DETAILED ACTION
Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status
1. 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
2. The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted, IDS - 07/28/2023, 04/24/2024, 02/25/2025 and 09/17/2025. The submission is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
Response to Amendment
3. The amendment filed 12/16/2025 has been entered. Claims 1, 3, 5-7, 10-11, 13, 15-17 and 20 remain pending in the application. Applicant’s amendments to the Specification overcome each and every objection previously set forth in the Non-Final Office Action mailed 09/19/2025. Claims 1, 10, 11 and 20 were amended. Claims 2, 4, 8-9, 12, 14 and 18-19 were cancelled.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
4. 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.
5. 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
he 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:
• Determining the scope and contents of the prior art.
• Ascertaining the differences between the prior art and the claims at issue.
• Resolving the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art.
• Considering objective evidence present in the application indicating
• obviousness or nonobviousness.
5. 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.
6. Claims 1, 3, 5-7, 10-11, 13, 15-17 and 20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over YUAN et al. (US-20240007166-A1) hereinafter “YUAN” in view of Khoshnevisan et al. (US-20230344578-A1) hereinafter “Khoshnevisan”.
Regarding Claim 1,
Yuan discloses, ‘An information processing method, comprising:
performing, by a terminal device, channel state information (CSI)’
that is a CSI-report ‘based on two channel measurement resource (CMR) sets configured by a network device, wherein the two CMR sets are comprised in a channel state information reference signal (CSI- RS) resource set used for channel measurement, and the CMRs in the two CMR sets are different;’
Disclosure, terminal one/more CSI-reports to the network and the terminal configured to implement/execute the method disclosure Claim 1 and [0023];
Disclosure, the terminal device configured by higher layer signaling for an optimal measurement hypothesis CMR set and configured for CSI reporting [0080, 0302, 0353]. And, CSI report includes: channel measurement resource set. The terminal device notify by setting CRI [0346-0348] and disclosure claim 4. CSI include measurement hypothesis for STRP or JT, a CSI-RS resource set and a quantity/number of channel measurement resources (CMR) that can be two CMR set. And, CSI-RS resources associated to the channel measurement [0079-0085]. The CMRs in the two CMR sets are not same as shown in Table-5 and Table-6 [0350, 0352].
And didn’t disclose, ‘perform by terminal device the CSI-measurement’ and further ‘the CMR-set comprises NZP CSI-RS’,
Khoshnevisan in the relevant art discloses, implementation of the CSI-measurement resource-activation based on MAC-CE/DCI and the terminal perform/accurate measure CSI based on CSI measurement-resources [0047].
And, the CMR-sets comprises NZP-CSI-RS for the channel measurement [0091, 0121].
Therefore, a person in the ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of
the claim invention would have recognized that the disclosure of Yuan and to include
with that of Khoshnevisan to come up with the claim invention,
Yuan discloses, perform by terminal device CSI-report based on the configuration of the CMR set and CSI-report. Includes motive to be implemented and executed by the terminal and receive configuration [0023]. Therefore would be obvious to perform the CSI measurement. And, YUAN discloses measurement hypothesis of the CSI includes wideband channel and non-zero wideband amplitude coefficient. And, the CSI-RS can include both zero/non-zero power. In addition, discloses both periodic and aperiodic CSI-RS measurements. Someone obvious to include NZP-CSI-RS. This would increase capability of wideband channel transmission and perform wideband to measure wideband CQI Yuan [0323] and a wideband CSI Khoshnevisan [0093].
Yuan discloses, ‘indicating, by a terminal device, a channel state information (CSI) measurement hypothesis through first information in a CSI report’ (Disclosure claim 1, CSI feedback method by a terminal device include: CSI Report comprises measurement hypothesis. CSI report includes first field corresponding to first measurement hypothesis. And, first field comprises a CSI-RS resource indicator (CRI) field, disclosure claim 1 to 4 and [0010-0018]. Further, measurement hypothesis indicating by the terminal device to a network device, disclosure Claim 5);
Yuan discloses, ‘and indicating, by the terminal device, a rank under the measurement hypothesis through rank indication (RI) information in the CSI report.’
