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 .
Remarks
Applicant elects Group I (Claims 1-17) without traverse on 7/16/26. Group II (Claims 18-20) has been withdrawn.
Claim Rejections – 35 U.S.C. 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(s) 1-5, 7, 9-11 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Barcala et al. (2017/0193443).
Regarding Claim 1, Barcala et al. (2017/0193443) discloses a device, comprising:
an external assembly (outside of the shipping container, paragraph [0041]) comprising
an external antenna (312); and
an internal assembly (inside of the shipping container, paragraph [0041]), comprising:
an internal antenna (310);
a transceiver (306); and
a radio frequency (RF) switch (308) coupled to the transceiver (306), the internal antenna (310) and the external antenna (312) (paragraph [0041]),
wherein the RF switch is configured to selectively couple at least one of the external antenna or the internal antenna to the transceiver (“main processor selects either the internal antenna and external antenna for the satellite receiver”, paragraph [0044]), and wherein the external antenna is coupled to the RF switch (308).
As discussed above, Barcala essentially discloses the claimed invention but does not explicitly disclose a conductor.
However, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to have provided at least a conductor such as wire, cable, switch, or tuner in Barcala in order to transmit electric signals between antenna and transceiver.
Regarding Claim 2, Barcala discloses the device of claim 1, wherein the external antenna is configured to be installed on an external surface (outside of the shipping container) of a container (400) (paragraph [0041]), and the internal antenna is configured to be installed on an internal surface (inside of the shipping container) of the container (400) (paragraph [0041]).
Regarding Claim 3, Barcala discloses the device of claim 1, wherein at least one of the external antenna or the internal antenna comprises a multiband antenna (multiple radio frequency bands) (paragraph [0024]).
Regarding Claim 4, Barcala discloses the device of claim 1, wherein the device is configured to determine a strength of a first signal received by the external antenna and a strength of a second signal received by the internal antenna, and wherein the RF switch is configured to selectively couple at least one of the external antenna or the internal antenna to the transceiver based on the strength of the first signal and the strength of the second signal (internal antenna or external antenna for the satellite receiver and the cellular transceiver depending on factors such as signal quality) (paragraph [0044]).
Regarding Claim 5, Barcala discloses the device of claim 4, wherein to determine the strength of the first signal and the strength of the second signal, the device is configured to measure at least one of received signal strength indicator (RSSI) value or global positioning system signal-to-noise ratio (GPS SNR) value for each of the first signal and the second signal (GNSS or GPS tracking devices) (paragraph [0002]).
Regarding Claim 7, Barcala discloses the device of claim 1, wherein the internal antenna and the external antenna are configured to transmit and receive a same set of frequencies (“cellular transceiver 114 is a multi-band transceiver that supports multiple radio frequency bands which may include, for example, multiple 4G Long-Term Evolution (LTE) or LTE Advanced bands as well as global 3G and 2G bands”, paragraph [0024]).
Regarding Claim 9, Barcala discloses the device of claim 1, wherein the device is configured to: detect a condition (location data) associated with the external antenna (312); and in response to a detection of the condition, obtain a location (measure the location of the carrier using the GNSS) of the device and transmit an output signal (location data) indicative of the location of the device to a remote device (fig. 1) through the internal antenna (310) (obtain location through GNSS tracking device) (paragraph [0002]).
Regarding Claim 10, Barcala discloses the device of claim 9, wherein to obtain the location of the device, the device is configured to perform an operation, the operation comprising at least one of: obtaining a current location of the device by receiving a signal from a global positioning system (GPS) satellite through the internal antenna, or retrieving a last known location of the device stored in a memory of the device (GNSS or GPS tracking devices) (paragraph [0002]).
Regarding Claim 11, Barcala discloses the device of claim 9, wherein to detect the condition associated with the external antenna, the device is configured to detect at least one of: a switching event that the RF switch has switched from the external antenna to the internal antenna (“main processor selects either the internal antenna and external antenna for the satellite receiver”, paragraph [0044]; location data to be measured, stored and transmitted to the asset tracking service, paragraph [0049]), a decrease in a strength of a first signal received by the external antenna, or a change in at least one electrical property associated with the external antenna, the at least one electrical property comprising at least one of impedance, power, voltage or current.
