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 Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claims 85-107 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.
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.
Claims 85-89, 94-99 and 107 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kim et al (US 2019/0165847) (hereinafter Kim) in view of Zhang et al (US 2023/0198593) (hereinafter Zhang).
Regarding claim 85, Kim discloses a method performed by a wireless device in a random access (RA) procedure, the method comprising:
performing measurements of one or more reference signals transmitted by a base station (see Kim, Fig. 6, p. [0154], e.g., the UE measures CSI based on configuration information related to the CSI (S620) and p. [0155], e.g., measuring the CSI may include (1) receiving a CSI-RS by the UE (S621));
sending a first message to the base station in a Physical Uplink Shared Channel (PUSCH), wherein the first message comprises a Channel State Information (CSI) report comprising information based on the measurements of the one or more reference signals (see Kim, Fig. 6, p. [0162], e.g., the UE reports the measured CSI to the base station (S630), and p. [0127], e.g., a PUSCH CSI reporting mode in which the UE needs to operate is informed for the UE in advance via a higher layer message, and p. [0709], e.g., the CSI report on the PUSCH based on the second value, and [0718]).
However, Zhang does not expressly disclose receiving a second message from the base station in a Physical Downlink Control Channel (PDCCH), wherein the second message requests a CSI report and/or activates an aperiodic CSI reference signal (CSI-RS) resource configuration; wherein the first message is a Msg3 PUSCH or a MsgA PUSCH or a Msg5 PUSCH, and/or the second message is a Msg4 PDCCH.
Zhang discloses the above recited limitations (see Zhang, Fig. 4, step 418, p. [0080], e.g., the UE 115 may receive from the BS 105 (e.g., as a DCI message on the PDDCH) a channel state report transmission request associated with the first CSI measurement resource).
It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skilled in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to incorporate Zhang’s teachings into Kim. The suggestion/motivation would have been to provide channel state information to a base station at the request of the base station as suggested by Zhang.
Regarding claim 86, the combined teaching of Kim and Zhang disclose the method of claim 85, wherein the information in the CSI report comprises a Synchronization Signal/Physical Broadcast Channel Block Resource Indicator (SSBRI) and/or a Channel State Information Reference Signal Resource Indicator (CRI) (see Kim, p. [0167-0168], e.g., it may be defined to transmit a CSI report indicative of “SSBRI and L1-RSRP” or “CRI and L1-RSRP” when repetition is set to “OFF”).
Regarding claim 87, the combined teaching of Kim and Zhang disclose the method of claim 86, wherein a bit length of the SSBRI is related to a number of reference signals transmitted by the base station (see Kim, p. [0167-0168], e.g., it may be defined to transmit a CSI report indicative of “SSBRI and L1-RSRP” or “CRI and L1-RSRP” when repetition is set to “OFF”).
Regarding claim 88, the combined teaching of Kim and Zhang disclose the method of claim 86, wherein a number of L1-RSRP measurements in the CSI report is less than a number of SSBRI and/or CRI in the CSI report (see Kim, p. [0185], e.g., configuration of S≥1 CSI resource set includes each CSI resource set including CSI-RS resources (composed of NZP CSI-RS or CSI-IM), and a SS/PBCH block (SSB) resource used for L1-RSRP computation).
Regarding claim 89, the combined teaching of Kim and Zhang disclose the method of claim 86, wherein, if a number of reported signals equals a number of reference signals (see Kim, p. [0185], e.g., configuration of S≥1 CSI resource set includes each CSI resource set including CSI-RS resources (composed of NZP CSI-RS or CSI-IM), and a SS/PBCH block (SSB) resource used for L1-RSRP computation), or if all reference signals in a RA occasion associated with a preamble are to be reported, the information in the CSI report comprises RSRPs of the reference signals in increasing reference signal index.
Regarding claim 94, the combined teaching of Kim and Zhang disclose a method performed by a base station, the method comprising:
receiving a first message from the wireless device in a Physical Uplink Shared Channel (PUSCH), wherein the first message comprises a Channel State Information (CSI) report comprising information for one or more reference signals transmitted by the base station (see Kim, Fig. 6, p. [0154], e.g., the UE measures CSI based on configuration information related to the CSI (S620) and p. [0155], e.g., measuring the CSI may include (1) receiving a CSI-RS by the UE (S621) and (2) computing CSI based on the received CSI-RS (S622), and p. [0162], e.g., the UE reports the measured CSI to the base station (S630), and p. [0127], e.g., a PUSCH CSI reporting mode in which the UE needs to operate is informed for the UE in advance via a higher layer message, and p. [0709], e.g., the CSI report on the PUSCH based on the second value, and [0718]).