Disclosure, CSI report includes first field corresponding to first measurement hypothesis is one of all single TRP (STRP) measurement hypotheses and joint measurement hypotheses. And first field is a rank indicator or rank indicator combinations. The method of measurement hypothesis indicating by a terminal device to the network device, disclosure claim 1 to 5.
Yuang discloses, ‘wherein the RI information comprises one RI, and the RI is used to indicate one rank or two ranks, when the measurement hypothesis is that the CSI measurement is based on a single CMR, the RI is used to indicate one rank, the rank is obtained from measurement based on the single CMR, and the single CMR is indicated from the two CMR sets by channel state information reference signal resource indication (CRI) information in the CSI report,
when the measurement hypothesis is that the CSI measurement is based on two CMRs, the RI is used to indicate a combination of two ranks, the two ranks are respectively obtained from measurement based on the two CMRs, and the two CMRs respectively come from the two CMR sets and are indicated by the CRI information in the CSI report. (RI-field includes: one rank or two ranks based on STRP measurement or JT measurement for MTRP [0075-0076]. And, CRI-field in the CSI report is ┌log2(Ks+N)┐, where Ks represents a quantity of channel measurement resources associated with a reporting setting, and N represents a quantity of channel measurement resource (CMR) pairs associated with the reporting setting [0080]. The single CMR indicated from the CMR set, table-4 and table 5 [0341, 0350]. And, the RI-field uses combination includes the two CMR sets and the CRI in the CSI report [0350-0354] and table-4 to table-6.)
Regarding Claim 3,
‘The method according to claim 1’ (disclosed above),
Yuan discloses, ‘wherein the measurement hypothesis is a CMR or the number of CMRs on which the CSI measurement is based.’ (measurement hypothesis is one of STRP and JT measurement hypotheses that include a quantity or number of channel measurement resource pairs [0079-0080].)
Regarding Claim 5,
‘The method according to claim 1’ (disclosed above),
Yuan discloses, ‘wherein the indicating, by the terminal device, the CSI measurement hypothesis through the first information in the CSI report comprises that when the first information is CRI information, the CRI information indicates one or two CMRs in two CMR sets used for the CSI measurement, as the CSI measurement hypothesis.’ (CSI report includes CRI information of number/quantity of channel measurement resource (CMR) sets and pairs disclosed above in claim 4. Further, channel measurement resources associated with CSI report [0079] and disclosure claim 4; CSI report also include channel measurement hypothesis for STRP and JT. And, CSI report include: a precoding matrix indicator (PMI) granularity and a channel quality indicator (CQI) granularity in the CSI report are wideband; a CRI [0143-0149];)
Regarding Claim 6,
‘The method according to claim 5’ (disclosed above),
Yuan discloses, ‘wherein the number of bits of the CRI information is log2(K+N), wherein K is the total number of CMRs included in the two CMR sets used for the CSI measurement, and N is the number of CMR combinations used for NC-JT measurement in the two CMR sets used for the CSI measurement.’ ( Disclosure, claim 1-4:
A CSI feedback method[Wingdings font/0xE0] CSI report [Wingdings font/0xE0]
first field [Wingdings font/0xE0]
[Wingdings font/0xE0] measurement hypothesis [Wingdings font/0xE0] one of all STRP and JT [Wingdings font/0xE0] RI [Wingdings font/0xE0] total quantity of rank indicator supported by terminal
[Wingdings font/0xE0] CSI-RS resource indicator (CRI) field [Wingdings font/0xE0] log2(Ks+N) claim 4
[Wingdings font/0xE0] Ks represents a quantity of channel measurement resources
[Wingdings font/0xE0] N represents a quantity of channel measurement resource (CMR) pairs
Disclosure claim 4 [0079]: channel state information reference signal resource indicator (CRI) field; and measurement hypothesis is one of all the STRP measurement hypotheses and joint transmission measurement hypotheses, a bitwidth of the CRI field is log2(Ks+N), wherein Ks represents a quantity of channel measurement resources associated with a reporting setting, and N represents a quantity of channel measurement resource (CMR) pairs associated with the reporting setting.
