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 Amendment
This is in response to an amendment/response filed 9/26/2025.
No claims have been cancelled.
No claims have been added.
Claims 55-74 are now pending.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to independent claims 55, 62, and 69 (pages 8-10) in a reply filed 9/26/2025 have been considered but are moot because the arguments are based on newly changed limitations in the amendment and new ground of rejections using newly introduced references or a newly introduced portion of an existing reference 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 (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) 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.
Claim(s) 55, 56, 62, 63, 69, and 70 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Chen et al. US 20200213979 (hereinafter “Chen”) in further view of Su et al. CN 110943943 (hereinafter “Su”, citations are from the attached translation document)
As to claim 55 and 69 (claim 55 is the method claim for the apparatus in claim 69):
Chen discloses:
A method, comprising: receiving, (“A k-th SRS resource indicated by the SRI has a corresponding relationship with a k-th layer of the UL data transmission or k-th codeword, 1≤k≤L, k is an integer.”, Chen [0023]) (“receiving Uplink (UL) Sounding Reference Signal (SRS) resource configuration information transmitted from a first device, where the SRS resource configuration information indicates K SRS resources;”, Chen [0025])
and sending, by the first device (“transmitting the SRI to the second device”, Chen [0013]) first indication information (“determining an SRS Resource Indicator (SRI), where the SRI indicates L SRS resources in the K SRS resources, L is an integer that is larger than or equals 1 and L is less than or equals K”, Chen [0012]), wherein the first indication information indicates V codewords in the L codewords, V is a positive integer less than or equal to L, and the first indication information is determined based on performing measurement on the M reference signals and the L codewords. (“A k-th SRS resource indicated by the SRI has a corresponding relationship with a k-th layer of the UL data transmission or k-th codeword, 1≤k≤L, k is an integer.”, Chen [0023]) (“In block 103, the first device can select L SRS resources (1≤L≤K) and determine SRI based on the measurement of signal quality of the K SRS resources. Specifically, the first device selects L SRS resources, such as L SRS resources (target SRS resources) with the highest receiving quality, according to the preset mode of the system. Preferably, L is greater than or equal to 1. Here, the SRI value determined by the first device can include L SRS resources, that is, each SRI value corresponds to one target SRS resource.”, Chen [0095]) (“Through the above steps, the first device, as the TRP, first transmits the SRS resource configuration information, which indicates K SRS resources and is configured for the second device, to the second device. The second device receives the SRS resource configuration information, and then transmits the SRS through K SRS resources according to the SRS resource configuration information. After the first device receives the SRS transmitted from the second device, the first device optimally selects L SRS resources from K SRS resources and determines the SRI indicating the L SRS resources. Then, the first device transmits the SRI to the second device to inform the second device of the SRS resources of UL data transmission. Therefore, after receiving the SRI, the second device can use the L optimal SRS resources to complete the UL data transmission, so as to solve the problem that the existing mode cannot determine the specific implementation process of UL data transmission.”, Chen [0094])
Chen as described above does not explicitly teach a device receiving configuration information related to a number of reference signals and codewords, making measurements, and sending an indication to the network.
However, Su further teaches a device receiving configuration information related to a number of reference signals and codewords, making measurements, and sending an indication to the network which includes:
(“the network side device determining one CSI-RS configuration information for N code words, in the CSI-RS configuration information comprises N CSI-RS measurement resource parameters and a reporting feedback parameter, corresponding to the CSI-RS measurement resource parameters to N in the N CSI-RS measurement resource parameters comprising information indicating N of the CSI-RS resource corresponding to each parameter with the N in the N CSI-RS measurement resource parameters of each CSI-RS resource in one-to-one correspondence in CSI-RS resources said reporting feedback parameter is used for indicating the terminal to report the content and feedback mode; the network side device transmits the CSI-RS configuration information to the terminal.”, Su [page 2, line 32]) (“Further, the terminal determines M corresponding to the code word N according to the CSI-RS resource of channel state information (CSI) of the transmission channel, comprising:”, Su [page 6, line 14]) (“Further, the terminal determines the transmission channel state information (CSI) corresponding to the code word M of N according to the CSI-RS resource, comprising….”, Su [page 9, line 22]) (“the terminal estimates the noise received by the terminal, and/or according to the third CSI-RS resource the terminal estimates the interference estimated value of the other interference received by the terminal according to the third CSI-RS resource.”, Su [page 6, line 28])
Chen and Su area analogous because they pertain to determining codewords based on reference signals.
