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 .
Continued Examination Under 37 CFR 1.114
1. 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and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114.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 03/06/2026 has been entered.
Response to Arguments
2. Applicant’s arguments filed on 02/10/2026 regarding claims 1-20 in the remarks are fully considered but moot in view of new ground(s) of rejection.
Response to Amendments
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
2. 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.
3. Claim(s) 1, 2, 7, 17, 18, and 20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Ray (US PG Pub. No. 2021/0185588).
As per claim 1:
Ray teaches an information transmission method, applied to a first node device (see paragraph [0005], teaches a method of wireless communication at a repeater. The method includes transmitting a beacon signal that indicates a presence of the repeater and receiving a signal from at least one base station within a time-frequency resource that is shared by a set of neighboring base stations in response to transmitting the beacon signal. Note: Examiner is reading said base station as said first node device) and comprising:
coordinating target information with a second node device, the first node device being a base station, and the second node device being a base station (see Figure 3, step 330, paragraphs [0098]-[0099], in response to receiving the beacon from the repeater 310, the base station 315 and base station 320 may perform ICIC functions in order to quantify potential interference to or from repeater 310 . Note: Examiner is reading the amount of interference to or from the repeater 310 as said target information);
and determining, based on the target information, working information of a third node device (see paragraph [0100], in response determining the interference to or from the repeater 310 exceeds a threshold, base stations 315 and 320 identify various countermeasures to avoid or mitigate such interference. Such counter measures involve identifying time and/or frequency resources to use for communications that avoid or mitigate such interference. For example, the time and/or frequency resources may be used by the base stations 315 and 320 for its communications including UE and the repeater 305. Note: Examiner is reading said repeater 305 as said third node device and the time and/or frequency resources selected to mitigate the interference as said working information);
wherein the target information comprises at least one of first information (see paragraphs [0098]-[0100], examiner is reading interference experienced at base station 315 as a result of transmission from repeater 310 as said first information), second information (see paragraphs [0098]-[0100], examiner is reading interference experienced at base station 320 as a result of transmission from repeater 310 as said second information), feedback information for the first information (Note: Limitation(s) is/are recited in alternate form and thus not addressed by the prior art(s) of record), and feedback information for the second information (Note: Limitation(s) is/are recited in alternate form and thus not addressed by the prior art(s) of record);
the first information is working information of the third node device expected by the first node device (as explained earlier in paragraphs [0098]-[0100], examiner is reading interference experienced at base station 315 as a result of transmission from repeater 310 as said first information);
the second information is working information of the third node device expected by the second node device (as explained earlier in paragraphs [0098]-[0100], examiner is reading interference experienced at base station 320 as a result of transmission from repeater 310 as said second information);
the determined working information of the third node device comprises identification information of the third node device (see paragraph [0099], in some aspects the base station 320 may transmit a signal to base station 315 indicating that is has received the beacon signal from the repeater 310. And thus, identifying the third device, i.e., the repeater);
and the determined working information of the third node device further comprises at least one of the following:
on/off information of switch elements of reflecting or refracting units in the third node device (Note: Limitation(s) is/are recited in alternate form and thus not addressed by the prior art(s) of record);
a working mode of the third node device (Note: Limitation(s) is/are recited in alternate form and thus not addressed by the prior art(s) of record);
phase related information (Note: Limitation(s) is/are recited in alternate form and thus not addressed by the prior art(s) of record);
amplitude related information (Note: Limitation(s) is/are recited in alternate form and thus not addressed by the prior art(s) of record);
polarization related information, wherein the polarization related information is
polarization information of each reflecting unit or refracting unit in the third node device (Note: Limitation(s) is/are recited in alternate form and thus not addressed by the prior art(s) of record);
and frequency related information (see paragraph [0038], identify/allocate resources (e.g., time and/or frequency resources)).
As per claim 2:
Ray teaches the information transmission method according to claim 1, wherein after the determining working information of a third node device, the method further comprises: sending the determined working information of the third node device to the third node device (see paragraph [0100], disclose respective base stations 315 and 320 may schedule first and second set of resources used for uplink and downlink communications. Paragraph [0101] further states, accordingly, time and/or frequency resources may be used for signal received by a repeater 310 from base station 315, UE 305 and/or base station 320. Thus, it is evident that the information regarding the scheduled resources is sent to the repeater 310).
