Patent Application 18534672 - STREETLIGHT-BASED TELECOMMUNICATIONS SYSTEM AND - Rejection

Patent Application 18534672 - STREETLIGHT-BASED TELECOMMUNICATIONS SYSTEM AND

Title: STREETLIGHT-BASED TELECOMMUNICATIONS SYSTEM AND SUPPORT UNIT FOR USE THEREIN

Application Information

• Invention Title: STREETLIGHT-BASED TELECOMMUNICATIONS SYSTEM AND SUPPORT UNIT FOR USE THEREIN
• Application Number: 18534672
• Submission Date: 2025-05-15T00:00:00.000Z
• Effective Filing Date: 2023-12-10T00:00:00.000Z
• Filing Date: 2023-12-10T00:00:00.000Z
• National Class: 370
• National Sub-Class: 315000
• Examiner Employee Number: 88993
• Art Unit: 2472
• Tech Center: 2400

Rejection Summary

• 102 Rejections: 0
• 103 Rejections: 6

Cited Patents

The following patents were cited in the rejection:

• US 0261456🔗
• US 0145048🔗
• US 0092707🔗
• US 0335228🔗
• US 0358476🔗
• US 0141124🔗
• US 0059645🔗
• US 0204638🔗

Office Action Text

    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.

Claim(s) 1-2, 4-6, 10, 18-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over by Gerzsberg et al. US 2020/0145048 A1 in view of Aaoron et al. WO 2019/136480 (Applicant Admitted Prior Art).
Claims 1 and 11:
Gerszbeg discloses a telecommunications system providing communications for a plurality of remote cellular transceivers (See figs. 15, 16 and 18B, mobile devices), the telecommunications system comprising: a core network (See para 151, core network); and at least one telecommunications support unit mounted to a respective structure and providing communications connectivity between the plurality of remote cellular transceivers and the core network (See fig. 15, 16 and 18B, communication node connecting mobile devices with core network through Macro station. Also see para 151 and 154), each telecommunications support unit including: a housing (See figs. 18B-C and para 203, Housing mounted on a streetlight); a first powerline interface configured through a boundary of the housing and connected to a power source external to the housing (See para 203, “The communication node 1804 can be powered by a power line 1821 (e.g., 110/220 VAC). The power line 1821 can originate from a light pole or can be coupled to a power line of utility pole”); a communication interface communicatively coupled to the remote cellular transceivers (See figs. 15, 16, 18B and para 154, communication node communicating with mobile devices); and
Gerszberg doesn’t disclose a load-side power metering circuit that meters power consumed by at least the telecommunications support unit.
Aaron discloses a load-side power metering circuit that meters power consumed by at least the telecommunications support unit (See pages 40-41, “In some embodiments, any number of small cell networking devices 202 and smart sensor devices 204A-204H are arranged to provide utility grade power metering functions. The utility grade power metering
functions may be performed with a circuit arranged apply any one or more of a
full load, a partial load, and a load …Other metering methodologies are also
contemplated”).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the system of Gerszberg with the teachings of Aaron to improve the method disclosed by Gerszberg by including the feature of metering circuit that meters power. The motivation to combine would have been to calculate billing charges.

