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 .
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments, filed 11 May 2026, as also discussed in the interview dated 7 May 2024, with respect to the rejection(s) of claim(s) 1+ under Kim have been fully considered and are persuasive. Therefore, the rejection has been withdrawn. However, upon further consideration, a new ground(s) of rejection is made in view of secondary art as provided below.
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 1-30 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kim (US 2017/008350) in view of Nammi (US 2026/0005810).
Regarding claims 1 and 17, Kim describes an apparatus/method for wireless communication at a user equipment (UE) (fig. 13, UE 1320), comprising:
[one or more memories; and one or more processors, coupled to the one or more memories] (fig. 13 & para. 159, UE with processor 1323 & coupled to memory 1324) configured to cause the UE to:
receive a channel state information reference signal (CSI-RS) configuration that associates each CSI-RS port, of a plurality of CSI-RS ports, with a plurality of symbols of a slot (para. 104-106, UE receives CSI-RS configuration from BS about time & frequency to which each antenna port is mapped, wherein a unit time of a subframe is 2 slots, each slot includes plural OFDM symbols, fig. 1 & para. 48),
receive, in accordance with the CSI-RS configuration, a CSI-RS port signal, associated with a CSI-RS port of the plurality of CSI-RS ports, over the plurality of symbols (fig. 8 & para. 90, using the CSI-RS configuration, UE properly receives Resource Blocks (RBs) carrying CSI-RSs transmitted using 8 antenna ports (CSI-RS port signal) in a CSI-RS pattern).
Kim describes UE measures a channel using the received CSI-RS and reports such information comprising CQI, PMI & Rank (statistics) Indicator, which are collectively referred to as CSI, regarding the CSI-transmission period (para. 108), but fails to further explicitly describe:
transmit a CSI report using one or more temporal statistics associated with the CSI-RS port signal.
Nammi also describes CSI reporting (abstract), further describing:
transmit a CSI report using one or more temporal statistics associated with the CSI-RS port signal (para. 158, UE computing the CSI report setting based on information from network about the updated (temporal statistics) CSI-RS ports).
It would have been obvious to one with ordinary skill in the art before the effective date of the claimed invention to specify that the CSI reporting of Kim to be based on temporal statistics associated with the CSI-RS port signal as in Nammi).
The motivation for combining the teachings is that this improves massive multiple input, multiple output (MIMO) systems with reciprocity (Nammi, para. 1).
Regarding claims 2 and 18, Kim and Nammi combined describe:
wherein the one or more processors, to cause the UE to receive the CSI-RS port signal, are configured to cause the UE to receive the CSI-RS port signal over the plurality of symbols in a resource block (Kim fig. 8 & para. 90, UE receives Resource Blocks (RBs) carrying CSI-RSs transmitted using 8 antenna ports (CSI-RS port signal) comprising OFDM symbols).
Regarding claims 3 and 19, Kim and Nammi combined describe:
wherein the resource block is a first resource block, and wherein the one or more processors, to cause the UE to receive the CSI-RS port signal, are configured to cause the UE to receive the CSI-RS port signal over the plurality of symbols in a second resource block (Kim fig. 8 & para. 90, UE receives [first and second] Resource Blocks (RBs) carrying CSI-RSs transmitted using 8 antenna ports (CSI-RS port signal) comprising OFDM symbols, where N.sup DL is the number of RBs in each downlink slot sent from BS to UE, para. 52).
Regarding claims 4 and 20, Kim and Nammi combined describe:
wherein the one or more processors, to cause the UE to receive the CSI-RS port signal, are configured to cause the UE to receive the CSI-RS port signal in a first plurality of alternating resource blocks including the first resource block and the second resource block, and wherein the one or more processors are further configured to cause the UE to: refrain from receiving any CSI-RS port signal associated with the CSI-RS port in a second plurality of alternating resource blocks (Kim fig. 9 & para. 107, CSI-RS is periodically transmitting at every Nth (alternating) subframe, each subframe comprises 2 slots where N.sup DL is the number of RBs in each downlink slot sent from BS to UE, para. 52. Hence, it may be view as: UE receives DL port signal comprising a first plurality of alternating RBs and refrain receiving CSI-RS port signal from second plurality of alternating RBs).
