DETAILED ACTION
This Office Action is in response to the Amendment filed 4/29/2026. Claims 1-30 are currently pending in the application.
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 have been considered but are moot because they do not apply to the new grounds of rejection made in view of newly cited Laddu (U.S. Publication US 2026/0019125 A1).
Independent claims 1, 11, 18, and 28 have been amended to remove an optional limitation and now require another previously optional limitation. Specifically, these claims now require “wherein the CSI report configuration further indicates a sub-configuration indicating configuration information associated with one or more pairs of resources from the first resource group and the second resource group”. Although previously cited Gao et al. (U.S. Publication US 2025/0266871 A1) discloses a configuration of CSI-RS resources corresponding to first and second subsets, i.e. groups, of resources of respective first and second TRPs (See paragraph 155 of Gao et al.), Gao et al. does not disclose the claimed sub-configuration. However, a further search of the prior art has resulted in Laddu (U.S. Publication US 2026/0019125 A1), which is believed to render obvious the amended limitations regarding the sub-configuration. Specifically, Laddu discloses a CSI reporting configuration obtained by a UE from a network device that groups CSI-RS resources into groups used by different TRPs, wherein the configuration also includes information regarding one or more beam pairs within or between the groups that support simultaneous communication (See paragraphs 65-66, paragraphs 68-69, and paragraph 80 of Laddu). Laddu also discloses that the beam pairs supporting simultaneous reception can be used to reduce RS overhead and reduce latency in beam measurement and reporting (See paragraph 66 of Laddu). Thus, based on these teachings of Laddu, it is believed that the claimed sub-configuration is rendered obvious. Please see the rejections below for further detail.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
Claims 1-4, 6-14, 16-21, 23-24 and 26-30 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Gao et al. (U.S. Publication US 2025/0266871 A1) in view of Laddu (U.S. Publication US 2026/0019125 A1).
With respect to claims 1 and 18, Gao et al. discloses an apparatus for wireless communication, comprising: one or more memories; and one or more processors coupled to the one or more memories, the one or more processors individually or collectively configured to perform a method of wireless communication as a user equipment (UE) (See the abstract, paragraphs 249-250, and Figure 10 of Gao et al. for reference to a UE and comprising a memory coupled to processing circuitry via a bus an executing instructions to perform a method of wireless communication). Gao et al. also discloses wirelessly receiving a channel state information (CSI) report configuration that indicates a CSI reference signal (CSI-RS) resource set for channel measurement (See paragraph 153 and Figure 5 of Gao et al. for reference to UE receiving a configuration from a network node comprising a set of N CSI-RS resources for channel measurement). Gao et al. further discloses wherein the CSI-RS resource set is associated with a first one or more CSI-RS resources included in a first resource group and a second one or more CSI-RS resources included in a second resource group (See paragraph 155 of Gao et al. for reference to the configuration indicating a first subset of CSI-RS ports referred to as a first CSI-RS port group, which is a first resource group, and indicating a second subset of ports referred to as a second CSI-RS port group, which is a second resource group). Gao et al. further discloses wirelessly transmitting a CSI report that includes CSI that is in accordance with the configuration (See paragraph 171 and Figure 5 of Gao et al. for reference to the UE reporting computed CSI information to the network node based on the configuration). Gao et al. does not specifically disclose wherein the CSI report configuration further indicates a sub-configuration indicating configuration information associated with one or more pairs of resources from the first resource group and the second resource group. However, Laddu, in the field of communications, discloses a CSI reporting configuration obtained by a UE from a network device that groups CSI-RS resources into groups used by different TRPs, wherein the configuration also includes information regarding one or more beam pairs within or between the groups that support simultaneous communication (See paragraphs 65-66, paragraphs 68-69, and paragraph 80 of Laddu). Laddu discloses that the beam pairs supporting simultaneous reception can be used to reduce RS overhead and reduce latency in beam measurement and reporting (See paragraph 66 of Laddu). Thus, it would have been obvious for one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of effective filing, when presented with the work of Laddu, to combine CSI-RS resource configuration information indicating beam pairs supporting simultaneous reception, as suggested by Laddu, within the system and method of Gao et al., with the motivation being to reduce RS overhead and reduce latency in beam measurement and reporting.
