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 .
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.
Claim(s) 1-4, 9, 12-14, 16, 17, 40 and 41 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Horiuchi et al. (EP 3432485, IDS reference) in view of Manolakos et al. (US 2019/0052420).
Regarding claims 1 and 41, Horiuchi et al. disclose a method comprising and an apparatus (Paragraph 41, terminal) comprising:
at least one processor (Paragraphs 103-104, processor); and
at least one non-transitory memory storing instructions that, when executed with the at least one processor (Paragraph 41, the terminal inherently comprises memory storing instructions executed by the processor of the terminal), cause the apparatus to perform:
receiving, with a user device from a network node, control information that indicates a configured sequence or order of frequency allocations for a plurality of frequency hop resource entities (Paragraph 41, a base station previously indicates DMRS mapping pattern candidates to a terminal via higher layer signaling, then dynamically selects one of the DMRS mapping pattern candidates and indicates the selected DMRS mapping pattern to the terminal via DCI; Paragraph 97, DMRS hopping patterns; Figure 13, hopping), wherein the frequency allocations are provided at different frequency resources for the plurality of frequency hop resource entities (Paragraphs 86-87, DMRS pattern is DMRSs assigned to OFDM symbols in a slot [hopping entity]; Paragraph 99, hopping that changes a DMRS mapping pattern between RBs may be applied. In particular, when the amount of resources for DMRSs are different between the first slot and second slot, applying hopping in the time-domain direction can equalize the amount of resources for DMRS by DMRS hopping, which enables equalization of the DMRS transmission power);
receiving, with the user device, an indication that the sequence or order of the frequency allocations for the frequency hop resource entities should be shifted (Paragraph 97, higher layer signaling may be added for indicating hopping ON/OFF…01 cyclic shift hopping);
performing, with the user device, the shifting of the sequence of frequency allocations for the frequency hop resource entities, wherein the frequency hop resource entity includes one or more demodulation reference signal symbols (Paragraphs 93-94, DMRS groups are cyclically shifted in the frequency-domain direction on the same OFDM symbols in each subframe…when cyclic shift hopping of DMRS groups in the frequency-domain is applied, the amount of resources used for transmitting DMRSs on the OFDM symbols on which the DMRSs are mapped remains the same between subframes. Thus, the channel estimation accuracy in the time-domain can be kept at the same level as that of the initial mapping of DMRSs; Figure 13 and paragraph 93, example of cyclic shift hopping); and
transmitting, with the user device to the network node, the plurality of frequency hop resource entities with the shifted sequence of frequency allocations (Figure 13, cyclic shift hopping subframes for transmission; Paragraphs 89-91, cyclic shift hopping of DMRS and transmission of DMRSs on OFDM symbols; Paragraph 77, UL data signal transmission).
Horiuchi et al. do not disclose the following limitations that are disclosed by Manolakos et al.: the frequency hop entity includes one or more data symbols along with the one or more DMRS symbols (Manolakos et al., Paragraph 76, DM-RS configurations that may be used with a scheduling unit of an uplink channel (e.g., of a PUSCH) configured in a slot in which frequency hopping (hopping within the scheduling unit) is used).
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 Horiuchi et al. with the cited disclosure from Manolakos et al. in order to implement frequency hopping for both uplink data and DMRS in a slot (Manolakos et al., Paragraph 76).
Regarding claim 2, Horiuchi et al. disclose wherein a frequency allocation for the plurality of frequency hop resource entities remains unchanged after performing the shifting (Paragraph 94, when cyclic shift hopping of DMRS groups in the frequency-domain is applied, the amount of resources used for transmitting DMRSs on the OFDM symbols on which the DMRSs are mapped remains the same between subframes).
Regarding claim 3, Horiuchi et al. disclose wherein the frequency hop resource entities comprises at least one of:
a slot that includes a plurality of symbols (Paragraph 86, DMRSs assigned to OFDM symbols of a slot; Paragraph 93, symbols in each subframe), wherein at least two consecutive slots are allocated different frequency resources (Paragraph 98, when DMRSs are mapped on different subcarriers between subframes, the channel estimation accuracy in the frequency-domain direction can be improved. In this respect, when random hopping or cyclic shift hopping between subframes is applied, DMRSs are mapped on different subcarriers between the subframes); or
a frequency hop segment, wherein a slot comprises a plurality of frequency hop segments, wherein the frequency hop segment within the slot includes a subset of the symbols of the slot, and wherein frequency hop segments within the slot are allocated different frequency resources.
