DETAILED ACTION
Response to Amendment
The amendment filed on 10/28/2025 has been entered. Claims 6, 13, 15 and 17-18 have been cancelled, claims 1-5, 7-12, 14 and 16 have been amended, and claims 1-5, 7-12, 14 and 16 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 .
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.
The factual inquiries 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, 4, 8, 11 and 16 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Noh et al. (US 2018/0375557 A1); in view of Lee et al. (US 2016/0119047 A1).
Regarding claims 1 and 8; Noh discloses performing, by the transmitting STA, a hybrid feedback with a receiving STA (a base station instructs an implicit CSI feedback or an explicit CSI feedback; see paragraph [0235] and Fig. 11); and obtaining, by the transmitting STA, channel state information (CSI) based on the hybrid feedback (a terminal transmits CSI feedback based on received explicit/implicit scheme indicator; see paragraph [0235] and Fig. 11), wherein the hybrid feedback is a method in which both an explicit feedback and an implicit feedback are used (both implicit and explicit feedback are performed; see paragraph [0235] and Fig. 11); wherein the explicit feedback is performed based on both the transmitting STA and receiving STA having high-end capability (the explicit CSI feedback is performed in the NR-MIMO system; see paragraph [0008]), wherein the implicit feedback is performed based on at least one of the transmitting STA and the receiving STA having limited capability (the implicit CSI feedback is performed in a single user case; see paragraph [0008]); wherein the high-end capability or the limited capability relates to capability related to processing, power resources, and frequency resources (in an NR-MIMO system, it contains high-order channels (frequency resources), high-order multi-users (high processing) and high antennas (transmission power resource); see paragraphs [0007] – [0008]).
Noh discloses a hybrid CSI feedback is performed between a base station and a terminal.
Noh does not explicitly disclose using NDPA and NDP frames to perform CSI feedback.
Lee discloses wherein based on the explicit feedback being performed (the Rx node may
allow explicit sounding; see paragraphs [0080], [0082] and Fig. 5), further comprising:
transmitting, by the transmitting STA, a first Null Data Packet Announcement (NDPA) frame to the receiving STA (a Tx node transmits a NDPA frame; the Tx node may indicate in the NDPA what kind of feedback information the Rx node should provide in the CSI feedback information; see paragraphs [0080], [0082] and Fig. 5); transmitting, by the transmitting STA, a first Null Data Packet (NDP) frame to the receiving STA (Tx node transmits a NDP frame after the NDPA frame; see paragraphs [0080], [0082] and Fig. 5); and receiving, by the transmitting STA, a feedback field from the receiving STA (the Tx node receives CSI feedback; see paragraph [0082] and Fig. 5), wherein the CSI is obtained based on the feedback field (in explicit sounding, the Rx node my utilize the NDP to compute a feedback and transmit the feedback as the CSI feedback information; see paragraph [0082]), wherein based on the implicit feedback being performed (the Rx node may allow implicit sounding; see paragraph [0083] and Fig. 5), further comprising: transmitting, by the transmitting STA, a second NDPA frame to the receiving STA (the Tx node may transmit an NDPA to the Rx node; the Tx node may indicate in the NDPA what kind of feedback information the Rx node should provide in the CSI feedback information and/or in what format the feedback information should be provided; see paragraph [0083]); receiving, by the transmitting STA, a second NDP frame from the receiving STA (the Rx node may transmit an NDP to the Tx node; see paragraph [0083]), and wherein the CSI is estimated based on the second NDP frame (the Tx node may utilize the NDP frame to determine a beamforming matrix; see paragraph [0083]).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine the teachings of Noh and Lee to use NDPA frame to notify a Rx node of an intend of transmitting data packet (see paragraph [0080] of Lee).
Specifically for claim 8; Noh discloses a transmitting station (STA) of a wireless local area network (WLAN) system (a base station; see Fig.1), the transmitting STA comprising: a transceiver (wireless communication unit; see Fig. 1) and a processor coupled to the transceiver (control unit; see Fig. 1).
