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 § 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 1-10, 22-26 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 1-10, claim 1 recites ‘…based at least in part on a discrete Fourier transform of a frequency modulated continuous waveform…’ This limitation is unclear. That is, a discrete Fourier transform (DFT) requires as input a discrete or sampled signal. Paragraph 84 of the specification provides no further clarification and suggests that a DFT maybe performed on a carrier frequency signal in the analog domain. As noted above, Examiner is not aware of how this could be performed. Therefore, the scope of the claim is unclear. Claims 2-10 do not cure the deficiencies of claim 1 and are rejected for similar reasons. Please provide clarification or explanation of this limitation.
Regarding claims 22-26, claim 22 recites ‘…based at least in part on a discrete Fourier transform of a frequency modulated continuous waveform…’ This limitation is unclear. That is, a discrete Fourier transform (DFT) requires as input a discrete or sampled signal. Paragraph 84 of the specification provides no further clarification and suggests that a DFT maybe performed on a carrier frequency signal in the analog domain. As noted above, Examiner is not aware of how this could be performed. Therefore, the scope of the claim is unclear. Claims 23-26 do not cure the deficiencies of claim 22 and are rejected for similar reasons. Please provide clarification or explanation of this limitation.
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 1-5, and 10 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Seo (2013/0287064) and further in view of Kwak (9,794,039).
Regarding claim 1, Seo discloses a first wireless device, comprising: (See Seo fig. 8; Base station (e.g. first wireless device))
one or more memories storing processor-executable code; and
one or more processors coupled with the one or more memories and individually or collectively operable to execute the code to cause the first wireless device to: (See Seo fig. 9; enb/base station (e.g. first wireless device) with a processor executing an algorithm stored in memory; para. 173)
generate a frequency-domain representation of a reference signal; (See Seo para. 130; scrambling sequence is applied to DMRS, demodulation reference signal, (e.g. the DMRS is generated before it is scrambled); para. 42; OFDMA (e.g. frequency domain))
scramble the frequency-domain representation of the reference signal using a frequency-domain scrambling sequence corresponding to the first wireless device; and (See Seo para. 130; scrambling sequence is applied to DMRS and scrambling sequence is determined by a cell ID (e.g. corresponding to the first wireless device); see also fig. 8, para. 164)
transmit a wideband signal for channel estimation of a channel at a second wireless device based at least in part on the scrambled frequency-domain representation of the reference signal. (See Seo fig. 8; transmit reference signal to a UE (e.g. second wireless device); para. 98; wideband channel; para. 127; channel estimation; see also para. 130)
Seo does not explicitly disclose wherein the reference signal is based upon a discrete Fourier transform of a signal. However, Kwak does disclose wherein the reference signal is based upon a discrete Fourier transform of a signal. (See Kwak col. 2, lines 44-75; perform DFT as a part of a process to generate a transmittable reference signal; see also 112 rejection above) Therefore it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to modify the apparatus of Seo to include the teaching of wherein the reference signal is based upon a discrete Fourier transform of a signal of Kwak with the motivation being to maximize limited wireless resources by utilizing efficient spectrum utilization through processes needed to implement OFDM and further to increase efficiency of radio resources (See Kwak col. 1, lines 50-53).
