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 .
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.
Priority
The instant application is a continuation under 35 U.S.C. 102 and 365(c) of Application PCT/CN2022/092202, filed 11 May 2022, which claims foreign priority to China Application No. 202110519209.9, filed 12 May 2021.
In response to the previous office action, claims 1-3, 7, 8, 10-12, and 14-16 have been amended; claims 9 and 18-20 have been cancelled; and claims 21-24 have been added. Claims 1-8, 10-17, and 21-24 have been examined.
Claim Objections
Claim 3 and 16 are objected to because they recite, in the alternative, “the first assistance information is the first target information” in line 3, then the exact same phrase in a conditional manner, which is redundant, in lines 4-6.
Claim 14 is objected to because of the following informalities: On line 15, the word “an” should be “and.” Appropriate correction is required.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of the first paragraph of 35 U.S.C. 112(a):
(a) IN GENERAL.—The specification shall contain a written description of the invention, and of the manner and process of making and using it, in such full, clear, concise, and exact terms as to enable any person skilled in the art to which it pertains, or with which it is most nearly connected, to make and use the same, and shall set forth the best mode contemplated by the inventor or joint inventor of carrying out the invention.
Claims 1-8, 10-13, 21, and 22 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(a) as failing to comply with the written description requirement. The claim(s) contains subject matter which was not described in the specification in such a way as to reasonably convey to one skilled in the relevant art that the inventor or a joint inventor at the time the application was filed, had possession of the claimed invention.
Claim 1 as amended recites “a terminal connected to a network side device” in line 2. Whereas the original disclosure only uses the term “connected” in the context of physical or wired connections (see paragraphs 567 and 569), the only relationship shown between a terminal and a network side device is via a remote wireless communication, as depicted in Figure 1. This limitation therefore constitutes new matter. For purposes of the prior art search, it is being presumed that the terminal is merely in communication with a network side device.
Claims 2-8, 10-13, 21, and 22 are dependent upon base claim 1 and wholly incorporate its limitations, rendering them likewise as incorporating new matter.
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.
Claims 1-8, 10-17, and 21-24 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) as being incomplete for omitting essential steps, such omission amounting to a gap between the steps. See MPEP § 2172.01. The omitted steps are:
In claims 1 and 14, the claims recite “determining, by the terminal… at least one of the following: beam or channel measurement, beam or channel measurement reporting, or a beam or channel prediction-related operation, for the network side device to adjust a communication state of the terminal. Since there is no step that recites how the determination by the terminal is delivered to the network side device, it is not clear how that network side device is capable of using that information.
Claims 2-8, 10-13, 15-17, and 21-24 are dependent upon claims 1 and 14 and wholly incorporate their limitations, rendering them likewise incomplete.
Claims 5, 6, 12, and 13 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) 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.
Claim 5 recites the limitation "the first processing method " in lines 1-2. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim. For purposes of the prior art search, it is being presumed that claim 5 is dependent upon claim 21.
Claim 6 is dependent upon base claim 5 and incorporates all of its limitations, rendering it likewise indefinite.
Claim 12 recites the limitation "the third neural network " in lines 2-3. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim. For purposes of the prior art search, it is being presumed that this is just a neural network.
Claim 13 is dependent upon base claim 12 and incorporates all of its limitations, rendering it likewise indefinite.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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)(1) the claimed invention was patented, described in a printed publication, or in public use, on sale, or otherwise available to the public before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claims 1, 2, 10-17, and 21-24 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2020/0366326 to Jassal et al. (hereinafter Jassal).
As per claim 1, Jassal discloses a method for information processing, comprising:
receiving, by a terminal connected to a network side device, first information sent by a first device entity (parameters produced by AI training on the network side for AI module configuration, see figure 7, step 136 and paragraphs 81, 86, and 97),
wherein the first information comprises first assistance information that is generated by the first device entity by performing first preset processing on first target information (see paragraphs 83-85), and is configured to assist the terminal with beam or channel related operations (parameters from network training are transmitted to and used by the UE, see paragraphs 86-87); and
determining, by the terminal, based on at least the first assistance information included in the first information or a result of an operation performed according to the first information, at least one of the following: beam or channel measurement, beam or channel measurement reporting, or a beam or channel prediction-related operation, for the network side device to adjust a communication state of the terminal (see paragraphs 52 and 101; beam reporting would allow any device communicating with the terminal to adjust a communication state of the terminal).