Regarding claims 5 and 21, Kim and Nammi combined describe:
cause the UE to receive the CSI-RS port signal in a first resource block over one or more first symbols of the plurality of symbols and in a second resource block over one or more second symbols of the plurality of symbols (Kim fig. 9 & para. 107, CSI-RS is periodically transmitting at every Nth subframe, each subframe comprises 2 slots where N.sup DL is the number of RBs in each downlink slot sent from BS to UE, para. 52. Hence, it may be view as: UE receives DL port signal in a first resource block over one or more first symbols plus in a second resource block over one or more first symbols).
Regarding claims 6 and 22, Kim and Nammi combined describe:
wherein the first resource block (RB) and the second resource block (RB) are consecutive resource blocks (RBs) (Kim fig. 9 & para. 107, CSI-RS is periodically transmitting at every Nth subframe, each subframe comprises 2 slots where N.sup DL is the number of [consecutive] RBs in each downlink slot sent from BS to UE, para. 52).
Regarding claim 7 and 23, Kim and Nammi combined describe:
the one or more processors, to cause the UE to receive the CSI-RS port signal, are configured to cause the UE to receive the CSI-RS port signal in a first plurality of alternating resource blocks including the first resource block and in a second plurality of alternating resource blocks including the second resource block (Kim fig. 9 & para. 107, CSI-RS is periodically transmitting at every Nth (alternating) subframe, each subframe comprises 2 slots where N.sup DL is the number of RBs in each downlink slot sent from BS to UE, para. 52. Hence, it may be view as: UE receives DL port signal in a first resource block over one or more first symbols plus in a second resource block over one or more first symbols).
Regarding claim 8, Kim and Nammi combined describe:
wherein the CSI-RS configuration is associated with multi-user multiple input multiple output (MU-MIMO) communication (Kim fig. 5 & para. 55-58, CSI-RS configuration is associated with antenna ports in a wireless MIMO communication system shared by user equipments (MU-MIMO), para. 6).
Regarding claims 9 and 24, Kim describes an apparatus/method for wireless communication at a network node (fig. 13, BS 1310), comprising:
one or more memories; and one or more processors, coupled to the one or more memories, configured to cause the network node to (fig. 13 & para. 159, BS with processor 1313 & coupled to memory 1314) configured to cause the UE to:
transmit a channel state information reference signal (CSI-RS) configuration that associates each CSI-RS port, of a plurality of CSI-RS ports, with a plurality of symbols of a slot; transmit, in accordance with the CSI-RS configuration, a CSI-RS port signal, associated with a CSI-RS port of the plurality of CSI-RS ports, over the plurality of symbols (para. 104-106, BS transmits CSI-RS configuration to UE about time & frequency to which each antenna port is mapped, wherein a unit time of a subframe is 2 slots, each slot includes plural OFDM symbols, fig. 1 & para. 48); and
Kim describes UE measures a channel using the received CSI-RS and reports such information comprising CQI, PMI & Rank (statistics) Indicator, which are collectively referred to as CSI, regarding the CSI-transmission period (para. 108), but fails to further explicitly describe:
receive a CSI report using one or more temporal statistics associated with the CSI-RS port signal.
Nammi also describes CSI reporting (abstract), further describing:
receive a CSI report using one or more temporal statistics associated with the CSI-RS port signal (para. 158, UE computes the CSI report setting for sending CSI report to the network node based on information from network about the updated (temporal statistics) CSI-RS ports).
It would have been obvious to one with ordinary skill in the art before the effective date of the claimed invention to specify that the UE’s CSI reporting of Kim to be based on temporal statistics associated with the CSI-RS port signal as in Nammi).
The motivation for combining the teachings is that this improves massive multiple input, multiple output (MIMO) systems with reciprocity (Nammi, para. 1).