Quantity of channel measurement resource pairs is a possible combinations [0050-0056].)
Regarding Claim 7,
‘The method according to claim 5’ (disclosed above),
Yuan discloses, ‘wherein the CRI information indicates one of K CMRs, K being the total number of CMRs included in the two CMR sets used for the CSI measurement, or the CRI information indicates one of N CMR combinations, N being the number of CMR combinations used for NC-JT measurement in the two CMR sets used for the CSI measurement.’ (Disclosed claim 6 above and:
CSI-RS resource indicator, CRI field in the CSI report is log2(Ks+N), where Ks represents a quantity of channel measurement resources associated with a reporting setting, and N represents a quantity of channel measurement resource (CMR) pairs. One CMR pair is used to measure one JT measurement hypothesis, that is, N may represent a quantity of JT measurement hypotheses to be measured [0079-0080]. JT include coherent/non-coherent JT [0049].
The total quantity of rank indicators supported by the terminal may be understood as the quantity of rank indicators supported by the terminal for STRP transmission, and/or the quantity of rank indicators supported for joint transmission. The total quantity of rank indicator combinations supported by the terminal may be understood as the quantity of rank indicator combinations supported by the terminal for STRP transmission, and/or the quantity of rank indicator combinations supported for joint transmission [0364].)
Regarding Claim 10,
‘The method according to claim 9’ (disclosed above),
Yuan discloses, ‘wherein when the RI is used to indicate the combination of two ranks, values of the RI are mapped to the combination in the following order: {1,1},{1,2},{2,1},{2,2}, and the lowest RI value is mapped to {1,1}.’
Disclosure: [0114] TABLE 3
Between an index and a rank indicator
Index
Rank indicator
0
(1, 1)
1
(1, 2)
2
(2, 1)
3
(2, 2)
And, rank values Table-5 [0349]. CSI report first field and the higher layer signaling is one-to-one correspondence with a TRP or map between the higher layer signaling and a CMR or CMR group. Map of STRP/JT measurement: RI, layer indicator, PMI and CQI [0140-0143]. For single or JT rank values as shown inTable-2 index including the lowest rank in Table-2 [0079] and Table-3.
Regarding Claim 11,
‘A terminal device, comprising: a processor; and a memory for storing a computer program, wherein the processor is configured to call and run the computer program stored in the memory to:’
Identical to claim 1 disclosed above, ‘indicate a channel state information (CSI) measurement hypothesis through first information in a CSI report; and indicate a rank under the measurement hypothesis through rank indication (RI) information in the CSI report.’
Regarding Claim 13,
‘The terminal device according to claim 11’ (disclosed above),
Identical to claim 3 disclosed above, ‘wherein the measurement hypothesis is a CMR or the number of CMRs on which the CSI measurement is based.’
Regarding Claim 15,
‘The terminal device according to claim 11’ (disclosed above),
Identical to claim 5 disclosed above, ‘wherein the processor is configured to indicate the CSI measurement hypothesis through the first information in the CSI report, comprising that when the first information is CRI information, the CRI information indicates one CMR or two CMRs in two CMR sets used for the CSI measurement, as the CSI measurement hypothesis.’
Regarding Claim 16,
‘The terminal device according to claim 15’ (disclosed above),
Identical to claim 6 disclosed above, ‘wherein the number of bits of the CRI information is log2(K+N), wherein K is the total number of CMRs included in the two CMR sets used for the CSI measurement, and N is the number of CMR combinations used for NC-JT measurement in the two CMR sets used for the CSI measurement.’
Regarding Claim 17,
‘The terminal device according to claim 15’ (disclosed above),
Identical to claim 7 disclosed above, ‘wherein the CRI information indicates one of K CMRs, K being the total number of CMRs included in the two CMR sets used for the CSI measurement, or the CRI information indicates one of N CMR combinations, N being the number of CMR combinations used for NC-JT measurement in the two CMR sets used for the CSI measurement.’