Claims 2 and 14:
Gerszbeg discloses each telecommunications support unit further includes: at least one cellular transceiver coupled to the communication interface (See fig. 18D and paras 204-205, plurality of antennas coupled to transceivers).
Claim 4:
Gerszberg discloses each telecommunications support unit is configured as a combined baseband and cellular repeater device (See paras 79 and 254, baseband. Also see figs. 15,16 and 18B, communication node connecting mobile devices with core network through Macro station. Also see paras 151 and 154).
Claim 5:
Gerszberg discloses each telecommunications support unit is configured as a baseband device or a cellular data repeater device (See paras 79 and 254, baseband. Also see figs. 15,16 and 18B, communication node connecting mobile devices with core network through Macro station. Also see paras 151 and 154).
Claims 6 and 16:
Gerszberg discloses that the communication interface is configured through a second boundary of the housing (See fig. 18D and paras 204-205, plurality of antennas on top and bottom (secondary boundary structure) of the node 1804 are configured for communication).
Claim 10:
Gerszberg discloses that the communication interface is a fiber interface or a wireless interface (See para 204, fiber optical cable, or wireless interface).
Claim 18:
Gerszberg discloses a method comprising: establishing a communication link between a telecommunications support unit and at least one cellular transceiver (See figs. 15, 16 and 18B, communication node connecting mobile devices with core network through Macro station. Also see paras 151 and 154), the telecommunications support unit being mounted to a structure and receiving electrical power from an external power source (See para 203, “The communication node 1804 can be powered by a power line 1821 (e.g., 110/220 VAC). The power line 1821 can originate from a light pole or can be coupled to power line of utility pole”); bidirectionally communicating cellular data between the telecommunications support unit and the at least one cellular transceiver through the communication link (See para 156-157, bidirectional communication as a repeater).
Gerszberg doesn’t disclose performing, by the telecommunications support unit, load-side power metering to measure power consumed by at least the telecommunications support unit.
Aaron discloses performing, by the telecommunications support unit, load-side power metering to measure power consumed by at least the telecommunications support unit (See page 40-41, “In some embodiments, any number of small cell networking devices 202 and smart sensor devices 204A-204H are arranged to provide utility grade power metering functions. The utility grade power metering functions may be performed with a circuit arranged apply any one or more of a full load, a partial load, and a load …Other metering methodologies are also contemplated”).

