Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status
1. The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
2. It would be of great assistance to the office if all incoming papers pertaining to a filed application carried the following items:
i. Application number (checked for accuracy, including series code and serial no.).
ii. Group art unit number (copied from most recent Office communication).
iii. Filing date.
iv. Name of the examiner who prepared the most recent Office action.
v. Title of invention.
vi. Confirmation number (See MPEP § 503).
3. The Examiner has pointed out particular references contained in the prior art of record within the body of this action for the convenience of the Applicant. Although the specified citations are representative of the teachings in the art and are applied to the specific limitations within the individual claim, other passages, paragraph and figures may apply. Applicant, in preparing the response, should consider fully the entire reference as potentially teaching all or part of the claimed invention, as well as the context of the passage as taught by the prior art or disclosed by the Examiner.
4. Claim interpretation: When multiple limitations are connected with “OR”, one of the limitations doesn’t have any patentable weight since both of the limitations are optional.
CLAIM OBJECTION
5. Claims 4, 12 & 19 are objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims. Interpreting the claims in light of the specification, examiner finds the claimed invention is patentably distinct from the prior art of record. The prior art does not expressly teach or render obvious the invention as recited in the claim (4 or 12 or 19). Claims 5, 6, 13, 14 & 20 are also objected since they depends upon the above claims.
Claim Rejection- 35 USC § 102
6. 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, 2, 3, 7, 9, 10, 11, 15, 17 & 18 are rejected under 35 USC 102 as being clearly anticipated by Jaffri et al (Pub No. US 2012/0322459).
Regarding claim 1, Jaffri et al discloses method comprising: determining, by a management server, a first coverage area of one or more beacons transmitted by a first base station; determining, by the management server (Fig. 1: AP 114 having coverage area 115) & (Para. 14: Each of the access points 110, 112 and 114 have a coverage region 111, 113, and 115 associated respectively therewith. Coverage areas with a mobile communication device 120 can establish wireless communication with the access point. & Para. 24: Each AP transmit a radio beacon), a second coverage area of one or more beacons transmitted by a second base station (Fig. 1: AP-150 having 2nd coverage area 151) & (Para. 14 & 24); defining, by the management server and based on an intersection of the first coverage area and the second coverage area, a zone (Fig. 1: Device-120 on an intersection of the first coverage area-115 and the second coverage area-151. Overlapping area-a specific zone & Para. 14 & Claim 9: a beacon signal from a plurality of signal sources having overlapping coverage areas) and associating, by the management server, information with the zone to be provided to a user device located in the zone (Para. 26: Location-zone of the mobile device determined from the beacon signal & Para. 31-32: Database 330 maintain location data for each mobile communication device) & (Fig. 4).
Regarding claim 2 & 10 & 18, Jaffri et al discloses determining, by the management server, whether the user device is located in the zone (Fig. 1: Device-120 location on the zone-115/151); and based on determining that the user device is located in the zone, providing the information associated with the zone to the user device (Para. 26: Location-zone of the mobile device determined from the beacon signal & Para. 31-32: Database 330 maintain location data for each mobile communication device) & (Fig. 4).
Regarding claim 3 & 11, Jaffri et al discloses providing the information associated with the zone to the user device is based on a schedule (Fig. 1: Device-120 location on the zone-115/151) & (Para. 26: Location-zone of the mobile device determined from the beacon signal & Para. 31-32: Location with time).
Regarding claim 7 & 15, Jaffri et al discloses determining, by the management server, whether the user device is located in the zone based on receipt of a report from the user device that indicates at least one beacon transmitted by the first base station and at least one beacon transmitted by the second base station were both received by the user device (Para. 26: Location-zone of the mobile device determined from the beacon signal & Para. 31-32: Database 330 maintain location data for each mobile communication device) & (Fig. 1).
