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
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and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114.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 12/16/2025 has been entered.
Response to Amendment
The amendment to the claims filed on 12/16/2025 complies with the requirements of 37 CFR 1.121(c) and has been entered. Claims 1 and 9 have been amended. Claims 2, and 10-13 are cancelled. Any objection or rejection against the cancelled claims is withdrawn.
Response to Arguments
Applicant's Arguments/Remarks filed 12/16/2025 (hereinafter Resp.) are fully considered hereinafter.
First, Applicant argues that “Harada merely discloses a PDSCH(PUSCH) mapping type A where the PDSCH(PUSCH) is transmitted in a time unit larger than a mini slot and the PDSCH(PUSCH) mapping type B where the PDSCH(PUSCH) is transmitted using a mini slot” – See Resp.,7:¶2. However, reference to Type A and Type B repetitions/mapping for PUSCH/PDSCH in [¶0199] of Harada, U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 20210345262 (hereinafter Harada) is sufficient for a person of ordinary skills in the art to appreciate that Harada refers to features described in 3GPP technical specifications before the effective filing date of the present application, e.g., 3GPP TS 38.211 V16.1.0 (2020-03), “Technical Specification Group Radio Access Network; NR; Physical channels and modulation (Release 16)” (hereinafter 3GPP TS 38.211); 3GPP TS 38.213 V16.2.0 (2020-06), “Technical Specification Group Radio Access Network; NR; Physical layer procedures for control (Release 16)” (hereinafter 3GPP TS 38.213) and 3GPP TS 38.214 V16.2.0 (2020-06) “Technical Specification Group Radio Access Network; NR; Physical layer procedures for data” (Release 16) (hereinafter 3GPP TS 38.214). For example, 3GPP TS 38.214:109-110 states that “[f]or PUSCH repetition Type B, the starting symbol S relative to the start of the slot, and the number of consecutive symbols L counting from the symbol S allocated for the PUSCH are provided by startSymbol and length of the indexed row of the resource allocation table, respectively” and “[f]or PUSCH repetition Type B, the PUSCH mapping type is set to Type B” while “[f]or PUSCH repetition Type A, the starting symbol S relative to the start of the slot, and the number of consecutive symbols L counting from the symbol S allocated for the PUSCH are determined from the start and length indicator SLIV of the indexed row” in Table 6.1.2.1-1; furthermore “[f]or PUSCH repetition Type A, the PUSCH mapping type is set to Type A or Type B as defined in Clause 6.4.1.1.3 of [4, TS 38.211] as given by the indexed row” ; see also § 6.4.1.1.3, 3GPP TS 38.211:72-75 (explaining how the first PUSCH DM-RS symbol depends on the PUSCH mapping type). Similarly, 3GPP TS 38.214:13-14 states that “the PDSCH mapping type is set to Type A or Type B as defined in Clause 7.4.1.1.2 of [4, TS 38.211]” pointing to § 7.4.1.1.2, 3GPP TS 38.211:98-99 (explaining how the first PDSCH DM-RS symbol depends on the PDSCH mapping type). Therefore, a person of ordinary skills in the art would be fully appraised of the meaning of Type A and Type B mapping at the IAB node, and would understand where to find the first DM-RS symbol in a PUSCH or a PDSCH transmission depending on the mapping type. The above references should be considered inclusive of the change requests issued the respective technical documents discussed in 3GPP RAN workgroups meetings and published before the effective filing date of the present application, e.g., those referenced in §7.2.3.3, “Mechanisms for resource multiplexing among backhaul and access links,” Draft Report of 3GPP TSG RAN WG1 #101-e v0.2.0 (Online meeting, 25th May – 5th June 2020), Source: MCC Support, published June 24, 2020 (hereinafter 3GPP R1-20xxx).
