DETAILED ACTION
The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
In the event the determination of the status of the application as subject to AIA 35U.S.C. 102 and 103 (or as subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103) is incorrect, anycorrection of the statutory basis for the rejection will not be considered a new ground ofrejection if the prior art relied upon, and the rationale supporting the rejection, would bethe same under either status.
Continued Examination Under 37 CFR 1.114
A request for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, including the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e), was filed in this application after final rejection. Since this application is eligible for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114. Applicant's submission filed on 01/12/2026 has been entered.
Response to Amendment
The amendments to the independent claims 1 and 15 have overcome the rejections of existing prior arts and placed the claims in condition for allowance. The independent claims 13 and 20 are also amended but will remain rejected over new ground of rejections.
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.
The factual inquiries 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 non-obviousness.
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) 13 and 20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Akkarakaran et al. (US 2018/0091350 A1) in view of Parekh et al. (US 2021/0234648 A1).
Regarding claim 13, Akkarakaran et al. teach a method performed by a digital unit (DU) for a new radio (NR) communication system in a wireless communication system, the method comprising (Fig. 1, [0003, 0049] wireless systems may be capable of supporting communication with multiple users by sharing the available system resources (e.g., time, frequency, and power). Examples of such multiple-access systems include fourth generation (4G) systems such as a Long Term Evolution (LTE) systems or LTE-Advanced (LTE-A) systems, and fifth generation (5G) systems which may be referred to as New Radio (NR) systems. Base stations 105 described herein may include or may be referred to as a base transceiver station),
Akkarakaran et al. teach in dynamic spectrum sharing (DSS) for a long-term evolution (LTE) communication system and the NR communication system, receiving, from a management entity, configuration information including center frequency information of the LTE communication system (Figs. 1-2, [0070, 0078, 0088] an eCC (enhanced component carriers) may also be configured for use in unlicensed spectrum or shared spectrum (e.g., where more than one operator is allowed to use the spectrum). An eCC characterized by wide carrier bandwidth may include one or more segments that may be utilized by UEs 115 that are not capable of monitoring the whole carrier bandwidth or are otherwise configured to use a limited carrier bandwidth (e.g., to conserve power). Wireless communications systems such as an NR system may utilize any combination of licensed, shared, and unlicensed spectrum bands, among others. The flexibility of eCC symbol duration and subcarrier spacing may allow for the use of eCC across multiple spectrums. In some examples, NR shared spectrum may increase spectrum utilization and spectral efficiency, specifically through dynamic vertical (e.g., across frequency) and horizontal (e.g., across time) sharing of resources. Wireless communications system 200, may include transmissions of unmodulated tones or subcarriers that are used by UEs 115 to identify a center frequency of transmitted wireless resources (e.g., a DC tone). However, PTRS (phase-noise tracking reference signals) 205 may collide with the DC tone, preventing receivers from efficiently utilizing PTRS 205 for phase noise correction. For example, if a frequency for a PTRS 205-a is close to, or overlaps with, a frequency corresponding to a DC tone, then PTRS 205-a reception on those frequencies may be compromised by a DC offset within a receiving device),
Akkarakaran et al. teach performing phase compensation for up-conversion of the DSS for the LTE communication system and the NR communication system based on the center frequency information of the LTE communication system, wherein the phase compensation is performed per symbol (Figs. 1-2, [0040, 0069-0070, 0092] described techniques relate to improved methods, systems, devices, and apparatuses that support enhancements to phase-noise compensation reference signals (PCRS) design. Generally, the described techniques provide for identification of a DC tone (center frequency), which may influence transmissions of PCRS (e.g., which may alternatively be referred to as phase-noise tracking reference signals, phase tracking reference signals, or PTRS). It is to be understood that, though described in the context or PTRS collision avoidance. The phase compensation may be implemented by tracking an evolution of phase noise across successive symbols, where the evolution of phase noise may be independent of a tone index, and UE 115-a may accordingly use PTRS 205-b sent to UE 115-b. In some cases, absolute phases of the PTRS tones sent to different receivers in a same symbol may not be combined in a meaningful way at any one receiver, since a propagation channel and beamforming/precoding on the channels may be different. A UE 115 may be configured with multiple downlink CCs and one or more uplink CCs according to a carrier aggregation configuration. An eCC may also be configured for use in unlicensed spectrum or shared spectrum (e.g., where more than one operator is allowed to use the spectrum). However, a variation of this phase across time (i.e., across OFDM symbols) may be the same on different tones, and may be combined),
