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 § 112
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claims 1-5 and 7-8 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
In independent claims 1and 7, a signal processing apparatus is connected/coupled to a positioning server. Note that coupled/connected are generally used in the situation when apparatus is located close to or next to a what it is connected to (positioning server in this case). However, after reviewing Fig. 2 and dependent claim 6 it appears the signal processing apparatus is located in a terminal (terminal device 10 in Fig. 2). Furthermore, a first communication circuit in claim 1 also indicates the transmission between positioning server and apparatus is fulfilled with a communication circuit, another evidence indicates these two devices are not located close by. Applicant needs to amend the claims to clarify the location relationship.
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)(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, 3-4, 6-8 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by PALENIUS (US-20240023153-A1).
Regarding claims 1 and 7, PALENIUS discloses a signal processing apparatus (see Fig. 8) configured to be connected to a positioning server that calculates a positioning solution from observation data, the observation data being obtained from a global navigation satellite systems (GNSS) signal via a communication network, the signal processing apparatus comprising:
a receiver configured to receive the GNSS signal and create the observation data (positioning system 84 generates output data indicative of the current position and may include any technique for geospatial positioning, such as a GNSS receiver, paragraph 0092);
a first communication circuit configured to transmit the observation data to the
positioning server (The wireless communication system 83 is configured for wireless communication with a cellular network and for D2D communication, paragraph 0092)(a cellular network is a network based positioning system/server);
a second communication circuit configured to receive the positioning solution from the positioning server (also see communication system 83 which is capable of receiving/transmitting);
circuitry configured to measure a relative displacement amount of the signal processing apparatus, for each measurement period (the motion sensor 81 comprises an inertial measurement unit (IMU), paragraph 0092);
measure a first delay time corresponding to a time period required for the signal processing apparatus to output the positioning solution (processing delay); and
estimate a position of the signal processing apparatus at a time after a current time by the first delay time, based on the positioning solution, the relative displacement amount for each measurement period, the first delay time, and a second delay time, the second delay time (propagation delay, paragraph 0092) corresponding to a time period from transmission of the observation data to the positioning server to reception of the positioning solution (measurement module 85 is arranged to receive output data from the sensor devices 81-84 and generate the above-mentioned measurement data, paragraph 0092)(the measurement module of position is a combined result of the processing delay (first delay time), relative displacement and propagation delay).
Regarding claim 3, PALENIUS discloses wherein the circuitry is configured to distribute at least time information that is synchronized with an absolute time (clock 82 generates output data indicative of the current time and may be configured to maintain time by use of an oscillator and/or by synchronization with an external source, paragraph 0092).
Regarding claim 4, PALENIUS discloses wherein the circuitry is configured to output the estimated position to a target (output data may be obtained in the wireless communication system 83 by D2D communication and/or any other type of wireless communication, paragraph 0092).
Regarding claim 6, PALENIUS discloses wherein signal processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the signal processing apparatus is mounted on a moving body including a vehicle (D2D communication, paragraph 0037).
Regarding claim 8, PALENIUS discloses a non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing a program that causes causing-a computer to execute the single processing method of claim 7 (A control program 92A comprising computer instructions is stored in the memory 92 and executed by the processing system 91 to implement logic that performs any of the methods, procedures, functions or steps, paragraph 0094).
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.
Claim 5 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over PALENIUS (US-20240023153-A1) as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of Choi (US20210377907 A1).
Regarding claim 5, PALENIUS discloses a D2D communication system (a type of V2X) but does not specifically disclose use of extended Kalman filter or particle filter. However, Choi teaches use of such filter in the V2X/sidelink positioning system plus it is known in the art, a dynamic estimation environment in D2D is an ideal situation applying this model. It would have been obvious to modify PALENIUS with Choi by using the claimed filter in order to obtain a better estimation of position.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claim 2 would be allowable if rewritten to overcome the rejection(s) under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), 2nd paragraph, set forth in this Office action and to include all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to HARRY K LIU whose telephone number is (571)270-1338. The examiner can normally be reached on every M-F 10 AM to 6:30 PM.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, please leave a voice message with application serial number and nature of call, a response within 24 hours can be expected during regular business days. Also, the Examiner’s supervisor Hodge, Robert W. can be reached at (571) 272-6496. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-270-2338.
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/HARRY K LIU/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3645 Tel: (571) 270-1338
Fax: (571) 270-2338
Email: harry.liu@uspto.gov