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 .
Priority
The instant application claims priority to the PCT filed on 08/05/2021.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted, IDS - 05/17/2024. The submission is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
Response to Amendment
The amendment filed 03/16/2026 has been entered. Claims 1-20 remain pending
in the application. Claims 1-20 were amended.
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
he claimed invention pertains. Patentability shall not be negated by the manner
in which the invention was made.
The factual inquiries for establishing a background for determining obviousness
under 35 U.S.C. 103 are summarized as follows:
• Determining the scope and contents of the prior art.
• Ascertaining the differences between the prior art and the claims at issue.
• Resolving the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art.
• Considering objective evidence present in the application indicating
• obviousness or nonobviousness.
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.
Claims 1, 3, 5-13 and 15-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Takaoka et al. (US-20140177580-A1), hereinafter “Takaoka” in view of 3GPP TR 38.812 V0.3.0 (2018-11); Non-Orthogonal Multiple Access (NOMA) for NR; (Rel-16) (Year: 2018) hereinafter “3GPP-38.812”.
Regarding Claim 1,
Takaoka discloses, ‘A method, wherein the method comprising: deriving a second resource hopping pattern from a first resource hopping pattern, wherein each resource hopping pattern is a pattern of resource locations for use in wireless communications,
wherein the second resource hopping pattern is different from the first resource hopping pattern in terms of at least one of:
a first number of resource locations included in the first resource hopping pattern being different from a second number of resource locations included in the second resource location hopping pattern;’ (Selection of frequency hopping pattern [0140-0145] and Fig. 9 is a sequence diagram, resource allocation and determination of frequency hopping. Maintains the frequency difference between a plurality of channels within each component band and changes interval Δ between component bands. The amount of cyclic shifts can also be set to different values [0331].
In Fig. 40, the frequency difference in the resource allocation of a first and second channel in one-block and two candidates are provided mapping-positions candidates of a third channel +/- +B1 apart [0308]. Disclosure also includes two/more IDFTs (or IFFTs). The frequency interval i.e. frequency difference between the plurality of channels have difference within a different IDFT (IFFT) if inter-slot hopping pattern is performed. When, for example, inter-slot frequency hopping is used which maintains frequency difference B1 between two channels within IDFT of component band #1, inter-slot frequency hopping may also be performed which maintains frequency difference B2 (≠B1) between two channels within IDFT of component band #2 [0353].
And, resource allocation procedure in a second slot calculated based on a cyclic shift and resource allocated in a first slot. The resource allocation of the second slot = [a1, b1, c1]=first slot allocation frequency resource number [a0, b0, c0]+amount of cyclic frequency shift [S, S, S]=[a0+S, b0+S, c0+S], [0173].
In Fig. 18 illustrates the resource allocations in a second slot different from a first slot; Allocation difference between a frequency resource to which a first channel is allocated in the first slot and a frequency resource to which a second channel is allocated; [0201-0203]. The BS configured with a plurality of CCs, a frequency hopping between the first frequency resource in a first slot and the second frequency resource in a second slot within a sub frame, disclosure claim 1. And, the first channel to frequency resources of a first slot and a second slot transmitted so that a second channel in frequency resource arranged apart [0026].);
And didn’t disclose, ‘belonging to a resource hopping pattern pool’,
3GPP-38.812 discloses, a sequence generation method includes: M represents the number of code words in a pool for N length of codewords. And for K-hyperplanes, a N orthogonal sequences generated from M required sequence pool size, page-125.
Therefore, a person in the ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claim invention would have recognized that the disclosure of Takaoka and to modify with that of 3GPP-38.812 to come up with the claim invention,
Takaoka motive to determine and perform the FH pattern and allocate resources to be frequency hopped. To perform the frequency hopping within the IDFT and IFFT bandwidth efficiently utilization of resource increase the throughput. 3GPP-38.812 distinctly uses resource pool hopping pattern and evaluates performance metrics to increase the throughput.
And Takaoka discloses, ‘or first resource locations included in the first resource hopping pattern being different from second resource location included in the second resource hopping pattern, wherein the second resource locations are derived from the first resource location based on the operation from a cyclic frequency shift operation’ (In Fig. 40, the frequency difference in the resource allocations disclosed above [0308, 0353];
And didn’t disclose, second resource location are derived ‘based on the operation different from a cyclic frequency shift operation’,
3GPP-38.812 discloses, resource configuration (size of the time-frequency resource) indicated by the BS; the TB size and the MCS selected/configured for the transmission, a UE could derive the data matrix with the number of column as X and number of row as Y and derived symbol sequence, page-15.
