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
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)(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.
Claims 1, 12-15, 11-12 and 26-27 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by CSI Measurements and Measurements restrictions (hereinafter, R1-155820).
Regarding claim 1, R1-155820 discloses a user equipment (Page 1, Introduction, “UE”) configured for wireless communications, comprising:
one or more memories comprising processor-executable instructions; and one or more processors configured to execute the processor-executable instructions (Page 1, Introduction, “UE”, UEs inherently comprise at least one memory that stores processor-executable instructions that are executed by at least one processors) and cause the user equipment to:
receive a channel state information (CSI) reference resource indicating a CSI reference signal (CSI-RS) transmission power level (Fig. 4 and page 5, lines 16-19, “the eNB configures MR interval X…determines the maximum number of NZP [non zero power] CSI-RS/IMR subframes up to and including the CSI reference resource”, where by being NZP CSI-RS subframe will indicate the CSI-RS transmission power level);
receive one or more CSI measurement resources during an implicit indication interval beginning with the CSI reference resource and ending with an uplink resource configured for sending a channel state metric (Fig. 4 and page 5, lines 16-19, “the eNB configures MR interval X…determines the maximum number of NZP [non zero power] CSI-RS/IMR subframes up to and including the CSI reference resource”); and
determine the channel state metric based on the CSI-RS transmission power level and at least one of the one or more CSI measurement resources (page 1, section 1, “For a given CSI process, if ME on channel measurement is ON, then the channel used for CSI computation can be estimated from X NZP CSI-RS subframe(s) up until and including CSI reference resource”),
wherein the CSI reference resource implicitly indicates to the user equipment that the CSI-RS transmission power level applies to all of the one or more CSI measurement resources (page 1, section 1, “For a given CSI process, if ME on channel measurement is ON, then the channel used for CSI computation can be estimated from X NZP CSI-RS subframe(s) up until and including CSI reference resource…”, where the subframe including NZP CSI-RS indicates implicit indicating).
Regarding claim 14, R1-155820 discloses a method for wireless communications by a user equipment (Page 1, Introduction, “UE”), comprising:
receiving a first channel state information (CSI) reference resource indicating a CSI reference signal (CSI-RS) transmission power level (Fig. 4 and page 5, lines 16-19, “the eNB configures MR interval X…determines the maximum number of NZP [non zero power] CSI-RS/IMR subframes up to and including the CSI reference resource”, where by being NZP CSI-RS subframe will indicate the CSI-RS transmission power level);
receiving one or more CSI measurement resources during an implicit indication interval beginning with the CSI reference resource and ending with an uplink resource configured for sending a channel state metric (Fig. 4 and page 5, lines 16-19, “the eNB configures MR interval X…determines the maximum number of NZP [non zero power] CSI-RS/IMR subframes up to and including the CSI reference resource”); and
determining the channel state metric based on the CSI-RS transmission power level and at least one of the one or more CSI measurement resources (page 1, section 1, “For a given CSI process, if ME on channel measurement is ON, then the channel used for CSI computation can be estimated from X NZP CSI-RS subframe(s) up until and including CSI reference resource…”).
Regarding claim 15, R1-155820 discloses a network entity configured for wireless communications (page 4, section 4, “eNB”), comprising:
one or more memories comprising processor-executable instructions; and one or more processors configured to execute the processor-executable instructions (Page 4, section 4, “eNB”, eNBs inherently comprise at least one memory that stores processor-executable instructions that are executed by at least one processors) and cause the network entity to:
send, to a user equipment, a channel state information (CSI) reference resource indicating a CSI reference signal (CSI-RS) transmission power level (Fig. 4 and page 5, lines 16-19, “the eNB configures MR interval X…determines the maximum number of NZP [non zero power] CSI-RS/IMR subframes up to and including the CSI reference resource”);
send, to the user equipment, one or more CSI measurement resources during an implicit indication interval beginning with the CSI reference resource and ending with an uplink resource configured for receiving a channel state metric (Fig. 4 and page 5, lines 16-19, “the eNB configures MR interval X…determines the maximum number of NZP [non zero power] CSI-RS/IMR subframes up to and including the CSI reference resource”, where being NZP CSI-RS subframes will indicate the CSI-RS transmission power level); and
receive, from the user equipment, the channel state metric (Page 1, Introduction section, “feedback”, the eNB receives the feedback sent by the UE),
wherein the CSI reference resource is configured to implicitly indicate to the user equipment that the CSI-RS transmission power level applies to all of the one or more CSI measurement resources (page 1, section 1, “For a given CSI process, if ME on channel measurement is ON, then the channel used for CSI computation can be estimated from X NZP CSI-RS subframe(s) up until and including CSI reference resource…”, where the subframe including NZP CSI-RS indicates implicit indicating as well as power level).
