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 .
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statements (IDS) submitted on 4/25/2023 and 9/19/2024 have been entered and considered by the examiner.
Claim Objections
Claim 1 is objected to because of the following informalities: Regarding claim 1, the claim recites “TCI states” and “TRPs” without specifying what “TCI” and “TRP” stand for respectively. It appears as though the first recitation of “TCI” should instead recite “Transmission Configuration Indicator (TCI)” and as though the first recitation of “TRPs” should instead recite “Transmission and Reception Points (TRPs).” Appropriate correction is required.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
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.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claims 9-15 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention. Regarding claim 9, the claim recites “updating, based on the obtained information, which at least one of the TCI states in the sequence of TCI states that is to be representative of one of the reference signals to be jointly transmitted on a beamform from the first TRP of the TRPs and on a beamform from the second TRP of the TRPs.” However, it is unclear if “updating” of “which at least one of the TCI states in the sequence of TCI states that is to be representative of one of the reference signals to be jointly transmitted on a beamform from the first TRP of the TRPs and on a beamform from the second TRP of the TRPs” is intended to require actual transmission using the updated TCI state(s), or if performing transmission using the updated TCI state(s) is outside of the scope of such claim language. Claim 9 is thus indefinite. For the purpose of this examination, the Examiner will interpret “updating, based on the obtained information, which at least one of the TCI states in the sequence of TCI states that is to be representative of one of the reference signals to be jointly transmitted on a beamform from the first TRP of the TRPs and on a beamform from the second TRP of the TRPs” as not requiring transmission because no transmission is explicitly recited. Regarding claims 10-13, the claims are rejected because they depend from rejected claim 9. Regarding claim 13, the claim recites “said updating is performed only when amount of data traffic between the TRPs and the user equipment is below a data traffic amount threshold value.” However, such claim language appears to allow for an interpretation wherein the “updating” required by claim 9 is no longer required to be performed, which impermissibly broadens the claims. Claim 13 is thus indefinite. For the purpose of this examination, the Examiner will interpret the claim as not impermissibly broadening the claims and thus as requiring “updating” as is recited in claim 9. Regarding claim 14, the claim recites the term “user equipment,” which has conflicting antecedent basis with “user equipment” recited in claim 1. It is therefore unclear if “user equipment” recited in claim 14 is intended to be the same or different from “user equipment” recited in claim 1. Claim 14 is thus indefinite. For the purpose of this examination, the Examiner will interpret “user equipment” recited in claim 14 as potentially being the same or different from “user equipment” recited in claim 1. Regarding claim 15, the claim recites “each spatial filter corresponds to a directional beam,” but no spatial filters have been previously recited. It is therefore unclear what “each spatial filter” is intended to reference. It is also unclear if claim 15 was potentially intended to depend from claim 14, which recites “the sequence of TCI states represents a sequence of spatial filters to be used by user equipment for reception of the reference signals.” Claim 15 is thus indefinite. For the purpose of this examination, the Examiner will interpret claim 15 as written.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
In the event the determination of the status of the application as subject to AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103 (or as subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103) is incorrect, any correction of the statutory basis (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) for the rejection will not be considered a new ground of rejection if the prior art relied upon, and the rationale supporting the rejection, would be the same under either status.
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.
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.
