DETAILED ACTION
This action is responsive to the pending claims, 1-20, received 18 November 2024. Accordingly, the detailed action of claims 1-20 is as follows:
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 .
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statements (IDS) submitted on 03/10/2025 (2), 06/09/2025 are in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statements are being considered by the examiner.
Double Patenting
The nonstatutory double patenting rejection is based on a judicially created doctrine grounded in public policy (a policy reflected in the statute) so as to prevent the unjustified or improper timewise extension of the “right to exclude” granted by a patent and to prevent possible harassment by multiple assignees. A nonstatutory double patenting rejection is appropriate where the conflicting claims are not identical, but at least one examined application claim is not patentably distinct from the reference claim(s) because the examined application claim is either anticipated by, or would have been obvious over, the reference claim(s). See, e.g., In re Berg, 140 F.3d 1428, 46 USPQ2d 1226 (Fed. Cir. 1998); In re Goodman, 11 F.3d 1046, 29 USPQ2d 2010 (Fed. Cir. 1993); In re Longi, 759 F.2d 887, 225 USPQ 645 (Fed. Cir. 1985); In re Van Ornum, 686 F.2d 937, 214 USPQ 761 (CCPA 1982); In re Vogel, 422 F.2d 438, 164 USPQ 619 (CCPA 1970); In re Thorington, 418 F.2d 528, 163 USPQ 644 (CCPA 1969).
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Claim 1-20 rejected on the ground of nonstatutory double patenting as being unpatentable over claim 1-15 of U.S. Patent No. 12184404. Although the claims at issue are not identical, they are not patentably distinct from each other.
Regarding claims 1-15, the instant application claim is broader in every aspect than the patent claim and is therefore an obvious variant thereof. Although the conflicting claims are not identical they are not patentably distinct from each other because claims 1-15 are generic to all that is recited in claims 1-15 of the patent. That is claims 1-15 are anticipated by claims 1-15 of the patent.
The mapping of claims 1-15 of the instant application to the referenced patent are provided.
Regarding claims 16-20, the instant application claims are directed to non-transitory media identical to the method steps executed in claims 1-7 of the patent such that claims 16-20 of the instant application embody the method of claims 1-7 of the patent. It would have been obvious for a person having ordinary skill in the art to modify the claims of the patent to be adopted for a non-transitory media such that the method could be distributed and executed by a plurality of computing devices.
Instant Application 18950990
US Patent 12184404
1. A method of synchronizing a plurality of nodes having independent time bases, the method comprising: a first node of the plurality of nodes generating a pulse on electrical or optical connections connecting the first node to one or more additional nodes of the plurality of nodes, the pulse arriving at the first node and one or more additional nodes in a time interval that is at least an order of magnitude shorter relative to a time interval of a margin of error for synchronization of the first node and the one or more additional nodes; the first node recording a timestamp of receipt of the pulse; the first node querying the one or more additional nodes for a timestamp of receipt of the pulse at the one or more additional nodes; the first node comparing a timestamp of receipt of the pulse by the first node with a timestamp of receipt of the pulse by at least one node of the one or more additional nodes; and the first node using a difference in the timestamp of receipt of the pulse by the first node with the timestamp of receipt of the pulse by the at least one node to align the time bases of the first node and the at least one node.
1. A method of synchronizing first and second nodes of an electronic eyewear device, the first and second nodes having independent time bases, the method comprising: the first node generating a pulse on an electrical or optical connection connecting the first and second nodes, the pulse arriving at the first and second nodes in a time interval that is at least an order of magnitude shorter relative to a time interval of a margin of error for synchronization of the first and second nodes; the first node recording a timestamp of receipt of the pulse; the first node querying the second node for a timestamp of receipt of the pulse at the second node; the first node comparing a timestamp of receipt of the pulse by the first node with a timestamp of receipt of the pulse by the second node; and the first node using a difference in the timestamp of receipt of the pulse by the first node with the timestamp of receipt of the pulse by the second node to align the time bases of the first node and the second node.
2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first node recording a timestamp of receipt of the pulse comprises the first node recording the timestamp of receipt of the pulse using hardware timestamping functionality of the first node.
2 The method of claim 1, wherein the first node recording a timestamp of receipt of the pulse comprises the first node recording the timestamp of receipt of the pulse using hardware timestamping functionality of the first node.
3. The method of claim 1, wherein the first node recording a timestamp of receipt of the pulse comprises the first node recording the timestamp of receipt of the pulse using an external component that provides hardware timestamping functionality for the first node.
3. The method of claim 1, wherein the first node recording a timestamp of receipt of the pulse comprises the first node recording the timestamp of receipt of the pulse using an external component that provides hardware timestamping functionality for the first node.
4. The method of claim 1, wherein the first node querying the one or more additional nodes for a timestamp of receipt of the pulse at the one or more additional nodes comprises the first node asynchronously querying the one or more additional nodes via the electrical or optical connections for the timestamp of receipt of the pulse at the one or more additional nodes.
