DETAILED ACTION
This action is in response to the initial filing filed on October 23, 2024, Claim 1-14 have been examined this application.
Information Disclosure Statement
The Information Disclosure Statement (IDS) filed on 10/23/2024 has been acknowledged.
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 1-2, 5-7, 9-10, and 12-13 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Abou-Jaoude et al (US 2004/0012517 A1) in view of Pannone (US 2012/0278025 A1).
Regarding Claim 1, Abou-Jaoude teaches a method for conducting a power measurement of a pulsed electromagnetic, EM signal which is emitted by a device-under-test, DUT, in an unknown frequency band, comprising [0049 for radar signal frequency from the automotive radar will be unknown and can be located anywhere in the band BW]:
performing a plurality of relative power measurements of the pulsed EM signal in different frequency ranges by switching at least one narrowband filter in a measurement path for the EM signal [0050 for using an oscillator to sweep over BW and using an RF detector to monitor power of the signal in SAW device],
wherein respective relative power values of the EM signal are recorded for the different frequency ranges [0050 for monitor the power of the signal passing through the SAW device];
determining the frequency band of the pulsed EM signal by comparing the relative power values of the EM signal recorded in the different frequency ranges [0050 for the oscillator frequency LO1 may be set to the tuned frequency to enable the radar test system to perform the target simulation];
and performing an absolute power measurement of the EM signal at the determined frequency band using a power detector [0019 for power meter enables determination of the radiated power and 0050 for narrow band test system].
Abou-Jaoude fails to explicitly teach which is calibrated to the frequencies of the frequency band.
Pannone has a measurement system, for use in RF power measurements, allows an arbitrary Bruene-type RF coupler to be calibrated (abstract) and teaches which is calibrated to the frequencies of the frequency band [0035-0036 for calibration point allows an ideal transfer function to be calculated for the coupler for the exact power the calibration is performed].
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 power determination techniques, as disclosed by Abou-Jaude, further including the calibration calculations as taught by Pannone for the purpose to accurately calculate power measurements (Pannone, 0037).
Regarding Claim 2, Abou-Jaoude teaches the same power detector is used for the relative power measurements and the absolute power measurement [0050 for measurements from the RF detector to tune the LO so that IF].
Regarding Claim 5, Abou-Jaoude teaches to perform the plurality of relative power measurements at the different frequency ranges, the frequency of the EM signal is stepwise or continuously shifted and then forwarded to the at least one narrowband filter [0050 for the oscillator is swept over a bandwidth of at least BWW].
Regarding Claim 6, Abou-Jaoude teaches the frequency of the EM signal is stepwise or continuously shifted by means of a tunable local oscillator and a mixer [0050 for a single tunable synthesizer provides the LO and LO1 for both of the IF mixers].
Regarding Claim 7, Abou-Jaoude teaches switching from the narrowband filter to a broadband filter in the measurement path for the EM signal when performing the absolute power measurement [0047 for tegrated power of the radar signal without the use of an external power meter].
Regarding Claim 9, Abou-Jaoude teaches the power detector comprises at least one envelope detector and/or at least one analog-to-digital converter, ADC [0022 for the delay device can be coupled at node to a log detector].
Regarding Claim 10, Abou-Jaoude fails to explicitly teach the power detector comprises a plurality of envelope detectors and a plurality of ADCs.
Pannone has a measurement system, for use in RF power measurements, allows an arbitrary Bruene-type RF coupler to be calibrated (abstract) and teaches the power detector comprises a plurality of envelope detectors and a plurality of ADCs [0052 getting incident power with and ADC and 0055].
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 power determination techniques, as disclosed by Abou-Jaude, further including the calibration calculations as taught by Pannone for the purpose to accurately calculate power measurements (Pannone, 0037).
Regarding Claim 12, Abou-Jaoude fails to explicitly teach calibrating the power detector by: feeding at least one calibration signal to the power detector wherein the at least one calibration signal has known signal characteristics, and correlating measurement results of the power detector to the known signal characteristics of the calibration signal.
