill in the art to which the claimed invention pertains. Patentability shall not be negated by the manner in which the invention was made.
The factual inquiries for establishing a background for determining obviousness under 35 U.S.C. 103 are summarized as follows:
1. Determining the scope and contents of the prior art.
2. Ascertaining the differences between the prior art and the claims at issue.
3. Resolving the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art.
4. Considering objective evidence present in the application indicating obviousness or nonobviousness.
Claim(s) 1-2, 4-9, and 14-20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kim et al. (US 11,873,001 B2, cited by applicant in IDS dated 10 MAY 2024) in view of Yoshihide et al. (WO 2009/084159 A1) and Peng et al. (US 2022/0299624 A1, cited by applicant in IDS dated 10 MAY 2024).
Regarding claim 1, Kim et al. discloses:
[Note: what is not explicitly taught by Kim et al. has been struck-through]
A radar system (Kim et al. radar 20, Fig. 3B) comprising:
a first transmit antenna positioned to emit radar waves in an exterior direction relative to a vehicle to which the radar system is mounted (Kim et al. "In an embodiment of the present disclosure, the radar may include an antenna for interior detection that includes at least one transmit antenna and at least one receive antenna and an antenna for exterior detection that includes at least one transmit antenna and at least one receive antenna." - Col. 2, lines 5-9; "The antenna for exterior detection may be located on a lower surface of the PCB in the same structure as the antenna for interior detection." - Col. 6, lines 50-52; detection area of an antenna for exterior detection 360, Fig. 3B);
a second transmit antenna positioned to emit radar waves into a passenger compartment (Kim et al. "In an embodiment of the present disclosure, the radar may include an antenna for interior detection that includes at least one transmit antenna and at least one receive antenna and an antenna for exterior detection that includes at least one transmit antenna and at least one receive antenna." - Col. 2, lines 5-9; "The antenna for interior detection may be located on an upper surface of a printed circuit board (PCB)..." - Col. 6, lines 35-36; detection area of an antenna for interior detection 350, Fig. 3B) of the vehicle;
Yoshihide et al. discloses:
A radar system (Yoshihide radar device 2, Fig. 6) comprising:
a first transmit antenna (Yoshihide et al. first transmission antenna AT_1, Fig. 6);
a second transmit antenna (Yoshihide et al. second transmission antenna AT_2, Fig. 6);
at least one first frequency multiplier (Yoshihide et al. first frequency multiplier 30_1, Fig. 6) positioned to transmit a signal from a wave generator (Yoshihide et al. voltage-controlled oscillator (VCO) 8 outputs a local signal SL, Fig. 6) to the first transmit antenna (Yoshihide et al. "...a first multiplier connected to the first transmission path which converts the frequency of the radar signal to the predetermined frequency and then outputs it to the first transmitting antenna…" - p. 9), the at least one first frequency multiplier configured to increase a frequency of the signal to a first frequency (Yoshihide et al. "Each multiplier 30_n multiplies the frequency of the input transmission signal ST up to a predetermined frequency of 76.5 GHz in the millimeter wave band and outputs the multiplied signal." - p. 17); and
at least one second frequency multiplier (Yoshihide et al. second frequency multiplier 30_2, Fig. 6) positioned to transmit the signal from the wave generator to the second transmit antenna, the at least one second frequency multiplier configured to increase the frequency of the signal to a second frequency (Yoshihide et al. "…a second multiplier connected to the second transmission path which converts the frequency of the radar signal to the predetermined frequency and outputs it to the second transmitting antenna…" - p. 9).
Peng et al. discloses:
A radar system (Peng et al. radar system 102, Figs. 1, 3) comprising:
a second transmit antenna positioned to emit radar waves into a passenger compartment of the vehicle (Peng et al. "Fig. 1 illustrates a vehicle 100 in which an example FMCW radar system 102 can detect living objects, e.g., human and living occupants." - ¶ [0030]);
a second frequency (Peng et al. "A frequency spectrum (e.g., range of frequencies of radar signals and radar reflection can encompass frequencies between one and ten gigahertz (GHz), as one example." - ¶ [0047]; “A choice of frequency is dependent on an amount of fluctuation expected for a particular geometry of the reflecting surface.” - ¶ [0065]).
It would have been obvious to someone with ordinary skill in the art prior to the effective filing date of the claimed invention to incorporate the features as disclosed by Yoshihide et al. and Peng et al. into the invention of Kim et al. to yield the invention of claim 1 above. Kim et al., Yoshihide et al. and Peng et al. are considered analogous arts to the claimed invention for the following reasons:
Kim et al. discloses: a radar system for a vehicle configured to transmit signals into the passenger compartment of a vehicle to detect a passenger, and to transmit signals to the exterior of the vehicle to detect an obstacle
Yoshihide et al. discloses: a radar system for a vehicle comprising a plurality of transmit antennas and frequency multipliers to transmit 76.5 GHz signals from the vehicle to detect an exterior area, where the frequency is chosen for detecting obstacles to the vehicle
Peng et al. discloses: a radar system for a vehicle transmitting 1-10 GHz signals into the passenger compartment of a vehicle to detect signs of life, where the frequency is chosen for detecting signs of life of passengers in the vehicle
Kim et al. discloses the limitations of claim 1 outlined above. Examiner also notes that Kim et al. does discloses that the exterior detection antenna and the interior detection antenna transmit using different bandwidths (Kim et al. exterior detection mode uses partial bandwidth and interior detection mode uses full bandwidth, see table 1). However, Kim et al. fails to explicitly disclose at least one first frequency multiplier positioned to transmit a signal from a wave generator to the first transmit antenna, the at least one first frequency multiplier configured to increase a frequency of the signal to a first frequency; and at least one second frequency multiplier positioned to transmit the signal from the wave generator to the second transmit antenna, the at least one second frequency multiplier configured to increase the frequency of the signal to a second frequency, the second frequency being less than the first frequency. These features are disclosed by Yoshihide et al. and Peng et al. where Yoshihide et al. discloses a radar system comprising a plurality of transmitting antennas and frequency multipliers (Yoshihide et al. Fig. 6) and Peng et al. discloses an antenna for transmitting signals into the passenger compartment of the vehicle, where the transmitting signals have a frequency less than those taught by Yoshihide et al. (Peng et al. ¶ [0030], [0047], Figs. 1, 3). The combination of Kim et al., Yoshihide et al. and Peng et al. would be obvious with a reasonable expectation of success to provide the second frequency lower than the first frequency in order to optimize the first frequency of the first transmit antenna for detecting obstacles outside the vehicle and to optimize the second frequency of the second transmit antenna for detecting passengers inside the vehicle, while also “achieving a configuration equivalent to an arrangement of a large number of receiving antennas without increasing the size of the device.” (Yoshihide et al. p. 4) and enabling “detection of living objects with an improved signal-to-noise ratio and therefore greater accuracy… without increasing radiation power, power consumption, costs or computational load…” (Peng et al. ¶ [0004]).
Regarding claim 2, Kim et al. as modified above discloses:
[Note: what is not explicitly taught by Kim et al. has been struck-through]
The radar system of claim 1
Yoshihide et al. discloses:
wherein the wave generator includes a local oscillator configured to output a reference frequency (Yoshihide et al. voltage-controlled oscillator (VCO) 8 outputs a local signal SL, Fig. 6).