Regarding claim 2, Seo in view of Kwak discloses the first wireless device of claim 1, wherein the one or more processors are individually or collectively further operable to execute the code to cause the first wireless device to:
communicate signaling via the channel according to the channel estimation of the channel based at least in part on the scrambled frequency-domain representation of the reference signal. (See Seo para. 160; UE receives PDSCH (e.g. communicate signaling) from the base station according to channel estimation of the channel based upon the DMRS reference signal)
Regarding claim 3, Seo in view of Kwak discloses the first wireless device of claim 1, wherein the one or more processors are individually or collectively further operable to execute the code to cause the first wireless device to:
transmit configuration signaling indicating the frequency-domain scrambling sequence corresponding to the first wireless device. (See Seo fig. 8, para. 156, part s810; Transmit reference signal configuration information)
Regarding claim 4, Seo in view of Kwak discloses the first wireless device of claim 3, wherein the configuration signaling comprises a radio resource control signal, a medium access control-control element signal, a downlink control information signal, or any combination thereof. (See Seo fig. 8, para. 156, part s810; Transmit reference signal configuration information (e.g. it is in the downlink and is information that controls the configuration of reference signals))
Regarding claim 5, Seo in view of Kwak discloses the first wireless device of claim 1, wherein the one or more processors are individually or collectively further operable to execute the code to cause the first wireless device to:
transmit an indication to determine the frequency-domain scrambling sequence based at least in part on a cell identifier associated with the first wireless device, a user equipment (UE) identifier associated with the first wireless device, or any combination thereof. (See Seo fig. 8, para. 156, part s810; Transmit reference signal configuration information which may include seed value; para. 136; seed value may be cell identifier)
Regarding claim 10, Seo in view of Kwak discloses the first wireless device of claim 1, wherein the one or more processors are individually or collectively further operable to execute the code to cause the first wireless device to:
determine the frequency-domain scrambling sequence based at least in part on a digital modulation scheme of the first wireless device, a cell identifier associated with the first wireless device, a user equipment (UE) identifier associated with the first wireless device, or any combination thereof. (See Seo para. 130; scrambling sequence based upon a cell ID)
Claim 6 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Seo (2013/0287064) and further in view of Kwak (9,794,039) and further in view of Manolakos (2019/0159181).
Regarding claim 6, Seo in view of Kwak discloses the first wireless device of claim 1. Seo in view of Kwak do not explicitly disclose wherein a length of the frequency-domain scrambling sequence is based at least in part on a capability of the second wireless device. However, Manolakos does disclose wherein a length of the frequency-domain scrambling sequence is based at least in part on a capability of the second wireless device. (See Manolakos para. 95; length of DMRS which is configurable by base station and/or UE; fig. 10 DMRS is based upon UE capability) Therefore it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to modify the apparatus of Seo in view of Kwak to include the teaching of wherein a length of the frequency-domain scrambling sequence is based at least in part on a capability of the second wireless device of Manolakos with the motivation being to allow for optimal operation of devices (the capability of a UE allows the base station to optimize parameters) and further to allow for more devices to connect to a network by adjusting parameters to meet capability.
Claim 7 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Seo (2013/0287064) and further in view of Kwak (9,794,039) and further in view of Manolakos (2019/0159181) and further in view of Liu (2018/0227094).
Regarding claim 7, Seo in view of Kwak in view of Manolakos discloses the first wireless device of claim 6. Seo in view of Kwak in view of Manolakos do not explicitly disclose wherein the capability of the second wireless device is based at least in part on a baseband bandwidth processing capability, an analog receiving capability, a digital receiving capability, or any combination thereof of the second wireless device. (See Liu para. 65; UE capability includes ability with analog and/or digital; para. 69 downlink (e.g. receiving)) Therefore it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to modify the apparatus of Seo in view of Kwak in view of Manolakos to include the teaching of wherein the capability of the second wireless device is based at least in part on a baseband bandwidth processing capability, an analog receiving capability, a digital receiving capability, or any combination thereof of the second wireless device of Liu with the motivation being the motivation being to allow for optimal operation of devices (the capability of a UE allows the base station to optimize parameters) and further to allow for more devices to connect to a network by adjusting parameters to meet capability.
Claim 8 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Seo (2013/0287064) and further in view of Kwak (9,794,039) and further in view of Sun (2012/0270591).
