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 .
Responsive to amendments filed on 03/17/2025.
Claims 1-20 remain pending.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s amendments and remarks filed on 03/17/2026 have been received and fully considered.
With regards to the 35 USC 112 rejections, they have been overcome by the amendments filed.
Regarding the prior art rejections, Applicant’s arguments with respect to the claim(s) 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
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 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, and 12-20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Haghighat et al. (US Patent Application Publication 2022/0295322; hereinafter Haghighat) in view of Oh et al. (US Patent Application Publication 2024/0032057; hereinafter Oh).
Regarding claim 1 Haghighat discloses a user equipment ("UE") for wireless communication, comprising:
at least one memory (memory 130, 132 in fig. 1B); and
at least one processor coupled with the at least one memory (processor 118 in fig. 1B) and configured to cause the UE to:
receive, from a network, a set of channel state information ("CSI") reporting settings (paragraphs 0123, 0124, 0126; as part of a CSI-RS framework, a UE is configured with a plurality of CSI reporting settings);
receive, from a network, a set of CSI resource settings for CSI measurements associated with a set of CSI reference signals ("CSI-RSs") (paragraphs 0122, 0124, 0126; configuring a UE with a plurality of CSI resource settings), each CSI resource setting of the set of CSI resource settings triggering at least one CSI-RS resource set (paragraphs 0126-0127; configured with an additional CSI resource setting comprising one or more CSI resource sets, each CSI resource set comprising a plurality of CSI resources for WTRU panel measurements); and
receive, from a network, an indication of a CSI configuration associated with at least one of the set of CSI reporting settings and the set of CSI resource settings (paragraphs 0126-0127; the association may be indicated explicitly by the use of a panel ID in the CSI configuration to indicate which resources are to be monitored);
generate, in response to the indication of the CSI configuration, at least one CSI report based on at least one of a subset of the set of CSI reporting settings and a subset of the set of CSI resource settings, and transmit, to the network, the at least one CSI report (paragraphs 0126-0130; generating and transmitting CSI-RS measurement to the base station).
Haghighat fails to explicitly disclose but Oh, in a similar field of endeavor related to CSI reporting, discloses wherein the indication comprises a codepoint of a CSI request in downlink control information (DCI), the codepoint corresponding to two CSI trigger states (paragraphs 0325, 0327, 0425-0431; Each field value (or equally, code point) of the CSI request indicator may be associated with a CSI trigger state, and each CSI trigger state may be associated with a CSI report setting and CSI resource setting). Therefore, 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 teachings of Haghighat with the teachings of OH, in order to increase efficiency in the system (Oh: paragraph 0023).
Regarding claim 2 Haghighat discloses the UE of claim 1, wherein CSI-RS resources of a first of the at least one CSI-RS resource set is a subset of CSI-RS resources of a second of the at least one CSI-RS resource set (fig. 9; CSI resource sets 930, 931).
Regarding claim 3 Haghighat discloses the UE of claim 1, wherein CSI-RS resources of a first of the at least one CSI-RS resource set comprise an integer multiple frequency density of CSI-RS resources in a second of the at least one CSI-RS resource set (paragraph 0129; configured with density one CSI-RS transmission (i.e., the CSI-RS transmission occurs at every RB)).
Regarding claim 4 Haghighat discloses the UE of claim 1, wherein CSI-RS resources of a first of the at least one CSI-RS resource set comprise an integer multiple time periodicity and a same slot offset of CSI-RS resources in a second of the at least one CSI-RS resource sets (paragraph 0128; for periodic CSI-RS transmission occurring every Nth slot (e.g., N ranging from 4 to 640), the WTRU may cycle among the different panels to evaluate the CSI).
Regarding claim 5 Haghighat discloses the UE of claim 1, wherein CSI reporting settings within the set of CSI reporting settings differ in report quantity, codebook configuration, channel quality indicator ("CQI") format, precoding matrix indicator ("PMI") format, or CSI reporting bands (paragraphs 0107, 0132; CSI quantity, CSI CQI).
Regarding claim 6 Haghighat discloses the UE of claim 1, wherein the set of CSI-RSs are partitioned into partitions where: each CSI-RS partition is associated with a CSI reporting setting; each CSI-RS partition is associated with a CSI resource setting; each CSI-RS partition is associated with a CSI-RS resource set for channel measurement; the CSI-RS partitions are associated with a same CSI-RS resource set corresponding to non-zero power CSI-RSs ("NZP-CSI-RSs") for channel measurement; or a combination thereof (paragraphs 0121-0128; CSI reporting setting, NZP-CSI-RS).