It would have been obvious to someone with ordinary skill in the art prior to the effective filing date of the claimed invention to incorporate the features as disclosed by Yoshihide et al. into the invention of Kim et al. as modified above to yield the invention of claim 2. Kim et al., Yoshihide et al. and Peng et al. are considered analogous arts to the claimed invention for the following reasons:
Kim et al. discloses: a radar system for a vehicle configured to transmit signals into the passenger compartment of a vehicle to detect a passenger, and to transmit signals to the exterior of the vehicle to detect an obstacle
Yoshihide et al. discloses: a radar system for a vehicle comprising a plurality of transmit antennas and frequency multipliers to transmit 76.5 GHz signals from the vehicle to detect an exterior area, where the frequency is chosen for detecting obstacles to the vehicle
Peng et al. discloses: a radar system for a vehicle transmitting 1-10 GHz signals into the passenger compartment of a vehicle to detect signs of life, where the frequency is chosen for detecting signs of life of passengers in the vehicle
Kim et al. as modified above discloses the invention of claim 1. However, Kim et al. fails to explicitly disclose wherein the wave generator includes a local oscillator configured to output a reference frequency. This feature is disclosed by Yoshihide et al., where Yoshihide et al. discloses a voltage-controlled oscillator (VCO) outputs a local signal (Yoshihide et al. Fig. 6). The combination of Kim et al., Yoshihide et al. and Peng et al. would be obvious with a reasonable expectation of success to provide the second frequency lower than the first frequency in order to optimize the first frequency of the first transmit antenna for detecting obstacles outside the vehicle and to optimize the second frequency of the second transmit antenna for detecting passengers inside the vehicle, while also “achieving a configuration equivalent to an arrangement of a large number of receiving antennas without increasing the size of the device.” (Yoshihide et al. p. 4) and enabling “detection of living objects with an improved signal-to-noise ratio and therefore greater accuracy… without increasing radiation power, power consumption, costs or computational load…” (Peng et al. ¶ [0004]).
Regarding claim 4, Kim et al. as modified above discloses:
[Note: what is not explicitly taught by Kim et al. has been struck-through]
The radar system of claim 1, further comprising a first receive antenna positioned to receive reflected radar waves emitted by the first transmit antenna (Kim et al. "The antenna for exterior detection may be located on a lower surface of the PCB in the same structure as the antenna for interior detection." - Col. 6, lines 50-52)
Yoshihide et al. discloses:
a first receive antenna positioned to receive reflected radar waves emitted by the first transmit antenna (Yoshihide et al. first receiving antenna AR_1, Fig. 6; first receiving antenna AR_1 receives reflected radar wave emitted by the first transmission antenna AT_1 and second transmission antenna AT_2), and a first mixer positioned to receive from the first receive antenna and from the at least one first frequency multiplier (Yoshihide et al. first mixer 16_1 receives from the first receiving antenna AR_1 and multiplier 30_3, Fig. 6).
It would have been obvious to someone with ordinary skill in the art prior to the effective filing date of the claimed invention to incorporate the features as disclosed by Yoshihide et al. into the invention of Kim et al. as modified above to yield the invention of claim 4. Kim et al., Yoshihide et al. and Peng et al. are considered analogous arts to the claimed invention for the following reasons:
Kim et al. discloses: a radar system for a vehicle configured to transmit signals into the passenger compartment of a vehicle to detect a passenger, and to transmit signals to the exterior of the vehicle to detect an obstacle
Yoshihide et al. discloses: a radar system for a vehicle comprising a plurality of transmit antennas and frequency multipliers to transmit 76.5 GHz signals from the vehicle to detect an exterior area, where the frequency is chosen for detecting obstacles to the vehicle
Peng et al. discloses: a radar system for a vehicle transmitting 1-10 GHz signals into the passenger compartment of a vehicle to detect signs of life, where the frequency is chosen for detecting signs of life of passengers in the vehicle
Kim et al. as modified above discloses the invention of claim 1. However, Kim et al. fails to explicitly disclose a first mixer positioned to receive from the first receive antenna and from the at least one first frequency multiplier. This feature is disclosed by Yoshihide et al., where Yoshihide et al. discloses that a first mixer 16_1 receives from the first receiving antenna AR_1 and multiplier 30_3, (Yoshihide et al. Fig. 6). The combination of Kim et al., Yoshihide et al. and Peng et al. would be obvious with a reasonable expectation of success to provide the second frequency lower than the first frequency in order to optimize the first frequency of the first transmit antenna for detecting obstacles outside the vehicle and to optimize the second frequency of the second transmit antenna for detecting passengers inside the vehicle, while also “achieving a configuration equivalent to an arrangement of a large number of receiving antennas without increasing the size of the device.” (Yoshihide et al. p. 4) and enabling “detection of living objects with an improved signal-to-noise ratio and therefore greater accuracy… without increasing radiation power, power consumption, costs or computational load…” (Peng et al. ¶ [0004]).
Regarding claim 5, Kim et al. as modified above discloses:
[Note: what is not explicitly taught by Kim et al. has been struck-through]
The radar system of claim 4, further comprising a second receive antenna positioned to receive reflected radar waves emitted by the second transmit antenna (Kim et al. "The antenna for interior detection may be located on an upper surface of a printed circuit board (PCB) and may include three transmit (TX) antennas, four receive (RX) antennas, and a transceiver 310." - Col. 6, lines 35-38)
Yoshihide et al. discloses:
a second receive antenna positioned to receive reflected radar waves emitted by the second transmit antenna (Yoshihide et al. second receiving antenna AR_2, Fig. 6; first receiving antenna AR_1 receives reflected radar wave emitted by the first transmission antenna AT_1 and second transmission antenna AT_2), and a second mixer positioned to receive from the second receive antenna and from the at least one second frequency multiplier (Yoshihide et al. first mixer 16_1 receives from the second receiving antenna AR_2 and multiplier 30_3, Fig. 6).
It would have been obvious to someone with ordinary skill in the art prior to the effective filing date of the claimed invention to incorporate the features as disclosed by Yoshihide et al. into the invention of Kim et al. as modified above to yield the invention of claim 5. Kim et al., Yoshihide et al. and Peng et al. are considered analogous arts to the claimed invention for the following reasons:
Kim et al. discloses: a radar system for a vehicle configured to transmit signals into the passenger compartment of a vehicle to detect a passenger, and to transmit signals to the exterior of the vehicle to detect an obstacle
Yoshihide et al. discloses: a radar system for a vehicle comprising a plurality of transmit antennas and frequency multipliers to transmit 76.5 GHz signals from the vehicle to detect an exterior area, where the frequency is chosen for detecting obstacles to the vehicle
Peng et al. discloses: a radar system for a vehicle transmitting 1-10 GHz signals into the passenger compartment of a vehicle to detect signs of life, where the frequency is chosen for detecting signs of life of passengers in the vehicle
Kim et al. as modified above discloses the invention of claim 4. However, Kim et al. fails to explicitly disclose a second mixer positioned to receive from the second receive antenna and from the at least one second frequency multiplier. This feature is disclosed by Yoshihide et al., where Yoshihide et al. discloses that first mixer 16_1 receives from the second receiving antenna AR_2 and multiplier 30_3 (Yoshihide et al. Fig. 6). The combination of Kim et al., Yoshihide et al. and Peng et al. would be obvious with a reasonable expectation of success to provide the second frequency lower than the first frequency in order to optimize the first frequency of the first transmit antenna for detecting obstacles outside the vehicle and to optimize the second frequency of the second transmit antenna for detecting passengers inside the vehicle, while also “achieving a configuration equivalent to an arrangement of a large number of receiving antennas without increasing the size of the device.” (Yoshihide et al. p. 4) and enabling “detection of living objects with an improved signal-to-noise ratio and therefore greater accuracy… without increasing radiation power, power consumption, costs or computational load…” (Peng et al. ¶ [0004]).
Regarding claim 6, Kim et al. as modified above discloses:
[Note: what is not explicitly taught by Kim et al. has been struck-through]
The radar system of claim 4
Yoshihide et al. discloses:
a first analog-to-digital converter (ADC) positioned to receive a first intermediate frequency outputted by the first mixer (Yoshihide et al. A/D 18_1 receives beat signal SB_1 output by the first mixer 16_1, Fig. 6).
