DETAILED ACTION
This Office action is in response to Amendment filed on 10/06/2025. Claims 1, 3, and 18-20 have been
amended. Claims 1-20 remain pending in the application.
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 .
Continued Examination Under 37 CFR 1.114
A request for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, including the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e),
was filed in this application after final rejection. Since this application is eligible for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114. Applicant's submission filed on 10/06/2025 has been entered.
Response to Amendment
The Amendment filed on 10/06/2025 has been entered.
Response to Remarks/Arguments
Applicant’s remarks/arguments (page 7-14), filed on 10/06/2025, with respect to the 103 rejections of
claims 1, 18, 19, and 20 have been fully considered but are moot because new ground of rejections using a newly introduced reference (Park et al. US 2020/0287602 Al) are applied in the current rejection.
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 of this title, 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.
The factual inquiries set forth in Graham v. John Deere Co., 383 U.S. 1, 148 USPQ 459 (1966), that
are applied for establishing a background for determining obviousness under 35 U.S.C. 103 are summarized as follows:
1. Determining the scope and contents of the prior art.
2. Ascertaining the differences between the prior art and the claims at issue.
3. Resolving the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art.
4. Considering objective evidence present in the application indicating obviousness or nonobviousness.
Claims 1-6, 10, and 12-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Park et al. (US
2019/0174527 Al, hereinafter “Park”) in view of Park et al. (US 2020/0287602 Al, hereinafter “Park_2020”).
Regarding claim 1, Park discloses:
A method performed by a user equipment (UE), the method comprising (method for performing an uplink transmission by a user equipment (UE), Park: [0010]):
receiving, from a base station, downlink control information (DCI) including a sounding reference signal (SRS) resource indicator (SRI) field wherein the SRI field indicates one or more SRS resources from an SRS resource set allocated to the UE (receiving, from a base station, downlink control information (DCI), wherein the DCI includes a sounding reference signal resource indication (SRS resource indication, SRI). SRI field may exist only when multiple SRS resources are configured to UE, Park: [0010], [0617]-[0619] ); and
transmitting an SRS based on an SRS resource allocated to the UE in the SRl field (performing the uplink transmission based on the DCI, wherein the DCI includes a sounding reference signal resource indication (SRS resource indication, SRI) field carrying a SRI, Park: [0010], [0018]),
Park does not explicitly disclose:
wherein the SRI field indicates a transmission rank and one or more precoding weights based on:
the SRS resource set including NSRS SRS resources, where 1 ≤ NSRS ≤ 8, and
an SRI field bit length that is less than a threshold value determined from a maximum number of layers to be transmitted and the Nsrs SRS resources.
However, in the same field of endeavor, Park_2020 teaches:
wherein the SRI field indicates a transmission rank and one or more precoding weights based on (precoding matrix index (PMI) and/or a rank indicator (RI) corresponding to the number of SRS-ports of the indicated SRI may be indicated to the UE, Park_2020: [0274]):
the SRS resource set including NSRS SRS resources, where 1 ≤ NSRS ≤ 8 (In the case of the 8-port codebook, it is characterized that a UE implementation complexity is decreased by using the codeword the same as 4-port TPMI, and designed by using additional phase rotation value, Park_2020: [0336]-[0338], [0368]-[0373]), and
an SRI field bit length that is less than a threshold value determined from a maximum number of layers to be transmitted and the Nsrs SRS resources (PMI/RI/MCS corresponding to the number of SRS-ports of the indicated SRI may be indicated to the UE. SRI field may be configured as represented in Table 10, for example. Table 10 represents a configuration example of 2-bit SRI field, and it is assumed that (SRS resources 1, 2, 3 and 4) are existed as the configurable SRS resource. SRI may indicate multiple selections of SRS resource that may support multiple panel joint transmission in UL, Park_2020: [0293]-[0294], [0535]-[0538]).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Park in view of Park_2020 in order to further modify the SRI field indicating a transmission rank and one or more precoding weights and an SRS set including NSRS SRS resources and an SRI field bit length that is less than a threshold value from the teachings of Park_2020.
One of ordinary skill in the art would have been motivated if the number of transmission (Tx) antennas is increased to N_T and the number of reception (Rx) antennas is increased to N_R at the same time, a theoretical channel transmission capacity is increased in proportion to the number of antennas, unlike in the case where a plurality of antennas is used only in a transmitter or a receiver. Accordingly, a transfer rate can be improved, and frequency efficiency can be significantly improved (Park_2020: [0090).
