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 .
Continued Examination Under 37 CFR 1.114
A request for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, including the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e), was filed in this application after final rejection. Since this application is eligible for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114. Applicant's submission filed on 05/19/2026 has been entered.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claim(s) 1, 20, and 26 have been considered but are moot because the new ground of rejection does not rely on any reference applied in the prior rejection of record for any teaching or matter specifically challenged in the argument.
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.
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.
Claim(s) 1-7, 9, 11, 13, 15, 20-26 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kim (US 20200389805) in views of TANG (US 20190090225) and Nammi (US 10742343).
Kim discloses the following features.
Regarding claim 1, A method for wireless communication by a first user equipment (UE) comprising: receiving, from a network node, an indication of interference associated with an uplink signal of a second UE (see fig.14b and “indication of interference” in abstract: receiving, from a base station, interference measurement resource (IMR) configuration data or sounding reference symbol (SRS) configuration data for measuring terminal-to-terminal (UE-to-UE) cross-link interference; measuring UE-to-UE cross-link interference on the basis of IMR or SRS configuration data; and transmitting a report containing the measured UE-to-UE cross-link interference measurement value to the base station. And see paragraph [0006]: UE to UE inter-link interference: An Uplink (UL) signal transmitted by a UE is received at an adjacent UE and thus serves as interference.).
Regarding claim 2, The method of claim 1, wherein the indication includes a cell identification associated with the interference and as applied to claim 1 above Kim teaches (see paragraph [0247]: “IMR configuration information may include a UE ID, a group ID, or a cell ID”).
Regarding claim 3, The method of claim 1, wherein the indication identifies the first numerology associated with the uplink signal of the second UE and as applied to claim 1 above Kim teaches “paragraph [0275]: numerology information may be exchanged between TRPs and see fig. 17.”
Regarding claim 4, The method of claim 1, wherein the indication identifies a resource allocation associated with the uplink signal of the second UE and as applied to claim 1 above Kim teaches “paragraph[0098]: resource allocation information of UL-SCH (uplink shared channel).”
Regarding claim 5, The method of claim 1, wherein the indication identifies a modulation associated with the uplink signal of the second UE and as applied to claim 1 above Kim teaches “paragraph [0070] performs modulation on the multiplexed symbols.”
Regarding claim 6, The method of claim 1, wherein the indication identifies a coding associated with the uplink signal of the second UE and as applied to claim 1 above Kim teaches “paragraph [0097]: MCS (modulation coding scheme).”
Regarding claim 7, The method of claim 1, wherein the indication identifies a demodulation reference symbol associated with the uplink signal of the second UE and as applied to claim 1 above Kim teaches “see paragraph [0153]: DM-RS for UL: RS for demodulation of a UL control signal and a UL data signal.”
Regarding claim 9, The method of claim 1, wherein the indication identifies a time domain offset associated with a starting slot of the interference, wherein the time domain offset is identified by an item selected from a list consisting of: a quantity of symbols of a monitored bandwidth part and time units and as applied to claim 1 above Kim teaches “paragraph [0244]: the IMR configuration information may include information about the period of the IMR, information about the location or offset of a time region (e.g., a slot or a subframe).”
Regarding claim 11, The method of claim 1, wherein the indication is received from a downlink control indicator (DCI) and as applied to claim 1 above Kim teaches “paragraph [0012]: The IMR configuration information may include information about a location of an IMR, and the UE-to-UE cross-link interference …….downlink control information (DCI).”
Regarding claim 13, The method of claim 1, wherein the indication is received from a radio resource control (RRC) signal and as applied to claim 1 above Kim teaches “paragraph [0012]: The IMR configuration information or the SRS configuration information may be received through radio resource control (RRC) signaling.”
Regarding claim 15 The method of claim 1, wherein either one of the first UE and the second UE comprises an air to ground (ATG) UE and as applied to claim 1 above TANG teaches terminal device (see “user equipment… radio technology such as Universal Terrestrial Radio Access (UTRA)” in paragraphs [0058]-[0059]).