Regarding Claim 20,
‘The terminal device according to claim 19’ (disclosed above),
Identical to claim 10 disclosed above, ‘wherein when the RI is used to indicate the combination of two ranks, values of the RI are mapped to the combination in the following order: {1,1},{1,2},{2,1},{2,2}, and the lowest RI value is mapped to {1,1}.’
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed 12/16/2025 have been fully considered but they are
not persuasive. Applicant’s arguments do not comply with 37 CFR 1.111(c) because they do not clearly point out the patentable novelty which he or she thinks the claims present in view of the state of the art disclosed by the references cited or the objections made. Further, they do not show how the amendments avoid such references or objections.
Arguments: by the applicant
Claim Rejections - 35 U.S.C. 102, 103
Claims 1, 3-11 and 13-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. § 102 as being anticipated by U.S. Pub. No. 20240007166A1 (Yuan). Claims 2 and 12 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. § 103 as being unpatentable over YUAN in view of U.S. Pub. No. 20230344578A1 (Khoshnevisan). The rejections are respectfully overcome by amendment in view of the following remarks.
Amended claim 1 recites in relevant part:
performing, by a terminal device, channel state information (CSI) measurement based on two channel measurement resource (CMR) sets configured by a network device, wherein the two CMR sets are comprised in a non-zero power channel state
information reference signal (CSI-RS) resource set used for channel measurement, and the CMRs in the two CMR sets are different;
when the measurement hypothesis is that the CSI measurement is based on a single CMR, the RI is used to indicate one rank, the rank is obtained from measurement based on the single CMR, and the single CMR is indicated from the two CMR sets by channel state information reference signal resource indication (CRI) information in the CSI report, when the measurement hypothesis is that the CSI measurement is based on two CMRs, the RI is used to indicate a combination of two ranks, the two ranks are respectively obtained from measurement based on the two CMRs, and the two CMRs
respectively come from the two CMR sets and are indicated by the CRI information in the CSI report. (emphasis added).
According to claim 1, the UE performs CSI measurement based on two CMR sets configured by a network device, and reports CSI measurement hypothesis through first information in a CSI report and reports a rank under the measurement hypothesis through RI information in the CSI report, when the CRI information in the CSI report indicates a single CMR from the two CMR sets, the UE reports one rank obtained from measurement based on the single CMR, and when the CRI information in the CSI report indicates two CMRs respectively from the two CMR sets, the UE reports a combination of two ranks respectively obtained from measurement based on the two CMRs.
The cited references, Yuan and Khoshnevisan, either individually or in combination, fail to disclose the above-identified technical features of claim 1.
Regarding the limitation of "performing, by the terminal device, CSI measurement based on two channel measurement resource (CMR) sets configured by a network device, wherein the two CMR sets are comprised in a non-zero power channel state information reference signal (CSI-RS) resource set used for channel measurement" as recited in original claim 2, the examiner appears to assert that Yuan disclose such features except for "in a non-zero power channel state information reference signal (CSI-RS) resource set used for channel measurement" and that Khoshnevisan discloses the non-zero power channel state information reference signal (CSI-RS) resource set. The applicant respectfully disagrees.
In paragraphs [0079]-[0085] cited by the examiner, Yuan merely discloses determining a bitwidth of a CRI field in the CSI report based on Ks and N, where Ks is a quantity of channel measurement resources (CMRs) associated with a reporting setting, and N is a quantity of CMR pairs associated with the reporting setting.
That is to say, Yuan at most discloses that there are a plurality of channel measurement resources (CMRs) and a plurality of CMR pairs for CSI measurement, but does not disclose that these CMRs or CMR pairs are configured in two CMR sets by the network device, does not disclose the terminal device performing the CSI measurement based on the two CMR sets configured by the network device, and does not disclose that the CMRs in the two CMR sets are different.
Therefore Yuan does not disclose "performing, by a terminal device, channel state information (CSI) measurement based on two channel measurement resource (CMR) sets configured by a network device, wherein the two CMR sets are comprised in a non-zero power channel state information reference signal (CSI-RS) resource set used for channel measurement, and the CMRs in the two CMR sets are different" as claimed.
