DETAILED ACTION
Claims 27-46 are presented for examination.
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 .
Response to Arguments
Applicant's request for reconsideration of the finality of the rejection of the last Office action is persuasive and, therefore, the finality of that action is withdrawn.
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.
Claim(s) 27, 28, and 40-46 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Nilsson et al., (hereinafter Nilsson), U.S. Publication No. 2019/0387417, in view of Yu et al., (hereinafter Yu), U.S. Publication No. 2019/0068263.
As per claim 27, Nilsson discloses a method for transmission of single-port reference signal resources, the method being performed by a network node [fig. 1, paragraphs 0004, 0016, 0041, 0047, 0051, a method for transmission of single-port reference signal resources, the method being performed by a network node (a beam management procedure in a communications network, the method being performed by a first radio transceiver device; first and second radio transceiver devices 200a, 200b implemented both a radio access network nodes and terminal devices)], the method comprising:
transmitting, as part of performing a beam selection procedure with a user equipment, two single-port reference signal resources [Abstract, fig. 2, paragraphs 0012, 0014, 0046, 0047, 0054, 0055, 0060, 0080, 0092, transmitting, as part of performing a beam selection procedure with a user equipment, two single-port reference signal resources (occurrence for each of two polarizations of the reference signal is transmitted in each of the at least one directional transmit beam 140 within the one single OFDM symbol 400; each reference signal resource is configured with only one port, which means that the reference signal is transmitted over only one single polarization)], wherein:
a first of the two single-port reference signal resources is transmitted over a first polarization [paragraphs 0047, 0048, 0054, 0075, 0076, 0088, 0089, a first of the two single-port reference signal resources is transmitted over a first polarization (one polarization is used for transmitting the reference signal; directional transmit beams with −45° and +45° linear polarization each)],
a second of the two single-port reference signal resources is transmitted over a second polarization [paragraphs 0047, 0048, 0053, 0054, 0060, 0075, 0076, 0082, 0089, a second of the two single-port reference signal resources is transmitted over a second polarization (the polarization of the directional transmit beam is switched between consecutive sub-time units 410; the reference signal transmitted for both the two polarizations in one of the at least one directional transmit beam 140)], and
Nilsson discloses the two single-port reference signal resources [fig. 1, 2, paragraphs 0008, 0047, 0048, 0060, 0089, 0092, the two single-port reference signal resources (each reference signal resource is configured with only one port; single-port reference signal resources)].
Nilsson does not explicitly disclose resources are time-wise overlapping when transmitted.
However, Yu teaches resources are time-wise overlapping when transmitted [paragraphs 0040, 0042, 0044, 0045, resources are time-wise overlapping when transmitted (UE TX beams that can be transmitted at the same time, they are applied on UL RS resources from a same group; 2-beam combinations can be transmitted simultaneously)].
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to improve upon the method described in Nilsson by including wherein the resources are time-wise overlapping when transmitted as taught by Pratt because it would provide the Nilsson’s method with the enhanced capability of proving efficient utilization of resources [Pratt, paragraphs 0004, 0008].
As per claim 28, Nilsson discloses the method of claim 27,
wherein the first single-port reference signal resource and the second single-port reference signal resource are part of a common reference signal resource set [paragraphs 0008, 0045, 0047, 0048, 0053, wherein the first single-port reference signal resource and the second single-port reference signal resource are part of a common reference signal resource set (directional transmit beams are typically transmitted in different reference signal resources; performing beam management using sub-time units 410 (i.e., where more than one occurrence of the reference signal is transmitted within one single OFDM symbol))].
As per claim 40, Nilsson discloses the method of claim 27,
wherein, for each of the polarizations, each of the two single- port reference signal resources is transmitted in its own beam [paragraphs 0047, 0054, 0064, 0084, wherein, for each of the polarizations, each of the two single- port reference signal resources is transmitted in its own beam (two polarizations of the reference signal is transmitted in each of the at least one directional transmit beam 140; wherein each of the at least two occurrences is transmitted in its own directional transmit beam 140)].
As per claim 41, Nilsson discloses the method of claim 27,
wherein the two single-port reference signal resources are transmitted in one and the same Orthogonal Frequency-Division Multiplexing (OFDM) symbol [paragraphs 0012, 0044, 0053, 0060, 0062, 0065, 0077, wherein the two single-port reference signal resources are transmitted in one and the same Orthogonal Frequency-Division Multiplexing (OFDM) symbol (the reference signal is transmitted within one single OFDM symbol; two directional receive beams 150 might be switched within the one single OFDM symbol 400 when the polarization in which the reference signal is transmitted is switched within the one single OFDM symbol 400)].
As per claim 42, Nilsson discloses the method of claim 27,
wherein the second polarization is orthogonal to the first polarization [paragraphs 0087, 0088, wherein the second polarization is orthogonal to the first polarization (two polarizations are mutually orthogonal)].
As per claim 43, Nilsson discloses the method of claim 27,
wherein each of the two single-port reference signal resources is a CSI-RS [paragraphs 0008, 0047, wherein each of the two single-port reference signal resources is a CSI-RS (reference signals, such as channel state information reference signals (CSI-RS); using one-port reference signal resources)].
As per claim 44, Nilsson discloses the method of claim 27, further comprising:
receiving measurement reporting of the two single-port reference signal resources from the user equipment [paragraphs 0008, 0009, 0046, 0055, 0089, receiving measurement reporting of the two single-port reference signal resources from the user equipment (t the terminal device performs measurements, such as of reference signal received power (RSRP), and reports back the N best directional transmit beams)].
