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 .
Priority
Acknowledgment is made of applicant’s claim for priority based on a PCT application filed on 11/18/2021.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 10/28/2025, 06/26/2025, 03/12/2025 and 05/13/2024 was filed. The submission is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
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.
Claim(s) 1-4, 6-13, 15-17, 20-22, 24-25 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over KASSAS et al (U.S. 2022/0075079) and further in view of Karabinis et al (U.S. 2007/0072545).
3. As per claims 1,10,20,21,22 KASSAS disclosed
A position method, performed by a positioning measurement device, comprising: reporting a positioning measurement report, wherein the positioning measurement report comprises direct path indication information, wherein the direct path indication information comprises a first bit for indicating whether a specified path is a direct path, or a second bit for indicating a probability that a specified path is a direct path [The method also includes determining, by the device, a position estimate for the device using carrier phase determinations of the one or more LEO satellite signals received by the device and the observables from the base, and correcting, by the device, the position estimate, wherein correcting is based on an integer ambiguity resolution operation and double difference carrier phase determination for the one or more LEO satellite signals] (Paragraph. 0006), and
However KASSAS did not explicitly disclose each piece of direct path indication information corresponds to a single carrier phase measurement result.
In the same field of endeavor Karabinis disclosed, “As shown in FIG. 14, a first X MHz of LHCP signal spectrum 1410a, received from RX-only satellite 1, antenna 1 1340a via the first processor, and a first corresponding X MHz of RHCP signal spectrum 1410b also received by RX-only satellite 1, antenna 1 1340a via the second processor, are mapped into in-phase (I) and quadrature (Q) dimensions of a first carrier. In other embodiments, the X MHz of signal spectrum that is mapped into the I and Q dimensions of the carrier need not be an RHCP signal received by satellite 1, antenna 1. Instead, it may be a corresponding X MHz of signal spectrum (LHCP or RHCP) from satellite 1, antenna 2 1340b. In some embodiments, any appropriate mapping of signals from the RX-only satellite antennas 1340a-1340b may be used, for example, by utilizing as many orthogonal polarizations and/or dimensions as possible, over the same available feeder bandwidth, so as to reduce or minimize the number of gateways or diversity sites that are used on the ground to transport the desired signals for processing thereof” (Paragraph. 0090).
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing was made to have incorporated As shown in FIG. 14, a first X MHz of LHCP signal spectrum 1410a, received from RX-only satellite 1, antenna 1 1340a via the first processor, and a first corresponding X MHz of RHCP signal spectrum 1410b also received by RX-only satellite 1, antenna 1 1340a via the second processor, are mapped into in-phase (I) and quadrature (Q) dimensions of a first carrier. In other embodiments, the X MHz of signal spectrum that is mapped into the I and Q dimensions of the carrier need not be an RHCP signal received by satellite 1, antenna 1. Instead, it may be a corresponding X MHz of signal spectrum (LHCP or RHCP) from satellite 1, antenna 2 1340b. In some embodiments, any appropriate mapping of signals from the RX-only satellite antennas 1340a-1340b may be used, for example, by utilizing as many orthogonal polarizations and/or dimensions as possible, over the same available feeder bandwidth, so as to reduce or minimize the number of gateways or diversity sites that are used on the ground to transport the desired signals for processing thereof as taught by Karabinis in the method and system of KASSAS to improve reliability and cost effectiveness by increasing the signaling efficiencies.
4. As per claim 2 KASSAS-Karabinis disclosed wherein the carrier phase measurement result comprises at least one of a carrier phase fractional part or a number of carrier phase whole cycles (KASSAS, Paragraph. 0095).
5. As per claim 3 KASSAS-Karabinis disclosed wherein the carrier phase fractional part comprises a plurality of carrier phase fractional parts corresponding to different paths among a plurality of paths respectively, or a carrier phase fractional part corresponding to the plurality of paths as a whole (KASSAS, Paragraph. 0016).
