DETAILED ACTION
This action is in response to the initial filing filed on September 19, 2024, Claim 1-13 have been examined this application.
Information Disclosure Statement
The Information Disclosure Statement (IDS) filed on 9/19/2024 has been acknowledged.
Priority
Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55.
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
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 1-13 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Wilson et al (ION GNSS, 2007) in view of Guard (US 5189429 A).
Regarding Claim 1, Wilson teaches locating method of a GNSS signal jamming source, comprising [page 164, right column, last paragraph for finding DOA]:
in each of the N positions, acquiring by each antenna a GNSS signal comprising a useful signal and a jamming signal [page 167, right column, second paragraph for a creating a jamming signal that propagates in two antennas for DOA estimates];
and computing a phase shift between the jamming signals acquired [page 165, right column, last two paragraphs and equation 0.1 for getting phase difference of two antennas].
Wilson fails to explicitly teach setting in rotation two antennas about a common axis of rotation to form N different respective positions corresponding to different angles of rotation; and determining a direction of the jamming source using a maximum value of the N calculated phase shifts.
Guard determines precision azimuth angle and ± elevation angle of an emitter (abstract) and teaches setting in rotation two antennas about a common axis of rotation to form N different respective positions corresponding to different angles of rotation [col 1, lines 10-15 for determining azimuth using two rotating antennas];
and determining a direction of the jamming source using a maximum value of the N calculated phase shifts [col 1, lines 15-30 and equation 1 for identifying source direction].
It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the applicant’s invention for modifying the jamming direction techniques, as disclosed by Wilson, further including the angle calculations as taught by Guard for the purpose to accurately resolving measured phase ambiguities using signals received from a rotating interferometer (Guard, col 2, lines 1-10).
Regarding Claim 2 Wilson fails to explicitly teach said setting in rotation is performed by a rotating carrier, the antennas being stationary with respect to the carrier.
Guard determines precision azimuth angle and ± elevation angle of an emitter (abstract) and teaches said setting in rotation is performed by a rotating carrier, the antennas being stationary with respect to the carrier [col 1, lines 15-30 and equation 1 for identifying source direction].
It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the applicant’s invention for modifying the jamming direction techniques, as disclosed by Wilson, further including the angle calculations as taught by Guard for the purpose to accurately resolving measured phase ambiguities using signals received from a rotating interferometer (Guard, col 2, lines 1-10).
Regarding Claim 3 Wilson fails to explicitly teach said setting in rotation comprises setting the two antennas in a full turn.
Guard determines precision azimuth angle and ± elevation angle of an emitter (abstract) and teaches said setting in rotation comprises setting the two antennas in a full turn [col 2, lines 60-67 for getting seven measurements at 10 degree intervals].
It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the applicant’s invention for modifying the jamming direction techniques, as disclosed by Wilson, further including the angle calculations as taught by Guard for the purpose to performs phase measurements of signals received at antennas (Guard, col 2, lines 60-67).
Regarding Claim 4, Wilson teaches the GNSS signal acquired at each location comprises K samples of the signal [page 167, left column, first two paragraphs, and page 168, right column, second paragraph for having received signals stored].
Regarding Claim 5, Wilson teaches said computing comprises calculating a complex coefficient of cross-correlation between the samples of the acquired GNSS signals at the corresponding position [page 167, left column, first two paragraphs for using cross-correlation for a time delay, eq 0.9 and 0.10].
Regarding Claim 6, Wilson teaches said computing comprises determining each phase shift between the acquired jamming signals by the argument of the complex cross-correlation coefficient [page 167, left column, first two paragraphs for using cross-correlation for a time delay with phase difference (phase simples for samples during a sampling period)].
Regarding Claim 7, Wilson fails to explicitly teach said determining comprises determining an azimuth angle of the jamming source in a local coordinate frame associated with the two antennas, the azimuth angle being determined in a plane of rotation of the two antennas.
Guard determines precision azimuth angle and ± elevation angle of an emitter (abstract) and teaches said determining comprises determining an azimuth angle of the jamming source in a local coordinate frame associated with the two antennas, the azimuth angle being determined in a plane of rotation of the two antennas [col 2, lines 45-55 for providing signals according to azimuth].
It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the applicant’s invention for modifying the jamming direction techniques, as disclosed by Wilson, further including the angle calculations as taught by Guard for the purpose to performs phase measurements of signals received at antennas (Guard, col 2, lines 60-67).
