DETAILED ACTION
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 . Claims 1-7 are pending and examined below. This action is in response to the claims filed 5/8/26.
Response to Amendment
Applicant’s arguments, see Applicant Remarks 35 U.S.C. § 112(f) filed on 5/8/26, regarding 35 U.S.C. § 112(f) interpretations are persuasive in view of amendments filed 5/8/26. 35 U.S.C. § 112(f) interpretations are withdrawn.
Applicant’s arguments, see Applicant Remarks 35 USC § 102 and 35 USC § 102. filed on 5/8/26, regarding 35 USC § 102 and 35 USC § 102 rejections are persuasive in view of amendments filed 5/8/26.
However, upon further consideration, new grounds of rejection are made in view of further citations to the art of record below.
Applicant asserts the disclosure of Zhang using the assessment of signal transmission state does not teach or suggest “calculating a first index value using a transmission path estimation technique”. However, the disclosure of Zhang discloses assessing multiple qualities of the signal transmission path including signal strength, signal to noise ratio, transmission rates, as well as others (Zhang - ¶91). It is unclear as to how the prior art’s disclosure does not teach the calculation of index values using a transmission path estimation technique without including explicit details stating the distinguishing features of the estimation technique. Simply stating ‘a transmission path estimation technique’ is not disclosed by Zhang without explicitly stating what the distinguishing features are is insufficient to overcome the teachings of the art of record.
Applicant’s arguments, see Applicant Remarks Double Patenting filed on 5/8/26, regarding Double Patenting rejections are persuasive in view of amendments filed 5/8/26. Double Patenting rejections are withdrawn.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
(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, 2, and 4-7 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) and (a)(2) as being anticipated by Zhang et al. (US 2019/0265705).
Regarding claims 1 and 6, Zhang discloses an autonomous movable object signal transmission based navigation system including a moving body/movement control method, comprising: a processor and a memory, wherein the processor performs wireless communication with an external apparatus (¶131 – external device/terminal corresponding to the recited external apparatus);
calculates a first index value using a transmission path estimation technique, the first index value indicating a transmission path characteristic between the moving body and the external apparatus (¶84-91 and Fig. 6 – signal transmission operating status including transmission state corresponding to the recited transmission path characteristic between the moving body and the external apparatus where the state of the signal transmission including transmission state is utilized to determine the additional abnormal signal transmission conditions includes signal to noise ratio corresponding to the recited index value); and
determines, based on the first index value, a first position or a first direction to or in which the moving body moves, and causes the moving body to move to the first position or in the first direction (¶87-91 and Fig. 6 – element 606 corresponding to the recited determining a first position to which the moving body moves based on the additional abnormal signal transmission conditions includes signal to noise ratio corresponding to the recited index value corresponding to the recited index value. The “or” element requires only one of the grouping to be present to disclose the invention as claimed.).
Regarding claim 2, Zhang further discloses wherein: the processor calculates a plurality of the first index values corresponding to a plurality of locations, respectively, and determines that the first position is, among the plurality of locations, a location at which a maximum value of the plurality of first index values is calculated (¶87-91 and Fig. 6 – UAV searches among “safe” points for determining a first location given that the “safe” points is classification for locations which are above a threshold data additional abnormal signal transmission conditions includes signal to noise ratio corresponding to the recited index value where the “safe” location classifier corresponding to the recited the maximum index values for the plurality of locations).
Regarding claim 4, Zhang further discloses wherein the processor determines that the first direction is a direction away from the external apparatus in a case where the first index value is higher than a first threshold (¶81-91 and Figs. 6-9 – starting point being the location of the remote controller corresponding to the recited external apparatus being closer to the UAV than the next point to the destination which is at a first direction farther away from the external apparatus which is selected based on the state of signal transmission at the first point being above a threshold value where additional abnormal signal transmission conditions includes signal to noise ratio corresponding to the recited index value).
Regarding claim 5, Zhang further discloses wherein the processor causes the moving body to stop at a location at which the first index value is calculated, in a case where the first index value is equal to or less than the first threshold (¶71 and ¶83-84 – after failing to transmit data to a control device for a period of time, corresponding to the recited first index value being equal to or less than the first threshold the UAV can backtrack to a point where wireless transmission strength was strong, a region where data transmission rate was above a threshold corresponding to the recited stopping forward progress at a location where an abnormal signal transmission condition was detected corresponding to the recited index value is equal to or less than the first threshold where additional abnormal signal transmission conditions includes signal to noise ratio corresponding to the recited index value).
Regarding claim 7, Zhang further discloses wherein the index value is a Signal-to-Noise (SN) ratio, a tone map, or a physical layer communication speed (¶71 – UAV tracks various type of wireless transmission in order to monitor the wireless communication environment including signal to noise ratio corresponding to the recited index value as well as a signal map at different locations, the “or” claim element only requires one of the grouping to be present to disclose the invention as claimed.).
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.
Claim 3 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Zhang et al. (US 2019/0265705), as applied to claim 2 above, in view of Rikoski (US 2014/0328141).
Regarding claim 3, Zhang further discloses wherein: the processor calculates, based on a first signal transmitted ... to the external apparatus, the first index value (¶71, ¶84-91 and Fig. 6 – signal transmission operating status including transmission state including a first signal is utilized to determine the classification of the location corresponding to the recited index value),
calculates, based on a second signal transmitted ... to the external apparatus, a second index value indicating the transmission path characteristic, after the moving body moves to the first position (¶87 and Fig. 6 – element 608 corresponding to the recited acquiring a second index value indicating the transmission path characteristic, after the moving body moves to the first position), and
determines, based on the second index value, a second position or a second direction to or in which the moving body moves, and causes the moving body to move to the second position or in the second direction (¶87-88 and Fig. 6 – elements 610-612 disclose determining the second destination in real time based on the current state of signal transmission at the first destination to which it will move).
While Zhang does disclose acquiring a first index value at a first position based on signal transmission as well as acquiring a second index value at a second position after moving to it, it does not explicitly disclose utilizing differing transmission powers at each position.
However, Rikoski discloses a system for navigating autonomous underwater vehicles including positioning to achieve maximizing transmission resolution corresponding to the recited maximum index value where the system will aim to minimize transmission power at the next location corresponding to the recited a second signal transmitted with second transmission power lower than the first transmission power (¶30).
The combination of the signal transmission quality based navigation control of Zhang with the signal resolution optimization by minimizing transmission power of Rikoski fully discloses the elements as claimed.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the filing date to have combined the signal transmission quality based navigation control of Zhang with the signal resolution optimization by minimizing transmission power of Rikoski in order to optimize resolution, signal transmission power, as well as reducing variation in signal to noise ratio (Rikoski - ¶30).
Additional References Cited
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Umeda et al. (US 2015/0036698) discloses a communication system including utilizing transmission-path estimation unit 23 which can independently estimate transmission path information between the transmitting antennas 14-1 and 14-2 of the transmission device 10 and the receiving antenna 21 of the reception device 20 (¶26-29).
Conclusion
THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. 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 nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) 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 mailing date of this final action.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Matthew J Reda whose telephone number is (408)918-7573. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Friday 7-4 ET.
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/MATTHEW J. REDA/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3665
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