DETAILED ACTION
Response to Amendment
This action is in response to the initial filing filed on November 27, 2024
Claims 1-15 have been cancelled.
Claims 16-35 are new.
Claims 16-35 have been examined in this action.
Information Disclosure Statement
The Information Disclosure Statement (IDS) filed on 11/27/2024 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 § 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 16-19, 22-29, and 31-35 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Subburaj et al (US 2020/0025871A1) in view of Grein (US 5252981 A).
Regarding Claim 16, Subburaj teaches a method of removing phase noise from a baseband signal in an FMCW radar transceiver, the method comprising [0032 for ADC I output represents the real part and ADC Q output represents the imaginary part of the complex ADC output]:
i) receiving the baseband signal [0032 for relative position and velocity of reflective objects with respect to the noise-mitigated FMCW radar system];
ii) derotating the baseband signal to provide a derotated baseband signal [0071 for beat signal is derotated by the frequency and phase of the dominant interfere];
iii) separating the derotated baseband signal into a real part and an imaginary part [0071 for real and imaginary part of phase noise and dominant interferer];
v) subtracting the transformed signal from the imaginary part to obtain a phase noise signal estimate [0082 for where Z[k]=(Y[k]−Y′[−k])/2, and where Y′ represents the complex conjugate of the Y sequence]; and
vi) subtracting the phase noise signal estimate from the baseband signal to provide a phase noise corrected signal [0084 for suppressed amount of amplitude or uncorrelated phase noise].
Subburaj fails to explicitly teach iv) performing a Hilbert transform on the real part to provide a transformed signal.
Grein has a method to determine the linearity of the modulated oscillator frequency of an FMCW radar by means of the Hilbert transformation (abstract) and teaches iv) performing a Hilbert transform on the real part to provide a transformed signal [col 3, lines 55-67 for using Hilbert transform to determine deviation].
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 phase noise techniques, as disclosed by Subburaj, further including the transform calculations as taught by Grein for the purpose to deviation of the measured modulated oscillator frequency from a linearized reference value (Grein, col 3., lines 55-67).
Regarding Claim 24, Subburaj teaches a phase noise correction module for an FMCW radar transceiver system, the phase noise correction module configured to [0032 for ADC I output represents the real part and ADC Q output represents the imaginary part of the complex ADC output]:
i) receive an input baseband signal [0032 for relative position and velocity of reflective objects with respect to the noise-mitigated FMCW radar system];
ii) derotate the baseband signal to provide a derotated baseband signal [0071 for beat signal is derotated by the frequency and phase of the dominant interfere];
iii) separate the derotated baseband signal into a real part and an imaginary part [0071 for real and imaginary part of phase noise and dominant interferer];
v) subtract the transformed signal from the imaginary part to obtain a phase noise signal [0082 for where Z[k]=(Y[k]−Y′[−k])/2, and where Y′ represents the complex conjugate of the Y sequence];
and vi) subtract the phase noise signal from the input baseband signal to provide an output phase noise corrected signal [0084 for suppressed amount of amplitude or uncorrelated phase noise].
Subburaj fails to explicitly teach iv) perform a Hilbert transform on the real part to provide a transformed signal.
Grein has a method to determine the linearity of the modulated oscillator frequency of an FMCW radar by means of the Hilbert transformation (abstract) and teaches iv) performing a Hilbert transform on the real part to provide a transformed signal [col 3, lines 55-67 for using Hilbert transform to determine deviation].
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 phase noise techniques, as disclosed by Subburaj, further including the transform calculations as taught by Grein for the purpose to deviation of the measured modulated oscillator frequency from a linearized reference value (Grein, col 3., lines 55-67).
