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 .
Response to Remarks
This Office action is considered fully responsive to the amendments filed 01/27/2026.
The previous objection to the drawings is withdrawn in light of Applicant’s remarks (page 6, Remarks, 01/27/2026).
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed 01/27/2026 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive.
Applicant argues: Rahman discloses that a periodicity and slot offset of SRS burst transmissions are configured by the periodicityAndOffset parameter. A UE receives a MAC CE and/or DCI based activation signal and transmits the SRS bursts according to the periodicityAndOffset. However, Rahman is completely silent on determining a configuration of the SRS burst according to the activation/deactivation signal. Therefore, Applicants assert that Rahman fails to disclose, at least, "determin[ing] a sensing signal burst configuration based on the MAC-CE message, the sensing signal burst configuration including at least one of a burst periodicity or a burst length of a sensing signal burst," as required by independent claim 1 (page 9, Remarks).
Examiner respectfully disagrees.
Examiner notes the claim limitation “determin[ing] a sensing signal burst configuration based on the MAC-CE message, the sensing signal burst configuration including at least one of a burst periodicity or a burst length of a sensing signal burst," does not require the configuration of a sensing signal burst to be done by the MAC-CE message, rather it is just based upon a MAC-CE message, the context of which is not specified. A valid interpretation is that the MAC-CE being received at the UE triggers a configuration by the UE. Therefore, “the sensing signal burst configuration including at least one of a burst periodicity or a burst length of a sensing signal burst” does not need to be configured by the MAC-CE, rather just based upon the MAC-CE in any context.
As Examiner cited, para. 0299 of Saifur Rahman discloses “The UE is configured to transmit an SRS burst based on a MAC CE or/and DCI based activation or/and deactivation of a SP SRS resource. The periodicity and the slot offset of an activated SP SRS resource is configured via higher layer parameter periodicityAndOffset-sp.” Therefore, based on the MAC-CE being transmitted to the UE, the UE configures an SRS burst transmission, and the periodicity and slot offset pertaining to this SRS burst are also configured.
Applicant argues: Claims 10 and 19 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as allegedly being unpatentable over Rahman in view of US 2016/0227458 Al (Lee). Applicants traverse this rejection for the reasons below (page 10, Remarks).
Examiner respectfully disagrees. No reasons have been given by Applicant. All rejections are maintained.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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.
The following is a quotation of the appropriate paragraphs of 35 U.S.C. 102 that form the basis for the rejections under this section made in this Office action:
A person shall be entitled to a patent unless –
(a)(1) the claimed invention was patented, described in a printed publication, or in public use, on sale, or otherwise available to the public before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claim(s) 1-9, 11-18, 20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by U.S. Publication No. 2022/0295499 A1 to Rahman et al. (“Saifur Rahman”) [provided by Applicant].
As to claim 1, Saifur Rahman discloses an apparatus comprising (fig. 3, para. 0072, UE): at least one processor (fig. 3, para. 0076, processor); and at least one memory storing instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to (fig. 3, para. 0076, The processor 340 can include one or more processors or other processing devices and execute the OS 361 stored in the memory 360 in order to control the overall operation of the UE 116) receive a medium access control (MAC)-control element (CE) message (para. 0298, signaling (e.g., via RRC or/and MAC CE or/and DCI)), determine a sensing signal burst configuration based on the MAC-CE message (para. 0299, The UE is configured to transmit an SRS burst based on a MAC CE or/and DCI based activation or/and deactivation of a SP SRS resource), the sensing signal burst configuration including at least one of a burst periodicity or a burst length of a sensing signal burst (fig. 28, para. 0299, The periodicity and the slot offset of an activated SP SRS resource is configured via higher layer parameter periodicityAndOffset-sp), and transmit the sensing signal burst according to the sensing signal burst configuration (fig. 28, para. 0299, The UE is configured to transmit an SRS burst based on a MAC CE or/and DCI based activation or/and deactivation of a SP SRS resource).
As to claim 2, Saifur Rahman further discloses the apparatus of claim 1, wherein the sensing signal burst is a sounding reference signal (SRS) transmission (fig. 28, para. 0299, The UE is configured to transmit an SRS burst based on a MAC CE or/and DCI based activation or/and deactivation of a SP SRS resource).