Regarding claim 2, Park in view of Park_2020 teaches all the claimed limitations as set forth in the rejection of claim 1 above.
Park further discloses:
The method of claim 1, wherein the threshold value determined is determined using (bitwidth of the SRI field may be determined according to, Park: [0016]-[0017]):
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where Lmax is the maximum number of layers to be transmitted (N is the number of SRS resources in the SRS resource set configured to the UE, and L_max is the maximum number of layers supported for the uplink transmission, Park: [0016]-[0017]).
Regarding claim 3, Park in view of Park_2020 teaches all the claimed limitations as set forth in the rejection of claim 1 above.
Park further discloses:
The method of claim 1, wherein the NSRS SRS resources of the SRS set are divided into KSRS groups, where group k has Mk,SRS resources and the indication of resources in the SRI field of the DCI is group-wise (SRS resource set configured by grouping SRS resources separately configured. the DCI includes a sounding reference signal resource indication (SRS resource indication, SRI) field carrying a SRI, Park: [0016]-[0018]).
Regarding claim 4, Park in view of Park_2020 teaches all the claimed limitations as set forth in the rejection of claim 3 above.
Park further discloses:
The method of claim 3, wherein grouping of the NSRS SRS resources is performed in SRS resource identifier (ID) order (when the base station transmits the UL grant including the SRI to the UE, the number of ranks for transmission of uplink data may be determined corresponding to the SRS resources indicated by the SRI, Park: [0380]).
Regarding claim 5, Park in view of Park_2020 teaches all the claimed limitations as set forth in the rejection of claim 3 above.
Park further discloses:
The method of claim 3, wherein grouping of the NSRS SRS resources is performed based on a predetermined ordering indicated by a radio resource control (RRC) configuration (base station may designate the precoding is applied to the precoded SRS to the UE by L1 (by DCI), L2 (by MAC control element (CE)), and/or L3 (by RRC) signaling, Park: [0385]).
Regarding claim 6, Park in view of Park_2020 teaches all the claimed limitations as set forth in the rejection of claim 3 above.
Park further discloses:
The method of claim 3, wherein grouping of the NSRS SRS resources is dynamically performed based on the DCI or a MAC control element (CE) (one or more SRS resource(s) may be jointly encoded for each state in each SRI field. At this time, each state or codepoint is described in advance in the RRC/MAC CE, Park: [0762]).
Regarding claim 10, Park in view of Park_2020 teaches all the claimed limitations as set forth in the rejection of claim 3 above.
Park further discloses:
The method of claim 3, wherein indication of the SRS resources of each group in the SRI field is done separately in KSRS parts (b1,b2., ., .. bKSRS), with each part including up to bk =
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bits for k = 1, … , KSRS
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resources (the bitwidth of the SRI field may be determined according to N is the number of SRS resources in the SRS resource set configured to the UE, and Lmax is the maximum number of layers supported for the uplink transmission. base station may be configured to independently inform the rank indication as well as the SRI to the UE. This is a case where one or more SRS resources(s) may be configured for a specific target rank. The reason why the base station configures a plurality of SRS resources for a certain rank is that the UE applies different beamforming vectors/coefficients with respect to the same rank and tries to transmit the SRS several times, Park: [0016]-[0017], [0382]).
Regarding claim 12, Park in view of Park_2020 teaches all the claimed limitations as set forth in the rejection of claim 1 above.
Park further discloses:
The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the NSRS SRS resources is mapped to a different numbers of ports (base station configures multiple SRS resources and the UE may transmit a precoded SRS having different beam directions(ports) for each SRS resource, Park: [0375]).
Regarding claim 13, Park in view of Park_2020 teaches all the claimed limitations as set forth in the rejection of claim 1 above.
Park further discloses:
The method of claim 1, wherein the NSRS SRS resources include m single port SRS resources or RSRS m-port SRS resources, and
wherein each of the NSRS SRS resources is mapped to different antenna ports to cover a maximum of (RSRS + l)m SRS antenna ports (if a specific SRS resource is configured to transmit a 1-port SRS, when the UE implements X transmission antenna(s)/port(s), the UE may be defined/configured to transmit a type of “rank 1 precoded SRS” by applying specific X-by-1 beamforming vector/coefficients. if the specific SRS resource is configured to transmit a v(>1)-port SRS, when the UE implements X(>=v) transmission antenna(s)/port(s), the UE may be defined/configured to transmit a type of “rank v precoded SRS” by applying specific X-by-v beamforming vector/coefficients, Park: [0376]-[0377]).
