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 .
Preliminary Amendment Acknowledgment
The Preliminary Amendment filed on 03/01/20224 has been acknowledged and considered by the examiner.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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 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)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claim(s) 1-2, 4, 6-10, 13-14, 16-19, 24, 27, 29-31 and 41 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Peeters et al. (Pub. No. US 2015/0094883).
Regarding claim 1. Peeters teaches a method performed in a wireless communication system for positioning a wireless device connected to a respective operator network, assisted in part by a vehicle (Peeters, the Abstract, Fig. 9), the method comprising
receiving a request for the vehicle to approach the wireless device (Peeters, Fig. 9, pp [170]-[173]: request from a user of a mobile phone 908 for medical support and a request for a UAV 902 to approach the user of the mobile phone),
associating the vehicle with the operator network of the wireless device (Peeters, Fig. 9, pp [170]-[173]: the UAV and the mobile phone in communication with a network),
triggering a network positioning procedure involving the wireless device and the operator network, where the positioning procedure is at least partly based on comm1unication of a positioning signal between the vehicle and the wireless device, and on communication of respective positioning signals between one or more fixed access points of the operator network and the wireless device (Peeters, Fig. 9, pp [170]-[173]: starting the navigation process for the UAV to approach the mobile phone via signaling exchanging and GPS coordinates signaling to locate the mobile phone), and
determining a position of the wireless device based on one or more measurements of the positioning signals (Peeters, Fig. 9, pp [170]-[173]: locating the mobile phone via exchanged signaling).
Regarding claim 31. Peeters teaches a vehicle arranged to partake in positioning a wireless device in a wireless communication system, wherein the wireless device is arranged to be connected to a respective operator network (Peeters, the Abstract), wherein the vehicle is arranged to:
receive a request from a network entity to approach the wireless device (Peeters, Fig. 9, pp [170]-[173]: request from a user of a mobile phone 908 for medical support and a request for a UAV 902 to approach the user of the mobile phone),
associate itself with the operator network of the wireless device (Peeters, Fig. 9, pp [170]-[173]: the UAV and the mobile phone in communication with a network), and
to partake in a network positioning procedure involving the wireless device and the operator network, where the positioning procedure is based on communication of a positioning signal between the vehicle and the wireless device, and on communication of respective positioning signals between one or more fixed access points of the operator network and the wireless device (Peeters, Fig. 9, pp [170]-[173]: starting the navigation process for the UAV to approach the mobile phone via signaling exchanging and GPS coordinates signaling to locate the mobile phone).
Regarding claim 41. Peeters teaches a network node arranged to perform a network positioning procedure in a wireless communication system for positioning a wireless device connected to a respective operator network, assisted in part by a vehicle (Peeters, the Abstract), wherein the network node is arranged to
receive a request for the vehicle to approach the wireless device (Peeters, Fig. 9, pp [170]-[173]: request from a user of a mobile phone 908 for medical support and a request for a UAV 902 to approach the user of the mobile phone),
associate the vehicle with the operator network of the wireless device (Peeters, Fig. 9, pp [170]-[173]: the UAV and the mobile phone in communication with a network),
trigger a network positioning procedure involving the wireless device and the operator network, where the positioning procedure is based on communication of a positioning signal between the vehicle and the wireless device, and on communication of respective positioning signals between one or more fixed access points of the operator network and the wireless device (Peeters, Fig. 9, pp [170]-[173]: starting the navigation process for the UAV to approach the mobile phone via signaling exchanging and GPS coordinates signaling to locate the mobile phone), and
determine a position of the wireless device based on measured time of flight of the positioning signals (Peeters, Fig. 9, pp [170]-[173]: locating the mobile phone via exchanged signaling).
Regarding claim 2. Peeters teaches the method of claim 1, further comprising navigating the vehicle towards the determined position of the wireless device (Peeters, Fig. 9, pp [172]: the UAV navigates to the mobile phone location).
Regarding claim 4. Peeters teaches the method of claim 1, wherein the vehicle comprises an electronic subscriber identity module, eSIM, or integrated access backhaul mobile termination, IAB-MT, functionality, arranged to facilitate associating the vehicle with the operator network (Peeters, Fig. 5, pp [102]-[104]: the UAV is configured to communicate with mobile network and WiFi short range communication; pp [162]-[164]).
Regarding claim 6. Peeters teaches the method of claim 1, comprising obtaining an estimated coarse location associated with a position of the wireless device, and navigating the vehicle to the coarse location prior to triggering the network positioning procedure (Peeters, Fig. 6, pp [127]-[132]: approximating a target location of the mobile phone).
Regarding claim 7. Peeters teaches the method of claim 1, wherein the associating comprises emulating a radio base station of the operator network by the vehicle (Peeters, pp [56]-[58]).
Regarding claim 8. Peeters teaches the method of claim 1, wherein the associating comprises executing an authorization procedure involving the vehicle and an authorization entity comprised in the operator network, resulting in a granted authorization or a refused authorization (Peeters, pp [71]-[72], [155]).
Regarding claim 9. Peeters teaches the method of claim 8, wherein the authorization procedure comprises verification of a purpose of an authorization request, wherein the result of the authorization procedure depends on the purpose of the verification request (Peeters, pp [71]-[72], [155]).