Akkarakaran et al. teach and transmitting a signal on which the phase compensation is performed to a radio unit (RU), wherein the RU is connected to a DU for the NR communication system and a DU for the LTE communication system (Fig. 1-2, [0003, 0041, 0078], transmitting PTRS to avoid collisions with the DC tone may enable improved reception of PTRS by a base station or a UE. In one example, multiple PTRS may be transmitted using sets of resource blocks (RBs), where a frequency for each PTRS within the sets of RBs is different from a frequency corresponding to a DC tone. Wireless communications systems such as an NR system may utilize any combination of licensed, shared, and unlicensed spectrum bands, among others. The flexibility of eCC symbol duration and subcarrier spacing may allow for the use of eCC across multiple spectrums. In some examples, NR shared spectrum may increase spectrum utilization and spectral efficiency, specifically through dynamic vertical (e.g., across frequency) and horizontal (e.g., across time) sharing of resources. Examples of such multiple-access systems include fourth generation (4G) systems such as a Long Term Evolution (LTE) systems or LTE-Advanced (LTE-A) systems, and fifth generation (5G) systems which may be referred to as New Radio (NR) systems).
Akkarakaran et al. is teaching of a dynamic spectrum sharing for LTE and NR. Parekh et al., however, fail to disclose a digital unit (DU) for a new radio (NR), the RU is connected to a DU for NR and DU for the LTE communication system. (Emphasis added).
Parekh et al. teach a method performed by a digital unit (DU) for a new radio (NR) communication system in a wireless communication system (Fig. 1, [0038, 0045, 0057, 0065, 0069], New Radio (NR) Base stations which have capability to interface with 5G Core named as NG-CN over NG-C/U (NG2/NG3) interface as well as 4G Core known as Evolved Packet Core (EPC) over S1-C/U interface. The E2 interface may be defined as an interface connecting the Near-RT RIC and one or more O-CU-CPs, one or more O-CU-UPs, and one or more O-DUs. The data packets which are communicated over E2 interface may be called E2 messages. The DU may be a logical node hosting radio link control (RLC), media access control (MAC), and physical (PHY) layers of the RAN (500). dynamic spectrum sharing (DSS) may be implemented at both the Non-RT-RIC (200) and the Near-RT-RIC (300), as shown in fig. 2. The DSS, herein, is considered is an example, as such other spectrum sharing mechanism(s) may be implemented in accordance with the present invention),
Parekh et al. teach Parekh et al. teach wherein the RU is connected to a DU for the NR communication system and a DU for the LTE communication system (Fig. 1, [0040, 0045, 0058], a 5G Network deployment configuration, where a gNB needs an LTE eNodeB as an anchor for control plane connectivity to 4G EPC or LTE eNB as anchor for control plane connectivity to NG-CN. The A1 interface may be defined as an interface between non-RT RIC and Near-RT RIC to enable policy-driven guidance of Near-RT RIC applications/functions, and support AI/ML workflow. The data packets which are communicated over the A1 interface may be called A1 messages. The E2 interface may be defined as an interface connecting the Near-RT RIC and one or more O-CU-CPs, one or more O-CU-UPs, and one or more O-DUs. The data packets which are communicated over E2 interface may be called E2 messages. The RAN (500) includes the RBS (e.g., eNB and gNB) for implementing the aforementioned radio access technology. Some functions of the eNB and gNB in the RAN (500) may be distributed/implemented through a central unit (CU), a distributed unit (DU) (CU/DU) (700) and virtual baseband unit (VBBU) (600). The CU may perform a function of upper layers of the RAN (500), and the DU may perform a function of lower layers of the RAN (500). That is, the CU may be a logical node hosting a radio resource control (RRC) and packet data convergence protocol (PDCP) layers of the RAN (500). The DU may be a logical node hosting radio link control (RLC), media access control (MAC), and physical (PHY) layers of the RAN (500). The VBBU may be a logical node that provides radio functions of the digital baseband domain and remote radio unit (RRU) (not shown) can provide analog radio frequency functions).