As to claim 3, Saifur Rahman further discloses the apparatus of claim 1, wherein the MAC-CE message is a semi-persistent (SP) SRS Activation/Deactivation MAC-CE message (para. 0301, UE configured to transmit an SRS burst based on a MAC CE based activation and deactivation of a SP SRS resource 2300).
As to claim 4, Saifur Rahman further discloses the apparatus of claim 1, wherein the MAC-CE message includes at least one burst configuration bit (para. 0217, MAC CE activation command…received via a PDSCH; para. 0098-0099, fig. 6, receiver block diagram 500 for a PDSCH…information data bits; para. 0301, UE configured to transmit an SRS burst based on a MAC CE based activation and deactivation of a SP SRS resource 2300) indicating the sensing signal burst configuration (para. 0301, UE configured to transmit an SRS burst based on a MAC CE based activation and deactivation of a SP SRS resource 2300).
As to claim 5, Saifur Rahman further discloses the apparatus of claim 1, wherein the MAC-CE message includes at least one burst configuration bit (para. 0217, MAC CE activation command…received via a PDSCH; para. 0098-0099, fig. 6, receiver block diagram 500 for a PDSCH…information data bits; para. 0301, UE configured to transmit an SRS burst based on a MAC CE based activation and deactivation of a SP SRS resource 2300), and the at least one memory stores instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to (fig. 3, para. 0076, The processor 340 can include one or more processors or other processing devices and execute the OS 361 stored in the memory 360 in order to control the overall operation of the UE 116) determine the sensing signal burst configuration based on the at least one burst configuration bit (para. 0301, UE configured to transmit an SRS burst based on a MAC CE based activation and deactivation of a SP SRS resource 2300).
As to claim 6, Saifur Rahman further discloses the apparatus of claim 1, wherein the MAC-CE message includes at least one burst configuration bit (para. 0217, MAC CE activation command…received via a PDSCH; para. 0098-0099, fig. 6, receiver block diagram 500 for a PDSCH…information data bits; para. 0301, UE configured to transmit an SRS burst based on a MAC CE based activation and deactivation of a SP SRS resource 2300), and the at least one memory stores instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor (fig. 3, para. 0076, The processor 340 can include one or more processors or other processing devices and execute the OS 361 stored in the memory 360 in order to control the overall operation of the UE 116), cause the apparatus to determine a scaling factor based on the at least one burst configuration bit (fig. 28, para. 0299, The periodicity and the slot offset (i.e. each are scaling factors) of an activated SP SRS resource is configured via higher layer parameter periodicityAndOffset-sp), and determine the sensing signal burst configuration based on the scaling factor (para. 0301, UE configured to transmit an SRS burst based on a MAC CE based activation and deactivation of a SP SRS resource 2300 (i.e. with the periodicity/slot offset known)).
As to claim 7, Saifur Rahman further discloses the apparatus of claim 1, wherein the MAC-CE message includes at least one burst configuration bit (para. 0217, MAC CE activation command…received via a PDSCH; para. 0098-0099, fig. 6, receiver block diagram 500 for a PDSCH…information data bits; para. 0301, UE configured to transmit an SRS burst based on a MAC CE based activation and deactivation of a SP SRS resource 2300), and the at least one memory stores instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to (fig. 3, para. 0076, The processor 340 can include one or more processors or other processing devices and execute the OS 361 stored in the memory 360 in order to control the overall operation of the UE 116) determine the burst length and the burst periodicity based on the at least one burst configuration bit (fig. 28, para. 0299, The periodicity and the slot offset of an activated SP SRS resource is configured via higher layer parameter periodicityAndOffset-sp).
As to claim 8, Saifur Rahman discloses an apparatus (para. 0071, fig. 2 gNB) comprising :at least one processor (para. 0068 processor); and at least one memory storing instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to (para. 0068, The controller/processor 225 is also capable of executing programs and other processes resident in the memory 230, such as an OS) generate a medium access control (MAC)-control element (CE) message (para. 0298, signaling (e.g., via RRC or/and MAC CE or/and DCI)) indicating a sensing signal burst configuration (para. 0299, The UE is configured to transmit an SRS burst based on a MAC CE or/and DCI based activation or/and deactivation of a SP SRS resource), the sensing signal burst configuration including at least one of a burst periodicity or a burst length of a sensing signal burst (fig. 28, para. 0299, The periodicity and the slot offset of an activated SP SRS resource is configured via higher layer parameter periodicityAndOffset-sp), and transmit the MAC-CE message to a device (para. 0299, The UE is configured to transmit an SRS burst based on a MAC CE or/and DCI based activation or/and deactivation of a SP SRS resource).
