DETAILED ACTION
This action is in response to the initial filing filed on October 14, 2024, claims 1-13 have been examined this application.
Information Disclosure Statement
The Information Disclosure Statement (IDS) filed on 10/14/2024 and 5/19/2026 have 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 Nakahama et al (US 2008/0122684 A1) in view of Lobsinger et al (US 4600924 A).
Regarding Claim 1, Nakahama teaches an automatic tuning device mounted on a magnetron radar comprising a mixer that down-converts a reception wave [0020 for supplying a high-frequency signal from a magnetron to the antenna and outputting a signal from the antenna],
the automatic tuning device comprising processing circuitry configured to [0020 for mixer for mixing a signal output from the transmission/reception switching unit with a local oscillation signal generated in a local oscillator and outputting an IF signal]:
output a tuning control voltage for adjusting a frequency of a carrier signal provided to the mixer [0020 for and outputting the control voltage concerned to a frequency controller; a frequency estimating unit for receiving the IF signal output from the A/D converter];
acquire a tuning indication voltage indicating an intensity of a component of a particular frequency in an output signal of the mixer [0020 for video peak detector for receiving the detection signal output from the A/D converter, successively detecting and storing the intensity of the signal corresponding to main bang in the detection signa].
Nakahama fails to explicitly teach set a reference value based on a particular range comprising therein a first level that is the tuning control voltage corresponding to a maximum of the tuning indication voltage in a first period; calculate an index value based on a scanning result of a first range comprising therein the first level in a second period; and determine the output tuning control voltage based on a comparison result between the index value and the reference value.
Lobsinger has a digital automatic frequency control for a pulse-type radar receiver (abstract) and teaches set a reference value based on a particular range comprising therein a first level that is the tuning control voltage corresponding to a maximum of the tuning indication voltage in a first period [col 4, lines 1-15 for sixteen incremental steps in the local oscillator frequency below the coarse tuning frequency];
calculate an index value based on a scanning result of a first range comprising therein the first level in a second period [col 2, lines 45-60 for subsequent transmitter pulses, the fine-tuning control sidesteps the local oscillator frequency to produce mixer output frequencies];
and determine the output tuning control voltage based on a comparison result between the index value and the reference value [col 4, lines 10-25 for the difference in the magnitude of the SH and SL outputs provides an error signal having an amplitude proportional to the frequency error].
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 magnetron techniques, as disclosed by Nakahama, further including the tuning voltage calculations as taught by Lobsinger for the purpose to indicates the sense of the necessary correction in the frequency (Lobsinger, col 4, lines 20-30).
Regarding Claim 12, Nakahama teaches an automatic tuning method for a magnetron radar comprising a mixer that down-converts a reception wave [0020 for supplying a high-frequency signal from a magnetron to the antenna and outputting a signal from the antenna],
the automatic tuning method comprising [0020 for mixer for mixing a signal output from the transmission/reception switching unit with a local oscillation signal generated in a local oscillator and outputting an IF signal]:
outputting a tuning control voltage for adjusting a frequency of a carrier signal provided to the mixer [0020 for and outputting the control voltage concerned to a frequency controller; a frequency estimating unit for receiving the IF signal output from the A/D converter];
generating a tuning indication voltage indicating an intensity of a component of a particular frequency in an output signal of the mixer [0020 for video peak detector for receiving the detection signal output from the A/D converter, successively detecting and storing the intensity of the signal corresponding to main bang in the detection signa].
Nakahama fails to explicitly teach setting a reference value based on a particular range comprising therein a first level that is the tuning control voltage corresponding to a maximum of the tuning indication voltage in a first period; calculating an index value based on a scanning result of a first range comprising therein the first level in a second period; and determining the tuning control voltage output based on a comparison result between the index value and the reference value.
Lobsinger has a digital automatic frequency control for a pulse-type radar receiver (abstract) and teaches setting a reference value based on a particular range comprising therein a first level that is the tuning control voltage corresponding to a maximum of the tuning indication voltage in a first period [col 4, lines 1-15 for sixteen incremental steps in the local oscillator frequency below the coarse tuning frequency];
calculating an index value based on a scanning result of a first range comprising therein the first level in a second period [col 2, lines 45-60 for subsequent transmitter pulses, the fine-tuning control sidesteps the local oscillator frequency to produce mixer output frequencies];
and determining the tuning control voltage output based on a comparison result between the index value and the reference value [col 4, lines 10-25 for the difference in the magnitude of the SH and SL outputs provides an error signal having an amplitude proportional to the frequency error].