Moreover, in paragraphs [0120] and [0121] of Khoshnevisan cited by the examiner, it merely discloses that the base station indicates to switch the activity status of one or more CSI measurement resources and the UE switches the activity status of one or more CSI-IM resources based on switching the activity status of one or more non-zero power NZP CSI measurement resources, which at most discloses that the CSI measurement resources are NZP CSI measurement resources, but Khoshnevisan does not disclose or teach that the CSI measurement resources are configured in two CMR sets by the network device, does not disclose the terminal device performing the CSI measurement based on the two CMR sets configured by the network device, and does not disclose that the CMRs in the two CMR sets are different.
Therefore Khoshnevisan does not disclose or teach "performing, by a terminal device, channel state information (CSI) measurement based on two channel measurement resource (CMR) sets configured by a network device, wherein the two CMR sets are comprised in a non- zero power channel state information reference signal (CSI-RS) resource set used for channel measurement, and the CMRs in the two CMR sets are different" as claimed, either.
Furthermore, Yuan and Khoshnevisan, either individually or in combination, do not disclose or teach using a single CMR from the two CMR sets for the single-CMR based measurement hypothesis, and do not disclose using two CMRs respectively from the two CMR sets for the measurement based on the two CMRs.
Hence Yuan and Khoshnevisan fail to disclose "when the measurement hypothesis is that the CSI measurement is based on a single CMR, the RI is used to indicate one rank, the rank is obtained from measurement based on the single CMR, and the single CMR is indicated from the two CMR sets by channel state information reference signal resource indication (CRI) information in the CSI report" and "when the measurement hypothesis is that the CSI measurement is based on two CMRs, the RI is used to indicate a combination of two ranks, the two ranks are respectively obtained from measurement based on the two CMRs, and the two CMRs respectively come from the two CMR sets and are indicated by the CRI information in the CSI report" as claimed.
The cited references, Yuan and Khoshnevisan, either individually or in combination, fail to disclose the subject matter of claim 1.
Therefore, the subject matter in claim 1 is patentable over the cited references.
The same reasoning applies to independent claim 11, and claim 11 is patentable over the cited references.
The dependent claims are also patentable as depending from claims 1 and 11, as well as for the additional elements recited therein.
Removal of the rejections under 35 U.S.C. §§ 102, 103 is respectfully requested.
Examiners response:
With respect to applicant’s arguments/remarks, examiner responses are:
Examiner reviewed the applicant’s arguments/remarks and further amended claims and
provided required disclosures in the office actions from the closest and relevant prior art that covers the subject matters. Addressed all the claims and applicant’s argument/remarks disclosed from the presented prior arts “YUAN”, and “Khoshnevisan”.
Regarding the claim subject matter are summarized here,
Measurement hypothesis of the CSI measurement,
One-RI or two-RI (disclosure Claim 1 and 2, Yuan [0075-0079]
Single/two CMR from two CMR sets comprises in CSI-RS by the CRI in the CSI-report Yuan [0079-0085], [0346-0348, 0353-0354] ,Table-2 to Table-6 (pair set).
In the amended includes perform by the terminal CSI-based on two CMR sets configured by network device Yuan discloses perform executed by the terminal CSI measurement hypothesis on the two CMR sets [0023] and receive the configuration of CMR set [0348-0353]. Specifically didn’t disclose perform by terminal the CSI measurement.
Khoshnevisan, implementation of the CSI-measurement resource-activation based on MAC-CE/DCI and the terminal perform/accurate measure CSI based on CSI measurement-resources [0047].
And, regarding the CMR-sets comprises nzp-CSI-RS for the channel measurement Yuan didn’t disclose specific zp/nzp of the CSI-RS yet CSI-RS include both types and Khoshnevisan [0091, 0121]. That can increase the capability of the wideband CQI/CSI and wideband transmission.
Examiner thanks applicant and attorney for their time and effort.
Conclusion
Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in
this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a).
Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a). A
shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS
from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO
MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed
until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened
statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any extension
fee pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory
action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX
MONTHS from the date of this final action.
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/S.A./Examiner, Art Unit 2466
/CHRISTOPHER M CRUTCHFIELD/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2466
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