As per claim 7:
Ray teaches the information transmission method according to claim 1,
wherein the coordinating target information with a second node device comprises:
sending the first information to the second node device (see paragraph [0099], base station 315 and base station 310 may coordinate with each other over a wired and/or wireless backhaul in order to quantity potential interference to or from repeater 310. Paragraph [0100], disclose the respective base stations may determine the time and/or frequency resources for communication involving said repeater); and
receiving third information sent by the second node device, wherein the third
information comprises at least one of the second information (see paragraph [0127], disclose coordinating scheduling of time-frequency resources with one or more neighboring base stations) and the feedback information for the first information (Note: Limitation(s) is/are recited in alternate form and thus not addressed by the prior art(s) of record).
As per claim 17:
Ray teaches an information transmission method, applied to a third
node device (see abstract. Note: Examiner is reading said repeater as said third node device) and comprising:
obtaining working information of the third node device sent by a first node device and/or a second node device, wherein the working information is determined through coordination between the first node device and the second node device (see paragraph [0100], disclose respective base stations 315 and 320 may schedule first and second set of resources used for uplink and downlink communications. Paragraph [0101] further states, accordingly, time and/or frequency resources may be used for signal received by a repeater 310 from base station 315, UE 305 and/or base station 320. Thus, it is evident that the information regarding the scheduled resources is sent to the repeater 310), and the first node device is a base station, and the second node device is a base station (see Figure 3, paragraphs [0098]-[0099], base stations 315 and 320);
and performing a target operation based on the working information of the third node device (see paragraph [0101], time and/or frequency resources may be used for signal received by a repeater 310 from base station 315, UE 305 and/or base station 320. Note: Examiner is reading said “target operation” as said reception of signal by repeater from base station 315 for example);
wherein the working information comprises identification information of the third node device (see paragraph [0101], disclose time and/or frequency resources may be used for a signal received by repeater 310 from base station 315);
and the working information further comprises at least one of the following:
on/off information of switch elements of reflecting or refracting units in the third node device (Note: Limitation(s) is/are recited in alternate form and thus not addressed by the prior art(s) of record);
a working mode of the third node device (Note: Limitation(s) is/are recited in alternate form and thus not addressed by the prior art(s) of record);
phase related information (Note: Limitation(s) is/are recited in alternate form and thus not addressed by the prior art(s) of record);
amplitude related information (Note: Limitation(s) is/are recited in alternate form and thus not addressed by the prior art(s) of record);
polarization related information, wherein the polarization related information is polarization information of each reflecting unit or refracting unit in the third node device (Note: Limitation(s) is/are recited in alternate form and thus not addressed by the prior art(s) of record);
and frequency related information (see paragraph [0038], identify/allocate resources (e.g., time and/or frequency resources)).
As per claim 18:
Ray teaches the information transmission method according to claim 17, wherein the working information of the third node device is determined after the first node device and the second node device coordinate target information (see paragraph [0100], in response determining the interference to or from the repeater 310 exceeds a threshold, base stations 315 and 320 identify various countermeasures to avoid or mitigate such interference. Such counter measures involve identifying time and/or frequency resources to use for communications that avoid or mitigate such interference. For example, the time and/or frequency resources may be used by the base stations 315 and 320 for its communications including UE and the repeater 305. Note: Examiner is reading said repeater 305 as said third node device and the time and/or frequency resources selected to mitigate the interference as said working information); wherein the target information comprises at least one of first information (see paragraphs [0098]-[0100], examiner is reading interference experienced at base station 315 as a result of transmission from repeater 310 as said first information), second information (see paragraphs [0098]-[0100], examiner is reading interference experienced at base station 320 as a result of transmission from repeater 310 as said second information), feedback information for the first information (Note: Limitation(s) is/are recited in alternate form and thus not addressed by the prior art(s) of record), and feedback information for the second information (Note: Limitation(s) is/are recited in alternate form and thus not addressed by the prior art(s) of record); the first information is working information of the third node device expected by the first node device (as explained earlier in paragraphs [0098]-[0100], examiner is reading interference experienced at base station 315 as a result of transmission from repeater 310 as said first information); and the second information is working information of the third node device expected by the second node device (as explained earlier in paragraphs [0098]-[0100], examiner is reading interference experienced at base station 320 as a result of transmission from repeater 310 as said second information).