Pannone has a measurement system, for use in RF power measurements, allows an arbitrary Bruene-type RF coupler to be calibrated (abstract) and teaches calibrating the power detector by [0023 for same frequency and power level as any of the previously saved calibration points]:
feeding at least one calibration signal to the power detector wherein the at least one calibration signal has known signal characteristics [0023 for accurate power reading with minimal error to within the precision of the PMD and claim 8],
and correlating measurement results of the power detector to the known signal characteristics of the calibration signal [0052 getting incident power with and ADC and 0055].
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 power determination techniques, as disclosed by Abou-Jaude, further including the calibration calculations as taught by Pannone for the purpose to accurately calculate power measurements (Pannone, 0037).
Regarding Claim 13, Abou-Jaoude teaches a system for conducting a power measurement of a pulsed electromagnetic, EM, signal which is emitted by a device-under-test, DUT, in an unknown frequency band, comprising [0047 and 0049 for radar signal frequency from the automotive radar will be unknown and can be located anywhere in the band BW]:
at least one narrowband filter [0047 for e SAW delay acts as a bandwidth-limiting (narrow band) RF filter];
and a power detector configured to perform a plurality of relative power measurements of the pulsed EM signal in different frequency ranges [0050 for using an oscillator to sweep over BW and using an RF detector to monitor power of the signal in SAW device],
wherein the at least one narrowband filter is switched in a measurement path for the EM signal during the plurality of relative power measurements [0050 for using an oscillator to sweep over BW and using an RF detector to monitor power of the signal in SAW device];
wherein the power detector is configured to record respective relative power values of the EM signal for the different frequency ranges [0050 for the oscillator frequency LO1 may be set to the tuned frequency to enable the radar test system to perform the target simulation];
and a processor configured to determine the frequency band of the pulsed EM signal by comparing the relative power values of the EM signal recorded in the different frequency ranges [0050 for the oscillator frequency LO1 may be set to the tuned frequency to enable the radar test system to perform the target simulation];
wherein the power detector is configured to perform an absolute power measurement of the EM signal at the determined frequency band [0019 for power meter enables determination of the radiated power and 0050 for narrow band test system].
Abou-Jaoude fails to explicitly teach wherein the power detector is calibrated to the frequencies of the frequency band.
Pannone has a measurement system, for use in RF power measurements, allows an arbitrary Bruene-type RF coupler to be calibrated (abstract) and teaches wherein the power detector is calibrated to the frequencies of the frequency band [0035-0036 for calibration point allows an ideal transfer function to be calculated for the coupler for the exact power the calibration is performed].
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 power determination techniques, as disclosed by Abou-Jaude, further including the calibration calculations as taught by Pannone for the purpose to accurately calculate power measurements (Pannone, 0037).
Claims 3-4 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Abou-Jaoude et al (US 2004/0012517 A1) in view of Pannone (US 2012/0278025 A1), as applied to Claim 1 above, and further in view of Kishi et al (US 2024/0319241 A1).
Regarding Claim 3 Abou-Jaoude fails to explicitly teach to perform the plurality of relative power measurements at the different frequency ranges, a number of narrowband filters with different passbands are alternately switched in the measurement path for the EM signal.
Kishi has a filter bank circuit capable of measuring or testing a frequency band, a spectrum analyzer, a signal analyzer, a signal generator using the filter bank circuit (abstract) and teaches to perform the plurality of relative power measurements at the different frequency ranges, a number of narrowband filters with different passbands are alternately switched in the measurement path for the EM signal [0016, and claim 1 for n filter groups respectively connected to the n output terminals, each of the filter groups having m (m is an integer of 2 or more) filter circuit].
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 power determination techniques, as disclosed by Abou-Jaude, further including the filter design calculations as taught by Kishi for the purpose to ensure the signal under test or the test signal will not be missed (Kishi, 0016).
Regarding Claim 4, Abou-Jaoude fails to explicitly teach the number of narrowband filters is arranged in a filter bank.
Kishi has a filter bank circuit capable of measuring or testing a frequency band, a spectrum analyzer, a signal analyzer, a signal generator using the filter bank circuit (abstract) and teaches to perform the plurality of relative power measurements at the different frequency ranges, a number of narrowband filters with different passbands are alternately switched in the measurement path for the EM signal [0016, for a one-pole n-throw type switch that performs changeover].
