DETAILED ACTION
The instant application having application No 18/815644 filed on 08/26/2024 is presented for examination by the examiner.
Double Patenting
The nonstatutory double patenting rejection is based on a judicially created doctrine grounded in public policy (a policy reflected in the statute) so as to prevent the unjustified or improper timewise extension of the “right to exclude” granted by a patent and to prevent possible harassment by multiple assignees. A nonstatutory obviousness-type double patenting rejection is appropriate where the conflicting claims are not identical, but at least one examined application claim is not patentably distinct from the reference claim(s) because the examined application claim is either anticipated by, or would have been obvious over, the reference claim(s). See, e.g., In re Berg, 140 F.3d 1428, 46 USPQ2d 1226 (Fed. Cir. 1998); In re Goodman, 11 F.3d 1046, 29 USPQ2d 2010 (Fed. Cir. 1993); In re Longi, 759 F.2d 887, 225 USPQ 645 (Fed. Cir. 1985); In re Van Ornum, 686 F.2d 937, 214 USPQ 761 (CCPA 1982); In re Vogel, 422 F.2d 438, 164 USPQ 619 (CCPA 1970); and In re Thorington, 418 F.2d 528, 163 USPQ 644 (CCPA 1969).
A timely filed terminal disclaimer in compliance with 37 CFR 1.321(c) or 1.321(d) may be used to overcome an actual or provisional rejection based on a nonstatutory double patenting ground provided the conflicting application or patent either is shown to be commonly owned with this application, or claims an invention made as a result of activities undertaken within the scope of a joint research agreement.
Effective January 1, 1994, a registered attorney or agent of record may sign a terminal disclaimer. A terminal disclaimer signed by the assignee must fully comply with 37 CFR 3.73(b).
Claims 1-20 is rejected on the ground of nonstatutory obviousness-type double patenting as being unpatentable over claims 1-4, 6-8,15-16 and 18-28 of Patent Application No. 18211160 (hereafter Patent Application). Although the conflicting claims are not identical, they are not patentably distinct from each other because both claims are based on reconstructed baseband signal based on the set of digital samples, the fine time grid characterized by a time resolution less than the transmitter chip period and vice versa.
For claim 1, Patent Application a method for calculating times-of-arrival of signals comprising receiving a first signal comprising a first carrier signal modulated by a first template signal characterized by a transmitter chip period and a pulse shape; based on the first signal, the transmitter chip period, and the pulse shape, generating a first reconstructed baseband signal characterized by a time resolution less than the transmitter chip period; calculating a first cross-correlation function for the first reconstructed baseband signal and the first template signal; and calculating a first time-of-arrival of the first signal based on the first cross-correlation function(See Claim 1).
For claim 2, Patent Application calculating the first time-of-arrival of the first signal
based on the first cross-correlation function comprises calculating the first time-of-
arrival of the first signal based on a first earliest peak time in a first set of peak times,
each peak time in the first set of peak times corresponding to a local maximum in a
first amplitude response of the first cross-correlation function (See Claim 1).
For claim 3, Patent Application calculating the first time-of-arrival of the first signal
based on the first earliest peak time in the first set of peak times comprises identifying a phase corresponding to the first earliest peak time in a first phase response of the first cross-correlation function; and calculating the first time-of-arrival of the first signal based on the first earliest peak time and the phase (See Claim 1).
For claim 4, Patent Application receiving the first signal comprises during a first time slot, receiving the first signal characterized by a first signal duration shorter than the first time slot; and further comprising calculating a first uncertainty of the first time-of-arrival based on a first peak width of the first earliest peak time; in response to the first uncertainty exceeding a threshold uncertainty, configuring a transmitting node to transmit a second signal characterized by a second signal duration longer than the first signal duration and shorter than a second time slot; and comprising a second carrier signal modulated by a second template signal defining a second code sequence characterized by the transmitter chip period; during the second time slot, receiving the second signal; based on the second signal, generating a second reconstructed baseband signal; calculating a second cross-correlation function comprising a cross-correlation of the second reconstructed baseband signal and the second template signal; calculating a second time-of-arrival of the second signal based on a second
earliest peak time in a second set of peak times, each peak time in the second set of peak times corresponding to a local maximum in a second amplitude response of the second cross-correlation function; and based on a second peak width of the second earliest peak time, calculating a second uncertainty of the second time-of-arrival, the second uncertainty less than the first uncertainty and the second peak width less than the first peak width (See Claim 23).