Regarding claim 4, Horiuchi et al. in view of Manolakos et al. disclose wherein the plurality of frequency hop resource entities comprise a plurality of slots, the slots including a plurality of symbols including at least one or more demodulation reference signal symbols and one or more data symbols (Horiuchi et al., Paragraph 86, DMRSs assigned to OFDM symbols of a slot; Paragraph 93, symbols in each subframe; Manolakos et al., Paragraph 76, DM-RS configurations that may be used with a scheduling unit of an uplink channel (e.g., of a PUSCH) configured in a slot), wherein inter-slot frequency hopping is performed with the user device for a transmission of the plurality of slots in which different frequency allocations are provided for the plurality of slots (Horiuchi et al., Paragraph 98, when DMRSs are mapped on different subcarriers between subframes, the channel estimation accuracy in the frequency-domain direction can be improved. In this respect, when random hopping or cyclic shift hopping between subframes is applied, DMRSs are mapped on different subcarriers between the subframes); wherein the adjusting comprises circular shifting the sequence or order of frequency allocations for the plurality of slots (Paragraphs 93-94, cyclic shift hopping performing shifting of resources).
Regarding claim 9, Horiuchi et al. disclose wherein the receiving an indication comprises: receiving, with the user device, a circular shift flag set to enabled or true that indicates that the sequence or order of the frequency allocations for the frequency hop resource entities, of resources that have been scheduled for uplink transmission, should be shifted (Paragraph 97, higher layer signaling may be added for indicating hopping ON/OFF…01 [flag] cyclic shift hopping).
Regarding claim 12, Horiuchi et al. disclose wherein the performing the shifting of the sequence of frequency allocations for the frequency hop resource entities cause each of the frequency hop resource entities to be shifted with a frequency hop resource entity position and to use a shifted or different frequency allocation (Paragraph 98, when DMRSs are mapped on different subcarriers between subframes, the channel estimation accuracy in the frequency-domain direction can be improved. In this respect, when random hopping or cyclic shift hopping between subframes is applied, DMRSs are mapped on different subcarriers between the subframes).
Regarding claim 13, Horiuchi et al. disclose a method comprising:
receiving, by the user device, an indication that a time-domain sequence or order of frequency hop resource entities should be shifted (Paragraph 90, cyclic shift hopping which performs cyclic shifting in the time-domain (subframe) direction or in the frequency-domain (subcarrier) direction on the basis of the default value; Paragraph 97, higher layer signaling may be added for indicating hopping ON/OFF…01 cyclic shift hopping), wherein the frequency hop resource entity is configured with a frequency allocation according to a sequence or order of frequency allocations (Paragraph 41, a base station previously indicates DMRS mapping pattern candidates to a terminal via higher layer signaling, then dynamically selects one of the DMRS mapping pattern candidates and indicates the selected DMRS mapping pattern to the terminal via DCI; Paragraph 97, DMRS hopping patterns; Figure 13, hopping; Paragraphs 86-87, DMRS pattern is DMRSs assigned to OFDM symbols in a slot [hopping entity]; Paragraph 99, hopping that changes a DMRS mapping pattern between RBs may be applied. In particular, when the amount of resources for DMRSs are different between the first slot and second slot, applying hopping in the time-domain direction can equalize the amount of resources for DMRS by DMRS hopping, which enables equalization of the DMRS transmission power);
performing, with the user device, a shifting of the frequency hop resource entities, wherein the frequency hop resource entity includes one or more demodulation reference signal symbols (Paragraphs 93-94, DMRS groups are cyclically shifted in the frequency-domain direction on the same OFDM symbols in each subframe…when cyclic shift hopping of DMRS groups in the frequency-domain is applied, the amount of resources used for transmitting DMRSs on the OFDM symbols on which the DMRSs are mapped remains the same between subframes. Thus, the channel estimation accuracy in the time-domain can be kept at the same level as that of the initial mapping of DMRSs; Figure 13 and paragraph 93, example of cyclic shift hopping), wherein the shifting causes the frequency hop resource entities to be shifted with one frequency hop position and to be allocated a different frequency allocation (Paragraph 93, DMRS groups are cyclically shifted in the frequency-domain direction on the same OFDM symbols in each subframe; Paragraph 94, when cyclic shift hopping of DMRS groups in the frequency-domain is applied, the amount of resources used for transmitting DMRSs on the OFDM symbols on which the DMRSs are mapped remains the same between subframes. Thus, the channel estimation accuracy in the time-domain can be kept at the same level as that of the initial mapping of DMRSs); and
transmitting, with the user device to the network node, the plurality of shifted frequency hop resource entities (Figure 13, cyclic shift hopping subframes for transmission).
Horiuchi et al. do not disclose the following limitations that are disclosed by Manolakos et al.: the frequency hop entity includes one or more data symbols along with the one or more DMRS symbols (Manolakos et al., Paragraph 76, DM-RS configurations that may be used with a scheduling unit of an uplink channel (e.g., of a PUSCH) configured in a slot in which frequency hopping (hopping within the scheduling unit) is used).