Applicant is right that Harada does not teach “IAB node determines that the MT operation and the DU operation are capable of orthogonal DMRS reception and transmission depending on starting symbol positions of the first data channel and the second data channel being the same, as described in amended claim 1” – Resp.,7:¶3. However, this feature is specifically taught in Liu et al., U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 20210044404 (hereinafter Liu), teaching a resource configuration method for “in-band relay technology . . . resolving a problem of interference between an access link and a backhaul link of a same node” – See [¶0082], wherein the IAB “node simultaneously receives data on the backhaul link and the access link, or the first node simultaneously sends data on the access link and the backhaul link” – See [¶0084], the method consisting “in multiplex[ing] two DMRS ports through code division multiplexing,” i.e., using two CDM groups, when two “DMRS port(s) occupies/occupy one symbol in time domain,” e.g., the first PUSCH/PDSCH DM-RS symbol described supra. In particular, there is no substantial difference between the Specification [¶214] (“In order for the DU of the IAB node and the DMRS received or transmitted by the MT to be orthogonal, a plurality of DMRSs within the same OFDM symbol may be orthogonally transmitted using methods of F-CDM, T-CDM, and/or FDM”) and Liu teaching “DMRS ports belonging to different CDM groups are orthogonalized through frequency division multiplexing, and DMRS ports belonging to a same CDM group are orthogonalized through (frequency domain) code division multiplexing” – See [¶¶0093-94]. Furthermore, the CDM groups disclosed in Tables 4 and 5 of the Specification, at page 23-24, are identical to those in Tables 6.4.1.1.3-1 and 6.4.1.1.3-2, 3GPP TS 38.211:75, applied to antenna ports starting with 1000 used for PUSCH/PDSCH.
When Liu teaches two methods to orthogonalize DMRS ports for one-symbol DMRS design – See [¶0093] and [¶0094], it ca not be argued that “Liu merely discloses "DMRS configuration type information" of a slot, and a "CDM group identifier" for different CDM groups” – See Resp., 7:¶4 (emphasis added), without specifically pointing out how the language of the amended claims patentably distinguishes them from this reference.
In sum, Applicant’s arguments regarding the combination of Harada and Liu failing to teach the amended limitations are not persuasive.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112(b)
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
Amended Claims 1 and 9 and their dependent claims are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
Regarding Amended Claim 1, it recites the limitations "an MT operation with the parent node" and "a DU operation with the child node" after the limitation "an initial access operation with a parent node and a child node." It is unclear whether the recited MT and DU operations are different from "an initial access operation," or are part of "an initial access operation," e.g., a PRACH from the IAB-MT to its parent/donor and a PRACH from the child node to the IAB-DU. Therefore, there is insufficient antecedent basis for these two limitations in the claim. MPEP §2175.05(e) (stating: “A claim is indefinite when it contains words or phrases whose meaning is unclear,” citing In re Packard, 751 F.3d 1307, 1314, 110 USPQ2d 1785, 1789 (Fed. Cir. 2014)).
Here, under the plain meaning of the terms “an initial access operation”, “an MT operation with the parent node,” and “a DU operation with the child node” and using the BRI of a person of ordinary skills in the art in light of the Specification, the required limitations could be reasonably understood as: (1) only one “initial access operation” comprising one “MT operation with the parent node” and/or one “DU operation with the child node”; or (2) one “initial access operation” followed by two other operations: “an MT operation with the parent node” and “a DU operation with the child node.” The distinction is important because in case (1) MT operation at the IAB node is transmission (MT TX) of an uplink PRACH, while the only possible DU operation is reception (DU RX) of an uplink PRACH transmitted by the child node; furthermore, PRACH operations are based on configurations received by the UE/IAB-MT in SIB1, and the response to the initial access is an UL grant in a msgB/Msg3 depending on the RACH type configured to the UE; in case (2) “an MT operation with the parent node” may be either MT TX or MT RX, while “a DU operation with the child node” may be either DU TX or DU RX; furthermore, the resource allocations for these operations may be preconfigured or received in DCIs of different formats. To be sure, the Specification also discloses two different embodiments depending on the particle preceding the “MT operation” and the “DU operation” limitations – See [¶224],[¶233], Fig. 19 and Fig. 20, therefore leaving a person of ordinary skills in the art unclear as to the distinct requirement of the claimed invention. Amended Claim 9 suffers from the same deficiency. In addition, both claims require “an initial access operation with a parent node and a child node” when a person of ordinary skills in the art knows that the initial access procedure of the child node to the IAB node is different depending whether the child node is a UE or another IAB Node.
Therefore, Amended Claims 1 and 9 and their dependent claims are rejected under 35 U.S.C. § 112(b) for indefiniteness. For examination purposes case (2) will be considered to avoid confusion regarding the details of the initial access operation over a backhaul link versus an access link. Applicant can overcome the rejection by clarifying whether the intent of the requirement falls within case (1) or case (2) and, in each case, whether the child node is accessed over access link or backhaul.
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.
This application currently names joint inventors. In considering patentability of the claims the examiner presumes that the subject matter of the various claims was commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the claimed invention(s) absent any evidence to the contrary. Applicant is advised of the obligation under 37 CFR 1.56 to point out the inventor and effective filing dates of each claim that was not commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the later invention in order for the examiner to consider the applicability of 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(2)(C) for any potential 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) prior art against the later invention.