Regarding claim 9, Jaffri et al discloses a system for communicating information, the system comprising: one or more processors; and one or more memories storing instructions that when executed configure the one or more processors (Fig. 3) to: determine a first coverage area of one or more beacons transmitted by a first base station (Fig. 1: AP 114 having coverage area 115) & (Para. 14: Each of the access points 110, 112 and 114 have a coverage region 111, 113, and 115 associated respectively therewith. Coverage areas with a mobile communication device 120 can establish wireless communication with the access point. & Para. 24: Each AP transmit a radio beacon); determine a second coverage area of one or more beacons transmitted by a second base station (Fig. 1: AP-150 having 2nd coverage area 151) & (Para. 14 & 24); define, based on an intersection of the first coverage area and the second coverage area, a zone (Fig. 1: Device-120 on an intersection of the first coverage area-115 and the second coverage area-151. Overlapping area-a specific zone & Para. 14 & Claim 9: a beacon signal from a plurality of signal sources having overlapping coverage areas); and associate information with the zone to be provided to a user device located in the zone (Para. 26: Location-zone of the mobile device determined from the beacon signal & Para. 31-32: Database 330 maintain location data for each mobile communication device) & (Fig. 4).
Regarding claim 17, Jaffri et al discloses non-transitory computer readable storage media comprising instructions that, when executed, configure processing circuitry (Fig. 3) to: determine a first coverage area of one or more beacons transmitted by a first base station (Fig. 1: AP 114 having coverage area 115) & (Para. 14: Each of the access points 110, 112 and 114 have a coverage region 111, 113, and 115 associated respectively therewith. Coverage areas with a mobile communication device 120 can establish wireless communication with the access point. & Para. 24: Each AP transmit a radio beacon); determine a second coverage area of one or more beacons transmitted by a second base station (Fig. 1: AP-150 having 2nd coverage area 151) & (Para. 14 & 24); define, based on an intersection of the first coverage area and the second coverage area, a zone (Fig. 1: Device-120 on an intersection of the first coverage area-115 and the second coverage area-151. Overlapping area-a specific zone & Para. 14 & Claim 9: a beacon signal from a plurality of signal sources having overlapping coverage areas); and associate information with the zone to be provided to a user device located in the zone (Para. 26: Location-zone of the mobile device determined from the beacon signal & Para. 31-32: Database 330 maintain location data for each mobile communication device) & (Fig. 4).
.
Claim Rejection- 35 USC § 103
7. 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 of this title, 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.
Claims 8 & 16 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Jaffri et al (Pub No. US 2012/0322459) and further in view of Chan et al (Pub No. 2016/0302036).
Regarding claim 8 & 16, Jaffri et al is silent regarding first base station comprises a virtual beacon transmitter configured to transmit a virtual beacon.
Chan et al discloses first base station comprises a virtual beacon transmitter configured to transmit a virtual beacon (Para. 35: Statin transmits virtual beacon).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of the ordinary skilled in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to use the virtual beacon transmit system from one device to another to identify device information in a wireless communication system.
Another Prior Art
8. The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant’s disclosure. Another prior art, Ahmed et al (US 2011/0205969) discloses beamforming antenna generates a plurality of directional antenna beams. A discovery beacon is generated for use in associating with a wireless transmit/receive unit. The discovery beacon is transmitted to a plurality of sectors using coarsely focused directional antenna beams. A device receive one of the coarsely focused directional antenna beams, and may then transmit a response message. Device location information regarding the current can be configured.
Another prior art, Goulart et al (US 2015/0066802) discloses using a mobile electronic device to detect network identification data of the wireless network, and using a communications module to determine, the location of the mobile electronic device within a store. A Wifi device transmits Wifi beacon within a store. A server selecting, based on the location of the mobile electronic device within the store, a notification which is related to a location within the store and transmitting the notification to the mobile device.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to MD K TALUKDER whose telephone number is (571)270-3222. The examiner can normally be reached Mon-Thur from 10 am to 6 pm.
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/MD K TALUKDER/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2648
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