4. The method of claim 1, wherein the first node querying the second node for a timestamp of receipt of the pulse at the second node comprises the first node asynchronously querying the second node via the electrical or optical connection for the timestamp of receipt of the pulse at the second node.
5. The method of claim 1, wherein the first node using a difference in the timestamp of receipt of the pulse by the first node with the timestamp of receipt of the pulse by the at least one node to align the time bases of the first node and the at least one node comprises the first node instructing the at least one node to align its time base with the time base of the first node using the difference in the timestamp of receipt of the pulse by the first node with the timestamp of receipt of the pulse by the at least one node.
5. The method of claim 1, wherein the first node using a difference in the timestamp of receipt of the pulse by the first node with the timestamp of receipt of the pulse by the second node to align the time bases of the first node and the second node comprises the first node instructing the second node to align its time base with the time base of the first node using the difference in the timestamp of receipt of the pulse by the first node with the timestamp of receipt of the pulse by the second node.
6. The method of claim 1, wherein the first node using a difference in the timestamp of receipt of the pulse by the first node with the timestamp of receipt of the pulse by the at least one node to align the time bases of the first node and the at least one node comprises the first node using the difference in the timestamp of receipt of the pulse by the first node with the timestamp of receipt of the pulse by the at least one node to adjust a timing of respective signals received from the at least one node.
6. The method of claim 1, wherein the first node using a difference in the timestamp of receipt of the pulse by the first node with the timestamp of receipt of the pulse by the second node to align the time bases of the first node and the second node comprises the first node using the difference in the timestamp of receipt of the pulse by the first node with the timestamp of receipt of the pulse by the second node to adjust a timing of respective signals received from the second node.
7. The method of claim 1, further comprising: comparing the difference in the timestamp of receipt of the pulse by the first node with the timestamp of receipt of the pulse by the at least one node to a clock drift tolerance threshold; and when the difference in the timestamp of receipt of the pulse by the first node with the timestamp of receipt of the pulse by the at least one node exceeds or is estimated to exceed the clock drift tolerance threshold, performing the steps of: generating a second pulse that is received effectively simultaneously at the first node and the at least one node; recording a timestamp of receipt of the second pulse at the first node; querying the at least one node for a timestamp of receipt of the second pulse at the at least one node; comparing a timestamp of receipt of the second pulse by the first node with a timestamp of receipt of the second pulse by the at least one node; and using a difference in the timestamp of receipt of the second pulse by the first node with the timestamp of receipt of the second pulse by the at least one node to align the time bases of the first node and the at least one node.
7. The method of claim 1, further comprising: comparing the difference in the timestamp of receipt of the pulse by the first node with the timestamp of receipt of the pulse by the second node to a clock drift tolerance threshold; and when the difference in the timestamp of receipt of the pulse by the first node with the timestamp of receipt of the pulse by the second node exceeds or is estimated to exceed the clock drift tolerance threshold, performing the steps of: generating a second pulse that is received effectively simultaneously at the first and second nodes; recording a timestamp of receipt of the second pulse at the first node; querying the second node for a timestamp of receipt of the second pulse at the second node; comparing a timestamp of receipt of the second pulse by the first node with a timestamp of receipt of the second pulse by the second node; and using a difference in the timestamp of receipt of the second pulse by the first node with the timestamp of receipt of the second pulse by the second node to align the time bases of the first node and the second node.
8. A device comprising: a plurality of nodes having independent time bases; electrical or optical connections connecting a first node of the plurality of nodes to one or more additional nodes of the plurality of nodes; a computer readable medium coupled with the first node, the computer readable medium comprising instructions stored thereon that are executable by the first node to cause the first node to perform operations for synchronizing the independent time bases of the first node with the one or more additional nodes, the operations performed by the first node including: generating a pulse on the electrical or optical connections connecting the first node to one or more additional nodes of the plurality of nodes, the pulse arriving at the first node and one or more additional nodes in a time interval that is at least an order of magnitude shorter relative to a time interval of a margin of error for synchronization of the first node and the one or more additional nodes; recording a timestamp of receipt of the pulse; querying the one or more additional nodes for a timestamp of receipt of the pulse at the one or more additional nodes; comparing a timestamp of receipt of the pulse by the first node with a timestamp of receipt of the pulse by at least one node of the one or more additional nodes; and using a difference in the timestamp of receipt of the pulse by the first node with the timestamp of receipt of the pulse by the at least one node to align the time bases of the first node and the at least one node.
