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 § 112
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claims 9-10, 14-15, and 19-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
Claims 9-10, 14-15, and 19-20 recite the limitation "the frequency of a clock signal". There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claims. As such, these claims are indefinite. For the sake of examination, these claims are interpreted as instead reciting “a frequency of a clock signal”.
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.
(a)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claims 1-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) and (a)(2) as being anticipated by Lennen (US 20110037650 A1).
Regarding claim 1, Lennen teaches a Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) receiver, comprising:
an analog front-end (AFE) having analog circuits and configured to observe a GNSS frequency (Fig. 3, RF front-end 204 is an AFE with analog circuits; see paras. 20 and 26 for evidence of observation of a GNSS frequency),
a first circuit, coupled to the AFE, configured to power on the analog circuits during a first time period to generate a first set of digital samples from the AFE, and power off the analog circuits during a second time period after the first time period (para. 4, “A RF front end adjusts the duty cycle of an on/off period of the RF front end in response to the adjusted observation time to generate corresponding on-time samples from the tracked satellites.”; see para. 27 and Fig. 5, where A/Ds 308 and 307 generate digital signals and are powered on and then powered off by power control from an RF ACT interface; Examiner is construing a first time period as being between the powering on of the AFE and sometime before its powering off, and a second time period as being the time after the end of the first time period), and
a digital signal processor (DSP) coupled to the AFE, the DSP configured to be powered on during the first and second time periods and configured to pass the first set of digital samples through functions to generate time delays between transmission of GNSS signals from satellites and reception at the GNSS receiver (Figs. 2-6, baseband processing 205 [analogous to a DSP] comprises subsystems 1 and 2 [401 and 600] and processes digital signals from Glonass and GPS A/Ds [308 and 307]; Fig. 5, subsystem 1 processing on/off control 404 is timed according to RF on/off control 208; GPS/Glonass signal measurements [which are for the purpose of range measurements] rely entirely on calculating time delays between transmission and reception of signals, see para. 3).
Regarding claims 2 and 17, Lennen teaches the GNSS receiver of claim 1 and the method of claim 16,
wherein the DSP is configured to perform a first pass of the first set of digital samples through the functions during the first time period and perform another pass of the first set of digital samples through the functions during the second time period (Figs. 2-7, digital samples of A/Ds are processed in subsystem 1 during R/F on time, and then in subsystem 2 during R/F off time; Examiner is construing a single pass to encompass the functions of a single processing subsystem, and the first set of digital samples to constitute all A/D output data processed in a single cycle).
Regarding claims 3 and 13, Lennen teaches the GNSS receiver of claim 1 and the apparatus of claim 11 respectively,
wherein the DSP is configured to adjust at least one of the functions between a first pass and a second pass of the first set of digital samples (para. 25, “ACT on/off control module 207 may also multiplex the RF front end 204 between GPS and Glonass satellite signals to take advantage of the availability of more than one GNSS to effect further reduction in power. For example, adjusting the GPS/Glonass multiplexing in favor of observing satellites from the GNSS that has better CN0 may allow the ACT to reduce satellite observation time without affecting receiver performance.”; Fig. 6, mux selects GPS or Glonass before processing in subsystem 2 begins).
Regarding claim 4, Lennen teaches the GNSS receiver of claim 3, further comprising:
a central processing unit (CPU) coupled to the DSP and configured to receive the time delays as generated by the DSP, the CPU further configured to execute software to process the time delays and control the DSP to adjust at least one of the functions between a first pass and a second pass of the first set of digital samples (see rejection of claim 3; adaptive continuous tracking [ACT] implicitly requires a processing unit running software, which in Lennen is implicitly coupled to DSP/baseband processing subsystems 1 and 2).
Regarding claim 5, Lennen teaches the GNSS receiver of claim 4,
wherein the DSP or the CPU executing the software is configured to adjust the at least one of the functions to switch between first satellites for the first pass and second satellites for the second pass (Fig. 2, GPS satellite 201 [first satellites] and Glonass satellite 202 [second satellites] are separate; see para. 15 for evidence that there may be pluralities of GPS and Glonass satellites; para. 25, “ACT on/off control module 207 may also multiplex the RF front end 204 between GPS and Glonass satellite signals to take advantage of the availability of more than one GNSS to effect further reduction in power. For example, adjusting the GPS/Glonass multiplexing in favor of observing satellites from the GNSS that has better CN0 may allow the ACT to reduce satellite observation time without affecting receiver performance. […] Alternatively, each of the GPS and Glonass observation time may have its own on/off cycle time so that the GPS/Glonass switching of the ACT mode signal 209 works in conjunction with the on/off switching of the RF on/off control 208 to reduce receiver power while maintaining the minimum performance metrics.”; Fig. 5, in subsystem 1, on/off cycles and thus processing of GPS satellite data and Glonass satellite data may be switched via ACT mode signal 209; Fig. 6-7, in subsystem 2, multiplexing of the two satellite datasets for processing is adjusted by control signal 405).