For claim 5, Patent Application calculating a target peak shape based on a signal length, the transmitter chip period; and calculating a deconvolution function of the target peak shape and the first cross-correlation function to generate a set of times-of-arrival, each time-of- arrival corresponding to a multipath component of the first signal; and wherein calculating the first time-of-arrival of the first signal based on the first cross-correlation function comprises calculating the first time-of-arrival comprising an earliest time-of-arrival in the set of times-of-arrival(See Claim 25).
For claim 6, Patent Application receiving the first signal comprises, at a receiving node, receiving the first signal comprising the first carrier signal during a first time slot; and further comprising characterizing a frequency drift between the receiving node and a transmitting node of the first signal; calculating the first time slot based on the frequency drift; and configuring the transmitting node to transmit a second signal characterized by a first duration less than the first time slot(See Claim 26).
For claim 7, Patent Application receiving the first signal comprising the first carrier signal comprises receiving the first signal comprising the first carrier signal characterized by a first carrier frequency; further comprising demodulating the first signal according to a first local oscillator frequency to generate a first received baseband signal, the first local oscillator frequency and the first carrier frequency defining a first desynchronization ratio in irreducible form characterized by a first denominator greater than a threshold denominator; and sampling the first received baseband signal at the transmitter chip period to generate a first set of digital samples; and wherein generating the first reconstructed baseband signal characterized by the time resolution less than the transmitter chip period comprises generating the first reconstructed baseband signal characterized by the time resolution less than the transmitter chip period based on the first set of digital samples and the pulse shape (See Claim 24).
For claim 8, Patent Application receiving the first signal comprising the first carrier signal comprises receiving the first signal comprising the first carrier signal and a second carrier signal characterized by a second carrier frequency; and modulated by the first template signal defining a first code sequence characterized by the transmitter chip period; further comprising demodulating the second carrier signal according to a second local oscillator frequency to generate a second received baseband signal, the second local oscillator frequency and the second carrier frequency defining a second
desynchronization ratio in irreducible form characterized by a second denominator greater than the threshold denominator; sampling the second received baseband signal at the transmitter chip period to generate a second set of digital samples; generating a second reconstructed baseband signal based on the second set of digital samples; calculating a second cross-correlation function for the second reconstructed
baseband signal and the first template signal; calculating a first earliest peak time in a first set of peak times, each peak time in the first set of peak times corresponding to a first local maximum in a first amplitude response of the first cross-correlation function;
calculating a second earliest peak time in a second set of peak times, each peak
time in the second set of peak times corresponding to a second local maximum
in a second amplitude response of the second cross-correlation function; identifying a first phase corresponding to the first earliest peak time in a first phase response of the first cross-correlation function; identifying a second phase corresponding to the second earliest peak time in a second phase response of the second cross-correlation function; and wherein calculating the first time-of-arrival of the first signal based on the first cross-
correlation function comprises calculating the first time-of-arrival of the first signal
based on the first earliest peak time refined based on the first phase; and the second earliest peak time refined based on the second phase (See Claim 28).
For claim 9, Patent Application comprising accessing a first time-of-departure of the first signal; and wherein calculating the first time-of-arrival of the first signal based on the first earliest peak time refined based on the first phase and the second earliest peak time refined based on the second phase comprises calculating the first time-of-arrival comprising a best fit value of the first time-of-arrival based on the first phase, the second phase, the first earliest peak time, the second earliest peak time, and the first time-of-departure(See Claim 29).
For claim 10, Patent Application calculating a difference between the first earliest peak time and the second earliest peak time; and wherein calculating the first time-of-arrival of the first signal based on the first earliest peak time refined based on the first phase and the second earliest peak time refined based on the second phase comprises in response to the difference exceeding a threshold difference, calculating the first time-of-arrival of the first signal based on the first earliest peak time
refined based on the first phase and the second earliest peak time refined based
on the second phase (See Claim 30).
For claim 11, Patent Application demodulating the first signal according to the first
local oscillator frequency to generate the first received baseband signal comprises
demodulating the first signal according to the first local oscillator frequency to
generate the first received baseband signal, the first local oscillator frequency and the
first carrier frequency defining the first desynchronization ratio in irreducible form
approximating an irrational number (See Claim 31).