Regarding claim 8, Seo in view of Kwak discloses the first wireless device of claim 1. Seo in view of Kwak does not explicitly disclose wherein, to scramble the frequency-domain representation of the reference signal, the one or more processors are individually or collectively operable to execute the code to cause the first wireless device to: scramble a plurality of sets of contiguous frequency resources of the frequency-domain representation of the reference signal based at least in part on a length of the frequency-domain scrambling sequence, wherein a set of contiguous frequency resources within the plurality of sets of contiguous frequency resources is scrambled using a respective bit of the frequency-domain scrambling sequence. However, Sun does disclose wherein, to scramble the frequency-domain representation of the reference signal, the one or more processors are individually or collectively operable to execute the code to cause the first wireless device to: scramble a plurality of sets of contiguous frequency resources of the frequency-domain representation of the reference signal based at least in part on a length of the frequency-domain scrambling sequence, wherein a set of contiguous frequency resources within the plurality of sets of contiguous frequency resources is scrambled using a respective bit of the frequency-domain scrambling sequence. (See Sun para. 5; fig. 1; adjacent RE (e.g. contiguous) are used for DMRS in OFDM (e.g. frequency resources) with multiple sets of DMRSs and where the RE are scrambled with code and bits) Therefore it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to modify the apparatus of Seo in view of Kwak to include the teaching of wherein, to scramble the frequency-domain representation of the reference signal, the one or more processors are individually or collectively operable to execute the code to cause the first wireless device to: scramble a plurality of sets of contiguous frequency resources of the frequency-domain representation of the reference signal based at least in part on a length of the frequency-domain scrambling sequence, wherein a set of contiguous frequency resources within the plurality of sets of contiguous frequency resources is scrambled using a respective bit of the frequency-domain scrambling sequence of Sun with the motivation being to conform to the 3GPP suite of standards which saves time and money and provides compatibility across a wide range of manufacturers and devices and further to meet device capability and fine tune parameters to meet UE capability while not unnecessarily wasting limited wireless resources.
Claim 9 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Seo (2013/0287064) and further in view of Kwak (9,794,039) and further in view of Kazmi (2012/0287876).
Regarding claim 9, Seo in view of Kwak discloses the first wireless device of claim 1. Seo in view of Kwak do not explicitly disclose wherein, to transmit the wideband signal, the one or more processors are individually or collectively operable to execute the code to cause the first wireless device to: transmit the wideband signal via a digital transceiver or an analog transceiver. However, Kazmi does disclose wherein, to transmit the wideband signal, the one or more processors are individually or collectively operable to execute the code to cause the first wireless device to: transmit the wideband signal via a digital transceiver or an analog transceiver. (See Kazmi para. 166; base station has a transceiver having analog and digital components) Therefore it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to modify the apparatus of Seo in view of Kwak to include the teaching of wherein, to transmit the wideband signal, the one or more processors are individually or collectively operable to execute the code to cause the first wireless device to: transmit the wideband signal via a digital transceiver or an analog transceiver of Kazmi with the motivation being it is common sense (e.g. a transceiver is either analog or digital or both) and further to allow for optimal use of limited wireless resource by sending/receiving data in an analog or digital environment and further to allow for connecting to a plurality of devices with differing capabilities.
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 11, 12, 14, 15, and 16 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Seo (2013/0287064) and further in view of Mo (2008/0080598).
Regarding claim 11, Seo discloses a second wireless device, comprising: (See Seo fig. 8; User equipment (e.g. second wireless device))
one or more memories storing processor-executable code; and
one or more processors coupled with the one or more memories and individually or collectively operable to execute the code to cause the second wireless device to: (See Seo fig. 9; UE (e.g. second wireless device) with a processor executing an algorithm stored in memory; para. 173)
receive at least a portion of a wideband signal for channel estimation of a channel, the wideband signal associated with a first wireless device (See Seo fig. 8; UE receives a reference signal from a base station (e.g. first wireless device) for channel estimation; para. 98; wideband channel; para. 127; channel estimation; para. 42; OFDMA (e.g. frequency domain); see also para. 130)
the portion of the wideband signal using a frequency-domain scrambling sequence corresponding to the first wireless device; and (See Seo para. 130; scrambling sequence is applied to DMRS and scrambling sequence is determined by a cell ID (e.g. corresponding to the first wireless device); see also fig. 8, para. 164)
communicate signaling via the channel according to the channel estimation of the channel based at least in part on the wideband signal. (See Seo para. 160; UE performs demodulation of PDSCH (e.g. communication signaling) based on estimated channel)
Seo does not explicitly disclose descrambling and wherein the signal is based at least in part on a continuous waveform. However, Mo does disclose descrambling and wherein the signal is based at least in part on a continuous waveform. (See Mo fig. 4, para. 95; descrambling; fig. 4, para. 112; continuous waveform is input into ADC to digitize and further process for ultimate decoding) Therefore it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to modify the apparatus of Seo to include the teaching of descrambling and wherein the signal is based at least in part on a continuous waveform of Mo with the motivation being to decode the original data (without descrambling the original data cannot be determined) and further to allow for transmission across wireless medium and further to optimally transmit data while ensuring some level of security and further to differentiate between different wireless sources and further it is common sense (e.g. radio waves are continuous electromagnetic fields).
