DETAILED ACTION
This communication is in response to applicant’s response filed under 37 C.F.R. §1.111 in response to a non-final office action. Claims 1, 3-7, 9-13, and 15-20 have been amended. Claims 1-20 are subject to examination.
Acknowledgement is made to the Applicant’s amendments to claims 1, 3, 9, and 15 to obviate the previous objections to claims 1, 3, 9, and 15. The previous objections to claims 1, 3, 9, and 15 are hereby withdrawn. However, the amendments to claims 12, 18, and 20 have not fully obviated the previous objections to claims 12, 18, and 20. The previous objections to claims 12, 18, and 20 are hereby upheld and updated as a result of the amendments. See updated rejection below.
Acknowledgement is made to the Applicant’s amendment to claims 4-6, 10, 11, 16, 17, and 19 to obviate the previous 112(b) rejections to claims 4-6, 10, 11, 16, 17, and 19. The previous 112(b) rejections to claims 4-6, 10, 11, 16, 17, and 19 are hereby withdrawn. However, the amendments to claims 12, 18, and 20 have not fully obviated the previous 112(b) rejections to claims 12, 18, and 20. The previous 112(b) rejections to claims 12, 18, and 20 are hereby upheld and updated as a result of the amendments. See updated rejection below.
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed 5/4/2026 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive for the following reasons:
Applicant’s Argument (Claims 1, 7, and 13):
The Applicant argues in substance that neither Levinbook or Bai describes:
“wherein the reference signal is a phase tracking reference signal (PTRS),
wherein a pattern parameter of the PTRS comprises: a quantity of PTRS groups, and a quantity of PTRS sampling points per PTRS group; and
wherein the location parameter of the data block comprises: the location of the data block in the DFT-s-OFDM symbol, and a length of the data block in the DFT-s-OFDM symbol.”
Examiner’s Response:
The Examiner respectfully disagrees. As a result of the amendments to the claims, the Examiner has reformatted the rejection. However, Levinbook teaches “the reference signal is a phase tracking reference signal (PTRS), wherein a pattern parameter of the PTRS comprises: a quantity of PTRS groups, and a quantity of PTRS sampling points per PTRS group”. For example, Levinbook teaches at pg. 2 lines 16-19 that “In a first possible implementation manner of the first aspect, the number of PTRS-groups is larger than one. In a second possible implementation manner of the first aspect, the number of PTRS- groups is larger than two,” and at pg. 7 lines 22-30 that “A PTRS group may be a group of PRTS samples ... If the PTRS group size K is equal to 1, each one of these X PTRS groups is located within (or occupies) one sample of the pre-DFT sample sequence. Or, if the PTRS group size K is equal to 2, each one of these X PTRS groups is located within 2 contiguous samples of the pre-DFT sample sequence”. That is, multiple PTRS groups can be arranged with equal spacing within pre-DFT group (a pattern parameter of the PTRS comprises: a quantity of PTRS groups), and a PTRS group size (number of samples) can be 1, 2, or more (a pattern parameter of the PTRS comprises: a quantity of PTRS sampling points per PTRS group).
Additionally, Bai teaches “the location parameter of the data block comprises: the location of the data block in the DFT-s-OFDM symbol, and a length of the data block in the DFT-s-OFDM symbol”. For example, Bai teaches at paragraph [0068] that “the apparatus may determine at least one location for inserting PT-RS samples into a sequence of a plurality of samples. A first set of the plurality of samples may comprises at least one of a first number of samples at a beginning of the sequence and a second number of samples at an end of the sequence, and the at least one location for the PT-RS samples may be within a second set of the plurality of samples.” That is, the location of the PTRS samples is determined based on the first and last few samples of the sequence being occupied by data (the location parameter of the data block comprises: the location of the data block in the DFT-s-OFDM symbol). Bai also teaches at paragraph [0061] that “For a pre-DFT sample sequence for a symbol in which the sequence includes N samples extending in a time domain for the symbol from sample 1 to sample N, the beginning sample(s) may include the first sample in the sequence according to a time domain, e.g., sample 1, ... sample 2, sample 3, etc. The end sample(s) may include the last sample in the sequence for the symbol according to a time domain, e.g., sample N, ... sample N−1, sample N−2, etc.” That is, the location of the PTRS samples is inherently determined based on the length (N) of the data block and the number of samples reserved for data (the location parameter of the data block comprises: a length of the data block in the DFT-s-OFDM symbol).
By this rationale, Levinbook in view of Bai teaches the amended limitations. See updated rejection below.
Regarding all other arguments presented by the applicant, the arguments are substantially the same as those which have already been addressed above and in the interest of brevity, the examiner directs the applicant to those responses.