And, perform different operation modes for multi-branch transmission, page-17. Motive would be identical disclosed above to measure performance metrics to improve throughput. In addition, motive would be to improve the performance gain. Takaoka includes frequency domain equalization to calculate frequency channel gain. 3GPP-38.812 derive the sequence improve the performance as measured in the performance metrics.
And discloses, ‘and communicating using the second resource hopping pattern.’ (Uses RRC-signaling for frequency hopping patten. The frequency difference between the plurality of channel to perform the frequency hopping within a different IDFT [0352-0353].)
And didn’t disclose, communicate ‘a non-orthogonal multiple access (NoMA) signal’
3GPP-38.812 discloses, NOMA processing uses UE-specific and multi-branch NOMA per UE, page-15 to 18. And motive would be identical to improve throughput and performance gain. Further, disclosure Takaoka provides motivation: multiplex DFT-spread for sequence generation and the need of resource utilization efficiency to increase throughput [0014, 0027], efficient resource utilization scaled capacity in non-orthogonal user multiplexing, 3GPP-38.812, page-88; and perform computational complexity for the receiver component EPA-hybrid, page-20 to 23.
Regarding Claim 3,
‘The method of claim 2,’ (discloses above),
Takaoka discloses, ‘wherein the M physical resource dimensions comprise time and at least one of frequency or space.’ (In Fig. 5 includes time and frequency domain [0122].)
Regarding Claim 5,
‘The method of claim 1,’ (discloses above),
Takaoka discloses, ‘further comprising communicating signaling that at least partly indicates how to derive the second resource hopping pattern from the first resource hopping pattern.’ (Fig. 19 illustrates inter-slot hopping pattern, frequency interval B between the first channel and second channel is set to no less than a maximum value of the total bandwidth of the PUCCH region cyclically and continuously present in the IFFT (IDFT) bandwidth. PUCCH #0 a low frequency-IFFT band is X0 and PUCCH #1 a high frequency-IFFT band is X1 to perform inter-slot hopping in the second slot [0207-0208].
In Fig. 43 illustrates inter-slot hopping pattern includes two component band: component band #0 is +B0 and component band #1 is +B1 , frequency interval Δ0, frequency positions f1 and f1+2B0. Inter-modulation distortion between two bands. And, both component bands receive interference [0327-0328].
In the second slot after the frequency hopping, the frequency difference between the two channels of component band #0 is −B0 and the frequency difference between the two channels of component band #1 is +B1 and interval between the component band is Δ1 (≠Δ0).)
Regarding Claim 6,
‘The method of claim 1,’ (discloses above),
Takaoka discloses, ‘further comprising communicating signaling indicating an index of the first resource hopping pattern.’ (Includes to resource number for the inter-slot frequency pattern. [0174, 0178].)
Regarding Claim 7,
‘The method of claim 1,’ (discloses above),
Takaoka discloses, ‘further comprising communicating signaling to configure the resource hopping’ (Configuration to inter-slot frequency pattern between a plurality of component band [0025, 0222, 0235] and Fig. 23.)
And further to include ‘resource hopping pool’ (disclosed above 3GPP-38.812 and motive would be identical disclosed above Claim 1.)
Regarding Claim 8,
‘The method of claim 1,’ (discloses above),
3GPP-38.812 discloses, ‘further comprising communicating signaling indicating a multiple access (MA) signature or a pattern of MA signatures, wherein communicating using [[the]] a modified resource hopping pattern comprises using the the pattern of MA signatures.’ (candidate MA-signature in NOMA schemes includes different operation-modes for multi-branch transmission, page-10, 17; MA-signature design for MA-schemes generation method spread sequence page-103; spreading matrix-codebook-based, sequence-based, and inter-leaver or scrambling-based, page-104-105. Motive would be identical to Claim 1 disclosed above.)
Regarding Claim 9,
‘The method of claim 1,’ (discloses above),
Takaoka discloses, ‘wherein each resource hopping pattern of the resource hopping pattern pool hops between frequency locations that belong to a set of non-adjacent frequency locations, and no frequency location of the set appears twice in any resource hopping pattern.’ (Fig. 40 illustrates inter-slot frequency hopping pattern resource allocations includes frequency difference/interval and apart [0308].)