It would have been obvious to someone with ordinary skill in the art prior to the effective filing date of the claimed invention to incorporate the features as disclosed by Yoshihide et al. into the invention of Kim et al. as modified above to yield the invention of claim 6. Kim et al., Yoshihide et al. and Peng et al. are considered analogous arts to the claimed invention for the following reasons:
Kim et al. discloses: a radar system for a vehicle configured to transmit signals into the passenger compartment of a vehicle to detect a passenger, and to transmit signals to the exterior of the vehicle to detect an obstacle
Yoshihide et al. discloses: a radar system for a vehicle comprising a plurality of transmit antennas and frequency multipliers to transmit 76.5 GHz signals from the vehicle to detect an exterior area, where the frequency is chosen for detecting obstacles to the vehicle
Peng et al. discloses: a radar system for a vehicle transmitting 1-10 GHz signals into the passenger compartment of a vehicle to detect signs of life, where the frequency is chosen for detecting signs of life of passengers in the vehicle
Kim et al. as modified above discloses the invention of claim 5. However, Kim et al. fails to explicitly disclose a first analog-to-digital converter (ADC) positioned to receive a first intermediate frequency outputted by the first mixer. This feature is disclosed by Yoshihide et al., where Yoshihide et al. discloses A/D 18_1 receives beat signal SB_1 output by the first mixer 16_1 (Yoshihide et al. Fig. 6). The combination of Kim et al., Yoshihide et al. and Peng et al. would be obvious with a reasonable expectation of success to provide the second frequency lower than the first frequency in order to optimize the first frequency of the first transmit antenna for detecting obstacles outside the vehicle and to optimize the second frequency of the second transmit antenna for detecting passengers inside the vehicle, while also “achieving a configuration equivalent to an arrangement of a large number of receiving antennas without increasing the size of the device.” (Yoshihide et al. p. 4) and enabling “detection of living objects with an improved signal-to-noise ratio and therefore greater accuracy… without increasing radiation power, power consumption, costs or computational load…” (Peng et al. ¶ [0004]).
Regarding claim 7, Kim et al. as modified above discloses:
[Note: what is not explicitly taught by Kim et al. has been struck-through]
The radar system of claim 6, further comprising a second receive antenna positioned to receive reflected radar waves emitted by the second transmit antenna (Kim et al. "The antenna for interior detection may be located on an upper surface of a printed circuit board (PCB) and may include three transmit (TX) antennas, four receive (RX) antennas, and a transceiver 310." - Col. 6, lines 35-38),
Yoshihide et al. discloses:
a second receive antenna positioned to receive reflected radar waves emitted by the second transmit antenna (Yoshihide et al. second receiving antenna AR_2, Fig. 6; first receiving antenna AR_1 receives reflected radar wave emitted by the first transmission antenna AT_1 and second transmission antenna AT_2), a second mixer positioned to receive from the second receive antenna and from the at least one second frequency multiplier (Yoshihide et al. first mixer 16_1 receives from the second receiving antenna AR_2 and multiplier 30_3, Fig. 6), and a second ADC positioned to receive a second intermediate frequency outputted by the second mixer (Yoshihide et al. A/D 18_2 receives beat signal SB_2 output by the second mixer 16_2, Fig. 6).
It would have been obvious to someone with ordinary skill in the art prior to the effective filing date of the claimed invention to incorporate the features as disclosed by Yoshihide et al. into the invention of Kim et al. as modified above to yield the invention of claim 7. Kim et al., Yoshihide et al. and Peng et al. are considered analogous arts to the claimed invention for the following reasons:
Kim et al. discloses: a radar system for a vehicle configured to transmit signals into the passenger compartment of a vehicle to detect a passenger, and to transmit signals to the exterior of the vehicle to detect an obstacle
Yoshihide et al. discloses: a radar system for a vehicle comprising a plurality of transmit antennas and frequency multipliers to transmit 76.5 GHz signals from the vehicle to detect an exterior area, where the frequency is chosen for detecting obstacles to the vehicle
Peng et al. discloses: a radar system for a vehicle transmitting 1-10 GHz signals into the passenger compartment of a vehicle to detect signs of life, where the frequency is chosen for detecting signs of life of passengers in the vehicle
Kim et al. as modified above discloses the invention of claim 6. However, Kim et al. fails to explicitly disclose a second mixer positioned to receive from the second receive antenna and from the at least one second frequency multiplier, and a second ADC positioned to receive a second intermediate frequency outputted by the second mixer. This feature is disclosed by Yoshihide et al., where Yoshihide et al. discloses a first mixer 16_1 receives from the second receiving antenna AR_2 and multiplier 30_3 and A/D 18_2 receives beat signal SB_2 output by the second mixer 16_2 (Yoshihide et al. Fig. 6). The combination of Kim et al., Yoshihide et al. and Peng et al. would be obvious with a reasonable expectation of success to provide the second frequency lower than the first frequency in order to optimize the first frequency of the first transmit antenna for detecting obstacles outside the vehicle and to optimize the second frequency of the second transmit antenna for detecting passengers inside the vehicle, while also “achieving a configuration equivalent to an arrangement of a large number of receiving antennas without increasing the size of the device.” (Yoshihide et al. p. 4) and enabling “detection of living objects with an improved signal-to-noise ratio and therefore greater accuracy… without increasing radiation power, power consumption, costs or computational load…” (Peng et al. ¶ [0004]).
Regarding claim 8, Kim et al. as modified above discloses:
[Note: what is not explicitly taught by Kim et al. has been struck-through]
The radar system of claim 1
Yoshihide et al. discloses:
wherein the first frequency is at least 76 GHz (Yoshihide et al. "Each multiplier 30_n multiplies the frequency of the input transmission signal ST up to a predetermined frequency of 76.5 GHz in the millimeter wave band and outputs the multiplied signal." - p. 17).
It would have been obvious to someone with ordinary skill in the art prior to the effective filing date of the claimed invention to incorporate the features as disclosed by Yoshihide et al. into the invention of Kim et al. as modified above to yield the invention of claim 8. Kim et al., Yoshihide et al. and Peng et al. are considered analogous arts to the claimed invention for the following reasons:
Kim et al. discloses: a radar system for a vehicle configured to transmit signals into the passenger compartment of a vehicle to detect a passenger, and to transmit signals to the exterior of the vehicle to detect an obstacle
Yoshihide et al. discloses: a radar system for a vehicle comprising a plurality of transmit antennas and frequency multipliers to transmit 76.5 GHz signals from the vehicle to detect an exterior area, where the frequency is chosen for detecting obstacles to the vehicle
Peng et al. discloses: a radar system for a vehicle transmitting 1-10 GHz signals into the passenger compartment of a vehicle to detect signs of life, where the frequency is chosen for detecting signs of life of passengers in the vehicle
Kim et al. as modified above discloses the invention of claim 1. However, Kim et al. fails to explicitly disclose wherein the first frequency is at least 76 GHz. This feature is disclosed by Yoshihide et al., where Yoshihide et al. discloses "Each multiplier 30_n multiplies the frequency of the input transmission signal ST up to a predetermined frequency of 76.5 GHz in the millimeter wave band and outputs the multiplied signal." (Yoshihide et al. p. 17). The combination of Kim et al., Yoshihide et al. and Peng et al. would be obvious with a reasonable expectation of success to provide the second frequency lower than the first frequency in order to optimize the first frequency of the first transmit antenna for detecting obstacles outside the vehicle and to optimize the second frequency of the second transmit antenna for detecting passengers inside the vehicle, while also “achieving a configuration equivalent to an arrangement of a large number of receiving antennas without increasing the size of the device.” (Yoshihide et al. p. 4) and enabling “detection of living objects with an improved signal-to-noise ratio and therefore greater accuracy… without increasing radiation power, power consumption, costs or computational load…” (Peng et al. ¶ [0004]).
Regarding claim 9, Kim et al. as modified above discloses:
[Note: what is not explicitly taught by Kim et al. has been struck-through]
The radar system of claim 1
Peng et al. discloses:
wherein the second frequency is at most 60 GHz (Peng et al. "A frequency spectrum (e.g., range of frequencies of radar signals and radar reflection can encompass frequencies between one and ten gigahertz (GHz), as one example." - ¶ [0047]; “A choice of frequency is dependent on an amount of fluctuation expected for a particular geometry of the reflecting surface.” - ¶ [0065]).
