DETAILED ACTION
This action is in response to applicant’s amendment filed on 02 March 2026. Claims 1-20 are now pending in the present application. This office action is made Non-Final.
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 .
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claim(s) 1-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Khormuji et al. (hereinafter Khormujj) (US 2016/0234844 A1; also, see US 10,098,117 B2).
Regarding claims 1, 11, and 17, Khormujj discloses a communications system comprising:
a transmitter configured to { (see pg. 4, [0055, 0052]; Figs. 1-3, 8, & 10-13) }:
encode a message with an error correction code { (see pg. 4, [0052-0053]; Figs. 1-3, 8, & 10-13), where the system provides a transmitter to that encode }; and
modulate and transmit the encoded message via a communications link { (see pg. 5, [0056]; pg. 4, [0052-0053]; Figs. 1-3, 8, & 10-13), where the system provides a transmitter to that encode };
a receiver configured to: receive a transmission associated with the message via the communications link { (see pg. 5, [0059]; pg. 6, [0079]; Figs. 1-3, 8, & 10-13), where the system has a receiver };
demodulate the transmission to generate demodulated coded information { (see pg. 4, [0054]; pg. 3, [0030]; pg. 5, [0059]; pg. 6, [0079]; Figs. 1-3, 8, & 10-13), where the system has a receiver to demodulate }; and
decode the demodulated coded information using the error correction code to generate a decoded message { (see pg. 7, [0085]; pg. 4, [0054]; pg. 3, [0030]; pg. 5, [0059]; pg. 6, [0079]; Figs. 1-3, 8, & 10-13), where the system provides decoding }; and
a link analyzer configured to { (see pg. 5, [0059-0060]; pg. 7, [0085]; pg. 4, [0054]; pg. 3, [0030]; pg. 6, [0079]; Figs. 1-3, 8, & 10-13), where the system provides channel estimation }:
re-encode the decoded message to generate re-encoded information { (see pg. 5, [0059-0060]; pg. 7, [0085]; pg. 4, [0054]; pg. 3, [0030]; pg. 6, [0079]; Figs. 1-3, 8, & 10-13), where the system provides decoding };
determining a difference between the re-encoded information and the demodulated coded information { (see pg. 5, [0059-0060]; pg. 7, [0085]; pg. 4, [0054]; pg. 3, [0030]; pg. 6, [0079]; Figs. 1-3, 8, & 10-13), where the system provides decoding, and the system uses the initial pilots and new pilots of the decoded and re-encoded for re-estimation to enhance quality (see pg. 6, [0080]; pg. 3, [0030]; pg. 6, [0079]; Figs. 1-3, 8, & 10-13 }; and
generate a link quality metric value based on the difference between the re-encoded information with the demodulated coded information, the link quality metric value being indicative of a link quality of the communications link { (see pg. 5, [0059-0060]; pg. 7, [0085]; pg. 4, [0054]; pg. 3, [0030]; pg. 6, [0079]; Figs. 1-3, 8, & 10-13), where the system provides estimation for quality, and re-encoded for re-estimation to enhance quality (see pg. 6, [0080]; pg. 3, [0030]; pg. 6, [0079]; Figs. 1-3, 8, & 10-13 }.
Regarding claims 2, 12, and 20, Khormujj discloses the communications system of claim 1, wherein the link analyzer is further configured to determine a link feedback control based on the link quality metric value, the link feedback control being generated to modify a transmission parameter for use with the communications link { (see pg. 5, [0059-0060]; pg. 7, [0085]; pg. 4, [0054]; pg. 3, [0030]; pg. 6, [0079]; Figs. 1-3, 8, & 10-13) }.
Regarding claims 3, 14, and 19, Khormujj discloses the communications system of claim 2, wherein the transmission parameter is a transmit power level or a code rate { (see pg. 5, [0057]; pg. 2, [0014]; Figs. 1-3, 8, & 10-13) }.