As per claim 20:
Ray teaches a node device, being a first node device (see paragraph [0005], base station as said first node device) and comprising a memory (see Figure 7, paragraph [0126], disclose device 705 may be a base station 105 comprising memory 730), a processor (see Figure 7, processor 740), and a program stored in the memory and capable of running on the processor, wherein when the program is executed by the processor (see paragraph [0131]=, memory 730 may store instructions and executed by processor 740), the following steps are implemented:
coordinating target information with a second node device, the first node device being a base station, and the second node device being a base station (see Figure 3, step 330, paragraphs [0098]-[0099], in response to receiving the beacon from the repeater 310, the base station 315 and base station 320 may perform ICIC functions in order to quantify potential interference to or from repeater 310. Note: Examiner is reading the amount of interference to or from the repeater 310 as said target information);
and determining, based on the target information, working information of a third node device (see paragraph [0100], in response determining the interference to or from the repeater 310 exceeds a threshold, base stations 315 and 320 identify various countermeasures to avoid or mitigate such interference. Such counter measures involve identifying time and/or frequency resources to use for communications that avoid or mitigate such interference. For example, the time and/or frequency resources may be used by the base stations 315 and 320 for its communications including UE and the repeater 305. Note: Examiner is reading said repeater 305 as said third node device);
wherein the target information comprises at least one of first information (see paragraphs [0098]-[0100], examiner is reading interference experienced at base station 315 as a result of transmission from repeater 310 as said first information), second information (see paragraphs [0098]-[0100], examiner is reading interference experienced at base station 320 as a result of transmission from repeater 310 as said second information), feedback information for the first information (Note: Limitation(s) is/are recited in alternate form and thus not addressed by the prior art(s) of record), and feedback information for the second information (Note: Limitation(s) is/are recited in alternate form and thus not addressed by the prior art(s) of record);
the first information is working information of the third node device expected by a first node device (as explained earlier in paragraphs [0098]-[0100], examiner is reading interference experienced at base station 315 as a result of transmission from repeater 310 as said first information);
the second information is working information of the third node device expected by the second node device (as explained earlier in paragraphs [0098]-[0100], examiner is reading interference experienced at base station 320 as a result of transmission from repeater 310 as said second information);
the determined working information of the third node device comprises identification information of the third node device (see paragraph [0099], in some aspects the base station 320 may transmit a signal to base station 315 indicating that is has received the beacon signal from the repeater 310. And thus, identifying the third device, i.e., the repeater);
and the determined working information of the third node device further comprises at least one of the following:
on/off information of switch elements of reflecting or refracting units in the third
node device (Note: Limitation(s) is/are recited in alternate form and thus not addressed by the prior art(s) of record);
a working mode of the third node device (Note: Limitation(s) is/are recited in alternate form and thus not addressed by the prior art(s) of record);
phase related information (Note: Limitation(s) is/are recited in alternate form and thus not addressed by the prior art(s) of record);
amplitude related information (Note: Limitation(s) is/are recited in alternate form and thus not addressed by the prior art(s) of record);
polarization related information, wherein the polarization related information is
polarization information of each reflecting unit or refracting unit in the third node device (Note: Limitation(s) is/are recited in alternate form and thus not addressed by the prior art(s) of record); and
frequency related information (see paragraph [0038], identify/allocate resources (e.g., time and/or frequency resources)).
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
4. 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.
5. Claim 4 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Ray in view of Matsumura (EP4061080).
As per claim 4:
Ray teaches the information transmission method according to claim 3 with the exception of:
wherein when the working information is aperiodic working information, the working information further comprises at least one of the following:
time information corresponding to the identification information;
time information corresponding to the on/off information;
time information corresponding to the phase related information;
time information corresponding to the amplitude related information;
and time information corresponding to the polarization related information.