Thus it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to include a device receiving configuration information related to a number of reference signals and codewords, making measurements, and sending an indication to the network as described in Su into Chen. By modifying the method to include a device receiving configuration information related to a number of reference signals and codewords, making measurements, and sending an indication to the network as taught by Su, the benefits of improved beam training (Chen [0006] and Su [page 16, line 38]) are achieved.
As to claim 56 and 70 (claim 56 is the method claim for the apparatus in claim 70):
Chen discloses:
The method according to claim 55, wherein the first configuration information comprises M first fields, and the M first fields carry the codewords associated with the M reference signals. (“Further, in order to achieve that the corresponding relationship between the SRS resource indicated by the SRI and the layer of the UL data transmission is more definitely indicated and determined by the SRI, further, the k-th SRS resource indicated by the SRI has a corresponding relationship with the k-th layer or k-th codeword of the UL data transmission, 1≤k≤L k is an integer.”, Chen [0118]) (“Here, taking k=1 for example, there is a corresponding relationship between the first SRS resource indicated by the SRI and the first layer or first codeword of the UL data transmission. That is, when the second device performs the UL data transmission, the first SRS resource (first SRS resource) is used to transmit the first UL data transmission layer (the first layer of the UL data transmission), or the first SRS resource (first SRS resource) is used to transmit all layers of the UL data transmission of the first codeword (first codeword).”, Chen [0119])
As to claim 62:
Claim 62 is rejected on the same grounds of rejection set forth in claim 55 from the perspective of the transmission end.
As to claim 63:
Claim 63 is rejected on the same grounds of rejection set forth in claim 56 from the perspective of the transmission end.
Claim(s) 57, 64, and 71 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Chen in view of Su, as applied to claim 55 above, and further in view of Zhang et al. US 20130039162 (hereinafter “Zhang”)
As to claim 57 and 71 (claim 57 is the method claim for the apparatus in claim 71):
The combination of Su and Chen as described above does not explicitly teach:
`The method according to claim 55, wherein the first indication information indicating the V codewords in the L codewords comprises: the first indication information comprises indexes of the V codewords, and an index of an i.sup.th codeword associated with an m.sup.th reference signal in the M reference signals is Σ.sub.n=1.sup.m-1R.sub.n+(i−1) or Σ.sub.n=1.sup.m-1R.sub.n+i, wherein i=1, 2, . . . , R.sub.m, R.sub.m is a quantity of codewords associated with the m.sup.th reference signal, and m−1, 2, . . . , M
However, Zhang further teaches codeword indexing scheme which includes:
The method according to claim 55, wherein the first indication information indicating the V codewords in the L codewords comprises: the first indication information comprises indexes of the V codewords, and an index of an i.sup.th codeword associated with an m.sup.th reference signal in the M reference signals is Σ.sub.n=1.sup.m-1R.sub.n+(i−1) or Σ.sub.n=1.sup.m-1R.sub.n+i, wherein i=1, 2, . . . , R.sub.m, R.sub.m is a quantity of codewords associated with the m.sup.th reference signal, and m−1, 2, . . . , M. (“For example, the code matrix is a matrix A of N.times.M, the multiple original signals as described above are M signals L.sub.1, L.sub.2, . . . , L.sub.M, the code matrix A includes M code words [a.sub.i,1], [a.sub.i,2], . . . , [a.sub.i,M], and the respective chips of the respective code words constitute N sets of chips [a.sub.1,j], [a.sub.2,j], . . . , [a.sub.N,j]. Here, i=1 . . . N, j=1 . . . M, M and N are positive integers larger than or equal to 2, and M.ltoreq.N. The multiple multiplexed signals are N signals S.sub.1, S.sub.2, . . . , S.sub.N, in which
S.sub.1=L.sub.1.times.a.sub.1,1+L.sub.2.times.a.sub.1,2+ . . . +L.sub.M.times.a.sub.1,M;
S.sub.2=L.sub.1.times.a.sub.2,1+L.sub.2.times.a.sub.2,2+ . . . +L.sub.M.times.a.sub.2,M;
S.sub.N=L.sub.1.times.a.sub.N,1+L.sub.2.times.a.sub.N,2+ . . . +L.sub.M.times.a.sub.N,M.”, Zhang [0033])
Chen, Su, and Zhang are analogous because they both pertain to processing codewords.