Regarding claim 14, Park in view of Park_2020 teaches all the claimed limitations as set forth in the rejection of claim 13 above.
Park further discloses:
The method of claim 13, wherein transmitting the SRS using the identified SRS resource comprises, at a first stage among k stages, transmitting the SRS using m one port resources (the rank is equal to the sum of the set number of SRS port(s) over one or more SRS resource(s) selected by the SRI, Park: [0755]).
Regarding claim 15, Park in view of Park_2020 teaches all the claimed limitations as set forth in the rejection of claim 14 above.
Park further discloses:
The method of claim 14, wherein transmitting the SRS using the identified SRS resource further comprises, at a kth stage among the k stages, transmitting the SRS using k-1 m-port SRS resources precoded with first precoding weights used in a last k-1 stage and m one port SRS resources that are precoded with second precoding weights corresponding to the kth stage (base station configures multiple SRS resources and the UE may transmit a precoded SRS having different beam directions for each SRS resource to the base station. the base station informs the UE of the uplink scheduling grant (DCI) including the SRI and the precoding indication in the previous time instance. the precoding indication may be used to indicate preferred precoder over the SRS ports in the selected SRS resource by the SRI, Park: [0375]).
Regarding claim 16, Park in view of Park_2020 teaches all the claimed limitations as set forth in the rejection of claim 13 above.
Park further discloses:
The method of claim 13, wherein transmitting the SRS using the identified SRS resource comprises, at a second stage among two stages, transmitting the SRS, in response to a trigger from the base station, using a four-port SRS resource precoded with first precoding weights used in the first stage and four one port SRS resources precoded with second precoding weights corresponding to the second stage (base station configures multiple SRS resources and the UE may transmit a precoded SRS having different beam directions for each SRS resource to the base station. the base station informs the UE of the uplink scheduling grant (DCI) including the SRI and the precoding indication in the previous time instance. the precoding indication may be used to indicate preferred precoder over the SRS ports in the selected SRS resource by the SRI, Park: [0375]).
Regarding claim 17, Park in view of Park_2020 teaches all the claimed limitations as set forth in the rejection of claim 16 above.
Park further discloses:
The method of claim 16, wherein the trigger from the base station is received through an SRI field of DCI of the first stage (UE may be designated to transmit the SRS of which SRS resource in the DCI triggering the SRS transmission, Park: [0556]).
Regarding claim 18, Park discloses:
A user equipment (UE), comprising:
a transceiver (Park: Fig. 11); and
a processor configured to (processor may be configured to receive from the base station, Park: Fig. 18, [0694]):
receive, from a base station, via the transceiver, downlink control information (DCI) including a sounding reference signal (SRS) resource indicator (SRI) field, wherein the SRI field indicates one or more SRS resources from an SRS resource set allocated to the UE (receiving, from a base station, downlink control information (DCI), wherein the DCI includes a sounding reference signal resource indication (SRS resource indication, SRI). SRI field may exist only when multiple SRS resources are configured to UE, Park: [0010], [0617]-[0619]), and
transmit, via the transceiver, an SRS based on an SRS resource allocated to the UE in the SRI field (performing the uplink transmission based on the DCI, wherein the DCI includes a sounding reference signal resource indication (SRS resource indication, SRI) field carrying a SRI, Park: [0010], [0018]),
Park does not explicitly disclose:
wherein the SRI field indicates a rank of transmission and one or more precoding weights based on:
the SRS resource set including NSRS SRS resources, where 1 ≤ NSRS ≤ 8, and
an SRI field bit length that is less than a threshold value determined from a maximum number of layers to be transmitted and the Nsrs SRS resources.