Regarding Claim 28, Subburaj teaches an FMCW radar transceiver comprising [0032 for ADC I output represents the real part and ADC Q output represents the imaginary part of the complex ADC output]:
a signal generator configured to generate a transmit signal [0029 for generating a LO signal];
a transmit amplifier configured to amplify the transmit signal [0030 for having an amplifier];
a transmit antenna configured to receive the amplified transmit signal from the transmit amplifier [0032 for FMCW radar system (means to transmit and receive];
a receive antenna [0032 for FMCW radar system (means to transmit and receive];
a receiver amplifier configured to receive a signal from the receive antenna [0032];
a mixer configured to mix an amplified signal from the amplifier with the transmit signal from the signal generator to provide an analog baseband signal [0032 for having a in phase signal mixer];
an analog to digital converter (ADC) configured to receive the analog baseband signal from the mixer [0032 for FMCW radar system with ADC, mixer, and amplifiers];
and a phase noise correction module configured to [0032-0033]:
i) receive a digital input baseband signal from the ADC [0032 for relative position and velocity of reflective objects with respect to the noise-mitigated FMCW radar system];
ii) derotate the baseband signal to provide a derotated baseband signal [0071 for beat signal is derotated by the frequency and phase of the dominant interfere];
iii) separate the derotated baseband signal into a real part and an imaginary part [0071 for real and imaginary part of phase noise and dominant interferer];
v) subtract the transformed signal from the imaginary part to obtain a phase noise signal [0082 for where Z[k]=(Y[k]−Y′[−k])/2, and where Y′ represents the complex conjugate of the Y sequence];
and vi) subtract the phase noise signal from the input baseband signal to provide an output phase noise corrected signal [0084 for suppressed amount of amplitude or uncorrelated phase noise].
Subburaj fails to explicitly teach iv) perform a Hilbert transform on the real part to provide a transformed signal.
Grein has a method to determine the linearity of the modulated oscillator frequency of an FMCW radar by means of the Hilbert transformation (abstract) and teaches iv) performing a Hilbert transform on the real part to provide a transformed signal [col 3, lines 55-67 for using Hilbert transform to determine deviation].
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 phase noise techniques, as disclosed by Subburaj, further including the transform calculations as taught by Grein for the purpose to deviation of the measured modulated oscillator frequency from a linearized reference value (Grein, col 3., lines 55-67).
Regarding Claim 17, 25, and 31, Subburaj teaches vii) converting the derotated baseband signal to a frequency domain signal 0040 for performing an FFT of the ADC output and determining which FFT output bin];
viii) subtracting magnitudes of negative frequencies of the frequency domain signal from positive frequencies of the frequency domain signal to provide an intermodulation signal [0067 for the noise on the left side of the spectrum is the same as the noise on right side of the spectrum for the case of amplitude noise];
and ix) determining signs of the intermodulation signal [0067, 002 for conjugating the even and odd components around frequency],
Subburaj fails to explicitly teach wherein step iv) comprises performing a Fourier transform of an output of the Hilbert transform, combining an output of the Fourier transform with the signs and performing an inverse Fourier transform on the combined output to provide the transformed signal.
Grein has a method to determine the linearity of the modulated oscillator frequency of an FMCW radar by means of the Hilbert transformation (abstract) and teaches wherein step iv) comprises performing a Fourier transform of an output of the Hilbert transform, combining an output of the Fourier transform with the signs and performing an inverse Fourier transform on the combined output to provide the transformed signal [col 3, lines 55-67 for using Hilbert transform to determine deviation].
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 phase noise techniques, as disclosed by Subburaj, further including the transform calculations as taught by Grein for the purpose to deviation of the measured modulated oscillator frequency from a linearized reference value (Grein, col 3., lines 55-67).
Regarding Claim 18, 26, and 32, Subburaj teaches vii) converting the derotated baseband signal to a frequency domain signal [0071 for derotated signal by phase and frequency];
viii) subtracting magnitudes of negative frequencies of the frequency domain signal from positive frequencies of the frequency domain signal to provide an intermodulation signal [0071 for removing noise]
and ix) determining signs of the intermodulation signal, wherein step iv) comprises performing a Fourier transform of the derotated baseband signal [0074 for using FFT to analyze noise of the derotated baseband signal].
Subburaj fails to explicitly teach performing the Hilbert transform in the frequency domain, combining an output of the Hilbert transform with the signs and performing an inverse Fourier transform on the combined output to provide the transformed signal.
Grein has a method to determine the linearity of the modulated oscillator frequency of an FMCW radar by means of the Hilbert transformation (abstract) and teaches performing the Hilbert transform in the frequency domain, combining an output of the Hilbert transform with the signs and performing an inverse Fourier transform on the combined output to provide the transformed signal [col 3, lines 55-67 for using Hilbert transform to determine deviation].
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 phase noise techniques, as disclosed by Subburaj, further including the transform calculations as taught by Grein for the purpose to deviation of the measured modulated oscillator frequency from a linearized reference value (Grein, col 3., lines 55-67).
Regarding Claim 19, 27, and 33, Subburaj fails to explicitly teach the Hilbert transform is performed by multiplying the Fourier transformed baseband signal by -j for frequencies greater than zero.