However, Zhang does not expressly disclose receiving a second message from the base station in a Physical Downlink Control Channel (PDCCH), wherein the second message requests a CSI report and/or activates an aperiodic CSI reference signal (CSI-RS) resource configuration; wherein the first message is a Msg3 PUSCH or a MsgA PUSCH or a Msg5 PUSCH, and/or the second message is a Msg4 PDCCH.
Zhang discloses the above recited limitations (see Zhang, Fig. 4, step 418, p. [0080], e.g., the UE 115 may receive from the BS 105 (e.g., as a DCI message on the PDDCH) a channel state report transmission request associated with the first CSI measurement resource).
It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skilled in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to incorporate Zhang’s teachings into Kim. The suggestion/motivation would have been to provide channel state information to a base station at the request of the base station as suggested by Zhang.
Regarding claim 95, the combined teaching of Kim and Zhang disclose the method of claim 94, wherein the information in the CSI report comprises a Synchronization Signal/Physical Broadcast Channel Block Resource Indicator (SSBRI) and/or a Channel State Information Reference Signal Resource Indicator (CRI) (see Kim, p. [0167-0168], e.g., it may be defined to transmit a CSI report indicative of “SSBRI and L1-RSRP” or “CRI and L1-RSRP” when repetition is set to “OFF”).
Regarding claim 96, the combined teaching of Kim and Zhang disclose the method of claim 95, wherein a bit length of the SSBRI is related to a number of reference signals transmitted by the base station (see Kim, p. [0167-0168], e.g., it may be defined to transmit a CSI report indicative of “SSBRI and L1-RSRP” or “CRI and L1-RSRP” when repetition is set to “OFF”).
Regarding claim 97, the combined teaching of Kim and Zhang disclose the method of claim 95, wherein a number of L1-RSRP measurements in the CSI report is less than a number of SSBRI and/or CRI in the CSI report (see Kim, p. [0185], e.g., configuration of S≥1 CSI resource set includes each CSI resource set including CSI-RS resources (composed of NZP CSI-RS or CSI-IM), and a SS/PBCH block (SSB) resource used for L1-RSRP computation).
Regarding claim 98, the combined teaching of Kim and Zhang disclose the method of claim 95, wherein, if a number of reported signals equals a number of reference signals (see Kim, p. [0185], e.g., configuration of S≥1 CSI resource set includes each CSI resource set including CSI-RS resources (composed of NZP CSI-RS or CSI-IM), and a SS/PBCH block (SSB) resource used for L1-RSRP computation), or if all reference signals in a RA occasion associated with a preamble are to be reported, the information in the CSI report comprises RSRPs of the reference signals in increasing reference signal index.
Regarding claim 99, the combined teaching of Kim and Zhang disclose the method of claim 94, wherein the method further comprises: broadcasting a System Information Block, SIB, wherein the SIB comprises a list of information for the wireless device to include in a CSI report (see Kim, p. [0718], e.g., receiving, from a base station, a radio resource control (RRC) signaling that comprises a plurality of reporting settings, wherein each reporting setting comprises a corresponding list of first values representing time offsets for transmitting a CSI report, forming a plurality of lists of first values).
Regarding claim 107, the combined teaching of Kim and Zhang disclose a wireless device, the wireless device comprising: power supply circuitry configured to supply power to the wireless device; and processing circuitry configured to:
perform measurements of one or more reference signals transmitted by a base station (see Kim, Fig. 6, p. [0154], e.g., the UE measures CSI based on configuration information related to the CSI (S620) and p. [0155], e.g., measuring the CSI may include (1) receiving a CSI-RS by the UE (S621) and (2) computing CSI based on the received CSI-RS (S622));
send a first message to the base station in a Physical Uplink Shared Channel (PUSCH), wherein the first message comprises a Channel State Information (CSI) report comprising information based on the measurements of the one or more reference signals (see Kim, Fig. 6, p. [0162], e.g., the UE reports the measured CSI to the base station (S630), and p. [0127], e.g., a PUSCH CSI reporting mode in which the UE needs to operate is informed for the UE in advance via a higher layer message, and p. [0709], e.g., the CSI report on the PUSCH based on the second value, and [0718]).
