DETAILED ACTION
This action is in response to the initial filing filed on September 24, 2024, claims 1-20 have been examined this application.
Information Disclosure Statement
The Information Disclosure Statement (IDS) filed on 5/14/2025 and 2/5/2026 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 § 102
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.
Claim(s) 1, 12, and 20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102 (a)(1) as being anticipated by Jiang et al (US 2019/0208387 A1).
Regarding Claim 1, Jiang discloses ranging method implemented by a first device, wherein the ranging method comprises [0098 for ranging with UE such as a vehicle]:
sending, to a second device and using a first resource, a ranging control frame comprising ranging parameter information, wherein the ranging parameter information indicates to perform ranging [0098-0099 for using control period and slot id’s for ranging operations and UE for transmitting control signals];
and interacting with, based on the ranging parameter information and using a second resource, the second device to perform the ranging [0098-0099 for ranging information/measurements using one or more control periods in the spectrum of a cellular network],
wherein a second bandwidth of the second resource is greater than a first bandwidth of the first resource [0098-0099 for large bandwidth (500MHz to 1GHz) and low power spectral density with V2X ITS bandwidth is 10-20 MHz (first bandwidth values)].
Regarding Claim 12, Jiang discloses a ranging method implemented by a second device, wherein the ranging method comprises [0098 for ranging with UE such as a vehicle]:
receiving, from a first device and using a first resource, a ranging control frame comprising ranging parameter information [0098-0099 for having a first and second vehicle with UE that have a first and second control period for broadcasting ranging messages using ToA],
wherein the ranging parameter information indicates to perform ranging [0098-0099 for using bandwidths to transmit ranging signals];
and interacting with, based on the ranging parameter information and using a second resource, the first device to perform the ranging [0098-0099 for suing second ranging spectrum UWB],
wherein a second bandwidth of the second resource is greater than a first bandwidth of the first resource [0098-0099 for large bandwidth (500MHz to 1GHz) and low power spectral density with V2X ITS bandwidth is 10-20 MHz (first bandwidth values)].
Regarding Claim 20, Jiang discloses a first device comprising [0098 for ranging with UE such as a vehicle]:
a memory configured to store instruction [0098-0099 for using a UE];
and one or more processors coupled to the memory and configured to execute the instructions to cause the first device to [0098-0099 for transmitting ranging messages with measurements for different bandwidths and control periods]:
send, to a second device and using a first resource, a ranging control frame comprising ranging parameter information, wherein the ranging parameter information indicates to perform ranging [0098-0099 for using control period and slot id’s for ranging operations and UE for transmitting control signals];
and interact with, based on the ranging parameter information and using a second resource, the second device to perform the ranging [0098-0099 for suing second ranging spectrum UWB],
wherein a second bandwidth of the second resource is greater than a first bandwidth of the first resource [0098-0099 for large bandwidth (500MHz to 1GHz) and low power spectral density with V2X ITS bandwidth is 10-20 MHz (first bandwidth values)].
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 2-4 and 13-15 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Jiang et al (US 2019/0208387 A1), as applied to claim 1 above, in view of IEEE 802.15.4 (IEEE, 2003).
Regarding Claim 2 and 13, Jiang fails to explicitly teach sending, to the second device and using the first resource, a ranging beacon frame requesting to establish a personal area network.
IEEE has Standard for Information technology— Telecommunications and information exchange between systems (page iii, Introduction) and teaches sending, to the second device and using the first resource, a ranging beacon frame requesting to establish a personal area network [page 17, Last two paragraph for beacons are used to synchronize the attached devices, to identify and figure 4, also page 116, Section 7.2.2.1.2 for using the beacon frame to create the association permit, figure 40].
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 ranging position techniques, as disclosed by Jiang, further including the beacon calculations as taught by IEEE for the purpose to only transmit beacon frames when requested (IEEE, page 117, last two paragraphs).
Regarding Claim 3 and 14, Jiang fails to explicitly teach establishing, using the first resource, the personal area network with the second device.
IEEE has Standard for Information technology— Telecommunications and information exchange between systems (page iii, Introduction) and teaches establishing, using the first resource, the personal area network with the second device [page 116, Section 7.2.2.1.2 for using the beacon frame to create the association permit, figure 40 with page 138, 3rd-4th paragraphs for starting a PAN].
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 ranging position techniques, as disclosed by Jiang, further including the beacon calculations as taught by IEEE for the purpose to only transmit beacon frames when requested (IEEE, page 117, last two paragraphs).
Regarding Claim 4 and 15, Jiang fails to explicitly teach receiving, from the second device and using the first resource, identification information identifying the second device.
IEEE has Standard for Information technology— Telecommunications and information exchange between systems (page iii, Introduction) and teaches receiving, from the second device and using the first resource, identification information identifying the second device [page 126 first two paragraphs for using a short address associated with response commands for PAN communications].
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 ranging position techniques, as disclosed by Jiang, further including the beacon calculations as taught by IEEE for the purpose to only transmit beacon frames when requested (IEEE, page 117, last two paragraphs).
Claims 5-10 and 16-19 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Jiang et al (US 2019/0208387 A1), as applied to claim 1 above, in view of Li et al (US 2020/0183000 A1).
Regarding Claim 5 and 19, Jiang fails to explicitly teach the ranging parameter information indicates that the first device is a ranging initiator and the second device is a ranging responder, and wherein interacting with the second device comprises: sending, to the second device, a ranging initiation frame at a first time; receiving, from the second device, a ranging response frame at a second time; receiving, from the second device and using the second resource, a measurement report comprising first measurement information, wherein the first measurement information indicates a first time interval between a third time at which the second device receives the ranging initiation frame and a fourth time at which the second device sends the ranging response frame; and obtaining first distance information based on the first measurement information and second measurement information and using the second resource, wherein the second measurement information indicates a second time interval between the first time and the second time, and wherein the distance information comprises a distance between the first device and the second device.