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 Horiuchi et al. with the cited disclosure from Manolakos et al. in order to implement frequency hopping for both uplink data and DMRS in a slot (Manolakos et al., Paragraph 76).
Regarding claim 14, Horiuchi et al. disclose wherein the performing a shifting of the frequency hop resource entities causes the frequency resource entity to be allocated different frequency resources as compared to before the shifting, and the shifting also causes a change in a time order of the frequency resource entities (Paragraph 93, DMRS groups are cyclically shifted in the frequency-domain direction on the same OFDM symbols in each subframe. Accordingly, shifting of resources is performed among DMRS groups ABC, while shifting of resources is performed among DMRS groups DEF. For example, DMRS group A is mapped on subcarriers #0 and #1 in subframe 0 and is mapped on subcarriers #10 and #11 in subframe #1, while being mapped on subcarriers #5 and #6 in subframe 2; Paragraph 86, imbalance in DMRS mapping occurs in the time-domain direction…the mapping of the DMRS groups is reversed… [change in time order]).
Regarding claim 16, Horiuchi et al. disclose wherein the frequency hop resource entities comprises at least one of:
a slot that includes a plurality of symbols (Paragraph 86, DMRSs assigned to OFDM symbols of a slot; Paragraph 93, symbols in each subframe), wherein at least two consecutive slots are allocated different frequency resources (Paragraph 98, when DMRSs are mapped on different subcarriers between subframes, the channel estimation accuracy in the frequency-domain direction can be improved. In this respect, when random hopping or cyclic shift hopping between subframes is applied, DMRSs are mapped on different subcarriers between the subframes); or
a frequency hop segment, wherein a slot comprises a plurality of frequency hop segments, wherein the frequency hop segment within the slot includes a subset of the symbols of the slot, and wherein frequency hop segments within the slot are allocated different frequency resources.
Regarding claim 17, Horiuchi et al. in view of Manolakos et al. disclose wherein the frequency hop entities comprises a slot that includes a plurality of symbols (Horiuchi et al., Paragraph 86, DMRSs assigned to OFDM symbols of a slot; Paragraph 93, symbols in each subframe), wherein at least two consecutive slots are allocated different frequency resources (Horiuchi et al., Paragraph 98, when DMRSs are mapped on different subcarriers between subframes, the channel estimation accuracy in the frequency-domain direction can be improved. In this respect, when random hopping or cyclic shift hopping between subframes is applied, DMRSs are mapped on different subcarriers between the subframes), wherein the performing comprises: performing, with the user device, a circular shifting of the plurality of slots, wherein the slot includes one or more demodulation reference signal symbols (Horiuchi et al., Paragraphs 93-94, DMRS groups are cyclically shifted in the frequency-domain direction on the same OFDM symbols in each subframe…when cyclic shift hopping of DMRS groups in the frequency-domain is applied, the amount of resources used for transmitting DMRSs on the OFDM symbols on which the DMRSs are mapped remains the same between subframes. Thus, the channel estimation accuracy in the time-domain can be kept at the same level as that of the initial mapping of DMRSs; Figure 13 and paragraph 93, example of cyclic shift hopping) and one or more data symbols (Manolakos et al., Paragraph 76, DM-RS configurations that may be used with a scheduling unit of an uplink channel (e.g., of a PUSCH) configured in a slot), wherein the circular shifting causes the plurality of slots to be shifted with one slot position and to be allocated a different frequency allocation (Paragraph 93, DMRS groups are cyclically shifted in the frequency-domain direction on the same OFDM symbols in each subframe; Paragraph 94, when cyclic shift hopping of DMRS groups in the frequency-domain is applied, the amount of resources used for transmitting DMRSs on the OFDM symbols on which the DMRSs are mapped remains the same between subframes. Thus, the channel estimation accuracy in the time-domain can be kept at the same level as that of the initial mapping of DMRSs).
Regarding claim 40, Horiuchi et al. in view of Manolakos et al. disclose a non-transitory program storage device readable with an apparatus tangibly embodying a program of instructions executable with the apparatus for performing the method of claim 1 (Horiuchi et al., Paragraph 41, the terminal inherently comprises memory storing a program readable and executable by the terminal).
Claim(s) 6 and 7 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Horiuchi et al. in view of Manolakos et al. as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of Yang et al. (US 2021/0100004).
