DETAILED ACTION
Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status
1. The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
Response to Remarks/Arguments
2. The previous rejections mailed on 03/30/26 have been withdrawn due to proper claim amendments filed on 05/19/26. However, upon further consideration, a new ground(s) of rejection is made with a new reference.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
3. In the event the determination of the status of the application as subject to AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103 (or as subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103) is incorrect, any correction of the statutory basis for the rejection will not be considered a new ground of rejection if the prior art relied upon, and the rationale supporting the rejection, would be the same under either status.
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 may not be obtained though the invention is not identically disclosed or described as set forth in section 102 of this title, if the differences between the subject matter sought to be patented and the prior art are such that the subject matter as a whole would have been obvious at the time the invention was made to a person having ordinary skill in the art to which said subject matter pertains. Patentability shall not be negatived by the manner in which the invention was made.
The factual inquiries set forth in Graham v. John Deere Co., 383 U.S. 1,148 USPQ 459 (1966), that are applied for establishing a background for determining obviousness under 35 U.S.C. 103 are summarized as follows:
I. Determining the scope and contents of the prior art.
II. Ascertaining the differences between the prior art and the claims at issue.
III. Resolving the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art.
IV. Considering objective evidence present in the application indicating obviousness or nonobviousness.
This application currently names joint inventors. In considering patentability of the claims the Examiner presumes that the subject matter of the various claims was commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the claimed invention(s) absent any evidence to the contrary. Applicant is advised of the obligation under 37 CFR 1.56 to point out the inventor and effective filing dates of each claim that was not commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the later invention in order for the Examiner to consider the applicability of 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(2)(C) for any potential 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) prior art against the later invention.
4. Claims 1-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Hammerschmidt (US 12,015,916 B2 –Previously Cited) and in view of Dutz (US 10,805,092 B2).
Regarding claims 15, 1 & 8, Hammerschmidt teaches a signal transmission apparatus (Figure 14: “Hybrid Wireless Transceiver”, “NB (narrow band) wireless signaling” & “UWB (ultra-wideband) wireless signaling”), wherein the apparatus comprises: a first transmitter, the first transmitter configured to send a narrow band signal to a receive end, wherein the narrow band signal is used by the receive end to determine initial time-frequency synchronization information (Figure 14: “Hybrid Wireless Transceiver”, “NB wireless signaling”, Figure 18: “Transmit NB Poll Packet” & Column 5, Lines 1-13: the first device transmits the scheduled NB poll packet to the second device… the second device extracts a type of synchronization data from the sync field that corresponds to time and frequency synchronization information); and a second transmitter, the second transmitter configured to send an ultra-wideband signal to the receive end (Figure 14: “Hybrid Wireless Transceiver”, “UWB wireless signaling” & Figure 18: “Transmit UWB-Tx Poll Fragments”), wherein the ultra-wideband signal comprises a channel impulse response training sequence (CTS) field (Figure 4: CIRTS/STS & Figure 12: “UWB-CIRTS (channel impulse response training sequence)”), wherein the CTS field is used by the receive end to determine a channel impulse response (Figure 4: “CIRTS/STS”, Figure 12: “UWB-CIRTS”, Column 5 Lines 53-56: the second device uses the CIRTS to estimate a Channel Impulse Response (CIR) and/or determine other synchronization information (e.g., time and frequency information, scheduling data, etc.), Figure 18: “T/F SYNC; Data” & “SYNC, CIR” ), wherein the CTS field comprises at least one CTS symbol (Figure 4: “CIRTS/STS”, Figure 12: “UWB-CIRTS”, Figure 21: “CIRTS frag1…N” & “Periodic Sequences E…E” (Row 3)). Although Hammerschmidt teaches said at least one CTS (CIRTS/STS) symbol, Hammerschmidt does not explicitly disclose wherein the at least one CTS symbol is generated by spreading at least one first preamble symbol. In a related field of endeavor, Dutz discloses wherein the at least one CTS symbol is generated by spreading at least one first preamble symbol (Figure 3: 308 “STS”, Figure 14: 1402 “Spreading” & Column 28, Lines 9-10: STS segment 1402 spreading a first segment 1403 and a second segment 1404). It would have been obvious to one ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Hammerschmidt’s CIRTS/STS to include spreading symbol. One of ordinary skill in the art would be motivated to do so to reduce reconfiguration minimum, Column 27, Lines 24-29.