Claims 1, 3-9, as amended, are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Harada, U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 20210345262 (hereinafter Harada), and further in view of Liu et al., U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 20210044404 (hereinafter Liu).
Regarding Amended Claim 1, Harada teaches a method (“a method for appropriately controlling the transmission/reception frame timings of the IAB node” – See [¶0065] to remedy “mismatch in transmission/reception timings in an IAB node” with both IAB-MT and IAB-DU functions – See [¶0059] and Fig. 7; see also IAB Node B in Fig. 2) comprising:
performing, by an integrated access and backhaul (IAB) node including an IAB-mobile terminal (MT) and an IAB-distributed unit (DU) (e.g., IAB Node B in Fig, 1 “may have at least one function such as Distribution Unit (DU), Central Unit (CU), Mobile Termination (MT), or the like. Therefore, the IAB node may function as a base station or as a user terminal (User Equipment (UE))“ – See [¶0024], and “can use the same frequency for backhaul and UE access simultaneously or by switching, and thus it is expected to improve frequency utilization efficiency,” e.g., “a backhaul link and an access link may be multiplexed using at least one of time division multiplexing (TDM), frequency division multiplexing (FDM), or space division multiplexing (SDM)” – See [¶0027]; furthermore, “the control unit 301 may control the own base station 10 to function as the user terminal 20 . . . assuming that the upper IAB node is another base station” – See [¶0154] and Fig. 9, and “may perform control that functions as an IAB node (may be referred to as a radio communication apparatus). Signals, channels, and the like transmitted and received between the base station 10 and the user terminal 20 may be used in NR communication between IAB nodes” – See [¶0152]),
an initial access operation with a parent node and a child node (e.g., as shown in Fig. 1, IAB Node B connections, whereby “the IAB node A is the parent of the IAB node B and the IAB node B is the parent of the IAB node C” – See [¶0030], and the “lower IAB node may be referred to as a child IAB node, a child node, a lower node, and the like” – See [¶0029] or the child node may be UE B1; and the children nodes would perform initial access operation in the uplink using “a random access channel (physical random access channel (PRACH))” – See [¶0130]),
performing, by the IAB node, an MT operation with the parent node2 (e.g., as shown in Fig. 2, IAB Node B performs BH DL RX operation across slots #1-2 after the initial channel access operation to IAB Node A); and
performing, by the IAB node, a DU operation with the child node, (e.g., as shown in Fig.2, IAB Node B performs a BH UL RX, at slot #7, from child node IAB Node C, i.e., a backhaul operation, and/or UL TX at slot #3 with UE B, i.e., an access link operation),
wherein a symbol position of a demodulation reference signal (DMRS) depends on a mapping type of a data channel for the IAB node (e.g., IAB node B , a “control unit 301 controls scheduling of synchronization signals (for example, PSS/SSS), downlink reference signals (for example, CRS, CSI-RS, DMRS)” – See [¶0145], and ”outputs these signals to the mapping unit 303” – See [¶0146] while “[t]he received signal processing unit 304 outputs, to the control unit 301, information decoded by the receiving process” – See [¶0150] depending on a “numerology [i.e., sub-carrier spacing3] a communication parameter used for at least one of transmission or reception of a certain signal or channel” including “a symbol length, a cyclic prefix length, a transmission time interval (TTI), the number of symbols per TTI, a radio frame configuration. specific filtering processing to be performed by a transceiver in the frequency domain, specific windowing processing to be performed by a transceiver in the time domain” – See [¶0197])
the mapping type being one of i) type A which is a slot based resource mapping of the data channel and ii) type B which is a non-slot based resource mapping of the data channel (with PUSCH being the data channel for UL transmissions, and PDSCH for DL transmissions, as understood by one of ordinary skills in the art, “[a] PDSCH (or PUSCH) transmitted in a time unit larger than a mini slot may be referred to as ‘PDSCH (PUSCH) mapping type A,’” i.e., slot level mapping of resources allocated for the data channel, as shown in Fig. 2, and “[a] PDSCH (or PUSCH) transmitted using a mini slot may be referred to as ‘PDSCH (PUSCH) mapping type B’,” i.e., a symbol level mapping of resources allocated for the data channel that may cross slots boundaries – See [¶0199]; Type A–slot based– and Type B–symbol based– mappings were known in the art before the effective filing date of the present application and explained, e.g., for NR, DMRS for PUSCH mapping, in § 6.4.1.1, 3GPP TS 38.211:72-73 teaches that “[t]he reference point for