Claim(s) 1-9 and 13-20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Khoshnevisan et al. (US 2023/0328569, Khoshnevisan hereinafter) in view of Ji et al. (US 2023/0239103, Ji hereinafter). Regarding claim 1, Khoshnevisan teaches a method for signalling TCI states, the method being performed by a network node (Base station (BS); Khoshnevisan; Figs. 1-2; [0148]), the network node being configured to control transmission of reference signals from at least two TRPs (As can be seen in at least Fig. 2 and its corresponding description, the BS is described as potentially controlling transmission of reference signals from two transmission reception points (TRPs); Khoshnevisan; Figs. 1-2; [0143], [0148]), the method comprising: signalling, towards user equipment being served by the network node, a sequence of TCI states defined for a reference signal burst in which the reference signals are to be transmitted from the TRPs (As can be seen in at least step 820 of Fig. 8 and its corresponding description, the multi-TRP BS may transmit a control message to the UE 115 including a joint CSI reporting configuration that may indicate multiple transmission configuration indication (TCI) states to be applied by the TRP 805 and the TRP 810. As can be seen in at least step 825 of Fig. 8, the TRPs may transmit two or more reference signals based on the control message, which may be broadly reasonably interpreted as a reference signal burst. The multi-TRP BS may thus be broadly reasonably interpreted as signalling, towards user equipment being served by the network node, a sequence of TCI states defined for a reference signal burst in which the reference signals are to be transmitted from the TRPs; Khoshnevisan; Figs. 1-2 and 8; [0143], [0148], [0212]-[0214]); and initiating transmission of the reference signal burst from the TRPs (As can be seen in at least step 825 of Fig. 8, the TRPs may transmit two or more reference signals based on the control message, which may be broadly reasonably interpreted as comprising initiating transmission of the reference signal burst from the TRPs; Khoshnevisan; Figs. 1-2 and 8; [0143], [0148], [0212]-[0214]). However, Khoshnevisan does not specifically disclose wherein at least one of the TCI states in the sequence of TCI states is representative of one of the reference signals to be jointly transmitted on a beamform from a first TRP of the TRPs and on a beamform from a second TRP of the TRPs. Ji teaches wherein at least one of the TCI states in the sequence of TCI states is representative of one of the reference signals to be jointly transmitted on a beamform from a first TRP of the TRPs and on a beamform from a second TRP of the TRPs (As can be seen in at least Fig. 20 and its corresponding description, one TCI state may be generated for reference signals jointly transmitted from two TRPs by appropriately synthesizing two or more different TCI states or two or more different QCL assumptions. At least one of the TCI states in the sequence of TCI states may thus be broadly reasonably interpreted as being representative of one of the reference signals to be jointly transmitted on a beamform from a first TRP of the TRPs and on a beamform from a second TRP of the TRPs; Ji; Fig. 20; [0407]-[0408]). Therefore it would have been obvious for one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to utilize the teachings as in Ji regarding TCI state configuration with the teachings as in Khoshnevisan regarding TCI state configuration. The motivation for doing so would have been to increase performance by reducing a reference signal transmission burden via TCI or/and QCL emulation (Ji; Fig. 20; [0405]). Regarding claim 2, Khoshnevisan and Ji teach the limitations of claim 1. Khoshnevisan further teaches the reference signals in the reference signal burst from each of the TRPs are transmitted during a beam sweep performed in a set of beamforms, and wherein in each beam sweep the reference signals are sequentially transmitted, one reference signal per beamform in the set of beamforms (Reference signals are described as potentially being transmitted using beam sweeping techniques. The reference signals in the reference signal burst from each of the TRPs may thus be broadly reasonably interpreted as being transmitted during a beam sweep performed in a set of beamforms, and wherein in each beam sweep the reference signals are sequentially transmitted, one reference signal per beamform in the set of beamforms; Khoshnevisan; Figs. 1-2 and 8; [0143], [0148], [0212]-[0214]). Regarding claim 3, Khoshnevisan and Ji teach the limitations of claim 1. Khoshnevisan further teaches at least one of the TCI states in the sequence of TCI states is representative of that one of the reference