Regarding claim 7 Haghighat discloses the UE of claim 6, wherein a CSI-RS partition comprises: a group of CSI-RS resource sets; a group of CSI-RS resources within a same CSI-RS resource set; a group of one or more CSI-RS ports within a CSI-RS resource, or a combination thereof (figure 9; CSI resource sets).
Regarding claim 12 Haghighat discloses the UE of claim 1, wherein the indication of the CSI configuration comprises: a higher-layer parameter associated with the set of CSI reporting settings that enables or disables the CSI configuration; a higher-layer parameter associated with one of the set of CSI reporting settings and a codebook configuration configured within the set of CSI reporting settings, the higher-layer parameter configuring the UE to report an additional CSI report part in the at least one CSI report, the additional CSI report part comprising a sequence of one or more bits indicated by the UE; an additional CSI resource setting for channel measurement; an additional value corresponding to a higher-layer parameter report quantity in a CSI reporting setting for CSI report Part 0; and a codepoint of a CSI request in a downlink control information ("DCI"), the codepoint corresponding to CSI trigger states; or a combination thereof (paragraphs 0119-0129; a panel ID value added to CSI resource setting).
Regarding claim 13 Haghighat discloses a method performed by a user equipment ("UE"), the method comprising:
receiving, from a network, a set of channel state information ("CSI") reporting settings (paragraphs 0123, 0124, 0126; as part of a CSI-RS framework, a UE is configured with a plurality of CSI reporting settings);
receiving, from a network, a set of CSI resource settings for CSI measurements associated with a set of CSI reference signals ("CSI-RSs") (paragraphs 0122, 0124, 0126; configuring a UE with a plurality of CSI resource settings), each CSI resource setting of the set of CSI resource settings triggering at least one CSI-RS resource set (paragraphs 0126-0127; configured with an additional CSI resource setting comprising one or more CSI resource sets, each CSI resource set comprising a plurality of CSI resources for WTRU panel measurements);
receiving, from a network, an indication of a CSI configuration associated with at least one of the set of CSI reporting settings and the set of CSI resource settings (paragraphs 0126-0127; the association may be indicated explicitly by the use of a panel ID in the CSI configuration to indicate which resources are to be monitored);
generating, in response to the indication of the CSI configuration, at least one CSI report based on at least one of a subset of the set of CSI reporting settings and a subset of the set of CSI resource settings, and transmitting, to the network, the at least one CSI report (paragraphs 0126-0130; generating and transmitting CSI-RS measurement to the base station).
Haghighat fails to explicitly disclose but Oh, in a similar field of endeavor related to CSI reporting, discloses wherein the indication comprises a codepoint of a CSI request in downlink control information (DCI), the codepoint corresponding to two CSI trigger states (paragraphs 0325, 0327, 0425-0431; Each field value (or equally, code point) of the CSI request indicator may be associated with a CSI trigger state, and each CSI trigger state may be associated with a CSI report setting and CSI resource setting). Therefore, 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 teachings of Haghighat with the teachings of OH, in order to increase efficiency in the system (Oh: paragraph 0023).
Regarding claim 14 Haghighat discloses the method of claim 13, wherein CSI-RS resources of a first of the at least one CSI-RS resource set is a subset of CSI-RS resources of a second of the at least one CSI-RS resource set (fig. 9; CSI resource sets 930, 931).