l
and the position
PNG
media_image1.png
20
13
media_image1.png
Greyscale
of the first DM-RS symbol depends on the mapping type” of the PUSCH signal, i.e., type A or B, and provides tables indicating the position of the DMRS symbols depending on the “the first OFDM symbol of the slot and the last OFDM symbol of the scheduled PUSCH resources in the slot for PUSCH mapping type A” or “the duration of scheduled PUSCH resources for PUSCH mapping type B,” as shown, e.g., Table 6.4.1.1.3-3, at page 75, shows “PUSCH DM-RS positions within a slot for single-symbol DM-RS” for each of the Type and B mappings; and for DMRS for PDSCH occasions mapping, in § 7.4.1.1, 3GPP TS 38.211:101 teaches in Table 7.4.1.1.2-3, “PDSCH DM-RS positions for single-symbol DM-RS” for PDSCH mapping type A and Type B; a person of ordinary skills in the art would note that the first DMRS symbol is relative to the start of the slot for Type A mapping and relative to the start of the PUSCH/PDSCH allocated resource, e.g., relative to the first symbol in the resource allocation, for Type B mapping as shown in the cited tables; § 6.4.1.1 and § 7.4.1.1 further teach DMRS configuration parameters DMRS-UplinkConfig and DMRS-DownlinkConfig, respectively, defined in related 3GPP technical specification, 3GPP TS 38.331 V16.0.0 (2020-03) “Technical Specification Group Radio Access Network; NR; Radio Resource Control (RRC) protocol specification (Release 16)” (hereinafter 3GPP TS 38.331)) and,
wherein a first DMRS is applied to the MT operation, and a second DMRS is applied to the DU operation (“demodulation reference signal (DMRSs) . . . are transmitted as downlink reference signals,” e.g., with the MT BH DL RX supra, and “demodulation reference signals (DMRSs), and so on are communicated as uplink reference signals,” e.g., with the DU BH UL RX or the DU UL RX supra – See [¶0131]; as shown in Fig. 2, a first DMRS may be applied to an MT operation of IAB Node B such as the BH DL RX spanning slots #1-2, and a second DMRS is applied to a DU operation IAB Node B such as UL RX in slot #3)
Although Harada teaches that a IAB node has multiple antennae (“A base station 10 has a plurality of transmitting/ receiving antennas 101” – See [¶0133] and Fig. 10, whereby “[b]ase band signals that are pre-coded and output from the baseband signal processing unit 104 on a per antenna basis are converted into a radio frequency band in the transmitting/receiving units 103, and then transmitted” – See [¶0136] (emphasis added); furthermore “terms such as "precoding" , "precoder", "weight (precoding weight)" . . . "phase rotation", "antenna port", "antenna port group", "layer", "number of layers", "rank", "resource", "resource set", "resource group", "beam", "beam width", "beam angle", "antenna", "antenna element", and "panel" can be compatibly used” – See [¶0227]), Harada does not explicitly teach wherein each of the first DMRS and the second DMRS is respectively applied with a DMRS port belonging to a different code division multiplexing (CDM) group.
Liu teaches a resource configuration method at a relay node, like the IAB Node B in Harada, whereby a “relay node may . . . [i]n new radio (NR), a relay node may be named as . . . an integrated access and backhaul (IAB) node” – See [¶0063], “to resolve a technical problem of DMRS signal interference existing in an in-band relay technology” – See [¶0006] by “orthogonalization between DMRS ports of the access link and the backhaul link of the same node” – See [¶0008], wherein “a parent node of a first node, namely, a second node, sends first configuration information to the first node, and then the first node determines, based on the first configuration information, a second resource for communication between the first node and a child node served by the first node” – See [¶0007] and the IAB node “may send downlink data to the child node served by the relay node on an access link of the relay node while performing uplink transmission on a backhaul link of the relay node. The child node may be a relay node or UE” – See [¶0071] and Fig. 2.
Liu, like Harada, teaches wherein each of the first DMRS and the second DMRS is respectively applied with a DMRS port (the parent node, i.e., “the second node notifies, by using the first configuration information, the first node [i.e., the IAB Node B] of an available DMRS port or an already-used DMRS port [i.e., a first DMRS port for MT operations with the parent node], and the first node can determine an orthogonal DMRS port [i.e., a second, different DMRS port, for DU operations with the child node] – See [¶0017]).