As per claim 21, Jassal discloses that the first assistance information is configured to assist a first processing method (all necessary parameters for AI modules, see paragraph 55), and
the first information further comprises at least one of the following:
first sub-information for indicating the first processing method (the specific parameters for the neural network, see paragraph 81);
result information obtained by performing processing based on a second processing method (e.g. policies for beam measurements, see paragraph 101; production of a codeword from a received pilot, see paragraph 114);
an indication for requesting second sub-information, wherein the second sub- information is terminal-related information (Jassal discloses multiple tasks i.e. processing methods to be performed by the terminal, see paragraphs 54, 55, 70, 73; all parameters for updating are sent to the terminal following an attachment request, see figure 5 and paragraph 74); or
an indication for requesting third sub-information for updating a third processing method (Jassal discloses multiple tasks i.e. processing methods to be performed by the terminal, see paragraphs 54, 55, 70, 73; all parameters for updating are sent to the terminal following an attachment request, see figure 5 and paragraph 74).
As per claim 2, the first device entity comprises one or at least two of the following: a base station (see paragraphs 117-120 and figure 10). The first network element (a BS) performs the second processing method, producing a reconstructed downlink channel, with constitutes information collection (see paragraph 115 and figure 9B).
As per claim 10, the first information is the indication for requesteing the second sub-information, and after receiving, by the terminal, the first information sent by the first device entity (Jassal discloses multiple tasks i.e. processing methods to be performed by the terminal, see paragraphs 54, 55, 70, 73; all parameters for updating are sent to the terminal following an attachment request, see figure 5 and paragraph 74), sending by the terminal, the second sub-information to the first device entity (the network may subsequently send a capability enquiry message and get a response, see paragraph 77 and figure 7).
As per claim 12, the terminal may request updates of the neural network (see figure 5 and paragraphs 73-75 and 97).
As per claim 13, Jassal discloses the training is based upon the results from the terminal (see paragraph 97).
As per claim 22, Jassal disclosures uses a neural network with parameters for all processing (see paragraphs 84-115).
As per claim 14, Jassal discloses a method for information processing, comprising:
obtaining, by a first device entity, first target information related to a second device entity (parameters produced by AI training on the network side for AI module configuration, see figure 7, step 136 and paragraphs 81, 86, and 97);
performing, by the first device entity, first preset processing on the first target information to obtain first assistance information (see paragraphs 83-85), wherein the first assistance information is configured to assist a terminal connected to a network side device with beam or channel related operations (parameters from network training are transmitted to and used by the UE, see paragraphs 86-87);
obtaining, by the first device entity, first information comprising the first assistance information; and sending, by the first device entity, the first information to the terminal, for the terminal to determine, based on at least the first assistance information included in the first information or a result of an operation performed according to the first information, at least one of the following: beam or channel measurement, beam or channel measurement reporting, or a beam or channel prediction-related operation, for the network side device to adjust a communication state of the terminal (see paragraphs 52 and 101; beam reporting would allow any device communicating with the terminal to adjust a communication state of the terminal).
As per claim 23, Jassal discloses that the first assistance information is configured to assist a first processing method (all necessary parameters for AI modules, see paragraph 55), and
the first information further comprises at least one of the following:
first sub-information for indicating the first processing method (the specific parameters for the neural network, see paragraph 81);
result information obtained by performing processing based on a second processing method (e.g. policies for beam measurements, see paragraph 101; production of a codeword from a received pilot, see paragraph 114);
an indication for requesting second sub-information, wherein the second sub- information is terminal-related information (Jassal discloses multiple tasks i.e. processing methods to be performed by the terminal, see paragraphs 54, 55, 70, 73; all parameters for updating are sent to the terminal following an attachment request, see figure 5 and paragraph 74); or
an indication for requesting third sub-information for updating a third processing method (Jassal discloses multiple tasks i.e. processing methods to be performed by the terminal, see paragraphs 54, 55, 70, 73; all parameters for updating are sent to the terminal following an attachment request, see figure 5 and paragraph 74).