Regarding claim 12, Seo in view of Mo discloses the second wireless device of claim 11, wherein the one or more processors are individually or collectively further operable to execute the code to cause the second wireless device to:
determine an identifier of the first wireless device associated with the wideband signal based at least in part on the portion of the wideband signal using the frequency-domain scrambling sequence. (See Seo para. 130; scrambling sequence is applied to DMRS and scrambling sequence is determined by a cell ID (e.g. corresponding to the first wireless device); see also fig. 8, para. 164)
descrambling (See Mo fig. 4, para. 95; descrambling; fig. 4, para. 112; continuous waveform is input into ADC to digitize and further process for ultimate decoding) the motivation being to decode the original data (without descrambling the original data cannot be determined) and further to optimally transmit data while ensuring some level of security and further to differentiate between different wireless sources.
Regarding claim 14, Seo in view of Mo discloses the second wireless device of claim 11, wherein the one or more processors are individually or collectively further operable to execute the code to cause the second wireless device to:
receive configuration signaling indicating the frequency-domain scrambling sequence. (See Seo fig. 8, para. 156, part s820; receive reference signal configuration information)
Regarding claim 15, Seo in view of Mo discloses the second wireless device of claim 14, wherein the configuration signaling comprises a radio resource control signal, a medium access control-control element signal, a downlink control information signal, or any combination thereof. (See Seo fig. 8, para. 156, part s820; receive reference signal configuration information (e.g. it is in the downlink and is information that controls the configuration of reference signals))
Regarding claim 16, Seo in view of Mo discloses the second wireless device of claim 11, wherein the one or more processors are individually or collectively further operable to execute the code to cause the second wireless device to:
receive an indication to determine the frequency-domain scrambling sequence based at least in part on a cell identifier associated with the first wireless device, a user equipment (UE) identifier associated with the first wireless device, or any combination thereof; and (See Seo fig. 8, para. 156, part s820; receive reference signal configuration information which may include seed value; para. 136; seed value may be cell identifier)
determine the frequency-domain scrambling sequence based at least in part on the indication. (See Seo para. 130; scrambling sequence is applied to DMRS and scrambling sequence is determined by a cell ID (e.g. corresponding to the first wireless device); see also fig. 8, para. 164; para. 135, 136; UE is informed in advance which UE uses (e.g. it is determined))
Claim 13 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Seo (2013/0287064) and further in view of Mo (2008/0080598) and further in view of Choi (2018/0205514).
Regarding claim 13, Seo in view of Mo discloses the second wireless device of claim 12. Seo discloses scrambling sequence is applied to DMRS and scrambling sequence is determined by a cell ID. (See Seo para. 130; scrambling sequence is applied to DMRS and scrambling sequence is determined by a cell ID (e.g. corresponding to the first wireless device); see also fig. 8, para. 164)
Seo in view of Mo do not explicitly disclose perform interference cancelation of additional signaling associated with a third wireless device based at least in part on descrambling associated with the wideband signal. However, Choi does disclose perform interference cancelation of additional signaling associated with a third wireless device based at least in part on descrambling associated with the wideband signal. (See Choi para. 33, 35; interference cancelation of signals sent by other base stations (e.g. third wireless device); para. 41; descrambling the DMRS; see also para. 57) Therefore it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to modify the apparatus of Seo in view of Mo to include the teaching of perform interference cancelation of additional signaling associated with a third wireless device based at least in part on descrambling associated with the wideband signal of Choi with the motivation being to prevent data errors and further to improve signal reliability and quality and further to increase network speed (by reducing delay) and efficiency (by reducing retransmissions).
Claim 17 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Seo (2013/0287064) and further in view of Mo (2008/0080598) and further in view of Manolakos (2019/0159181).