Regarding claim 6, Horiuchi et al. in view of Manolakos et al. disclose the claimed invention above but do not disclose the following limitations that are disclosed by Yang et al.: wherein the user device performs both inter-slot frequency hopping for a transmission of a plurality of slots in which different frequency allocations are provided for the plurality of slots, and intra-slot frequency hopping for a transmission of a plurality of frequency hop segments in the plurality of slots in which different frequency allocations are provided for each of the plurality of frequency hop segments within at least one slot of the plurality of slots (Yang et al., Paragraph 89, UE applies both intra-slot frequency hopping [UE may transmit a first portion of the uplink transmission in the slot using resources in a first frequency range and a second portion in the same slot using resources in a second frequency range] and inter-slot frequency hopping [UE may transmit the uplink transmission in a slot on resources in the same frequency range. For the following slot, however, the UE may transmit the uplink transmission on resources in a different frequency range]).
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 system of Horiuchi et al. and Manolakos et al. with the cited disclosure from Yang et al. in order to selectively apply frequency hopping options (Yang et al., Paragraphs 89-90).
Regarding claim 7, Yang et al. disclose wherein the adjusting comprises both performing a circular shifting a sequence or order of frequency allocations for the plurality of slots, and a circular shifting a sequence or order of frequency allocations for the plurality of frequency hop segments within at least one of the slots (Paragraphs 91 and 95, cyclic shifting/cyclic shift hopping performed by UE on uplink transmissions).
Claim(s) 10 and 21 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Horiuchi et al. in view of Manolakos et al. as applied to claims 4 and 13 above, and further in view of Sorrentino et al. (US 2018/0249444).
Regarding claims 10 and 21, Horiuchi et al. in view of Manolakos et al. disclose the claimed invention above but do not disclose the following limitations that are disclosed by Sorrentino et al.: receiving, with the user device, control information indicating a subset of the plurality of consecutive slots; and wherein the circular shifting comprises circular shifting of the sequence of frequency allocations for the indicated subset of the plurality of slots (Sorrentino et al., Paragraph 57, the device-specific pattern comprises a circular shift of the time resource by k units, where k represents the number of time slots and varies for different wireless devices 200).
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 system of Horiuchi et al. and Manolakos et al. with the cited disclosure from Sorrentino et al. in order to avoid collisions and interference (Sorrentino et al., Paragraphs 56 and 70).
Claim(s) 22 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Horiuchi et al. in view of Manolakos et al. as applied to claim13 above, and further in view of Papasakellariou (US 2018/0124815).
Regarding claim 22, Horiuchi et al. in view of Manolakos et al. disclose the claimed invention above but do not disclose the following limitations that are disclosed by Papasakellariou: wherein the frequency hop resource entities comprises a frequency hop segment, the method further comprising: receiving, with the user device, control information indicating a subset of the plurality of frequency hop segments within a slot; and wherein the performing a shifting comprises performing a circular shifting of the indicated subset of frequency hop segments within the slot (Papasakellariou, Paragraphs 55 and 75, transmitting a configuration information of a cyclic shift for a sequence [symbols in a slot, i.e. indicating subset of hop segments] and of receiving the sequence with the cyclic shift in at least one slot symbol from the number of consecutive slot symbols; Paragraph 99, a gNB can explicitly or implicitly indicate to a UE a CS for a GC sequence that is applicable for a first DMRS transmission in a PUSCH or a PUCCH and the UE can determine a CS for subsequent DMRS transmissions in the PUSCH or the PUCCH based on a predefined CS hopping pattern).
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 system of Horiuchi et al. and Manolakos et al. with the cited disclosure from Papasakellariou in order to perform uplink transmission with dynamic structures (Papasakellariou, Title; Paragraph 100, for PUSCH or PUCCH transmission).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 5, 8, 11, 15 and 18-20 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.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter:
Regarding claim 5 (with further dependent claim 11), the prior art discloses frequency hop segments within a slot with each segment including DMRS and data symbols and performing intra-slot hopping to provide different frequency allocations. The prior art does not disclose or adequately suggest circular shifting the sequence/order of frequency allocation for consecutive frequency hop segments within the slot.
Regarding claim 8, the prior art does not disclose or adequately suggest that frequency allocations of adjacent frequency hop segments for adjacent slots use the same frequency resources.
Regarding claim 15, the prior art discloses frequency hop segments within a slot but does not disclose or adequately suggest circular shifting the segments to cause the segments to be allocated different frequency resources and to cause a change in time order of the segments.
Regarding claim 18, the prior art discloses frequency hop segments within a slot with each segment including symbols and the segments being allocated different frequency resources but does not disclose or adequately suggest circular shifting the segments, that include DMRS and data symbols, with one segment position within the slot and to be allocated a different frequency allocation for intra-slot frequency hopping.
Regarding claims 19 and 20, the prior art does not disclose or adequately suggest that after shifting, selecting a frequency hop resource entity/frequency hop segment that has been shifted in the time-domain, and moving, before transmitting, a first DMRS to a fixed symbol position within the selected frequency hop entity/frequency hop segment.
Conclusion
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/OTIS L THOMPSON, JR/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2477
December 12, 2025