Regarding claim 10. Peeters teaches the method of claim 8, wherein the granted authorization is valid for the duration of a pre-determined or specified time period, the granted authorization is valid within a specified geographical area (Peeters, pp [71]-[72], [155]), and/or the granted authorization is valid within a specified network domain of the operator network (Peeters, pp [71]-[72], [155]).
Regarding claim 13. Peeters teaches the method of claim 1, wherein the network positioning procedure comprises determining a desired location of the vehicle, and navigating the vehicle to the desired location, prior to triggering at least a part of the network positioning procedure (Peeters, pp [92]-[94]).
Regarding claim 14. Peeters teaches the method of claim 13, wherein the desired location of the vehicle is determined based on a relative geometry of the one or more fixed access points of the operator network and on an estimated location area of the wireless device (Peeters, pp [171]-[174]), and/or the desired location of the vehicle is determined based on a network operator input and/or based on position data from a database comprising previously determined desired locations (Peeters, pp [171]-[174]).
Regarding claim 16. Peeters teaches the method of claim 1, where the positioning procedure comprises positioning the vehicle based on communication of a positioning signal between the vehicle and the one or more fixed access points of the operator network (Peeters, pp [170]-[171]).
Regarding claim 17. Peeters teaches the method of claim 1, comprising establishing a direct radio link between the vehicle and the wireless device (Peeters, pp [171]-[174]).
Regarding claim 18. Peeters teaches the method of claim 1, wherein the network positioning procedure comprises determining a distance between the vehicle and the wireless device based on a positioning signal transmitted over the direct radio link between the vehicle and the wireless device (Peeters, pp [171]-[174]).
Regarding claim 19. Peeters teaches the method of claim 1, wherein the wireless device and/or the vehicle is arranged to determine an angle of arrival and/or an angle of departure of a received and/or transmitted positioning signal, respectively, where the network positioning procedure comprises determining a bearing from the vehicle to the wireless device or vice versa, based on a positioning signal transmitted over the direct radio link between the vehicle and the wireless device (Peeters, Fig. 7, pp [154]-[157]).
Regarding claim 24. Peeters teaches the method of claim 1, wherein the network positioning procedure comprises transmission of any of a sounding reference signal, SRS, a random access signal transmitted over a physical random access channel, PRACH, and/or a demodulation reference signal, DMRS of a third generation partnership, 3GPP, defined operator network (Peeters, pp [85], [151]).
Regarding claim 27. Peeters teaches the method of claim 1, wherein the network positioning procedure comprises positioning the vehicle with respect to a coordinate system prior to triggering the network positioning procedure involving the operator network (Peeters, pp [86]-[88], [95]).
Regarding claim 29. Peeters teaches the method of claim 1, wherein determining a position of the wireless device based on one or more measurements comprises determining the position at least partly based on any of:
time of flight of the positioning signal, angle of arrival of the positioning signal, angle of departure of the positioning signals, and a received signal power of the positioning signal (Peeters, pp [24]-[25], [151]-[154]).
Regarding claim 30. Peeters teaches the method of claim 1, wherein determining the position of the wireless device based on the one or more measurements of the positioning signals comprises aligning the network positioning procedure with a movement strategy of the vehicle (Peeters, pp [24]-[25], [151]-[154]).
Reference(s) related but not used in the rejection above
Fakoorian et al. (Pub. No. US 2022/0308153), teaches Systems and methods for measuring at and reporting by a target user equipment (UE) of one or more positioning signals sent from one or more assisting UEs to the target UE are disclosed herein. The target UE may receive a positioning signal from an assisting UE according to a communication received at the target UE. The target UE may proceed to perform a positioning measurement using the positioning signal received from the target UE. The positioning measurement may be used by the target UE to estimate its own position, or the positioning measurement may be sent to another entity within a wireless communications system to be used in estimating the physical position of the UE. The handling of multiple received positioning signals from various sources, and the handling of situations where, for example, a transmission reception point (TRP) and an assisting UE may schedule overlapping positioning signals.
Khoryaev et al. (Pub. No. US 2016/0095080), teaches the position of User Equipment (UE) may be determined based on information communicated through direct UE-to-UE communications to obtain additional measurements of position metrics that can be used to determine relative or absolute positions of the UE. In one implementation, a UE may receive, via a direct connection with a second UE, a positioning reference signal from which timing information, relating to distance between the UE and second UE, is derivable; determine, based on the positioning reference signal, a first position metric that relates to a position of the UE with respect to the second UE; and determine, based at least on position metric, a location of the UE.
Thomas et al. (Pub. No. US 2023/0296752), teaches a user equipment (UE) apparatus includes a target UE configured to receive sidelink (“SL”) positioning reference signals (“SL-PRS”) from a reference node and two or more additional UEs, measure SL reference signal timing differences (“RSTDs”) between the two or more additional UEs with respect to the reference node, and determine an estimated location of the target UE based on a time-difference-of-arrival (“TDOA”) positioning technique using the SL RSTDs. Another instance of UE apparatus includes a target UE configured to transmit SL-PRS to one or more additional UEs, receive SL positioning reference signals from a one or more additional UEs, and determine an estimated location of the target UE based on a SL round-trip time (“RTT”) positioning technique using the SL-PRS transmitted and received between the target UE and additional UEs.
Conclusion
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/HUY C HO/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2644