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 .
DETAILED A CTIONThis communication is responsive to the application filed on 03/03/2026.
Claims 1-20 are presented for examination.
Claims 1, 8 and 15 have been amended.
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments in the amendment filed on 03/03/2026 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive. The reason set forth below: on pages 2-3 of the remarks, Applicant argues, references do not disclose or suggest the limitation "wherein the beam tracking search includes use of different signals to track the set of narrow beams and a set of wide beams, respectively" as recited in amended claims 1, 8 and 15.
In reply, the examiner respectfully argues that the Landstrom reference discloses in para [0035] the wireless device measures the Reference Signal Received Power (RSRP) of a received Channel State Information Reference Signal (CSI-RS) on narrow beams and the wireless device measure the RSRP of a received Synchronization Signal Block (SSB) on wide beams which implies CSI-RS signal is used to track the set of narrow beams and SSB is used to track the set of wide beam beams corresponds to different signals).
For at least the reasons stated above, the examiner maintains 103 rejections of independent claims 1, 8 and 15 as well as all the dependent claims.
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 of this title, 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 1-20 are rejected under AIA 35 U.S.C 103 as being unpatentable over Bengtsson et a. (US 2020/0028544) in view of Landstrom et al. (US 2022/0294513).
As of claim 1, Bengtsson discloses a method comprising:
selecting, by a base station, a partial search set based on one or more previous measurement reports from a user equipment (UE), the partial search set comprising a set of narrow beams that is a subset of an extended search set associated with an extended search (Bengtsson, para [0054] disclose a reduced set of beams that are a subset of a full set of beams);
performing, by the base station, a beam tracking search that sweeps the partial search set in order to select a next narrow beam, wherein the beam tracking search includes use of different signals to track the set of narrow beams and a set of wide beams, respectively (Bengtsson, para [0062] discloses the base station's beam tracking process, para [0054] [0066] discloses operations for beam selection using beam sweeping, a beam is selected out of the reduced set of beams for transmitting and/or receiving from the antenna module based on the reduced beam sweep, the reduced beam sweep be performed by scanning a reduced set of beam angles corresponding to the reduced set of beams); and
communicating with the UE using the selected next narrow beam (Bengtsson, para [0054] discloses the selected beam for transmitting and/or receiving from the antenna module which corresponds to communicate using the selected next beam).
Bengtsson does not explicitly discloses but Landstrom teaches selecting a partial search set based on one or more previous measurement reports from a user equipment (UE) (Landstrom, para [0071] discloses a wireless device provides a report containing information relating to the received energy on only one candidate beam, B if the received energy on the parent beam S.sub.B of B is higher than the received energy on other wide beams (=previous measurement), the best reported beam B still be considered as the best beam for communication with the wireless device. A next beam sweep includes one or several siblings to B, either a full sweep of the child beams of the parent beam S.sub.B be initiated, or sibling beams B be tested in a round robin scheme over multiple beam sweeps until a better beam is found and performing a beam sweep of a set of narrow beams and requesting that the wireless device provides a measurement report on said set of narrow beams).
Bengtsson does not explicitly discloses the beam tracking search includes use of different signals to track narrow and wide beams however Landstrom teaches wherein the beam tracking search includes use of different signals to track the set of narrow beams and a set of wide beams, respectively (Landstrom, para [0035] discloses the wireless device measures the Reference Signal Received Power (RSRP) of a received Channel State Information Reference Signal (CSI-RS) on narrow beams and measure the RSRP of a received Synchronization Signal Block (SSB) on wide beams which implies CSI-RS signal is used to track the set of narrow beams and SSB is used to track the set of wide beam beams corresponds to different signals to track the set of narrow beams and a set of wide beams, respectively).
Therefore it would have been obvious for a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine the teaching of performing, a beam tracking to select a next beam as taught by Bengtsson with selecting a partial search set based on one or more previous measurement reports as taught by Landstrom in order to facilitates determining the resource for sidelink communication in order to determine which beam to transmit data to a wireless device as taught by Landstrom in para [0028] .