However, in the same field of endeavor, Kang teaches:
wherein the SRI field indicates a rank of transmission and one or more precoding weights based on (precoding matrix index (PMI) and/or a rank indicator (RI) corresponding to the number of SRS-ports of the indicated SRI may be indicated to the UE, Park_2020: [0274]):
the SRS resource set including NSRS SRS resources, where 1 ≤ NSRS ≤ 8 (In the case of the 8-port codebook, it is characterized that a UE implementation complexity is decreased by using the codeword the same as 4-port TPMI, and designed by using additional phase rotation value, Park_2020: [0336]-[0338], [0368]-[0373]), and
an SRI field bit length that is less than a threshold value determined from a maximum number of layers to be transmitted and the Nsrs SRS resources (PMI/RI/MCS corresponding to the number of SRS-ports of the indicated SRI may be indicated to the UE. SRI field may be configured as represented in Table 10, for example. Table 10 represents a configuration example of 2-bit SRI field, and it is assumed that (SRS resources 1, 2, 3 and 4) are existed as the configurable SRS resource. SRI may indicate multiple selections of SRS resource that may support multiple panel joint transmission in UL, Park_2020: [0293]-[0294], [0535]-[0538]).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Park in view of Park_2020 in order to further modify the SRI field indicating a transmission rank and one or more precoding weights and an SRS set including NSRS SRS resources and an SRI field bit length that is less than a threshold value from the teachings of Park_2020.
One of ordinary skill in the art would have been motivated if the number of transmission (Tx) antennas is increased to N_T and the number of reception (Rx) antennas is increased to N_R at the same time, a theoretical channel transmission capacity is increased in proportion to the number of antennas, unlike in the case where a plurality of antennas is used only in a transmitter or a receiver. Accordingly, a transfer rate can be improved, and frequency efficiency can be significantly improved (Park_2020: [0090).
Regarding claim 19, Park discloses:
A method performed by a base station, the method comprising transceiver (method performed by the base station, Park: [0023]):
allocating, to a user equipment (UE), a sounding reference signal (SRS) resource (base station selects a SRS resource, Park: [0373]);
transmitting, to the UE, downlink control information (DCI) including an SRS resource indicator (SRI) field, wherein the SRI field indicates one or more SRS resources from an SRS resource set allocated to the UE (base station informs the UE of the uplink scheduling grant (DCI) including the SRI. SRI field may exist only when multiple SRS resources are configured to UE, Park: [0375], , [0617]-[0619]); and
receiving, from the UE, an SRS using the allocated SRS resource identified by the UE from the SRI field (UE may transmit a precoded SRS having different beam directions for each SRS resource to the base station, Park: [0375]),
Park does not explicitly disclose:
wherein the SRI field indicates a rank of transmission and one or more precoding weights based on:
the SRS resource set including NSRS SRS resources, where 1 ≤ NSRS ≤ 8, and
an SRI field bit length that is less than a threshold value determined from a maximum number of layers to be transmitted and the Nsrs SRS resources.
However, in the same field of endeavor, Park_2020 teaches:
wherein the SRI field indicates a rank of transmission and one or more precoding weights based on (precoding matrix index (PMI) and/or a rank indicator (RI) corresponding to the number of SRS-ports of the indicated SRI may be indicated to the UE, Park_2020: [0274]):
the SRS resource set including NSRS SRS resources, where 1 ≤ NSRS ≤ 8 (In the case of the 8-port codebook, it is characterized that a UE implementation complexity is decreased by using the codeword the same as 4-port TPMI, and designed by using additional phase rotation value, Park_2020: [0336]-[0338], [0368]-[0373]), and
an SRI field bit length that is less than a threshold value determined from a maximum number of layers to be transmitted and the Nsrs SRS resources (PMI/RI/MCS corresponding to the number of SRS-ports of the indicated SRI may be indicated to the UE. SRI field may be configured as represented in Table 10, for example. Table 10 represents a configuration example of 2-bit SRI field, and it is assumed that (SRS resources 1, 2, 3 and 4) are existed as the configurable SRS resource. SRI may indicate multiple selections of SRS resource that may support multiple panel joint transmission in UL, Park_2020: [0293]-[0294], [0535]-[0538]).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Park in view of Park_2020 in order to further modify the SRI field indicating a transmission rank and one or more precoding weights and an SRS set including NSRS SRS resources and an SRI field bit length that is less than a threshold value from the teachings of Park_2020.
One of ordinary skill in the art would have been motivated if the number of transmission (Tx) antennas is increased to N_T and the number of reception (Rx) antennas is increased to N_R at the same time, a theoretical channel transmission capacity is increased in proportion to the number of antennas, unlike in the case where a plurality of antennas is used only in a transmitter or a receiver. Accordingly, a transfer rate can be improved, and frequency efficiency can be significantly improved (Park_2020: [0090).