Claim Objections
Claims 6, 12, 18, and 20 are objected to because of the following informalities:
Regarding claims 6, 12, 18, and 20, the claims each recite the limitations “N1 represents a location ...” and “N2 represents a location ...”. However, the equations associated with each appear to be equations for a quantity of reference signals within that location. For the sake of clarity, the Examiner recommends amending these limitations to instead read “N1 represents the quantity of reference signals within a location range other than the location range accounted for by N2 ” and “N2 represents the quantity of reference signals within a location range ...”.
Regarding claims 12 and 18, the claims each recite the limitations “the second location range representing the another location range” and “the second location range representing the location range”. For the sake of clarity and consistency with corresponding claim 6, the Examiner recommends amending these limitations to instead read “the second location range represents the another location range” and “the second location range represents the location range”.
Appropriate correction is required.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claims 1-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
Regarding Claims 1, 7, and 13, the claims each recite the limitation “wherein a pattern parameter of the PTRS comprises ...”. This limitation renders the claims indefinite because it is unclear whether the “a pattern parameter of the PTRS” recited in this limitation corresponds to the “a pattern parameter of the reference signal” previously recited in each claim.
Regarding Claims 6, 12, 18, and 20, the claims state “a quantity of reference signals within the first location range ... satisfies the following:” and proceed to provide equations for N1 and N2, which are subsequently defined as being associated with ranges other than the first location range. This limitation renders the claims indefinite because it is unclear whether N1 and N2 are intended to represent the quantity of reference signals within the first and second location range, or the quantity of reference signals in a range other than the range associated with N2.
Additionally, the claims each recite the limitation “K and R are location parameters of the data block”. This limitation renders the claims indefinite because it is unclear if or how K and R correspond to the “location parameter of the data block” comprising location and length previously defined in claims 1, 7, and 13.
Additionally, the claims each recite the limitation “N2- represents a location range between the reference signal that falls within the location range of the first data block and the reference signal that falls within the location range of the second data block”. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claims, as it has previously only been established that the reference signal falls “within the location range of the data block”, not within the location ranges of both the first and second data blocks.
Regarding Claims 2-5, 8-11, 14-17, and 19, the claims each depend on independent claims 1, 7, or 13 and therefore inherit the 35 U.S.C. 112 issues of the independent claims.
Tentative Indication of Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 5-6, 11-12, and 17-20 are objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but appear to contain allowable subject matter if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims, pending satisfactory overcoming of the above objections and rejections under 7. 35 U.S.C. 112(b).
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, 7, and 13 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Levinbook et al. (WO 2019/096415 A1, hereinafter “Levinbook”) in view of Bai et al. (US 2019/0109749 A1, hereinafter “Bai’).
Regarding Claim 1, Levinbook teaches a signal communication method, applied to a communication apparatus, the method comprising: determining a target location of a reference signal in a discrete Fourier transform-spread-orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (DFT-s-OFDM) symbol based on a pattern parameter of the reference signal (Levinbook: In the case of ... DFT-S-OFDM ... the PTRS consists of groups (also sets, blocks, or chunks) of pre-defined QAM symbols which are inserted into the waveform at certain resource locations according to a pre-defined pattern in the pre-DFT time domain, see pg. 1 lines 18-22); and
receiving the reference signal at the target location (Levinbook: After placing the PTRS samples at the locations of the PTRS groups in the DFT input vector, and possibly placing data samples at the remaining sample locations along the DFT input vector, the transmit apparatus maps the DFT input vector onto an OFDM symbol via a DFT operation ... Then the transmit apparatus will further process the signal and transmit it to the receiver, see pg. 6 lines 19-24),
wherein the reference signal is a phase tracking reference signal (PTRS) (Levinbook: a PTRS is included in the DFT-S-OFDM waveform generated by the transmitter, see pg. 6 lines 7-8),
wherein a pattern parameter of the PTRS comprises: a quantity of PTRS groups (Levinbook: In a first possible implementation manner of the first aspect, the number of PTRS-groups is larger than one. In a second possible implementation manner of the first aspect, the number of PTRS- groups is larger than two, see pg. 2 lines 16-19), and
a quantity of PTRS sampling points per PTRS group (Levinbook: A PTRS group may be a group of PRTS samples ... If the PTRS group size K is equal to 1, each one of these X PTRS groups is located within (or occupies) one sample of the pre-DFT sample sequence. Or, if the PTRS group size K is equal to 2, each one of these X PTRS groups is located within 2 contiguous samples of the pre-DFT sample sequence, see pg. 7 lines 22-30).
Levinbook does not explicitly teach determining a target location based on a location parameter of a data block, wherein the location parameter of the data block is used to determine a location of the data block in the DFT-s-OFDM symbol; and
wherein the location parameter of the data block comprises: the location of the data block in the DFT-s-OFDM symbol, and a length of the data block in the DFT-s-OFDM symbol.
