Prosecution Insights
Last updated: August 17, 2026
Application No. 18/794,329

DSRC Toll System Interference Mitigation Solution based on GPS Information

Non-Final OA §102§103
Filed
Aug 05, 2024
Examiner
BHATTI, HASHIM S
Art Unit
2475
Tech Center
2400 — Computer Networks
Assignee
Infineon Technologies AG
OA Round
1 (Non-Final)
86%
Grant Probability
Favorable
1-2
OA Rounds
5m
Est. Remaining
92%
With Interview

Examiner Intelligence

Grants 86% — above average
86%
Career Allowance Rate
354 granted / 410 resolved
+28.3% vs TC avg
Moderate +6% lift
Without
With
+6.1%
Interview Lift
resolved cases with interview
Typical timeline
2y 5m
Avg Prosecution
25 currently pending
Career history
436
Total Applications
across all art units

Statute-Specific Performance

§101
4.1%
-35.9% vs TC avg
§103
46.7%
+6.7% vs TC avg
§102
21.7%
-18.3% vs TC avg
§112
19.2%
-20.8% vs TC avg
Black line = Tech Center average estimate • Based on career data from 410 resolved cases

Office Action

§102 §103
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 . Drawings The drawings are objected to under 37 CFR 1.83(a). The drawings must show every feature of the invention specified in the claims. Therefore, the “an antenna unit comprising an antenna feed and a plurality of parasitic elements, wherein the antenna unit is configured to receive a plurality of signals; and a communication device comprising a communication port coupled to the antenna feed and a communication bus coupled to the plurality of parasitic elements” must be shown or the feature(s) canceled from the claim(s). No new matter should be entered. Corrected drawing sheets in compliance with 37 CFR 1.121(d) are required in reply to the Office action to avoid abandonment of the application. Any amended replacement drawing sheet should include all of the figures appearing on the immediate prior version of the sheet, even if only one figure is being amended. The figure or figure number of an amended drawing should not be labeled as “amended.” If a drawing figure is to be canceled, the appropriate figure must be removed from the replacement sheet, and where necessary, the remaining figures must be renumbered and appropriate changes made to the brief description of the several views of the drawings for consistency. Additional replacement sheets may be necessary to show the renumbering of the remaining figures. Each drawing sheet submitted after the filing date of an application must be labeled in the top margin as either “Replacement Sheet” or “New Sheet” pursuant to 37 CFR 1.121(d). If the changes are not accepted by the examiner, the applicant will be notified and informed of any required corrective action in the next Office action. The objection to the drawings will not be held in abeyance. Claim Objections Claims 17-20 are objected to because of the following informalities: The claims recite “A system…”, however, there is only one device. A system claim has multiple devices and an apparatus claim can have one device. Appropriate correction is required. 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. Claim(s) 1-4, 6-12 & 14-16 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102a1 as being anticipated by Kunjar et al. US 2020/0296659 A1 Claims 1 and 9: Kunjar discloses a method of operating a wireless local area network (WLAN) device, comprising: operating the WLAN device on a first dynamic bandwidth selection (DBS) channel of a plurality of DBS channels within a first bandwidth (See claim 1, “operating the WLAN device on a first dynamic frequency selection (DFS) channel of a plurality of DFS channels”); determining, by the WLAN device, that the WLAN device is approaching a geo-tagged zone, wherein the geo-tagged zone interferes with operation of the WLAN device (See paras 27-28 and 31, the device determines geo-tagged zone is approaching and selects/switches to a different DFS channel to avoid interference. Also see claim 1); and changing the operation of the WLAN device from the first DBS channel of the first bandwidth to a second DBS channel within a second bandwidth in response to the determining that the WLAN device is approaching the geo-tagged zone (See paras 27-28 and 31, the device determines geo-tagged zone is approaching and selects/switches to a different DFS channel to avoid interference. Also see claim 1). With regards to claim 9, a WLAN interface and a processor device (See claim 10, processor and para 74, processor). Claims 2 and 10: Kunjar discloses receiving, by the WLAN device, an indication that a geographical position of the WLAN device is approaching the geo-tagged zone, wherein a location of the geo-tagged zone is known and interferes with the operation of the WLAN device (See paras 27-28 and 31, the device receives information on approaching radar zone and the vehicle may proactively select/switch to a different DFS channel to avoid interference). Claims 3 and 11: Kunjar discloses that the location of the geo-tagged zone is stored on a database, wherein the database is external to the WLAN device, wherein the database contains a plurality of geo-tagged zones that interfere with the operation of the WLAN device (See para 17, “a database of radar interference sources may be collected from wireless local area network (WLAN) devices deployed on one or more automobiles and queried by a WLAN device in the field to assist the WLAN device to select an operating dynamic frequency selection (DFS) channel that minimizes the probability of radar interference”). Claims 4 and 12: Kunjar discloses determining, by the WLAN device, that the WLAN device has departed from the geo-tagged zone (See para 57, “When the vehicle 605 exits the range of radar operation 207, the WLAN device may stay with the new channel or may switch back to its former operating channel”). Claims 6 and 14: Kunjar discloses changing the operation of the WLAN device from the second DBS channel of the second bandwidth to one of the plurality of DBS channels within the first bandwidth in response to a determination that the WLAN device has departed from the geo-tagged zone (See para 57, “When the vehicle 605 exits the range of radar operation 207, the WLAN device may stay with the new channel or may switch back to its former operating channel”). Claims 7 and 15: Kunjar discloses receiving, by the WLAN device, a broadcast WLAN action frame comprising information that the first DBS channel is overlapped at the geo-tagged zone (See para 19, “The WLAN beaconing device may broadcast the special action frames on the same overlapping WLAN DFS channel as the radar signal but outside the boundary of the radar interference range so the action frames do not interfere with the radar operation. A WLAN device operating in the same DFS channel as the radar signal may receive the special action frames as the automobile approaches the boundary of the radar interference and may switch to a different DFS channel before it enters the radar interference range. Claims 8 and 16: Kunjar discloses that the second DBS channel is selected from one of one or more alternate DBS channels within the second bandwidth A WLAN device operating in the same DFS channel as the radar signal may receive the special action frames as the automobile approaches the boundary of the radar interference and may switch to a different DFS channel before it enters the radar interference range). 