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 .
Priority
Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 03/04/2025 and 01/27/2025 has been considered by the examiner.
Drawings
The drawing submitted on 01/27/2025 has been accepted.
Specification
The specification submitted on 01/27/2025 has been accepted.
Claim Objections
Claims 24, 31, 36 and 42 ae objected to because of the following informalities: Some of the limitations and claims lacks formatting and word order clarity. The examiner suggested some of the claim and limitation formatting, particularly for claims clarity. See at the Allowability section. Appropriate correction is required.
Claim Interpretation
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(f):
(f) Element in Claim for a Combination. – An element in a claim for a combination may be expressed as a means or step for performing a specified function without the recital of structure, material, or acts in support thereof, and such claim shall be construed to cover the corresponding structure, material, or acts described in the specification and equivalents thereof.
The following is a quotation of pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph:
An element in a claim for a combination may be expressed as a means or step for performing a specified function without the recital of structure, material, or acts in support thereof, and such claim shall be construed to cover the corresponding structure, material, or acts described in the specification and equivalents thereof.
The claims in this application are given their broadest reasonable interpretation using the plain meaning of the claim language in light of the specification as it would be understood by one of ordinary skill in the art. The broadest reasonable interpretation of a claim element (also commonly referred to as a claim limitation) is limited by the description in the specification when 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph, is invoked.
As explained in MPEP § 2181, subsection I, claim limitations that meet the following three-prong test will be interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph:
(A) the claim limitation uses the term “means” or “step” or a term used as a substitute for “means” that is a generic placeholder (also called a nonce term or a non-structural term having no specific structural meaning) for performing the claimed function;
(B) the term “means” or “step” or the generic placeholder is modified by functional language, typically, but not always linked by the transition word “for” (e.g., “means for”) or another linking word or phrase, such as “configured to” or “so that”; and
(C) the term “means” or “step” or the generic placeholder is not modified by sufficient structure, material, or acts for performing the claimed function.
Use of the word “means” (or “step”) in a claim with functional language creates a rebuttable presumption that the claim limitation is to be treated in accordance with 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph. The presumption that the claim limitation is interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph, is rebutted when the claim limitation recites sufficient structure, material, or acts to entirely perform the recited function.
Absence of the word “means” (or “step”) in a claim creates a rebuttable presumption that the claim limitation is not to be treated in accordance with 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph. The presumption that the claim limitation is not interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph, is rebutted when the claim limitation recites function without reciting sufficient structure, material or acts to entirely perform the recited function.
Claim limitations in this application that use the word “means” (or “step”) are being interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph, except as otherwise indicated in an Office action. Conversely, claim limitations in this application that do not use the word “means” (or “step”) are not being interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph, except as otherwise indicated in an Office action.
This application includes one or more claim limitations that do not use the word “means,” but are nonetheless being interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph, because the claim limitation(s) uses a generic placeholder that is coupled with functional language without reciting sufficient structure to perform the recited function and the generic placeholder is not preceded by a structural modifier.
Such claim limitation(s) is/are:
means for PPM for encoding an information item of a sensor in claim 36.
means for encryption adapted to time-shift at least one of the pulses of the original sequence in claim 36.
means for PPM decoding a received encrypted PPM signal in claim 42.
means for decryption adapted to: in claim 42.
Because this/these claim limitation(s) is/are being interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph, it/they is/are being interpreted to cover the corresponding structure described in the specification as performing the claimed function, and equivalents thereof.
If applicant does not intend to have this/these limitation(s) interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph, applicant may: (1) amend the claim limitation(s) to avoid it/them being interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph (e.g., by reciting sufficient structure to perform the claimed function); or (2) present a sufficient showing that the claim limitation(s) recite(s) sufficient structure to perform the claimed function so as to avoid it/them being interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph.
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.
Claim 24-46 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 24, 31, 36 and 42 uses pronouns “it” and “its” rendering the respective limitation and ambiguous, because these pronoun introduces or uncertainty the subject or entity they are referring to.
Claims 24, 31, 36 and 42 uses acronym PPM without identifying or describing what PPM exactly stands for which is “pulse-position modulation” and therefore the limitations are rendered ambiguous.
Claims 24, 31, 36 and 42 recite “particularly” which suggest mostly and therefore the limitations are rendered ambiguous since what is covered and not covered by “particularly” not identified .
Claims 25 and 37 recite “preferably” which suggested desired preference and do not exactly identify what is included and not included.
Claims 25, 32, 37 and 43 recite “and/or” without clearly identifying which alternative or combination to consider and rendering the limitations indefinite.
Claims 24, 31, 36 and 42 recites the limitation "the preceding" in lines 6 and 7.
There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
Claims 25-30, 32-35, 37-41 and 43-46 failed to remedy the deficiencies of their respective independent claims. Therefore, claims 24-46 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.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 24-46 are allowable. The following is an examiner’s statement of reasons for allowance: After consideration of the applicant’s correspondence filed on January 27, 2025 through examination of the application, claims, and conducted search, the pertinent prior arts of record, either taken alone or in combination neither anticipates nor renders obvious the claimed subject matter of the instant application when taken as a whole and therefore claims 24-46 would be allowable over prior arts of record after resolving any outstanding objections and rejections provided in this Office Action Correspondence.
Claims 24, 31, and 36 would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the following limitations as indicated with the amendments.