Regarding claim 17, Seo in view of Mo discloses the second wireless device of claim 11. Seo in view of Mo do not explicitly disclose wherein a length of the frequency-domain scrambling sequence is based at least in part on a capability of the second wireless device. However, Manolakos does disclose wherein a length of the frequency-domain scrambling sequence is based at least in part on a capability of the second wireless device. (See Manolakos para. 95; length of DMRS which is configurable by base station and/or UE; fig. 10 DMRS is based upon UE capability) Therefore it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to modify the apparatus of Seo in view of Kwak to include the teaching of wherein a length of the frequency-domain scrambling sequence is based at least in part on a capability of the second wireless device of Manolakos with the motivation being to allow for optimal operation of devices (the capability of a UE allows the base station to optimize parameters) and further to allow for more devices to connect to a network by adjusting parameters to meet capability.
Claim 18 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Seo (2013/0287064) and further in view of Mo (2008/0080598) and further in view of Manolakos (2019/0159181) and further in view of Liu (2018/0227094).
Regarding claim 18, Seo in view of Mo in view of Manolakos discloses the second wireless device of claim 17. Seo in view of Mo in view of Manolakos do not explicitly disclose wherein the capability of the second wireless device is based at least in part on a baseband bandwidth processing capability, an analog receiving capability, a digital receiving capability, or any combination thereof of the second wireless device. (See Liu para. 65; UE capability includes ability with analog and/or digital; para. 69 downlink (e.g. receiving)) Therefore it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to modify the apparatus of Seo in view of Mo in view of Manolakos to include the teaching of wherein the capability of the second wireless device is based at least in part on a baseband bandwidth processing capability, an analog receiving capability, a digital receiving capability, or any combination thereof of the second wireless device of Liu with the motivation being the motivation being to allow for optimal operation of devices (the capability of a UE allows the base station to optimize parameters) and further to allow for more devices to connect to a network by adjusting parameters to meet capability.
Claim 19 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Seo (2013/0287064) and further in view of Mo (2008/0080598) and further in view of Sun (2012/0270591).
Regarding claim 19, Seo in view of Mo discloses the second wireless device of claim 11. Mo does discloses descrambling. (See Mo fig. 4, para. 95; descrambling) The motivation being to decode the original data (without descrambling the original data cannot be determined) and further to allow for transmission across wireless medium and further to optimally transmit data while ensuring some level of security and further to differentiate between different wireless sources.
Seo in view of Mo does not explicitly disclose wherein, to scramble the frequency-domain representation of the reference signal, the one or more processors are individually or collectively operable to execute the code to cause the first wireless device to: scramble a plurality of sets of contiguous frequency resources of the frequency-domain representation of the reference signal based at least in part on a length of the frequency-domain scrambling sequence, wherein a set of contiguous frequency resources within the plurality of sets of contiguous frequency resources is scrambled using a respective bit of the frequency-domain scrambling sequence. However, Sun does disclose wherein, to scramble the frequency-domain representation of the reference signal, the one or more processors are individually or collectively operable to execute the code to cause the first wireless device to: scramble a plurality of sets of contiguous frequency resources of the frequency-domain representation of the reference signal based at least in part on a length of the frequency-domain scrambling sequence, wherein a set of contiguous frequency resources within the plurality of sets of contiguous frequency resources is scrambled using a respective bit of the frequency-domain scrambling sequence. (See Sun para. 5; fig. 1; adjacent RE (e.g. contiguous) are used for DMRS in OFDM (e.g. frequency resources) with multiple sets of DMRSs and where the RE are scrambled with code and bits) Therefore it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to modify the apparatus of Seo in view of Mo to include the teaching of wherein, to scramble the frequency-domain representation of the reference signal, the one or more processors are individually or collectively operable to execute the code to cause the first wireless device to: scramble a plurality of sets of contiguous frequency resources of the frequency-domain representation of the reference signal based at least in part on a length of the frequency-domain scrambling sequence, wherein a set of contiguous frequency resources within the plurality of sets of contiguous frequency resources is scrambled using a respective bit of the frequency-domain scrambling sequence of Sun with the motivation being to conform to the 3GPP suite of standards which saves time and money and provides compatibility across a wide range of manufacturers and devices and further to meet device capability and fine tune parameters to meet UE capability while not unnecessarily wasting limited wireless resources.
Claim 20 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Seo (2013/0287064) and further in view of Mo (2008/0080598) and further in view of Chiu (2013/0039309).
