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
This is response to Application 18/835,304 filed on 08/01/2024 in which claims 1-15 are presented for examination.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 2-4 and 7-10 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.
Claim Objections
Claim 11 is objected to for the following: “the first multiplier value” has no antecedent basis.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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 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, 5, 6 and 11-15 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Martin-Neira et al. “Space-to-space radio interferometry system from medium earth orbits”, hereby referred to as Martin-Neira.
2. Regarding claims 1 and 15, Martin-Neira teaches a vehicle and method (Fig. 4, Satellite 1) configured to generate an internal signal (Fig. 4, “LO1 = n(f1+f2’)”) having a frequency which is syntonised with the frequency of the internal signal generated by a second vehicle (Fig. 4 Satellite 2), wherein the vehicle comprises:
a first master oscillator configured to oscillate at a nominal frequency and to generate a first oscillator signal (F₁) at the nominal frequency(section 2.1 local oscillator generation);
a receiver (Rx-1) configured to receive an inter-vehicle signal, wherein the inter-vehicle signal is generated by the second vehicle by modulating a carrier (C₂) with a second oscillator signal (F₂), wherein the second oscillator signal is generated by a second master oscillator of the second vehicle, wherein the second master oscillator is configured to oscillate at the nominal frequency (section 2.1 carriers f1 and f2 at multiples m1 and m2 of respective master clock frequencies are generated by frequency multipliers in each satellite); and
signal processing circuitry configured to:
demodulate the received inter-vehicle signal to obtain a demodulated signal
comprising a received version of the second oscillator signal (F'₂) (Fig. 4 and 5 section 2.3 AM demodulator recovers the carrier);
generate the internal signal based on a sum frequency comprising the first
oscillator signal (F₁) and the received version of the second oscillator signal (F'₂) as summands (Fig. 4, section 2.1 the carrier is mixed with the one generated locally; sum frequency is then frequency n multiplied to generate the local oscillator).
3. Regarding claim 5, Martin-Neira teaches, further
comprising a transmitter (Tx-1) configured to transmit a second inter-vehicle signal to the second vehicle, wherein the signal processing circuitry is configured to generate the second inter-vehicle signal by modulating a carrier (C₁) with the first oscillator signal (F₁) (Fig. 4, “LO1 = n(f1+f2’)”; section 2.1 the carrier is mixed with the one generated locally; sum frequency is then frequency n multiplied to generate the local oscillator).
4. Regarding claim 6, Martin-Neira teaches, wherein the carrier (C₁) used by the vehicle is different from the carrier (C₂) used by the second vehicle, for example in frequency (Fig. 4, “LO1 = n(f1+f2’)”; section 2.1 the carriers f1 and f2 are different).
5. Regarding claim 11, Martin-Neira teaches, wherein the first multiplier value (P) is an even number (Fig. 4, “LO1 = n(f1+f2’)”; section 2.1 the carrier is mixed with the one generated locally; sum frequency is then frequency n multiplied to generate the local oscillator).
6. Regarding claim 12, Martin-Neira teaches wherein the inter-vehicle signal is an optical signal or a radio-frequency signal ( section 2.1 optical ISL or over a radio frequency).
7. Regarding claim 13, Martin-Neira teaches wherein
the vehicle is a space vehicle, such as a satellite, or an aerial vehicle, such as an unmanned aerial vehicle ( section 2.1, satellite).
8. Regarding claim 14, Martin-Neira teaches a system of vehicles, wherein each vehicle of the system of vehicles is a vehicle according to any one of claims 1 ( Fig. 4, section 2.1, satellites).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant’s disclosure:
Su et al. (USPN 10,466,717 B1) syntonize internal clock
Mayer (US 2022/0159601 A1) synchronizing satellite network
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to DIANE LEE LO whose telephone number is (571)270-1952. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Friday 8 am - 5 pm.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Faruk Hamza can be reached at (571)272-7969. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/DIANE L LO/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2466
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