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 Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claim(s) 1-2 and 4-17 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.
Claim(s) 1-2, 4-7, and 12-17 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Stirling-Gallacher US 2019/0053213 A1 (hereinafter referred to as “Stirling-Gallacher”) in view of Kumagi et al. US 2018/0205443 A1 (hereinafter referred to as “Kumagi”). NOTE: Stirling-Gallacher was cited by the applicant in the IDS received 30 December 2022.
As to claim 1, Stirling-Gallacher teaches a method performed by a radio access network, RAN, node of a wireless communication network for directing wireless signals towards a number of wireless devices, the RAN node comprising multiple antennas, the method comprising:
transmitting, towards the number of wireless devices and through the multiple antennas (¶¶33-35; figure 1: access node serves UEs by transmitting to the UEs using multiple antennas), at least a first set of reference signals and a second set of reference signals (¶¶46-47; figures 3A and 3B: access node/TRP sounds first reference signals using first beam group and second reference signals using second beam group), the first and second set of reference signals having mutually different elevation beamforming weights for different elevation transmission directions, wherein elevation transmission direction signifies transmission at an elevation angle towards a horizontal direction, each elevation angle is different from zero (¶¶46-47; figures 3A and 3B: first reference beams having beamforming weights for beam elevation direction/angles E1, E2, and E3 and second reference beams having beamforming weights for beam elevation direction/angles E4, E5, and E6);
receiving, from the number of wireless devices, information on channel quality of the at least first and second set of reference signals (¶48; figures 3A, 3B, and 5A: receive information regarding the first and second set of reference signals from the UEs based on UE measurements such as RSRP, RSRQ, signal strength, etc.);
determining, based on the received information on channel quality, elevation beamforming weights for a selected transmission elevation angle for the number of wireless devices (¶¶69-74 and 101; figure 5A: use the feedback information to determine appropriate parameters (beamforming weights/angles) for transmissions to the UEs); and
transmitting data towards the number of wireless devices in an elevation transmission direction corresponding to the selected transmission elevation angle using the determined elevation beamforming weights (¶101; figure 5A: communicate with the UEs according to the determined parameters (beamforming weights/angles)).
Although Stirling-Gallacher teaches “A method…beamforming weights,” Stirling-Gallacher does not explicitly disclose “each elevation…transform operation”.
However, Kumagi teaches each elevation beamforming weight is part of a time domain digital beamforming weight matrix that encodes both elevation angle parameters and azimuth angle parameters, the weight matrix being applied as common beamforming weights after inverse fast Fourier transform operation (¶¶86-87 and 105; figures 8 and 13: analog (time domain) beamforming matrix includes weights according to azimuth angles and zenith angles, the analog beamforming weight matrix being applied in the analog domain after IFFT in the digital domain).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to improve upon the method described in Stirling-Gallacher by including “each elevation…transform operation” as taught by Kumagi because it provides Stirling-Gallacher’s method with the enhanced capability of using feedback to adjust the matrix to achieve an actually desired or expected directional beam pattern (Kumagi, ¶¶86-87 and 104-105; figures 8 and 13).
As to claim 2, Stirling-Gallacher in view of Kumagi teaches the method according to claim 1. Stirling-Gallacher further teaches further comprising:
transmitting, towards the number of wireless devices through the multiple antennas, a third set of reference signals, the third set of reference signals being transmitted in the elevation transmission direction corresponding to the selected transmission elevation angle;
receiving, from the number of wireless devices, information on channel quality of the third set of reference signals; determining, based on the received information on channel quality of the third set of reference signals, updated elevation beamforming weights for the selected transmission elevation angle; and
transmitting data towards the number of wireless devices in the elevation direction corresponding to the selected transmission elevation angle using the determined updated elevation beamforming weights (¶85; figures 4A and 4B steps 409, 413, 425 and figure 5A steps 507, 509, 517).
As to claim 4, Stirling-Gallacher in view of Kumagi teaches the method according to claim 1. Stirling-Gallacher further teaches further comprising:
transmitting, to the number of wireless devices, a restriction instruction instructing the number of wireless devices to determine the information on channel quality from only one of the first and the second set of reference signals at a time and to transmit to the RAN node the information on channel quality of the first set of reference signals separate from the information on channel quality of the second set of reference signals (¶103; figure 5A).