However, Zhang does not expressly disclose receiving a second message from the base station in a Physical Downlink Control Channel (PDCCH), wherein the second message requests a CSI report and/or activates an aperiodic CSI reference signal (CSI-RS) resource configuration; wherein the first message is a Msg3 PUSCH or a MsgA PUSCH or a Msg5 PUSCH, and/or the second message is a Msg4 PDCCH.
Zhang discloses the above recited limitations (see Zhang, Fig. 4, step 418, p. [0080], e.g., the UE 115 may receive from the BS 105 (e.g., as a DCI message on the PDDCH) a channel state report transmission request associated with the first CSI measurement resource).
It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skilled in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to incorporate Zhang’s teachings into Kim. The suggestion/motivation would have been to provide channel state information to a base station at the request of the base station as suggested by Zhang.
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.
Claims 90-93 and 100-106 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over the combined teaching of Kim and Zhang in view of Lee (US 2014/0295868).
Regarding claim 90, the combined teaching of Kim and Zhang do not expressly disclose the method of claim 85, wherein the method performed by the wireless device in the RA procedure further comprises, prior to sending the first message: sending a third message to the base station, wherein the third message comprises a first preamble selected from a set of preambles.
Lee discloses the above recited limitations (see Lee, Fig. 6, p. [0069], [0095], e.g., UE 1 transmits a random access preamble to eNB 1 as a part of the random access procedure).
It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skilled in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to incorporate Lee’s teachings into the combined teaching of Kim and Zhang. The suggestion/motivation would have been to provide a Radio Resource Control (RRC) connection request procedure in order to establish an RRC connection.
Regarding claim 91, the combined teaching of Kim, Zhang and Lee disclose the method of claim 85, wherein the method performed by the wireless device further comprises, prior to sending the first message: receiving a random access RA response message from the base station, wherein the RA response message provides an uplink grant for sending the first message (see Lee, Fig. 6, p. [0069-0070], e.g., the eNB sends a random access response, and p. [0095]).
Regarding claim 92, the combined teaching of Kim, Zhang and Lee disclose the method of claim 91, wherein the RA response message further comprises (i) an indication of a number of reference signals that the wireless device is to provide information for in the CSI report (see Lee, p. [0069-0072], e.g., The random access response also contains a timing advance command, a power-control command); and/or (ii) an indication of one or more parameters to be measured by the wireless device and included in the CSI report.
Regarding claim 93, the combined teaching of Kim, Zhang and Lee disclose the method of claim 85, wherein the method performed by the wireless device further comprises: receiving a RA response message from the base station, wherein the RA response message is a response to the first message (see Lee, Fig. 6, p. [0069-0070], e.g., the eNB sends a random access response, and p. [0095]).
Regarding claim 100, the combined teaching of Kim, Zhang and Lee disclose the method of claim 94, wherein the method performed by the base station further comprises, prior to receiving the first message: receiving a third message from the wireless device, wherein the third message comprises a first preamble selected from a set of preambles (see Lee, Fig. 6, p. [0069], [0095], e.g., UE 1 transmits a random access preamble to eNB 1 as a part of the random access procedure).
Regarding claim 101, the combined teaching of Kim, Zhang and Lee disclose the method of claim 94, wherein the method performed by the base station further comprises, prior to receiving the first message: sending a random access (RA) response message to the wireless device, wherein the RA response message provides an uplink grant to the wireless device for sending the first message (see Lee, Fig. 6, p. [0069-0070], e.g., the eNB sends a random access response, and p. [0095]).
Regarding claim 102, the combined teaching of Kim, Zhang and Lee disclose the method of claim 101, wherein the RA response message further comprises (i) an indication of a number of reference signals that the wireless device is to provide information for in the CSI report (see Lee, p. [0069-0072], e.g., The random access response also contains a timing advance command, a power-control command); and/or (ii) an indication of one or more parameters to be measured by the wireless device and included in the CSI report.
Regarding claim 103, the combined teaching of Kim, Zhang and Lee disclose the method of claim 101, wherein the RA response message further comprises an indication that delaying the sending of the first message is permitted, so as to enable the wireless device to perform measurements of the one or more reference signals (see Lee, p.[0063-0067], e.g., An eNB measures a delay of the received signal from the UE).
