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 § 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.
This application currently names joint inventors. In considering patentability of the claims the examiner presumes that the subject matter of the various claims was commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the claimed invention(s) absent any evidence to the contrary. Applicant is advised of the obligation under 37 CFR 1.56 to point out the inventor and effective filing dates of each claim that was not commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the later invention in order for the examiner to consider the applicability of 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(2)(C) for any potential 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) prior art against the later invention.
The factual inquiries for establishing a background for determining obviousness under 35 U.S.C. 103 are summarized as follows:
1. Determining the scope and contents of the prior art.
2. Ascertaining the differences between the prior art and the claims at issue.
3. Resolving the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art.
4. Considering objective evidence present in the application indicating obviousness or non-obviousness.
Claims 1-3, 4, 7, 10-12, 14, 16, and 18 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over US Pub. 2020/0336355 to Yamada et al. (hereinafter Yamada) in view of US Pub. 2021/0320772 of Zewail et al. (hereinafter Zewail).
In regard claim 1, Yamada teaches or discloses a system (see Fig. 4), comprising:
a processor (see Figs. 2 and 3); and
a memory coupled to the processor, comprising instructions that, in response to execution by the processor, cause the system to perform operations (see Figs. 2 and 3), comprising:
determining to communicate first broadband cellular communications with a user equipment (see paragraph [0016], a base station apparatus for communicating with a terminal apparatus, the base station apparatus),
wherein the first broadband cellular communications are configured to be communicated via a group of antenna ports (see paragraphs [0016], [0017], and [0018], wherein the downlink control information includes information for indicating an antenna port number and the number of code division multiplexing (CDM) groups without data for a demodulation reference signal (DMRS), each of the CDM groups indicates a DMRS port to be multiplexed by CDM, and the downlink control information includes information),
wherein the first broadband cellular communications are for uplink communications according to a first group of differing demodulation reference signal densities (see paragraph [0042], in the uplink radio communication, an Uplink Reference Signal (UL RS) is used as an uplink physical signal. The uplink physical signal is not used to transmit information output from higher layers, but is used by the physical layer. The uplink reference signal includes a Demodulation Reference Signal (DMRS), a Sounding Reference Signal (SRS), and a Phase-Tracking reference signal (PT-RS)),
wherein respective demodulation reference signal densities of the first group of differing demodulation reference signal densities correspond to respective antenna ports of the group of antenna ports (see paragraphs [0138], [0139], and [0143], the base station apparatus 5A includes multiple antennas, the multiple antennas can be divided into multiple subarrays (panels, sub-panels, transmit antenna ports, transmit antenna groups, receive antenna ports, and receive antenna groups), and transmit/receive beamforming can be applied for each subarray. the terminal apparatus 4A includes multiple antennas, the terminal apparatus 4A can transmit or receive by beamforming. In a case that the terminal apparatus 4A includes multiple antennas, the multiple antennas can be divided into multiple subarrays (panels, sub-panels, transmit antenna ports, transmit antenna groups, receive antenna ports, and receive antenna groups), and different transmit/receive beamforming can be applied for each subarray),
and wherein communicating the first broadband cellular communications for uplink communications according to the first group of differing demodulation reference signal densities is performed independently of a second group of demodulation reference signal densities that is configured for downlink communications (see paragraph [0138], the terminal apparatus 4A can use a serving cell provided by the base station apparatus 3A and/or the base station apparatus 5A. In a case that the base station apparatus 3A or the base station apparatus 5A includes multiple antennas, the multiple antennas can be divided into multiple subarrays (panels, sub-panels, transmit antenna ports, transmit antenna groups, receive antenna ports, and receive antenna groups), and transmit/receive beamforming can be applied for each subarray. The terminal apparatus 4A includes multiple antennas, the multiple antennas can be divided into multiple subarrays (panels, sub-panels, transmit antenna ports, transmit antenna groups, receive antenna ports, and receive antenna groups), and different transmit/receive beamforming can be applied for each subarray);
communicating the first group of differing demodulation reference signal densities for the uplink communications to the user equipment (see paragraphs [0013], [0014], [0138], [0156], and [0158], the terminal apparatus according to an aspect of the present invention includes a higher layer processing unit configured to be configured with a DMRS port group 1 and a DMRS port group 2 by radio resource control (RRC), wherein in a case that each of the DMRS port associated with the DMRS port group 1 and the DMR port associated with the DMRS port group 2 is a DMRS port belonging to a different CDM group of the CDM groups, the PDSCH is demodulated with a power ratio of the DMRS and the PDSCH being one); and
using the first group of differing demodulation reference signal densities to further communicate the first broadband cellular communications with the user equipment (see paragraphs [0093], [0138], and [0156], the base station apparatus/terminal apparatus can communicate in dual connectivity in which the master cell group communicates with a licensed band and the secondary cell group communicates with an unlicensed band. The base station apparatus/terminal apparatus can communicate in an unlicensed band by the PCell only. The base station apparatus/terminal apparatus can communicate in CA or DC in an unlicensed band only. Note that communicating with a licensed band serving as the PCell, and assisting a cell of an unlicensed band (SCell, PSCell) by, for example, CA, DC, or the like, is also referred to as a Licensed-Assisted Access (LAA)).