Regarding Claim 8, Wilson fails to explicitly teach the azimuth angle is determined as the angle of rotation of the antennas in the respective position of the antennas corresponding to the maximum value of the calculated N phase shifts.
Guard determines precision azimuth angle and ± elevation angle of an emitter (abstract) and teaches the azimuth angle is determined as the angle of rotation of the antennas in the respective position of the antennas corresponding to the maximum value of the calculated N phase shifts [col 1, lines 15-30 and equation 1 for identifying source direction using cosine and heading].
It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the applicant’s invention for modifying the jamming direction techniques, as disclosed by Wilson, further including the angle calculations as taught by Guard for the purpose to performs phase measurements of signals received at antennas (Guard, col 2, lines 60-67).
Regarding Claim 9, Wilson teaches determining a direction of the jamming source in a geographic coordinate frame, from the azimuth angle of the jamming source and inertial data characterizing an angular position of the antennas in the geographic coordinate frame [page 171, right column, 2nd paragraph for using an INS based measurement with roll/pitch/velocity and a GPS receiver].
Regarding Claim 10, Wilson teaches the direction of the jamming source is specified by reiterating the method from a different geographical position of the antennas [page 172, left column first two paragraphs and figure 17 for getting the line of bearing and using two sites to calculate the DOA].
Regarding Claim 11, Wilson teaches the different geographic position is determined along the direction of the jamming source determined in a preceding iteration of
Regarding Claim 12, Wilson teaches a computer program product including software instructions which, when executed by a computer, implement method of a GNSS signal jamming source, comprising [page 164, right column, last paragraph for finding DOA]:
in each of the N positions, acquiring by each antenna a GNSS signal comprising a useful signal and a jamming signal [page 167, right column, second paragraph for a creating a jamming signal that propagates in two antennas for DOA estimates];
and computing a phase shift between the jamming signals acquired [page 165, right column, last two paragraphs and equation 0.1 for getting phase difference of two antennas].
Wilson fails to explicitly teach setting in rotation two antennas about a common axis of rotation to form N different respective positions corresponding to different angles of rotation; and determining a direction of the jamming source using a maximum value of the N calculated phase shifts [page 165, right column, last two paragraphs and equation 0.1 for getting phase difference of two antennas].
Guard determines precision azimuth angle and ± elevation angle of an emitter (abstract) and teaches setting in rotation two antennas about a common axis of rotation to form N different respective positions corresponding to different angles of rotation [col 1, lines 10-15 for determining azimuth using two rotating antennas];
and determining a direction of the jamming source using a maximum value of the N calculated phase shifts [col 1, lines 15-30 and equation 1 for identifying source direction].
It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the applicant’s invention for modifying the jamming direction techniques, as disclosed by Wilson, further including the angle calculations as taught by Guard for the purpose to accurately resolving measured phase ambiguities using signals received from a rotating interferometer (Guard, col 2, lines 1-10).
Regarding Claim 13, Wilson teaches a device for locating a jamming source for GNSS signals, comprising [page 164, right column, last paragraph for finding DOA]
apparatus suitable for implementing a locating method of a GNSS signal jamming source, comprising [page 164, left column, last paragraph]:
in each of the N positions [page 167, right column, second paragraph for a creating a jamming signal that propagates in two antennas for DOA estimates],
acquiring by each antenna a GNSS signal comprising a useful signal and a jamming signal [page 165, right column, last two paragraphs and equation 0.1 for getting phase difference of two antennas].
Wilson fails to explicitly teach setting in rotation two antennas about a common axis of rotation to form N different respective positions corresponding to different angles of rotation; and computing a phase shift between the jamming signals acquired; and determining a direction of the jamming source using a maximum value of the N calculated phase shifts.
Guard determines precision azimuth angle and ± elevation angle of an emitter (abstract) and teaches setting in rotation two antennas about a common axis of rotation to form N different respective positions corresponding to different angles of rotation [col 1, lines 10-15 for determining azimuth using two rotating antennas];
and determining a direction of the jamming source using a maximum value of the N calculated phase shifts [col 1, lines 15-30 and equation 1 for identifying source direction].
It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the applicant’s invention for modifying the jamming direction techniques, as disclosed by Wilson, further including the angle calculations as taught by Guard for the purpose to accurately resolving measured phase ambiguities using signals received from a rotating interferometer (Guard, col 2, lines 1-10).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Brown (US 5198822 A) has an apparatus for quickly determining the angle of arrival of a signal at a spinning interferometer.
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/SAMARINA MAKHDOOM/
Examiner, Art Unit 3648
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