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 magnetron techniques, as disclosed by Nakahama, further including the tuning voltage calculations as taught by Lobsinger for the purpose to indicates the sense of the necessary correction in the frequency (Lobsinger, col 4, lines 20-30).
Regarding Claim 13, Nakahama teaches a non-transient computer-readable recording medium, recording an automatic tuning program for a magnetron radar comprising a mixer down-converting a reception wave [0020 for supplying a high-frequency signal from a magnetron to the antenna and outputting a signal from the antenna],
the automatic tuning program causing a computer to execute [0020 for mixer for mixing a signal output from the transmission/reception switching unit with a local oscillation signal generated in a local oscillator and outputting an IF signal]:
a process of outputting a tuning control voltage for adjusting a frequency of a carrier signal provided to the mixer [0020 for and outputting the control voltage concerned to a frequency controller; a frequency estimating unit for receiving the IF signal output from the A/D converter];
a process of generating a tuning indication voltage indicating an intensity of a component of a particular frequency in an output signal of the mixer [0020 for video peak detector for receiving the detection signal output from the A/D converter, successively detecting and storing the intensity of the signal corresponding to main bang in the detection signal].
Nakahama fails to explicitly teach a process of setting a reference value based on a particular range comprising therein a first level that is the tuning control voltage corresponding to a maximum of the tuning indication voltage in a first period; a process of calculating an index value based on a scanning result of a first range comprising therein the first level in a second period; and a process of determining the tuning control voltage output based on a comparison result between the index value and the reference value.
Lobsinger has a digital automatic frequency control for a pulse-type radar receiver (abstract) and teaches a process of setting a reference value based on a particular range comprising therein a first level that is the tuning control voltage corresponding to a maximum of the tuning indication voltage in a first period [col 4, lines 1-15 for ixteen incremental steps in the local oscillator frequency below the coarse tuning frequency];
a process of calculating an index value based on a scanning result of a first range comprising therein the first level in a second period [col 2, lines 45-60 for subsequent transmitter pulses, the fine-tuning control sidesteps the local oscillator frequency to produce mixer output frequencies];
and a process of determining the tuning control voltage output based on a comparison result between the index value and the reference value [col 4, lines 10-25 for the difference in the magnitude of the SH and SL outputs provides an error signal having an amplitude proportional to the frequency error].
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 magnetron techniques, as disclosed by Nakahama, further including the tuning voltage calculations as taught by Lobsinger for the purpose to indicates the sense of the necessary correction in the frequency (Lobsinger, col 4, lines 20-30).
Regarding Claim 2, Nakahama teaches the processing circuitry is configured to: detect the first level based on a scanning result of a second range wider than the first range in the first period [0093 for the operation mode of the radar apparatus is switched to the rough-tuning mode and 0097].
Regarding Claim 3 and 9, Nakahama fails to explicitly teach the processing circuitry is configured to: set the reference value based on the tuning indication voltage in the particular range, and calculate the index value based on the tuning indication voltage of the first range.
Lobsinger has a digital automatic frequency control for a pulse-type radar receiver (abstract) and teaches the processing circuitry is configured to: set the reference value based on the tuning indication voltage in the particular range, and calculate the index value based on the tuning indication voltage of the first range [col 4, lines 5-15 for amplifier response for each of the steps 25-26 is stored in an accumulater which produces the sum output].
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 magnetron techniques, as disclosed by Nakahama, further including the tuning voltage calculations as taught by Lobsinger for the purpose to indicates the sense of the necessary correction in the frequency (Lobsinger, col 4, lines 20-30).
Regarding Claim 5, Nakahama fails to explicitly teach the processing circuitry is configured to: set the reference value based on an accumulated value of the tuning indication voltage of the particular range, and calculate the index value based on the accumulated value of the tuning indication voltage.
