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
The following is a final office action in response to applicant’s reply, filed on 08/12/2025, to the Non-Final Office Action mailed on 05/13/2025.
Claims 1-7 are amended. Claims 1-7 are pending and addressed below.
Applicant’s amendment has overcome claim interpretation under USC 112(f) and claim rejection under 112(b) and objection to the title, previously set forth in the non-final office action.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
Claims 1, 6 and 7 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Nagata; Satoshi et al US 20150256307 A1, hereinafter Nagata, in view of KARJALAINEN; Juha Pekka US 20200028644 A1, hereinafter KARJALAINEN.
Regarding claims 1, 6 and 7, Nagata teaches, a radio communication system that performs radio communication in a first cell, the radio communication system comprising:
a base station configured to use a first resource mapping pattern as a resource mapping pattern of a specific signal including at least one of a synchronization signal and a reference signal to perform the radio communication (Nagata Fig. 2A, [40], [41], [42] teaches resource mapping pattern of cell-specific reference signals (CRS) for TP0 (Transmission Point 0 = first cell) for radio communication); and
a processor configured to set the first resource mapping pattern (Nagata Fig. 21; [40] teaches base station, having control devices such as e.g., baseband signal processing in Fig 21 204, configures resource mapping patterns),
wherein in a second cell that is adjacent to the first cell, a second radio communication system is configured to use a second resource mapping pattern as a resource mapping pattern of the specific signal to perform radio communication (Nagata Fig. 2B, [40], [41], [42] teaches resource mapping pattern of cell-specific reference signals (CRS) for TP1 (Transmission Point 1 = second cell) for radio communication, TP1 is shown to be adjacent to TP0 (see Figs. 5A, 5B)), and
the processor is configured to:
store a plurality of resource mapping pattern candidates that do not overlap with each other and are defined in advance (KARJALAINEN Figure 6, 610; [50] teaches, constructing (=defined in advance) plurality of non-overlapping reference signal patterns); and
select the first resource mapping pattern from the plurality of resource mapping pattern candidates so as not to overlap with the second resource mapping pattern (KARJALAINEN [51] “In certain embodiments, the network entity may coordinate the plurality of radio signal patterns between at least one of one or more cells or one or more TRPs. The plurality of radio signal patterns may be coordinated so as to mute at least a part of the resource elements to prevent interference of the radio signal patterns between the TRPs.”, suggests a mapping pattern that can be selected which does not overlap with the second mapping pattern of the second cell).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the invention of Nagata to include the features as taught by KARJALAINEN above in order to provide communication systems that may benefit from a multi-functional reference signal that allows for harmonization of a plurality of different reference signal patterns (KARJALAINEN [0001]).
With respect to claim 6, claim recites the identical features of claim 1 for a corresponding method. Therefore, it is subjected to the same rejection.
With respect to claim 7, claim recites the identical features of claim 1 for a corresponding control device. Therefore, it is subjected to the same rejection.
Claim 4 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Nagata in view of KARJALAINEN, as applied to the rejection of claim 1 above, and further in view of CHEN; Xianming et al US 20190372617 A1, hereinafter Chen, and further in view of Nagata; Satoshi et al US 20140307576 A1, hereinafter Nagata-2.
Regarding claim 4, Nagata, in view of KARJALAINEN, teaches the system, as outlined in the rejection of claim 1.
Nagata and KARJALAINEN do not expressly teach, wherein the processor is configured to: recognize the second resource mapping pattern based on the specific signal included in a signal transmitted from a base station of the second radio communication system; and select the first resource mapping pattern that does not overlap with the second resource mapping pattern from among the plurality of resource mapping pattern.
However, in the same field of endeavor, Chen suggests, wherein the control device is configured to: recognize the second resource mapping pattern based on the specific signal included in a signal transmitted from a base station of the second radio communication system (This limitation is interpreted as acquiring a resource mapping pattern from a received reference signal. See Chen [147] “… obtain a transmission resource and a mapping pattern for a PRS from the neighboring base station …”, PRS (Positioning Reference Signal) being a reference signal).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the invention of Nagata and KARJALAINEN to include the features as taught by Chen above in order for transmitting positioning reference signal (Chen [0001]).
Nagata and KARJALAINEN and Chen do not expressly teach, however, in the same field of endeavor, Nagata-2 suggests, select the first resource mapping pattern that does not overlap with the second resource mapping pattern from among predetermined resource mapping pattern (see Nagata-2 [72] “The patterns 1 and 2 are arbitrary patterns selected from among a plurality of patterns adjusted so that the interference measurement zero CSI-RSs do mutually not overlap”, teaching selection of a pattern from a defined multiple patterns).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the invention of Nagata and KARJALAINEN and Chen to include the features as taught by Nagata-2 above in order to measure interference from another transmission point with high accuracy dynamically (Nagata-2 [0009]).
Claim 5 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Nagata in view of KARJALAINEN, as applied to the rejection of claim 1 above, and further in view of SUN; Xiaodong US 20190356540 A1, hereinafter Sun.
Regarding claim 5, Nagata in view of KARJALAINEN teaches, the system, as outlined in the rejection of claim 1.
Nagata and KARJALAINEN do not expressly teach, however, in the same field of endeavor, Sun suggests, wherein the control device is configured to periodically switch the first resource mapping pattern between predetermined resource mapping pattern candidates (see Sun [3] teaching dynamically and frequently switching pattern of DMRS (DeModulation Reference Signal).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the invention of Nagata to include the features as taught by Sun above in order to provide a reference signal indication method (Sun [0004]).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 2 and 3 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.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claim 1 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.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
XIONG, US 20180131491 A1 - Physical Broadcast Channel Design, para [31];
IDS Reference, Kim - US 20160315745 A1 - METHOD FOR SUPPORTING
REFERENCE SIGNAL TRANSMISSION IN MULTIPLE ANTENNA- SUPPORTING
WIRELESS COMMUNICATION SYSTEM, AND APPARATUS THEREFOR
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 extension fee 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 date of this final action.
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/MAHBUBUL BAR CHOWDHURY/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2472
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