It would have been obvious to someone with ordinary skill in the art prior to the effective filing date of the claimed invention to incorporate the features as disclosed by Peng et al. into the invention of Kim et al. as modified above to yield the invention of claim 9. Kim et al., Yoshihide et al. and Peng et al. are considered analogous arts to the claimed invention for the following reasons:
Kim et al. discloses: a radar system for a vehicle configured to transmit signals into the passenger compartment of a vehicle to detect a passenger, and to transmit signals to the exterior of the vehicle to detect an obstacle
Yoshihide et al. discloses: a radar system for a vehicle comprising a plurality of transmit antennas and frequency multipliers to transmit 76.5 GHz signals from the vehicle to detect an exterior area, where the frequency is chosen for detecting obstacles to the vehicle
Peng et al. discloses: a radar system for a vehicle transmitting 1-10 GHz signals into the passenger compartment of a vehicle to detect signs of life, where the frequency is chosen for detecting signs of life of passengers in the vehicle
Kim et al. as modified above discloses the invention of claim 1. However, Kim et al. fails to explicitly disclose wherein the second frequency is at most 60 GHz. This feature is disclosed by Peng et al., where Peng et al. discloses "A frequency spectrum (e.g., range of frequencies of radar signals and radar reflection can encompass frequencies between one and ten gigahertz (GHz), as one example." (Peng et al. ¶ [0047]). The combination of Kim et al., Yoshihide et al. and Peng et al. would be obvious with a reasonable expectation of success to provide the second frequency lower than the first frequency in order to optimize the first frequency of the first transmit antenna for detecting obstacles outside the vehicle and to optimize the second frequency of the second transmit antenna for detecting passengers inside the vehicle, while also “achieving a configuration equivalent to an arrangement of a large number of receiving antennas without increasing the size of the device.” (Yoshihide et al. p. 4) and enabling “detection of living objects with an improved signal-to-noise ratio and therefore greater accuracy… without increasing radiation power, power consumption, costs or computational load…” (Peng et al. ¶ [0004]).
Regarding claim 14, Kim et al. as modified above discloses:
[Note: what is not explicitly taught by Kim et al. has been struck-through]
The radar system of claim 1
Yoshihide et al. discloses:
wherein the first transmit antenna is oriented to emit the radar waves in a vehicle-rearward direction relative to the vehicle (Yoshihide et al. "The radar device 2 may be installed on the side or rear of the vehicle 100 as a radar device for monitoring not only the front of the vehicle 100 but also the sides or rear of the vehicle 100." - p. 25).
It would have been obvious to someone with ordinary skill in the art prior to the effective filing date of the claimed invention to incorporate the features as disclosed by Yoshihide et al. into the invention of Kim et al. as modified above to yield the invention of claim 14. Kim et al., Yoshihide et al. and Peng et al. are considered analogous arts to the claimed invention for the following reasons:
Kim et al. discloses: a radar system for a vehicle configured to transmit signals into the passenger compartment of a vehicle to detect a passenger, and to transmit signals to the exterior of the vehicle to detect an obstacle
Yoshihide et al. discloses: a radar system for a vehicle comprising a plurality of transmit antennas and frequency multipliers to transmit 76.5 GHz signals from the vehicle to detect an exterior area, where the frequency is chosen for detecting obstacles to the vehicle
Peng et al. discloses: a radar system for a vehicle transmitting 1-10 GHz signals into the passenger compartment of a vehicle to detect signs of life, where the frequency is chosen for detecting signs of life of passengers in the vehicle
Kim et al. as modified above discloses the invention of claim 1. However, Kim et al. fails to explicitly disclose wherein the first transmit antenna is oriented to emit the radar waves in a vehicle-rearward direction relative to the vehicle. This feature is disclosed by Yoshihide et al., where Yoshihide et al. discloses "The radar device 2 may be installed on the side or rear of the vehicle 100 as a radar device for monitoring not only the front of the vehicle 100 but also the sides or rear of the vehicle 100." (Yoshihide et al. p. 25). The combination of Kim et al., Yoshihide et al. and Peng et al. would be obvious with a reasonable expectation of success to provide the second frequency lower than the first frequency in order to optimize the first frequency of the first transmit antenna for detecting obstacles outside the vehicle and to optimize the second frequency of the second transmit antenna for detecting passengers inside the vehicle, while also “achieving a configuration equivalent to an arrangement of a large number of receiving antennas without increasing the size of the device.” (Yoshihide et al. p. 4) and enabling “detection of living objects with an improved signal-to-noise ratio and therefore greater accuracy… without increasing radiation power, power consumption, costs or computational load…” (Peng et al. ¶ [0004]).
Regarding claim 15, Kim et al. as modified above discloses:
[Note: what is not explicitly taught by Kim et al. has been struck-through]
The radar system of claim 1
Peng et al. discloses:
wherein the second transmit antenna is oriented to emit the radar waves in a vehicle-forward direction relative to the vehicle (Peng et al. "The radar system 102 transmits radar signals and receives radar reflection in a portion of the vehicle that is encompassed by a field-of-view 104." - ¶ [0033]; Fig. 1).
It would have been obvious to someone with ordinary skill in the art prior to the effective filing date of the claimed invention to incorporate the features as disclosed by Peng et al. into the invention of Kim et al. as modified above to yield the invention of claim 15. Kim et al., Yoshihide et al. and Peng et al. are considered analogous arts to the claimed invention for the following reasons:
Kim et al. discloses: a radar system for a vehicle configured to transmit signals into the passenger compartment of a vehicle to detect a passenger, and to transmit signals to the exterior of the vehicle to detect an obstacle
Yoshihide et al. discloses: a radar system for a vehicle comprising a plurality of transmit antennas and frequency multipliers to transmit 76.5 GHz signals from the vehicle to detect an exterior area, where the frequency is chosen for detecting obstacles to the vehicle
Peng et al. discloses: a radar system for a vehicle transmitting 1-10 GHz signals into the passenger compartment of a vehicle to detect signs of life, where the frequency is chosen for detecting signs of life of passengers in the vehicle
Kim et al. as modified above discloses the invention of claim 1. However, Kim et al. fails to explicitly disclose wherein the second transmit antenna is oriented to emit the radar waves in a vehicle-forward direction relative to the vehicle. This feature is disclosed by Peng et al., where Peng et al. discloses "The radar system 102 transmits radar signals and receives radar reflection in a portion of the vehicle that is encompassed by a field-of-view 104." (Peng et al. ¶ [0033]; Fig. 1). The combination of Kim et al., Yoshihide et al. and Peng et al. would be obvious with a reasonable expectation of success to provide the second frequency lower than the first frequency in order to optimize the first frequency of the first transmit antenna for detecting obstacles outside the vehicle and to optimize the second frequency of the second transmit antenna for detecting passengers inside the vehicle, while also “achieving a configuration equivalent to an arrangement of a large number of receiving antennas without increasing the size of the device.” (Yoshihide et al. p. 4) and enabling “detection of living objects with an improved signal-to-noise ratio and therefore greater accuracy… without increasing radiation power, power consumption, costs or computational load…” (Peng et al. ¶ [0004]).
Regarding claim 16, Kim et al. as modified above discloses:
[Note: what is not explicitly taught by Kim et al. has been struck-through]
The radar system of claim 1, further comprising:
a radar unit (Kim et al. radar controller 100, Figs. 1-2)
a computer communicatively coupled to the radar unit, the computer programmed to actuate a component of the vehicle based on data received from the radar unit (Kim et al. computing system 1000, Fig. 5; " As shown in FIG. 1, the vehicle system to which the radar controller for the vehicle is applied according to an embodiment of the present disclosure may be a module for performing various functions based on a detection result of a radar, which may include, for example, a radar controller 100, a door system 200, a collision avoidance system 300, and an intrusion detection system 400. In addition, such a vehicle system may further include various systems such as a rear occupant alert (ROA) system, a passenger position notification (PPN) system, and a door edge protection system (DEPS)." - Col. 4, lines 47-57).
Yoshihide et al. discloses:
a radar unit including the wave generator, the first transmit antenna, the second transmit antenna, the at least one first frequency multiplier, and the at least one second frequency multiplier (Yoshihide et al. radar device 2 includes VCO 8, first transmission antenna AT_1, second transmission antenna AT_2, first frequency multiplier 30_1, and second frequency multiplier 30_2, Fig. 6); and
a computer communicatively coupled to the radar unit, the computer programmed to actuate a component of the vehicle based on data received from the radar unit (Yoshihide et al. ECU 200, Fig. 13; "Then, target information such as the azimuth angle at which the target is located, the relative distance to the target, and the relative speed detected by the control unit 6 as described above is output to the vehicle control device (ECU: Electronic Control Unit) 200 of the vehicle 100. Based on these detection results, the vehicle ECU 200 controls actuators such as the throttle and brake of the vehicle 100 to adjust the vehicle speed so that the vehicle follows the preceding vehicle, thereby performing follow-up running control. In addition, when the distance to a preceding vehicle or obstacle becomes closer than a certain level and the probability of a collision increases, the vehicle ECU 200 performs collision response operations such as outputting a notification to the driver and activating safety devices such as airbags." - p. 24-25).