Regarding claim 104, the combined teaching of Kim, Zhang and Lee disclose the method of claim 94, further comprising: evaluating the information in the CSI report for one or more reference signals to determine one or more of: (i) uplink and/or downlink beams to use for subsequent transmissions between the base station and the wireless device (see Lee, p. [0039], e.g., eNB 20 may perform functions of selection for MME/SAE gateway 30, routing toward the gateway during a Radio Resource Control (RRC) activation, scheduling and transmitting of paging messages, scheduling and transmitting of Broadcast Channel (BCCH) information, dynamic allocation of resources to UEs 10 in both uplink and downlink, configuration and provisioning of eNB measurements, radio bearer control, Radio Admission Control (RAC), and connection mobility control in LTE_ACTIVE state); (ii) a modulation and coding scheme (MCS); (iii) a transport block (TB) scaling factor; and (iv) a Physical Downlink Control Channel (PDCCH) aggregation level; and sending to the wireless device, in a PDCCH, an indication of a beam that the wireless device is to use for receiving information in a Physical Downlink Shared Channel (PDSCH) from the base station (see Lee, p. [0060], e.g., resource allocation information of an upper-layer control message such as a random access response transmitted over PDSCH).
Regarding claim 105, the combined teaching of Kim, Zhang and Lee disclose the method of claim 94, wherein the method performed by the base station further comprises: sending a random access (RA) response message to the wireless device, wherein the RA response message is a response to the first message (see Lee, Fig. 6, p. [0069-0070], e.g., the eNB sends a random access response, and p. [0095]).
Regarding claim 106, the combined teaching of Kim, Zhang and Lee the method of claim 105, further comprising: evaluating the information in the CSI report for one or more reference signals to determine one or more of: (i) uplink and/or downlink beams to use for subsequent transmissions between the base station and the wireless device (see Lee, p. [0039], e.g., eNB 20 may perform functions of selection for MME/SAE gateway 30, routing toward the gateway during a Radio Resource Control (RRC) activation, scheduling and transmitting of paging messages, scheduling and transmitting of Broadcast Channel (BCCH) information, dynamic allocation of resources to UEs 10 in both uplink and downlink, configuration and provisioning of eNB measurements, radio bearer control, Radio Admission Control (RAC), and connection mobility control in LTE_ACTIVE state); (ii) a modulation and coding scheme (MCS); (iii) a transport block (TB) scaling factor; and (iv) a Physical Downlink Control Channel, (PDCCH) aggregation level; and wherein the RA response message is sent in a PDCCH, wherein the RA response message indicates a beam that the wireless device is to use for receiving information in a Physical Downlink Shared Channel (PDSCH) from the base station (see Lee, p. [0060], e.g., resource allocation information of an upper-layer control message such as a random access response transmitted over PDSCH).
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
The following is a quotation of the appropriate paragraphs of 35 U.S.C. 102 that form the basis for the rejections under this section made in this Office action:
A person shall be entitled to a patent unless –
(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.
Claim 108 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Kim et al (US 2019/0165847) (hereinafter Kim).
Regarding claim 108, Kim discloses a base station, the base station comprising: power supply circuitry configured to supply power to the base station; and processing circuitry configured to: receive a first message from the wireless device in a Physical Uplink Shared Channel (PUSCH), wherein the first message comprises a Channel State Information (CSI) report comprising information for one or more reference signals transmitted by the base station (see Kim, Fig. 6, p. [0154], e.g., the UE measures CSI based on configuration information related to the CSI (S620) and p. [0155], e.g., measuring the CSI may include (1) receiving a CSI-RS by the UE (S621) and (2) computing CSI based on the received CSI-RS (S622), and p. [0162], e.g., the UE reports the measured CSI to the base station (S630), and p. [0127], e.g., a PUSCH CSI reporting mode in which the UE needs to operate is informed for the UE in advance via a higher layer message, and p. [0709], e.g., the CSI report on the PUSCH based on the second value, and [0718]).
Conclusion
Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). 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 MINH TRANG T NGUYEN whose telephone number is (571)270-5248. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 8:30am-6:00pm.
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/MINH TRANG T NGUYEN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2477
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