DETAILED ACTION
This communication is in response to applicant’s response filed 1/20/2026 in response to a final office action. Claims 1-6, 8, 10, 12, 14, 16-24, 26, 30-33, 47-49, 51, 61, and 62 are subject to examination.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments, see pg. 10-11, filed 1/20/2026, with respect to the finality of the previous office action, have been fully considered and are persuasive. The finality of the previous office action has been withdrawn. Accordingly, the previous final rejection is set forth below as a non-final rejection regarding the claim set filed 10/30/2025.
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.
Claims 1, 30, 61, and 62 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Park et al. (US 2018/0115357 A1, hereinafter “Park”) in view of Wu et al. (US 2021/0376887 A1, hereinafter “Wu”).
Regarding Claims 1, Park teaches a method for wireless communications by a user equipment (UE), comprising: transmitting, to a network entity, UE capability information that indicates a set of capabilities for the UE to support a port-selection codebook, wherein the set of capabilities includes a number of channel state information reference signal (CSI-RS) ports (Park: the present specification has been made in an effort to provide a method for transmitting/receiving UE capability information including codebook configuration information supported by a UE, see paragraph [0007]; a method for reporting channel state information (CSI) in a wireless communication system ... includes: transmitting UE capability information including first control information indicating the total number of CSI-RS ports which are maximally supported in one CSI process to a base station, see paragraph [0011]);
receiving, based on the UE capability information, a configuration for codebook based channel state information (CSI) reporting, wherein the configuration comprises the number of CSI-RS ports (Park: receiving at least one CSI-RS from the base station based on the received CSI process related information, see paragraph [0011]);
performing CSI measurements based on the configuration (Park: measuring a channel for the at least one CSI-RS port based on the at least received CSI-RS, see paragraph [0011]); and
reporting the CSI (Park: and reporting the channel measurement result to the base station, see paragraph [0011]).
Park does not explicitly teach the set of capabilities includes information regarding frequency domain (FD) bases; and
the configuration comprises the information regarding FD bases.
However, in the same field of endeavor, Wu teaches the set of capabilities includes information regarding frequency domain (FD) bases (Wu: In some embodiments, for a rank-R CSI report, the number of FD basis vectors for each layer depends on a maximum rank value that the UE can support or that the UE reports in a capability parameter (i.e., UE capability value), see paragraph [0056]); and
the configuration comprises the information regarding FD bases (Wu: the number of FD basis vectors per layer for ranks greater than 2 can be set to [eq. depending on R_UE] where R_UE is the maximum rank value given by the UE capability value, see paragraph [0056]).
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 invention of Park to include the features as taught by Wu above in order to reduce CSI reporting overhead (Wu: see paragraph [0018]).
Regarding Claim 30, Park teaches a method for wireless communications by a network entity, comprising: receiving, from a user equipment (UE), UE capability information that indicates a set of capabilities for the UE to support a port-selection codebook, wherein the set of capabilities includes a number of channel state information reference signal (CSI-RS) ports (Park: the present specification has been made in an effort to provide a method for transmitting/receiving UE capability information including codebook configuration information supported by a UE, see paragraph [0007]; a method for reporting channel state information (CSI) in a wireless communication system ... includes: transmitting UE capability information including first control information indicating the total number of CSI-RS ports which are maximally supported in one CSI process to a base station… [and] at least one of second control information indicating the total number of CSI-RS resources maximally supported in one CSI process or for each CSI process, see paragraphs [0011], [0018]);
transmitting, to the UE based on the UE capability information, a configuration for codebook based channel state information (CSI) reporting, wherein the configuration comprises the number of CSI reference signal (CSI-RS) ports (Park: receiving at least one CSI-RS from the base station based on the received CSI process related information, see paragraph [0011]); and
receiving, from the UE, CSI based on the configuration (Park: reporting the channel measurement result to the base station, see paragraph [0011]).
Park does not explicitly teach the set of capabilities includes information regarding frequency domain (FD) bases; and
the configuration comprises the information regarding FD bases.
However, in the same field of endeavor, Wu teaches the set of capabilities includes information regarding frequency domain (FD) bases (Wu: In some embodiments, for a rank-R CSI report, the number of FD basis vectors for each layer depends on a maximum rank value that the UE can support or that the UE reports in a capability parameter (i.e., UE capability value), see paragraph [0056]); and
the configuration comprises the information regarding FD bases (Wu: the number of FD basis vectors per layer for ranks greater than 2 can be set to [eq. depending on R_UE] where R_UE is the maximum rank value given by the UE capability value, see paragraph [0056]).