However, in the same field of endeavor, Bai teaches determining a target location based on a location parameter of a data block, wherein the location parameter of the data block is used to determine a location of the data block in the DFT-s-OFDM symbol (Bai: At 804, the apparatus may determine at least one location for inserting PT-RS samples into a sequence of a plurality of samples. A first set of the plurality of samples may comprises at least one of a first number of samples at a beginning of the sequence and a second number of samples at an end of the sequence, and the at least one location for the PT-RS samples may be within a second set of the plurality of samples, see paragraph [0068]; The plurality of samples may comprise samples of a symbol of a DFT-s-OFDM transmission, see paragraph [0069]); and
wherein the location parameter of the data block comprises: the location of the data block in the DFT-s-OFDM symbol (Bai: A first set of the plurality of samples may comprises at least one of a first number of samples at a beginning of the sequence and a second number of samples at an end of the sequence, and the at least one location for the PT-RS samples may be within a second set of the plurality of samples, see paragraph [0068]), and
a length of the data block in the DFT-s-OFDM symbol (Bai: For a pre-DFT sample sequence for a symbol in which the sequence includes N samples extending in a time domain for the symbol from sample 1 to sample N, the beginning sample(s) may include the first sample in the sequence according to a time domain, e.g., sample 1, ... sample 2, sample 3, etc. The end sample(s) may include the last sample in the sequence for the symbol according to a time domain, e.g., sample N, ... sample N−1, sample N−2, etc., see paragraph [0061]). *Examiner’s Note: reserving the beginning and/or end sample(s) of the pre-DFT sample sequence for non-PTRS signals can be interpreted as a “location parameter of a data block”, and the location of the PTRS samples is inherently based on the length (N) of the data block (and the number of samples reserved for data).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the invention of Levinbook to include the features as taught by Bai above in order to reduce phase trajectory estimation error (Bai: see paragraph [0008]).
Regarding Claim 7, Levinbook teaches a signal communication method, comprising: mapping a reference signal to a target location in a discrete Fourier transform-spread-orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (DFT-s-OFDM) symbol (Levinbook: In the case of ... DFT-S-OFDM ... the PTRS consists of groups (also sets, blocks, or chunks) of pre-defined QAM symbols which are inserted into the waveform at certain resource locations according to a pre-defined pattern in the pre-DFT time domain, see pg. 1 lines 18-22; After placing the PTRS samples at the locations of the PTRS groups in the DFT input vector ... the transmit apparatus maps the DFT input vector onto an OFDM symbol via a DFT operation, see pg. 6 lines 19-21); and
sending the DFT-s-OFDM symbol (Levinbook: Then the transmit apparatus will further process the signal and transmit it to the receiver, see pg. 6 line 24).
Regarding all other limitations of claim 7, the limitations are substantially the same as the limitations of claim 1, and are therefore rejected for the same reasons.
Regarding Claim 13, Levinbook teaches a communication apparatus, comprising a processor, configured to execute instructions stored in a memory, to enable the apparatus to carry out the operations of: determining a target location of a reference signal in a discrete Fourier transform-spread-orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (DFT-s-OFDM) symbol (Levinbook: a receive apparatus for acquiring a post-IDFT sample sequence of an OFDM-signal, comprising: a processor, configured to acquire a post-IDFT sample sequence with a pre-defined length and extract: data and a PTRS-group, see pg. 3 lines 13-15; In the case of ... DFT-S-OFDM ... the PTRS consists of groups (also sets, blocks, or chunks) of pre-defined QAM symbols which are inserted into the waveform at certain resource locations according to a pre-defined pattern in the pre-DFT time domain, see pg. 1 lines 18-22); and
receiving the reference signal at the target location (Levinbook: The provided methods and apparatuses ensure the receiver demodulates the PTRS in its correct place, see pg. 4 lines 25-26).
Regarding all other limitations of claim 13, the limitations are substantially the same as the limitations of claim 1, and are therefore rejected for the same reasons.
Claims 2, 8, and 14 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Levinbook-Bai in view of Lee et al. (US 2021/0058207 A1, hereinafter “Lee”).
Regarding Claim 2, Levinbook-Bai teaches the method according to claim 1.
Bai further teaches, the data block comprises a data block at an end location of the DFT-s-OFDM symbol (Bai: A first set of the plurality of samples may comprises ... a second number of samples at an end of the sequence, see paragraph [0068]).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the invention of Levinbook to include the features as taught by Bai above in order to reduce phase trajectory estimation error (Bai: see paragraph [0008]).
Levinbook-Bai does not explicitly teach the data block comprises a data block replicated from a previous DFT-s-OFDM symbol adjacent to the DFT-s-OFDM symbol.