As per claim 45, Nilsson discloses a network node for transmission of single-port reference signal resources, the network node comprising processing circuitry [fig. 1, 6, paragraphs 0013, 0038, 0050, a network node for transmission of single-port reference signal resources, the network node comprising processing circuitry (first radio transceiver device comprises processing circuitry; first and second radio transceiver devices 200a, 200b implemented both a radio access network nodes and terminal devices)], the processing circuitry being configured to cause the network node to:
transmit, as part of performing a beam selection procedure with a user equipment, two single-port reference signal resources [Abstract, fig. 2, paragraphs 0012, 0014, 0046, 0047, 0054, 0055, 0060, 0080, 0092, transmitting, as part of performing a beam selection procedure with a user equipment, two single-port reference signal resources (occurrence for each of two polarizations of the reference signal is transmitted in each of the at least one directional transmit beam 140 within the one single OFDM symbol 400; each reference signal resource is configured with only one port, which means that the reference signal is transmitted over only one single polarization)], wherein:
a first of the two single-port reference signal resources is transmitted over a first polarization [paragraphs 0047, 0048, 0054, 0075, 0076, 0088, 0089, a first of the two single-port reference signal resources is transmitted over a first polarization (one polarization is used for transmitting the reference signal; directional transmit beams with −45° and +45° linear polarization each)],
a second of the two single-port reference signal resources is transmitted over a second polarization [paragraphs 0047, 0048, 0053, 0054, 0060, 0075, 0076, 0082, 0089, a second of the two single-port reference signal resources is transmitted over a second polarization (the polarization of the directional transmit beam is switched between consecutive sub-time units 410; the reference signal transmitted for both the two polarizations in one of the at least one directional transmit beam 140)], and
Nilsson discloses the two single-port reference signal resources [fig. 1, 2, paragraphs 0008, 0047, 0048, 0060, 0089, 0092, the two single-port reference signal resources (each reference signal resource is configured with only one port; single-port reference signal resources)].
Nilsson does not explicitly disclose resources are time-wise overlapping when transmitted.
However, Yu teaches resources are time-wise overlapping when transmitted [paragraphs 0040, 0042, 0044, 0045, resources are time-wise overlapping when transmitted (UE TX beams that can be transmitted at the same time, they are applied on UL RS resources from a same group; 2-beam combinations can be transmitted simultaneously)].
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to improve upon the node described in Nilsson by including wherein the resources are time-wise overlapping when transmitted as taught by Pratt because it would provide the Nilsson’s node with the enhanced capability of proving efficient utilization of resources [Pratt, paragraphs 0004, 0008].
As per claim 46, Nilsson discloses a non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising, stored thereupon, a computer program for transmission of single-port reference signal resources, the computer program comprising computer code configured so that, when run on processing circuitry of a network node [fig. 1, 6, paragraphs 0095, 0099, 0102, a non-transitory computer-readable comprising, stored thereupon, a computer program for transmission of single-port reference signal resources (the first radio transceiver device 200a e.g. by sending data and control signals to the communications interface 220 and the storage medium 230)], the computer code causes the network node to:
transmit, as part of performing a beam selection procedure with a user equipment, two single-port reference signal resources [Abstract, fig. 2, paragraphs 0012, 0014, 0046, 0047, 0054, 0055, 0060, 0080, 0092, transmitting, as part of performing a beam selection procedure with a user equipment, two single-port reference signal resources (occurrence for each of two polarizations of the reference signal is transmitted in each of the at least one directional transmit beam 140 within the one single OFDM symbol 400; each reference signal resource is configured with only one port, which means that the reference signal is transmitted over only one single polarization)], wherein:
a first of the two single-port reference signal resources is transmitted over a first polarization [paragraphs 0047, 0048, 0054, 0075, 0076, 0088, 0089, a first of the two single-port reference signal resources is transmitted over a first polarization (one polarization is used for transmitting the reference signal; directional transmit beams with −45° and +45° linear polarization each)],
a second of the two single-port reference signal resources is transmitted over a second polarization [paragraphs 0047, 0048, 0053, 0054, 0060, 0075, 0076, 0082, 0089, a second of the two single-port reference signal resources is transmitted over a second polarization (the polarization of the directional transmit beam is switched between consecutive sub-time units 410; the reference signal transmitted for both the two polarizations in one of the at least one directional transmit beam 140)], and
Nilsson discloses the two single-port reference signal resources [fig. 1, 2, paragraphs 0008, 0047, 0048, 0060, 0089, 0092, the two single-port reference signal resources (each reference signal resource is configured with only one port; single-port reference signal resources)].
Nilsson does not explicitly disclose resources are time-wise overlapping when transmitted.
However, Yu teaches resources are time-wise overlapping when transmitted [paragraphs 0040, 0042, 0044, 0045, resources are time-wise overlapping when transmitted (UE TX beams that can be transmitted at the same time, they are applied on UL RS resources from a same group; 2-beam combinations can be transmitted simultaneously)].
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to improve upon the medium described in Nilsson by including wherein the resources are time-wise overlapping when transmitted as taught by Pratt because it would provide the Nilsson’s medium with the enhanced capability of proving efficient utilization of resources [Pratt, paragraphs 0004, 0008].
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 29-39 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
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Pratt et al., U.S. Publication No. 2017/0338874 discloses separable signals at the same or overlapping times.
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/JACKIE ZUNIGA ABAD/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2469
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