Regarding claim 20, Seo in view of Mo discloses the second wireless device of claim 11. Seo in view of Mo do not explicitly disclose receive at least the portion of the signal via a digital transceiver or an analog transceiver. However, Chiu does disclose receive at least the portion of the signal via a digital transceiver or an analog transceiver. (See Chiu para. 33; transceiver with Analog to digital and/or digital to analog converters) Therefore it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to modify the apparatus of Seo in view of Mo to include the teaching of receive at least the portion of the signal via a digital transceiver or an analog transceiver of Chiu with the motivation being to allow for demodulation, decoding, and data interpretation and further to enable digital processing and further to allow for signal manipulation such as adding filters to remove noise, compression to save bandwidth, and encryption for security purposes.
Claim 21 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Seo (2013/0287064) and further in view of Mo (2008/0080598) and further in view of Seitner (7,333,608).
Regarding claim 21, Seo in view of Mo discloses the second wireless device of claim 11. Seo in view of Mo do not explicitly disclose generate a local signal and de-scramble the portion of the wideband signal based at least in part on combining the local signal with the signal corresponding to the wideband signal. However, Seitner does disclose generate a local signal and de-scramble the portion of the wideband signal based at least in part on combining the local signal with the signal corresponding to the wideband signal. (See Seitner col. 1, lines 64- col. 2, line 9; descrambling an analog signal by receiving an analog signal and converting the received analog signal into an intermediate signal and further processing into a second intermediate frequency signal and descrambling the scrambled signal based upon the second intermediate frequency signal and a gaussian pseudo-random noise signal (e.g. a local signal)) Therefore it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to modify the apparatus of Seo in view of Mo to include the teaching of generate a local signal and de-scramble the portion of the wideband signal based at least in part on combining the local signal with the signal corresponding to the wideband signal of Seitner with the motivation being to allow for security of signals and further to allow for secure transmission in analog domain and further to allow analog devices the ability to connect to the network.
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 22-24, and 26 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Seo (2013/0287064) and further in view of Kwak (9,794,039).
Regarding claim 22, Seo discloses a method for wireless communications at a first wireless device, comprising: (See Seo fig. 9; enb/base station (e.g. first wireless device) with a processor executing an algorithm stored in memory; para. 173)
generating a frequency-domain representation of a reference signal; (See Seo para. 130; scrambling sequence is applied to DMRS, demodulation reference signal, (e.g. the DMRS is generated before it is scrambled); para. 42; OFDMA (e.g. frequency domain))
scramble the frequency-domain representation of the reference signal using a frequency-domain scrambling sequence corresponding to the first wireless device; and (See Seo para. 130; scrambling sequence is applied to DMRS and scrambling sequence is determined by a cell ID (e.g. corresponding to the first wireless device); see also fig. 8, para. 164)
transmit a wideband signal for channel estimation of a channel at a second wireless device based at least in part on the scrambled frequency-domain representation of the reference signal. (See Seo fig. 8; transmit reference signal to a UE (e.g. second wireless device); para. 98; wideband channel; para. 127; channel estimation; see also para. 130)
Seo does not explicitly disclose wherein the reference signal is based upon a discrete Fourier transform of a signal. However, Kwak does disclose wherein the reference signal is based upon a discrete Fourier transform of a signal. (See Kwak col. 2, lines 44-75; perform DFT as a part of a process to generate a transmittable reference signal; see also 112 rejection above) Therefore it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to modify the apparatus of Seo to include the teaching of wherein the reference signal is based upon a discrete Fourier transform of a signal of Kwak with the motivation being to maximize limited wireless resources by utilizing efficient spectrum utilization through processes needed to implement OFDM and further to increase efficiency of radio resources (See Kwak col. 1, lines 50-53).
