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 .
Response to Remarks
This communication is considered fully responsive to the amendment filed on 12/29/2025.
Claim 1-8 are pending and examined in this Office Action (“OA”)
No amendment was made in the claims.
No claim has been added and previously claims 9-88 has been cancelled.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claim(s) 12/29/2025 have been considered but are moot because the new ground of rejection does not rely on any reference applied in the prior rejection of record for any teaching or matter specifically challenged in the argument. See BIRKMEIR et al. (US 20180351633 A1; hereinafter as “BIRKMEIR”) in view of KIM et al. (US 20210359748 A1; hereinafter as “KIM9748”).
Claim Objections
Claims 1-6 are objected to because of the following informalities: Specifically,
Claim 1 line 8: replace “the repeater” to " -- “The TDD repeater” to connect with the preamble a TDD repeater .
Claim 1 line 11: replace “the UL gain” to " -- “ the UL noise power or gain” to connect with aforesaid UL noise or gain in lines 8-9..
Claim 1 line 11: replace “system UL noise power” to " -- “ a system UL noise power” .
All the dependent claims are also objected for the same reason as set above.
Appropriate action required.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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.
(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 7 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102 (a)(2) ) as being anticipated by BIRKMEIR et al. (US 20180351633 A1; hereinafter as “BIRKMEIR”).
Examiner’s note: in what follows, references are drawn to BIRKMEIR unless otherwise mentioned.
Regarding claim 7, BIRKMEIR teaches a time division duplex (TDD) repeater (Fig. 10: TDD repeater 900: [0017]; [0078]);
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measure a control channel transmit power from a base station (aforesaid are connected with both Base Station and UE in Fig. 10; see fig. 3: TDD repeater has Measure Receiver; aforesaid “ measurement receiver 302 can include any suitable device for measuring a signal power level in the downlink path 204”: [0037]; NOTE: aforesaid TDD repeater measure signal power coming from base station);
adjust an UL gain or noise power based on the control channel transmit (Aforesaid TDD Repeater with Switch control module as seen in Fig. 2; “ switching control module 210 (==at TDD repeater ) may perform one or more configuration operations based on signal power measurements in the downlink path 204”: [0047]; aforesaid TDD repeater transition or adjust from a “downlink signal to an uplink signal”: [0064]-[0066]).
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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 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.
Claims 1-2, 4-6 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over BIRKMEIR et al. (US 20180351633 A1; hereinafter as “BIRKMEIR”) in view of KIM et al. (US 20210359748 A1; hereinafter as “KIM9748”).
Examiner’s note: in what follows, references are drawn to BIRKMEIR unless otherwise mentioned.
Regarding claim 1, BIRKMEIR teaches a time division duplex (TDD) repeater Fig. 10: TDD repeater 900: [0017]; [0078]); comprising:
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a first port ( see fig. 1: Repeater which connect in both BS and UE) :
a second port ( see fig. 1: Repeater which connect in both BS and UE) :
one or more amplification paths coupled between the first port and the second port (see fig. 10 ) and
a signal detector configured to measure a received signal power for a downlink (DL) signal in a first set of one or more TDD DL subframes (aforesaid are connected with both Base Station and UE in Fig. 10; see fig. 3: TDD repeater has Measure Receiver; aforesaid “ measurement receiver 302 can include any suitable device for measuring a signal power level in the downlink path 204”: [0037]; NOTE: aforesaid TDD repeater measure signal power coming from base station; see fig. 4A; TDD DL signal subframes : [0010[0011]; TDD subframes are transmitting from TDD DL subframes : [0020]; [0043]-[0044]);
wherein the repeater is configured to adjust a system uplink (UL) noise power or gain of an UL signal transmitted from the TDD repeater using the one or more amplification paths based on the received signal power for the DL signal in the first set of the one or more TDD DL subframes (Aforesaid TDD Repeater with Switch control module as seen in Fig. 2; “ switching control module 210 (==at TDD repeater ) may perform one or more configuration operations based on signal power measurements in the downlink path 204”: [0047]; aforesaid TDD repeater transition or adjust from a “downlink signal to an uplink signal”: [0064]-[0066]).
While BIRKMEIR teaches “wherein the repeater is configured to adjust a system uplink (UL) noise power or gain of an UL signal transmitted from the TDD repeater using the one or more amplification paths based on the received signal power for the DL signal in the first set of the one or more TDD DL subframes ”,
BIRKMEIR does not expressively teach:
wherein the UL gain or system UL noise power is adjusted based on an average of the received signal power over two more contiguous or non-contiguous DL subframes in the DL signal of the first set of the one or more TDD DL subframes.