It would have been obvious to someone with ordinary skill in the art prior to the effective filing date of the claimed invention to incorporate the features as disclosed by Yoshihide et al. into the invention of Kim et al. as modified above to yield the invention of claim 16. Kim et al., Yoshihide et al. and Peng et al. are considered analogous arts to the claimed invention for the following reasons:
Kim et al. discloses: a radar system for a vehicle configured to transmit signals into the passenger compartment of a vehicle to detect a passenger, and to transmit signals to the exterior of the vehicle to detect an obstacle
Yoshihide et al. discloses: a radar system for a vehicle comprising a plurality of transmit antennas and frequency multipliers to transmit 76.5 GHz signals from the vehicle to detect an exterior area, where the frequency is chosen for detecting obstacles to the vehicle
Peng et al. discloses: a radar system for a vehicle transmitting 1-10 GHz signals into the passenger compartment of a vehicle to detect signs of life, where the frequency is chosen for detecting signs of life of passengers in the vehicle
Kim et al. as modified above discloses the invention of claim 1. However, Kim et al. fails to explicitly disclose that the radar unit includes the wave generator, the first transmit antenna, the second transmit antenna, the at least one first frequency multiplier, and the at least one second frequency multiplier. This feature is disclosed by Yoshihide et al., where Yoshihide et al. discloses a radar device 2 that includes VCO 8, first transmission antenna AT_1, second transmission antenna AT_2, first frequency multiplier 30_1, and second frequency multiplier 30_2, the radar device 2 connected to an ECU 200 that controls the throttle and brakes of the vehicle in response to radar detections (Yoshihide et al. Fig. 6, p. 24-25). The combination of Kim et al., Yoshihide et al. and Peng et al. would be obvious with a reasonable expectation of success to provide the second frequency lower than the first frequency in order to optimize the first frequency of the first transmit antenna for detecting obstacles outside the vehicle and to optimize the second frequency of the second transmit antenna for detecting passengers inside the vehicle, while also “achieving a configuration equivalent to an arrangement of a large number of receiving antennas without increasing the size of the device.” (Yoshihide et al. p. 4) and enabling “detection of living objects with an improved signal-to-noise ratio and therefore greater accuracy… without increasing radiation power, power consumption, costs or computational load…” (Peng et al. ¶ [0004]).
Regarding claim 17, Kim et al. as modified above discloses:
[Note: what is not explicitly taught by Kim et al. has been struck-through]
The radar system of claim 16, wherein the radar unit further includes a first receive antenna positioned to receive reflected radar waves emitted by the first transmit antenna (Kim et al. "The antenna for exterior detection may be located on a lower surface of the PCB in the same structure as the antenna for interior detection." - Col. 6, lines 50-52
Yoshihide et al. discloses:
wherein the radar unit further includes a first receive antenna positioned to receive reflected radar waves emitted by the first transmit antenna (Yoshihide et al. first receiving antenna AR_1, Fig. 6; first receiving antenna AR_1 receives reflected radar wave emitted by the first transmission antenna AT_1 and second transmission antenna AT_2), and a first analog-to-digital converter (ADC) positioned to receive output from the first receive antenna (Yoshihide et al. A/D 18_1 receives beat signal SB_1 output by the first mixer 16_1, Fig. 6), and the computer is communicatively coupled to the first ADC (Yoshihide et al. ECU 200 is connected to A/D 18_1 through the control unit 6 of the radar device 2, Figs. 6, 13).
It would have been obvious to someone with ordinary skill in the art prior to the effective filing date of the claimed invention to incorporate the features as disclosed by Yoshihide et al. into the invention of Kim et al. as modified above to yield the invention of claim 17. Kim et al., Yoshihide et al. and Peng et al. are considered analogous arts to the claimed invention for the following reasons:
Kim et al. discloses: a radar system for a vehicle configured to transmit signals into the passenger compartment of a vehicle to detect a passenger, and to transmit signals to the exterior of the vehicle to detect an obstacle
Yoshihide et al. discloses: a radar system for a vehicle comprising a plurality of transmit antennas and frequency multipliers to transmit 76.5 GHz signals from the vehicle to detect an exterior area, where the frequency is chosen for detecting obstacles to the vehicle
Peng et al. discloses: a radar system for a vehicle transmitting 1-10 GHz signals into the passenger compartment of a vehicle to detect signs of life, where the frequency is chosen for detecting signs of life of passengers in the vehicle
Kim et al. as modified above discloses the invention of claim 16. However, Kim et al. fails to explicitly disclose a first analog-to-digital converter (ADC) positioned to receive output from the first receive antenna, and the computer is communicatively coupled to the first ADC. This feature is disclosed by Yoshihide et al., where Yoshihide et al. discloses A/D 18_1 receives beat signal SB_1 output by the first mixer 16_1 and ECU 200 is connected to A/D 18_1 through the control unit 6 of the radar device 2 (Yoshihide et al. Figs. 6, 13). The combination of Kim et al., Yoshihide et al. and Peng et al. would be obvious with a reasonable expectation of success to provide the second frequency lower than the first frequency in order to optimize the first frequency of the first transmit antenna for detecting obstacles outside the vehicle and to optimize the second frequency of the second transmit antenna for detecting passengers inside the vehicle, while also “achieving a configuration equivalent to an arrangement of a large number of receiving antennas without increasing the size of the device.” (Yoshihide et al. p. 4) and enabling “detection of living objects with an improved signal-to-noise ratio and therefore greater accuracy… without increasing radiation power, power consumption, costs or computational load…” (Peng et al. ¶ [0004]).
Regarding claim 18, Kim et al. as modified above discloses:
[Note: what is not explicitly taught by Kim et al. has been struck-through]
The radar system of claim 17, wherein the computer is programmed to determine a status of an object outside the vehicle (Kim et al. "The intrusion detection system 400 may detect a person which intrudes into the vehicle based on the radar and may warn a user that an unauthorized person intrudes into the vehicle." - Col. 5, lines 15-18; "As shown in FIG. 3B, a radar 20 provided in the radar controller for the vehicle according to an embodiment of the present disclosure may be mounted on, for example, a center pillar upper trim of a vehicle to detect a passenger located inside the vehicle and detect an object (or a pedestrian) located outside the vehicle." - Col. 6, line 66 - Col. 7, line 4), and to actuate the component based on the status of the object (Kim et al. "The collision avoidance system 300 may be a system which predicts a collision with an obstacle (e.g., a pedestrian, an object, or the like) based on the radar and controls a behavior of the vehicle to avoid the collision with the obstacle, which may control braking and steering of the vehicle and may control rising and falling of the suspension." - Col. 5, lines 9-14).
Regarding claim 19, Kim et al. as modified above discloses:
[Note: what is not explicitly taught by Kim et al. has been struck-through]
The radar system of claim 16, wherein the radar unit further includes a second receive antenna positioned to receive reflected radar waves emitted by the second transmit antenna (Kim et al. "The antenna for interior detection may be located on an upper surface of a printed circuit board (PCB) and may include three transmit (TX) antennas, four receive (RX) antennas, and a transceiver 310." - Col. 6, lines 35-38)
Yoshihide et al. discloses:
wherein the radar unit further includes a second receive antenna positioned to receive reflected radar waves emitted by the second transmit antenna (Yoshihide et al. second receiving antenna AR_2, Fig. 6; first receiving antenna AR_1 receives reflected radar wave emitted by the first transmission antenna AT_1 and second transmission antenna AT_2), and a second analog-to-digital converter (ADC) positioned to receive output from the second receive antenna (Yoshihide et al. A/D 18_2 receives beat signal SB_2 output by the second mixer 16_2, Fig. 6), and the computer is communicatively coupled to the second ADC (Yoshihide et al. ECU 200 is connected to A/D 18_2 through the control unit 6 of the radar device 2, Figs. 6, 13).