Regarding claim 27, R1-155820 discloses a method (Page 1, “Introduction”) for wireless communications by a network entity, comprising:
sending, to a user equipment, a first channel state information (CSI) reference resource indicating a CSI reference signal (CSI-RS) transmission power level (Fig. 4 and page 5, lines 16-19, “the eNB configures MR interval X…determines the maximum number of NZP [non zero power] CSI-RS/IMR subframes up to and including the CSI reference resources”, where being NZP CSI-RS subframes will indicate the CSI-RS transmission power level);
sending, to the user equipment, one or more CSI measurement resources during an implicit indication interval beginning with the CSI reference resource (page 1, section 1, “For a given CSI process, if ME on channel measurement is ON, then the channel used for CSI computation can be estimated from X NZP CSI-RS subframe(s) up until and including CSI reference resource…”, where the subframe including NZP CSI-RS indicates implicit indication) and
sending with an uplink resource configured for receiving a channel state metric (Page 1, Introduction section, “feedback”, the UE provides the requested report/s to the eNB); and
receiving, from the user equipment via the uplink resource, the channel state metric (Page 1, Introduction section, “feedback”, the eNB receives the feedback sent by the UE),
wherein the CSI reference resource is configured to implicitly indicate to the user equipment that the CSI-RS transmission power level applies to all of the one or more CSI measurement resources (page 1, section 1, “For a given CSI process, if ME on channel measurement is ON, then the channel used for CSI computation can be estimated from X NZP CSI-RS subframe(s) up until and including CSI reference resource…”, where the subframe including NZP CSI-RS indicates implicit indication).
Regarding claims 12 and 26, R1-155820 and 3GPPTS38.214 disclose all the limitations of claims 1 and 15, respectively. R1-155820 further discloses wherein the one or more processors are further configured to execute the processor-executable instructions and cause the user equipment to perform one or more of the following based on the channel state metric: beam management; radio link failure detection; beam failure detection; time and frequency synchronization; or connected mode mobility (Page 2, section 2, “UE specific beamformed CSI-RS based schemes”).
Regarding claim 13, R1-155820 and 3GPPTS38.214 disclose all the limitations of claim 1, respectively. R1-155820 further discloses wherein the one or more processors are further configured to execute the processor-executable instructions and cause the user equipment to send, to a network entity via the uplink resource, the channel state metric (Page 1, Introduction section, second bullet point, “For a given CSI process with CSI-IM(s), if MR on interference measurement is ON then the interference used for CSI computation can be estimated from Y CSI-IM subframe(s) up until and including CSI reference resource”, where subframe set CSM may measure subframes which are aligned with interference).
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.
Claims 2-11, and 16-25 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over R1-155820 in view of "3r Generation Partnership Project, Technical Specification Group Radio Access Network, NR, Physical Layer Procedures for Data (Release 17)" hereinafter (3GPPTS38.214).
Regarding claims 2 and 16, R1-155820 discloses all the limitations of claims 1 and 15, respectively. Although implied by R1-155820 (Page 5, lines 20-22, “flexibility in configuring MR interval at the network side…if it can be assumed that the specified MR interval X and the actual implemented by UE and denoted by X-UE (in Figure 4) are equal”).
In related art concerning technical specifications group access network, NR, 3GPPTS38.214 discloses wherein the CSI reference resource further indicates that time restriction for channel measurement is not configured (Page 87, section 5.2.2.1 “timeRestrictionForChannelMeasurements is set to ‘notConfigured’…”).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to use 3GPPTS38.214’s teachings wherein the CSI reference resource further indicates that time restriction for channel measurement is not configured with the CSI measurement and measurement restrictions disclosed by R1-155820 because one of ordinary skill in the art would have recognized that by unrestricted observation interval in time, resources are saved, as well as allowing flexibility in the system that allows improvement in quality of service and resource allocation based on the many types of services/communications needed in NR systems.
Regarding claims 3 and 17, R1-155820 and 3GPPTS38.214 disclose all the limitations of claims 2 and 16, respectively. R1-155820 further discloses wherein the one or more processors are further configured to execute the processor-executable instructions and cause the user equipment to determine the channel state metric based on the CSI-RS transmission power level and each of the one or more CSI measurement resources (Fig. 4 and page 5, lines 16-19, where the UE makes the measurements based on the CSI-RS transmission power level and the CSI measurement resources configured by the eNB).
Regarding claims 4 and 18, R1-155820 and 3GPPTS38.214 disclose all the limitations of claims 2 and 16, respectively. R1-155820 further discloses wherein the one or more processors are further configured to execute the processor-executable instructions and cause the user equipment to determine the channel state metric based on a subset of the one or more CSI measurement resources (Fig. 4, “X-UE”).
Regarding claims 5 and 19, R1-155820 and 3GPPTS38.214 disclose all the limitations of claims 4 and 18, respectively. R1-155820 further discloses wherein the subset comprises a number of CSI measurement resources before the uplink resource configured for reporting the channel state metric (Fig. 4 and page 5, lines 16-19, “the eNB configures MR interval X…determines the maximum number of NZP [non zero power] CSI-RS/IMR subframes up to and including the CSI reference resource.” Where the number is not a pre-set number; therefore, any number of measurements, including one measurement reads on the limitation. Also, the measurements are made during the interval between the configuration/request and the feedback transmission. Please note that claim 4 indicates where number of subsets can be “one”).