It would have been obvious to one of the ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the system of Akkarakaran et al. by incorporating the features as taught by Parekh et al. in order to provide a more effective and efficient system that is capable of performing by a digital unit (DU) for a new radio (NR) communication system in a wireless communication system. Wherein the RU is connected to a DU for the NR communication system and a DU for the LTE communication system. The motivation is to support an improved method for distribution and synchronization of radio resource assignments in the wireless communication system (see [0004]).
Regarding claim 20, Akkarakaran et al. teach a digital unit (DU) for a new radio (NR) communication system in a wireless communication system, the DU comprising: a transceiver; and at least one processor coupled with the transceiver (Fig. 1, [0003, 0049] wireless systems may be capable of supporting communication with multiple users by sharing the available system resources (e.g., time, frequency, and power). Examples of such multiple-access systems include fourth generation (4G) systems such as a Long Term Evolution (LTE) systems or LTE-Advanced (LTE-A) systems, and fifth generation (5G) systems which may be referred to as New Radio (NR) systems. Base stations 105 described herein may include or may be referred to as a base transceiver station),
Akkarakaran et al. teach wherein the at least one processor is configured to: receive, from a management entity, configuration information including center frequency information of a long-term evolution (LTE) communication system in dynamic spectrum sharing (DSS) for the long-term evolution (LTE) communication system and the NR communication system (Figs. 1-2, [0070, 0078, 0088] an eCC (enhanced component carriers) may also be configured for use in unlicensed spectrum or shared spectrum (e.g., where more than one operator is allowed to use the spectrum). An eCC characterized by wide carrier bandwidth may include one or more segments that may be utilized by UEs 115 that are not capable of monitoring the whole carrier bandwidth or are otherwise configured to use a limited carrier bandwidth (e.g., to conserve power). Wireless communications systems such as an NR system may utilize any combination of licensed, shared, and unlicensed spectrum bands, among others. The flexibility of eCC symbol duration and subcarrier spacing may allow for the use of eCC across multiple spectrums. In some examples, NR shared spectrum may increase spectrum utilization and spectral efficiency, specifically through dynamic vertical (e.g., across frequency) and horizontal (e.g., across time) sharing of resources. Wireless communications system 200, may include transmissions of unmodulated tones or subcarriers that are used by UEs 115 to identify a center frequency of transmitted wireless resources (e.g., a DC tone). However, PTRS (phase-noise tracking reference signals) 205 may collide with the DC tone, preventing receivers from efficiently utilizing PTRS 205 for phase noise correction. For example, if a frequency for a PTRS 205-a is close to, or overlaps with, a frequency corresponding to a DC tone, then PTRS 205-a reception on those frequencies may be compromised by a DC offset within a receiving device),
Akkarakaran et al. teach perform phase compensation for up-conversion of the DSS for the LTE communication system and the NR communication system based on the center frequency information of the LTE communication system, wherein the phase compensation is performed per symbol (Figs. 1-2, [0040, 0069-0070, 0092] described techniques relate to improved methods, systems, devices, and apparatuses that support enhancements to phase-noise compensation reference signals (PCRS) design. Generally, the described techniques provide for identification of a DC tone (center frequency), which may influence transmissions of PCRS (e.g., which may alternatively be referred to as phase-noise tracking reference signals, phase tracking reference signals, or PTRS). It is to be understood that, though described in the context or PTRS collision avoidance. The phase compensation may be implemented by tracking an evolution of phase noise across successive symbols, where the evolution of phase noise may be independent of a tone index, and UE 115-a may accordingly use PTRS 205-b sent to UE 115-b. In some cases, absolute phases of the PTRS tones sent to different receivers in a same symbol may not be combined in a meaningful way at any one receiver, since a propagation channel and beamforming/precoding on the channels may be different. A UE 115 may be configured with multiple downlink CCs and one or more uplink CCs according to a carrier aggregation configuration. An eCC may also be configured for use in unlicensed spectrum or shared spectrum (e.g., where more than one operator is allowed to use the spectrum). However, a variation of this phase across time (i.e., across OFDM symbols) may be the same on different tones, and may be combined),
