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 .
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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.
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.
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.
Claims 1-4, 7-8, and 11-15 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over ITU (Measurement facilities available for the measurement of emissions from both GSO and non-GSO space stations) in view of Cui et al (A Deconvolution Method to Remove Distortion Caused by Antenna Radiation Pattern from Measurement), hereinafter referred to as Cui.
Regarding claims 1, 14, and 15. ITU discloses a method for recording a radiofrequency activity of at least one artificial satellite, which is earth orbiting and which is emitting a radiofrequency signal, wherein the method comprises the following steps: pointing, by an antenna control device, at least one antenna to move an axis of sight of the at least one antenna towards at least one sequence of prescribed pointing positions (see at least figures 9-11), which are successive and distinct from each other, the at least one antenna being in the form of a reflector, whose external edge delimits a maximum opening diameter (see at least figure 11), which is less than or equal to 6 meters (see at least Annex 2, section 2.1.7 and Annex 3 section 1.4), and for each prescribed pointing position collecting the radiofrequency signal by the at least one antenna and converting the radiofrequency signal by a radiofrequency chain into a digital signal (see at least figure 11), calculating, by a calculator, at least one recording (see at least Annex 5 section 1.5 Main measurement parameters). ITU discloses all the limitations of the claimed invention with the exception calculating raw power spectral densities on at least one receiving frequency sub-band from the digital signal, reprocessing the at least one recording of raw power spectral densities into a recording of refined power spectral densities by applying an inverse convolution processing of a radiation pattern of the at least one antenna in the at least one receiving frequency sub-band by the calculator. However, Cui, from the same field of endeavor, teaches calculating raw power spectral densities on at least one receiving frequency sub-band from the digital signal, reprocessing the at least one recording of raw power spectral densities into a recording of refined power spectral densities by applying an inverse convolution processing of a radiation pattern of the at least one antenna in the at least one receiving frequency sub-band by the calculator (see at least section “introduction to RET Theory and ILL-POSEDNESS”). Thus, it would have been obvious to person of ordinary skill in the art before the time of the invention to employ the teaching of Cui, as indicated, into the communication method of ITU for the purpose of improving satellite data collection efficiency.
Regarding claims 2-4. ITU in view of CUI discloses all the limitations of the claimed invention with the exception that the at least one antenna has a maximum opening diameter, which is less than or equal to 4 meters, 2.50 meters, or 2.10 meters. However, it would have been obvious matter of design choice to modify the teaching ITU in view CUI by having the at least one antenna has a maximum opening diameter, which is less than or equal to 4 meters, 2.50 meters, or 2.10 meters, since applicant has not disclosed that having the at least one antenna has a maximum opening diameter, which is less than or equal to 4 meters, 2.50 meters, or 2.10 meters solves any stated problem or is for any particular purpose and it appears that the opening diameter would perform equally well with opening diameter set to any obtuse functional size.
Regarding claim 7. ITU in view of Cui discloses a method wherein the axes of sight of the prescribed pointing positions, which are successive, are spaced apart by an angle smaller than a width of a main radiation lobe of the at least one antenna, in a time interval where the at least one antenna moves from the prescribed pointing position to the next prescribed pointing position in the at least one sequence (see at least figure 15).
Regarding claim 8. ITU in view of Cui discloses a method wherein the at least one recording of raw power spectral densities is made by an acquisition of the radiofrequency signal, which is collected by the at least one antenna and which is digitized by the radiofrequency chain according to windows being separate and having a duration being predefined and minimum (see at least Annex 1 section 1.3-1.4).
Regarding claim 11. ITU in view of Cui discloses a method comprising a calculation, by the calculator, and a recording, by the calculator, of a mapping constituted by the recordings of refined power spectral densities as a function of a frequency and of the prescribed pointing position (see at least section 1.4 measurement parameters and figure 15).
Regarding claim 12. ITU in view of Cui discloses a method wherein an image is extracted from the mapping by the calculator, wherein the image arranges side by side levels of the refined power spectral densities, read successively at the prescribed pointing positions, in the at least one receiving frequency sub-band, wherein the pointing orbital position and the frequency constitute, as desired, the abscissa and ordinate axes of the image (see at least figure 15).
Regarding claim 13. ITU in view of Cui discloses a method wherein the level of each refined power spectral density is represented by a pixel value, in particular a color or a brightness level or a gray level (see at least figure 15).
Claim 6 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over ITU in view of Cui and further in view of Humphrey (US 2015/0156463).
Regarding claim 6. ITU in view of Cui discloses all the limitations of the claimed invention with the exception the inverse convolution is performed for a linear combination of several successive raw power spectral densities for the successive prescribed pointing positions. However, Humphrey, from a similar field of endeavor, teaches the inverse convolution is performed for a linear combination of several successive raw power spectral densities for the successive prescribed pointing positions (see at least paragraph [0036]). Thus, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the time of the invention to employ the teaching of Humphrey, as indicated, into the communication method of ITU in view of Cui for the purpose of improving computation.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claim 5 and 9-10 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.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. See PTO_892.
In the case of amending the claimed invention, Applicant is respectfully requested to indicate the portion(s) of the specification which dictate(s) the structure relied on for proper interpretation and also to verify and ascertain the metes and bounds of the claimed invention.
When responding to this office action, applicants are advised to clearly point out the patentable novelty which they think the claims present in view of the state of the art disclosed by the references cited or the objections made. Applicants must also show how the amendments avoid such references or objections. See 37C.F.R 1.111(c). In addition, applicants are advised to provide the examiner with the line numbers and pages numbers in the application and/or references cited to assist examiner in locating the appropriate paragraphs.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to MOUNIR MOUTAOUAKIL whose telephone number is (571)270-1416. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 10AM-4PM EST.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Ayaz Sheikh can be reached at 571-272-3795. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/MOUNIR MOUTAOUAKIL/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2476
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