Regarding Claim 10,
‘The method of claim 1,’ (discloses above),
Takaoka discloses, ‘wherein the method is performed by a network device, and wherein: resource hopping pattern comprises at least one group of resource hopping patterns, wherein within each group of resource hopping patterns the resource hopping patterns are orthogonal to each other[[;]], the method further comprising assigning, by the network device, [[the]] a same hopping pattern to multiple apparatus.’ (Fig. 41 illustrate channel block group i.e. group of resource hopping [0308] and includes frequency and time domain orthogonal each-other. Fig. 3 includes main components of the BS that include a orthogonal component [0080, 0105]. A plurality of cell-specific users [0180]).
And further to include ‘resource hopping pool’ (disclosed above 3GPP-38.812 and motive would be identical disclosed above Claim 1.)
Regarding Claim 11,
‘The method of claim 10’ (discloses above),
Takaoka discloses, ‘wherein the method is performed by a network device’ (Disclosure claim 1 and in Fig. 9),
And didn’t disclose, ‘and wherein: the resource hopping pattern pool comprises at least one group of resource hopping patterns, wherein within each group of resource hopping patterns the resource hopping patterns are orthogonal to each other and wherein a respective different MA signature is associated with each group of resource hopping patterns’.
3GPP-38.812 in the relevant art discloses, sequence grouping method, for any sequences pool with L sequences, the sequences pool can be divided into G groups for interference reduction and performance enhancement; the sequence of group from the original resource-pool, page-129-130. And, sequence generation method, first creates the orthogonal base, then the creates non-orthogonal set, page-125. Takaoka motive to improve frequency diversity and reduce cell-interference [0008]. This is reiterated by 3GPP-38.812 to reduce interference and performance enhancement, page-129.
Yifan-Li in the relevant art discloses, multiple NOMA group-specific-scrambling, group-specific-spreading and/or FDM-ed or frequency domain interlaced-resources [0006-0007, 0019]. And, group-specific-scrambling sequence [0153-0154, 0156], and MA-signature for UCI [0076-0079, 0191];
Therefore, a person in the ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claim invention would have recognized that the disclosure of Takaoka and to include with that of Yifan-Li to come up with the claim invention,
Motive to higher reliability and reduce collision in UCI. More efficient reducing interference.
Takaoka discloses, ‘the method further comprising: assigning, by the network device, a resource hopping pattern,’ (disclosed above),
And further to include the disclosure of 3GPP-38.812, ‘the resource hopping pattern being one of the resource hopping patterns of one of the at least one group and assigning the respective different MA signature of the one of the at least one group.’ (symbol level spreading and scrambling as the symbol level MA signatures and the generation of scrambling sequence can be UE-group specific, page-14. And, motive would be identical to the first claim element disclosed above.)
Regarding Claim 12,
‘The method of claim 10,’ (discloses above),
Takaoka discloses, ‘further comprising: assigning, by the network device, an MA Signature hopping sequence that hops simultaneously with resource hopping.’ (allocation-request and simultaneously generates frequency hopping pattern [0084, 0241-0243].)
Regarding Claim 13,
Identical to Claim 1 disclosed above, ‘An apparatus comprising a processor a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing programming, the programming including instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to perform operations including:
deriving a second resource hopping pattern from a first resource hopping pattern belonging to a resource hopping pattern pool, wherein each resource hopping pattern is a pattern of resource locations for use in wireless communications, wherein the second resource hopping pattern is different from the first resource hopping pattern in terms of at least one of: a first number of resource locations included in the resource hopping pattern; being different from a second number of resource locations included in the second resource hopping pattern; or first resource locations included in the first resource hopping pattern being different from second resource locations included in the second resource hopping pattern, wherein the second resource locations are derived from the first resource locations based on an operation different from a cyclic frequency shift operation; communicating a non-orthogonal multiple access (NoMA) signal using the second resource hopping pattern.’
Regarding Claim 15,
‘The apparatus of claim 13,’ (disclosed above),
Identical to claim 5 disclosed above, ‘the operation further comprising: communicating signaling that at least partly indicates how to derive the second resource hopping pattern from the first resource hopping pattern.’
Regarding Claim 16,
‘The apparatus of claim 13’ (disclosed above),
Identical to claim 6 disclosed above, ‘the operation further comprising: communicating signaling indicating an index of the first resource hopping pattern.’
Regarding Claim 17,
‘The apparatus of claim 13,’ (disclosed above),
Identical to claim 7 disclosed above, ‘the operation further comprising: communicating signaling to configure the resource hopping pool.’