For claim 12, Patent Application receiving the first signal comprising the first carrier signal comprises receiving the first signal comprising the first carrier signal at a receiving node; further comprising characterizing a frequency offset between the receiving node and a transmitting node of the first signal; and calculating an adjusted first local oscillator frequency based on the first local oscillator frequency and the frequency offset, the adjusted first local oscillator frequency and the first carrier frequency defining the first desynchronization ratio in irreducible form characterized by the first denominator greater than the threshold denominator; and wherein demodulating the first signal according to the first local oscillator frequency to generate the first received baseband signal comprises demodulating the first signal according to the adjusted first local oscillator frequency to generate the first received baseband signal(See Claim 32).
For claim 13, Patent Application comprising calculating the time resolution for the first reconstructed baseband signal based on the first denominator; and wherein generating the first reconstructed baseband signal characterized by the time resolution less than the transmitter chip period comprises, based on the first set of digital samples and the first denominator, generating the first reconstructed baseband signal characterized by the time resolution less than the transmitter chip period(See Claim 33).
For claim 14, Patent Application receiving the first signal comprising the first carrier
signal comprises receiving the first signal comprising the first carrier signal characterized by a first carrier frequency; and modulated by the first template signal defining a first code sequence comprising a constant-amplitude, zero-autocorrelation waveform and characterized by the transmitter chip period and the pulse shape.
For claim 15, Patent Application a method for detecting times-of-arrival of signals comprising receiving a signal comprising a template signal; demodulating the signal to generate a received baseband signal; sampling the received baseband signal at a receiver sampling period to generate a set of digital samples; based on the set of digital samples, generating a reconstructed baseband signal characterized by a time resolution less than the receiver sampling period; calculating a cross-correlation function representing a correlation between the reconstructed baseband signal and the template signal; and calculating a time-of-arrival of the signal based on an earliest peak time in a set of peak times, each peak time in the set of peak times corresponding to a maximum in an amplitude response of the cross-correlation function(See Claim 34).
For claim 16, Patent Application comprising identifying a phase corresponding to the earliest peak time in a phase response of the cross-correlation function; and
generating a refined earliest peak time based on the phase; and wherein calculating the time-of-arrival of the signal based on the earliest peak time in the set of peak times comprises calculating the time-of-arrival of the signal based on the refined earliest peak time (See Claim 36).
For claim 17, Patent Application receiving the signal comprising the template signal comprises receiving the signal comprising the template signal defining a code sequence characterized by a transmitter chip period; and wherein generating the reconstructed baseband signal characterized by the time resolution less than the receiver sampling period comprises generating the reconstructed baseband signal characterized by the time resolution less than the receiver sampling period and the transmitter chip period(See Claim 33).
For claim 18, Patent Application sampling the received baseband signal at the
receiver sampling period to generate the set of digital samples comprises sampling the
received baseband signal at the receiver sampling period to generate the set of digital
samples, the receiver sampling period and the transmitter chip period defining a first
desynchronization ratio in irreducible form characterized by a first denominator greater than a threshold denominator; and approximating an irrational number (See Claim 37).
For claim 19, Patent Application a method for detecting times-of-arrival of signals comprising receiving a first signal comprising a first carrier signal modulated by a first template signal; based on the first signal demodulated according to a local oscillator frequency, generating a first reconstructed baseband signal; calculating a first cross-correlation function representing a correlation between the first reconstructed baseband signal and the first template signal; and calculating a first time-of-arrival of the first signal based on a maximum time corresponding to a maximum in an amplitude response of the first cross-correlation function (See Claim 38).
For claim 20, Patent Application receiving the first signal comprising the first carrier signal modulated by the first template signal comprises receiving the first signal comprising the first carrier signal modulated by the first template signal and characterized by a first carrier frequency; and further comprising demodulating the first signal according to the local oscillator frequency to generate a first received baseband signal, the local oscillator frequency and the first carrier frequency defining a first desynchronization ratio in irreducible form characterized by a first denominator greater than a threshold denominator; and sampling the first received baseband signal to generate a first set of digital samples; and wherein generating the first reconstructed baseband signal comprises generating the first reconstructed baseband signal based on the first set of digital samples(See Claim 23).
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 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 1, 15 and 19 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Farrokhi et al. (US 20160154116, Jun. 2, 2016) in view of Cui et al. (US 20200309531, Oct. 1, 2020).