Akkarakaran et al. teach and transmit a signal on which the phase compensation is performed to a radio unit (RU),wherein the RU is connected to a DU for the NR communication system and a DU for the LTE communication system (Fig. 1-2, [0003, 0041, 0078], transmitting PTRS to avoid collisions with the DC tone may enable improved reception of PTRS by a base station or a UE. In one example, multiple PTRS may be transmitted using sets of resource blocks (RBs), where a frequency for each PTRS within the sets of RBs is different from a frequency corresponding to a DC tone. Wireless communications systems such as an NR system may utilize any combination of licensed, shared, and unlicensed spectrum bands, among others. The flexibility of eCC symbol duration and subcarrier spacing may allow for the use of eCC across multiple spectrums. In some examples, NR shared spectrum may increase spectrum utilization and spectral efficiency, specifically through dynamic vertical (e.g., across frequency) and horizontal (e.g., across time) sharing of resources. Examples of such multiple-access systems include fourth generation (4G) systems such as a Long Term Evolution (LTE) systems or LTE-Advanced (LTE-A) systems, and fifth generation (5G) systems which may be referred to as New Radio (NR) systems).
Akkarakaran et al. is teaching of a dynamic spectrum sharing for LTE and NR. Parekh et al., however, fail to disclose a digital unit (DU) for a new radio (NR), the RU is connected to a DU for NR and DU for the LTE communication system. (Emphasis added).
Parekh et al. teach a method performed by a digital unit (DU) for a new radio (NR) communication system in a wireless communication system (Fig. 1, [0038, 0045, 0057, 0065, 0069], New Radio (NR) Base stations which have capability to interface with 5G Core named as NG-CN over NG-C/U (NG2/NG3) interface as well as 4G Core known as Evolved Packet Core (EPC) over S1-C/U interface. The E2 interface may be defined as an interface connecting the Near-RT RIC and one or more O-CU-CPs, one or more O-CU-UPs, and one or more O-DUs. The data packets which are communicated over E2 interface may be called E2 messages. The DU may be a logical node hosting radio link control (RLC), media access control (MAC), and physical (PHY) layers of the RAN (500). dynamic spectrum sharing (DSS) may be implemented at both the Non-RT-RIC (200) and the Near-RT-RIC (300), as shown in fig. 2. The DSS, herein, is considered is an example, as such other spectrum sharing mechanism(s) may be implemented in accordance with the present invention),
Parekh et al. teach Parekh et al. teach wherein the RU is connected to a DU for the NR communication system and a DU for the LTE communication system (Fig. 1, [0040, 0045, 0058], a 5G Network deployment configuration, where a gNB needs an LTE eNodeB as an anchor for control plane connectivity to 4G EPC or LTE eNB as anchor for control plane connectivity to NG-CN. The A1 interface may be defined as an interface between non-RT RIC and Near-RT RIC to enable policy-driven guidance of Near-RT RIC applications/functions, and support AI/ML workflow. The data packets which are communicated over the A1 interface may be called A1 messages. The E2 interface may be defined as an interface connecting the Near-RT RIC and one or more O-CU-CPs, one or more O-CU-UPs, and one or more O-DUs. The data packets which are communicated over E2 interface may be called E2 messages. The RAN (500) includes the RBS (e.g., eNB and gNB) for implementing the aforementioned radio access technology. Some functions of the eNB and gNB in the RAN (500) may be distributed/implemented through a central unit (CU), a distributed unit (DU) (CU/DU) (700) and virtual baseband unit (VBBU) (600). The CU may perform a function of upper layers of the RAN (500), and the DU may perform a function of lower layers of the RAN (500). That is, the CU may be a logical node hosting a radio resource control (RRC) and packet data convergence protocol (PDCP) layers of the RAN (500). The DU may be a logical node hosting radio link control (RLC), media access control (MAC), and physical (PHY) layers of the RAN (500). The VBBU may be a logical node that provides radio functions of the digital baseband domain and remote radio unit (RRU) (not shown) can provide analog radio frequency functions).
