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 .
Election/Restrictions
Claims 10-19 are withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b), as being drawn to nonelected inventions—there being no allowable generic or linking claim. Election has been made without traverse in the reply dated 29 Dec. 2025. Claims 1-9 are considered herein on the merits.
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 the 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.
The factual inquiries for establishing a background for determining obviousness under 35 U.S.C. § 103 are summarized as follows:
1. Determining the scope and contents of the prior art.
2. Ascertaining the differences between the prior art and the claims at issue.
3. Resolving the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art.
4. Considering objective evidence present in the application indicating obviousness or nonobviousness.
Claims 1 and 4-7 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. § 103 as being unpatentable over US 2019/0141692 (hereinafter, “SUBRAMANIAN”) in view of US 2020/0145084 (hereinafter, “YAN”).
Regarding claim 1, SUBRAMANIAN discloses:
An apparatus (apparatus 1202) comprising:
at least one processor (processor 1306); and
at least one memory, said at least one memory stored with computer program code thereon (computer-readable medium / memory 1308), the at least one memory and the computer program code configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus at least to perform:
measure a downlink reference signal received from an access node; (¶ 0082: As shown by reference number 435, in some aspects, the reference signal may be a downlink reference signal, such as a secondary synchronization signal (SSS), a demodulation reference signal (DMRS) associated with one or more of a physical broadcast channel (PBCH), a physical downlink control channel (PDCCH), or a physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH), a channel state information reference signal (CSI-RS), a tracking reference signal (TRS), a phase tracking reference signal (PT-RS), a synchronization signal block (SS block or SSB))
select an antenna panel of the user equipment receiving the best quality downlink reference signal from a primary angular direction to be used for a connection to the access node; (¶ 0066: Beamforming may be supported and beam direction may be dynamically configured. MIMO transmissions with precoding may also be supported. MIMO configurations in the DL may support up to 8 transmit antennas with multi-layer DL transmissions up to 8 streams and up to 2 streams per UE; ¶ 0061: At base station 110, the uplink signals from UE 120 and other UEs may be received by antennas 234, processed by demodulators 232, detected by a MIMO detector 236 if applicable, and further processed by a receive processor 238 to obtain decoded data and control information sent by UE 120)
detect a maximum permissible exposure (MPE) event; (¶ 0077: [F]irst node 405 may not be permitted to use a particular uplink beam associated with the best beam parameter(s) (e.g., a signal quality parameter, a signal power parameter, and/or the like), may not be permitted to use a particular uplink beam that is part of a reciprocal beam pair with a downlink beam associated with the best beam parameter(s), and/or the like, because of the MPE condition (e.g., because the particular uplink beam is directed toward a human body))
measure, under MPE power restrictions, the best downlink reference signal received from the access node; (¶ 0077: [F]irst node 405 may not be permitted to use a particular uplink beam associated with the best beam parameter(s) (e.g., a signal quality parameter, a signal power parameter, and/or the like), may not be permitted to use a particular uplink beam that is part of a reciprocal beam pair with a downlink beam associated with the best beam parameter(s), and/or the like, because of the MPE condition (e.g., because the particular uplink beam is directed toward a human body))
determine that under the MPE power restrictions the best quality downlink reference signal is received at least from a different secondary angular direction than the primary angular direction of the best quality downlink reference signal; (¶ 0080: [A] first downlink beam (e.g., shown as DL Beam 1) and a first uplink beam (e.g., shown as UL Beam 1) may be part of a first reciprocal beam pair, and a second downlink beam (e.g., shown as DL Beam 2) and a second uplink beam (e.g., shown as UL Beam 2) may be part of a second reciprocal beam pair. The first reciprocal beam pair may be associated with better beam parameters than the second reciprocal beam pair, but the first node 405 may not be permitted to use the first uplink beam due to an MPE condition. In this case, the first node 405 may determine the second uplink beam as a candidate for communicating with the second node 410)
measure that the power level of the best quality downlink reference signal received from the secondary angular direction is higher than the power level of the best quality downlink reference signal received from the primary angular direction; (¶ 0080: [A] first downlink beam (e.g., shown as DL Beam 1) and a first uplink beam (e.g., shown as UL Beam 1) may be part of a first reciprocal beam pair, and a second downlink beam (e.g., shown as DL Beam 2) and a second uplink beam (e.g., shown as UL Beam 2) may be part of a second reciprocal beam pair. The first reciprocal beam pair may be associated with better beam parameters than the second reciprocal beam pair, but the first node 405 may not be permitted to use the first uplink beam due to an MPE condition. In this case, the first node 405 may determine the second uplink beam as a candidate for communicating with the second node 410)