Thus it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to include codeword indexing scheme as described in Zhang into Chen as modified by Su. By modifying the method to include codeword indexing scheme as taught by Zhang, the benefits of improved indexing scheme (Zhang [0033]) and improved beam training (Chen [0006] and Su [page 16, line 38]) are achieved.
As to claim 64:
Claim 64 is rejected on the same grounds of rejection set forth in claim 57 from the perspective of the transmission end.
Claim(s) 58, 61, 65, 68, and 72 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Chen in view of Su, as applied to claim 55 above, and further in view of Song et al. “Multi-Resolution Codebook and Adaptive Beamforming Sequence Design for Millimeter Wave Beam Alignment” (hereinafter “Song”)
As to claim 58 and 72 (claim 58 is the method claim for the apparatus in claim 72):
The combination of Su and Chen as described above does not explicitly teach:
The method according to claim 55, wherein the first indication information indicating the V codewords in the L codewords comprises: the first indication information indicates indexes of W reference signals and indexes of codewords associated with each of the W reference signals, wherein a w.sup.th reference signal in the W reference signals is associated with indexes of v.sub.w codewords, the W reference signals are reference signals in the M reference signals, v.sub.w is a positive integer, Σ.sub.w=1.sup.Wv.sub.w=V.
However, Song further teaches codeword indexing scheme which includes:
The method according to claim 55, wherein the first indication information indicating the V codewords in the L codewords comprises: the first indication information indicates indexes of W reference signals and indexes of codewords associated with each of the W reference signals, wherein a w.sup.th reference signal in the W reference signals is associated with indexes of v.sub.w codewords, the W reference signals are reference signals in the M reference signals, v.sub.w is a positive integer, Σ.sub.w=1.sup.Wv.sub.w=V. (Section B, Equation 22, Song)
Chen, Su, and Song are analogous because they both pertain to processing codewords.
Thus it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to include codeword indexing scheme as described in Song into Chen as modified by Su. By modifying the method to include codeword indexing scheme as taught by Song, the benefits of improved indexing scheme (Song [Section B]) and improved beam training (Chen [0006] and Su [page 16, line 38]) are achieved.
As to claim 61:
The combination of Su and Chen as described above does not explicitly teach:
The method according to claim 55, wherein the first configuration information comprises a quantity R.sub.m of codewords associated with an m.sup.th reference signal in the M reference signals, R.sub.m configures R.sub.m codewords associated with the m.sup.th reference signal, R.sub.m is a positive integer less than or equal to L, m is a positive integer less than or equal to M, and Σ.sub.m=1.sup.MR.sub.m=L.
However, Song further teaches codeword indexing scheme which includes:
The method according to claim 55, wherein the first configuration information comprises a quantity R.sub.m of codewords associated with an m.sup.th reference signal in the M reference signals, R.sub.m configures R.sub.m codewords associated with the m.sup.th reference signal, R.sub.m is a positive integer less than or equal to L, m is a positive integer less than or equal to M, and Σ.sub.m=1.sup.MR.sub.m=L. (Section B, Equation 22, Song)
Chen, Su, and Song are analogous because they both pertain to processing codewords.
Thus it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to include codeword indexing scheme as described in Song into Chen as modified by Su. By modifying the method to include codeword indexing scheme as taught by Song, the benefits of improved indexing scheme (Song [Section B]) and improved beam training (Chen [0006] and Su [page 16, line 38]) are achieved.
As to claim 65:
Claim 65 is rejected on the same grounds of rejection set forth in claim 58 from the perspective of the transmission end.