6. As per claim 4 KASSAS-Karabinis disclosed wherein the number of carrier phase whole cycles comprises a plurality of numbers of carrier phase whole cycles corresponding to different paths among a plurality of paths respectively, or a number of carrier phase whole cycles corresponding to the plurality of as a whole (KASSAS, Paragraph. 0016).
7. As per claim 6 KASSAS-Karabinis disclosed wherein each piece of direct path indication information corresponds to at least one of: a single reference signal, a single transmission reception point, or a single carrier phase measurement result (KASSAS, Paragraph. 0064).
8. As per claim 7 KASSAS-Karabinis disclosed wherein the measurement report further comprises at least one piece of following information: a reference signal received power, an angle of arrival, an angle of departure, time of arrival, a difference value of time of arrival, a round-trip time value (KASSAS, Paragraph. 0047), indication information on whether a reception (Rx) time error is identical, indication information on whether a transmission (Tx) time error is identical, or indication information on whether a Tx and Rx time error is identical (KASSAS, Paragraph. 0041).
9. As per claim 8 KASSAS-Karabinis disclosed wherein reporting the positioning measurement report comprises: reporting the positioning measurement report to a core network device (KASSAS, Paragraph. 0041).
10. As per claim 9 KASSAS-Karabinis disclosed wherein the positioning measurement report is obtained by measurement on different paths among a plurality of paths based on a positioning reference signal, and the positioning reference signal comprises: a downlink positioning reference signal, or an uplink positioning reference signal (KASSAS, Paragraph. 0053).
11. As per claim 11 KASSAS-Karabinis disclosed wherein the carrier phase measurement result comprises at least one of a carrier phase fractional part or a number of carrier phase whole cycles (KASSAS, Paragraph. 0095).
12. As per claim 12 KASSAS-Karabinis disclosed wherein the carrier phase fractional part comprises a plurality of carrier phase fractional parts corresponding to different paths among a plurality of paths respectively, or a carrier phase fractional part corresponding to the plurality of paths as a whole (KASSAS, Paragraph. 0016).
13. As per claim 13 KASSAS-Karabinis disclosed wherein the number of carrier phase whole cycles comprises a plurality of numbers of carrier phase whole cycles corresponding to different paths among a plurality of paths respectively, or a number of carrier phase whole cycles corresponding to the plurality of paths as a whole (KASSAS, Paragraph. 0016).
14. As per claims 15,24,25 KASSAS-Karabinis disclosed wherein each piece of direct path indication information corresponds to at least one of: a single reference signal, a single transmission reception point, or a single carrier phase measurement result (KASSAS, Paragraph. 0064).
15. As per claim 16 KASSAS-Karabinis disclosed wherein the measurement report further comprises at least one piece of following information: a reference signal received power, an angle of arrival, an angle of departure, time of arrival, a difference value of time of arrival, a round-trip time value, indication information on whether a reception (Rx) time error is identical, indication information on whether a transmission (Tx) time error is identical, or indication information on whether a Tx and Rx time error is identical (KASSAS, Paragraph. 0041).
16. As per claim 17 KASSAS-Karabinis disclosed wherein the positioning measurement report is obtained by measurement on different paths among a plurality of paths based on a positioning reference signal, and the positioning reference signal comprises: a downlink positioning reference signal, or an uplink positioning reference signal (KASSAS, Paragraph. 0053).
Response to Arguments
17. Applicant’s arguments with respect to claim(s) 1-4, 6-13, 15-17, 20-22, 24-25 have been considered but are moot because the new ground of rejection does not rely on any reference applied in the prior rejection of record for any teaching or matter specifically challenged in the argument.
Conclusion
18. THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
19. Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communication from the
examiner should be directed to Adnan Mirza whose telephone number is (571)-272-3885.
20. The examiner can normally be reached on Monday to Friday during normal
business hours. If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the
examiner’s supervisor, Faris Almatrahi can be reached on (313)-446-4821.
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/ADNAN M MIRZA/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3667
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