Regarding claim 20, Park discloses:
A base station, comprising:
a transceiver (Park: Fig. 11); and
a processor configured to (processor may be configured to transmit to the UE, Park: Fig. 18, [0702]):
allocate, to a user equipment (UE), a sounding reference signal (SRS) resource (base station selects a SRS resource, Park: [0373]);
transmit, to the UE, downlink control information (DCI) including an SRS resource indicator (SRI) field, wherein the SRI field indicates one or more SRS resources from an SRS resource set allocated to the UE (base station informs the UE of the uplink scheduling grant (DCI) including the SRI. SRI field may exist only when multiple SRS resources are configured to UE, Park: [0375], [0617]-[0619]); and
receive, from the UE, an SRS using the allocated SRS resource identified by the UE from the SRI field (UE may transmit a precoded SRS having different beam directions for each SRS resource to the base station, Park: [0375]),
Park does not explicitly disclose:
wherein the SRI field indicates a rank of transmission and one or more precoding weights based on:
the SRS resource set including NSRS SRS resources, where 1 ≤ NSRS ≤ 8, and
an SRI field bit length that is less than a threshold value determined from a maximum number of layers to be transmitted and the Nsrs SRS resources.
However, in the same field of endeavor, Park_2020 teaches:
wherein the SRI field indicates a rank of transmission and one or more precoding weights based on (precoding matrix index (PMI) and/or a rank indicator (RI) corresponding to the number of SRS-ports of the indicated SRI may be indicated to the UE, Park_2020: [0274]):
the SRS resource set including NSRS SRS resources, where 1 ≤ NSRS ≤ 8 (In the case of the 8-port codebook, it is characterized that a UE implementation complexity is decreased by using the codeword the same as 4-port TPMI, and designed by using additional phase rotation value, Park_2020: [0336]-[0338], [0368]-[0373]), and
an SRI field bit length that is less than a threshold value determined from a maximum number of layers to be transmitted and the Nsrs SRS resources (PMI/RI/MCS corresponding to the number of SRS-ports of the indicated SRI may be indicated to the UE. SRI field may be configured as represented in Table 10, for example. Table 10 represents a configuration example of 2-bit SRI field, and it is assumed that (SRS resources 1, 2, 3 and 4) are existed as the configurable SRS resource. SRI may indicate multiple selections of SRS resource that may support multiple panel joint transmission in UL, Park_2020: [0293]-[0294], [0535]-[0538]).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Park in view of Park_2020 in order to further modify the SRI field indicating a transmission rank and one or more precoding weights and an SRS set including NSRS SRS resources and an SRI field bit length that is less than a threshold value from the teachings of Park_2020.
One of ordinary skill in the art would have been motivated if the number of transmission (Tx) antennas is increased to N_T and the number of reception (Rx) antennas is increased to N_R at the same time, a theoretical channel transmission capacity is increased in proportion to the number of antennas, unlike in the case where a plurality of antennas is used only in a transmitter or a receiver. Accordingly, a transfer rate can be improved, and frequency efficiency can be significantly improved (Park_2020: [0090).
Claims 7-9 and 11 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Park in view of Park_2020 and in further view of KANG et al. (US 2021/0385668 Al, hereinafter “Kang”).
Regarding claim 7, Park in view of Park_2020 teaches all the claimed limitations as set forth in the rejection of claim 3 above.
Park in view of Park_2020 does not explicitly disclose:
The method of claim 3, wherein NSRS = 8, and
wherein grouping of the NSRS SRS resources comprises dividing the 8 SRS resources into two groups of 4 resources, where a first four of the 8 SRS resources are put into the first group and a second four of the 8 SRS resources are put in the second group.
However, in the same field of endeavor, Kang teaches:
wherein grouping of the NSRS SRS resources comprises dividing the 8 SRS resources into two groups of 4 resources, where a first four of the 8 SRS resources are put into the first group and a second four of the 8 SRS resources are put in the second group (when each of 4 port SRI_0 and 4 port SRI_1 is indicated as the spatial relation in a specific group, one TPMI/TRI may be indicated based on 8 Tx by adding ports of two SRS resources, Kang: [0398], [0471]).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Park and Park_2020 in view of Kang in order to further modify grouping of the NSRS SRS resources from the teachings of Kang.
One of ordinary skill in the art would have been motivated because it can increase a communication success probability even when a quality of a link between a specific transmission beam of a UE and the base station deteriorates (Kang: [0022).
Regarding claim 8, Park and Park_2020 in view of Kang teaches all the claimed limitations as set forth in the rejection of claim 7 above.