Liu further teaches each DMRS port belonging to a different code division multiplexing (CDM) group (“For resource mapping of different DMRS ports, the following briefly describes a DMRS configuration type, a CDM group identifier, and an OCC identifier based on an NR DMRS resource mapping manner” – See [¶0091] whereby “[f]or a one-symbol DMRS design, to be specific, DMRS port(s) occupies/occupy one symbol in time domain, resource elements (RE) in the symbol may be divided, based on frequency domain positions, into two groups, namely, a set of REs marked as 0 and a set of REs marked as 1 in the DMRS configuration type 1 in FIG. 7 . . . arranged in a comb shape in frequency domain” and “the two groups of REs are separately referred to as a code division multiplexing group 0 (CDM group 0) and a code division multiplexing group 1 (CDM group 1),” i.e., different CDM, whereby “DMRS ports belonging to different CDM groups are orthogonalized through frequency division multiplexing” – See [¶0093]; therefore, if the IAB node determines the orthogonalization between the IAB-MT and IAB-DU DMRS ports, those ports belong to different CDM groups; see also § 4.4, 3GPP TS 38.211:13-14 explaining that “[a]n antenna port is defined such that the channel over which a symbol on the antenna port is conveyed can be inferred from the channel over which another symbol on the same antenna port is conveyed,” e.g., “[f]or DM-RS associated with a PDSCH, [i.e., the second DMRS associated with the DU DL operation] the channel over which a PDSCH symbol on one antenna port is conveyed can be inferred from the channel over which a DM-RS symbol on the same antenna port is conveyed only if the two symbols are within the same resource as the scheduled PDSCH, in the same slot”; furthermore, there is “one resource grid for a given antenna port
p
, subcarrier spacing configuration
μ
, and transmission direction (downlink, uplink),” comprising a number of subcarriers and OFDM symbols, wherein “[e]ach element in the resource grid for antenna port
p
and subcarrier spacing configuration
μ
is called a resource element [i.e., RE4] and is uniquely identified by
(
k
,
l
)
p
,
μ
where
PNG
media_image2.png
17
12
media_image2.png
Greyscale
is the index in the frequency domain and
PNG
media_image3.png
17
9
media_image3.png
Greyscale
refers to the symbol position in the time domain relative to some reference point,” e.g., start of a slot, subslot, frame; see also Table 6.4.1.1.3-1, at page 75, showing parameters for PUSCH DM-RS [i.e., the first DMRS in the MT operation with the parent node] configuration type 1, including number of ports, CDM group and Orthogonal Cover Codes and, in § 6.4.1.1, at page 73-75, teaching precoding and mapping to physical resources for PUSCH DM-RS symbols).
Thus, Harada and Liu each discloses an intermediary node with an uplink parent node and downlink child node using different DMRS sequences for MT operation and DU operation, respectively. A person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention would have understood that the step of configuring the relay node in Liu with an uplink/backhaul DMRS port belonging to a different code division multiplexing (CDM) group than the downlink/access link DMRS port could have been added to the method performed by the IAB-node in Harada because both methods serve the purpose of providing an intermediary node with DMRS port configuration in different CDM groups for uplink and downlink transmissions. Furthermore, a person of ordinary skill in the art would have been able to carry out the addition through techniques known in the art. Finally, the addition achieves the predictable result of allowing uplink and downlink transmissions with lower DMRS signal interference, as taught by Liu.
Liu further teaches wherein based on the IAB node being configured with the type A for both a first data channel for the MT operation and a second data channel for the DU operation, the IAB node determines that the MT operation and the DU operation are capable of orthogonal DMRS reception and transmission ( “orthogonalization between DMRS ports of the access link and the backhaul link of the same node can be implemented, and therefore, link performance is improved” – See [¶0017] because “DMRS signal interference may be usually interference caused by non-orthogonalization between DMRS ports of the backhaul link and the access link of the first node in a time unit, for example, in a slot or a subframe “ – See [¶0084], i.e., the IAB nodes determines the orthogonalization between the DMRS ports to mitigate backhaul/access link channels interference; see also antenna ports mapping to physical resources on DU PDSCH with the child node explained supra).