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wherein the UL gain or system UL noise power is adjusted based on an average of the received signal power over two more contiguous or non-contiguous DL subframes in the DL signal of the first set of the one or more TDD DL subframes (see fig. 11: TDD RF Repeater with “synchronization Signal Power Calculator Unit” and “Uplink Gain Setting Unit” : : [0047]-[0048]; Calculate/Measure TDD downlink signal power; “S120, the synchronization signal power calculation unit 120 of the RF repeater 12 may receive the synchronization signal (e.g., SSB) from the communication unit 110 a predetermined number of times or more and calculate an average of received power levels of the synchronization signal to determine the synchronization signal power P_SSB. In other words, the synchronization signal power calculation unit 120 may receive the synchronization signal n times, measure the power levels of the received synchronization signal n times, and calculate the average of the power levels of the measured synchronization signal to determine the average as the synchronization signal power P_SSB. ” “”[ 0058]: NOTE to calculate any average power there needs to more than two DL Signals or DL subframes; adjust or set uplink power/gain to be equal to downlink gain at Fig. 12 element S150 : “ In operation S150, the uplink gain setting unit 150 may set the uplink system gain to be equal to the downlink system gain. In the TDD system, since the uplink and downlink use the same frequency band as each other and the same path losses occur between the uplink and downlink, the uplink system gain may be set to be equal to the downlink system gain. For example, the uplink gain setting unit 150 may set the uplink system gain to be +70 dB which is the same value as the downlink system gain.”: [0061] ).
Therefore, 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 teaching of BIRKMEIR to include the above limitation as taught by KIM9748. The suggestion/motivation would be to facilitate a network construction in a service hole and reduce an operating cost.(KIM9748: [0018).
Regarding claim 2, BIRKMEIR in view of KIM9748, teach the invention of claim 1 as set forth above. Further, KIM9748 teaches, wherein the UL gain or noise power is adjusted based on a weighted average of the received signal power for the two or more contiguous or non-contiguous DL subframes of the DL signal in the first set of the one or more TDD DL subframes ((see fig. 11: TDD RF Repeater with “synchronization Signal Power Calculator Unit” and “Uplink Gain Setting Unit” : : [0047]-[0048]; Calculate/Measure TDD downlink signal power; “S120, the synchronization signal power calculation unit 120 of the RF repeater 12 may receive the synchronization signal (e.g., SSB) from the communication unit 110 a predetermined number of times or more and calculate an average of received power levels of the synchronization signal to determine the synchronization signal power P_SSB. In other words, the synchronization signal power calculation unit 120 may receive the synchronization signal n times, measure the power levels of the received synchronization signal n times, and calculate the average of the power levels of the measured synchronization signal to determine the average as the synchronization signal power P_SSB. ” “”[ 0058]: NOTE to calculate any average power there needs to more than two DL Signals or DL subframes; adjust or set uplink power/gain to be equal to downlink gain at Fig. 12 element S150 : “ In operation S150, the uplink gain setting unit 150 may set the uplink system gain to be equal to the downlink system gain. In the TDD system, since the uplink and downlink use the same frequency band as each other and the same path losses occur between the uplink and downlink, the uplink system gain may be set to be equal to the downlink system gain. For example, the uplink gain setting unit 150 may set the uplink system gain to be +70 dB which is the same value as the downlink system gain.”: [0061]).
Therefore, 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 teaching of BIRKMEIR to include the above limitation as taught by KIM9748. The suggestion/motivation would be to facilitate a network construction in a service hole and reduce an operating cost.(KIM9748: [0018).
Regarding claim 4, BIRKMEIR in view of KIM9748, teaches the invention of claim 1 as set forth above. Further, BIRKMEIR teaches, the TDD repeater of claim 1, further comprising an UL antenna and a DL antenna, wherein the UL antenna and the DL antenna are directed in different directions (see fig. TDD repeater. Aforesaid TDD Repeater with antenna 932 to connect with Base Station 902 and TDD Repeater with second antenna 916 to connect with UE : : [0075], [0077]).
Regarding claim 5, BIRKMEIR in view of KIM9748, teaches the invention of claim 1 as set forth above. Further, KIM9748 teaches, the TDD repeater of claim 1, wherein the repeater is further configured to adjust a UL gain or noise power of the one or more amplification paths based on the received signal power for the DL signal in the first set of the one or more TDD DL subframes (see fig. 12 element 712 : [0069]-[0071]).
Therefore, 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 teaching of BIRKMEIR to include the above limitation as taught by KIM9748. The suggestion/motivation would be to facilitate a network construction in a service hole and reduce an operating cost.(KIM9748: [0018).