With respect to claims 11 and 28, Gao et al. discloses an apparatus for wireless communication, comprising: one or more memories; and one or more processors coupled to the one or more memories, the one or more processors individually or collectively configured to perform a method of wireless communication as a network node (See the abstract, paragraph 262, paragraphs 265-268, and Figure 11 of Gao et al. for reference to a network node comprising a memory coupled to processing circuitry executing instructions to perform a method of wireless communication). Gao et al. also discloses wirelessly transmitting a channel state information (CSI) report configuration that indicates a CSI reference signal (CSI-RS) resource set for channel measurement (See paragraph 153 and Figure 5 of Gao et al. for reference to network node transmitting a configuration to a UE comprising a set of N CSI-RS resources for channel measurement). Gao et al. further discloses wherein the CSI-RS resource set is associated with a first one or more CSI-RS resources included in a first resource group and a second one or more CSI-RS resources included in a second resource group (See paragraph 155 of Gao et al. for reference to the configuration indicating a first subset of CSI-RS ports referred to as a first CSI-RS port group, which is a first resource group, and indicating a second subset of ports referred to as a second CSI-RS port group, which is a second resource group). Gao et al. further discloses wirelessly receiving a CSI report that includes CSI that is in accordance with the configuration (See paragraph 171 and Figure 5 of Gao et al. for reference to the network node receiving from the UE reported computed CSI information based on the configuration). Gao et al. does not specifically disclose wherein the CSI report configuration further indicates a sub-configuration indicating configuration information associated with one or more pairs of resources from the first resource group and the second resource group. However, Laddu, in the field of communications, discloses a CSI reporting configuration obtained by a UE from a network device that groups CSI-RS resources into groups used by different TRPs, wherein the configuration also includes information regarding one or more beam pairs within or between the groups that support simultaneous communication (See paragraphs 65-66, paragraphs 68-69, and paragraph 80 of Laddu). Laddu discloses that the beam pairs supporting simultaneous reception can be used to reduce RS overhead and reduce latency in beam measurement and reporting (See paragraph 66 of Laddu). Thus, it would have been obvious for one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of effective filing, when presented with the work of Laddu, to combine CSI-RS resource configuration information indicating beam pairs supporting simultaneous reception, as suggested by Laddu, within the system and method of Gao et al., with the motivation being to reduce RS overhead and reduce latency in beam measurement and reporting.
With respect to claims 2, 12, and 29, Gao et al. discloses wherein the sub-configuration indicates additional configuration information that is common for both the first resource group and the second resource group (See paragraph 156 of Gao et al. for reference to embodiments wherein a same parameter combination may be applied to all the CSI-RS resources).
With respect to claims 3 and 13, Gao et al. discloses wherein the additional configuration information indicates at least one of: a common CSI-RS port configuration, a common CSI-RS port subset indication, a common codebook subset restriction, or a common rank restriction for CSI computation using a single CSI-RS resource from the first resource group or the second resource group (See paragraphs 15-21 and paragraphs 155-156 of Gao et al. for reference to the parameters including CSI-RS ports, subsets of CSI-RS ports, and codebook subset restriction).
With respect to claims 4 and 14, Gao et al. discloses wherein the sub-configuration indications additional configuration information for the first resource group, and wherein the additional configuration information indicates a first codebook subset restriction (See paragraphs 15-21 and paragraphs 155-156 of Gao et al. for reference to the embodiment wherein different parameter combinations are configured for different CSI-RS resources, such that the first CSI-RS group and the second CSI-RS group may be configured with different codebook subset restrictions).
With respect to claims 6, 16, and 30, Gao et al. discloses wherein the sub-configuration indications additional configuration information for the first resource group, and wherein the additional configuration information indicates a first CSI-RS port configuration (See paragraphs 155-156 of Gao et al. for reference to the embodiment wherein different parameter combinations are configured for different CSI-RS resources, such that the first CSI-RS group and the second CSI-RS group may be configured with different port configurations).
With respect to claims 7 and 17, Gao et al. discloses wherein the sub-configuration indications additional configuration information for the first resource group, and wherein the additional configuration information indicates a first CSI-RS port subset indication (See paragraphs 155-156 of Gao et al. for reference to the embodiment wherein different parameter combinations are configured for different CSI-RS resources, such that the first CSI-RS group and the second CSI-RS group may be configured with different port subset configurations).
With respect to claim 8, Gao et al. discloses wherein the sub-configuration indications additional configuration information for the first resource group, and wherein the additional configuration information indicates a first rank restriction (See paragraphs 155-156 of Gao et al. for reference to the embodiment wherein different parameter combinations are configured for different CSI-RS resources, such that the first CSI-RS group and the second CSI-RS group may be configured with different given ranks, which are rank restrictions).