Because a person of ordinary skills in the art would know that Type B refers to resource allocation for PDSCH/PUSCH repetitions defined at symbol level – see, § the position
PNG
media_image1.png
20
13
media_image1.png
Greyscale
of the first DM-RS symbol is the first symbol (l0=0) and additional positions “relative to the start of the scheduled PUSCH resources” and “
l
d
is the duration of the scheduled PDSCH resources” in number of symbols – See 3GPP TS 38.211:73&98-99, Liu further teaches wherein based on the IAB node being configured with the type B for both the first data channel and the second data channel, the IAB node determines that the MT operation and the DU operation are capable of orthogonal DMRS reception and transmission depending on starting symbol positions of the first data channel and the second data channel being the same (e.g., for “DMRS configuration type 1,” i.e., “one-symbol DMRS design . . . DMRS port(s) occupies/occupy one symbol in time domain,” e.g., the first symbol in the number of symbols allocated for PUSCH/PDSCH ld, but different frequency domain positions, the “resource elements (RE) in the symbol may be divided, based on frequency domain positions, into two groups, namely, a set of REs marked as 0 and a set of REs marked as 1 . . . separately referred to as a code division multiplexing group 0 (CDM group 0) and a code division multiplexing group 1 (CDM group 1)”; therefore “DMRS ports belonging to different CDM groups” can be “orthogonalized through frequency division multiplexing” because they have the same symbol position, e.g., each is a “front-loaded DMRS symbol” – See [¶0096], but frequency domain positions); see also [¶0102] (through spatial multiplexing in one slot “the first node simultaneously receives, in the first slot, a downlink transmission on the backhaul link and an uplink transmission on the access link, or the first node simultaneously sends, in the first slot, a downlink transmission on the access link and an uplink transmission on the backhaul link”). A person of ordinary skills in the art would appreciate that “appropriately controlling the transmission/reception frame timings of the IAB node” through methods taught in Harada – See [¶0065] is a pre-requisite5.
Because Harada and Liu are combinable through methods known to persons of ordinary skills in the art, motivated by the performance improvement through interference reduction, as taught by Liu, Amended Claim 1 is obvious over Harada in view of Liu.
Regarding Claim 3, dependent from Amended Claim 1, Harada, in Fig. 1, teaches wherein the child node is another IAB node or a user equipment (UE).
Therefore, Claim 3 is obvious over Harada in view of Liu.
Regarding Claim 4, dependent from Amended Claim 1, Harada, teaching a relay node as an IAB-node performing DU operations with a MT IAB or a UE, as shown, e.g., in Fig. 2, does not teach CDM groups for DMRS ports.
Liu further teaches in Fig. 4 wherein the IAB node receives information for a CDM group of the second DMRS for the access link (DU) operation (the IAB node receives “the first configuration [which] may include at least one of the following information: parameter information of the first slot, DMRS configuration type information of the first slot, a code division multiplexing (CDM) group identifier” wherein the “DMRS configuration type information of the first slot may be a configuration type 1,” i.e., single symbol DMRS – See [¶0087],[¶0093]; and further “the first configuration information may be . . . a DMRS configuration type in a slot whose index number is 1 and a CDM group identifier available for the access link,” – See [¶0088] i.e., when a single DMRS symbol is used as a “front-loaded DMRS symbol” in the slot -See [¶0096], using the orthogonalization method for SMRS configuration type 1 in Fig. 7, “CDM group 1” is the CDM group of the second DMRS for the access link (DU) operation – See [¶0093] and Fig. 7).
Therefore Claim 4 is obvious over Harada in view of Liu.
Regarding Claim 5, dependent from Claim 4, Liu teaches wherein the information for the CDM group is configured from a centralized unit (CU) or a donor node through a radio resource control (RRC) or a F1 application protocol (F1-AP) (“before performing uplink or downlink scheduling on the backhaul link, the second node may configure the first configuration information for the first node by using radio resource control (RRC) signaling” or “using other higher layer signaling” – See [¶0111]). Furthermore, Harada teaches that a parent “IAB node may have at least one function such as . . . Central Unit (CU)” – See [¶0025] and “may use communication using NR for the backhaul link” – See [¶0026], e.g., as shown in Fig. 10). Then, a person of ordinary skills in the art, before the effective filing date of the present application, would understand that the parent node CU node may use F1-AP setup messages to configure the intermediary IAB node on the Xn interface6.
Therefore, Claim 5 is obvious over Harada in view of Liu.
Regarding Claim 6, dependent from Claim 4, Liu further teaches wherein the information for the CDM group is configured from the parent node through a medium access control (MAC) or downlink control information (DCI) (“the second node . . . may send the first configuration information by using media access control element (MAC CE) signaling” – See [¶0111]; wherein the second node is the parent node).
Therefore, Claim 6 is obvious over Harada in view of Liu.
Regarding Claim 7, dependent from Claim 4, Liu further teaches wherein the IAB node selects a DMRS port in a DMRS port index having a CDM group value included in the information for the CDM group (when “a DMRS configuration type 1 for a one-symbol DMRS design is used” and “the second node . . . allocates one or more DMRS ports to . . . the first node served by the second node, , . . the second node may notify, by using the first configuration information, the first node of DMRS ports, for example, {1000, 1001}, that can be used on the first access link of the first node for the slot used for spatial multiplexing” and “[t]he DMRS ports {1000, 1001} may be notified by using a CDM group” – See [¶0113])
wherein the IAB node performs the DU operation based on the selected DMRS port (“In a subsequent slot used for spatial multiplexing, each DMRS port used by the first node for scheduling on the access link of the first node is from {1000, 1001}” – See id.).