Lobsinger has a digital automatic frequency control for a pulse-type radar receiver (abstract) and teaches the processing circuitry is configured to: set the reference value based on an accumulated value of the tuning indication voltage of the particular range, and calculate the index value based on the accumulated value of the tuning indication voltage [col 4, lines 5-15 for amplifier response for each of the steps 23-24 is stored in an accumulater which produces the sum output].
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 magnetron techniques, as disclosed by Nakahama, further including the tuning voltage calculations as taught by Lobsinger for the purpose to indicates the sense of the necessary correction in the frequency (Lobsinger, col 4, lines 20-30).
Regarding Claim 8, Nakahama teaches a magnetron radar, comprising the automatic tuning device as claimed [0020, 0050 for magnetron].
Regarding Claim 11, Nakahama teaches a magnetron radar, comprising the automatic tuning device as claimed [0020, 0050 for magnetron].
Claim 4 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Nakahama et al (US 2008/0122684 A1) in view of Lobsinger et al (US 4600924 A), as applied to Claim 1 above, and further in view of Tan et al (US 9,112,763 B1).
Regarding Claim 4, Nakahama fails to explicitly teach the processing circuitry is configured to: calculate a plurality of the index values by scanning with a width same as the particular range, and determine the tuning control voltage in correspondence with a scanning position at which the index value is calculated, wherein the index value is equal to or more than the reference value.
Lobsinger has a digital automatic frequency control for a pulse-type radar receiver (abstract) and teaches the processing circuitry is configured to: calculate a plurality of the index values by scanning with a width same as the particular range, and determine the tuning control voltage in correspondence with a scanning position at which the index value is calculated, wherein the index value is equal to or more than the reference value [col 5, lines 1-15 for detects
that the current sliding-window output value is greater than or equal to the first threshold value THl (fixed width sliding winding)].
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 magnetron techniques, as disclosed by Nakahama, further including the window calculations as taught by Tan for the purpose to indicates that a new data packet exists (Tan, col 5, lines 1-10).
Claims 6 and 10 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Nakahama et al (US 2008/0122684 A1) in view of Lobsinger et al (US 4600924 A), as applied to Claim 1 above, and further in view of Towne (US6297627B1).
Regarding Claim 6 and 10, Nakahama fails to explicitly teach the processing circuitry is configured to: set, as the reference value, a value obtained by multiplying the accumulated value by a particular value less than 1.
Towne has a proximity detector for sensing a magnetic field (abstract) and teaches the processing circuitry is configured to: set, as the reference value, a value obtained by multiplying the accumulated value by a particular value less than 1 [col 24, lines 5-25 for PDAC_BUF, NDAC_BUF are coupled to a resistor divider 340 comprising series resistors 342, 344, 346 and 348 in order to generate the VTH threshold voltage (finding highest and lowest signal points)].
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 magnetron techniques, as disclosed by Nakahama, further including the threshold calculations as taught by Towne for the purpose to set the threshold voltage at a percentage of the peak-to-peak voltage (Towne, col 24, lines 30-35).
Claim 7 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Nakahama et al (US 2008/0122684 A1) in view of Lobsinger et al (US 4600924 A), as applied to Claim 1 above, and further in view of Tracey et al (US 4794324 A).
Regarding Claim 7, Nakahama fails to explicitly teach the particular range is a half-width of a peak of a maximum of the tuning indication voltage, and the processing circuitry is configured to calculate, as the index value, a half-width of a peak present in the first range.
Tracey has a method for characterizing a broad-spectrum signal (abstract) and teaches the particular range is a half-width of a peak of a maximum of the tuning indication voltage, and the processing circuitry is configured to calculate, as the index value, a half-width of a peak present in the first range [col 4, lines 35-50 for The peak amplitude value is determined and stored by spectrum analyzer (defining a range around the peaks of 6dB and 15dB)].
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 magnetron techniques, as disclosed by Nakahama, further including the peak amplitude calculations as taught by Tracey for the purpose o obtain a second plurality of amplitude values of signal (Tracey, col 4, lines 55-60).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Schwerman (US 6177764 B1) has a fault-tolerant control system facilitates the closed loop control of a magnetron.
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/SAMARINA MAKHDOOM/
Examiner, Art Unit 3648
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