With respect to claim 9, Gao et al. discloses wherein the sub-configuration indications additional configuration information for the first resource group, and wherein the additional configuration information indicates one or more parameters applicable to the first CSI-RS resource (See paragraphs 155-156 of Gao et al. for reference to the embodiment wherein different parameter combinations are configured for different CSI-RS resources, such that the first CSI-RS group and the second CSI-RS group may be configured with parameter combinations). As shown above in the rejections of claims 1 and 18, Laddu renders obvious a sub-configuration including information for respective pairs of CSI-RS resources including a resources in a first CSI-RS group corresponding to a first TRP (See paragraphs 65-66, paragraphs 68-69, and paragraph 80 of Laddu). Thus, this claim is rendered obvious for the same reasons as applied above to claims 1 and 11.
With respect to claim 10, Gao et al. discloses wherein the CSI-RS resource set is associated with one or more CSI-RS resources for interference measurement, and wherein the one or more CSI-RS resources for interference measurement are applicable to the sub-configuration (See paragraphs 12-13 and paragraphs 155-156 for reference to the CSI-RS resources being used to measure interference and for reference to the N CSI-RS resources being applicable to a first CSI-RS port group and a second CSI-RS port group, which comprise the first configuration information and second configuration information of the claimed sub-configuration).
With respect to claim 19, Gao et al. discloses wherein the first resource group is associated with a first transmission reception point (TRP) and the second resource group is associated with a second TRP (See paragraph 155 of Gao et al. for reference to the first CSI-RS port group being associated with a first TRP and the second CSI-RS port group being associated with a second TRP).
With respect to claim 20, Gao et al. discloses wherein the sub-configuration indicates: a first one or more identifiers corresponding to the first one or more CSI-RS resources, and a second one or more identifiers corresponding to the second one or more CSI-RS resources (See paragraphs 145-146 and paragraph 155 of Gao et al. for reference to the CSI-RS resources being indexed using resource indexes, which are identifiers, and for reference to the CSI-RS resources being grouped in first and second groups).
With respect to claim 21, as shown above in the rejections of claims 11 and 28, Laddu renders obvious wherein the sub-configuration indicates the one or more pairs of resources, wherein each pair of resources, of the one or more pairs of resources, includes two resources from different resource groups of the first resource group and the second resource group (See paragraphs 65-66, paragraphs 68-69, and paragraph 80 of Laddu for reference to the beam pairs for simultaneous reception including embodiments of the pairs with one beam from a first group associated with a first TRP and a second beam from a second group associated with a second TRP). Thus, claim 21 is rendered obvious in view of these teachings of Laddu for the same reasons as applied above to claims 11 and 28.
With respect to claim 23, Gao et al. discloses wherein the CSI report configuration indicates the first resource group and the second resource group, and wherein the sub-configuration indicates: a first one or more identifiers corresponding to at least one CSI-RS resource included in the first resource group, and a second one or more identifiers corresponding to at least one CSI-RS resource included in the second resource group (See paragraphs 145-146 and paragraph 155 of Gao et al. for reference to the CSI-RS resources being indexed using resource indexes, which are identifiers, and for reference to the CSI-RS resources being grouped in first and second groups).
With respect to claim 24, as shown above in the rejections of claims 11 and 28, Laddu renders obvious wherein the sub-configuration indicates the one or more pairs of resources, wherein each pair of resources, of the one or more pairs of resources, includes two resources from different resource groups from the at least one CSI-RS resource included in the first resource group and the at least one CSI-RS resource included in the second resource group (See paragraphs 65-66, paragraphs 68-69, and paragraph 80 of Laddu for reference to the beam pairs for simultaneous reception including embodiments of the pairs with one beam from a first group associated with a first TRP and a second beam from a second group associated with a second TRP). Thus, claim 24 is rendered obvious in view of these teachings of Laddu for the same reasons as applied above to claims 11 and 28.
With respect to claim 26, Gao et al. discloses wherein the CSI-RS resource set indicates a first CSI-RS port configuration, and wherein the sub-configuration is associated with a second one or more CSI-RS port configurations (See paragraph 155 of Gao et al. for reference to the configuration indicating first and second CSI-RS port groups).