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 invention of Park to include the features as taught by Wu above in order to reduce CSI reporting overhead (Wu: see paragraph [0018]).
Regarding Claim 61, Park teaches an apparatus for wireless communications by a user equipment (UE), comprising: one or more memories comprising computer executable instructions; (Park: The UE includes ... a memory … The memory is connected with the processor to store various pieces of information for driving the processor, see paragraph [1183]);
one or more processors configured to execute the computer executable instructions to cause the UE to: transmit, to a network entity, UE capability that indicates indicating a set of capabilities for the UE to support a port-selection codebook, wherein the set of capabilities includes a number of channel state information reference signal (CSI-RS) ports (Park: The UE includes a processor … The processor 3221 implements a function, a process, and/or a method which are proposed in FIGS. 1 to 31 above, see paragraph [1183]; transmitting UE capability information including first control information indicating the total number of CSI-RS ports which are maximally supported in one CSI process to a base station, see paragraph [0011]);
receive, based on the UE capability information, a configuration for codebook based channel state information (CSI) reporting, wherein the configuration comprises a number of CSI-RS ports (Park: receiving at least one CSI-RS from the base station based on the received CSI process related information, see paragraph [0011]);
perform CSI measurements based on the configuration (Park: measuring a channel for the at least one CSI-RS port based on the at least received CSI-RS, see paragraph [0011]); and
report the CSI (Park: reporting the channel measurement result to the base station, see paragraph [0011]).
Park does not explicitly teach the set of capabilities includes information regarding frequency domain (FD) bases; and
the configuration comprises the information regarding FD bases.
However, in the same field of endeavor, Wu teaches the set of capabilities includes information regarding frequency domain (FD) bases (Wu: In some embodiments, for a rank-R CSI report, the number of FD basis vectors for each layer depends on a maximum rank value that the UE can support or that the UE reports in a capability parameter (i.e., UE capability value), see paragraph [0056]); and
the configuration comprises the information regarding FD bases (Wu: the number of FD basis vectors per layer for ranks greater than 2 can be set to [eq. depending on R_UE] where R_UE is the maximum rank value given by the UE capability value, see paragraph [0056]).
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 invention of Park to include the features as taught by Wu above in order to reduce CSI reporting overhead (Wu: see paragraph [0018]).
Regarding Claim 62, Park teaches an apparatus for wireless communications by a network entity, comprising: one or more memories comprising computer executable instructions (Park: The base station ... includes ... a memory... The memory is connected with the processor to store various pieces of information for driving the processor, see paragraph [1182]);
one or more processors configured to execute the computer executable instructions to cause the network entity to: receive, from a user equipment (UE), UE capability information that indicates a set of capabilities for the UE to support a port-selection codebook, wherein the set of capabilities includes a number of channel state information reference signal (CSI-RS) port (Park: The base station includes a processor … The processor implements a function, a process, and/or a method which are proposed in FIGS. 1 to 31 above, see paragraph [1182]; transmitting UE capability information including first control information indicating the total number of CSI-RS ports which are maximally supported in one CSI process to a base station … [and] second control information indicating the total number of CSI-RS resources maximally supported in one CSI process or for each CSI process, see paragraphs [0011], [0018]);
transmit, to the UE based on the UE capability information, a configuration for codebook based channel state information(CSI) reporting, wherein the configuration comprises at least two of the number of CSI reference signal (CSI-RS) ports (Park: receiving at least one CSI-RS from the base station based on the received CSI process related information, see paragraph [0011]); and
receive, from the UE, CSI measurements based on the configuration (Park: reporting the channel measurement result to the base station, see paragraph [0011]).
Park does not explicitly teach the set of capabilities includes information regarding frequency domain (FD) bases; and
the configuration comprises the information regarding FD bases.
However, in the same field of endeavor, Wu teaches the set of capabilities includes information regarding frequency domain (FD) bases (Wu: In some embodiments, for a rank-R CSI report, the number of FD basis vectors for each layer depends on a maximum rank value that the UE can support or that the UE reports in a capability parameter (i.e., UE capability value), see paragraph [0056]); and
the configuration comprises the information regarding FD bases (Wu: the number of FD basis vectors per layer for ranks greater than 2 can be set to [eq. depending on R_UE] where R_UE is the maximum rank value given by the UE capability value, see paragraph [0056]).