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(s) 5 & 13 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kunjar et al. in view of Brannan et al. US 12,373,892 B1. Claims 5 and 13: Kunjar doesn’t disclose receiving, by the WLAN device, a departure indication that a geographical position of the WLAN device is beyond the geo-tagged zone. Brannan discloses receiving, by the WLAN device, a departure indication that a geographical position of the WLAN device is beyond the geo-tagged zone (See Col 9 lines 11-26, “The user requests to receive alerts regarding that geofenced area, including weather alerts, when the user enters/exits the geofence … the user may also function as a “product source” of notification products pushed to their computing device, such as reminders (e.g., a notification upon leaving a work-location geofence to pick up groceries on the way home”). Kunjar’s method can be modified to include the function of notifying when leaving the geofence location, as disclosed by Brannan. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the system of Kunjar with the teachings of Brannan to improve the method disclosed by Kunjar by including the feature of notifying when leaving geo-tagged zone. The motivation to combine would have been to enable the user to receive or adjust according to the outside of the geo-tagged zone. Claim(s) 17-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kunjar et al. in view of Kircher, JR.et al. US 2010/0292634 A1 (hereinafter Kircher). Claim 17: Kunjar discloses a system, comprising: an antenna unit comprising an antenna feed, wherein the antenna unit is configured to receive a plurality of signals (See figs. 8A-B, antenna); and a communication device comprising a communication port coupled to the antenna feed (See figs. 8A-B, antenna coupled with WLAN hardware) wherein the communication device is configured to: operate, by the communication device, on a first dynamic bandwidth selection (DBS) channel of a plurality of DBS channels within a first bandwidth (See claim 1, “operating the WLAN device on a first dynamic frequency selection (DFS) channel of a plurality of DFS channels”); determine, by the communication device, that the communication device is approaching a geo-tagged zone, wherein the geo-tagged zone interferes with operation of the communication device (See paras 27-28 and 31, the device determines geo-tagged zone is approaching and selects/switches to a different DFS channel to avoid interference. Also see claim 1); and change the operation of the communication device from the first DBS channel of the first bandwidth to a second DBS channel within a second bandwidth in response to a determination that the communication device is approaching the geo-tagged zone (See paras 27-28 and 31, the device determines geo-tagged zone is approaching and selects/switches to a different DFS channel to avoid interference. Also see claim 1). Kunjar doesn’t disclose a plurality of parasitic elements, a communication bus coupled to the plurality of parasitic elements. Kircher discloses a plurality of parasitic elements, a communication bus coupled to the plurality of parasitic elements (See para 64, “The communication system 110 sends data signals and optionally sends and receives data, control and power signals and may comprise bus systems, connectors, switches, wires, multiple antennas, multiple antenna arms, and parasitic elements”). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the system of Kunjar with the teachings of Kircher to improve the method disclosed by Kunjar by including the feature of a bus coupled to plurality of parasitic elements. The motivation to combine would have been to connect the bus to tuning circuit of the parasitic element and adapt impedance or redirect the signal. Claim 18: Kunjar discloses receive an indication that a geographical position of the communication device is approaching the geo-tagged zone, wherein a location of the geo-tagged zone is known and interferes with the operation of the communication device (See paras 27-28 and 31, the device receives information on approaching radar zone and the vehicle may proactively select/switch to a different DFS channel to avoid interference). Claim 19: Kunjar discloses that the location of the geo-tagged zone is stored on a database, wherein the database is external to the communication device, wherein the database contains a plurality of geo-tagged zones that interfere with the operation of the communication device (See para 17, “a database of radar interference sources may be collected from wireless local area network (WLAN) devices deployed on one or more automobiles and queried by a WLAN device in the field to assist the WLAN device to select an operating dynamic frequency selection (DFS) channel that minimizes the probability of radar interference”). Claim 20: Kunjar discloses that determine that the communication device has departed from the geo-tagged zone (See para 57, “When the vehicle 605 exits the range of radar operation 207, the WLAN device may stay with the new channel or may switch back to its former operating channel”). Conclusion Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to HASHIM S BHATTI whose telephone number is (571)270-7748. The examiner can normally be reached Mon-Fri 9:00am-5:30pm. Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice. If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Khaled Kassim can be reached at 571-270-3770. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300. Information regarding the status of published or unpublished applications may be obtained from Patent Center. Unpublished application information in Patent Center is available to registered users. To file and manage patent submissions in Patent Center, visit: https://patentcenter.uspto.gov. Visit https://www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/patent-center for more information about Patent Center and https://www.uspto.gov/patents/docx for information about filing in DOCX format. For additional questions, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000. HASHIM S. BHATTI Primary Examiner Art Unit 2472 /HASHIM S BHATTI/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2475
Read full office action

Prosecution Timeline

Aug 05, 2024
Application Filed
Jul 31, 2026
Non-Final Rejection mailed — §102, §103 (current)

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Study what changed to get past this examiner. Based on 5 most recent grants.

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Prosecution Projections

1-2
Expected OA Rounds
86%
Grant Probability
92%
With Interview (+6.1%)
2y 5m (~5m remaining)
Median Time to Grant
Low
PTA Risk
Based on 410 resolved cases by this examiner. Grant probability derived from career allowance rate.

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