Regarding Claim 18,
‘The apparatus of claim 13’ (disclosed above),
Identical to claim 10 disclosed above, ‘wherein the apparatus is a network device, and wherein: the resource hopping pattern pool comprises at least one group of resource hopping patterns, wherein within each group of resource hopping patterns the resource hopping patterns are orthogonal to each other; the operations further comprising: assign [[the]] a same hopping pattern to multiple apparatus.’
Regarding Claim 19,
‘The apparatus of claim 13’ (disclosed above),
Identical to claim 11 disclosed above, ‘wherein the apparatus is a network device, and wherein: the resource hopping patter pool comprises at least one group of resource hopping patterns, wherein within each group of resource hopping patterns the resource hopping patterns are orthogonal to each other, and wherein a respective different MA signature is associated with each group of resource hopping patterns [[;]] the operations further comprising: assign a resource hopping pattern, the resource hopping pattern being one of the resource hopping patterns of one of the at least one group, and assigning the respective different MA signature of the one of the at least one group.’
Regarding Claim 20,
‘The apparatus of claim 18’ (disclosed above),
Identical to claim 10 disclosed above, ‘the operations further comprising: assign an MA Signature hopping sequence that hops simultaneously with resource hopping.’
Claims 2 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable
over Takaoka et al. in view of 3GPP-38.812 and further in view of Lopez (WO-2018160124-A1) hereinafter “Lopez”.
Regarding Claim 2,
‘The method of claim 1’ (discloses above),
Takaoka discloses, ‘wherein: each resource location of the first resource hopping pattern has M physical resource dimensions,’ (Fig. 5 illustrates the first resource hop pattern that includes frequency and time domain. Generate IFFT [0121-0122, 0125-0126]);
And discloses, ‘ with Ai possibilities in for [[the]] an i-th dimension, where i=1,...,M, M>=2, Ai>=2, and each resource location of the second resource hopping pattern has M physical resource dimensions, with Bi possibilities for the i-th dimension, where i=1,...,M, where all Bi<=A’ (first resource pattern and the second resource pattern sequence includes: length, interval, possible combinations cyclic shifted apart/locations [0018, 00121-0122, 0126, 0130-0136, 0228, 0234] and Fig. 5. And, Fig. 41 illustrates inter-slot hopping pattern uses the channels from a first to nth channel in the first slot, nth channel in a frequency resource-located frequence difference (+Bn-1 and -Bn-1 and comprised of first to (n-1)th channels in the second slot. Also, Fig. 40 [0308-0310]);
And didn’t disclose, ‘and at least one Bi<Ai.’
Lopez in the relevant art discloses, FH patterns includes FH algorithm:
fn+1 = fn + hop, fn is the frequency channel chosen for the current transmission (first), hop is a parameter chosen at random when the connection between transmitter and receiver is established, and fn+1 is the channel for the next transmission (second) and the second is derived based on the first. And, first partial frequency hopping pattern is a pattern, page-1[0021-0024].
FH pattern based on-length. The first partial frequency hopping pattern is a pattern,
an (k) = n - k(mod p) , for k = 0, ...,p -\ , where p is the first length and 1 < n < p -\.
Alternatively or additionally, the second partial frequency hopping pattern is a pattern bn \k) = n - k(mod q) + p , for k = 0,...,q - \ , where q is the second length, where 1 < n < p -l , and where p is the first length.
an (k) = n - k(mod p) , for k = 0, ...,p -\ , wherein the second partial frequency hopping pattern is a pattern bn \k) = n - k(mod q) + p , for k = 0,...,q -\ , where p is the first length, where q is the second length, and 1 < n < p -l , and wherein the frequency hopping pattern is a pattern cn = {an (0), an (1), ...an (p - 1), bn '(0), bn '(1), .. bn \q - 1)}; page-3 [0013-0020].
In addition Fig. 4 of the disclosure and page 19 [0025-0030].
Therefore, a person in the ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of
the claim invention would have recognized that the disclosure of Takaoka, Yifan-Li and to include with that of to come up with the claim invention,
Takaoka discloses generate spread sequence and reduce the sequence that include reduce instantaneous power variation [0229]. And, to reduce interference while generate sequence frequency hopping pattern [0272]. Someone would take this motivation to generate sequence FH spread spectrum and reduce the interference/collision when generate the second FH pattern. This would reduce the error rate and increase the data rate and throughput.
Claims 4 and 14 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable
over Takaoka et al. in view of 3GPP-38.812 and further in view of Yifan-Li et al. (US-20210315000-A1) hereinafter “Yifan-Li”.
