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 .
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.
(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.
Claims 1-2, and 5-11 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Alexander et al., U.S. Patent Application 10024973 B1.
Regarding claims 1 and 10, Alexander discloses a method and a device comprising steps of:-
An antenna system (Controlled Reception Pattern Antenna fig. 4, 6 and 10) configured to perform spatial filtering causing an attenuation of power of radio signals received by an antenna system in an angular sector , the spatial filtering being adapted so that the attenuation does not interrupt a tracking, by a GNSS receiver coupled to the antenna system, of a radio signal received by the antenna system in any direction (see fig. 6 step 602 and claim 1) ;-
A detector configured to detect (fig. 6) the following conditions are met: a radio signal is received by the antenna system while the angular sector (A) includes a direction pointing towards a satellite forming part of a constellation of positioning satellites, the received radio signal is not subject to the attenuation caused by the spatial filtering (fig. 6 step 606), and the received radio signal appears as a positioning signal emanating from the satellite (col. 11, ln 28-44);-
upon detecting that the conditions are met, implementing a processing () under the assumption that the antenna system has been spoofed (fig. 6 steps 608 and 610).
Regarding claim 2, Alexander discloses The method of claim 1, wherein the detecting is repeated for several satellites forming part of the constellation (Alexander teaches In the state 604, the signals received along the survey path are evaluated for the possible existence of a spoofer. Indications of power, such as carrier power to noise density (C/No) for multiple satellites).
Regarding claim 5, Alexander discloses The method of claim 4, wherein the antenna system is in a mobile carrier, and the processing comprises: - performing spatial filtering so as to maintain the direction identified in the angular sector during a displacement of the mobile carrier (see fig. 7).
Regarding claim 6, Alexander discloses The method of claim 1, further comprising: - determining the direction pointing towards the satellite before performing the spatial filtering, - controlling the antenna system based on the direction pointing towards the satellite, so as to orient the angular sector in the direction pointing towards the satellite (see fig. 1, fig. 6 and claim 1).
Regarding claim 7, Alexander discloses The method of claim, comprising steps of:- controlling the antenna system so as to move the angular sector in rotation, the angular sector occupying a succession of orientations during the rotation, - during the rotation, detecting that the angular sector (A) includes the direction pointing towards the satellite (see fig. 1 and fig. 11).
Regarding claim 8, Alexander discloses The method of claim l, comprising determining the direction pointing towards the satellite from an attitude of a carrier comprising the antenna system, the attitude being determined based on data provided by an inertial unit (see fig. 12).
Regarding claim 9, Alexander discloses The method of claim1, wherein the antenna system comprises at least three planar antennas (see fig. 10).
Regarding claim 11, Alexander discloses a mobile carrier comprising the device of claim 10 (see fig. 7).
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 103 which forms the basis for all obviousness rejections set forth in this Office action:
A patent for a claimed invention may not be obtained, notwithstanding that the claimed invention is not identically disclosed as set forth in section 102, 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.
Claims 3 and 4 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Alexander et al., U.S. Patent Application 10024973 B1 in view of Grobert EP 3414600 A1.
Regarding claim 3, Alexander discloses The method of claim 1, but does not disclose following limitations , Grobert discloses these limitations wherein the processing comprises:
- detecting that a second signal appearing as a positioning signal emanating from a satellite forming part of the constellation is subject to an attenuation caused by the spatial filtering while the angular sector does not include any direction pointing towards any satellite of the constellation, and identifying a direction included in the angular sector during detection as a direction pointing towards an emitter by which the antenna system has been spoofed (see fig. 3 and [0031]).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention was made to modify Alexander to incorporate teaching of Grobert to improve spoofer detection accuracy.
Regarding claim 4, Alexander discloses The method of claim 1, but does not disclose following limitations , Grobert discloses these limitations wherein the processing comprises: - detecting that second signals appearing respectively as positioning signals emanating from different satellites forming part of the constellation are simultaneously subject to the attenuation caused by the spatial filtering while the angular sector does not include any direction pointing towards any satellite of the constellation,- identifying a direction included in the angular sector during the detection as a direction pointing towards a jammer (see fig. 3 and [0031]).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention was made to modify Alexander to incorporate teaching of Grobert to improve spoofer detection accuracy.
Conclusion
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/HELAL A ALGAHAIM/SPE , Art Unit 3666