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 .
DETAILED ACTION
Claim Status
1. This is in response to application filed on 8/1/2024 in which claims 1-20 are presented for examination.
Information Disclosure Statement
2. The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
Claims Objection
3. Claims 14 and 16 are the same. Appropriate correction is required.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
4. 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 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)(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.
Claims 1-6, 9-13, 15 and 18-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Lewis et al. (US 2010/0159833), (hereinafter, Lewis).
Regarding claims 1, 10 and 19, Lewis discloses an electronic device/ non-transitory machine-readable medium storing instructions/method (= wireless communication device 400, see [0049]) comprising:
a communications radio (= wireless communication system 412, see [0059]);
a wireless controller including a ranging sensor (= processor 404 and sensor subsystem 408, see [0051-53]);
a display device (= user interface 402, see [0050]);
memory to store instructions (= datastore 406, see [0051 and 0060-61]); and
one or more processors of an electronic device to execute the instructions, wherein the instructions cause the one or more processors to:
determine a range and a direction to a target wireless device (= wireless headset 401 may be in communication with device 400, see [0049 and 0058]) via the ranging sensor of a wireless controller during a bi-directional ranging operation
(= sensor subsystem 408 may sense a quality indicative of a proximity and/or direction to the wireless headset, see [0052 and 0071]);
determine a target position estimate for the target wireless device relative to the electronic device based on the range and the direction to the target wireless device
(= sensor subsystem may send data indicative of a proximity and/or direction to the headset; and the data may include a value indicative of distance and/or direction, signal strength level or the like; and the sensor subsystem 408 may send direction data that represents the present orientation of device 400, see [0052 and 0066]); and
present an indicator of a proximity to the target position estimate for the target wireless device along a trajectory, wherein the trajectory represents a path taken by the electronic device (= processor 404 may direct the user interface 402 to display textual and/or graphical representation indicative of the proximity, distance and/or direction to the wireless headset 401, see [0067 and 0074]).
Regarding claim 2, as mentioned in claim 1, Lewis discloses the electronic device of the one or more processors to execute the instructions, wherein the instructions further cause the one or more processors to: present at least one of the target position estimate for the target wireless device along the trajectory or an indicator for the direction to the target wireless device (see, [0067]).
Regarding claims 3, 11 and 20 as mentioned in claims 1,10 and 19, Lewis discloses the electronic device/non-transitory machine-readable medium storing instructions/method of the one or more processors to execute the instructions, wherein the instructions further cause the one or more processors to: receive a beacon signal from a target wireless device and determine at least one signal strength value from the beacon signal; and estimate at least one proximity value to the target wireless device based on the at least one signal strength value (see, [0074]).
Regarding claims 4 and 12, as mentioned in claims 3 and 11, Lewis discloses the electronic device/ non-transitory machine-readable medium storing instructions of the one or more processors to execute the instructions, wherein the instructions further cause the one or more processors to: determine a category for the at least one signal strength value from a plurality of categories for signal strength values; and present the indicator of a proximity value in accordance with the determined category (= signal strength will be its greatest/weakest, see [0074 and 0071]).
Regarding claim 5, as mentioned in claim 1, Lewis discloses the electronic device of the one or more processors to execute the instructions, the instructions further cause the one or more processors to: present a distance to the target wireless device (see, [0066 and 0071]).
Regarding claims 6 and 13, as mentioned in claims 1 and 10, Lewis discloses the electronic device/ non-transitory machine-readable medium storing instructions of the one or more processors to execute the instructions, the instructions further cause the one or more processors to: establish a wireless radio connection with the target wireless device (see, [0049 and 0058]).
Regarding claims 9 and 18, as mentioned in claims 1 and 10, Lewis discloses the electronic device/non-transitory machine-readable medium storing instructions, wherein presenting a signal strength proximity view and a ranging view comprises presenting at least one indicator of a proximity value to the target wireless device (see, [0049 and 0058]).
Regarding claim 15, as mentioned in claim 10, Lewis discloses the non-transitory machine-readable medium, the operations additionally comprising: selecting to present a ranging view is performed in response to establishing a wireless radio connection with the target wireless device (see, [0049 and 0058]).
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
5. 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.
This application currently names joint inventors. In considering patentability of the claims the examiner presumes that the subject matter of the various claims was commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the claimed invention(s) absent any evidence to the contrary. Applicant is advised of the obligation under 37 CFR 1.56 to point out the inventor and effective filing dates of each claim that was not commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the later invention in order for the examiner to consider the applicability of 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(2)(C) for any potential 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) prior art against the later invention.
Claims 7-8, 14 and 16-17 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103(a) as being unpatentable over Lewis in view of Martin et al., (US 2020/0228943), (hereinafter, Martin).
Regarding claims 7, 14 and 16, as mentioned in claims 1 and 10, Lewis explicitly fails to disclose the electronic device/ non-transitory machine-readable medium, the one or more processors to execute the instructions, the instructions further cause the one or more processors to: request, the target wireless device, increase a beaconing rate.
However, Martin, which is an analogous art equivalently discloses the electronic device/ non-transitory machine-readable medium, the one or more processors to execute the instructions, the instructions further cause the one or more processors to: request, the target wireless device, increase a beaconing rate
(= increasing the frequency of pinging the UWB tags 104, see [0045]; and UWB tag 104 may be configured to transmit UWB signals on-demand/as-triggered, see, [0056]).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have combined the teaching of Martin with Lewis for the benefit of achieving a communication system whereby frequency of pinging among devices could be adjusted thereby allowing extended battery operation is the system.
Regarding claims 8 and 17, as mentioned in claims 1 and 10, Lewis explicitly fails to disclose the electronic device/ non-transitory machine-readable medium, the one or more processors to execute the instructions, the instructions further cause the one or more processors to: perform one or more wireless ranging operations including a ranging operation performed via an ultra-wideband radio.
However, Martin, which is an analogous art equivalently discloses the electronic device/ non-transitory machine-readable medium, the one or more processors to execute the instructions, the instructions further cause the one or more processors to: perform one or more wireless ranging operations including a ranging operation performed via an ultra-wideband radio (= increasing the frequency of pinging the UWB tags 104, see [0045]; and UWB tag 104 may be configured to transmit UWB signals on-demand/as-triggered, see, [0056]).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have combined the teaching of Martin with Lewis for the benefit of achieving a communication system whereby frequency of pinging among devices could be adjusted thereby allowing extended battery operation is the system.
CONCLUSION
6. The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
a. Shin et al., (US 2017/0123039) teaches ultra wideband-based high precision position method and system.
b. Ding et al., (US 2019/0195981) teaches methods and system for determining a location of a mobile device.
c. Shin et al., (US 2017/0123045) teaches mobile apparatus for measuring relative location based on UWB and method thereof.
7. Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to KWASI KARIKARI whose telephone number is (571)272-8566. The examiner can normally be reached M-Sat: 6am-10pm.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Charles Appiah can be reached on 571-272-7904. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/Kwasi Karikari/
Primary Examiner: Art Unit 2641.