As of claim 8, Bengtsson discloses a device comprising: a transceiver; and a processor operably connected to the transceiver (Bengtsson, base station 100 of [FIG. 1], [FIG. 16] shows a radio transceiver circuit 1630 is connected to a processor circuit 1602), the processor configured to: select a partial search set based on one or more previous measurement reports from a user equipment (UE), the partial search set comprising a set of narrow beams that is a subset of an extended search set associated with an extended search (Bengtsson, para [0054] disclose a reduced set of beams that are a subset of a full set of beams);
perform a beam tracking search that sweeps the partial search set in order to select a next narrow beam, wherein the beam tracking search includes use of different signals to track the set of narrow beams and a set of wide beams, respectively (Bengtsson, para [0062] discloses the base station's beam tracking process, para [0054] [0066] discloses operations for beam selection using beam sweeping, a beam is selected out of the reduced set of beams for transmitting and/or receiving from the antenna module based on the reduced beam sweep, the reduced beam sweep be performed by scanning a reduced set of beam angles corresponding to the reduced set of beams); and
communicate with the UE using the selected next narrow beam (Bengtsson, para [0054] discloses the selected beam for transmitting and/or receiving from the antenna module which corresponds to communicate using the selected next beam).
Bengtsson does not explicitly discloses but Landstrom teaches select a partial search set based on one or more previous measurement reports from a user equipment (UE) (Landstrom, para [0071] discloses a wireless device provides a report containing information relating to the received energy on only one candidate beam, B if the received energy on the parent beam S.sub.B of B is higher than the received energy on other wide beams (=previous measurement), the best reported beam B still be considered as the best beam for communication with the wireless device, a next beam sweep includes one or several siblings to B, either a full sweep of the child beams of the parent beam S.sub.B be initiated, or sibling beams B be tested in a round robin scheme over multiple beam sweeps until a better beam is found and performing a beam sweep of a set of narrow beams and requesting that the wireless device provides a measurement report on said set of narrow beams).
Bengtsson does not explicitly discloses the beam tracking search includes use of different signals to track narrow and wide beams however Landstrom teaches wherein the beam tracking search includes use of different signals to track the set of narrow beams and a set of wide beams, respectively (Landstrom, para [0035] discloses the wireless device measures the Reference Signal Received Power (RSRP) of a received Channel State Information Reference Signal (CSI-RS) on narrow beams and measure the RSRP of a received Synchronization Signal Block (SSB) on wide beams which implies CSI-RS signal is used to track the set of narrow beams and SSB is used to track the set of wide beam beams corresponds to different signals to track the set of narrow beams and a set of wide beams, respectively).
Therefore it would have been obvious for a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine the teaching of performing, a beam tracking to select a next beam as taught by Bengtsson with select a partial search set based on one or more previous measurement reports as taught by Landstrom in order to facilitates determining the resource for sidelink communication in order to determine which beam to transmit data to a wireless device as taught by Landstrom in para [0028] .
As of claim 15, Bengtsson discloses a non-transitory computer readable medium comprising program code that, when executed by a processor of a device (Bengtsson, para [0087] discloses non-transitory computer-readable medium include an electronic, magnetic, optical, electromagnetic, or semiconductor data storage system, apparatus, or device), causes the device to:
select a partial search set based on one or more previous measurement reports from a user equipment (UE), the partial search set comprising a set of narrow beams that is a subset of an extended search set associated with an extended search (Bengtsson, para [0054] disclose a reduced set of beams that are a subset of a full set of beams);
perform a beam tracking search that sweeps the partial search set in order to select a next narrow beam, wherein the beam tracking search includes use of different signals to track the set of narrow beams and a set of wide beams, respectively (Bengtsson, para [0062] discloses the base station's beam tracking process, para [0054] [0066] discloses operations for beam selection using beam sweeping, a beam is selected out of the reduced set of beams for transmitting and/or receiving from the antenna module based on the reduced beam sweep, the reduced beam sweep be performed by scanning a reduced set of beam angles corresponding to the reduced set of beams); and
communicate with the UE using the selected next narrow beam (Bengtsson, para [0054] discloses the selected beam for transmitting and/or receiving from the antenna module which corresponds to communicate using the selected next beam).
Bengtsson does not explicitly discloses but Landstrom teaches select a partial search set based on one or more previous measurement reports from a user equipment (UE) (Landstrom, para [0071] discloses a wireless device provides a report containing information relating to the received energy on only one candidate beam, B if the received energy on the parent beam S.sub.B of B is higher than the received energy on other wide beams (=previous measurement), the best reported beam B still be considered as the best beam for communication with the wireless device. a next beam sweep includes one or several siblings to B, either a full sweep of the child beams of the parent beam S.sub.B be initiated, or sibling beams B be tested in a round robin scheme over multiple beam sweeps until a better beam is found and performing a beam sweep of a set of narrow beams and requesting that the wireless device provides a measurement report on said set of narrow beams).
Bengtsson does not explicitly discloses the beam tracking search includes use of different signals to track narrow and wide beams however Landstrom teaches wherein the beam tracking search includes use of different signals to track the set of narrow beams and a set of wide beams, respectively (Landstrom, para [0035] discloses the wireless device measures the Reference Signal Received Power (RSRP) of a received Channel State Information Reference Signal (CSI-RS) on narrow beams and measure the RSRP of a received Synchronization Signal Block (SSB) on wide beams which implies CSI-RS signal is used to track the set of narrow beams and SSB is used to track the set of wide beam beams corresponds to different signals to track the set of narrow beams and a set of wide beams, respectively).
