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 .
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, 4-8, 10, 11, 13, 16-19 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a) (2) as being anticipated by Huang et al. – US 2023/0254029 (hereinafter Huang).
Re claim 13, Huang discloses:
“a non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing programming including instructions; and
a processor configured to execute the instructions to cause the apparatus to” (para. 0010
receive first configuration information, the first configuration information comprising identification of a plurality of beams for transmitting or receiving signals, each beam having an associated direction” (para. 0116, 0117, 0119 wherein the narrow beam and wide beam teaches the claimed “plurality of beams”); and
“receive second configuration information, the second configuration information comprising a message to enable a selected subset of beams of the plurality of beams from the plurality of beams for transmitting or receiving signals” (para. 0118, 0123; wherein the selected beam is indicated to the gNB where it receives the indication of selection).
Re claim 1, see corresponding claim 13.
Re claim 16, Huang further discloses “wherein a signal transmitted or received on at least one beam of the selected subset of beams is transmitted to, or received from, a base station (BS) over a direct link with the BS” in Fig. 4A, 4B; para. 0074-0075.
Re claim 4, see corresponding claim 16.
Re claim 17, Huang further implies the teaching “wherein the second configuration information includes identification of beam direction and at least one of time or frequency resources of a signal on at least one beam of the selected subset of beams” in Abstract, para. 0008-0010, 0033.
Re claim 5, see corresponding claim 17.
Re claim 6, Huang further implies the teaching “further comprising: receiving data and control information within the at least one of time or frequency resources of the at least one beam of the selected subset of beams” in para. 0119, 0120, 0033, 0054, 0062.
Re claim 18, Huang discloses:
“a non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing programming including instructions; and
a processor configured to execute the instructions to cause the apparatus to” (para. 0010)
“transmit first configuration information to a user equipment (UE), the first configuration information comprising identification of a plurality of beams for transmitting or receiving signals at the UE, each beam having an associated direction (para. 0116, 0117, 0119 wherein the narrow beam and wide beam teaches the claimed “plurality of beams”); and
“transmit second configuration information, the second configuration information comprising a message to enable a selected subset of beams of the plurality of beams for transmitting or receiving signals at the UE” (para. 0118, 0123; wherein at the UE the selected beam is indicated to the gNB).
Re claim 7, see corresponding claim 18.
Re claim 11, Huang further implies the teaching “wherein the second configuration information includes identification of beam direction and at least one of time or frequency resources of a signal on at least one beam of the selected subset of beams” in Abstract, para. 0008-0010, 0033.
Re claim 19, Huang further discloses:
“transmit a signal to be received at the UE on at least one beam of the selected subset of beams at the UE (para. 0116, 0117); or
receive a signal transmitted by the UE on at least one beam of the selected subset of beams at the UE.”
Note: the reference only needs to satisfy only one of the two limitations in claim 19.
Re claim 8, see corresponding claim 19.
Re claim 10, Huang further discloses “transmitting a signal to be received at the UE on at least one beam of the selected subset of beams at the UE over a direct link with the UE (in Fig. 4A, 4B; para. 0074-0075); or receiving a signal transmitted by the UE on at least one beam of the selected subset of beams at the UE over a direct link with the UE.” Note: the reference only needs to satisfy only one of the two limitations in claim 10.
Claim(s) 12 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by LIU et al. – US 2023/0074103 (hereinafter Liu).
Re claim 12, Liu discloses:
“a reflective intelligent surface (RIS) reflecting a signal in the direction of a user equipment (UE) on at least one of a selected subset of beams of a plurality of beams known to the UE (Fig. 1; para. 0072, 0074; wherein the access node selects at least a beam for transmitting to the user device (UD) via the intelligent reflecting devices (IRS); and the UD know which beam is from the IRS); or
a RIS reflecting a signal in the direction of a base station (BS) that is received from a UE that transmitted the signal on at least one of a selected subset of beams of a plurality of beams known to the UE.”
Note: the reference only needs to satisfy only one of the two limitations in claim 12.
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) 2, 3, 9, 14, 15, 20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Huang in view of JIAN et al. – US 2023/0047993 (hereinafter Jian).
Re claim 14, Huang discloses all claimed subject matter in claim 14, as stated above, except for “wherein a signal transmitted or received on at least one beam of the selected subset of beams is transmitted or received via at least one reflective intelligent surface (RIS).”
Jian, in similar field of endeavor, discloses the above claimed subject matter in Fig. 1, 2B, 2C; para. 0046-0047; wherein the inclusion of intelligent reflective devices to improve efficiency of communication between first node with plurality of second nodes (para. 0027).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art at the time of the filing to have incorporated the use of intelligent reflective devices into Huang for the above benefit.
Re claim 2, see corresponding claim 14.
Re claim 15, Huang discloses all claimed subject matter in claim 14, as stated above, except for “wherein each one of a plurality of signals are transmitted or received on a corresponding beam of the selected subset of beams via a respective RIS.”
Jian, in similar field of endeavor, discloses the above claimed subject matter in para. 0088, 0093; wherein Jian assign or match each of the second nodes to one or more of the surface element regions.
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art at the time of the filing to have incorporated the use of intelligent reflective devices into Huang for improving efficiency of communication between first node with plurality of second nodes (para. 0027).
Re claim 3, see corresponding claim 15.
Re claim 20, Huang discloses all claimed subject matter in claim 20, as stated above, except for “wherein the transmit a signal to be received at the UE on at least one beam of the selected subset of beams at the UE comprises: transmit at least two signals to be received at the UE on respective beams of the selected subset of beams at the UE, each signal reflected by reflective intelligent surface (RIS); or
the receive a signal transmitted by the UE on at least one beam of the selected subset of beams at the UE comprises: receive at least two signals from the UE on respective beams of the selected subset of beams, each signal reflected by reflective intelligent surface (RIS).”
Jian, in similar field of endeavor, discloses the above claimed subject matter in Fig. 7, 8A, 8B; para. 0110 – 0114; wherein the access node may transmit plurality of signals via the intelligent reflective devices to the plurality of user devices.
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art at the time of the filing to have incorporated the use of intelligent reflective devices into Huang for improving efficiency of communication between first node with plurality of second nodes (para. 0027).
Re claim 9, see corresponding claim 20.
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed 08/15/25 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive.
In the REMARKS, pages… applicant essentially argued that the UE receives only first information. Applicant seems to also suggest that the UE transmit the second information. The Office respectfully disagrees. As evidenced in Fig. 9, the UE also receives signaling 908 and based on this signaling, the UE selects a set of one more beam directions, and the respective beams’ angular widths (thus select beams). The indication of the selection is then transmitted to the base station (para. 0120-0123). Thus, it is believed that Huang meets all claimed subject matter in claim 13. Applicant also relied on argument related to claim 13 for other corresponding independent claims 1, 7, 18, therefore, the same response is applied. Applicant did not make separate argument for independent claim 12.
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.
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/DAC V HA/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2633