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 invention of Park to include the features as taught by Wu above in order to reduce CSI reporting overhead (Wu: see paragraph [0018]).
Claims 2-6, 8, 10, 12, 18-21, 31-33, and 47-49 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Park-Wu in view of Huawei et al (3GPP Draft R1-2007268, hereinafter “Huawei”).
Regarding Claim 2, Park-Wu teaches the method of claim 1, but does not explicitly teach the information regarding FD bases comprises a number of FD bases identified per CSI-RS port.
However, in the same field of endeavor, Huawei teaches, the information regarding FD bases comprises a number of FD bases identified per CSI-RS port (Huawei: [CSI-RS] port selection … can be in SD or/and FD, see Pg. 2 SS2).
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 invention of Park-Wu to include the features as taught by Huawei above in order to enhance the codebook-based CSI reporting structure (Huawei: see Section 1).
Regarding Claim 3, Park-Wu teaches the method of claim 1.
Wu further teaches the CSI comprises a set of linear combination coefficients for each transmission layer and each partial band (Wu: The wireless communication device can then generate CSI ... based on the spatial basis vectors, the FD basis vectors, and the FD basis vector coefficients, see paragraph [0005]; It is ... beneficial to have a CSI reporting technique that provides for high-resolution CSI for multiple sub-bands and/or layers, see paragraph [0018]).
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 invention of Park to include the features as taught by Wu above in order to allow for frequency-selective scheduling (Wu: see paragraph [0018]).
Park-Wu does not explicitly teach each linear combination coefficient is associated with a combination of a CSI-RS port and a FD basis.
However, in the same field of endeavor, Huawei teaches, each linear combination coefficient is associated with a combination of a CSI-RS port and a FD basis (Huawei: W=W1W2, W1 indicate the selected ports beam, and W2 be the port combination coefficients matrix, see Section 2.1; port selection … can be in SD or/and FD, see Pg. 2 SS2).
The rationale and motivation for adding the teaching of Huawei is the same as the rationale and motivation for Claim 2.
Regarding Claim 4, Park-Wu teaches the method of claim 1.
Park-Wu does not explicitly teach the UE capability information includes information regarding UE capability to support SD-FD basis pairs.
However, in the same field of endeavor, Huawei teaches the UE capability information includes information regarding UE capability to support SD-FD basis pairs (Huawei: Enhancement on codebook structure: … How UE distinguishes SD basis and FD basis or in a pre-defined set; Enhancements on indication/reporting mechanism: ... Enhancement on SD/FD basis indication, selection and reporting mechanism, see Section 1).
The rationale and motivation for adding the teaching of Huawei is the same as the rationale and motivation for Claim 2.
Regarding Claim 5, Park-Wu-Huawei teaches the method of claim 4, wherein the information regarding the UE capability to support SD-FD basis pairs comprises: a number of CSI-RS resources (Park: UE capability information includes … information indicating the total number of CSI-RS resources maximally supported in one CSI process or for each CSI process, see paragraph [0018]).
Park-Huawei further teaches a number of SD-FD basis pairs per CSI-RS resource (Huawei: Enhancements on indication/reporting mechanism: ... Enhancement on SD/FD basis indication, selection and reporting mechanism, see Section 1; Park: the UE capability information includes … information indicating the total number of CSI-RS ports maximally supported … for each CSI-RS resource, see paragraph [0018]); and
a total number of SD-FD basis pairs across all CSI-RS resources (Huawei: X out of P SD-FD pairs are selected, see Section 1; Park: the UE capability information includes … information indicating the total number of CSI-RS ports maximally supported … for each CSI-RS resource, see paragraph [0018]).
The rationale and motivation for adding the teaching of Huawei is the same as the rationale and motivation for Claim 2.
Regarding Claim 6, Park-Wu-Huawei teaches the method of claim 4.
Huawei further teaches the information regarding the UE capability to support SD-FD basis pairs comprises: for each of one or more different numbers of CSI-RS ports supported by the UE, a maximum number of SD-FD basis pairs mapped to that number of CSI-RS ports (Huawei: How to map P SD-FD pairs into PCSIRS CSI-RS ports, see Section 1).
The rationale and motivation for adding the teaching of Huawei is the same as the rationale and motivation for Claim 2.
Regarding Claim 8, Park-Wu-Huawei teaches the method of claim 6.
Huawei further teaches the configuration for codebook based CSI reporting indicates an actual total number of SD-FD basis pairs mapped to a number of CSI-RS ports for CSI-RS reporting (Huawei: X out of P SD-FD pairs are selected, see Section 1).