Regarding claim 23, Seo in view of Kwak discloses the method of claim 22, further comprising:
transmitting configuration signaling indicating the frequency-domain scrambling sequence corresponding to the first wireless device. (See Seo fig. 8, para. 156, part s810; Transmit reference signal configuration information)
Regarding claim 24, Seo in view of Kwak discloses the method of claim 22, further comprising:
transmitting an indication to determine the frequency-domain scrambling sequence based at least in part on a cell identifier associated with the first wireless device, a user equipment (UE) identifier associated with the first wireless device, or any combination thereof. (See Seo fig. 8, para. 156, part s810; Transmit reference signal configuration information which may include seed value; para. 136; seed value may be cell identifier)
Regarding claim 26, Seo in view of Kwak discloses the method of claim 22, further comprising:
determining the frequency-domain scrambling sequence based at least in part on a digital modulation scheme of the first wireless device, a cell identifier associated with the first wireless device, a user equipment (UE) identifier associated with the first wireless device, or any combination thereof. (See Seo para. 130; scrambling sequence based upon a cell ID)
Claim 25 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Seo (2013/0287064) and further in view of Kwak (9,794,039) and further in view of Sun (2012/0270591).
Regarding claim 25, Seo in view of Kwak discloses the method of claim 22.
Seo in view of Kwak does not explicitly disclose wherein, to scramble the frequency-domain representation of the reference signal, the one or more processors are individually or collectively operable to execute the code to cause the first wireless device to: scramble a plurality of sets of contiguous frequency resources of the frequency-domain representation of the reference signal based at least in part on a length of the frequency-domain scrambling sequence, wherein a set of contiguous frequency resources within the plurality of sets of contiguous frequency resources is scrambled using a respective bit of the frequency-domain scrambling sequence. However, Sun does disclose wherein, to scramble the frequency-domain representation of the reference signal, the one or more processors are individually or collectively operable to execute the code to cause the first wireless device to: scramble a plurality of sets of contiguous frequency resources of the frequency-domain representation of the reference signal based at least in part on a length of the frequency-domain scrambling sequence, wherein a set of contiguous frequency resources within the plurality of sets of contiguous frequency resources is scrambled using a respective bit of the frequency-domain scrambling sequence. (See Sun para. 5; fig. 1; adjacent RE (e.g. contiguous) are used for DMRS in OFDM (e.g. frequency resources) with multiple sets of DMRSs and where the RE are scrambled with code and bits) Therefore it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to modify the apparatus of Seo in view of Kwak to include the teaching of wherein, to scramble the frequency-domain representation of the reference signal, the one or more processors are individually or collectively operable to execute the code to cause the first wireless device to: scramble a plurality of sets of contiguous frequency resources of the frequency-domain representation of the reference signal based at least in part on a length of the frequency-domain scrambling sequence, wherein a set of contiguous frequency resources within the plurality of sets of contiguous frequency resources is scrambled using a respective bit of the frequency-domain scrambling sequence of Sun with the motivation being to conform to the 3GPP suite of standards which saves time and money and provides compatibility across a wide range of manufacturers and devices and further to meet device capability and fine tune parameters to meet UE capability while not unnecessarily wasting limited wireless resources.
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 27-29 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Seo (2013/0287064) and further in view of Mo (2008/0080598).
Regarding claim 27, Seo discloses a method for wireless communications at a second wireless device, comprising: (See Seo fig. 8; User equipment (e.g. second wireless device))
receiving at least a portion of a wideband signal for channel estimation of a channel, the wideband signal associated with a first wireless device; (See Seo fig. 8; UE receives a reference signal from a base station (e.g. first wireless device) for channel estimation; para. 98; wideband channel; para. 127; channel estimation; para. 42; OFDMA (e.g. frequency domain); see also para. 130)
the portion of the wideband signal using a frequency-domain scrambling sequence corresponding to the first wireless device; and (See Seo para. 130; scrambling sequence is applied to DMRS and scrambling sequence is determined by a cell ID (e.g. corresponding to the first wireless device); see also fig. 8, para. 164)
communicating signaling via the channel according to the channel estimation of the channel based at least in part on the wideband signal. (See Seo para. 160; UE performs demodulation of PDSCH (e.g. communication signaling) based on estimated channel)
Seo does not explicitly disclose descrambling and wherein the signal is based at least in part on a continuous waveform. However, Mo does disclose descrambling and wherein the signal is based at least in part on a continuous waveform. (See Mo fig. 4, para. 95; descrambling; fig. 4, para. 112; continuous waveform is input into ADC to digitize and further process for ultimate decoding) Therefore it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to modify the apparatus of Seo to include the teaching of descrambling and wherein the signal is based at least in part on a continuous waveform of Mo with the motivation being to decode the original data (without descrambling the original data cannot be determined) and further to allow for transmission across wireless medium and further to optimally transmit data while ensuring some level of security and further to differentiate between different wireless sources and further it is common sense (e.g. radio waves are continuous electromagnetic fields).