As to claim 9, Saifur Rahman further discloses the apparatus of claim 8, wherein the at least one memory stores instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to determine a Doppler shift based on a received sensing signal burst (para. 0192, The gNB receives the SRS burst, estimates the B′ instances of the UL channel measurements, and uses the channel estimates to obtain the Doppler component(s) of the UL channel; . For example, H.sub.B can be represented as CΦ.sup.H=Σ.sub.s=0.sup.N-1 c.sub.sϕ.sub.s.sup.H where Φ=[ϕ.sub.0 ϕ.sub.1 . . . ϕ.sub.N-1] is a Doppler domain (DD) basis matrix whose columns comprise basis vectors, C=[c.sub.0 c.sub.1 . . . c.sub.N-1] is a coefficient matrix whose columns comprise coefficient vectors, and N<B is the number of DD basis vectors, i.e. each value of the summating being a shift).
As to claim 11, Saifur Rahman further discloses the apparatus of claim 9, wherein the received sensing signal burst is received from the device, and the received sensing signal burst is configured according to the sensing signal burst configuration (fig. 28, para. 0299, The UE is configured to transmit an SRS burst based on a MAC CE or/and DCI based activation or/and deactivation of a SP SRS resource).
As to claim 12, Saifur Rahman further discloses the apparatus of claim 8, wherein the sensing signal burst is a sounding reference signal (SRS) transmission (fig. 28, para. 0299, The UE is configured to transmit an SRS burst based on a MAC CE or/and DCI based activation or/and deactivation of a SP SRS resource).
As to claim 13, Saifur Rahman further discloses the apparatus of claim 8, wherein the MAC-CE message is a semi-persistent (SP) SRS Activation/Deactivation MAC-CE message (para. 0301, UE configured to transmit an SRS burst based on a MAC CE based activation and deactivation of a SP SRS resource 2300).
As to claim 14, Saifur Rahman further discloses the apparatus of claim 8, wherein the MAC-CE message includes at least one burst configuration bit (para. 0217, MAC CE activation command…received via a PDSCH; para. 0098-0099, fig. 6, receiver block diagram 500 for a PDSCH…information data bits; para. 0301, UE configured to transmit an SRS burst based on a MAC CE based activation and deactivation of a SP SRS resource 2300) indicating the sensing signal burst configuration (para. 0301, UE configured to transmit an SRS burst based on a MAC CE based activation and deactivation of a SP SRS resource 2300).
As to claim 15, Saifur Rahman further discloses the apparatus of claim 14, wherein the at least one burst configuration bit (para. 0217, MAC CE activation command…received via a PDSCH; para. 0098-0099, fig. 6, receiver block diagram 500 for a PDSCH…information data bits; para. 0301, UE configured to transmit an SRS burst based on a MAC CE based activation and deactivation of a SP SRS resource 2300) indicates a scaling factor of the burst length (fig. 28, para. 0299, The periodicity and the slot offset (i.e. each are scaling factors) of an activated SP SRS resource is configured via higher layer parameter periodicityAndOffset-sp), and determine the sensing signal burst configuration based on the scaling factor (para. 0301, UE configured to transmit an SRS burst based on a MAC CE based activation and deactivation of a SP SRS resource 2300 (i.e. with the periodicity/slot offset known)).