Park and Park_2020 do not explicitly disclose:
The method of claim 7, wherein the SRI field in the DCI includes a first bit that indicates if the transmission rank is smaller than four, and
wherein when the first bit indicates that the transmission rank is smaller than four, following bits in the SRI field indicate the SRS resources in the first group.
However, in the same field of endeavor, Kang teaches:
wherein the SRI field in the DCI includes a first bit that indicates if the transmission rank is smaller than four, and wherein when the first bit indicates that the transmission rank is smaller than four, following bits in the SRI field indicate the SRS resources in the first group (base station may indicate X-port SRIs which are as many as transmission ranks or indicate SRIs which are as large as a value acquired by multiplying the transmission rank by X. X corresponds to the number of spatial relations or the number of beams to perform simultaneous transmission. base station designates one SRI among four resources with 2-bit information. In the case of the multi PUSCH, the base station may designate one SRI of two with the 1-bit information for each group. payload size of the DCI for indicating the spatial relation of each group may be configured/defined according to the size of the list, Kang: [0402], [0442], [0496]).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Park and Park_2020 in view of Kang in order to further modify the SRI field in the DCI from the teachings of Kang.
One of ordinary skill in the art would have been motivated because it can increase a communication success probability even when a quality of a link between a specific transmission beam of a UE and the base station deteriorates (Kang: [0022).
Regarding claim 9, Park and Park_2020 in view of Kang teaches all the claimed limitations as set forth in the rejection of claim 8 above.
Park and Park_2020 do not explicitly disclose:
The method of claim 8, wherein when the first bit indicates that the transmission rank is not less than four, following bits in the SRI field indicate the SRS resources in the second group.
However, in the same field of endeavor, Kang teaches:
wherein when the first bit indicates that the transmission rank is not less than four, following bits in the SRI field indicate the SRS resources in the second group (base station may indicate X-port SRis which are as many as transmission ranks or indicate SRIs which are as large as a value acquired by multiplying the transmission rank by X. X corresponds to the number of spatial relations or the number of beams to perform simultaneous transmission. base station designates one SRI among four resources with 2-bit information. In the case of the multi PUSCH, the base station may designate one SRI of two with the 1-bit information for each group. payload size of the DCI for indicating the spatial relation of each group may be configured/defined according to the size of the list, Kang: [0402], [0442], [0496]).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Park and Park_2020 in view of Kang in order to further modify the SRI field in the DCI from the teachings of Kang.
One of ordinary skill in the art would have been motivated because it can increase a communication success probability even when a quality of a link between a specific transmission beam of a UE and the base station deteriorates (Kang: [0022).
Regarding claim 11, Park in view of Park_2020 teaches all the claimed limitations as set forth in the rejection of claim 3 above.
Park further discloses:
wherein if a number of layers L
≤
4, a first number of bits for a first part of the SRI field
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wherein if the number of layers L > 4, a first four bits are indicators of resources in the
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first part (b1 = 4) and fifth and later bits are used as indicators of the second part and are
assigned w l1 ere 1·" max 1, s tl 1 e maxm• mm num l) er of • 1where Lmax is the maximum number of 1ayers to be transmitted (configuring a SRI field using a bitwidth configuration method of the SRI field and a method for configuring a corresponding SRI field with an N-bit bitmap may be considered, Park: [0681]-[0682]).
Park in view of Park_2020 does not explicitly disclose:
The method of claim 3, wherein indication of the SRS resources of each group in
the SRI field is done separately in two parts (b 1 and b2), where each part includes up to four bits,
However, in the same field of endeavor, Kang teaches:
wherein indication of the SRS resources of each group in the SRI field is done separately in two parts (b 1 and b2), where each part includes up to four bits (when each of 4 port SRI_0 and 4 port SRI_1 is indicated as the spatial relation in a specific group, one TPMI/TRI may be indicated based on 8 Tx by adding ports of two SRS resources, Kang: [0398], [0471]),
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Park and Park_2020 in view of Kang in order to further modify the indication of the SRS resources of each group in the SRI field from the teachings of Kang.
One of ordinary skill in the art would have been motivated because it can increase a communication success probability even when a quality of a link between a specific transmission beam of a UE and the base station deteriorates (Kang: [0022).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be
directed to SANG C LEE whose telephone number is (703)756-1461. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 9:00AM-5:00PM EST.
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/S.C.L./Examiner, Art Unit 2467
/MICHAEL J MOORE JR/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2467