Grein has a method to determine the linearity of the modulated oscillator frequency of an FMCW radar by means of the Hilbert transformation (abstract) and teaches the Hilbert transform is performed by multiplying the Fourier transformed baseband signal by -j for frequencies greater than zero [col 3, lines 55-67 for using Hilbert transform to determine deviation].
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 phase noise techniques, as disclosed by Subburaj, further including the transform calculations as taught by Grein for the purpose to deviation of the measured modulated oscillator frequency from a linearized reference value (Grein, col 3., lines 55-67).
Regarding Claim 22 and 34, Subburaj teaches step ii) comprises identifying a spectral peak in the baseband signal and demodulating the baseband signal about the spectral peak [0040 for estimator determines the dominant reflection by performing an FFT of the ADC output and determining which FFT output bin].
Regarding Claim 23 and 35, Subburaj teaches demodulating the baseband signal comprises frequency shifting and normalizing the baseband signal to move the identified spectral peak to DC and with a phase of the baseband signal at +1 on the IQ plane [0071-0073 for eated de-rotated signal is centered having a dominant reflector portion of the spectrum baseband version around DC].
Regarding Claim 29, Subburaj teaches a range Doppler module configured to receive the output phase noise corrected signal and output distance and velocity information of one or more targets in the signal from the receive antenna [0030-0032, 0059 for its presence in the signal received by the receiver makes it difficult for the circuits and processors using the receiver output to detect the presence and position of the surrounding objects].
Claim 20 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Subburaj et al (US 2020/0025871A1) in view of Grein (US 5252981 A), as applied to Claim 16 above, and further in view of Melzer et al (US 2017/0153318 A1).
Regarding Claim 20, Subburaj fails to explicitly teach step v) comprises removing a predetermined phase noise spectrum from the phase noise signal estimate.
Metzer has a method for estimating phase noise of an RF oscillator signal in a frequency-modulated continuous-wave (FMCW) radar system (abstract) and teaches step v) comprises removing a predetermined phase noise spectrum from the phase noise signal estimate [0048-0049 for autocovariance of the phase noise signal].
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 phase noise techniques, as disclosed by Subburaj, further including the noise calculations as taught by Metzer for the purpose to determine the power spectral density of the phase noise signal (Metzer, 0047).
Claim 21 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Subburaj et al (US 2020/0025871A1) in view of Grein (US 5252981 A) and Melzer et al (US 2017/0153318 A1), as applied to Claim 20 above, and further in view of Lindh (US 2007/0086533 A1).
Regarding Claim 21 Subburaj fails to explicitly teach steps iii) to v) are repeated to obtain a more accurate phase noise signal estimate.
Lindh has a receiver includes, in series, at least one receive antenna, a buffer, and arithmetic logic block, a symbol detector, and a phase noise estimator (abstract) and teaches steps iii) to v) are repeated to obtain a more accurate phase noise signal estimate [0030 for fourth iteration of the phase estimate calculation, the threshold may be automatically updated to three iterations to reflect actual channel conditions and accuracy of the first few iterations of phase estimates and claim 3].
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 phase noise techniques, as disclosed by Subburaj, further including the phase noise calculations as taught by Lindh for the purpose of determining the power spectral density of the phase noise signal (Lindh).
Claim 30 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Subburaj et al (US 2020/0025871A1) in view of Grein (US 5252981 A), as applied to Claim 28 above, and further in view of Vossiek (US 2019/0004145 A1).
Regarding Claim 30, Subburaj teaches an FMCW radar transceiver system comprising a plurality of FMCW radar transceivers [0032-0033].
Subburaj fails to explicitly teach further comprising a data processing unit configured to receive output distance and velocity information from each range Doppler module.
Vossiek has a method for reducing interference due to phase noise in a radar system, in which in a first noncoherent transceiver unit (abstract) and teaches further comprising a data processing unit configured to receive output distance and velocity information from each range Doppler module [0002-0003 for distributed radar with the signals of the individual antennas are combined during transmission to form a sum signal and/or are combined after reception].
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 phase noise techniques, as disclosed by Subburaj, further including the radar calculations as taught by Vossiek for the purpose to the synchronization and the phase noise component (Vossiek, 0005).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Huemer et al (US 2018/0113193 A1) has a method including transmitting an RF oscillator signal, which represents a local oscillator signal including phase noise, to a radar channel and receiving a respective first RF radar signal from the radar channel.
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/SAMARINA MAKHDOOM/
Examiner, Art Unit 3648
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