As to claim 5, Stirling-Gallacher in view of Kumagi teaches the method according to claim 1. Stirling-Gallacher further teaches further comprising:
configuring the number of wireless devices to receive both the first and the second set of reference signals before the number of wireless devices is to transmit the information on channel quality of the at least first and second set of reference signals to the RAN node (¶103; figures 4A, 5A, and 5B).
As to claim 6, Stirling-Gallacher in view of Kumagi teaches the method according to claim 5. Stirling-Gallacher further teaches wherein the configuring comprises instructing the number of wireless devices to determine which one of the first and second set of reference signals that has the best channel quality, and wherein the received information on channel quality is an indication of the selected transmission elevation angle based on the determination which one of the first and second set of reference signals that has the best channel quality (¶86; figure 4A).
As to claim 7, Stirling-Gallacher in view of Kumagi teaches the method according to claim 1. Stirling-Gallacher further teaches further comprising:
selecting the transmission elevation angle for the number of wireless devices based on the received information on channel quality of the at least first and second set of reference signals (¶69; figure 4A).
As to claim 12, Stirling-Gallacher teaches a method performed by a wireless device of a wireless communication network for receiving wireless signals from a RAN node comprising multiple antennas, the method comprising:
receiving, from the RAN node (¶¶33-35; figure 1: UE of UEs served by access node receives using multiple antennas), at least a first set of reference signals and a second set of reference signals (¶¶46-47; figures 3A and 3B: access node/TRP sounds first reference signals using first beam group and second reference signals using second beam group), the first and second set of reference signals having mutually different elevation beamforming weights for different elevation transmission directions, wherein elevation transmission direction signifies transmission at an elevation angle towards a horizontal direction, each elevation angle is different from zero (¶¶46-47; figures 3A and 3B: first reference beams having beamforming weights for beam elevation direction/angles E1, E2, and E3 and second reference beams having beamforming weights for beam elevation direction/angles E4, E5, and E6);
determining channel quality of the at least first and second set of reference signals;
transmitting, to the RAN node, information on the determined channel quality of the at least first and second set of reference signals (¶48; figures 3A, 3B, and 5A: transmit information regarding the first and second set of reference signals to the access node/TRP based on performed measurements such as RSRP, RSRQ, signal strength, etc.); and
receiving data from the RAN node, the data being received from the RAN node in an elevation transmission direction corresponding to an elevation transmission angle based on the transmitted information on channel quality of the at least first and second set of reference signals (¶101; figure 5A: communicate with the access node/TRP according to the transmitted feedback/parameters (beamforming weights/angles)).
Although Stirling-Gallacher teaches “A method…reference signals,” Stirling-Gallacher does not explicitly disclose “each elevation…transform operation”.
However, Kumagi teaches each elevation beamforming weight is part of a time domain digital beamforming weight matrix that encodes both elevation angle parameters and azimuth angle parameters, the weight matrix being applied as common beamforming weights after inverse fast Fourier transform operation (¶¶86-87 and 105; figures 8 and 13: analog (time domain) beamforming matrix includes weights according to azimuth angles and zenith angles, the analog beamforming weight matrix being applied in the analog domain after IFFT in the digital domain).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to improve upon the method described in Stirling-Gallacher by including “each elevation…transform operation” as taught by Kumagi because it provides Stirling-Gallacher’s method with the enhanced capability of using feedback to adjust the matrix to achieve an actually desired or expected directional beam pattern (Kumagi, ¶¶86-87 and 104-105; figures 8 and 13).
As to claim 13, Stirling-Gallacher in view of Kumagi in view of Kumagi teaches the method according to claim 12. Stirling-Gallacher further teaches wherein the information on channel quality of the at least first and second set of reference signals comprises information indicating elevation beamforming weights to be used by the RAN node when transmitting data towards the wireless device (¶48; figures 3A, 3B, and 5A).
As to claim 14, Stirling-Gallacher in view of Kumagi teaches the method according to claim 12. Stirling-Gallacher further teaches further comprising:
receiving, from the RAN node, a third set of reference signals in the elevation transmission direction determined from the transmitted information on channel quality of the at least first and second set of reference signals;
determining channel quality of the third set of reference signals; and
transmitting, to the RAN node, information on the determined channel quality of the third set of reference signals; and
receiving data from the RAN node, in the elevation transmission direction (¶85; figures 4A and 4B steps 409, 413, 425 and figure 5A steps 507, 509, 517).
As to claim 15, claim 15 is rejected the same way as claim 4.
As to claim 16, claim 16 is rejected the same way as claim 5.