measure a propagation delay difference between the best quality downlink reference signal received from the primary angular direction and the best quality downlink reference signal received from the secondary angular direction; and (¶ 0119: For example, a second node may determine one or more first properties of a first QCL beam to be used to configure an uplink beam, as described above in connection with FIG. 5. The one or more first properties may include, for example, a delay spread, a Doppler spread, a frequency shift, an average gain, an average delay, an average received power, a received timing, and/or the like. These properties may be properties of a beam that is quasi co-located with the uplink beam; ¶ 0080: [A] first downlink beam (e.g., shown as DL Beam 1) and a first uplink beam (e.g., shown as UL Beam 1) may be part of a first reciprocal beam pair, and a second downlink beam (e.g., shown as DL Beam 2) and a second uplink beam (e.g., shown as UL Beam 2) may be part of a second reciprocal beam pair. The first reciprocal beam pair may be associated with better beam parameters than the second reciprocal beam pair)
send, upon detecting . . . the propagation delay difference . . . , an indication to the access node. (¶ 0121: At 830, the node may transmit a signaling state that indicates the uplink beam, the one or more first properties of the first QCL beam, the downlink beam, and the one or more second properties of the second QCL beam. For example, the second node may transmit a signaling state, as described above in connection with FIG. 5)
SUBRAMANIAN does not explicitly disclose:
the propagation delay difference exceeding a predetermined threshold
In the same field of endeavor, however, YAN teaches:
the propagation delay difference exceeding a predetermined threshold (¶ 0099: [I]f the propagation delay difference magnitude exceeds the propagation delay difference threshold)
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify SUBRAMANIAN’s beam configuration management procedures—to provide a propagation delay difference threshold as taught by YAN, to provide uplink (UL) transmission timing compensations when a beam switch occurs such that the UE may adjust the UL UE transmission timing via a single shot, i.e., make a one-shot adjustment, based on the propagation delay difference. See YAN, at ¶¶ 0027, 0099.
Regarding claim 4, the combination of SUBRAMANIAN and YAN, as applied above, renders obvious the apparatus of claim 1. SUBRAMANIAN further discloses:
configured to
monitor, prior to detecting the MPE event, if the best quality downlink reference signal is received from the secondary angular direction. (¶ 0071: [W]hen the first node 310 is subject to an MPE condition, a downlink beam of a reciprocal beam pair may be suitable for use by the first node 310 to receive communications from the second node 320, and may have better beam conditions (e.g., a stronger beam) as compared to other downlink beams, but an uplink beam of the reciprocal beam pair may not be permitted for transmission of communications by the first node 310 due to the MPE condition)
Regarding claim 5, the combination of SUBRAMANIAN and YAN, as applied above, renders obvious the apparatus of claim 1. SUBRAMANIAN further discloses:
wherein the downlink reference signal is a synchronization signal block (SSB) (¶ 0082: [T]he reference signal may be . . . a synchronization signal block (SS block or SSB), and the quality of the reference signal is measured as a reference signal received power (RSRP) level. (¶ 0060: A channel processor may determine RSRP)
Regarding claim 6, the combination of SUBRAMANIAN and YAN, as applied above, renders obvious the apparatus of claim 1. SUBRAMANIAN further discloses:
wherein the downlink reference signal is a channel state information reference signal (CSI-RS) (¶ 0082: [T]he reference signal may be . . . a channel state information reference signal (CSI-RS)), and the quality of the reference signal is measured as a reference signal received power (RSRP) level. (¶ 0060: A channel processor may determine RSRP)
Regarding claim 7, SUBRAMANIAN discloses:
A method comprising:
measuring, by a user equipment (UE 120), a downlink reference signal received from an access node (BS 110); (¶ 0082: As shown by reference number 435, in some aspects, the reference signal may be a downlink reference signal, such as a secondary synchronization signal (SSS), a demodulation reference signal (DMRS) associated with one or more of a physical broadcast channel (PBCH), a physical downlink control channel (PDCCH), or a physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH), a channel state information reference signal (CSI-RS), a tracking reference signal (TRS), a phase tracking reference signal (PT-RS), a synchronization signal block (SS block or SSB))
selecting an antenna panel of the user equipment receiving the best quality downlink reference signal from a primary angular direction to be used for a connection to the access node; (¶ 0066: Beamforming may be supported and beam direction may be dynamically configured. MIMO transmissions with precoding may also be supported. MIMO configurations in the DL may support up to 8 transmit antennas with multi-layer DL transmissions up to 8 streams and up to 2 streams per UE; ¶ 0061: At base station 110, the uplink signals from UE 120 and other UEs may be received by antennas 234, processed by demodulators 232, detected by a MIMO detector 236 if applicable, and further processed by a receive processor 238 to obtain decoded data and control information sent by UE 120)