signals is to be transmitted from only one of the TRPs (As can be seen in at least Fig. 3 and its corresponding description, different TRPs may use different TCI states for transmission of reference signals; Khoshnevisan; Figs. 1-2 and 8; [0150], [0177]-[0180], [0212]-[0214]). Regarding claim 4, Khoshnevisan and Ji teach the limitations of claim 1. Ji further teaches which one of the reference signals to be jointly transmitted on beamforms from the first TRP of the TRPs and beamforms from the second TRP of the TRPs is configured based on manual input (Reference signals transmitted jointly via at least one TCI state as in at least Fig. 20 may be broadly reasonably interpreted as being configured based on manual input (e.g., by configuration of parameters such as those in at least Tables 11 and 33-34). Which one of the reference signals to be jointly transmitted on beamforms from the first TRP of the TRPs and beamforms from the second TRP of the TRPs may thus be broadly reasonably interpreted as being configured based on manual input; Ji; Fig. 20; Tables 11 and 33-34; [0407]-[0408], [0419]-[0422]). Therefore it would have been obvious for one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to utilize the teachings as in Ji regarding TCI state configuration with the teachings as in Khoshnevisan regarding TCI state configuration. The motivation for doing so would have been to increase performance by reducing a reference signal transmission burden via TCI or/and QCL emulation (Ji; Fig. 20; [0405]). Regarding claim 5, Khoshnevisan and Ji teach the limitations of claim 1. Ji further teaches which one of the reference signals to be jointly transmitted on beamforms from the first TRP of the TRPs and beamforms from the second TRP of the TRPs is configured based on statistics obtained from measurements of radio propagation conditions between the TRPs and the user equipment (The joint reference signal transmission using one TCI state generated from two or more different TCI states or two or more different QCL assumptions is described as being based at least on measurement information. Which one of the reference signals to be jointly transmitted on beamforms from the first TRP of the TRPs and beamforms from the second TRP of the TRPs may thus be broadly reasonably interpreted as being configured based on statistics obtained from measurements of radio propagation conditions between the TRPs and the user equipment; Ji; Fig. 20; Tables 11 and 33-34; [0407]-[0408], [0417]-[0422]). Therefore it would have been obvious for one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to utilize the teachings as in Ji regarding TCI state configuration with the teachings as in Khoshnevisan regarding TCI state configuration. The motivation for doing so would have been to increase performance by reducing a reference signal transmission burden via TCI or/and QCL emulation (Ji; Fig. 20; [0405]). Regarding claim 6, Khoshnevisan and Ji teach the limitations of claim 1. Khoshnevisan further teaches obtaining information of radio propagation conditions between the TRPs and the user equipment (As can be seen in at least steps 830-835 of Fig. 8, the UE may generate and transmit a joint CSI report to the TRPs, which may be broadly reasonably interpreted as comprising obtaining information of radio propagation conditions between the TRPs and the user equipment; Khoshnevisan; Figs. 1-2 and 8; [0215]-[0216]). Regarding claim 7, Khoshnevisan and Ji teach the limitations of claim 6. Khoshnevisan further teaches the information is obtained from the user equipment as feedback reports of the reference signals when having been transmitted in the reference signal burst (As can be seen in at least steps 830-835 of Fig. 8, the UE may generate and transmit a joint CSI report to the TRPs, which may be broadly reasonably interpreted as comprising information that is obtained from the user equipment as feedback reports of the reference signals when having been transmitted in the reference signal burst; Khoshnevisan; Figs. 1-2 and 8; [0215]-[0216]). Regarding claim 8, Khoshnevisan and Ji teach the limitations of claim 6. Khoshnevisan further teaches the information is obtained from uplink measurements of the radio propagation conditions (As can be seen in at least steps 830-835 of Fig. 8, the UE may generate and transmit a joint CSI report to the TRPs, which may be broadly reasonably interpreted as comprising information that is obtained from uplink measurements of the radio propagation conditions. Additionally, a joint CSI report transmitted in the uplink direction may also be broadly reasonably interpreted as uplink measurements; Khoshnevisan; Figs. 1-2 and 8; [0215]-[0216]). Regarding claim 9, Khoshnevisan and Ji teach the