Regarding claim 20, A first user equipment (UE) comprising: at least one transceiver; at least one memory comprising instructions; and at least one processor configured to execute the instructions to cause the first UE (see fig.2) to: receive, from a network node via the at least one transceiver, control information that includes information regarding interference associated with an uplink signal of an air to ground (ATG) UE(see paragraph [0057]: a terminal is a common name of such a mobile or fixed user stage device as a user equipment (UE), a mobile station (MS), an advanced mobile station (AMS) and the like. And “indication of interference” in abstract: receiving, from a base station, interference measurement resource (IMR) configuration data or sounding reference symbol (SRS) configuration data for measuring terminal-to-terminal (UE-to-UE) cross-link interference; measuring UE-to-UE cross-link interference on the basis of IMR or SRS configuration data; and transmitting a report containing the measured UE-to-UE cross-link interference measurement value to the base station. And see paragraph [0006]: UE to UE inter-link interference: An Uplink (UL) signal transmitted by a UE is received at an adjacent UE and thus serves as interference; see “user equipment… radio technology such as Universal Terrestrial Radio Access (UTRA)” in paragraphs [0058]-[0059]); and receive, via the at least one transceiver, a signal via a physical downlink shared Channel (PDSCH), wherein the signal including includes the interference (see paragraph [0264]: The UE is aware of the location of the IMR and may perform UE-to-UE cross-link interference measurement through the IMR. However, if all UEs perform UE-to-UE cross-link interference measurement every time on a plurality of IMRs, this may be unfavorable to the UEs. Therefore, the eNB may cause the UE to be aware that corresponding IMR configuration information is valid and to actually perform UE-to-UE cross-link interference measurement, through predefined signaling. Herein, signaling for corresponding usage may additionally signal information about a time and/or frequency location at which the IMR configuration information is valid. That is, this means that the eNB may separately inform the UE of a valid IMR among a plurality of IMRs. The eNB may inform the UE of the above indication through a PDCCH or a PDSCH.).
Regarding claim 22, The first UE of claim 20, wherein a cyclic prefix of the uplink signal is different than a cyclic prefix of the signal (Kim teaches cyclic prefix “fig.3(b), fig.19, fig.20, [0087] Table 1 in the following indicates a configuration (length of DwPTS/GP/UpPTS) of a special frame. [0088] Table2 shows UL-Dl configuration in the type-2 frame structure of 3GPP LTE system”).
Regarding claim 24, The first UE of claim 20, wherein the information regarding the interference identifies a time domain offset with a starting slot of the interference and as applied to claim 1 above Kim teaches “paragraph [0244]: information about the location or offset of a time region (e.g., a slot or a subframe.”
Regarding claim 26, A first user equipment (UE) (see fig. 2) comprising: means for receiving, from a base station network node, information regarding interference associated with an uplink signal of an air to ground (ATG) UE, (see paragraph [0057]: a terminal is a common name of such a mobile or fixed user stage device as a user equipment (UE), a mobile station (MS), an advanced mobile station (AMS) and the like. And “indication of interference” in abstract: receiving, from a base station, interference measurement resource (IMR) configuration data or sounding reference symbol (SRS) configuration data for measuring terminal-to-terminal (UE-to-UE) cross-link interference; measuring UE-to-UE cross-link interference on the basis of IMR or SRS configuration data; and transmitting a report containing the measured UE-to-UE cross-link interference measurement value to the base station. And see paragraph [0006]: UE to UE inter-link interference: An Uplink (UL) signal transmitted by a UE is received at an adjacent UE and thus serves as interference).
Kim does not disclose the feature: regarding claim 1, wherein the interference comprises a first numerology different from a second numerology used by the first UE; receiving a downlink communication from the base station network node, wherein the uplink signal associated with the interference partially overlaps with the downlink communication; cancelling the interference; and decoding the remaining downlink communication without the interference therein; regarding claim 20, wherein the interference includes including a first numerology different from a second numerology associated with the PDSCH, wherein the uplink signal associated with the interference partially overlaps with the signal; cancel the interference according to the information regarding the interference; and decode the remaining signal without the interference therein; regarding claim 21, The first UE of claim 20, wherein to cancel the interference, the at least one processor is configured to execute the instructions to cause the first UE to: at least partially decode the uplink signal; and remove the uplink signal from the signal; regarding claim 23, wherein the first numerology and the second numerology are non-aligning; regrading claim 25, The first UE of claim 20, wherein at least one transceiver is further configured to execute the instructions to cause the first UE to: communicate with the network node to identify a capability of the first UE; and receive further control information to configure downlink communications according to the capability; regarding claim 26, means for cancelling the interference from a downlink communication from the network node, wherein the uplink signal associated with the interference partially overlaps the downlink communication; and means for decoding the remaining downlink communication without the interference therein.
TANG discloses the following features.
Regarding claim 1, wherein the interference comprises a first numerology different from a second numerology used by the first UE (“interference with different numerology” in paragraph [0021]: mutual interference generated between data transmissions based on different numerologies);receiving a downlink communication from the network node, wherein the uplink signal associated with the interference partially overlaps with the downlink communication (see overlapping of signals with different numerology causing interference when guard band is not used in fig.3).