detecting, by the user equipment, a maximum permissible exposure (MPE) event; (¶ 0077: [F]irst node 405 may not be permitted to use a particular uplink beam associated with the best beam parameter(s) (e.g., a signal quality parameter, a signal power parameter, and/or the like), may not be permitted to use a particular uplink beam that is part of a reciprocal beam pair with a downlink beam associated with the best beam parameter(s), and/or the like, because of the MPE condition (e.g., because the particular uplink beam is directed toward a human body))
measuring, under MPE power restrictions, the best downlink reference signal received from the access node; (¶ 0077: [F]irst node 405 may not be permitted to use a particular uplink beam associated with the best beam parameter(s) (e.g., a signal quality parameter, a signal power parameter, and/or the like), may not be permitted to use a particular uplink beam that is part of a reciprocal beam pair with a downlink beam associated with the best beam parameter(s), and/or the like, because of the MPE condition (e.g., because the particular uplink beam is directed toward a human body))
determining that under the MPE power restrictions the best quality downlink reference signal is received at least from a different secondary angular direction than the primary angular direction of the best quality downlink reference signal; (¶ 0080: [A] first downlink beam (e.g., shown as DL Beam 1) and a first uplink beam (e.g., shown as UL Beam 1) may be part of a first reciprocal beam pair, and a second downlink beam (e.g., shown as DL Beam 2) and a second uplink beam (e.g., shown as UL Beam 2) may be part of a second reciprocal beam pair. The first reciprocal beam pair may be associated with better beam parameters than the second reciprocal beam pair, but the first node 405 may not be permitted to use the first uplink beam due to an MPE condition. In this case, the first node 405 may determine the second uplink beam as a candidate for communicating with the second node 410)
measuring that the power level of the best quality downlink reference signal received from the secondary angular direction is higher than the power level of the best quality downlink reference signal received from the primary angular direction; (¶ 0080: [A] first downlink beam (e.g., shown as DL Beam 1) and a first uplink beam (e.g., shown as UL Beam 1) may be part of a first reciprocal beam pair, and a second downlink beam (e.g., shown as DL Beam 2) and a second uplink beam (e.g., shown as UL Beam 2) may be part of a second reciprocal beam pair. The first reciprocal beam pair may be associated with better beam parameters than the second reciprocal beam pair, but the first node 405 may not be permitted to use the first uplink beam due to an MPE condition. In this case, the first node 405 may determine the second uplink beam as a candidate for communicating with the second node 410)
measuring a propagation delay difference between the best quality downlink reference signal received from the primary angular direction and the best quality downlink reference signal received from the secondary angular direction; and (¶ 0119: For example, a second node may determine one or more first properties of a first QCL beam to be used to configure an uplink beam, as described above in connection with FIG. 5. The one or more first properties may include, for example, a delay spread, a Doppler spread, a frequency shift, an average gain, an average delay, an average received power, a received timing, and/or the like. These properties may be properties of a beam that is quasi co-located with the uplink beam; ¶ 0080: [A] first downlink beam (e.g., shown as DL Beam 1) and a first uplink beam (e.g., shown as UL Beam 1) may be part of a first reciprocal beam pair, and a second downlink beam (e.g., shown as DL Beam 2) and a second uplink beam (e.g., shown as UL Beam 2) may be part of a second reciprocal beam pair. The first reciprocal beam pair may be associated with better beam parameters than the second reciprocal beam pair)
sending, upon detecting . . . the propagation delay difference . . . , an indication to the access node. (¶ 0121: At 830, the node may transmit a signaling state that indicates the uplink beam, the one or more first properties of the first QCL beam, the downlink beam, and the one or more second properties of the second QCL beam. For example, the second node may transmit a signaling state, as described above in connection with FIG. 5)
SUBRAMANIAN does not explicitly disclose:
the propagation delay difference exceeding a predetermined threshold
In the same field of endeavor, however, YAN teaches:
the propagation delay difference exceeding a predetermined threshold (¶ 0099: [I]f the propagation delay difference magnitude exceeds the propagation delay difference threshold)
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify SUBRAMANIAN’s beam configuration management procedures—to provide a propagation delay difference threshold—as taught by YAN, to provide uplink (UL) transmission timing compensations when a beam switch occurs such that the UE may adjust the UL UE transmission timing via a single shot, i.e., make a one-shot adjustment, based on the propagation delay difference. See YAN, at ¶¶ 0027, 0099.