Regarding Claim 1, Farrokhi discloses a method for calculating times-of-arrival of signals comprising receiving a first signal comprising a first carrier signal modulated by a first template signal characterized by a transmitter chip period and a pulse shape (page 10, par (0057), line 1-12, the original samples are taken at some nominal sampling rate, the nominal sampling rate may be 8 samples per chip (first template). Each sample was thus intended to be separated in time by 1/8th of a chip period); based on the first signal, the transmitter chip period, and the pulse shape, generating a first reconstructed baseband signal characterized by a time resolution less than the transmitter chip period(page 4, par (0022), line 1-20, If the received PRN sequences are resampled, the corresponding resampled sets of time samples can then be cross-correlated with the appropriate perfect replica PRN sequences and coherently summed to form a candidate cross-correlation result, the re-sampled sets for the perfect reference PRN replica sequences cross-correlated with the original time samples of the received PRN sequences and coherently summed. Conventional cross-correlation acquisition techniques applied to the cross-correlations sums to determine a specific re-sampling); calculating a first cross-correlation function for the first reconstructed baseband signal and the first template signal(page 4, par (0022), line 1-20, Conventional cross-correlation acquisition techniques applied to the cross-correlations sums to determine a specific re-sampling, corresponds to an acquisition knowledge of the arrival times for the received PRN sequences, he crosscorrelation can be performed and tested for a given effective sampling rate);
Farrokhi discloses all aspects of the claimed invention, except calculating a first time-of-arrival of the first signal based on the first cross-correlation function.
Cui is the same field of invention teaches calculating a first time-of-arrival of the first signal(page 1, par (0006), line 10-12, using time of arrival information assuming that the clock synchronized at the node) based on the first cross-correlation function(page 8, par (0129), line 1-12, Fine frequency offset tuning could applied during a data communication period as part of a frame synchronization and channel equalization procedure); and generating, on a fine time grid, a first reconstructed baseband signal based on the first set of digital samples(page 8, par (0128), line 1-20, the system will maintain synchronization status by continuing to update frequency and time whenever it is needed, our CFO and SFO estimation and correction method can be used to fine-tune(fine time grid) the oscillator continuously at the receiver).
Farrokhi and Kim are analogous art because they are from the same field of endeavor of access to a service device.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of the invention to modify generating, on a fine time grid, a first reconstructed baseband signal based on the first set of digital samples the teaching of Farrokhi to include the teaching the system will maintain synchronization status by continuing to update frequency and time whenever it is needed of Cui because it is providing the unique solution of combining multiple IMUs together to achieve high accuracy rotation and location estimation.
Regarding Claim 15, Farrokhi discloses a method for detecting times-of-arrival of signals comprising receiving a signal comprising a template signal (page 10, par (0057), line 1-12, the original samples are taken at some nominal sampling rate, the nominal sampling rate may be 8 samples per chip (first template);
demodulating the signal to generate a received baseband signal; sampling the received baseband signal at a receiver sampling period to generate a set of digital samples(page 4, par (0022), line 1-20, If the received PRN sequences are resampled, the corresponding resampled sets of time samples can then be cross-correlated with the appropriate perfect replica PRN sequences and coherently summed to form a candidate cross-correlation result, the re-sampled sets for the perfect reference PRN replica sequences cross-correlated with the original time samples of the received PRN sequences and coherently summed);
calculating a cross-correlation function representing a correlation between the reconstructed baseband signal and the template signal(page 4, par (0022), line 1-20, If the received PRN sequences are resampled, the corresponding resampled sets of time samples can then be cross-correlated with the appropriate perfect replica PRN sequences and coherently summed to form a candidate cross-correlation result, the re-sampled sets for the perfect reference PRN replica sequences cross-correlated with the original time samples of the received PRN sequences and coherently summed. Conventional cross-correlation acquisition techniques applied to the cross-correlations sums to determine a specific re-sampling);
and calculating a time-of-arrival of the signal based on an earliest peak time in a set of peak times, each peak time in the set of peak times corresponding to a maximum in an amplitude response of the cross-correlation function(page 4, par (0022), line 1-20, Conventional cross-correlation acquisition techniques applied to the cross-correlations sums to determine a specific re-sampling, corresponds to an acquisition knowledge of the arrival times for the received PRN sequences, he crosscorrelation can be performed and tested for a given effective sampling rate).