Regarding claim 20, wherein the interference includes a first numerology different from a second numerology associated with the PDSCH, wherein the interference includes a first numerology different from a second numerology associated with the PDSCH (“interference with different numerology” in paragraph [0021]: mutual interference generated between data transmissions based on different numerologies), wherein the uplink signal associated with the interference partially overlaps with the signal (see overlapping of signals with different numerology causing interference when guard band is not used in fig.3).
Regarding claim 23, wherein the first numerology and the second numerology are non-aligning (see Fig. 3, wherein the first numerology and the second numerology overlaps and do not align).
Regarding claim 26, wherein the interference includes a first numerology different from a second numerology associated with the UE(“interference with different numerology” in paragraph [0021]: mutual interference generated between data transmissions based on different numerologies.); wherein the uplink signal associated with the interference partially overlaps the downlink communication (see overlapping of signals with different numerology causing interference when guard band is not used in fig.3).
Nammi discloses the following features.
Regarding claim 1, cancelling the interference; and decoding the remaining downlink communication without the interference therein (see column 7: line 14-40: For a mixed numerology case, rate matching can be inefficient and depend on the numerology mix. Therefore, the underlying PDSCH should be rate matched around the CSI-RS. Alternatively, the PDSCH transmitted can be multiplexed via superposition transmission with the CSI-RS of the other numerology. For example, the scenario of 15 KHZ and 60 KHZ mixing can comprise two resource elements allocated for CSI-RS transmission. Then, for the PDSCH transmission for 15 KHz subcarrier spacing, a multiplex of 2*(60/15) can equal 8 resource elements. Therefore, significant gains can be expected for higher numerologies with the proposed system where these 8 resource elements will not be lost from the PDSCH for CSI-RS transmissions. Note that the above system assumes that the underlying receiver can cancel the CSI-RS interference due to a 15 KHz spacing carrier. Also note that since CSI-RS and PDSCH are multiplexed, additional CSI-RS resources can be used for better channel estimation. The above technique can be extended by varying (reducing/increasing) the power of CSI-RS of the higher numerology carrier and using higher density of CSI-RS resources. Consequently, the receiver does not require cancelling of the CSI-RS of the other numerology).
Regarding claim 20, cancel the interference according to the information regarding the interference; and decode the remaining signal without the interference therein (see column 7: line 14-40: For a mixed numerology case, rate matching can be inefficient and depend on the numerology mix. Therefore, the underlying PDSCH should be rate matched around the CSI-RS. Alternatively, the PDSCH transmitted can be multiplexed via superposition transmission with the CSI-RS of the other numerology. For example, the scenario of 15 KHZ and 60 KHZ mixing can comprise two resource elements allocated for CSI-RS transmission. Then, for the PDSCH transmission for 15 KHz subcarrier spacing, a multiplex of 2*(60/15) can equal 8 resource elements. Therefore, significant gains can be expected for higher numerologies with the proposed system where these 8 resource elements will not be lost from the PDSCH for CSI-RS transmissions. Note that the above system assumes that the underlying receiver can cancel the CSI-RS interference due to a 15 KHz spacing carrier. Also note that since CSI-RS and PDSCH are multiplexed, additional CSI-RS resources can be used for better channel estimation. The above technique can be extended by varying (reducing/increasing) the power of CSI-RS of the higher numerology carrier and using higher density of CSI-RS resources. Consequently, the receiver does not require cancelling of the CSI-RS of the other numerology).
Regrading claim 25, The first UE of claim 20, wherein at least one transceiver is further configured to execute the instructions to cause the first UE to: communicate with the network node to identify a capability of the first UE; and receive further control information to configure downlink communications according to the capability (see Fig. 5, wherein the UE transmits CSI report to the network node via a feedback channel, and the network node 104 determines UE capability in step 504 and sends downlink control to the UE).
Regarding claim 26, means for cancelling the interference from a downlink communication from the network node; and means for decoding the remaining downlink communication without the interference therein (see column 7: line 14-40: For a mixed numerology case, rate matching can be inefficient and depend on the numerology mix. Therefore, the underlying PDSCH should be rate matched around the CSI-RS. Alternatively, the PDSCH transmitted can be multiplexed via superposition transmission with the CSI-RS of the other numerology. For example, the scenario of 15 KHZ and 60 KHZ mixing can comprise two resource elements allocated for CSI-RS transmission. Then, for the PDSCH transmission for 15 KHz subcarrier spacing, a multiplex of 2*(60/15) can equal 8 resource elements. Therefore, significant gains can be expected for higher numerologies with the proposed system where these 8 resource elements will not be lost from the PDSCH for CSI-RS transmissions. Note that the above system assumes that the underlying receiver can cancel the CSI-RS interference due to a 15 KHz spacing carrier. Also note that since CSI-RS and PDSCH are multiplexed, additional CSI-RS resources can be used for better channel estimation. The above technique can be extended by varying (reducing/increasing) the power of CSI-RS of the higher numerology carrier and using higher density of CSI-RS resources. Consequently, the receiver does not require cancelling of the CSI-RS of the other numerology.).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to integrate or modify Kim’s method for reporting measurement data, and terminal therefor with TANG’s method for transmitting data, terminal device and network device and Nammi’s method for interference cancellation for 5G or other next generation network with the motivation to improve Kim’s method of interference indication (see TANG, [0021]) and cancel and decode downlink signal without interference (see Nammi, fig.11).