The rationale and motivation for adding the teaching of Huawei is the same as the rationale and motivation for Claim 2.
Regarding Claim 10, Park-Wu-Huawei teaches the method of claim 4.
Huawei further teaches the information regarding the UE capability to support SD-FD basis pairs comprises: for a number of CSI-RS ports supported by the UE, a maximum number of SD-FD basis pairs mapped to each of the CSI-RS ports (Huawei: X out of P SD-FD pairs are selected, X≤P (if polarization independent) or P/2 (if polarization common) whereas P≤PCSIRS only or P can be larger than PCSIRS, How to map P SD-FD pairs into PCSIRS CSI-RS ports, see Section 1).
The rationale and motivation for adding the teaching of Huawei is the same as the rationale and motivation for Claim 2.
Regarding Claim 12, Park-Wu-Huawei teaches the method of claim 4.
Huawei further teaches the configuration for codebook based CSI reporting indicates an actual total number of SD-FD basis pairs mapped to each of the CSI-RS ports (Huawei: How to map P SD-FD pairs into PCSIRS CSI-RS ports, see Section 1).
The rationale and motivation for adding the teaching of Huawei is the same as the rationale and motivation for Claim 2.
Regarding Claim 18, Park-Wu teaches the method of claim 1, but does not explicitly teach the UE capability information explicitly indicates whether the UE supports more than one FD basis per CSI-RS port.
However, in the same field of endeavor, Huawei teaches the UE capability information explicitly indicates whether the UE supports more than one FD basis per CSI-RS port (Huawei: port selection … can be in SD or/and FD, see Pg. 2 SS2).
The rationale and motivation for adding the teaching of Huawei is the same as the rationale and motivation for Claim 2.
Regarding Claim 19, Park-Wu-Huawei teaches the method of claim 18.
Huawei further teaches the UE capability information explicitly indicates a number of FD bases per CSI-RS port (Huawei: port selection … can be in SD or/and FD, see Pg. 2 SS2).
The rationale and motivation for adding the teaching of Huawei is the same as the rationale and motivation for Claim 2.
Regarding Claim 20, Park-Wu-Huawei teaches the method of claim 18, wherein the UE capability information comprises a joint indication of the number CSI-RS ports (Park: transmitting UE capability information including first control information indicating the total number of CSI-RS ports which are maximally supported in one CSI process to a base station, see paragraph [0011]).
Huawei further teaches a number of FD bases per CSI-RS port ((Huawei: X out of P ports are selected jointly across SD and FD, see Samsung 1st comment, Pg. 2).
The rationale and motivation for adding the teaching of Huawei is the same as the rationale and motivation for Claim 2.
Regarding Claim 21, Park-Wu-Huawei teaches the method of claim 20, wherein the configuration for codebook based CSI reporting comprises a joint indication of a configured number of CSI-RS ports (Park: receiving CSI process related information including CSI-RS configuration information from the base station through high layer signaling, see paragraph [0011]).
Huawei further teaches a configured number of FD bases per CSI-RS port (Huawei: X out of P ports are selected jointly across SD and FD, see Samsung 1st comment, Pg. 2).
The rationale and motivation for adding the teaching of Huawei is the same as the rationale and motivation for Claim 2.
Regarding Claims 31-33 and 47-49, the limitations of claims 31-33 and 47-49 are substantially the same as the limitations of claims 2-4 and 18-20, and are therefore rejected for the same reasons.
Claims 14, 16, and 17 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Park-Wu-Huawei in view of ShareTechnote (“CSI RS in a Nutshell”, hereinafter “ST”).
Regarding Claim 14, Park-Wu-Huawei teaches the method of claim 4, wherein the information regarding the UE capability to support SD-FD basis pairs comprises: a number of CSI-RS ports supported by the UE (Park: transmitting UE capability information including first control information indicating the total number of CSI-RS ports which are maximally supported in one CSI process to a base station, see paragraph [0011]).
Park-Wu-Huawei does not explicitly teach a lowest density of SD-FD basis pairs supported by the UE.
However, in the same field of endeavor, ST teaches a lowest density of SD-FD basis pairs supported by the UE (ST: see CSI-RS Resource Mapping Examples).
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 invention of Park-Wu-Huawei to include the features as taught by ST above in order to use existing standards to configure the CSI-RS resources (ST: see CSI-RS Resource Mapping Examples).
Regarding Claim 16, Park-Wu-Huawei-ST teaches the method of claim 14.