8. An electronic eyewear device comprising: a frame adapted to fit a head of a user; at least two nodes within the frame having independent time bases; an electrical or optical connection connecting the at least two nodes; a computer readable medium coupled with a first node of the at least two nodes, the computer readable medium comprising instructions stored thereon that are executable by the first node to cause the first node to perform operations for synchronizing the independent time bases of the at least two nodes, the operations performed by the first node including: generating a pulse on the electrical or optical connection, the pulse arriving at the at least two nodes in a time interval that is at least an order of magnitude shorter relative to a time interval of a margin of error for synchronization of the at least two nodes
9. The device of claim 8, wherein each of the plurality of nodes comprises a system-on-chip.
9. The electronic eyewear device of claim 10, wherein the event least two nodes comprise at least two systems-on-chip.
10. The device of claim 8, wherein at least one of the first node or the at least one node includes hardware timestamping functionality for recording the timestamp of receipt of the pulse.
10. The electronic eyewear device of claim 10, wherein at least one of the at least two nodes includes hardware timestamping functionality for recording the timestamp of receipt of the pulse.
11. The device of claim 8, wherein at least one of the first node or the at least one node includes an external component that provides hardware timestamping functionality for recording the timestamp of receipt of the pulse.
11. The electronic eyewear device of claim 10, wherein at least one of the at least two nodes includes an external component that provides hardware timestamping functionality for recording the timestamp of receipt of the pulse.
12. The device of claim 8, wherein the first node asynchronously queries the at least one node for the timestamp of receipt of the pulse at the at least one node via at least one of the electrical or optical connections.
12. The electronic eyewear device of claim 10, the first node asynchronously queries the at least one other node of the at least two nodes for the timestamp of receipt of the pulse at the at least one other node via the electrical or optical connection
13. The device of claim 8, wherein the first node instructs the at least one node to align its time base with the time base of the first node using the difference in the timestamp of receipt of the pulse by the first node with the timestamp of receipt of the pulse from the at least one node.
13.The electronic eyewear device of claim 10, wherein the first node instructs the at least one other node to align its time base with the time base of the first node using the difference in the timestamp of receipt of the pulse by the first node with the timestamp of receipt of the pulse from the at least one other node.
14. The device of claim 8, wherein the first node uses the difference in the timestamp of receipt of the pulse by the first node with the timestamp of receipt of the pulse by the at least one node to adjust a timing of respective signals received from the at least one node.
14. The electronic eyewear device of claim 10, wherein the first node uses the difference in the timestamp of receipt of the pulse by the first node with the timestamp of receipt of the pulse from the at least one other node to adjust a timing of respective signals received from the at least one other node.
15. The device of claim 8, wherein the instructions further comprise instructions that are executable by the first node to cause the first node to perform additional operations including: comparing the difference in the timestamp of receipt of the pulse by the first node with the timestamp of receipt of the pulse by the at least one node to a clock drift tolerance threshold; and when the difference in the timestamp of receipt of the pulse by the first node with the timestamp of receipt of the pulse by the at least one node exceeds or is estimated to exceed the clock drift tolerance threshold, performing the steps of: generating a second pulse that is received effectively simultaneously at the first node and the at least one node; recording a timestamp of receipt of the second pulse; querying the at least one node for a timestamp of receipt of the second pulse at the at least one node; comparing a timestamp of receipt of the second pulse by the first node with a timestamp of receipt of the second pulse by the at least one node; and using a difference in the timestamp of receipt of the second pulse by the first node with the timestamp of receipt of the second pulse by the at least one node to align the time bases of the first node and the at least one node.
15. The electronic eyewear device of claim 10, wherein the instructions further comprise instructions that are executable by the first node to cause the first node to perform additional operations including: comparing the difference in the timestamp of receipt of the pulse by the first node with the timestamp of receipt of the pulse from the at least one other node to a clock drift tolerance threshold; and when the difference in the timestamp of receipt of the pulse by the first node with the timestamp of receipt of the pulse from the at least one other node exceeds or is estimated to exceed the clock drift tolerance threshold, performing the steps of: generating a second pulse that is received effectively simultaneously at each of the at least two nodes; recording a timestamp of receipt of the second pulse; querying at least one other node of the at least two nodes for a timestamp of receipt of the second pulse at the at least one other node; comparing a timestamp of receipt of the second pulse by the first node with a timestamp of receipt of the second pulse from the at least one other node; and using a difference in the timestamp of receipt of the second pulse by the first node with the timestamp of receipt of the second pulse from the at least one other node to align the time bases of the first node and the at least one other node
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Haynie et al (US 20130266152 A1);
Moy et al (US 20160128114 A1);
Losiewicz et al (WO 2021150096 A1);
John et al (US 20210104211 A1);
Kamath (US 10320407 B1);
Mannion et al (US 20180203112 A1);
Wakeland et al (US 20190238971 A1);
Seidlitz et al (US 20220100172 A1);
Kraemer et al (US 20210144479 A1);
Garrett et al (US 20210043081 A1);
Sanders (US 20170251260 A1);
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SHEAN TOKUTA
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 2446
/SHEAN TOKUTA/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2419
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