Matsumura teaches wherein when the working information is aperiodic working information (see paragraphs [0127]-[0130], the NW may inform the relay apparatus of the respective elapsed time periods for changing the relay direction. For example, the NW may inform the relay apparatus to change the relay direction in a first period and also inform the relay apparatus to change to a relay direction in a second period. Note: Paragraph [0011] disclose the reflection or relay of a radio wave is performed mainly by a relay apparatus (also referred to as a signal reflection relay apparatus, a reflector, a meta-material reflector, etc. Therefore, said relay apparatus could an intelligent reflection surface), the working information further comprises at least one of the following:
time information corresponding to the identification information (Note: Limitation(s) is/are recited in alternate form and thus not addressed by the prior art);
time information corresponding to the on/off information (Note: Limitation(s) is/are recited in alternate form and thus not addressed by the prior art);
time information corresponding to the phase related information (Note: Limitation(s) is/are recited in alternate form and thus not addressed by the prior art);
time information corresponding to the amplitude related information (Note: Limitation(s) is/are recited in alternate form and thus not addressed by the prior art);
and time information corresponding to the polarization related information (see paragraphs [0127]-[0130], the NW may inform the relay apparatus of the respective elapsed time periods for changing the relay direction. For example, the NW may inform the relay apparatus to change the relay direction in a first period and also inform the relay apparatus to change to a relay direction in a second period).
Thus, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the application to incorporate the transmission of notification information indicating the change in direction (as disclosed in Matsumura) into Ray as a way of controlling the relay direction and a time section of the relay apparatus (please see paragraph [0117] of Matsumura).
6. Claims 15 and 16 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Ray in view of Xue (US PG Pub. No. 2019/0110208).
As per claim 15:
Ray teaches the information transmission method according to claim 1 with the exception of:
wherein the second node device is a node device belonging to a same operator as the first node device, or the second node device is a node device belonging to a different operator than the first node device;
and the third node device is a node device associated with the first node device and the second node device.
Xue teaches wherein the second node device is a node device belonging to a same operator as the first node device, or the second node device is a node device belonging to a different operator than the first node device (see paragraph [0068], access points (APs 105) may be arranged into a cluster. APs 105 from the same operator are arranged into a CoMP cooperation set. Paragraph [0068] also discloses a cluster of nearby APs are spatially far from other APs. Also, each cluster is associated with their own operator, please see paragraph [0072] and figure, operators A and B respectively);
and the third node device is a node device associated with the first node device and the second node device (see Figure 5A for example, UE 515-a receiving communications from APs 505-a and 505-b via channels h11 and h21 and thus associated with first and second APs).
Thus, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the application to incorporate the creation of access points as clusters and the inter-operator coordination of channel access between operators (as disclosed in Xue) into Ray as a way of reducing interference (please see paragraph [0069] of Xue).
As per claim 16:
Ray in view of Xue teaches the information transmission method according to claim 15.
Ray does not teach wherein the second node device has a same site address and a same antenna direction as the first node device;
or the second node device has a different site address from the first node device;
or the second node device has a different antenna direction from the first node device.
Xue teaches wherein the second node device has a same site address and a same antenna direction as the first node device (see paragraph [0031], the primary operator may broadcast a set of identifications for the number of APs of the primary operator that are scheduled to perform downlink transmissions during an upcoming transmission opportunity);
or the second node device has a different site address from the first node device (Note: Limitation(s) is/are recited in alternate form and thus not addressed by the prior art);
or the second node device has a different antenna direction from the first node device (paragraph [0028] also disclose each cluster is spatially separated from constituents from other clusters).
Thus, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the application to incorporate the creation of access points as clusters and the inter-operator coordination of channel access between operators (as disclosed in Xue) into Ray as a way of reducing interference (please see paragraph [0069] of Xue).
7. Claim 3 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Ray in view of Bao (US PG Pub. No. 20210337617).
As per claim 3:
Ray teaches the information transmission method according to claim 1 with the exception of:
wherein the working information is periodic working information or the working information is aperiodic working information.
Bao teaches wherein the working information is periodic working information or the working information is aperiodic working information (Bao, paragraph [0186], the IRS 1005 may receive explicit command from the base station 105-d indicating beam sweep pattern over an SSB time slot and thus a periodic working information).
Thus, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the application to incorporate the sending of explicit command (as disclosed in Bao) into Ray as a way of enabling the reflecting surface (i.e., IRS) to sweep through specific beams over a an SSB time slot (please see paragraph [0186] of Bao).
Allowable Subject Matter
8. Claims 5, 6, 8-14 and 19 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.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to PRINCE AKWASI MENSAH whose telephone number is (571)270-7183. The examiner can normally be reached Mon-Fri 8:00am-4:00pm.
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/PRINCE A MENSAH/Examiner, Art Unit 2474
PRINCE AKWASI. MENSAH
Examiner
Art Unit 2474
/Michael Thier/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2474
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