However, in the same field of endeavor, Lee teaches the data block comprises a data block replicated from a previous DFT-s-OFDM symbol adjacent to the DFT-s-OFDM symbol (Lee: the single carrier structure of DFT-s-OFDM may be exploited and the CP extension may be achieved by shifting the location of data symbols and reusing them in the previous and next DFT-s-OFDM symbols, see paragraph [0130] and Fig. 8).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the invention of Levinbook-Bai to include the features as taught by Lee above in order to increase effective CP length and improve robustness (Lee: see paragraph [0123]).
Regarding Claim 8, Levinbook-Bai teaches the method according to claim 7.
Regarding all other limitations of claim 8, the limitations are substantially the same as the limitations of claim 2, and are therefore rejected for the same reasons.
Regarding Claim 14, Levinbook-Bai teaches the apparatus according to claim 13.
Regarding all other limitations of claim 14, the limitations are substantially the same as the limitations of claim 2, and are therefore rejected for the same reasons.
Claims 3-4, 9-10, and 15-16 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Levinbook-Bai in view of Bala et al. (US 2020/0213057 A1, hereinafter “Bala”).
Regarding Claim 3, Levinbook-Bai teaches the method according to claim 1, wherein the initial location is a location of the reference signal in the DFT-s-OFDM symbol that is determined based on the pattern parameter of the reference signal (Levinbook: In the case of ... DFT-S-OFDM ... the PTRS consists of groups (also sets, blocks, or chunks) of pre-defined QAM symbols which are inserted into the waveform at certain resource locations according to a pre-defined pattern in the pre-DFT time domain, see pg. 1 lines 18-22).
Bai further teaches, based on an initial location falling outside a location range of the data block, the target location is the initial location (Bai: The PT-RS may be inserted into the data transmission at locations different than the beginning and/or end samples in the pre-DFT sample sequence for a symbol, see paragraph [0061]).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the invention of Levinbook to include the features as taught by Bai above in order to reduce phase trajectory estimation error (Bai: see paragraph [0008]).
Levinbook-Bai does not explicitly teach based on the initial location falling within the location range of the data block, the target location is different from the initial location.
However, in the same field of endeavor, Bala teaches based on the initial location falling within the location range of the data block, the target location is different from the initial location (Bala: reference symbols (RSs), for example a PT-RS used to estimate and track the phase noise, may be enabled (e.g., turned on) and transmitted on certain DFT inputs of specific DFT-s-OFDM symbols ... in a case where time samples n, n+1 are to carry the UCI, and the PT-RS is enabled for time sample n ... PT-RS may be transmitted on time sample n−1, see paragraph [0161]).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the invention of Levinbook-Bai to include the features as taught by Bala above in order to prevent collision of UCI and PTRS (Bala: see paragraph [0161]).
Regarding Claim 4, Levinbook-Bai-Bala teaches the method according to claim 3.
Bai further teaches, a location for the target location of the reference signal within a second location range in the DFT-s-OFDM symbol remains unchanged, wherein the second location range represents another location range other than the location range of the data block in the DFT-s-OFDM symbol (Bai: The PT-RS may be inserted into the data transmission at locations different than the beginning and/or end samples in the pre-DFT sample sequence for a symbol, see paragraph [0061]).
The rationale and motivation for adding the teaching of Bai is the same as the rationale and motivation for Claim 3.
Bala further teaches, based on the initial location falling within the location range of the data block, a location for the target location of the reference signal within a first location range in the DFT-s-OFDM symbol is re-determined based on the initial location, wherein the first location range represents the location range of the data block (Bala: in a case where time samples n, n+1 are to carry the UCI, and the PT-RS is enabled for time sample n ... PT-RS may be transmitted on time sample n−1, see paragraph [0161]).
The rationale and motivation for adding the teaching of Bala is the same as the rationale and motivation for Claim 3.
Regarding Claim 9, Levinbook-Bai teaches the method according to claim 7.
Regarding all other limitations of claim 9, the limitations are substantially the same as the limitations of claim 3, and are therefore rejected for the same reasons.
Regarding Claim 10, Levinbook-Bai-Bala teaches the method according to claim 9.
Regarding all other limitations of claim 10, the limitations are substantially the same as the limitations of claim 4, and are therefore rejected for the same reasons.
Regarding Claim 15, Levinbook-Bai teaches the apparatus according to claim 13.
Regarding all other limitations of claim 15, the limitations are substantially the same as the limitations of claim 3, and are therefore rejected for the same reasons.
Regarding Claim 16, Levinbook-Bai-Bala teaches the apparatus according to claim 15.
Regarding all other limitations of claim 16, the limitations are substantially the same as the limitations of claim 4, and are therefore rejected for the same reasons.
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 PHILLIP J EGAN KEARNS whose telephone number is 571-272-4869. The examiner can normally be reached M-Th 10-6 MST.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, NOEL BEHARRY can be reached at 571-270-5630. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/P.K./Examiner, Art Unit 2416
/SHARMIN CHOWDHURY/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2416
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