As to claim 16, Saifur Rahman discloses an apparatus (para. 0071, fig. 2 gNB) comprising: at least one processor (para. 0068 processor); and at least one memory storing instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to (para. 0068, The controller/processor 225 is also capable of executing programs and other processes resident in the memory 230, such as an OS) receive a sensing signal burst transmitted according to a sensing signal burst configuration (para. 0299, The UE is configured to transmit an SRS burst (i.e. to gNB) based on a MAC CE or/and DCI based activation or/and deactivation of a SP SRS resource), the sensing signal burst configuration including at least one of a burst periodicity or a burst length for the sensing signal burst (fig. 28, para. 0299, The periodicity and the slot offset of an activated SP SRS resource is configured via higher layer parameter periodicityAndOffset-sp), and the sensing signal burst configuration having been determined based on a medium access control (MAC)-control element (CE) message (para. 0299, The UE is configured to transmit an SRS burst (i.e. to gNB) based on a MAC CE or/and DCI based activation or/and deactivation of a SP SRS resource), and determine a Doppler shift based on the sensing signal burst (para. 0192, The gNB receives the SRS burst, estimates the B′ instances of the UL channel measurements, and uses the channel estimates to obtain the Doppler component(s) of the UL channel; . For example, H.sub.B can be represented as CΦ.sup.H=Σ.sub.s=0.sup.N-1 c.sub.sϕ.sub.s.sup.H where Φ=[ϕ.sub.0 ϕ.sub.1 . . . ϕ.sub.N-1] is a Doppler domain (DD) basis matrix whose columns comprise basis vectors, C=[c.sub.0 c.sub.1 . . . c.sub.N-1] is a coefficient matrix whose columns comprise coefficient vectors, and N<B is the number of DD basis vectors, i.e. each value of the summating being a shift).
As to claim 17, Saifur Rahman further discloses the apparatus of claim 16, wherein the sensing signal burst is a sounding reference signal (SRS) transmission (para. 0299, The UE is configured to transmit an SRS burst (i.e. to gNB) based on a MAC CE or/and DCI based activation or/and deactivation of a SP SRS resource).
As to claim 18, Saifur Rahman further discloses the apparatus of claim 16, wherein the MAC-CE message is a semi-persistent (SP) SRS Activation/Deactivation MAC-CE message (para. 0301, UE configured to transmit an SRS burst based on a MAC CE based activation and deactivation of a SP SRS resource 2300).
As to claim 20, Saifur Rahman further discloses the apparatus of claim 16, wherein the sensing signal burst is received from a first device (para. 0301, UE configured to transmit an SRS burst based on a MAC CE based activation and deactivation of a SP SRS resource 2300), the first device being different from a device having transmitted the MAC-CE message (para. 0298, signaling (e.g., via RRC or/and MAC CE or/and DCI); fig. 2, gNB).
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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.
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 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.
Claim(s) 10, 19 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over U.S. Publication No. 2022/0295499 A1 to Rahman et al. (“Saifur Rahman”) [provided by Applicant] in view of U.S. Publication No. 2016/0227458 A1 to Lee et al. (“Lee”).
As to claim 10, Saifur Rahman does not expressly disclose the apparatus of claim 9, wherein the at least one memory stores instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to determine a speed of an object based on the Doppler shift.
Lee discloses at fig. 13, para. 0029, para. 0113, block 1302 may include computing a Doppler shift [by a network entity] of a SRS transmitted by the UE and determining the speed of the UE as a function of the Doppler shift.
Prior to the effective filing date of invention, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art to incorporate the determination as taught by Lee into the invention of Saifur Rahman. The suggestion/motivation would have been to serve cell change management (Lee, para. 0001). Including the determination as taught by Lee into the invention of Saifur Rahman was within the ordinary ability of one of ordinary skill in the art based on the teachings of Lee.
As to claim 19, Saifur Rahman does not expressly disclose the apparatus of claim 16, wherein the at least one memory stores instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to determine a speed of an object based on the Doppler shift.
Lee discloses at fig. 13, para. 0029, para. 0113, block 1302 may include computing a Doppler shift [by a network entity] of a SRS transmitted by the UE and determining the speed of the UE as a function of the Doppler shift.
Prior to the effective filing date of invention, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art to incorporate the determination as taught by Lee into the invention of Saifur Rahman. The suggestion/motivation would have been to serve cell change management (Lee, para. 0001). Including the determination as taught by Lee into the invention of Saifur Rahman was within the ordinary ability of one of ordinary skill in the art based on the teachings of Lee.
Conclusion
THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. 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 nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) 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 mailing date of this final action.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to OMAR J GHOWRWAL whose telephone number is (571)270-5691. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 9:00am-6:00pm.
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/OMAR J GHOWRWAL/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2463