As to claim 68:
Claim 68 is rejected on the same grounds of rejection set forth in claim 61 from the perspective of the transmission end.
Claim(s) 59, 66, and 73 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Chen in view of Su, as applied to claim 55 above, and further in view of He et al. CN107171705 (hereinafter “He”)
As to claim 59 and 73 (claim 59 is the method claim for the apparatus in claim 73):
The combination of Su and Chen as described above does not explicitly teach:
The method according to claim 55, further comprising: sending third indication information, wherein the third indication information indicates at least one of first amplitude information or first energy information that corresponds to the V codewords.
However, He further teaches energy information that corresponds to codewords which includes:
The method according to claim 55, further comprising: sending third indication information, wherein the third indication information indicates at least one of first amplitude information or first energy information that corresponds to the V codewords. (“an analogue beam training stage: the base station for analogue beam training using code word wc in the codebook in which c=1, ..., 16 represents a codeword index. all users simultaneous observation and recording each code word corresponding to the reference signal receiving power, marked as k, c, where k represents the kth user, k=1, ..., 10. related information fed back by the user according to a certain feedback criteria to the base station feeds back the measured reference signal receiving power, the feedback rule definition is greater than the feedback threshold value Δ1 by the user (can be set to a value of 0 or less) of the reference signal receiving power to the base station, the feedback according to the reference signal received power Pk, c and its corresponding codeword index c.”, He [page 5, line 1])
Chen, Su, and He are analogous because they both pertain to processing codewords.
Thus it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to include energy information that corresponds to codewords as described in He into Chen as modified by Su. By modifying the method to include energy information that corresponds to codewords as taught by He, the benefits of improved indexing scheme (He [page5, line 1]) and improved beam training (Chen [0006] and Su [page 16, line 38]) are achieved.
As to claim 66:
Claim 66 is rejected on the same grounds of rejection set forth in claim 59 from the perspective of the transmission end.
Claim(s) 60, 67, and 74 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Chen in view of Su, as applied to claim 55 above, and further in view of R1-154175 (hereinafter “R1-154175”)
As to claim 60 and 74 (claim 60 is the method claim for the apparatus in claim 74):
The combination of Su and Chen as described above does not explicitly teach:
The method according to claim 55, wherein an m.sup.th reference signal in the M reference signals has two ports, and the m.sup.th reference signal is measured based on the following assumptions, wherein m=1, 2, . . . , M: a sent signal of a first port in the two ports is determined based on s.sub.1; or a sent signal of a second port in the two ports is determined based on t.sub.i×s.sub.2, wherein t.sub.i is associated with an i.sup.th codeword of the m.sup.th reference signal, i=1, 2, . . . , R.sub.m, and s.sub.1 and s.sub.2 are complex numbers determined based on reference signal sequences of the two ports.
However, R1-154175 further teaches port mapping which includes:
The method according to claim 55, wherein an m.sup.th reference signal in the M reference signals has two ports, and the m.sup.th reference signal is measured based on the following assumptions, wherein m=1, 2, . . . , M: a sent signal of a first port in the two ports is determined based on s.sub.1; or a sent signal of a second port in the two ports is determined based on t.sub.i×s.sub.2, wherein t.sub.i is associated with an i.sup.th codeword of the m.sup.th reference signal, i=1, 2, . . . , R.sub.m, and s.sub.1 and s.sub.2 are complex numbers determined based on reference signal sequences of the two ports. (Section 3.1-3.3 Proposed Codebook Design for Beamformed CSI-RS – “codebook design to support port pair selection”, R1-154175)
Chen, Su, and He are analogous because they both pertain to processing codewords.
Thus it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to include port mapping as described in R1-154175 into Chen as modified by Su. By modifying the method to include port mapping as taught by R1-154175, the benefits of port mapping (R1-154175 [3.1-3.3]) and improved beam training (Chen [0006] and Su [page 16, line 38]) are achieved.
As to claim 67:
Claim 67 is rejected on the same grounds of rejection set forth in claim 60 from the perspective of the transmission end.
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.
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/A.C.K./
Examiner
Art Unit 2471
/SUJOY K KUNDU/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2471
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