It would have been obvious to someone with ordinary skill in the art prior to the effective filing date of the claimed invention to incorporate the features as disclosed by Yoshihide et al. into the invention of Kim et al. as modified above to yield the invention of claim 19. Kim et al., Yoshihide et al. and Peng et al. are considered analogous arts to the claimed invention for the following reasons:
Kim et al. discloses: a radar system for a vehicle configured to transmit signals into the passenger compartment of a vehicle to detect a passenger, and to transmit signals to the exterior of the vehicle to detect an obstacle
Yoshihide et al. discloses: a radar system for a vehicle comprising a plurality of transmit antennas and frequency multipliers to transmit 76.5 GHz signals from the vehicle to detect an exterior area, where the frequency is chosen for detecting obstacles to the vehicle
Peng et al. discloses: a radar system for a vehicle transmitting 1-10 GHz signals into the passenger compartment of a vehicle to detect signs of life, where the frequency is chosen for detecting signs of life of passengers in the vehicle
Kim et al. as modified above discloses the invention of claim 16. However, Kim et al. fails to explicitly disclose a second analog-to-digital converter (ADC) positioned to receive output from the second receive antenna, and the computer is communicatively coupled to the second ADC. This feature is disclosed by Yoshihide et al., where Yoshihide et al. discloses . A/D 18_2 receives beat signal SB_2 output by the second mixer 16_2 and ECU 200 is connected to A/D 18_2 through the control unit 6 of the radar device 2 (Yoshihide et al. Figs. 6, 13). The combination of Kim et al., Yoshihide et al. and Peng et al. would be obvious with a reasonable expectation of success to provide the second frequency lower than the first frequency in order to optimize the first frequency of the first transmit antenna for detecting obstacles outside the vehicle and to optimize the second frequency of the second transmit antenna for detecting passengers inside the vehicle, while also “achieving a configuration equivalent to an arrangement of a large number of receiving antennas without increasing the size of the device.” (Yoshihide et al. p. 4) and enabling “detection of living objects with an improved signal-to-noise ratio and therefore greater accuracy… without increasing radiation power, power consumption, costs or computational load…” (Peng et al. ¶ [0004]).
Regarding claim 20, Kim et al. as modified above discloses:
[Note: what is not explicitly taught by Kim et al. has been struck-through]
The radar system of claim 19, wherein the computer is programmed to determine a status of an occupant in the passenger compartment (Kim et al. "In addition, such a vehicle system may further include various systems such as a rear occupant alert (ROA) system, a passenger position notification (PPN) system, and a door edge protection system (DEPS)." - Col. 4, lines 53-57; "The intrusion detection system 400 may detect a person which intrudes into the vehicle based on the radar and may warn a user that an unauthorized person intrudes into the vehicle." - Col. 5, lines 15-18; "As shown in FIG. 3B, a radar 20 provided in the radar controller for the vehicle according to an embodiment of the present disclosure may be mounted on, for example, a center pillar upper trim of a vehicle to detect a passenger located inside the vehicle and detect an object (or a pedestrian) located outside the vehicle." - Col. 6, line 66 - Col. 7, line 4)
Peng et al. discloses:
wherein the computer is programmed to determine a status of an occupant in the passenger compartment (Peng et al. "A processing unit of the radar system 102 outputs the indication of the living object 108 to an alert system, which in response, outputs an audible, visual, or haptic feedback to a human or machine about an occupant inside an unattended vehicle." - ¶ [0039]), and to actuate the component based on the status of the occupant (Peng et al. "In response to the indication of the living object 108, the alert system may take action, for example, by directing the vehicle 100 to heat, cool, or ventilate the interior of the vehicle 100 in response to receiving an indication of the living object 108." - ¶ [0039]).
It would have been obvious to someone with ordinary skill in the art prior to the effective filing date of the claimed invention to incorporate the features as disclosed by Peng et al. into the invention of Kim et al. as modified above to yield the invention of claim 20. Kim et al., Yoshihide et al. and Peng et al. are considered analogous arts to the claimed invention for the following reasons:
Kim et al. discloses: a radar system for a vehicle configured to transmit signals into the passenger compartment of a vehicle to detect a passenger, and to transmit signals to the exterior of the vehicle to detect an obstacle
Yoshihide et al. discloses: a radar system for a vehicle comprising a plurality of transmit antennas and frequency multipliers to transmit 76.5 GHz signals from the vehicle to detect an exterior area, where the frequency is chosen for detecting obstacles to the vehicle
Peng et al. discloses: a radar system for a vehicle transmitting 1-10 GHz signals into the passenger compartment of a vehicle to detect signs of life, where the frequency is chosen for detecting signs of life of passengers in the vehicle
Kim et al. as modified above discloses the invention of claim 19. However, Kim et al. fails to explicitly disclose to actuate the component based on the status of the occupant. This feature is disclosed by Peng et al., where Peng et al. discloses "In response to the indication of the living object 108, the alert system may take action, for example, by directing the vehicle 100 to heat, cool, or ventilate the interior of the vehicle 100 in response to receiving an indication of the living object 108." (Peng et al. ¶ [0039]). The combination of Kim et al., Yoshihide et al. and Peng et al. would be obvious with a reasonable expectation of success to provide the second frequency lower than the first frequency in order to optimize the first frequency of the first transmit antenna for detecting obstacles outside the vehicle and to optimize the second frequency of the second transmit antenna for detecting passengers inside the vehicle, while also “achieving a configuration equivalent to an arrangement of a large number of receiving antennas without increasing the size of the device.” (Yoshihide et al. p. 4) and enabling “detection of living objects with an improved signal-to-noise ratio and therefore greater accuracy… without increasing radiation power, power consumption, costs or computational load…” (Peng et al. ¶ [0004]).
Claim(s) 3 and 10-11 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kim et al. (US 11,873,001 B2, cited by applicant in IDS dated 10 MAY 2024) in view of Yoshihide et al. (WO 2009/084159 A1), and Peng et al. (US 2022/0299624 A1, cited by applicant in IDS dated 10 MAY 2024) as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of Hartzstein et al. (US 7,420,502 B2).
Regarding claim 3, Kim et al. as modified above discloses:
[Note: what is not explicitly taught by Kim et al. has been struck-through]
The radar system of claim 1
Yoshihide et al. discloses:
a voltage frequency oscillator (Yoshihide et al. voltage-controlled oscillator (VCO) 8 outputs a local signal SL, Fig. 6) positioned to output the signal to the at least one first frequency multiplier (Yoshihide et al. multiplier 30_1, Fig. 6) and to the at least one second frequency multiplier (Yoshihide et al. multiplier 30_2, Fig. 6)
Hartzstein et al. discloses:
a frequency synthesizer (Hartzstein et al. direct digital synthesizer (DDS) 155, Fig. 5) positioned to receive the signal from the wave generator (Hartzstein et al. wave generator 152 comprises the DDS, Fig. 5) and output the signal to the at least one first frequency multiplier (Hartzstein et al. the signal is output from the wave generator 152 to the multiplier 156, Fig. 5), the frequency synthesizer configured to increase a frequency of the signal (Hartzstein et al. “DDS 153 receives signals controlling the frequencies and modulations generated from the DSP module 40…” – Col. 12, lines 17-19).