Regarding claims 4, 13, and 18, Khormujj discloses the communications system of claim 1, wherein the encoded message is a first encoded message { (see pg. 4, [0052-0053]; Figs. 1-3, 8, & 10-13), where the system provides a transmitter to that encode };
wherein the communications system further comprises: a link controller; a first transceiver comprising the transmitter; and a second transceiver comprising the receiver { (see pg. 5, [0059-0060]; pg. 7, [0085]; pg. 4, [0054]; pg. 3, [0030]; pg. 6, [0079]; Figs. 1-3, 8, & 10-13) };
wherein the link analyzer is further configured to determine a link feedback control based on the link quality metric value { (see pg. 5, [0059-0060]; pg. 7, [0085]; pg. 4, [0054]; pg. 3, [0030]; pg. 6, [0079]; Figs. 1-3, 8, & 10-13) };
wherein the second transceiver is configured to transmit the link feedback control to the first transceiver for provision to the link controller { (see pg. 5, [0059-0060]; pg. 7, [0085]; pg. 4, [0054]; pg. 3, [0030]; pg. 6, [0079]; Figs. 1-3, 8, & 10-13) }; and
wherein the link controller is configured to control the first transceiver to transmit a second encoded message via the communications link with a modified transmission parameter, relative to the transmitting of the first encoded message, based on the link feedback control { (see pg. 5, [0059-0060]; pg. 7, [0085]; pg. 4, [0054]; pg. 3, [0030]; pg. 6, [0079]; Figs. 1-3, 8, & 10-13) }.
Regarding claim 5, Khormujj discloses the communications system of claim 4, wherein the modified transmission parameter is a modified transmit power level, a modified code rate, modified modulation attributes, or modified waveform attributes { (see pg. 5, [0057]; pg. 2, [0014]; Figs. 1-3, 8, & 10-13) }.
Regarding claims 6 and 15, Khormujj discloses the communications system of claim 4, wherein the modified transmission parameter is a modified transmit power level; and wherein the link controller is configured to control the first transceiver, based on the link feedback control, to transmit the second encoded message via the communications link with a lower transmit power level to reduce the link quality of the communications link { (see pg. 5, [0059-0060]; pg. 7, [0085]; pg. 4, [0054]; pg. 3, [0030]; pg. 6, [0079]; Figs. 1-3, 8, & 10-13) }.
Regarding claims 7 and 16, Khormujj discloses the communications system of claim 4, wherein the modified transmission parameter is a modified code rate; and wherein the link controller is configured to control the first transceiver, based on the link feedback control, to transmit the second encoded message via the communications link with an increased code rate to reduce the link quality of the communications link { (see pg. 5, [0059-0060]; pg. 7, [0085]; pg. 4, [0054]; pg. 3, [0030]; pg. 6, [0079]; Figs. 1-3, 8, & 10-13) }.
Regarding claim 8, Khormujj discloses the communications system of claim 4, wherein the link analyzer is further configured to determine the link feedback control based on a relationship between the link quality metric value and an optimization link quality threshold { (see pg. 5, [0059-0060]; pg. 7, [0085]; pg. 4, [0054]; pg. 3, [0030]; pg. 6, [0079]; Figs. 1-3, 8, & 10-13) }.
Regarding claim 9, Khormujj discloses the communications system of claim 1, wherein the receiver is configured to decode the demodulated coded information based a coded block length for the error correction code used to perform the decoding { (see pg. 7, [0085]; pg. 4, [0054]; pg. 3, [0030]; pg. 5, [0059]; pg. 6, [0079]; Figs. 1-3, 8, & 10-13), where the system provides decoding }.
Regarding claim 10, Khormujj discloses the communications system of claim 1, wherein the receiver is further configured to perform interleaving in association with the demodulated coded information to generate the decoded message { (see pg. 7, [0085]; pg. 4, [0054]; pg. 3, [0030]; pg. 5, [0059]; pg. 6, [0079]; Figs. 1-3, 8, & 10-13), where the system provides decoding }.
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments with respect to claims 1-20 have been considered but are moot in view of the new ground(s) of rejection necessitated by the amended language, new limitations, and/or new claims.
In response to applicant’s arguments, the Examiner respectfully disagrees as the applied reference(s) provide more than adequate support and to further clarify (see the above claims for relevant citations and comments in this section).
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 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 WILLIE J DANIEL JR whose telephone number is (571)272-7907. The examiner can normally be reached on 9 - 6.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Gary Mui can be reached on 571-270-1420. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/WILLIE J DANIEL JR/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2465
WJD,Jr
23 March 2026