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 power determination techniques, as disclosed by Abou-Jaude, further including the filter design calculations as taught by Kishi for the purpose to ensure the signal under test or the test signal will not be missed (Kishi, 0016).
Claims 8 and 11 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Abou-Jaoude et al (US 2004/0012517 A1) in view of Pannone (US 2012/0278025 A1), as applied to Claim 1 above, and further in view of Grace (US 5,920,281 A).
Regarding Claim 8, Abou-Jaoude fails to explicitly teach additionally determining out-of-band emissions of the DUT by comparing the relative power values of the EM signal recorded in the different frequency ranges.
Grace has a radar test System for testing a collision avoidance radar (abstract) and teaches additionally determining out-of-band emissions of the DUT by comparing the relative power values of the EM signal recorded in the different frequency ranges [col 3, lines 20-30 for a spectrum analyzer 46. The Spectrum analyzer enables determination of the frequency band occupied by the modulated radar signal within the desired range].
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 power determination techniques, as disclosed by Abou-Jaude, further including the frequency range calculations as taught by Grace for the purpose to have a measurement of the collision avoidance radar system transmitted power (Grace, col 3, lines 15-20).
Regarding Claim 11, Abou-Jaoude fails to explicitly teach the power detector comprises a power divider configured to feed portions of a received signal to the plurality of envelope detectors and ADCs.
Grace has a radar test System for testing a collision avoidance radar (abstract) and teaches the power detector comprises a power divider configured to feed portions of a received signal to the plurality of envelope detectors and ADCs [col 6, lines 50-60 for a power divider having an input coupled to the coupling path terminal of the coupler, a first output and a second 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 power determination techniques, as disclosed by Abou-Jaude, further including the frequency range calculations as taught by Grace for the purpose to have a measurement of the collision avoidance radar system transmitted power (Grace, col 3, lines 15-20).
Claim 14 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Abou-Jaoude et al (US 2004/0012517 A1) in view of Grace (US 5,920,281 A).
Regarding Claim 14, Abou-Jaoude teaches a method for determining out-of-band emissions of a device-under-test, DUT [0050 for using an oscillator to sweep over BW and using an RF detector to monitor power of the signal in SAW device],
which emits a pulsed electromagnetic, EM, signal in a known frequency band, comprising [0047 and 0049 for radar signal frequency from the automotive radar will be unknown and can be located anywhere in the band BW]:
performing a plurality of relative power measurements of the pulsed EM signal in different frequency ranges by switching at least one narrowband filter in a measurement path for the EM signal [0050 for using an oscillator to sweep over BW and using an RF detector to monitor power of the signal in SAW device],
wherein respective relative power values of the EM signal are recorded for the different frequency ranges [0050 for the oscillator frequency LO1 may be set to the tuned frequency to enable the radar test system to perform the target simulation].
Abou-Jaoude fails to explicitly teach wherein the different frequency ranges are within a defined frequency range before and/or after the known frequency band of the EM signal; and determining the out-of-band emissions of the DUT by comparing the relative power values of the EM signal recorded in the different frequency ranges.
Grace has a radar test System for testing a collision avoidance radar (abstract) and teaches wherein the different frequency ranges are within a defined frequency range before and/or after the known frequency band of the EM signal [col 3, lines 50-60 for using the spectrum analyzer for the given frequency ranges];
and determining the out-of-band emissions of the DUT by comparing the relative power values of the EM signal recorded in the different frequency ranges [col 3, lines 40-50 for test range and the 8.0–8.5 GHz IF test range can have a spectral density greater than -70 dBm/MHz].
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 power determination techniques, as disclosed by Abou-Jaude, further including the frequency range calculations as taught by Grace for the purpose to have a measurement of the collision avoidance radar system transmitted power (Grace, col 3, lines 15-20).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Shoulders et al (US 2006/0003723 A1) has a receiver channel, test system and method employ adaptive nulling to filter a targeted frequency component from a pulsed signal to produce a filtered pulsed signa.
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/SAMARINA MAKHDOOM/
Examiner, Art Unit 3648
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