It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the system of Gerszberg with the teachings of Aaron to improve the method disclosed by Gerszberg by including the feature of metering circuit that meters power. The motivation to combine would have been to calculate billing charges.
Claim 19:
Gerszberg discloses establishing a second communication link between the telecommunications support unit and a core network to support communications between the core network and the at least one cellular transceiver (See figs. 15, 16 and 18B, communication node connecting mobile devices with core network through Macro station. Also see paras 151 and 154).
Claim 20:
Gerszberg discloses establishing a second communication link between the telecommunications support unit and a second telecommunications support unit mounted to a second structure (See para 200 fig. 18B, “the communication nodes 1804A-E can be communicatively coupled to each other over an interface 1810”).  
Claim(s) 3 and 13 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Gerszberg in view of Aaron and Takeshita et al. US 2022/0141124 A1.
Claims 3 and 13:
Gerszberg doesn’t disclose that the communication interface is a high-bandwidth communication interface supporting communications at a data rate of at least ten gigabits per second (10 Gbps).
Takeshita discloses that the communication interface is a high-bandwidth communication interface supporting communications at a data rate of at least ten gigabits per second (10 Gbps) (See para 109, “the physical band of each port of the relay apparatus 25 and the relay apparatus 26 is set to 10Gbps”).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the system of Gerszberg in view of Aaron with the teachings of Takeshita to improve the method disclosed by Gerszberg in view of Aaron by including the feature of at least ten gigabits per second (10Gbps). The motivation to combine would have been to enhance network capability by providing faster network and more capacity.
Claim(s) 7 and 17 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Gerszberg in view of Aaron and Yuan US 2020/0335228 A1.
Claims 7 and 17:
Gerszberg discloses that the at least one telecommunications support unit includes a telecommunications support unit mounted to a support structure of a streetlight (See para 203, The communication node 1804 can be affixed to the support structure 1818 with an arm 180 constructed of plastic or other suitable material that attaches to an end of the communication node 1804).
Gerszberg doesn’t explicitly disclose that telecommunications support unit further includes: a microcontroller arranged to control operations of at least the streetlight.
Yuan discloses that the telecommunications support unit further includes: a microcontroller arranged to control operations of at least the streetlight (See paras 52 and 54, controller detects faults based on collected data and generates alarm).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the system of Gerszberg in view of Aaron with the teachings of Yuan to improve the method disclosed by Gerszberg in view of Aaron by including the feature of controller controlling the operation of the streetlight. The motivation to combine would have been to enable monitoring and generating alarms when streetlight is faulty.
Claim(s) 8 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Gerszberg in view of Aaron and Dudding US 2023/0204638 A1.
Claim 8:
Gerszberg doesn’t explicitly disclose that each telecommunications support unit further includes: a line-side power metering circuit, wherein the line-side power metering circuit and the load-side power metering circuit are arranged to operate concurrently.
Dudding discloses that each telecommunications support unit further includes: a line-side power metering circuit, wherein the line-side power metering circuit and the load-side power metering circuit are arranged to operate concurrently (See para 38, line and load sides meter arranged to operate simultaneously).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the system of Gerszberg in view of Aaron with the teachings of Dudding to improve the method disclosed by Gerszberg in view of Aaron by including the feature of line and load sides meter arranged to operate simultaneously. The motivation to combine would have been to provide accurate energy consumption and billing charges.
Claim(s) 9 and 12 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Gerszberg in view of Aaron and Song et al. US 2021/0059645 A1.
Claims 9 and 12:
Gerszberg discloses that the at least one telecommunications support unit includes a telecommunications support unit mounted to a support structure of a streetlight 
Gerszberg in view of Aaron doesn’t disclose that the telecommunications support unit further includes: a clamp mechanically coupling the housing to the support structure of the streetlight.
Song discloses that the telecommunications support unit further includes: a clamp mechanically coupling the housing to the support structure of the streetlight (See para 43, using a clamp to couple the housing to the support structure).
Gerszberg’s node 1804 can be modified to be affixed to the support structure using a clamp as disclosed in Song.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the system of Gerszberg in view of Aaron with the teachings of Song to improve the method disclosed by Gerszberg in view of Aaron by including the feature of using a clamp to couple the housing with the support structure. The motivation to combine would have been to make it easier to take off the node/housing from the support structure in the event of fault or malfunction.
         Claim 15 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Gerszberg et al.
Claim 15:
Gerszberg discloses that the housing includes a bottom surface integrated with a top surface by at least one angled wall (See fig. 18C, top and bottom surface with an angled wall); However, Gerszberg doesn’t explicitly disclose that the bottom surface has a larger area and profile than the top surface.
The difference is a mere alteration of an obvious concept and anyone of ordinary skills in art with the use of common sense can arrive at this solution. Gerszberg can be modified to include a bottom surface that is larger in area and profile than the top surface. The motivation for doing so would to hold a small object on the top of the housing.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments, see page 2, filed 04/09/2025, with respect to claim 1 have been fully considered and are persuasive.  The rejection of Pashdarpure et al. US 2022/0092707 A1 has been withdrawn. Applicant Admitted Prior Art Aaoron et al. WO 2019/136480 A2 is being used to reject the limitation.
Conclusion
                The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Prior art reference Chamberlain et al. US 2020/0358476 A1 discloses small cell base stations are mounted on streetlamps, electrical power poles or telecommunications cable poles. Lee et al. US 2019/0261456 A1 discloses a 5G or pre-5G communication system for supporting a data transmission rate higher than a 4G communication system such as LTE. A pole-type base station includes at least one connector; has a support for performing support and an arbitrary shape; performs communication according to at least one communication type.
Applicant's submission of an information disclosure statement under 37 CFR 1.97(c) with the timing fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(p) on 12/05/2025 prompted the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action.  Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 609.04(b). 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 HASHIM S BHATTI whose telephone number is (571)270-7748. The examiner can normally be reached Mon-Fri 9:00am-5:30pm.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Khaled Kassim can be reached on 571-270-3770. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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HASHIM S. BHATTI
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 2472



/HASHIM S BHATTI/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2472