Regarding claim 16; Noh discloses a receiving station (STA) of a wireless local area network (WLAN) system (a terminal in a wireless system; see Fig. 1), the receiving STA comprising: a transceiver transmitting and/or receiving a wireless signal (wireless communication unit transmits/receives a wireless signals; see Fig. 1); and a processor coupled to the transceiver (control unit; see Fig. 1), wherein the processor is adapted to: perform a hybrid feedback with a transmitting STA (the terminal performs an implicit CSI feedback or an explicit CSI feedback based on instructions transmitted from a base station; see paragraph [0235] and Fig. 11), wherein the hybrid feedback is a method in which both an explicit feedback and an implicit feedback are used (both implicit and explicit feedback are performed; see paragraph [0235] and Fig. 11), wherein the explicit feedback is performed based on both the transmitting STA and receiving STA having high-end capability (the explicit CSI feedback is performed in the NR-MIMO system; see paragraph [0008]), wherein the implicit feedback is performed based on at least one of the transmitting STA and the receiving STA having limited capability (the implicit CSI feedback is performed in a single user case; see paragraph [0008]), wherein the high-end capability or the limited capability relates to capability related to processing, power resources, and frequency resources (in an NR-MIMO system, it contains high-order channels (frequency resources), high-order multi-users (high processing) and high antennas (transmission power resource); see paragraphs [0007] – [0008]).
Noh discloses a hybrid CSI feedback is performed between a base station and a terminal.
Noh does not explicitly disclose using NDPA and NDP frames to perform CSI feedback.
Lee discloses wherein based on the explicit feedback being performed (the Rx node may
allow explicit sounding; see paragraphs [0080], [0082] and Fig. 5), further comprising: receiving, by the processor, a first Null Data Packet Announcement (NDPA) frame from the transmitting STA (a Rx node receives a NDPA frame; the Tx node may indicate in the NDPA what kind of feedback information the Rx node should provide in the CSI feedback information; see paragraphs [0080], [0082] – [0083] and Fig. 5); receiving, by the processor, a first Null Data Packet (NDP) frame from the transmitting STA (the Rx node receives a NDP frame after the NDPA frame; see paragraphs [0080], [0082] and Fig. 5); and transmitting, by the processor, a feedback field to the transmitting STA (the Rx node transmits CSI feedback; see paragraph [0082] and Fig. 5), wherein channel state information (CSI) is obtained by the transmitting STA based on the feedback field (in explicit sounding, the Rx node my utilize the NDP to compute a feedback and transmit the feedback as the CSI feedback information and/or in what format the feedback information should be provided; see paragraph [0082]), wherein based on the implicit feedback being performed (the Rx node may allow implicit sounding; see paragraph [0083] and Fig. 5), further comprising: receiving, by the processor, a second NDPA frame from the transmitting STA (the Rx node may receive an NDPA from the Tx node; the Tx node may indicate in the NDPA what kind of feedback information the Rx node should provide in the CSI feedback information; see paragraphs [0080], [0082] – [0083] and Fig. 5); transmitting, by the processor, a second NDP frame to the transmitting STA (the Rx node may transmit an NDP to the Tx node; see paragraph [0083]) , and wherein the CSI is estimated by the transmitting STA based on the second NDP frame (the Tx node may utilize the NDP frame to determine a beamforming matrix; see paragraph [0083]).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine the teachings of Noh and Lee to use NDPA frame to notify a Rx node of an intend of transmitting data packet (see paragraph [0080] of Lee).
Regarding claims 4 and 11; Noh discloses a hybrid CSI feedback is performed between a base station and a terminal.
Noh does not explicitly a NDPA frame include information related to explicit or implicit feedback.