Claim(s) 12-17 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Barcala et al. (2017/0193443) in view of Bengtsson et al. (2025/0036894).
Regarding Claim 12, Barcala (2017/0193443) discloses a shipping container, comprising:
a chassis (container);
a door (a door of the shipping container) (paragraph [0050]) moveably mounted to the chassis (container), the door having an external surface and an internal surface; and
a transceiver (306); and a radio frequency (RF) switch (308) coupled to the transceiver, the internal antenna and the external antenna, wherein the RF switch is configured to selectively couple at least one of the external antenna or the internal antenna to the transceiver (“main processor selects either the internal antenna and external antenna for the satellite receiver”, paragraph [0044]), and wherein the external antenna is coupled to the RF switch (308).
As discussed above, Barcala essentially discloses the claimed invention but does not explicitly disclose a conductor.
However, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to have provided at least a conductor such as wire, cable, switch, or tuner through the door in Barcala in order to transmit electric signals between antenna and transceiver.
As discussed above, Barcala essentially discloses the claimed invention but does not explicitly disclose a device, comprising: an external assembly located on the external surface of the door and comprising an external antenna; and an internal assembly located on the internal surface of the door, comprising: an internal antenna.
However, Bengtsson et al. (2025/0036894) discloses an external assembly located on the external surface of the door (4) and comprising an external antenna (18); and an internal assembly located on the internal surface of the door, comprising: an internal antenna (11) (Fig. 3 and paragraphs [0045], [0046]).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to have located the antennas on the surfaces of the door in Barcala in order to provide the operation or technician convenient access to the reach the antennas as taught by Bengtsson.
Regarding Claim 13, Barcala discloses the shipping container of claim 12, wherein the device is configured to determine a strength of a first signal received by the external antenna and a strength of a second signal received by the internal antenna, and wherein the RF switch is configured to selectively couple at least one of the external antenna or the internal antenna to the transceiver based on the strength of the first signal and the strength of the second signal (internal antenna or external antenna for the satellite receiver and the cellular transceiver depending on factors such as signal quality) (paragraph [0044]).
Regarding Claim 14, Barcala discloses the shipping container of claim 13, wherein to determine the strength of the first signal and the strength of the second signal, the device is configured to measure at least one of received signal strength indicator (RSSI) value or global positioning system signal-to-noise ratio (GPS SNR) value for each of the first signal and the second signal (GNSS or GPS tracking devices) (paragraph [0002]).
Regarding Claim 15, Barcala discloses the shipping container of claim 12, wherein the internal antenna and the external antenna are configured to transmit and receive a same set of frequencies (“cellular transceiver 114 is a multi-band transceiver that supports multiple radio frequency bands which may include, for example, multiple 4G Long-Term Evolution (LTE) or LTE Advanced bands as well as global 3G and 2G bands”, paragraph [0024]).
Regarding Claim 16, Barcala discloses the shipping container of claim 12, wherein the device is configured to: detect a condition (location data) associated with the external antenna (312); and in response to a detection of the condition, obtain a location (measure the location of the carrier using the GNSS) of the device and transmit an output signal (location data) indicative of the location of the device to a remote device (fig. 1) through the internal antenna (310) (obtain location through GNSS tracking device) (paragraph [0002]).
Regarding Claim 17, Barcala discloses the shipping container of claim 16, wherein to detect the condition associated with the external antenna, the device is configured to detect at least one of: a switching event that the RF switch has switched from the external antenna to the internal antenna (“main processor selects either the internal antenna and external antenna for the satellite receiver”, paragraph [0044]; location data to be measured, stored and transmitted to the asset tracking service, paragraph [0049]), a decrease in a strength of a first signal received by the external antenna, or a change in at least one electrical property associated with the external antenna, the at least one electrical property comprising at least one of impedance, power, voltage or current.
Allowable subject matter
Claims 6 and 8 are objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
Correspondence
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Examiner Wilson Lee whose telephone number is (571) 272-1824. Proposed amendment and interview agenda can be submitted to Examiner’s direct fax at (571) 273-1824.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, examiner’s supervisor, Alexander Taningco can be reached at (571) 272-8048. Papers related to the application may be submitted by facsimile transmission. Any transmission not to be considered an official response must be clearly marked "DRAFT". The official fax number is (571) 273-8300.
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/WILSON LEE/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2845
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