It would have been obvious to someone with ordinary skill in the art prior to the effective filing date of the claimed invention to incorporate the features as disclosed by Yoshihide et al. and Hartzstein et al. into the invention of Kim et al. as modified above to yield the invention of claim 3. Kim et al., Yoshihide et al., Peng et al. and Hartzstein et al. are considered analogous arts to the claimed invention for the following reasons:
Kim et al. discloses: a radar system for a vehicle configured to transmit signals into the passenger compartment of a vehicle to detect a passenger, and to transmit signals to the exterior of the vehicle to detect an obstacle
Yoshihide et al. discloses: a radar system for a vehicle comprising a plurality of transmit antennas and frequency multipliers to transmit 76.5 GHz signals from the vehicle to detect an exterior area, where the frequency is chosen for detecting obstacles to the vehicle
Peng et al. discloses: a radar system for a vehicle transmitting 1-10 GHz signals into the passenger compartment of a vehicle to detect signs of life, where the frequency is chosen for detecting signs of life of passengers in the vehicle
Hartzstein et al. discloses: a radar system for a vehicle comprising a plurality of transmitting antenna, a plurality of frequency multipliers, and a waveform generator, including a synthesizer, disposed on a printed circuit board
Kim et al. as modified above discloses the invention of claim 1. However, Kim et al. fails to explicitly disclose a frequency synthesizer positioned to receive the signal from the wave generator and output the signal to the at least one first frequency multiplier and to the at least one second frequency multiplier, the frequency synthesizer configured to increase a frequency of the signal. These features are disclosed by Yoshihide et al. and Hartzstein et al., where Yoshihide et al. discloses a waveform generator outputs a signal to a first multiplier and a second multiplier (Yoshihide et al. voltage-controlled oscillator (VCO) 8 outputs a local signal SL to multipliers 30_1 and 30_2, Fig. 6), and Hartzstein et al. discloses direct digital synthesizer 153 outputs a signal to the frequency multiplier 156 of the transmitter module 142 (Hartzstein et al. Fig. 5). The combination of Kim et al., Yoshihide et al. and Peng et al. would be obvious with a reasonable expectation of success to provide the second frequency lower than the first frequency in order to optimize the first frequency of the first transmit antenna for detecting obstacles outside the vehicle and to optimize the second frequency of the second transmit antenna for detecting passengers inside the vehicle, while also “achieving a configuration equivalent to an arrangement of a large number of receiving antennas without increasing the size of the device.” (Yoshihide et al. p. 4), enabling “detection of living objects with an improved signal-to-noise ratio and therefore greater accuracy… without increasing radiation power, power consumption, costs or computational load…” (Peng et al. ¶ [0004]), and enabling “a variety of modulations… to be applied to the frequencies output from the generator…” (Hartzstein et al. Col. 12, lines 15-17).
Regarding claim 10, Kim et al. as modified above discloses:
[Note: what is not explicitly taught by Kim et al. has been struck-through]
The radar system of claim 1, further comprising a circuit board (Kim et al. "The antenna for interior detection may be located on an upper surface of a printed circuit board (PCB)…" - Col. 6, lines 35-36)
Hartzstein et al. discloses:
a circuit board to which the wave generator and the at least one first frequency multiplier are mounted (Hartzstein et al. PCB 260, waveform generator 152 and multiplier 156 are mounted on PCB 260, Fig. 5)
It would have been obvious to someone with ordinary skill in the art prior to the effective filing date of the claimed invention to incorporate the features as disclosed by Hartzstein et al. into the invention of Kim et al. as modified above to yield the invention of claim 10. Kim et al., Yoshihide et al., Peng et al. and Hartzstein et al. are considered analogous arts to the claimed invention for the following reasons:
Kim et al. discloses: a radar system for a vehicle configured to transmit signals into the passenger compartment of a vehicle to detect a passenger, and to transmit signals to the exterior of the vehicle to detect an obstacle
Yoshihide et al. discloses: a radar system for a vehicle comprising a plurality of transmit antennas and frequency multipliers to transmit 76.5 GHz signals from the vehicle to detect an exterior area, where the frequency is chosen for detecting obstacles to the vehicle
Peng et al. discloses: a radar system for a vehicle transmitting 1-10 GHz signals into the passenger compartment of a vehicle to detect signs of life, where the frequency is chosen for detecting signs of life of passengers in the vehicle
Hartzstein et al. discloses: a radar system for a vehicle comprising a plurality of transmitting antenna, a plurality of frequency multipliers, and a waveform generator, including a synthesizer, disposed on a printed circuit board
Kim et al. as modified above discloses the invention of claim 1. However, Kim et al. fails to explicitly disclose a circuit board to which the wave generator and the at least one first frequency multiplier are mounted. This feature is disclosed by Hartzstein et al., where PCB 260, waveform generator 152 and multiplier 156 are mounted on PCB 260 (Hartzstein et al. Fig. 5). The combination of Kim et al., Yoshihide et al., Peng et al. and Hartzstein et al. would be obvious with a reasonable expectation of success to provide the second frequency lower than the first frequency in order to optimize the first frequency of the first transmit antenna for detecting obstacles outside the vehicle and to optimize the second frequency of the second transmit antenna for detecting passengers inside the vehicle, while also “achieving a configuration equivalent to an arrangement of a large number of receiving antennas without increasing the size of the device.” (Yoshihide et al. p. 4), enabling “detection of living objects with an improved signal-to-noise ratio and therefore greater accuracy… without increasing radiation power, power consumption, costs or computational load…” (Peng et al. ¶ [0004]), and enabling “a variety of modulations… to be applied to the frequencies output from the generator…” (Hartzstein et al. Col. 12, lines 15-17).
Regarding claim 11, Kim et al. as modified above discloses:
[Note: what is not explicitly taught by Kim et al. has been struck-through]
The radar system of claim 10(Kim et al. "The antenna for interior detection may be located on an upper surface of a printed circuit board (PCB)…" - Col. 6, lines 35-36).
Yoshihide et al. discloses:
the at least one first frequency multiplier (Yoshihide et al. multiplier 30_1, Fig. 6) and the at least one second frequency multiplier (Yoshihide et al. multiplier 30_2, Fig. 6)
Hartzstein et al. discloses:
wherein the at least one frequency multiplier is mounted to the circuit board (Hartzstein et al. PCB 260, waveform generator 152 and multiplier 156 are mounted on PCB 260, Fig. 5).
It would have been obvious to someone with ordinary skill in the art prior to the effective filing date of the claimed invention to incorporate the features as disclosed by Yoshihide et al. and Hartzstein et al. into the invention of Kim et al. as modified above to yield the invention of claim 11. Kim et al., Yoshihide et al., Peng et al. and Hartzstein et al. are considered analogous arts to the claimed invention for the following reasons:
Kim et al. discloses: a radar system for a vehicle configured to transmit signals into the passenger compartment of a vehicle to detect a passenger, and to transmit signals to the exterior of the vehicle to detect an obstacle
Yoshihide et al. discloses: a radar system for a vehicle comprising a plurality of transmit antennas and frequency multipliers to transmit 76.5 GHz signals from the vehicle to detect an exterior area, where the frequency is chosen for detecting obstacles to the vehicle
Peng et al. discloses: a radar system for a vehicle transmitting 1-10 GHz signals into the passenger compartment of a vehicle to detect signs of life, where the frequency is chosen for detecting signs of life of passengers in the vehicle
Hartzstein et al. discloses: a radar system for a vehicle comprising a plurality of transmitting antenna, a plurality of frequency multipliers, and a waveform generator, including a synthesizer, disposed on a printed circuit board
Kim et al. as modified above discloses the invention of claim 10. However, Kim et al. fails to explicitly disclose a circuit board to which the wave generator and the at least one first frequency multiplier are mounted.
These features are disclosed by Yoshihide et al. and Hartzstein et al., where Yoshihide et al. discloses the at least one first frequency multiplier and the at least one second frequency multiplier (Yoshihide et al. multiplier 30_1, 30_2, Fig. 6) and Hartzstein et al. discloses multiplier 156 is mounted on PCB 260 (Hartzstein et al. Fig. 5).
The combination of Kim et al., Yoshihide et al., Peng et al. and Hartzstein et al. would be obvious with a reasonable expectation of success to provide the second frequency lower than the first frequency in order to optimize the first frequency of the first transmit antenna for detecting obstacles outside the vehicle and to optimize the second frequency of the second transmit antenna for detecting passengers inside the vehicle, while also “achieving a configuration equivalent to an arrangement of a large number of receiving antennas without increasing the size of the device.” (Yoshihide et al. p. 4), enabling “detection of living objects with an improved signal-to-noise ratio and therefore greater accuracy… without increasing radiation power, power consumption, costs or computational load…” (Peng et al. ¶ [0004]), and enabling “a variety of modulations… to be applied to the frequencies output from the generator…” (Hartzstein et al. Col. 12, lines 15-17).