Li has a method of a transmit apparatus in a wireless communication system supporting ranging capability (abstract) and teaches the ranging parameter information indicates that the first device is a ranging initiator and the second device is a ranging responder, and wherein interacting with the second device comprises [0241-0245 for 00 for initiators and 01 for responders (first and second devices)]:
sending, to the second device, a ranging initiation frame at a first time [0241-0245 for initiating (first) message];
receiving, from the second device, a ranging response frame at a second time [0241-0245 for responding (second) message and figure 28];
receiving, from the second device and using the second resource, a measurement report comprising first measurement information, wherein the first measurement information indicates a first time interval between a third time at which the second device receives the ranging initiation frame and a fourth time at which the second device sends the ranging response frame [0242 for ranging initiation message contains the RRMC IE, where the ranging control information field value is set to be zero, and the reply time request field value];
and obtaining first distance information based on the first measurement information and second measurement information and using the second resource, wherein the second measurement information indicates a second time interval between the first time and the second time, and wherein the distance information comprises a distance between the first device and the second device [0245 for using initiating (first) message and responding (second) message with 0251 for using ToF measurements for round trip measurements for ranging].
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 ranging position techniques, as disclosed by Jiang, further including the distance calculations as taught by Li for the purpose to calculate the ranging result for the corresponding pair (Li, 0245).
Regarding Claim 6 and 17, Jiang fails to explicitly teach sending, to the second device, a ranging final frame after receiving the ranging response frame, wherein the measurement report further comprises third measurement information indicating a third time interval between the third time and a fifth time at which the second device receives the ranging final frame.
Li has a method of a transmit apparatus in a wireless communication system supporting ranging capability (abstract) and teaches sending, to the second device, a ranging final frame after receiving the ranging response frame, wherein the measurement report further comprises third measurement information indicating a third time interval between the third time and a fifth time at which the second device receives the ranging final frame [0249 for or the M2M DS-TWR, based on the ranging configuration, multiple initiators may contend or be time-scheduled for the time slots].
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 ranging position techniques, as disclosed by Jiang, further including the distance calculations as taught by Li for the purpose to request ranging results and relevant times (Li, 0246).
Regarding Claim 7, Jiang fails to explicitly teach obtaining the first distance information comprises obtaining the first distance information based on the third measurement information and fourth measurement information, and wherein the fourth measurement information indicates a fourth time interval between the second time and a sixth time at which the first device sends the first ranging final frame.
Li has a method of a transmit apparatus in a wireless communication system supporting ranging capability (abstract) and teaches obtaining the first distance information comprises obtaining the first distance information based on the third measurement information and fourth measurement information, and wherein the fourth measurement information indicates a fourth time interval between the second time and a sixth time at which the first device sends the first ranging final frame [0245 for using initiating (first) message and responding (second) message with 0251 for using ToF measurements for round trip measurements for ranging].
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 ranging position techniques, as disclosed by Jiang, further including the distance calculations as taught by Li for the purpose to calculate the ranging result for the corresponding pair (Li, 0245).
Regarding Claim 8 and 18, Jiang teaches sending, to the second device and using the first resource, the distance information [0108 for UE can receive the ToA information and TX/RX delay information broadcasted by other UEs].
Regarding Claim 9 and 16, Jiang fails to explicitly teach the ranging parameter information indicates that the second device is a ranging initiator and the first device is a ranging responder, and wherein interacting with the second device comprises: receiving, from the second device at a first time, a ranging initiation frame; sending, to the second device at a second time, a ranging response frame; and sending, to the second device and using the second resource, a measurement report comprising first measurement information, wherein the first measurement information indicates a first time interval between the first time and the second time.
Li has a method of a transmit apparatus in a wireless communication system supporting ranging capability (abstract) and teaches the ranging parameter information indicates that the second device is a ranging initiator and the first device is a ranging responder, and wherein interacting with the second device comprises [0241 for initiator and responder messages]:
receiving, from the second device at a first time, a ranging initiation frame [0241-0245 for initiating (first) message];
sending, to the second device at a second time, a ranging response frame [0241-0245 for responding (second) message];
and sending, to the second device and using the second resource, a measurement report comprising first measurement information, wherein the first measurement information indicates a first time interval between the first time and the second time [0245-0251 for RMI IE to report reply time and roundtrip time].
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 ranging position techniques, as disclosed by Jiang, further including the distance calculations as taught by Li for the purpose to request ranging results and relevant times (Li, 0246).
Regarding Claim 10, Jiang fails to explicitly teach receiving, from the second device at a third time, a ranging final frame, wherein the measurement report further comprises second measurement information indicating a second time interval between the second time and the third time.
Li has a method of a transmit apparatus in a wireless communication system supporting ranging capability (abstract) and teaches receiving, from the second device at a third time, a ranging final frame, wherein the measurement report further comprises second measurement information indicating a second time interval between the second time and the third time [0249 for or the M2M DS-TWR, based on the ranging configuration, multiple initiators may contend or be time-scheduled for the time slots].
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 ranging position techniques, as disclosed by Jiang, further including the distance calculations as taught by Li for the purpose to request ranging results and relevant times (Li, 0246).
Regarding Claim 11, Jiang teaches receiving, from the second device and using the first resource, distance information comprising a distance between the first device and the second device [0108 for third period 1206 (a second control period), a UE may transmit control information in a PSCCH].
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Lee et al (US 2021/0014844A1) has a method of establishing communication between a first device and a second device to exchange ranging information.
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/SAMARINA MAKHDOOM/
Examiner, Art Unit 3648
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