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 arguments with respect to claim(s) 1-2 , 4, 7, and 11 have been considered but are moot in view of a new ground of rejection necessitated by Applicants amendment filed on 7/13/2026.
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.
Claims 1-2, 4, and 7 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Abedini (US 2021/0306962) in view of Rajput (US 20230021166).
Regarding Claim 1, Abedini teaches a method for signal transmission performed by a device for forwarding signals in a communication system (Par.65 and 76, repeater), the method comprising: determining power control parameters wherein the power control parameters include a second power amplification gain (Par.56, Par.76, gain configuration information received at the repeater from the base station explicitly specifies the gain value to be used by the repeater (i.e. 2nd PA gain). Also, Par.93: with multiple adjustment points…the base station can coordinate the gain values and output transmission levels. note: repeater receives and determines) and a maximum transmitting power (Par.59 and Par.66-67, repeater determines max tx power); measuring a power of a transmitted signal (Par.67 and Par.72, current transmit power associated with the repeater detected/measured); determining a first power amplification gain (Par.76 and Par.78, gain value applied is first gain…repeater makes decision about using specific value based on various factors such as local factors at the repeater) based on the power control parameter (Par.56, par.76, gain value used (i.e. first gain) is based on gain configuration information from base station) and the power of the transmitted signal (Par.70 and Par.73, measured power is part of power configuration used to determine gain control information which controls the gain value actually applied); and forwarding a received signal based on the first power amplification gain (Par.78, repeater transmits gain adjusted communication, the gain value that is used is the first gain), however Abedini does not explicitly teach determining the first power amplification gain further comprises: in case that the measured power of the transmitted signal is less than or equal to the maximum transmitting power, determining that the first power amplification gain is the second power amplification gain.
Rajput, in the same field of endeavor of performing gain control in wireless devices transmitting data, teaches that it is well known to compare the measured RF power level of a transmitted signal to a maximum RF transmit power (Par.20-21, gain adjusted if transmit power is greater than the max RF power) and if the measured power of the transmitted signal is less than or equal to the maximum transmitting power (Fig.:522 and Par.56, within tolerance of target (i.e. maximum RF power)) utilizing the predetermined/initial transmitter gain value (Par.56 and Fig.5). Therefore, to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention, it would have been obvious to modify Abedinis repeater which determines gain value to apply to a signal to be forwarded with the teachings of Rajput which utilizes a predetermined/initial gain value after checking that the measured power of the transmitted signal is less than or equal to the maximum transmitting power. By the combination, Abeninis gain value (i.e. 2nd gain) provided by the base station can be determined to be used and applied at the repeater after checking and determining that the transmission power does not exceed regulatory limits (<=Max Tx Power). This reads on “determining that the first power amplification gain is the second power amplification gain”. Therefore, the combination is obvious and would provide an enhanced device that ensures that the transmission power of the device is within regulatory limits in order to minimize interference with other communications and to guarantee human exposure safety.
Regarding Claim 2, Abedini teaches the second power amplification gain is configured or preset by a base station (Par.56, Par.61), and the maximum transmitting power is configured or preset by the base station (Par.73, maximum gain).
Regarding Claim 4, Abedini teaches the determining of the first power amplification gain further comprises: measuring a power of the received signal (Par.70:23-30 and Par.83); and determining the first power amplification gain based on the power of the received signal (Par.59 and Par.64, base station uses power configuration information to send gain value to repeater and Par.78, the applied gain (i.e. 1st gain) is partially based on power configuration).
Regarding Claim 7, Abedini teaches determining the first power amplification gain based on the power control parameters and the measured power of the received signal (Par.59 and Par.64, base station uses power configuration information to send gain value to repeater and Par.78, the applied gain (i.e. 1st gain) is partially based on power configuration).
Claims 11 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Abedini (US 2021/0306962) and Rajput (US 20230021166) in further view of Barnard (US 6742154).
Regarding Claim 11, Abedini teaches that it is well known to receive gain configuration from a base station which can include a specific value (Par.76:7-10) for the repeater to make a decision about using the specific value based on local factors at the repeater (Par.76). However, Abedini and Rajput do not expressly teach determining the first power amplification gain according to whether a power amplifier for amplifying power in the device for forwarding signals is saturated wherein the determining of the first power amplification gain according to whether the power amplifier for amplifying power in the device for forwarding signals is saturated comprises: in case that the power amplifier for amplifying power in the device for forwarding signals is saturated, determining that the first power amplification gain is a difference value between the second power amplification gain and a third variable; and in case that the power amplifier for amplifying power in the device for forwarding signals is unsaturated, determining that the first power amplification gain is the second power amplification gain.
Barnard teaches that it is well known in the art to determine first power amplification gain according to whether a power amplifier for amplifying power in the device for forwarding signals is saturated (Col6:lines 23-35, based on gain determines whether saturated or not) wherein the determining of the first power amplification gain according to whether the power amplifier for amplifying power in the device for forwarding signals is saturated (Col6:lines 23-35, based on gain determines whether saturated or not) comprises: in case that the power amplifier for amplifying power in the device for forwarding signals is unsaturated (Col6:lines 23-35, unsaturated), determining that the first power amplification gain is the second power amplification gain (Col.6:lines 23-35, unsaturated so no changes needed, obviously will continue to use the current gain settings). Therefore, to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention, it would have been obvious to modify Abedini and Rajputs wireless repeater/relay by applying Barnards logic to a wireless repeater where the repeater can monitor its output power and determine if the amplifier is unsaturated, maintain the preset gain. By the combination, an enhanced device is provided which can monitor amplifier output as a standard engineering practice to ensure operation in distortion free range.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Yang (US 2020/0305124) – Par.63, 65 teaches in response to determining that saturation has occurred after applying the one or more gain settings, an amplifier gain may be further reduced. For example, in response to detecting saturation of a BB amplifier or an analog to digital converter (ADC), the BB gain may be further reduced.
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.
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/WESLEY L KIM/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2648
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