Yamada may not explicitly teach or disclose demodulation reference signal densities.
Zewail teaches or discloses demodulation reference signal densities (see paragraphs [0119], [0120], and [0191], a full density DMRS pattern may be enabled, which may improve the accuracy of channel estimation).
Before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art to modify a terminal for communicating with a base station of Yamada by including demodulation reference signal densities suggested by Zewail. This modification would provide for performance channel estimation read in paragraph [0006].
In regard claim 2, Yamada teaches or discloses the system of claim 1, wherein the uplink communications comprise physical uplink shared channel communications (see paragraphs [0038], [0039], [0043], [0057], and [0134]).
In regard claim 3, Yamada teaches or discloses the system of claim 1, wherein the uplink communications are transmitted via a first channel that carries user data, and independently of a second channel that carries control information (see paragraphs [0033], [0038], [0063], [0103], and [0104], the PUSCH may be used to transmit ACK/NACK and/or channel state information together with uplink data. The PUSCH may be used to transmit uplink control information only. The terminal apparatus receives downlink data on the scheduled PDSCH. In a case that a PUSCH resource is scheduled in accordance with uplink grant, the terminal apparatus transmits uplink data and/or uplink control information on the scheduled PUSCH).
In regard claim 4, Yamada teaches or discloses the system of claim 1, wherein the respective demodulation reference signal densities of the first group of differing demodulation reference signal densities differ across a frequency domain of the first broadband cellular communications (see paragraphs [0013], [0014], [0015], [0016], and [0017], a higher layer processing unit configured to be configured with a DMRS port group 1 and a DMRS port group 2 by radio resource control (RRC), wherein in a case that each of the DMRS port associated with the DMRS port group 1 and the DMR port associated with the DMRS port group 2 is a DMRS port belonging to a different CDM group of the CDM groups, the PDSCH is demodulated with a power ratio of the DMRS and the PDSCH being one).
Yamada may not explicitly teach or disclose demodulation reference signal densities.
Zewail teaches or discloses demodulation reference signal densities (see paragraphs [0119], [0120], and [0191], a full density DMRS pattern may be enabled, which may improve the accuracy of channel estimation).
Before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art to modify a terminal for communicating with a base station of Yamada by including demodulation reference signal densities suggested by Zewail. This modification would provide for performance channel estimation read in paragraph [0006].
In regard claim 7, Yamada teaches or discloses the system of claim 1, wherein the respective demodulation reference signal densities of the first group of differing demodulation reference signal densities differ across a time domain of the first broadband cellular communications (see paragraphs [0013], [0014], [0156], and [0158], the base station apparatus can also configure two DMRS antenna port groups. These two DMRS port groups are also referred to as a DMRS port group 1 (first DMRS port group), and a DMRS port group 2 (second DMRS port group)).
Yamada may not explicitly teach or disclose demodulation reference signal densities.
Zewail teaches or discloses demodulation reference signal densities (see paragraphs [0119], [0120], and [0191], a full density DMRS pattern may be enabled, which may improve the accuracy of channel estimation).
Before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art to modify a terminal for communicating with a base station of Yamada by including demodulation reference signal densities suggested by Zewail. This modification would provide for performance channel estimation read in paragraph [0006].