Claim(s) 8 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kim, Tang and Nammi as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of Masal (US 2020/0228213).
Kim, Tang and Nammi disclose the features as shown above.
Kim does not disclose the following features: regarding claim 8, wherein the indication identifies quasi-colocation information associated with the uplink signal.
Masal discloses the following features.
Regarding claim 8, The method of claim 1, wherein the indication identifies quasi-colocation information associated with the uplink signal (see fig.1 , paragraph[0002]: the UL from the UE-1 (200a) interferes with the DL reception at the UE-2 (200b), Fig.6, paragraph[0030]: In an embodiment, the first CLI-RS configuration configured at the first UE is a sounding reference signal (SRS) configuration. Paragraph[0031]: SRS configuration contains a plurality of parameters comprising a quasi-co-location assumption (QCL) ).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the system of Kim, Tang and Nammi, using features, as taught in Masal, in order to provide relation of the reference signal with respect to other received reference signals (see paragraph [0018] of Masal).
Claim(s) 12 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kim, Tang and Nammi as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of Xu (US 11,233,623 B2).
Kim, Tang and Nammi disclose the features as shown above.
Kim does not disclose the following features: regarding claim 12, wherein the indication is received from a media access control-control element (MAC-CE).
Xu discloses the following features.
Regarding claim 12, The method of claim 1, wherein the indication is received from a MAC-CE (see column 7, line64-column 8, line 15: CLI reference signal based on at least one of: Radio Resource Control (RRC) signaling, Media Access Control (MAC) Control Element (CE).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the system of Kim, Tang and Nammi, using features, as taught in Xu, in order to notify measurement configuration information (see column 7, line 64-column 8, line 15 of Xu).
Claim(s) 21 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kim, Tang and Nammi as applied to claim 20 above, and further in view of Yu (US 2020/0008230).
Kim, Tang and Nammi disclose the features as shown above.
Kim does not disclose the following features: regarding claim 21, wherein to cancel the interference, the at least one processor is configured to execute the instructions to cause the first UE to: at least partially decode the uplink signal; and remove the uplink signal from the signal.
Yu discloses the following features.
Regarding claim 21, The first UE of claim 20, wherein to cancel the interference, the at least one processor is configured to execute the instructions to cause the first UE to: at least partially decode the uplink signal; and remove the uplink signal from the signal (see Abstract: The DCI message may indicate resources for sending a UL message by the second UE to the base station such that the first UE can at least partially decode the UL message based on the information in the DCI message. The base station may receive the UL message from the second UE. The base station may send a downlink (DL) message to the first UE. The UL message and the DL message may overlap at least partially in time and frequency. If the DL UE cannot successfully decode the UL message, the base station may send a helper message for the UL message to help the DL to decode the UL message., paragraph [0065]: The first UE may then receive from the base station a helper message for the UL message to help the first UE to decode the UL message transmitted by the second UE and mitigate interference caused by the UL message).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the system of Kim, Tang and Nammi, using features, as taught in Yu, in order to mitigate interference caused by the uplink message (see paragraph [0065] of Yu).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claim 10 and 14 are objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
ASKAR et al. (US 20210051660) – “POINT-TO-MULTIPOINT SHARED-ACCESS FULL-DUPLEX WIRELESS DUPLEXING SCHEME ASSOCIATED WITH SPATIAL DIVERSITY” discloses a wireless communication network for communicating information between a base station and a plurality of UEs is described. In accordance with a first aspect the base station concurrently transmits to and receives from a plurality of UEs using a spatial diversity and a frequency division multiplexing, FDM, communication. In accordance with a second aspect the base station concurrently transmits to and receives from a plurality of UEs using a frequency division multiplexing, FDM, communication without spatial diversity. In accordance with a third aspect the base station concurrently transmits to and receives from a plurality of UEs using a spatial diversity and a time division multiplexing, TDM, communication. In accordance with a fourth aspect the base station concurrently transmits to and receives from a plurality of UEs a time division multiplexing, TDM, communication without spatial diversity, and wherein the UEs employ beamforming for inter-UE-interference suppression.
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/JUTAI KAO/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2473
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