Claim(s) 12-13 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kim et al. (US 11,873,001 B2, cited by applicant in IDS dated 10 MAY 2024) in view of Yoshihide et al. (WO 2009/084159 A1), Peng et al. (US 2022/0299624 A1, cited by applicant in IDS dated 10 MAY 2024), and Hartzstein et al. (US 7,420,502 B2) as applied to claim 10 above, and further in view of Hammerschmidt et al. (US 2018/0210079 A1).
Regarding claim 12, Kim et al. as modified above discloses:
[Note: what is not explicitly taught by Kim et al. has been struck-through]
The radar system of claim 10, further comprising (Kim et al. "The antenna for interior detection may be located on an upper surface of a printed circuit board (PCB)…" - Col. 6, lines 35-36).
Hammerschmidt et al.
a cable (Hammerschmidt et al. “Likewise, the second antenna element 110-2 element can be configured down-convert the second portion of the reflected radar signal using the second RF signal as a local oscillator… The first and the second receive signal can then be on an intermediate frequency or at baseband. They may then be provided to the radar unit by respective transmission lines such as respective coaxial cables and/or twisted wire pair cables.” - ¶ [0056]) connecting the second transmit antenna (Hammerschmidt et al. second antenna element 110-2, Figs. 1, 3) to the circuit board (Hammerschmidt et al. “The radar unit 140 may be realized as an integrated circuit mounted on a printed circuit board and/or may be realized by various components mounted on a printed circuit board, for example.” - ¶ [0073]; Figs. 1, 3), the second transmit antenna being spaced from the circuit board (Hammerschmidt et al. the second antenna element 110-2 is spaced apart from radar unit 140, Figs. 1, 3).
It would have been obvious to someone with ordinary skill in the art prior to the effective filing date of the claimed invention to incorporate the features as disclosed by Hammerschmidt et al. into the invention of Kim et al. as modified above to yield the invention of claim 12. Kim et al., Yoshihide et al., Peng et al. and Hartzstein et al. are considered analogous arts to the claimed invention for the following reasons:
Kim et al. discloses: a radar system for a vehicle configured to transmit signals into the passenger compartment of a vehicle to detect a passenger, and to transmit signals to the exterior of the vehicle to detect an obstacle
Yoshihide et al. discloses: a radar system for a vehicle comprising a plurality of transmit antennas and frequency multipliers to transmit 76.5 GHz signals from the vehicle to detect an exterior area, where the frequency is chosen for detecting obstacles to the vehicle
Peng et al. discloses: a radar system for a vehicle transmitting 1-10 GHz signals into the passenger compartment of a vehicle to detect signs of life, where the frequency is chosen for detecting signs of life of passengers in the vehicle
Hartzstein et al. discloses: a radar system for a vehicle comprising a plurality of transmitting antenna, a plurality of frequency multipliers, and a waveform generator, including a synthesizer, disposed on a printed circuit board for detecting objects exterior to the vehicle
Hammerschmidt et al. discloses: a radar system for a vehicle for detecting obstacles exterior to the vehicle comprising a plurality of antenna elements that are spaced apart from and connected to the printed circuit board with cables
Kim et al. as modified above discloses the invention of claim 10. However, Kim et al. fails to explicitly disclose a cable connecting the second transmit antenna to the circuit board, the second transmit antenna being spaced from the circuit board. This feature is disclosed by Hammerschmidt et al., where a cable connects the second antenna element to the printed circuit board of the radar unit (Hammerschmidt et al. ¶ [0056]). The combination of Kim et al., Yoshihide et al., Peng et al., Hartzstein et al. and Hammerschmidt et al. would be obvious with a reasonable expectation of success to provide the second frequency lower than the first frequency in order to optimize the first frequency of the first transmit antenna for detecting obstacles outside the vehicle and to optimize the second frequency of the second transmit antenna for detecting passengers inside the vehicle, while also “achieving a configuration equivalent to an arrangement of a large number of receiving antennas without increasing the size of the device.” (Yoshihide et al. p. 4), enabling “detection of living objects with an improved signal-to-noise ratio and therefore greater accuracy… without increasing radiation power, power consumption, costs or computational load…” (Peng et al. ¶ [0004]), enabling “a variety of modulations… to be applied to the frequencies output from the generator…” (Hartzstein et al. Col. 12, lines 15-17), and reducing costs of the radar system by providing “the radar unit communicating with one or more antenna elements [in order to] avoid providing a dedicated, independent radar transceiver at each antenna element.” (Hammerschmidt et al. ¶ [0019]).
Regarding claim 13, Kim et al. as modified above discloses:
[Note: what is not explicitly taught by Kim et al. has been struck-through]
The radar system of claim 12
Peng et al. discloses:
wherein the second frequency is in a range of 1 to 5 GHz (Peng et al. "A frequency spectrum (e.g., range of frequencies of radar signals and radar reflection can encompass frequencies between one and ten gigahertz (GHz), as one example." - ¶ [0047]; “A choice of frequency is dependent on an amount of fluctuation expected for a particular geometry of the reflecting surface.” - ¶ [0065]).
It would have been obvious to someone with ordinary skill in the art prior to the effective filing date of the claimed invention to incorporate the features as disclosed by Peng et al. into the invention of Kim et al. as modified above to yield the invention of claim 13. Kim et al., Yoshihide et al., Peng et al. and Hartzstein et al. are considered analogous arts to the claimed invention for the following reasons:
Kim et al. discloses: a radar system for a vehicle configured to transmit signals into the passenger compartment of a vehicle to detect a passenger, and to transmit signals to the exterior of the vehicle to detect an obstacle
Yoshihide et al. discloses: a radar system for a vehicle comprising a plurality of transmit antennas and frequency multipliers to transmit 76.5 GHz signals from the vehicle to detect an exterior area, where the frequency is chosen for detecting obstacles to the vehicle
Peng et al. discloses: a radar system for a vehicle transmitting 1-10 GHz signals into the passenger compartment of a vehicle to detect signs of life, where the frequency is chosen for detecting signs of life of passengers in the vehicle
Hartzstein et al. discloses: a radar system for a vehicle comprising a plurality of transmitting antenna, a plurality of frequency multipliers, and a waveform generator, including a synthesizer, disposed on a printed circuit board for detecting objects exterior to the vehicle
Hammerschmidt et al. discloses: a radar system for a vehicle for detecting obstacles exterior to the vehicle comprising a plurality of antenna elements that are spaced apart from and connected to the printed circuit board with cables
Kim et al. as modified above discloses the invention of claim 12. However, Kim et al. fails to explicitly disclose wherein the second frequency is in a range of 1 to 5 GHz. This feature is disclosed by Peng et al., where "A frequency spectrum (e.g., range of frequencies of radar signals and radar reflection can encompass frequencies between one and ten gigahertz (GHz), as one example." (Peng et al. ¶ [0047]). The combination of Kim et al., Yoshihide et al., Peng et al., Hartzstein et al. and Hammerschmidt et al. would be obvious with a reasonable expectation of success to provide the second frequency lower than the first frequency in order to optimize the first frequency of the first transmit antenna for detecting obstacles outside the vehicle and to optimize the second frequency of the second transmit antenna for detecting passengers inside the vehicle, while also “achieving a configuration equivalent to an arrangement of a large number of receiving antennas without increasing the size of the device.” (Yoshihide et al. p. 4), enabling “detection of living objects with an improved signal-to-noise ratio and therefore greater accuracy… without increasing radiation power, power consumption, costs or computational load…” (Peng et al. ¶ [0004]), enabling “a variety of modulations… to be applied to the frequencies output from the generator…” (Hartzstein et al. Col. 12, lines 15-17), and reducing costs of the radar system by providing “the radar unit communicating with one or more antenna elements [in order to] avoid providing a dedicated, independent radar transceiver at each antenna element.” (Hammerschmidt et al. ¶ [0019]).
Conclusion
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NAOMI M. WOLFORD
Examiner
Art Unit 3648
/N.M.W./ Examiner, Art Unit 3648
18 MAR 2026
/RESHA DESAI/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3648