As per claim 24. A method of transmission of encrypted pulse-position modulation PPM signals for a radio communication system, the method comprising:
a step of PPM encoding pulse sequence,sensor information to be transmitted, in which each symbol of an alphabet of symbols used to compose the item of sensor information
time-shifting at least one of the pulses of the transmitted sequence secret offset which is known only to authorized receivers, with respect to the pulse predefined temporal position in the original sequence,
wherein said secret offset is such that the time-shifted pulse is not located, with respect to the pulse that precedes the time-shifted pulse, in any of the predefined temporal positions that are provided in said PPM encoding.
As per claim 31. A method of receiving encrypted pulse-position modulation PPM signals for a short-range radio communication system, the method comprising:
a step of PPM decoding of an encrypted PPM signal received by a receiver, wherein a respective symbol of an alphabet of symbols used in an encoding to compose an item of sensor information to be transmitted with the encrypted PPM signal is obtained from a respective temporal position of one pulse with respect to the preceding pulse of a received sequence of pulses of the received PPM signal,
a decryption step in which, prior to the PPM decoding:
each pulse of the received sequence that is time-shifted with respect to a predefined temporal position thereof is identified;
each time-shifted pulse is shifted by a corresponding secret offset which is known to the receiver, so as to restore the pulse predefined temporal position of the time-shifted pulse and obtain an original sequence of pulses that is adapted to be decoded with said PPM decoding,
wherein said secret offset is such that the time-shifted pulse is not located, with respect to the pulse that precedes the time-shifted pulse, in any of the predefined temporal positions that are provided in PPM encoding.
As per claim 36. A transmitter of a short-range radio communication system pulse-position modulation PPM signals,the system comprising:
means for PPM encoding a sensor to be transmitted which are adapted to assign, to each symbol of an alphabet of symbols used to compose the information item of the sensor to be transmitted, a respective predefined temporal position of one pulse with respect to the preceding pulse of an original sequence of pulses,
means for encryption secret offset which is known only to authorized receivers, with respect to the pulse predefined temporal position in the original sequence, so that the transmitted pulse sequence comprises said at least one time-shifted pulse,
wherein said offset is such that the time-shifted pulse is not located, with respect to the pulse that precedes the time-shifted pulse, in any of the predefined temporal positions that are provided in said PPM encoding.
As per claim 42. A receiver of a short-range radio communication system pulse-position modulation PPM signals, the receiver comprising:
means for PPM decoding an information item of a sensor to be transmitted with the encrypted PPM signal is obtained from a respective temporal position of one pulse with respect to the preceding pulse of a received sequence of pulses of the received PPM signal
means for decryption
identify each pulse of the received sequence that is time-shifted with respect to a predefined temporal position thereof;
shift by a corresponding secret offset, known to the receiver, each pulse identified as time-shifted so as to restore the pulse predefined temporal position of the time-shifted pulse and obtain an original sequence of pulses that is adapted to be decoded with said PPM decoding means,
wherein said secret offset is such that the time-shifted pulse is not located, with respect to the pulse that precedes the time-shifted pulse, in any of the predefined temporal positions that are provided in PPM encoding.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Kowalevicz US 20170150347 A1 provides a solution that adds a second layer of protection at the waveform/baseband level. After standard bit-level encryption, the encoded baseband signal is altered using a time-varying baseband key that changes phase, amplitude, or symbol position. Because the transmitted waveform no longer uniquely reveals the original bitstream, an interceptor cannot reconstruct the content without the matching baseband key and its timing/variation information. The receiver applies the same or a corresponding key to undo the waveform modification and then performs any ordinary decryption.
Mills US Pat. No.: 3806804 A discuses an automatic radio telephone system for a large number of users who are not restricted in their geographical locations within a localized area, which automatically provides private, exclusive radio channels when required for communication between users, yet does not require permanent assignment of separate radio channels to every user, thus conserving the radio spectrum. The system by virtue of its automatic operation provides very rapid selection of usable radio channels and connection of one user to another, yet requires no special skills on the part of the user. The system accomplishes these advantages by use of addressing and control techniques generating signals which are transmitted in the same radio channels being used for communications through the system, without interfering with such communications. In addition, signals associated with the addressing and control function are received only by the intended user and are not received by other users.
NABKI US 20180175905 A1 is combining a pulse-bundle UWB signaling scheme with very aggressive duty cycling and specialized transmitter/receiver circuitry. The transmitter creates shaped Gaussian pulses, groups them into configurable bundles, and can power-cycle at the pulse level. The receiver uses a quasi-low-IF, double-squaring architecture with filtering to preserve pulse energy while rejecting blockers and noise. Dedicated synchronization hardware and a dual-clock timer system reduce wake-up overhead and allow the radio to sleep deeply between bursts.
Dutz US 20180254925 A1 describes a transmitter inserts dummy pulses into pulse groups according to the polarity pattern of the first pulses, and the receiver later discards those dummy pulses using predetermined group information. This lets the system shape the transmitted pulse stream to reduce peak power, DC effects, and spectral issues without changing the underlying data meaning. The same overall disclosure also strengthens secure-ranging frame structure through secure training sequences, improved sync/SFD design, and adaptive coding. In short, the invention changes the pulse-level framing so the link is more robust and harder to attack.
Contact Information
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to TECHANE GERGISO whose telephone number is (571)272-3784. The examiner can normally be reached 9:30am to 6:30pm.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, LINGLAN EDWARDS can be reached at (571) 270-5440. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/TECHANE GERGISO/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2408
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