limitations of claim 6. Ji further teaches updating, based on the obtained information, which at least one of the TCI states in the sequence of TCI states that is to be representative of one of the reference signals to be jointly transmitted on a beamform from the first TRP of the TRPs and on a beamform from the second TRP of the TRPs (The joint reference signal transmission using one TCI state generated from two or more different TCI states or two or more different QCL assumptions is described as being based at least on measurement information. The TRPs may thus be broadly reasonably interpreted as updating, based on the obtained information, which at least one of the TCI states in the sequence of TCI states that is to be representative of one of the reference signals to be jointly transmitted on a beamform from the first TRP of the TRPs and on a beamform from the second TRP of the TRPs; Ji; Fig. 20; Tables 11 and 33-34; [0407]-[0408], [0417]-[0422]). Therefore it would have been obvious for one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to utilize the teachings as in Ji regarding TCI state configuration with the teachings as in Khoshnevisan regarding TCI state configuration. The motivation for doing so would have been to increase performance by reducing a reference signal transmission burden via TCI or/and QCL emulation (Ji; Fig. 20; [0405]). Regarding claim 13, Khoshnevisan and Ji teach the limitations of claim 9. Ji further teaches said updating is performed only when amount of data traffic between the TRPs and the user equipment is below a data traffic amount threshold value (As is also discussed in the 35 U.S.C. 112(b) rejection above, the recited “only when” condition is being interpreted as not being required because it impermissibly broadens the scope of claim 9 (which is taught by Ji as described above); Ji; Fig. 20; Tables 11 and 33-34; [0407]-[0408], [0417]-[0422]). Therefore it would have been obvious for one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to utilize the teachings as in Ji regarding TCI state configuration with the teachings as in Khoshnevisan regarding TCI state configuration. The motivation for doing so would have been to increase performance by reducing a reference signal transmission burden via TCI or/and QCL emulation (Ji; Fig. 20; [0405]). Regarding claim 14, Khoshnevisan and Ji teach the limitations of claim 1. Khoshnevisan further teaches the sequence of TCI states represents a sequence of spatial filters to be used by user equipment for reception of the reference signals (The sequence of TCI states may be broadly reasonably interpreted as representing a sequence of spatial filters to be used by user equipment for reception of the reference signals; Khoshnevisan; Figs. 1-2 and 8; [0143], [0148], [0212]-[0214]). Regarding claim 15, Khoshnevisan and Ji teach the limitations of claim 1. Khoshnevisan further teaches each spatial filter corresponds to a directional beam (Each of the TCI states may be broadly reasonably interpreted as representing spatial filter that corresponds to a directional beam; Khoshnevisan; Figs. 1-2 and 8; [0143], [0148], [0212]-[0214]). Ji further teaches wherein said at least one of the TCI states in the sequence of TCI states that is representative of said one of the reference signals to be jointly transmitted on the beamform from the first TRP of the TRPs and on the beamform from the second TRP of the TRPs represents a spatial filter corresponding to a directional beam that is wider than a directional beam corresponding to a spatial filter of any TCI state in the sequence of TCI states that is representative of that the reference signal is to be transmitted from only one of the TRPs (As can be seen in at least Fig. 20 and its corresponding description, one TCI state may be generated for reference signals jointly transmitted from two TRPs by appropriately synthesizing two or more different TCI states or two or more different QCL assumptions. A person having ordinary skill in the art would understand that a single TCI state generated from two TCI states for joint transmission from two differently located TRPs represents a spatial filter corresponding to a directional beam that would be wider than other beams used by individual TRPs (e.g., at least the two initial TCI states used to generate the single TCI state). The at least one of the TCI states in the sequence of TCI states that is representative of said one of the reference signals to be jointly transmitted on the beamform from the first TRP of the TRPs and on the beamform from the second TRP of the TRPs may thus be broadly reasonably interpreted as representing a spatial filter corresponding to a directional beam that is wider than a directional beam