Farrokhi discloses all aspects of the claimed invention, except based on the set of digital samples, generating a reconstructed baseband signal characterized by a time resolution less than the receiver sampling period.
Cui is the same field of invention teaches based on the set of digital samples, generating a reconstructed baseband signal characterized by a time resolution less than the receiver sampling period (CUI, page 8, par (0129), line 1-12, Fine frequency offset tuning could applied during a data communication period as part of a frame synchronization and channel equalization procedure).
Farrokhi and Kim are analogous art because they are from the same field of endeavor of access to a service device.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of the invention to modify generating, on a fine time grid, a first reconstructed baseband signal based on the first set of digital samples the teaching of Farrokhi to include the teaching the system will maintain synchronization status by continuing to update frequency and time whenever it is needed of Cui because it is providing the unique solution of combining multiple IMUs together to achieve high accuracy rotation and location estimation.
Regarding Claim 19, Farrokhi discloses a method for detecting times-of-arrival of signals comprising receiving a first signal comprising a first carrier signal modulated by a first template signal (page 10, par (0057), line 1-12, the original samples are taken at some nominal sampling rate, the nominal sampling rate may be 8 samples per chip (first template). Each sample was thus intended to be separated in time by 1/8th of a chip period);
calculating a first cross-correlation function representing a correlation between the first reconstructed baseband signal and the first template signal(page 4, par (0022), line 1-20, If the received PRN sequences are resampled, the corresponding resampled sets of time samples can then be cross-correlated with the appropriate perfect replica PRN sequences and coherently summed to form a candidate cross-correlation result, the re-sampled sets for the perfect reference PRN replica sequences cross-correlated with the original time samples of the received PRN sequences and coherently summed. Conventional cross-correlation acquisition techniques applied to the cross-correlations sums to determine a specific re-sampling);
and calculating a first time-of-arrival of the first signal based on a maximum time
corresponding to a maximum in an amplitude response of the first cross-correlation
function (page 4, par (0022), line 1-20, Conventional cross-correlation acquisition techniques applied to the cross-correlations sums to determine a specific re-sampling, corresponds to an acquisition knowledge of the arrival times for the received PRN sequences, he crosscorrelation can be performed and tested for a given effective sampling rate).
Farrokhi discloses all aspects of the claimed invention, except based on the first signal demodulated according to a local oscillator frequency, generating a first reconstructed baseband signal.
Cui is the same field of invention teaches based on the first signal demodulated according to a local oscillator frequency, generating a first reconstructed baseband signal(page 8, par (0129), line 1-12, Fine frequency offset tuning could applied during a data communication period as part of a frame synchronization and channel equalization procedure); and generating, on a fine time grid, a first reconstructed baseband signal based on the first set of digital samples(page 8, par (0128), line 1-20, the system will maintain synchronization status by continuing to update frequency and time whenever it is needed, our CFO and SFO estimation and correction method can be used to fine-tune(fine time grid) the oscillator continuously at the receiver).
Farrokhi and Kim are analogous art because they are from the same field of endeavor of access to a service device.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of the invention to modify generating, on a fine time grid, a first reconstructed baseband signal based on the first set of digital samples the teaching of Farrokhi to include the teaching the system will maintain synchronization status by continuing to update frequency and time whenever it is needed of Cui because it is providing the unique solution of combining multiple IMUs together to achieve high accuracy rotation and location estimation.
Examiner Notice
Claim 1 would be allowable if (i) claim 2 or 5 or 6 or 7 or 10 or 11 or 14 are incorporated into the independent claim 1, (ii) resolve double patenting rejection.
Claim 15 would be allowable if (i) claim 16 or 17are incorporated into the independent claim 15, (ii) resolve double patenting rejection.
Claim 19 would be allowable if (i) claim 20 is incorporated into the independent claim 19, (ii) resolve double patenting rejection.
Conclusions
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure are:
Hall et al. (US 6208871, Mar. 27, 2001) teaches Method and Apparatus for providing a time adjustment to a wireless communication system.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to IQBAL ZAIDI whose telephone number is (571)-270-3943. The examiner can normally be reached on M to Thu 8.a.m to 6.p.m..
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, NGO RICKY can be reached on 571-272-3139. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/IQBAL ZAIDI/
Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2464
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