Regarding claims 6 and 20, R1-155820 and 3GPPTS38.214 disclose all the limitations of claims 5 and 19, respectively. R1-155820 further discloses wherein the one or more processors are further configured to execute the processor-executable instructions and cause the user equipment to receive an indication of the number of CSI measurement resources before the uplink resource configured for reporting the channel state metric (Page 1, section 1, “…based on L1 triggering and/or higher layer signaling for dynamic CSI request”, where the CSI configuration or request is sent by the eNB).
Regarding claims 7 and 21, R1-155820 and 3GPPTS38.214 disclose all the limitations of claims 6 and 20, respectively. R1-155820 further discloses wherein the one or more processors are further configured to execute the processor-executable instructions and cause the user equipment to receive the indication via system information or radio resource control (RRC) signaling (Page 1, section 1, “…based on L1 triggering and/or higher layer signaling for dynamic CSI request”, eNB request).
Regarding claims 8 and 22, R1-155820 and 3GPPTS38.214 disclose all the limitations of claims 4 and 18, respectively. R1-155820 further discloses wherein the one or more processors are further configured to execute the processor-executable instructions and cause the user equipment to receive an indication of the subset of the one or more CSI measurement resources (page 1, introduction: “the channel used for CSI computation can be estimated from X NZP CSI-RS subframe(s) up until and including CSI reference resource”, where at UE “knows” corresponding to :receive an indication” of the subset of one CSI that has been measured before the CSI reference resource).
Regarding claims 9 and 23, R1-155820 and 3GPPTS38.214 disclose all the limitations of claims 8 and 22, respectively. R1-155820 further discloses wherein the one or more processors are further configured to execute the processor-executable instructions and cause the user equipment to receive the indication via radio resource control (RRC) signaling or via one of layer 1 or layer 2 signaling (Page 1, section 1, “…based on L1 triggering and/or higher layer signaling for dynamic CSI request”, eNB request).
Regarding claims 10 and 24, R1-155820 discloses all the limitations of claims 1 and 15, respectively.
R1-155820 does not specifically disclose wherein: the CSI reference resource further indicates that time restriction for channel measurement is configured, and the one or more processors are further configured to execute the processor-executable instructions and cause the user equipment to determine the channel state metric based on the CSI-RS transmission power level and a latest CSI-RS measurement resource of the one or more CSI measurement resources.
3GPPTS38.214 discloses wherein: the CSI reference resource further indicates that time restriction for channel measurement is configured, and the one or more processors are further configured to execute the processor-executable instructions and cause the user equipment to determine the channel state metric based on the CSI-RS transmission power level and a latest CSI-RS measurement resource of the one or more CSI measurement resources (page 88, first paragraph, “timeRestrictionForChannelMeasurements in CSI-ReportConfig is set to ‘Configured’”).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to use 3GPPTS38.214’s teachings wherein: the CSI reference resource further indicates that time restriction for channel measurement is configured, and the one or more processors are further configured to execute the processor-executable instructions and cause the user equipment to determine the channel state metric based on the CSI-RS transmission power level and a latest CSI-RS measurement resource of the one or more CSI measurement resources with the CSI measurement and measurement restrictions disclosed by R1-155820 because one of ordinary skill in the art would have recognized that by restricting the observation interval in time ensures channel state conditions feedback for services that require high precision communications.
Regarding claims 11 and 25, R1-155820 discloses all the limitations of claims 1 and 15, respectively.
R1-155820 does not specifically disclose wherein the channel state metric comprises one or more of: a reference signal received power (RSRP) value; a reference signal received quality (RSRQ) value; or a signal to interference and noise ratio (SINR) value.
3GPPTS38.214 discloses herein the channel state metric comprises one or more of: a reference signal received power (RSRP) value; a reference signal received quality (RSRQ) value; or a signal to interference and noise ratio (SINR) value (Page 72, section 5.2.1.4.2, “CSI-ReportConfig…reportQuantity… ‘cri-RSRP’; page 73, “‘cri-SINR-Index’” ).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to use 3GPPTS38.214’s teachings wherein the channel state metric comprises one or more of: a reference signal received power (RSRP) value; a reference signal received quality (RSRQ) value; or a signal to interference and noise ratio (SINR) value with the CSI measurement and measurement restrictions disclosed by R1-155820 because one of ordinary skill in the art would have recognized that at least RSRP and SINR reports are crucial in maintaining a reliable connection, since RSRP and SINR provide a clear indication of the quality of the signal/s received.
Note: The examiner has cited the PCT written Opining provided in IDS dated 10/12/2024.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
US 20230370139 A1, relates to method and apparatus for a CSI reference resource and reporting window.
US 20230344592 A1, relates to periodic reference signal transmission for energy saving.
US 20250344086 A1, method and device for measuring and reporting interference signal in wireless communication system.
US 20250279808 A1, relates to CSI reporting enhancements for type II codebook.
US 20230111064 A1, relates to method and apparatus for beam measurement and reporting.
US 20230171788 A1, relates to method and apparatus for beam selection and reporting in a wireless communication system.
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/Angelica M. Perez/
Patent Examiner AU 2649