corresponding to a spatial filter of any TCI state in the sequence of TCI states that is representative of that the reference signal is to be transmitted from only one of the TRPs; Ji; Fig. 20; [0407]-[0408]). Therefore it would have been obvious for one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to utilize the teachings as in Ji regarding TCI state configuration with the teachings as in Khoshnevisan regarding TCI state configuration. The motivation for doing so would have been to increase performance by reducing a reference signal transmission burden via TCI or/and QCL emulation (Ji; Fig. 20; [0405]). Regarding claim 16, Khoshnevisan and Ji teach the limitations of claim 1. Ji further teaches each of the reference signals is a synchronization signal burst, SSB (Reference signals may include SSBs; Ji; Fig. 20; Tables 11, 20-21, and 33-34; [0062], [0274], [0301], [0308], [0315]). Therefore it would have been obvious for one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to utilize the teachings as in Ji regarding TCI state configuration with the teachings as in Khoshnevisan regarding TCI state configuration. The motivation for doing so would have been to increase performance by reducing a reference signal transmission burden via TCI or/and QCL emulation (Ji; Fig. 20; [0405]). Regarding claim 17, Khoshnevisan and Ji teach the limitations of claim 16. Ji further teaches each TCI state in the sequence of TCI states corresponds to a respective index, as given by an ssb-PositionsInBurst value, in the reference signal burst (SSBs are described as being indicated by an SSB-Index, which may be broadly reasonably interpreted as an ssb-PositionsInBurst value without more description regarding what specifically an ssb-PositionsInBurst value entails; Ji; Fig. 20; Tables 11, 20, 23 and 33-34; [0122], [0274], [0310]-[0313], [0422]). Therefore it would have been obvious for one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to utilize the teachings as in Ji regarding TCI state configuration with the teachings as in Khoshnevisan regarding TCI state configuration. The motivation for doing so would have been to increase performance by reducing a reference signal transmission burden via TCI or/and QCL emulation (Ji; Fig. 20; [0405]). Regarding claim 18, Khoshnevisan and Ji teach the limitations of claim 1. Khoshnevisan further teaches each of the reference signals is a channel state information reference signal, CSI-RS (The reference signals may be CSI-RSs; Khoshnevisan; Figs. 1-2 and 8; [0143], [0148], [0212]-[0214]). Regarding claim 19, Khoshnevisan and Ji teach the limitations of claim 18. Khoshnevisan further teaches the reference signal burst is to be transmitted as part of either a beam management process for the user equipment, or one of the reference signals of the burst is to be transmitted as part of a link adaptation process for the user equipment (At least the process depicted in Fig. 8 involving transmission of a reference signal burst may be broadly reasonably interpreted as both a beam management process for the UE or a link adaptation process for the UE; Khoshnevisan; Figs. 1-2 and 8; [0143], [0148], [0212]-[0214]). Regarding claim 20, Khoshnevisan and Ji teach the limitations of claim 19. Khoshnevisan further teaches each TCI state in the sequence of TCI states corresponds to a respective sequence of channel state information reference signal resource indicators, CRIs, in the reference signal burst (CSI reporting is described as potentially including a CSI resource indicator (CRI) field. Each TCI state in the sequence of TCI states may thus be broadly reasonably interpreted as corresponding to a respective sequence of channel state information reference signal resource indicators, CRIs, in the reference signal burst; Khoshnevisan; Figs. 1-2 and 8; [0143], [0148], [0159], [0212]-[0214]).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 10-12 would be allowable if rewritten to overcome the rejection(s) under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), 2nd paragraph, set forth in this Office action and to include all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims. The Examiner would like to note that such allowability is subject to change depending on any changes in scope introduced on amendment to resolve the 35 U.S.C. 112(b) issues described above.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ERIC A MYERS whose telephone number is (571)272-0997. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Friday 10:30am to 7:00pm.
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, Michael Thier can be reached at 5712722832. 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.
/ERIC MYERS/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2474