Regarding claims 16, 2 & 9, the combination of Hammerschmidt and Dutz teaches the apparatus according to claim 15, the method according to claim 1 and the method according claim 8. In addition, Hammerschmidt discloses wherein the ultra-wideband signal further comprises a synchronization (SYNC) field (Figure 12: “UWB-CIRTS”, Figure 18: “T/F SYNC; Data” & “SYNC, CIR”); and wherein the SYNC field is used by the receive end to determine target time-frequency synchronization information based on the initial time-frequency synchronization information, and the SYNC field comprises at least one second preamble symbol (Figure 12: “UWB-CIRTS”, Figure 18: “T/F SYNC; Data”, “SYNC, CIR” & Figure 4: “SYNC Preamble”).
Regarding claims 7 & 14, Hammerschmidt further discloses wherein there are a plurality of CTS symbols, the plurality of CTS symbols form a plurality of CTS segments, and there is a null signal interval between any two CTS segments (Figure 12: “UWB CIRTS frag1”… “UWB CIRTS fragN”).
Regarding claims 17 & 3, the combination of Hammerschmidt and Dutz teaches the apparatus according to claim 16 and the method according to claim 2. In addition, Dutz discloses wherein the at least one first preamble symbol comprises a first preamble code (Figure 3: 308 “STS” & “coded @ STS rate”), and the at least one second preamble symbol comprises a second preamble code (Figure 3: 305 “SYNC” & “coded @ SHR rate”).
Regarding claims 18 & 4, the combination of Hammerschmidt and Dutz teaches the apparatus according to claim 17 and the method according to claim 3. In addition, Hammerschmidt discloses wherein there are a plurality of CTS symbols, the plurality of CTS symbols form a plurality of CTS segments, and there is a null signal interval between any two CTS segments (Figure 12: “UWB CIRTS frag1”… “UWB CIRTS fragN”).
Regarding claims 19 & 5, the combination of Hammerschmidt and Dutz teaches the apparatus according to claim 16 and the method according to claim 2. In addition, Dutz discloses wherein the at least one first preamble symbol is generated by spreading a first preamble code (Figure 3: 308 “STS” & “coded @ STS rate” & Column 28, Lines 9-10: STS segment 1402 spreading a first segment 1403 and a second segment 1404), and the at least one second preamble symbol is generated by spreading a second preamble code (Figure 3: 305 “SYNC” & “coded @ SHR rate” Column 24, Lines 34-35: de-spreading the SYNC field 305).
Regarding claims 20 & 6, the combination of Hammerschmidt and Dutz teaches the apparatus according to claim 19 and the method according to claim 5. In addition, Hammerschmidt discloses wherein there are a plurality of CTS symbols, the plurality of CTS symbols form a plurality of CTS segments, and there is a null signal interval between any two CTS segments (Figure 12: “UWB CIRTS frag1”… “UWB CIRTS fragN”).
Conclusion
5. Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office Action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the Advisory Action is mailed, and any extension fee pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the Advisory Action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the date of this Final Action.
6. Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the Examiner should be directed to SHAWKAT M. ALI whose telephone number is (571) 270-1639. The Examiner can normally be reached on Monday-Thursday 8:30AM-3:30PM ET.
Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, Applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO AIR at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
If attempts to reach the Examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the Examiner’s Supervisor, SAM K. AHN can be reached on (571) 272-3044. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/SHAWKAT M ALI/
Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2633
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