Regarding claim 15 Haghighat discloses a network equipment (“NE”) for wireless communication, comprising:
at least one memory (implicit in the base station seen in figures 1C, 4, 5); and
at least one processor coupled with the at least one memory(implicit in the base station seen in figures 1C, 4, 5) and configured to cause the NE to:
transmit, to a user equipment (UE), a set of channel state information ("CSI") reporting settings (paragraphs 0123, 0124, 0126; as part of a CSI-RS framework, a UE is configured with a plurality of CSI reporting settings);
transmit, to the UE, a set of CSI resource settings for CSI measurements associated with a set of CSI reference signals ("CSI-RSs") (paragraphs 0122, 0124, 0126; configuring a UE with a plurality of CSI resource settings), each CSI resource setting of the set of CSI resource settings triggering at least one CSI-RS resource set (paragraphs 0126-0127; configured with an additional CSI resource setting comprising one or more CSI resource sets, each CSI resource set comprising a plurality of CSI resources for WTRU panel measurements);
transmit, to the UE, an indication of a CSI configuration associated with at least one of the set of CSI reporting settings and the set of CSI resource settings (paragraphs 0126-0127; the association may be indicated explicitly by the use of a panel ID in the CSI configuration to indicate which resources are to be monitored); and
receives, from the UE, at least one CSI report that is generated based on at least one of a subset of the set of CSI reporting settings and a subset of the set of CSI resource settings (paragraphs 0126-0130; generating and transmitting CSI-RS measurement to the base station).
Haghighat fails to explicitly disclose but Oh, in a similar field of endeavor related to CSI reporting, discloses wherein the indication comprises a codepoint of a CSI request in downlink control information (DCI), the codepoint corresponding to two CSI trigger states (paragraphs 0325, 0327, 0425-0431; Each field value (or equally, code point) of the CSI request indicator may be associated with a CSI trigger state, and each CSI trigger state may be associated with a CSI report setting and CSI resource setting). Therefore, 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 teachings of Haghighat with the teachings of OH, in order to increase efficiency in the system (Oh: paragraph 0023).
Regarding claim 16 Haghighat discloses a method performed by a network equipment (NE), the method comprising:
transmitting, to a user equipment ("UE"), a set of channel state information ("CSI") reporting settings (paragraphs 0123, 0124, 0126; as part of a CSI-RS framework, a UE is configured with a plurality of CSI reporting settings);
transmitting, to the UE, a set of CSI resource settings CSI measurement associated with a set of CSI reference signals ("CSI-RSs") (paragraphs 0122, 0124, 0126; configuring a UE with a plurality of CSI resource settings), each CSI resource setting of the set of CSI resource settings triggering at least one CSI-RS resource set (paragraphs 0126-0127; configured with an additional CSI resource setting comprising one or more CSI resource sets, each CSI resource set comprising a plurality of CSI resources for WTRU panel measurements);
transmitting, to the UE, an indication of a CSI configuration associated with at least one of the set of CSI reporting settings and the set of CSI resource settings (paragraphs 0126-0127; the association may be indicated explicitly by the use of a panel ID in the CSI configuration to indicate which resources are to be monitored); and
receiving, from the UE, at least one CSI report that is generated based on at least one of a subset of the set of CSI reporting settings and a subset of the set of CSI resource settings (paragraphs 0126-0130; generating and transmitting CSI-RS measurement to the base station).
Haghighat fails to explicitly disclose but Oh, in a similar field of endeavor related to CSI reporting, discloses wherein the indication comprises a codepoint of a CSI request in downlink control information (DCI), the codepoint corresponding to two CSI trigger states (paragraphs 0325, 0327, 0425-0431; Each field value (or equally, code point) of the CSI request indicator may be associated with a CSI trigger state, and each CSI trigger state may be associated with a CSI report setting and CSI resource setting). Therefore, 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 teachings of Haghighat with the teachings of OH, in order to increase efficiency in the system (Oh: paragraph 0023).
Regarding claim 17 Haghighat discloses the method of claim 13, wherein the set of CSI-RSs are partitions where: each CSI-RS partition is associated with a CSI reporting setting; each CSI-RS partition is associated with a CSI resource setting; each CSI-RS partition is associated with a CSI-RS resource set for channel measurement; the CSI-RS partitions are associated with a same CSI-RS resource set corresponding to non-zero power CSI-RSs ("NZP-CSI-RSs") for channel measurement: or a combination thereof (paragraphs 0121-0128; CSI reporting setting, NZP-CSI-RS).
Regarding claim 18 Haghighat discloses the method of claim 13, wherein CSI-RS resources of a first of the at least one CSI-RS resource set comprise an integer multiple frequency density of CSI-RS resources in a second of the at least one CSI-RS resource set (paragraph 0129; configured with density one CSI-RS transmission (i.e., the CSI-RS transmission occurs at every RB)).