In regard claim 10, Yamada teaches or discloses a method, comprising:
determining, by a system comprising a processor, to facilitate broadband cellular communications with a user equipment (see Figs. 2 and 3, paragraph [0143], on the other hand, the receive beam direction preferable for the terminal apparatus can be determined by using the CSI-RS resource to which the transmit beam of the base station apparatus is fixed),
determining, by the system, to communicate an uplink portion of the broadband cellular communications according to a first group of differing demodulation reference signal densities (see paragraph [0042], in the uplink radio communication, an Uplink Reference Signal (UL RS) is used as an uplink physical signal),
wherein communicating a downlink portion of the broadband cellular communications is performed according to a second group of demodulation reference signal densities different from the first group of differing demodulation reference signal densities (see paragraphs [0011], [0016], [0017], and [0018], a base station apparatus according to an aspect of the present invention is a base station apparatus for communicating with a terminal apparatus, the base station apparatus including: a reference signal generation unit configured to generate a demodulation reference signal; and a transmitter configured to transmit the demodulation reference signal, downlink control information, and a downlink shared channel);
communicating, by the system, the first group of differing demodulation reference signal densities to the user equipment (see paragraphs [0011], [0016], [0017], [0018], and [0178], a communication method for a base station apparatus for communicating with a terminal apparatus, the downlink control information includes information for indicating an antenna port number and the number of code division multiplexing (CDM) groups without data for a demodulation reference signal (DMRS), each of the CDM groups indicates a DMRS port to be multiplexed by CDM. The base station apparatus 5A communicates with the terminal apparatus 4B by using the DMRS port numbers 1004, 1005, 1010, and 1011. At this time, the terminal apparatus 4A can know that the DMRS of the DMRS port group 1 is indicated by the DCI1, and the DMRS of the DMRS port group 2 is indicated by DCI2); and
after communicating the first group of differing demodulation reference signal densities to the user equipment, communicating, by the system, the uplink portion of the broadband cellular communications with the user equipment according to the first group of differing demodulation reference signal densities (see paragraphs [0016], [0017], [0018], and [0173], a terminal apparatus for communicating with a base station apparatus. Each of the CDM groups indicates a DMRS port to be multiplexed by CDM, the PDSCH is demodulated in consideration of a power ratio of the DMRS and the PDSCH, and whether or not to consider powers of the DMRS and the PDSCH, based on the number of the CDM groups, is determined based on the downlink control information. The number of DMRS CDM groups without data is indicated to be 2 from one base station apparatus or the two base station apparatuses. However, since the number of spatial multiplexing of DMRS and the number of spatial multiplexing of PDSCH transmitted from each of the base station apparatuses are both 4, the power ratio of the DMRS and the PDSCH is 1 (0 dB), and thus the power ratio of the DMRS and the PDSCH need not be considered).
Yamada may not explicitly teach or disclose demodulation reference signal densities.
Zewail teaches or discloses demodulation reference signal densities (see paragraphs [0119], [0120], and [0191], a full density DMRS pattern may be enabled, which may improve the accuracy of channel estimation).
Before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art to modify a terminal for communicating with a base station of Yamada by including demodulation reference signal densities suggested by Zewail. This modification would provide for performance channel estimation read in paragraph [0006].
In regard claim 11, Yamada teaches or discloses the method of claim 10, further comprising: determining, by the system, a demodulation reference signal density of the first group of differing demodulation reference signal densities based on channel state information that corresponds to the user equipment (see paragraph [0157], determined that the CSI is calculated in different subarrays in different resource configurations, and in a case that DMRS antenna port groups and resource configuration IDs or CSI-RS resources are associated, the terminal apparatus can identify the resource configuration ID or the CSI-RS resource, and can know the subarray and/or the receive beam direction by the DMRS antenna port included in the DCI).
Yamada may not explicitly teach or disclose demodulation reference signal densities.
Zewail teaches or discloses demodulation reference signal densities (see paragraphs [0119], [0120], and [0191], a full density DMRS pattern may be enabled, which may improve the accuracy of channel estimation).
Before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art to modify a terminal for communicating with a base station of Yamada by including demodulation reference signal densities suggested by Zewail. This modification would provide for performance channel estimation read in paragraph [0006].
In regard claim 12, Yamada teaches or discloses the method of claim 11, wherein the channel state information is determined based on user equipment feedback from the user equipment (see paragraphs [0059], and [0068], a channel state information report (CSI feedback report) is mapped, the channel state information report being fed back to the base station apparatus by the terminal apparatus).
In regard claim 14, Yamada teaches or discloses the method of claim 10, further comprising: determining, by the system, a demodulation reference signal density of the first group of differing demodulation reference signal densities based on user equipment position information of the user equipment (see paragraphs [0011], [0015], [0017], and [0157], determined that the CSI is calculated in different subarrays in different resource configurations, and in a case that DMRS antenna port groups and resource configuration IDs or CSI-RS resources are associated, the terminal apparatus can identify the resource configuration ID or the CSI-RS resource, and can know the subarray and/or the receive beam direction by the DMRS antenna port included in the DCI).