Therefore, Claim 7 is obvious over Harada in view of Liu.
Regarding Claim 8, dependent from Claim 7, Liu further teaches wherein the IAB node assumes that a DMRS port for the MT operation is determined among DMRS ports using a CDM group other than at least one CDM group available for the DU operation (“After the DMRS ports {1000, 1001} used for data transmission on the access link of the first node are notified, a port in the DMRS ports {1000, 1001} is definitely not occupied by the backhaul link” – See [¶0113]; and when “DMRS configuration type 1” is used, “DMRS port(s) occupies/occupy one symbol in time domain, resource elements (RE) in the symbol may be divided, based on frequency domain positions, into two groups . . . the two groups of REs are separately referred to as a code division multiplexing group 0 (CDM group 0) and a code division multiplexing group 1 (CDM group 1)” and “four DMRS ports, for example, ports 1000, 1001, 1002, and 1003 may be multiplexed in one RB” whereby “DMRS ports belonging to different CDM groups are orthogonalized through frequency division multiplexing” – See [¶0093]; therefore, if DMRS ports {1000, 1001} belong to CMD 0, the IAB relay node assumes that a DMRS port for the MT operation belongs to CMD 1, “so that orthogonalization between DMRS ports of the access link and the backhaul link can be implemented, and therefore, link performance may be improved” – See [¶0114]).
Therefore, Claim 8 is obvious over Harada in view of Liu.
Regarding Amended Claim 9, Harada teaches an Integrated Access and Backhaul (IAB) node (e.g., IAB Node B in Fig. 1, further described in Fig. 11, wherein “[t]he control unit 301 may control transmission/ reception using the transmitting/receiving unit 103 based on an instruction from an upper IAB node” and “the control unit 301 may control the own base station 10 to function as the user terminal . . . assuming that the upper IAB node is another base station” – See [¶0154]; furthermore, “the control unit 301 may control to transmit information (DCI and the like) for controlling transmission/reception of the lower IAB node, assuming that the lower IAB node is the user terminal” – See [¶0155]) comprising at least one transceiver; at least one memory; and at least one processor operably coupled with the at least one memory and the at least one transceiver, wherein the at least one memory stores instructions that, based on being executed by the at least one processor (e.g., as shown in Fig. 14, the “above-described base station . . . may be formed as a computer apparatus that includes a processor 1001, a memory 1002, a storage 1003, a communication apparatus 1004, an input apparatus 1005, an output apparatus 1006, a bus 1007” – See [¶0183], whereby “[e]ach function of the base station . . . is implemented by, for example, reading given software (program) on hardware such as the processor 1001 and the memory 1002, and by controlling the operation in the processor 1001, the communication in the communication apparatus 1004, and at least one of the reading or writing of data in the memory 1002 and the storage 1003” – See [¶0186]) cause the at least one processor to perform operations comprising: the steps of Amended Claim 1. Because the IAB node is anticipated by Harada (and Liu) and Amended Claim 1 is obvious over Harada in view of Liu, Amended Claim 9 is obvious over Harada in view of Liu.
In sum, Claims 1, and 3-9, as amended, are rejected under 35 U.S.C. §103 as obvious over Harada in view of Liu.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure:
Harada, U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 20210243683;
Harada, U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2021/0329540;
Manolakos et al., U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2021/0050964 discloses DMRS bundling on shared channels;
Manolakos et al., U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2023/0078867 discloses further methods for DMRS bundling on shared channels;
Noh Go San et al, Korean Patent Application Publication No. KR20190029428A teaches methods and apparatus for multiplexing DMRS ports corresponding to different CDM groups;
Khoshnevisan et al., U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 20200112411 discloses multi-TRP DMRS port group configuration;
Novlan et al., U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 20220007442 teaches initial access and radio resource management for integrated access and backhaul wireless networks;
Dortschy et al., U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 20220007309 discloses devices and method of operating an Integrated Access and Backhaul (IAB node);
Xie et al., U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2019/0312703 discloses DMRS pattern corresponding to antenna ports;
Atungsiri et al., U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2023/0123661 spectral efficiency enhancing techniques at IAB nodes;
3GPP TS 38.211 V16.1.0 (2020-03), “Technical Specification Group Radio Access Network; NR; Physical channels and modulation (Release 16)”;