Regarding claim 6, BIRKMEIR in view of KIM9748, teaches the invention of claim 1 as set forth above. Further, BIRKMEIR teaches, the TDD repeater of claim 1, wherein the repeater is further configured to: 2Art Unit: 2414 Examiner: Serial No.: 17/361,135 Docket No.: 3969-190.NP1 measure the received signal power for the DL signal in a first set of one or more TDD DL subframes in a selected direction
(aforesaid are connected with both Base Station and UE in Fig. 10; see fig. 3: TDD repeater has Measure Receiver; aforesaid “ measurement receiver 302 can include any suitable device for measuring a signal power level in the downlink path 204”: [0037]; NOTE: aforesaid TDD repeater measure signal power coming from base station); and
adjust the UL gain or noise power for the selected direction based on the received signal power for the DL signal in the selected direction
((Aforesaid TDD Repeater with Switch control module as seen in Fig. 2; “ switching control module 210 (==at TDD repeater ) may perform one or more configuration operations based on signal power measurements in the downlink path 204”: [0047]; aforesaid TDD repeater transition or adjust from a “downlink signal to an uplink signal”: [0064]-[0066]).
Claims 3 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over BIRKMEIR in view of KIM9748 and further in view of CHENG et al. (US 20200145093 A1; hereinafter as “CHENG”)
Regarding claim 3, BIRKMEIR in view of KIM9748, teaches the invention of claim 1 as set forth above. BIRKMEIR in view of KIM9748 does not teach
, the TDD repeater of claim 1, wherein the received signal power is a composite received signal strength indication (RSSI) spanning an amplified repeater bandwidth .
CHENG, in the same field of endeavor, discloses:
the TDD repeater of claim 1, wherein the received signal power is a composite received signal strength indication (RSSI) spanning an amplified repeater bandwidth (“ the power detector PD is configured to detect a first received signal strength indication (RSSI) of a first signal rs1 from the first LNA, and the processing unit PU is configured to determine whether the first RSSI is higher than a first threshold or lower than a second threshold. If the first RSSI is determined to be higher than the first threshold, the processing unit PU is configured to adjust a gain of the first power amplifier PA1 to be decreased. If the first RSSI is determined to be lower than the second threshold, the processing unit PU is configured to adjust the gain of the first power amplifier PA1 to be increased. ”:[0045]).
Therefore, 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 teaching of BIRKMEIR in view of KIM9748 to include the above limitation as taught by CHENG. The suggestion/motivation would be to provide extend transmission distance and coverage (CHENG: [0005).
Claims 8 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over BIRKMEIR in view of Gutman et al. (US 20190028187 A1; hereinafter as “Gutman”).
Regarding claim 8, BIRKMEIR teaches the invention of claim 7 as set forth above. BIRKMEIR does not teaches,
further comprising:
a controller configured to identify a maximum number of adjacent DL subframes in one or more frames of a TDD signal containing the control channel based on a TDD uplink (UL) / downlink (DL) frame configuration of the TDD signal;
measure the control channel transmit power during the maximum number of adjacent DL subframes;
adjust the UL gain or noise power based on the control channel transmit power measured during the maximum number of adjacent DL subframes.
Gutman, in the same field of endeavor, discloses:
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further comprising:
a controller configured to identify a maximum number of adjacent DL subframes in one or more frames of a TDD signal containing the control channel based on a TDD uplink (UL) / downlink (DL) frame configuration of the TDD signal
( maxim DL power in DL sub-Maxx : [0050]- [0051]) ;
measure the control channel transmit power during the maximum number of adjacent DL subframes
(measure/determine “ the processing circuit 424 may also be configured to identify X number of power level samples in the power level sample blocks that have the highest power level and average these power levels to provide a maximum downlink power DL.sub.max. ”: [0051] );
adjust the UL gain or noise power based on the control channel transmit power measured during the maximum number of adjacent DL subframes
(see fig. 1 where Central unit is a TDD Repeater: “The central unit 104 could also be a TDD communications repeater”: [0034]). Aforesaid TDD communications repeater’s processing until “determines the average power level in each of the plurality of power level”: [0049] and identify/adjust uplink period in TDD communication:: 0049], [0050]-[0051], [0008]).
Therefore, 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 teaching of BIRKMEIR to include the above recited UL gain power is adjusted based on an average power over two more contiguous or non-contiguous DL subframes in TD repeater as taught by Gutman. The suggestion/motivation would be identifying an uplink period during a true downlink period in the TDD communications signals (Gutman: [0008]).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to M MOSTAZIR RAHMAN whose telephone number is (571)272-4785. The examiner can normally be reached 8:30am-5:00pm PST.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Derrick Ferris can be reached at 571-272-3123. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/M Mostazir Rahman/Examiner, Art Unit 2411
/DERRICK W FERRIS/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2411