Regarding claim 28, Seo in view of Mo discloses the method of claim 27, further comprising:
determining an identifier of the first wireless device associated with the wideband signal based at least in part on the portion of the wideband signal using the frequency-domain scrambling sequence. (See Seo para. 130; scrambling sequence is applied to DMRS and scrambling sequence is determined by a cell ID (e.g. corresponding to the first wireless device); see also fig. 8, para. 164)
descrambling (See Mo fig. 4, para. 95; descrambling; fig. 4, para. 112; continuous waveform is input into ADC to digitize and further process for ultimate decoding) the motivation being to decode the original data (without descrambling the original data cannot be determined) and further to optimally transmit data while ensuring some level of security and further to differentiate between different wireless sources.
Regarding claim 29, Seo in view of Mo discloses the method of claim 27, further comprising:
receiving an indication to determine the frequency-domain scrambling sequence based at least in part on a cell identifier associated with the first wireless device, a user equipment (UE) identifier associated with the first wireless device, or any combination thereof; and (See Seo fig. 8, para. 156, part s820; receive reference signal configuration information which may include seed value; para. 136; seed value may be cell identifier)
determining the frequency-domain scrambling sequence based at least in part on the indication. (See Seo para. 130; scrambling sequence is applied to DMRS and scrambling sequence is determined by a cell ID (e.g. corresponding to the first wireless device); see also fig. 8, para. 164; para. 135, 136; UE is informed in advance which UE uses (e.g. it is determined))
Claim 30 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Seo (2013/0287064) and further in view of Mo (2008/0080598) and further in view of Sun (2012/0270591).
Regarding claim 30, Seo in view of Mo discloses the method of claim 27.
Mo does discloses descrambling. (See Mo fig. 4, para. 95; descrambling) The motivation being to decode the original data (without descrambling the original data cannot be determined) and further to allow for transmission across wireless medium and further to optimally transmit data while ensuring some level of security and further to differentiate between different wireless sources.
Seo in view of Mo does not explicitly disclose wherein, to scramble the frequency-domain representation of the reference signal, the one or more processors are individually or collectively operable to execute the code to cause the first wireless device to: scramble a plurality of sets of contiguous frequency resources of the frequency-domain representation of the reference signal based at least in part on a length of the frequency-domain scrambling sequence, wherein a set of contiguous frequency resources within the plurality of sets of contiguous frequency resources is scrambled using a respective bit of the frequency-domain scrambling sequence. However, Sun does disclose wherein, to scramble the frequency-domain representation of the reference signal, the one or more processors are individually or collectively operable to execute the code to cause the first wireless device to: scramble a plurality of sets of contiguous frequency resources of the frequency-domain representation of the reference signal based at least in part on a length of the frequency-domain scrambling sequence, wherein a set of contiguous frequency resources within the plurality of sets of contiguous frequency resources is scrambled using a respective bit of the frequency-domain scrambling sequence. (See Sun para. 5; fig. 1; adjacent RE (e.g. contiguous) are used for DMRS in OFDM (e.g. frequency resources) with multiple sets of DMRSs and where the RE are scrambled with code and bits) Therefore it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to modify the apparatus of Seo in view of Mo to include the teaching of wherein, to scramble the frequency-domain representation of the reference signal, the one or more processors are individually or collectively operable to execute the code to cause the first wireless device to: scramble a plurality of sets of contiguous frequency resources of the frequency-domain representation of the reference signal based at least in part on a length of the frequency-domain scrambling sequence, wherein a set of contiguous frequency resources within the plurality of sets of contiguous frequency resources is scrambled using a respective bit of the frequency-domain scrambling sequence of Sun with the motivation being to conform to the 3GPP suite of standards which saves time and money and provides compatibility across a wide range of manufacturers and devices and further to meet device capability and fine tune parameters to meet UE capability while not unnecessarily wasting limited wireless resources.
Conclusion
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/Stephen J Clawson/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2461