3GPP TS 38.213 V16.2.0 (2020-06), “Technical Specification Group Radio Access Network; NR; Physical layer procedures for control (Release 16)”;
3GPP TS 38.214 V16.2.0 (2020-06) “Technical Specification Group Radio Access Network; NR; Physical layer procedures for data” (Release 16);
3GPP TS 38.331 V16.0.0 (2020-03) “Technical Specification Group Radio Access Network; NR; Radio Resource Control (RRC) protocol specification (Release 16)”;
Draft Report of 3GPP TSG RAN WG1 #101-e v0.2.0 (Online meeting, 25th May – 5th June 2020), Source: MCC Support, published June 24, 2020, and documents referenced therein;
3GPP TSG-RAN WG3 Meeting #108-e, R3-204464, CR 0285 to 3GPP TS 38.473, Title: “BL CR to 38.473: Support for IAB,” Source: Ericsson, Nokia, Nokia Shanghai Bell, Samsung, Huawei, ZTE, June 2020;
3GPP TSG RAN Meeting #86, RP-193251, Title: “Enhancements to Integrated Access and Backhaul for NR,” Source: Qualcomm, Agenda item: 9.1.2, December 2019, discloses need for specification of enhancements to the resource multiplexing between child and parent links of an IAB node, including support of simultaneous operation (transmission and/or reception) of IAB-node’s child and parent links (i.e., MT Tx/DU Tx, MT Tx/DU Rx, MT Rx/DU Tx, MT Rx/DU Rx);
3GPP TR 38.874 V16.0.0 (2018-12), “Technical Specification Group Radio Access Network; NR; Study on Integrated Access and Backhaul; (Release 16),” December 2018.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to LUCIA GHEORGHE GRADINARIU whose telephone number is (571)272-1377. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 9:00am - 5:00pm EST.
Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Joseph AVELLINO can be reached at (571)272-3905. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
Information regarding the status of published or unpublished applications may be obtained from Patent Center. Unpublished application information in Patent Center is available to registered users. To file and manage patent submissions in Patent Center, visit: https://patentcenter.uspto.gov. Visit https://www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/patent-center for more information about Patent Center and https://www.uspto.gov/patents/docx for information about filing in DOCX format. For additional questions, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000.
/L.G.G./ Examiner, Art Unit 2478
/JOSEPH E AVELLINO/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2478
1 The Specification states that “the child node may be another IAB node or user equipment (UE)” – See [¶200].
2 The Specification only states that “the IAB node may perform MT operation with the parent node” – See [¶196] without specifying the type of operation, e.g., UL, DL.
3 A person of ordinary skills in the art before the effective filing date of the present application would know that for LTE there is one numerology corresponding to subcarrier spacing of 15KHz, and for NR, physical channels and mapping to physical resources are described in 3GPP TS 38.211 V16.1.0 (2020-03), “Technical Specification Group Radio Access Network; NR; Physical channels and modulation (Release 16)” (hereinafter 3GPP TS 38.211), e.g., § 4, Table 4.3.2-1, at page 12-13, describes numerologies 0-4 with 14 symbols/slot, and 10-160 slot/frame, frames being uplink or downlink only with slot in a UL/DL frame being used for UL/DL respectively or flexible but “OFDM symbols in a slot in a downlink or uplink frame can be classified as 'downlink', 'flexible', or 'uplink'. Signaling of slot formats is described in clause 11.1 of [5, TS 38.213]”.
4 See also Harada, defining “resource block (RB) is the unit of resource allocation in the time domain and the frequency domain, and may include one or a plurality of consecutive subcarriers in the frequency domain. The number of subcarriers included in the RB may be the same regardless of the numerology, and may be 12, for example. The number of subcarriers included in the RB may be determined based on numerology” – See [¶0207] but the time duration is variable and “may include one or more symbols in the time domain, and may be one slot, one mini slot, one subframe or one TTI in length. One TTI, one subframe, and the like each may be composed of one or more resource blocks” – See [¶0208]; furthermore “resource block may be composed of one or more resource elements (REs). For example, one RE may be a radio resource field of one subcarrier and one symbol” – See [¶0210].
5 In accord with the present Specification stating that “the timing alignment between the DU and the MT is required to perform the interference mitigation technique, which is a basic requirement for applying the interference mitigation technique” – See [¶0149].
6 See also 3GPP TSG-RAN WG3 Meeting #108-e, R3-204464, CR 0285 to 3GPP TS 38.473, Title: “BL CR to 38.473: Support for IAB,” Source: Ericsson, Nokia, Nokia Shanghai Bell, Samsung, Huawei, ZTE, June 2020, (hereinafter 3GPP R3-204464), including the IAB-specific definitions, IAB aspects into F1AP procedures, and IAB-specific IEs.