Regarding claim 6, Lennen teaches the GNSS receiver of claim 3,
wherein the functions include first functions for conditioning of the first set of digital samples, wherein the at least one function is at least one of the first functions, and wherein the DSP is configured to adjust at least one parameter of the at least one first function (Figs. 6-7, Examiner is construing the processing functions of subsystem 2 to be first functions; see para. 4 for adjustment of duty cycle of an on/off period that defines processing times of the subsystem 2; see para. 25 for adjustment of GPS/Glonass multiplexing in subsystem 2; Examiner is interpreting “conditioning” of signals to encompass any processing functions).
Regarding claim 7, Lennen teaches the GNSS receiver of claim 3,
wherein the functions include first functions for correlating and integrating the first set of digital samples, wherein the at least one function is at least one of the first functions, and wherein the DSP is configured to adjust at least one parameter of the at least one first function (para. 20, “The subsystem 2 signal processing module 600 may remove the Doppler frequency from the baseband signal, generate the local PN (pseudorandom noise) code, correlate the local PN code with the baseband signal in matched filters, perform coherent integration on the matched filter output, demodulate data, and run tracking loops to track the signal.”; see para. 25 for adjustment of GPS/Glonass multiplexing in subsystem 2).
Regarding claim 8, Lennen teaches the GNSS receiver of claim 1,
wherein the analog circuits are first analog circuits (Fig. 3, top half of RF front end 204 comprising synthesizer 304, Glonass IF chain 306, and Glonass A/D 308), wherein the GNSS receiver is coupled to a second analog circuit (Fig. 3, bottom half of RF front end 204 comprising pre-amp 303, GPS RF chain 305, and GPS A/D 307), and
wherein the first circuit is configured to power on the second analog circuit during the first time period and power off the second analog circuit during the second time period (see para. 25 for evidence that ACT mode signal 209 in conjunction with RF on/off control signal 208 may control both receive timing of GPS/Glonass signals and thus the second analog circuit may be on while the first analog circuit is off [first time period] and vice versa [second time period]).
Regarding claims 9 and 14, Lennen teaches the GNSS receiver of claim 1 and the apparatus of claim 11 respectively,
wherein the first circuit is configured to, during the first time period, during the second time period, or both, at least one of reduce the power supplied to the DSP or reduce the frequency of a clock signal supplied to the DSP (Figs. 4-7 in view of para. 25, power supplied to subsystems 1 and 2 may be reduced and thus reduced during either or both time periods).
Regarding claims 10, 15, and 20, Lennen teaches the GNSS receiver of claim 1, the apparatus of claim 11, and the method of claim 16 respectively,
wherein the first circuit is coupled to the DSP and is configured to, in response to an output from the DSP, at least one of reduce the power supplied to the DSP or reduce the frequency of a clock signal supplied to the DSP between a first pass and a second pass of the first set of digital samples (para. 25, “ACT on/off control module 207 may also multiplex the RF front end 204 between GPS and Glonass satellite signals to take advantage of the availability of more than one GNSS to effect further reduction in power. For example, adjusting the GPS/Glonass multiplexing in favor of observing satellites from the GNSS that has better CN0 may allow the ACT to reduce satellite observation time without affecting receiver performance.”; Fig. 6, multiplexing occurs before the second pass of processing).
Regarding claim 11, Lennen teaches an apparatus, comprising:
a first central processing unit (CPU) configured to execute first software, and a Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) receiver coupled to the first CPU (Fig. 2, adaptive continuous tracking [ACT] requires a processing unit running software, which is implicitly coupled to the GNSS receiver shown),
the first software configured to control the GNSS receiver to operate in a first mode (para. 18, “FIG. 1 shows the use of ACT to adjust the observation time of satellites according to one or more embodiments of the present invention. ACT mode is intended for continuous positioning mode and the receiver may enter ACT mode after signals from at least three satellites have been acquired and a position fix is obtained in 101.”; Examiner is construing an implicit other/default operating mode besides the ACT mode to be a first mode), the GNSS receiver including:
an analog front-end (AFE) having analog circuits and configured to observe a GNSS frequency (Fig. 3, RF front-end 204 is an AFE with analog circuits; see paras. 20 and 26 for evidence of observation of a GNSS frequency),
a first circuit, coupled to the AFE, configured to power on the analog circuits during a first time period to generate a first set of digital samples from the AFE, and power off the analog circuits during a second time period after the first time period (para. 4, “A RF front end adjusts the duty cycle of an on/off period of the RF front end in response to the adjusted observation time to generate corresponding on-time samples from the tracked satellites.”; see para. 27 and Fig. 5, where several analog components are powered on and then powered off by power control from an RF ACT interface; Examiner is construing a first time period as being between the powering on of the AFE and sometime before its powering off, and a second time period as being the time after the end of the first time period), and
a digital signal processor (DSP) coupled to the AFE, the DSP configured to be powered on during the first and second time periods and configured to pass the first set of digital samples through functions to generate time delays between transmission of GNSS signals from satellites and reception at the GNSS receiver (Figs. 2-6, DSP comprises baseband processing 205 which comprises subsystems 1 and 2 [401 and 600] processes digital signals from Glonass and GPS A/Ds [308 and 307]; GPS/Glonass signal measurements [which are for the purpose of range measurements] rely entirely on calculating time delays between transmission and reception of signals, see para. 3).