As per claim 15, the first device entity comprises one or at least two of the following: a base station (see paragraphs 117-120 and figure 10). The first network element (a BS) performs the second processing method, producing a reconstructed downlink channel, with constitutes information collection (see paragraph 115 and figure 9B).
As per claim 16, Jassal discloses support for handovers in network systems (see paragraph 101) and all preset processing involves performing feature abstraction processing by using a preset neural network (see figure 8).
As per claim 17, the updates may be created on a third neural networks using beam measurement results (see figure 5 and paragraphs 73-75 and 97).
As per claim 24, Jassal disclosures uses a neural network with parameters for all processing (see paragraphs 84-115).
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 3-7 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Jassal as applied to claim 21 above, and further in view of U.S. Patent No. 11,533,658 to Yoo et al. (hereinafter Yoo)
Regarding claim 3, although Jassal discloses support for handovers in network systems (see paragraph 101) and all preset processing involves performing feature abstraction processing by using a preset neural network (see figure 8), Jassal does not disclose the details of that procedure.
Yoo discloses a handover procedure for a UE from a base station (the first device entity) to a different base station (the second device entity, which corresponds to the first target information) based on a set of measurements regarding the second device entity (see column 15, lines 6-15 and column 30, lines 7-10), based on related information, such as statistics information of the carrier bandwidth (see column 10, lines 25-49 and column 19, lines 20-48). You further states that performing handovers in this manner improves system efficiency (see column 7, lines 37-49).
Therefore it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of the effective filing of the invention to implement the handovers of Jassal as per Yoo, to improve system efficiency.
Regarding claim 4, all information in Yoo is collected via antennas in conjunction with beamforming operations on its on-air interface (see column 13, line 51 to column 14, line 56).
Regarding claim 5, Jassal discloses that the first processing method for the NN to learn about each antenna, which information about those antennas (see paragraph 108). Yoo further discloses multiple antennas for diverse transmissions, which implicitly requires information about beams in a plurality of directions (see column 13, line 51 to column 14, line 3).
Regarding claim 6, Jassal discloses information about beam direction (see paragraph 85). Yoo further discloses information about beam quality includes channel state information (an identifier), signal strength (RSSI, see column 15, lines 33-58).
Regarding claim 7, Jassal further discloses wherein before receiving, by the terminal, the first information sent by the first device entity, the method further comprises: sending, by the terminal, a first request to the first device entity, and receiving, by the terminal, the first information entity (the UE attachment request 106 may trigger the pushing of AI module configuration parameters to the UE, see paragraph 68).
Claim 8 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Jassal in view of Yoo as applied to claim 7 above, and further in view of U.S. Patent No. 11,825,553 to Zhu et al. (hereinafter Zhu)
Regarding claim 8, although Jassal discloses the transmitting of relevant parameters in the second assistance information (see paragraphs 78 and 82), Jassal and Yoo do not disclose the transmission of information for information feature hiding, such as a public key.
Zhu discloses an analogous arrangement for UE capability reporting using AI (see abstract) in which transmissions involving base stations may use radio channel enciphering and deciphering (i.e. information hiding) in operations (see column 19, lines 29-58). Although Zhu does not state the type of enciphering algorithm being used, Official Notice is given that it is well-known in the art to use public key encipherment when connecting to a new endpoint, as this ensures more secure transmission.
Therefore it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of effective filing of the invention to have modify the invention of Jassal and Yoo by supporting public key encipherment, to ensure a more secure transmission.
Claim 11 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Jassal as applied to claim 21 above, and further in view of U.S. Patent No. 11,11,825 to Zhu et al. (hereinafter Zhu)
Regarding claim 11, the terminal may send beam measurement results to the first device entity in a CSI report as appropriate (see paragraphs 85-87).
Jassal does not disclose that information feature hiding is used.
Zhu discloses an analogous arrangement for UE capability reporting using AI (see abstract) in which transmissions involving base stations may use radio channel enciphering and deciphering deciphering (i.e. information hiding) in operations (see column 19, lines 29-58). One skilled in the art would recognize that this gives a more secure transmission.
Therefore it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of effective filing of the invention to have modify the invention of Jassal by information hiding, for a more secure transmission.
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 MATTHEW E HENEGHAN whose telephone number is (571)272-3834. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 8-5.
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/MATTHEW E HENEGHAN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3992
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