It would have been obvious to one of the ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the system of Akkarakaran et al. by incorporating the features as taught by Parekh et al. in order to provide a more effective and efficient system that is capable of performing by a digital unit (DU) for a new radio (NR) communication system in a wireless communication system. Wherein the RU is connected to a DU for the NR communication system and a DU for the LTE communication system. The motivation is to support an improved method for distribution and synchronization of radio resource assignments in the wireless communication system (see [0004]).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claim 14 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.
Claims 1-12 and 15-19 are allowed.
Reason for Allowance
The following is an examiner’s statement of reasons for allowance.
Regarding claim 1, A method performed by a management device in a wireless communication system, the method comprising: based on dynamic spectrum sharing (DSS) for a first communication system and a second communication system, identifying that a first digital unit (DU) for the first communication system and a second DU for the second communication system are connected to one radio unit (RU) for handling up-conversion of signals from the first communication system and the second communication system, the first communication system being different from the second communication system; based on whether orthogonal frequency-division multiplexing (OFDM) modulation is performed commonly or individually on a first signal of the first communication system and a second signal of the second communication system, and at least one network entity in which phase compensation for the DSS is performed, obtaining configuration information for the phase compensation, the OFDM modulation being performed commonly when the first signal and the second signal have a same subcarrier spacing numerology, and the OFDM modulation is performed individually when the first signal and the second signal have different subcarrier spacing numerologies; and transmitting the configuration information to the at least one network entity, wherein the at least one network entity comprises at least one of the first DU, the second DU, or the RU.
Regarding claim 15, A management device in a wireless communication system, the management device comprising: a transceiver; and at least one processor coupled with the transceiver, wherein the at least one processor is configured to: based on dynamic spectrum sharing (DSS) for a first communication system and a second communication system, identify that a first digital unit (DU) for the first communication system and a second DU for the second communication system are connected to one radio unit (RU) for handling up- conversion of signals from the first communication system and the second communication system, the first communication system being different from the second communication system, based on whether orthogonal frequency-division multiplexing (OFDM) modulation is performed in common or individually on a first signal of the first communication system and a second signal of the second communication system, and at least one network entity in which phase compensation for the DSS is performed, obtain configuration information for the phase compensation, the OFDM modulation being performed commonly when the first signal and the second signal have a same subcarrier spacing numerology, and the OFDM modulation is performed individually when the first signal and the second signal have different subcarrier spacing numerologies, and transmit the configuration information to the at least one network entity, wherein the at least one network entity comprises at least one of the first DU, the second DU, or the RU.
Therefore, the independent claims 1 and 15, together with their respective dependent claims are allowed for the reason given above.
Claims 2-12 and 16-19 are allowed since they depend on claims 1 and 15 respectively.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to SYED M BOKHARI whose telephone number is (571)270-3115. The examiner can normally be reached Monday through Friday.
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/SYED M BOKHARI/Examiner, Art Unit 2473 2/1/2026
/KWANG B YAO/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2473