Regarding claim 19 Haghighat discloses the method of claim 13, wherein CSI-RS resources of a first of the at least one CSI-RS resource sets comprise an integer multiple time periodicity and a same slot offset of CSI-RS resources in a second of the at least one CSI-RS resource set (paragraph 0128; for periodic CSI-RS transmission occurring every Nth slot (e.g., N ranging from 4 to 640), the WTRU may cycle among the different panels to evaluate the CSI).
Regarding claim 20 Haghighat discloses the method of claim 13, wherein CSI reporting settings within the set of CSI reporting settings differ in report quantity, codebook configuration, channel quality indicator ("CQI") format, precoding matrix indicator ("PMI") format, or CSI reporting bands (paragraphs 0107, 0132; CSI quantity, CSI CQI).
Claim(s) 8-11 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Haghighat in view of Oh and further in view of Matsumura et al. (US Patent Application Publication 2022/0360307; hereinafter Matsumura).
Regarding claim 8 Haghighat discloses the UE of claim 1. Haghighat fails to explicitly disclose but Matsumura, in the same field of endeavor related to CSI feedback, discloses wherein the at least one processor is configured to cause the UE to decompose the at least one CSI report into: a CSI report Part 0, a CSI report Part 1, and a CSI report Part 2 (figures 26-28, 33, for example; wherein a CSI report is decomposed into multiple CSI report parts). Therefore, 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 teachings of Haghighat with the teachings of Matsumura, in order to increase CSI reliability (Matsumura: paragraph 0009).
Regarding claim 9 Haghighat discloses the UE of claim 8. Haghighat fails to explicitly disclose but Matsumura, in the same field of endeavor related to CSI feedback, discloses wherein the at least one processor is configured to cause the UE to encode the CSI report Part 0 separately from the CSI report Part 1 and the CSI report Part 2 (figures 26-28, 33, for example; wherein each CSI report part is encoded in separately from each other). Therefore, 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 teachings of Haghighat with the teachings of Matsumura, in order to increase CSI reliability (Matsumura: paragraph 0009).
Regarding claim 10 Haghighat discloses the UE of claim 8. Haghighat fails to explicitly disclose but Matsumura, in the same field of endeavor related to CSI feedback, discloses wherein the CSI report Part 0 indicates whether the CSI report Part 1 or the CSI report Part 2 is reported (fig. 24, paragraphs 0209, 0213, 0295-0298; wherein an indicator is included that indicates whether incremental feedback is used, thus indicating the presence of different CSI report parts). Therefore, 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 teachings of Haghighat with the teachings of Matsumura, in order to increase CSI reliability (Matsumura: paragraph 0009).
Regarding claim 11 Haghighat discloses the UE of claim 8. Haghighat fails to explicitly disclose but Matsumura, in the same field of endeavor related to CSI feedback, discloses wherein the CSI report Part 0 indicates: an index of a CSI resource setting of the set of CSI resource settings on which the CSI report is based; an index of a CSI-RS partition of one or more CSI-RS partitions on which the CSI report is based; an index of a CSI reporting setting of the set of CSI reporting settings on which the CSI report is based; or a combination thereof (paragraphs 0213, 0236, 0245, 0295-0298; index or ID of a CSI report and the CSI resources where the CSI occasion is located). Therefore, 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 teachings of Haghighat with the teachings of Matsumura, in order to increase CSI reliability (Matsumura: paragraph 0009).
Citation of Pertinent Prior Art
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
US PGPUB 2023/0353210 to Hao et al. – which discloses some enhanced CSI procedures, a UE may first transmit SRS and the network will determine spatial domain (SD) and frequency domain (FD) bases used for CSI-RS beamforming. The UE may then measure beamformed CSI-RS ports and reports CSI as a linear combination of the beamformed ports.
US PGPUB 2019/0141677 to Harrison et al. – that discloses receive physical layer control signaling to de-activate a previously activated SP CSI report configuration. In some embodiments, the control signaling message is a radio resource control, RRC, message. In some embodiments, the at least one SP CSI report configuration includes at least one SP CSI report setting. In some embodiments, the at least one SP CSI report configuration includes at least one SP CSI resource setting or an association to at least one SP CSI resource setting.
Conclusion
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 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 Aixa A Guadalupe-Cruz whose telephone number is (571)270-7523. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Thursday 6AM - 4:00PM.
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/Aixa Guadalupe-Cruz/
Examiner
Art Unit 2466
/FARUK HAMZA/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2466
Prosecution Insights