Regarding claim 12, Lennen teaches the apparatus of claim 11,
wherein the first software is configured to control the GNSS receiver to operate in a second mode, wherein the first circuit is configured to power on the analog circuits continuously during the second mode to generate a digital signal (para. 18, “FIG. 1 shows the use of ACT to adjust the observation time of satellites according to one or more embodiments of the present invention. ACT mode is intended for continuous positioning mode and the receiver may enter ACT mode after signals from at least three satellites have been acquired and a position fix is obtained in 101. During the transition period in 102, the receiver may run an ACT mode without any off period for a few seconds as the receiver assesses the operating environments.”; Fig. 2, A/Ds generate digital signal), and
wherein the DSP is configured to process the digital signal (Figs. 4 and 6, subsystems 1 and 2 process digital signal).
Regarding claim 16, Lennen teaches a method of receiving a Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) signal, comprising:
observing, by an analog front-end (AFE) having analog circuits, a GNSS frequency (Fig. 3, RF front-end 204 is an AFE with analog circuits; see paras. 20 and 26 for evidence of observation of a GNSS frequency),
powering on, by a first circuit coupled to the AFE, the analog circuits during a first time period to generate a first set of digital samples from the AFE, and powering off, by a first circuit, the analog circuits in a second time period after the first time period (para. 4, “A RF front end adjusts the duty cycle of an on/off period of the RF front end in response to the adjusted observation time to generate corresponding on-time samples from the tracked satellites.”; see para. 27 and Fig. 5, where A/Ds 308 and 307 generate digital signals and are powered on and then powered off by power control from an RF ACT interface; Examiner is construing a first time period as being between the powering on of the AFE and sometime before its powering off, and a second time period as being the time after the end of the first time period),
powering on a digital signal processor (DSP) coupled to the AFE during the first and second time periods (Fig. 5, subsystem 1 processing on/off control 404 is timed according to RF on/off control 208, encompassing the first and second time periods as construed; Fig. 7, subsystem 2 is powered on according to control signal 405 during the second time period as construed), and
processing, by a digital signal processor (DSP), the first set of digital samples through functions to generate time delays between transmission of GNSS signals from satellites and reception at the GNSS receiver (Figs. 2-6, DSP comprises baseband processing 205 which comprises subsystems 1 and 2 [401 and 600] processes digital signals from Glonass and GPS A/Ds [308 and 307]; Fig. 5, subsystem 1 processing on/off control 404 is timed according to RF on/off control 208; GPS/Glonass signal measurements [which are for the purpose of range measurements] rely entirely on calculating time delays between transmission and reception of signals, see para. 3).
Regarding claim 18, Lennen teaches the method of claim 17,
wherein the DSP is configured to adjust at least one of the functions between a first pass and a second pass of the first set of digital samples (para. 25, “ACT on/off control module 207 may also multiplex the RF front end 204 between GPS and Glonass satellite signals to take advantage of the availability of more than one GNSS to effect further reduction in power. For example, adjusting the GPS/Glonass multiplexing in favor of observing satellites from the GNSS that has better CN0 may allow the ACT to reduce satellite observation time without affecting receiver performance.”; Fig. 6, mux selects GPS or Glonass before processing in subsystem 2 begins).
Regarding claim 19, Lennen teaches the method of claim 17,
wherein the first circuit is configured to, during the first time period, during the second time period, or both, at least one of reduce the power supplied to the DSP or reduce the frequency of a clock signal supplied to the DSP (Figs. 4-7 in view of para. 25, power supplied to subsystems 1 and 2 may be reduced and thus reduced during either or both time periods).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to Applicant's disclosure:
Gronemeyer et al. (US 20100039316 A1) teaches a CPU coupled to a DSP and configured to execute software to process time delays generated by the DSP, in a GNSS power management system (para. 35, “Specifically, the GPS section 214 may include several power domains [i.e., several digital, several RF, several mixed signal, and several non-volatile mixed signal] that control circuits [not shown] within the GPS section 214 that turn on and off GPS subsystems under real-time control of either a software [such as, for example, when a processor GPS subsystem is running] or hardware state machine [when the processor GPS subsystem is not running].”; Examiner is construing the GPS’s processor as a CPU; Fig. 4, baseband GPS subsystem 404 is a DSP coupled to a CPU).
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ERIC K HODAC whose telephone number is (571) 270-0123. The examiner can normally be reached M-Th 8-6.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, VLADIMIR MAGLOIRE can be reached at (571) 270-5144. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/ERIC K HODAC/Examiner, Art Unit 3648
/OLUMIDE AJIBADE AKONAI/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3648