In regard claim 16, Yamada teaches or discloses a non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising instructions that, in response to execution, cause a system comprising a processor to perform operations, comprising:
as part of broadband cellular communications with a user equipment, determining to conduct uplink communications of the broadband cellular communications according to a group of differing demodulation reference signal densities (see paragraph [0133], determined according to a predetermined rule (formula), based on a physical cell identity (also referred to as PCI, Cell ID, or the like) for identifying the base station apparatus, a bandwidth in which the uplink reference signals are mapped, cyclic shift notified in uplink grant, a parameter value for generation of a DMRS sequence, and the like);
communicating the group of differing demodulation reference signal densities to the user equipment (see paragraphs [0011], [0016], [0017], [0018], and [0178], a communication method for a base station apparatus for communicating with a terminal apparatus, the downlink control information includes information for indicating an antenna port number and the number of code division multiplexing (CDM) groups without data for a demodulation reference signal (DMRS), each of the CDM groups indicates a DMRS port to be multiplexed by CDM. The base station apparatus 5A communicates with the terminal apparatus 4B by using the DMRS port numbers 1004, 1005, 1010, and 1011. At this time, the terminal apparatus 4A can know that the DMRS of the DMRS port group 1 is indicated by the DCI1, and the DMRS of the DMRS port group 2 is indicated by DCI2); and
after communicating the group of differing demodulation reference signal densities to the user equipment, conducting the uplink communications of the broadband cellular communications with the user equipment according to the group of differing demodulation reference signal densities (see paragraphs [0016], [0017], [0018], and [0173], a terminal apparatus for communicating with a base station apparatus. Each of the CDM groups indicates a DMRS port to be multiplexed by CDM, the PDSCH is demodulated in consideration of a power ratio of the DMRS and the PDSCH, and whether or not to consider powers of the DMRS and the PDSCH, based on the number of the CDM groups, is determined based on the downlink control information. The number of DMRS CDM groups without data is indicated to be 2 from one base station apparatus or the two base station apparatuses. However, since the number of spatial multiplexing of DMRS and the number of spatial multiplexing of PDSCH transmitted from each of the base station apparatuses are both 4, the power ratio of the DMRS and the PDSCH is 1 (0 dB), and thus the power ratio of the DMRS and the PDSCH need not be considered).
Yamada may not explicitly teach or disclose demodulation reference signal densities.
Zewail teaches or discloses demodulation reference signal densities (see paragraphs [0119], [0120], and [0191], a full density DMRS pattern may be enabled, which may improve the accuracy of channel estimation).
Before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art to modify a terminal for communicating with a base station of Yamada by including demodulation reference signal densities suggested by Zewail. This modification would provide for performance channel estimation read in paragraph [0006].
In regard claim 18, Yamada teaches or discloses the non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 16, wherein the operations further comprise:
determining the group of differing demodulation reference signal densities across a frequency domain based on channel state information (see paragraphs [0143], [0157], [0173], [0175], [0176], and [0178], the base station apparatus divides the multiple CSI-RS resources configured into groups, and determines the CRI by using the same subarray in a group. In a case that different subarrays are used between groups, the base station apparatus can know multiple CRIs that can be configured at the same timing. Determined that the CSI is calculated in different subarrays in different resource configurations, and in a case that DMRS antenna port groups and resource configuration IDs or CSI-RS resources are associated, the terminal apparatus can identify the resource configuration ID or the CSI-RS resource, and can know the subarray and/or the receive beam direction by the DMRS antenna port included in the DCI).
Yamada may not explicitly teach or disclose demodulation reference signal densities.
Zewail teaches or discloses demodulation reference signal densities (see paragraphs [0119], [0120], and [0191], a full density DMRS pattern may be enabled, which may improve the accuracy of channel estimation).
Before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art to modify a terminal for communicating with a base station of Yamada by including demodulation reference signal densities suggested by Zewail. This modification would provide for performance channel estimation read in paragraph [0006].
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 5-6, 8-9, 13, 15, 17, and 19-20 are objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to PHIRIN SAM whose telephone number is (571)272-3082. The examiner can normally be reached Mon - Fri, 10:30am - 5pm.
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Date: 01/08/2026
/PHIRIN SAM/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2476