As to claim 17, claim 17 is rejected the same way as claim 1.
Claim(s) 8-11 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Stirling-Gallacher in view of Kumagi as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of Zhang et al. US 2020/0044704 A1 (hereinafter referred to as “Zhang”). NOTE: Zhang was cited by the applicant in the IDS received 30 December 2022.
As to claim 8, Stirling-Gallacher in view of Kumagi teaches the method according to claim 1.
Although Stirling-Gallacher in view of Kumagi teaches “The method according to claim 1,” Stirling-Gallacher in view of Kumagi does not explicitly disclose “the number…beamforming weights”.
However, Zhang teaches the number of wireless devices comprises a plurality of wireless devices, the method further comprising:
obtaining transmission elevation angles for individual of the plurality of wireless devices based on the received information on channel quality of the at least first and second set of reference signals,
wherein the determining of elevation beamforming weights comprises determining elevation beamforming weights for a transmission elevation angle range covering the transmission elevation angles of the individual of the plurality of wireless devices, and wherein the transmitting of data comprises transmitting of data towards the plurality of wireless devices in the same time-frequency resource in an elevation transmission direction corresponding to the transmission elevation angle range using the determined elevation beamforming weights (¶¶148-150; figure 27).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to improve upon the method described in Stirling-Gallacher in view of Kumagi by including “the number…beamforming weights” as taught by Zhang because it provides Stirling-Gallacher in view of Kumagi’s method with the enhanced capability of clustering UEs that share similar preferences thereby reducing complexity (Zhang, ¶¶148-150; figure 27).
As to claim 9, Stirling-Gallacher in view of Kumagi, and further in view of Zhang teaches the method according to claim 8.
Zhang further teaches the plurality of wireless devices is less than a threshold number (¶¶148-150; figure 27).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to improve upon the method described in Stirling-Gallacher in view of Kumagi, and further in view of Zhang by including “the plurality of wireless devices is less than a threshold number” as further taught by Zhang for the same rationale as set forth in claim 8 (Zhang, ¶¶148-150; figure 27).
As to claim 10, Stirling-Gallacher in view of Kumagi teaches the method according to claim 1.
Although Stirling-Gallacher in view of Kumagi teaches “The method according to claim 1,” Stirling-Gallacher in view of Kumagi does not explicitly disclose “the number…beamforming weights”.
However, Zhang teaches the number of wireless devices comprises a plurality of wireless devices, the method further comprising:
obtaining transmission elevation angles for individual of the plurality of wireless devices based on the received information on channel quality of the at least first and second set of reference signals; and
grouping the plurality of wireless devices into at least a first group and a second group depending on their obtained individual transmission elevation angles,
wherein the determining of elevation beamforming weights comprises determining first elevation beamforming weights for a selected first transmission elevation angle for the first group and determining second elevation beamforming weights for a selected second transmission elevation angle for the second group,
wherein the transmitting of data comprises transmitting of data towards the first group of wireless devices in a first time-frequency resource in an elevation transmission direction corresponding to the first transmission elevation angle using the determined first elevation beamforming weights, and transmitting of data towards the second group of wireless devices in a second time-frequency resource in an elevation transmission direction corresponding to the second transmission elevation angle using the determined second elevation beamforming weights (¶¶117, 131, 148-150; figures 22 and 27).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to improve upon the method described in Stirling-Gallacher in view of Kumagi by including “the number…beamforming weights” as taught by Zhang because it provides Stirling-Gallacher in view of Kumagi’s method with the enhanced capability of clustering UEs that share similar preferences and serving them appropriately, thereby reducing complexity (Zhang, ¶¶117, 131, 148-150; figures 22 and 27).
As to claim 11, Stirling-Gallacher in view of Kumagi, and further in view of Zhang teaches the method according to claim 10.
Zhang further teaches the plurality of wireless devices is the same or more than a threshold number (¶¶117, 131, 148-150; figures 22 and 27).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to improve upon the method described in Stirling-Gallacher in view of Kumagi, and further in view of Zhang by including “the plurality of wireless devices is same or more than a threshold number” as further taught by Zhang for the same rationale as set forth in claim 10 (Zhang, ¶¶117, 131, 148-150; figures 22 and 27).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claim 3 is 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
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure:
Ibrahim et al. US 2020/0304182 A1 – Multi-User Precoders Based on Partial Reciprocity
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/JUSTIN T VAN ROIE/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2469
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