Therefore it would have been obvious for a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine the teaching of performing, a beam tracking to select a next beam as taught by Bengtsson with select a partial search set based on one or more previous measurement reports as taught by Landstrom in order to facilitates determining the resource for sidelink communication in order to determine which beam to transmit data to a wireless device as taught by Landstrom in para [0028] .
As of claims 2, 9, and 16, rejection of claims 1, 8, and 15 cited above incorporated herein, in addition modified Bengtsson- Landstrom discloses the set of narrow beams in the partial search set is ordered based on a respective likelihood that each beam is a best beam given the one or more previous measurement reports (Landstrom, para [0071] discloses the best reported beam B still be considered as the best beam for communication with the wireless device. However, if B does not have a reasonable directivity gain compared to S.sub.B, e.g. if G.sub.expected−G.sub.est>T.sub.0, then the network node adjust the set of candidate beams, a next beam sweep include one or several siblings to B, either a full sweep of the child beams of the parent beam S.sub.B be initiated, or sibling beams B be tested in a round robin scheme (possibly including the old best beam B) over multiple beam sweeps until a better beam is found).
As of claims 3, 10, and 17, rejection of claims 2, 9 and 16 cited above incorporated herein, in addition modified Bengtsson- Landstrom discloses an order of the narrow beams in the partial search set is determined by examining, in a first-to-last priority order, (i) a most recently used narrow beam, (ii) neighbor beams of the most recently used narrow beam in a full search set, (iii) neighbor beams of the most recently used narrow beam in an extended search set, and (iv) non-neighbor beams in the extended search set (BENGTSSON, para [0058] discloses an active beam currently used, the mobile device be predicted to be in a beam path based on previous selections of the beams for communication such that beams that neighbor an active beam currently in use are more likely to be selected by a subsequent beam sweep).
As of claims 4, 11 and 18, rejection of claims 1, 8 and 15 cited above incorporated herein, in addition modified Bengtsson- Landstrom discloses the partial search set is selected from a second search set determined from a hierarchical beam structure of wide and narrow beam pairs and multiple beam patterns of wide and narrow beams (Landstrom, para [0073] discloses If the received energy on the parent beam S.sub.B is less than the received energy on another wide beam S.sub.X, then it may be possible that the best beam for communication with the wireless device is not a sibling beam of B, one or more child beams of S.sub.X be added to the set of candidate beams, responsive to an indication of a value indicative of a third received energy of a third reference signal received by the wireless device on a second wide beam being greater than the value indicative of the first received energy, the network node add one or more child beams of the second wide beam to the set of candidate beams).
As of claims 5, 12, and 19, rejection of claims 4, 11 and 18 cited above incorporated herein, in addition modified Bengtsson- Landstrom discloses the second search set is constructed online or stored in the base station (Landstrom, para [0074] the network node determine a plurality of estimated gain values associated with a plurality of narrow beams(=constructed online) in the set of candidate beams, the plurality of narrow beams are all child beams of the first wide beam, the plurality of narrow beams comprises at least one child beam of the first wide beam and at least one child beam of a second wide beam).
As of claims 6, 13 and 20, rejection of claims 4, 11 and 18 cited above incorporated herein, in addition modified Bengtsson- Landstrom discloses
the second search set is partially stored in the base station for frequently used sets and partially constructed online for infrequent sets (Landstrom, para [0074] the network node determine a plurality of estimated gain values associated with a plurality of narrow beams in the set of candidate beams (=constructed online) , the plurality of narrow beams are all child beams of the first wide beam, the plurality of narrow beams comprises at least one child beam of the first wide beam and at least one child beam of a second wide beam).
As of claims 7 and 14 , rejection of claims 1 and 8 cited above incorporated herein, in addition modified Bengtsson-Landstrom discloses the extended search set comprises all children narrow beams of an identified wide beam and additional nearby narrow beams (Landstrom, para [0074] disclose the plurality of narrow beams comprises at least one child beam of the first wide beam and at least one child beam of a second wide beam, the set of candidate beams not all be child beams of the same wide beam (=additional nearby narrow beams)).
Conclusion
THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. 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 FAHMIDA S CHOWDHURY whose telephone number is (571)272-2547. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 8am to 5pm.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Sujoy K Kundu can be reached at 571-272-8586. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/FAHMIDA S CHOWDHURY/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2471