Lee discloses wherein the first and second NDPA frames include information related to a number of times that the explicit feedback and the implicit feedback are performed in the hybrid feedback (the Rx node allows explicit sounding and implicit sounding; the Tx node may indicate in the NDPA frame format of the feedback information; see paragraphs [0082] – [0083]).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine the teachings of Noh and Lee to use NDPA frame to indicate the explicit and implicit feedback to initiate the CSI sounding procedure (see paragraph [0080] of Lee).
Claims 2 and 9 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Noh; in view of Lee; and in further view of Guo et al. (US 2019/0081748 A1).
Regarding claims 2 and 9; the combination of Noh and Lee discloses using NDPA and NDP frames to perform CSI feedback.
The combination of Noh and Lee does not explicitly disclose the NDPA frame includes information related to how many subcarriers the channel state information is measured in.
Guo discloses wherein the first and second NDPA frames further include information related to how many subcarriers the channel state information is measured in (the NDPA frame includes n STA info fields; each STA info field includes a feedback type; and may further include a number of subcarriers in group field; see paragraph [0074]).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine the teachings of Noh, Lee and Guo to include information related to how many subcarriers the channel state information is measured in to support HE NDPA (see paragraph [0073] of Guo).
Claims 3, 5, 10 and 12 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Noh; in view of Lee; and in further view of Suh et al. (US 2020/0358486 A1).
Regarding claims 3 and 10; the combination of Noh and Lee discloses using NDPA and NDP frames to perform CSI feedback.
The combination of Noh and Lee does not explicitly disclose the NDPA frame further includes information related to a number of transmissions of the NDP frames.
Suh discloses wherein the first and second NDPA frames further include information related to a number of transmissions of the NDP frames (the OBSS CSI subfield in a NDPA frame may be used to indicate a number of NDP frames that are to be transmitted immediately following the NDPA frame; see paragraph [0060] and Fig. 4B).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine the teachings of Noh, Lee and Suh to include information related to a number of transmissions of NDP frames in order to support collaborating APs (see paragraph [0006] of Suh).
Regarding claims 5 and 12; the combination of Noh and Lee discloses using NDPA and NDP frames to perform CSI feedback.
The combination of Noh and Lee does not explicitly disclose the NDPA frame further includes information related to a number of transmissions of the NDP frames.
Suh discloses wherein based on the explicit feedback being performed, the first NDPA frame includes information related to a number of transmissions of the first NDP frame before the receiving STA transmits the feedback frame (the OBSS CSI subfield in a NDPA frame may be used to indicate a number of NDP frames that are to be transmitted immediately following the NDPA frame; the STA may transmit CBA after receiving NDP frames; the CBA frame include a feedback matrix estimated by the STA based on information received from NDPA and NDP frames; see paragraphs [0049], [0060] and Fig. 2).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine the teachings of Noh, Lee and Suh to include information related to a number of transmissions of NDP frames in order to support collaborating APs (see paragraph [0006] of Suh).
Claims 7 and 14 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Noh; in view of Lee; and in further view of Vermaniet al. (US 2017/0127385 A1).
Regarding claims 7 and 14; the combination of Noh and Lee discloses using NDPA and NDP frames to perform CSI feedback.
The combination of Noh and Lee does not explicitly disclose does not explicitly disclose the transmitting STA transmits a feedback request frame requesting the feedback frame.
Vermaniet discloses wherein the transmitting STA transmits a feedback request frame requesting the feedback frame to the receiving STA (an AP transmits a trigger frame to request feedback from STAs; see paragraph [0144] and Fig 26B).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine the teachings of Noh, Lee and Vermaniet to transmit a feedback request frame requesting the feedback frame to provide flexibility (see paragraph [0144] of Vermaniet).
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claim 1 have been considered but are moot in view of new references Noh et al. (US 2018/0375557 A1) and Lee et al. (US 2016/0119047 A1) being used in the current rejection.
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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/N.L/Examiner, Art Unit 2415
/JEFFREY M RUTKOWSKI/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2415