With respect to claim 27, Gao et al. discloses wherein the CSI-RS resource set indicates CSI-RS port configuration that is applicable to the sub-configuration (See paragraphs 153-155 of Gao et al. for reference to the configuration indicating N CSI-RS resources that are applicable to the first and second groups).
Claims 5, 15, 22, and 25 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Gao et al. in view of Laddu, and in further view of Jeon et al. (U.S. Publication US 2025/0038810 A1).
With respect to claims 5 and 15, although, as shown in the rejections of claims 1 and 11 above, Laddu renders obvious a sub-configuration including information for respective pairs of CSI-RS resources (See paragraphs 65-66, paragraphs 68-69, and paragraph 80 of Laddu), the combination of Gao et al. and Laddu does not specifically disclose wherein the configuration information indicates rank restrictions for respective pairs of resources of the one or more pairs of resources. However, Jeon et al., in the field of communications, discloses configuring CSI-RS reporting for two resource groups and N resource pairs of CSI-RS resources with each pair having resources corresponding to different TRPs (See paragraph 136, paragraph 244, paragraph 265, and Figure 21 of Jeon et al.), wherein the CSI-RS resources may be configured with a rank restriction (See paragraph 166 of Jeon et al.). Configuring CSI-RS resources in pairs of CSI-RS resources from different TRPs with a rank restriction has the advantage of allowing a UE to measure CSI for non-coherent joint transmission by the two TRPs (See paragraph 265 of Jeon et al. for reference to this advantage). Thus, it would have been obvious for one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of effective filing, when presented with the work of Jeon et al. to combine configuring CSI-RS resources in pairs of CSI-RS resources from different TRPs with a rank restriction, as suggested by Jeon et al., within the system and method of Gao et al., with the motivation being to allow a UE to measure CSI for non-coherent joint transmission by the two TRPs.
With respect to claim 22, although Gao et al. does disclose configuring CSI-RS resources with a given rank, which is a type of rank restriction (See paragraphs 156-158 of Gao et al.), the combination of Gao et al. and Laddu does not specifically disclose the third configuration information indicates a rank restriction associated with CSI computations using the one or more pairs of resources. However, Jeon et al., in the field of communications, discloses configuring CSI-RS reporting for two resource groups and N resource pairs of CSI-RS resources with each pair having resources corresponding to different TRPs (See paragraph 136, paragraph 244, paragraph 265, and Figure 21 of Jeon et al.), wherein the CSI-RS resources may be configured with a rank restriction (See paragraph 166 of Jeon et al.). Configuring CSI-RS resources in pairs of CSI-RS resources from different TRPs with a rank restriction has the advantage of allowing a UE to measure CSI for non-coherent joint transmission by the two TRPs (See paragraph 265 of Jeon et al. for reference to this advantage). Thus, it would have been obvious for one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of effective filing, when presented with the work of Jeon et al. to combine configuring CSI-RS resources in pairs of CSI-RS resources from different TRPs with a rank restriction, as suggested by Jeon et al., within the system and method of Gao et al., with the motivation being to allow a UE to measure CSI for non-coherent joint transmission by the two TRPs.
With respect to claim 25, although Gao et al. does disclose configuring CSI-RS resources with a given rank, which is a type of rank restriction (See paragraphs 156-158 of Gao et al.), Gao et al. does not specifically disclose wherein the configuration information indicates a rank restriction associated with CSI computations using the one or more pairs of resources. However, Jeon et al., in the field of communications, discloses configuring CSI-RS reporting for two resource groups and N resource pairs of CSI-RS resources with each pair having resources corresponding to different TRPs (See paragraph 136, paragraph 244, paragraph 265, and Figure 21 of Jeon et al.), wherein the CSI-RS resources may be configured with a rank restriction (See paragraph 166 of Jeon et al.). Configuring CSI-RS resources in pairs of CSI-RS resources from different TRPs with a rank restriction has the advantage of allowing a UE to measure CSI for non-coherent joint transmission by the two TRPs (See paragraph 265 of Jeon et al. for reference to this advantage). Thus, it would have been obvious for one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of effective filing, when presented with the work of Jeon et al. to combine configuring CSI-RS resources in pairs of CSI-RS resources from different TRPs with a rank restriction, as suggested by Jeon et al., within the system and method of Gao et al., with the motivation being to allow a UE to measure CSI for non-coherent joint transmission by the two TRPs.
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.
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/JASON E MATTIS/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2461
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