ST further teaches the configuration for codebook based CSI reporting indicates an actual SD-FD basis pair density for a configured number of CSI-RS ports (ST: see CSI-RS Resource Mapping Examples).
The rationale and motivation for adding the teaching of ST is the same as the rationale and motivation for Claim 14.
Regarding Claim 17, Park-Wu-Huawei-ST teaches the method of claim 16.
Huawei further teaches the actual SD-FD basis pair density is jointly configured with the number of CSI-RS ports (Huawei: X out of P ports are selected jointly across SD and FD, see Samsung 1st comment, Pg. 2).
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 invention of Park-Wu-ST to include the features as taught by Huawei above in order to enhance the codebook-based CSI reporting structure (Huawei: see Section 1).
Claims 22, 23, and 51 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Park-Wu-Huawei in view of Faxér et al (WO 2020/122793 A1, hereinafter “Faxér”).
Regarding Claim 22, Park-Wu-Huawei teaches the method of claim 18.
Huawei further teaches the UE capability information comprises a joint indication of: a number of CSI-RS ports per SD-FD basis pair, and a number of FD bases per CSI-RS port (Huawei: How to map P SD-FD pairs into PCSIRS CSI-RS ports, see Section 1; port selection … can be in SD or/and FD, see Pg. 2 SS2).
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 invention of Park-Wu to include the features as taught by Huawei above in order to enhance the codebook-based CSI reporting structure (Huawei: see Section 1).
Park-Wu-Huawei does not explicitly teach a maximum number of non-zero coefficients for the UE to report.
However, in the same field of endeavor, Faxér teaches a maximum number of non-zero coefficients for the UE to report (Faxér: a maximum number of non-zero coefficients that the wireless device can include in the CSI report, see Pg. 17 lines 20-23).
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 invention of Park-Wu-Huawei to include the features as taught by Faxér above in order to reduce the CSI overhead (Faxér: see p. 25 par. 4).
Regarding Claim 23, Park-Wu-Huawei teaches the method of claim 22.
Huawei further teaches the configuration for codebook based CSI reporting comprises a joint indication of: a configured number of CSI-RS ports per SD-FD basis pair and a configured number of FD bases per CSI-RS port (Huawei: How to map P SD-FD pairs into PCSIRS CSI-RS ports, see Section 1; port selection … can be in SD or/and FD, see Pg. 2 SS2).
The rationale and motivation for adding the teaching of Huawei is the same as the rationale and motivation for Claim 22.
Park-Wu-Huawei does not explicitly teach a configured maximum number of non-zero coefficients for the UE to report.
However, in the same field of endeavor, Faxér teaches a configured maximum number of non-zero coefficients for the UE to report (Faxér: the CSI report configuration indicating a maximum number of non-zero coefficients that the wireless device can include in the CSI report, see Pg. 17 lines 20-23).
The rationale and motivation for adding the teaching of Faxér is the same as the rationale and motivation for Claim 22.
Regarding Claim 51, the limitations of claim 51 are substantially the same as the limitations of claim 22, and are therefore rejected for the same reasons.
Claims 24 and 26 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Park-Wu in view of Zhang et al (US 2020/0052868 A1, hereinafter “Zhang”).
Regarding Claim 24, Park-Wu teaches the method of claim 1, but does not explicitly teach, wherein the UE capability information indicates whether the UE supports CSI-RS reporting on more than one partial band.
However, in the same field of endeavor, Zhang teaches the information regarding capability for the UE to support the port-selection codebook indicates whether the UE supports CSI-RS reporting on more than one partial band (Zhang: The techniques presented herein may be applied to partial band management, partial band CSI-RS management, and subband CSI measurement/reporting management, see paragraph [0101]).
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 invention of Park-Wu to include the features as taught by Zhang above in order to improve communications (Zhang: see paragraph [0007]).
Regarding Claim 26, Park-Wu-Zhang teaches the method of claim 24.
Zhang further teaches the configuration for codebook based CSI reporting indicates at least one of a number of partial bands or a partial band size (Zhang: The properties of a partial-band/partial-band set may include size (e.g., number of PRBs within a partial band), see paragraph [0108]).
The rationale and motivation for adding the teaching of Zhang is the same as the rationale and motivation for Claim 24.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to PHILLIP J EGAN KEARNS whose telephone number is 571-272-4869. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 10-7 EST.
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/P.K./Examiner, Art Unit 2416
/NOEL R BEHARRY/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2416