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 .
Claims 1-8 and 15-26 are pending.
Claims 9-14 have been cancelled.
Response to Amendment
In response to Applicant’s amendment filed on 12/15/2025, the objections of claims 4, 6, 14, 16, and 18-19 have been withdrawn.
Response to Arguments
Applicant argues, (pages 13-14), that the cited reference(s) fails to render obvious the claimed invention.
In response to applicant's argument that the cited reference(s) fails to render obvious the claimed invention, the test for obviousness is not whether the features of a secondary reference may be bodily incorporated into the structure of the primary reference; nor is it that the claimed invention must be expressly suggested in any one or all of the references. Rather, the test is what the combined teachings of the references would have suggested to those of ordinary skill in the art. See In re Keller, 642 F.2d 413, 208 USPQ 871 (CCPA 1981).
Applicant argues, (pages 14-16), that the combination Rahman and Xin does not disclose “transmitting feedback information of the first signaling, the feedback information of the first signaling comprising feedback information of a first target channel”.
The examiner respectfully disagrees. The examiner submits that the combination Rahman and Xin discloses “transmitting feedback information of the first signaling, the feedback information of the first signaling comprising feedback information of a first target channel”.
Rahman discloses transmitting information of the first signaling ([0262-0265]).
It is disclosed in paragraphs [0262-0265] in Rahman as follows:
[0261] As illustrated in FIG. 17, the method 1700 begins at step 1702. In step 1702, the UE (e.g., 111-116 as illustrated in FIG. 1) receives configuration information on a set of transmission configuration indicator (TCI) states.
[0262] In step 1704, the UE receives a beam indication indicating at least one TCI state from the set of TCI states, wherein the at least one TCI state indicates a group of M beams partitioned into K sets of beams for K entities (E.sub.1, E.sub.2, . . . E.sub.K), where an i-th set of beams is associated with entity E.
[0263] In step 1706, the UE decodes the beam indication.
[0264] In step 1708, the UE determines a beam for entity E.sub.i based on the i-th set of beams.
[0265] In step 1710, the UE transmits an uplink (UL) transmission or receives a downlink (DL) transmission based on the determined beam for entity E.sub.i, wherein i is an entity index and takes a value from {1, . . . , K}.
Rahman discloses transmitting information of the first signaling as set forth above. Rahman does not explicitly teach feedback information, and feedback information of a first target channel.
However, Xin discloses feedback information, and feedback information of a first target channel ([0131]).
It is disclosed in paragraph [0131] in Xin as follows:
[0131] In the case of either a target packet or an interfering packet, the channel estimation may, as indicated in step 1516, be used to adjust receiver parameters to try and improve performance of the target channel and reduce the impact of the interfering channel. The adjusted receiver parameters could include parameters for interference cancellation algorithms that are applied by the AP 104, and/or beam forming parameters. As indicated at step 1518, in some examples the receiving AP 104 may provide feedback on the target channel and/or interfering channels to the transmitting AP and/or network controller 110 to enable the transmitting AP and/or network controller to take action to reduce future co-channel interference.
For the above reasons, the combination Rahman and Xin discloses “transmitting feedback information of the first signaling, the feedback information of the first signaling comprising feedback information of a first target channel”.
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 of this title, 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 set forth in Graham v. John Deere Co., 383 U.S. 1, 148 USPQ 459 (1966), that are applied 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, 15, and 19-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Rahman et al. (Pub. No.: US 20210185647 A1), hereinafter Rahman, in view of Xin et al. (Pub. No.: US 20190132061 A1), hereinafter Xin.
With respect to claim 1, Rahman teaches A beam indication method, comprising:
receiving, by a terminal, a first signaling, the first signaling being used for indicating a transmission configuration indicator (TCI) state ([0262], UE receives a first signaling, the first signaling being used for indicating a transmission configuration indicator (TCI) state), the TCI state being used for indicating a common beam of at least two channels ([0262], the TCI state being used for indicating a common beam of at least two channels); and
transmitting information of the first signaling ([0262-0265], UE transmits information of the first signaling), the information of the first signaling ([0262-0265], the information of the first signaling).
Although Rahman teaches transmitting information of the first signaling as set forth above. Rahman does not explicitly teach feedback information, and feedback information of a first target channel.
However, Xin teaches feedback information of a first target channel ([0131], feedback information of a first target channel).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of the ordinary skills in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine the teachings of Xin, feedback information of a first target channel, into the teachings of Rahman, in order to reduce future co-channel interference (Xin, [0131]).
With respect to claim 15, the combination of Rahman and Xin teaches the method of claim 1. Rahman teaches transmitting a channel or a reference signal through the common beam after the common beam takes effect ([0265]).
With respect to claim 19, Rahman teaches A terminal comprising
a processor ([0061], processor),
a memory and a program or instruction stored in the memory and executable on the processor, wherein the program or instruction, when executed by the processor, causes the terminal to perform ([0061], memory and a program or instruction stored in the memory and executable on the processor):
receiving a first signaling, the first signaling being used for indicating a transmission configuration indicator (TCI) state ([0262], UE receives a first signaling, the first signaling being used for indicating a transmission configuration indicator (TCI) state), the TCI state being used for indicating a common beam of at least two channels ([0262], the TCI state being used for indicating a common beam of at least two channels); and
transmitting information of the first signaling ([0262-0265], UE transmits information of the first signaling), the information of the first signaling ([0262-0265], the information of the first signaling).
Although Rahman teaches transmitting information of the first signaling as set forth above. Rahman does not explicitly teach feedback information, and feedback information of a first target channel.
However, Xin teaches feedback information of a first target channel ([0131], feedback information of a first target channel).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of the ordinary skills in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine the teachings of Xin, feedback information of a first target channel, into the teachings of Rahman, in order to reduce future co-channel interference (Xin, [0131]).
With respect to claim 20, Rahman teaches A non-transitory readable storage medium, storing a program or instruction, wherein the program or instruction, when executed by a processor of a terminal, causes the terminal to perform:
receiving a first signaling, the first signaling being used for indicating a transmission configuration indicator (TCI) state ([0262], UE receives a first signaling, the first signaling being used for indicating a transmission configuration indicator (TCI) state), the TCI state being used for indicating a common beam of at least two channels ([0262], the TCI state being used for indicating a common beam of at least two channels); and
transmitting information of the first signaling ([0262-0265], UE transmits information of the first signaling), the information of the first signaling ([0262-0265], the information of the first signaling).
Although Rahman teaches transmitting information of the first signaling as set forth above. Rahman does not explicitly teach feedback information, and feedback information of a first target channel.
However, Xin teaches feedback information of a first target channel ([0131], feedback information of a first target channel).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of the ordinary skills in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine the teachings of Xin, feedback information of a first target channel, into the teachings of Rahman, in order to reduce future co-channel interference (Xin, [0131]).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 2-8, 16-18, and 21-26 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.
Conclusion
THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to KIET TANG whose telephone number is (571)270-7193. The examiner can normally be reached on M-F 8:00-5:00.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, IAN MOORE can be reached on (571) 272-3085. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/KIET TANG/
Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2469