Regarding Claim 4,
‘The method of claim 1’ (disclosed above),
Takaoka discloses, ‘wherein the deriving the second resource hopping pattern from the first resource hopping pattern belonging to the resource hopping pattern pool comprises:’ (inter-slot frequency hop performed in component bands and uses spread-sequence [0025-0026, 0119, 0351-0352] to reduce interference [0272, 0328-0329, 0337] and Fig. 44.),
And didn’t disclose, ‘puncturing the first resource hopping pattern to produce the second resource hopping pattern, wherein the puncturing comprises: omitting at least one resource location from the first resource hopping pattern.’
Yifan-Li discloses, UCI uses both PUCCH/PUSCH. And, PUCCH includes HARQ-A/N and CSI allocated RBs/REs and PRBs illustrated Fig. 2 and Fig. 4. Includes rate-matching for the resources and puncture to utilize frequency gain [0085-0089].
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Therefore, a person in the ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claim invention would have recognized that the disclosure of Takaoka and 3GPP-38.812 to include with that of Yifan-Li to come up with the claim invention,
Motive to generate modulate symbols and encode rate-match with an efficient output sequence [0150, 0156] to increase throughput in the NOMA schemes.
Regarding Claim 14,
‘The apparatus of claim 13’ (disclosed above),
Identical to claim 4 disclosed above, ‘wherein the deriving the second resource hopping pattern from the first resource hopping pattern belonging to the resource hopping pattern pool comprises: puncturing the first resource hopping pattern to produce the second resource hopping pattern, wherein the puncturing comprises: omitting at least one resource location from the first resource hopping pattern.’
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed 03/06/2026 have been fully considered but they are
not persuasive.
Applicant arguments/remarks and Examiner response, Takaoka discloses to derive the second resource hopping pattern from the first resource hopping pattern wherein the second resource hopping pattern different from the first resource hopping based on the resource location; the frequency difference between plurality of channel not identical within a different DFFT or (each IFFT) [0308, 0353]. The disclosure doesn’t limit to intra-slot frequency hopping. More rationale to perform the frequency hopping based on allocated bandwidth in Fig. 18 to 20. Examiner presented the tech spec to derive the second resource hopping pattern different than the cyclic shift operation, page-17 and receiver component of NOMA computational complexity page-20 to 23. Includes resource utilization of simulated NOMA schemes, simulation bandwidth 6/12 PRBs.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to
applicant's disclosure:
ETSI TS 138 211 V16.5.0 3GPP Tech spec 38.211 Rel-16, Physical Channels and modulation (Year: 2021); Section 6.3 page-31 to 34;
Physical channels [Wingdings font/0xE0] PUSCH [Wingdings font/0xE0] scrambling [Wingdings font/0xE0] modulation [Wingdings font/0xE0] layer/transform-mapping[Wingdings font/0xE0] precoding [Wingdings font/0xE0] mapping VRB-to-PRB
Physical control channels [Wingdings font/0xE0] PUCCH[Wingdings font/0xE0] Sequence and cyclic shift hopping [Wingdings font/0xE0]Group and sequence hopping, page-38
Pucch-group-hopping
Intra-slot-frequency-hopping
M. -F. Lin, G. -C. Yang, C. -Y. Chang, Y. -S. Liu and W. C. Kwong, "Frequency-Hopping CDMA With Reed--Solomon Code Sequences in Wireless Communications," in IEEE Transactions on Communications, vol. 55, no. 11, pp. 2052-2055, 2007; Disclosure includes FH Pattern, FH-CDMA, RS sequence maximum cross-correlation function (i.e., symbol interference) and schemes: MFSK/and RS/FHCDMA. And, RS/FH-CDMA supports a higher data rate than the MFSK/FH-CDMA, section-IV.
Y. Yuan, Z. Yuan and L. Tian, "5G Non-Orthogonal Multiple Access Study in 3GPP," in IEEE Communications Magazine, vol. 58, no. 7, pp. 90-96, July 2020 (Year: 2020); A user-specific spreading sequence, mapping, or bit scrambling/interleaving pattern is often called a multiple access (MA) signature. Fig. 2 interference cancellation module
Y. Yuan, Z. Yuan and L. Tian, "5G Non-Orthogonal Multiple Access Study in 3GPP," in IEEE Communications Magazine, vol. 58, no. 7, pp. 90-96, July 2020 (Year: 2020); Fig. 2: FH hopping pattern-NOMA Ad Hoc, multiple user groups defined as clusters; successive interference cancellation.
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
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/S.A./Examiner, Art Unit 2466
/CHRISTOPHER M CRUTCHFIELD/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2466
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