Regarding claims 10 and 25, Kim and Nammi combined describe:
wherein the one or more processors, to cause the network node to transmit the CSI-RS port signal, are configured to cause the network node to transmit the CSI-RS port signal over the plurality of symbols in a resource block (Kim fig. 8 & para. 90, BS transmits Resource Blocks (RBs) to UE carrying CSI-RSs transmitted using 8 antenna ports (CSI-RS port signal) comprising OFDM symbols).
Regarding claims 11 and 26, Kim and Nammi combined describe:
wherein the resource block is a first resource block, and wherein the one or more processors, to cause the network node to transmit the CSI-RS port signal, are configured to cause the network node to transmit the CSI-RS port signal over the plurality of symbols in a second resource block (Kim fig. 8 & para. 90, BS transmits [first and second] Resource Blocks (RBs) carrying CSI-RSs transmitted using 8 antenna ports (CSI-RS port signal) comprising OFDM symbols, where N.sup DL is the number of RBs in each downlink slot sent from BS to UE, para. 52).
Regarding claims 12 and 27, Kim and Nammi combined describes:
wherein the one or more processors, to cause the network node to transmit the CSI-RS port signal, are configured to cause the network node to transmit the CSI-RS port signal in a first plurality of alternating resource blocks including the first resource block and the second resource block, and wherein the one or more processors are further configured to cause the network node to: refrain from transmitting any CSI-RS port signal associated with the CSI-RS port in a second plurality of alternating resource blocks (Kim fig. 9 & para. 107, CSI-RS is periodically transmitting at every Nth (alternating) subframe, each subframe comprises 2 slots where N.sup DL is the number of RBs in each downlink slot sent from BS to UE, para. 52. Hence, it may be view as: UE receives DL port signal comprising a first plurality of alternating RBs and refrain receiving CSI-RS port signal from second plurality of alternating RBs).
Regarding claims 13 and 28, Kim and Nammi combined describe:
wherein the one or more processors, to cause the network node to transmit the CSI-RS port signal, are configured to cause the network node to transmit the CSI-RS port signal in a first resource block over one or more first symbols of the plurality of symbols and in a second resource block over one or more second symbols of the plurality of symbols (Kim fig. 9 & para. 107, CSI-RS is periodically transmitting at every Nth subframe, each subframe comprises 2 slots where N.sup DL is the number of RBs in each downlink slot sent from BS to UE, para. 52. Hence, it may be view as: UE receives DL port signal in a first resource block over one or more first symbols plus in a second resource block over one or more first symbols).
Regarding claims 14 and 29, Kim and Nammi combined describe:
wherein the first resource block and the second resource block are consecutive resource blocks (Kim fig. 9 & para. 107, CSI-RS is periodically transmitting at every Nth subframe, each subframe comprises 2 slots where N.sup DL is the number of [consecutive] RBs in each downlink slot sent from BS to UE, para. 52).
Regarding claims 15 and 30, Kim and Nammi combined describe:
wherein the one or more processors, to cause the network node to transmit the CSI-RS port signal, are configured to cause the network node to transmit the CSI-RS port signal in a first plurality of alternating resource blocks including the first resource block and in a second plurality of alternating resource blocks including the second resource block (Kim fig. 9 & para. 107, CSI-RS is periodically transmitting at every Nth (alternating) subframe, each subframe comprises 2 slots where N.sup DL is the number of RBs in each downlink slot sent from BS to UE, para. 52. Hence, it may be view as: UE receives DL port signal in a first resource block over one or more first symbols plus in a second resource block over one or more first symbols).
Regarding claim 16, Kim and Nammi combined describe:
wherein the CSI-RS configuration is associated with multi-user multiple input multiple output (MU-MIMO) communication (Kim fig. 5 & para. 55-58, CSI-RS configuration is associated with antenna ports in a wireless MIMO communication system shared by user equipments (MU-MIMO), para. 6).
Conclusion
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WARNER WONG
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 2469
/WARNER WONG/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2469
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