Claims 2 and 8 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. § 103 as being unpatentable over SUBRAMANIAN in view of YAN, as applied above, and further in view of US 2024/0163835 (hereinafter, “THOMAS”).
Regarding claim 2, the combination of SUBRAMANIAN and YAN, as applied above, renders obvious the apparatus of claim 1. SUBRAMANIAN does not explicitly disclose:
wherein said indication comprises the propagation delay difference measured as time difference of arrival (TDoA) of the downlink reference signal received from the primary angular direction and from the secondary angular direction.
In the same field of endeavor, however, THOMAS teaches:
wherein said indication comprises the propagation delay difference measured as time difference of arrival (TDoA) of the downlink reference signal received from the primary angular direction and from the secondary angular direction. (¶ 0080: The DL-TDoA (Downlink Time Difference of Arrival) positioning method makes use of the DL Reference Signal Time Difference (“RSTD”) (and optionally DL PRS Reference Signal Received Power (“RSRP”)) of downlink signals received from multiple Transmission Points (“TPs”), at the UE. The UE measures the DL RSTD (and optionally DL PRS RSRP) of the received signals using assistance data received from the positioning server, and the resulting measurements are used along with other configuration information to locate the UE in relation to the neighboring TPs; ¶ 0081: The DL-AoD (Downlink Angle-of-Departure) positioning method makes use of the measured DL PRS RSRP of downlink signals received from multiple TPs, at the UE. The UE measures the DL PRS RSRP of the received signals using assistance data received from the positioning server, and the resulting measurements are used along with other configuration information to locate the UE in relation to the neighboring TPs; ¶ 0233: Spatial Rx parameters may include one or more of: angle of arrival (“AoA”), Dominant AoA, average AoA, angular spread, Power Angular Spectrum (“PAS”) of AoA, angle of departure (“AoD”))
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify SUBRAMANIAN’s beam configuration management procedures—to provide The DL-TDoA (Downlink Time Difference of Arrival) positioning procedure—as taught by THOMAS, to provide UE measurements of the DL RSTD (and optionally DL PRS RSRP) of the received signals using assistance data received from the positioning server, such that the resulting measurements are used along with other configuration information to locate the UE in relation to the neighboring TPs. See THOMAS, at ¶¶ 0027, 0099.
Regarding claim 8, the combination of SUBRAMANIAN and YAN, as applied above, renders obvious the method of claim 7. SUBRAMANIAN does not explicitly disclose:
wherein said indication comprises the propagation delay difference measured as time difference of arrival (TDoA) of the downlink reference signal received from the primary angular direction and from the secondary angular direction.
In the same field of endeavor, however, THOMAS teaches:
wherein said indication comprises the propagation delay difference measured as time difference of arrival (TDoA) of the downlink reference signal received from the primary angular direction and from the secondary angular direction. (¶ 0080: The DL-TDoA (Downlink Time Difference of Arrival) positioning method makes use of the DL Reference Signal Time Difference (“RSTD”) (and optionally DL PRS Reference Signal Received Power (“RSRP”)) of downlink signals received from multiple Transmission Points (“TPs”), at the UE. The UE measures the DL RSTD (and optionally DL PRS RSRP) of the received signals using assistance data received from the positioning server, and the resulting measurements are used along with other configuration information to locate the UE in relation to the neighboring TPs; ¶ 0081: The DL-AoD (Downlink Angle-of-Departure) positioning method makes use of the measured DL PRS RSRP of downlink signals received from multiple TPs, at the UE. The UE measures the DL PRS RSRP of the received signals using assistance data received from the positioning server, and the resulting measurements are used along with other configuration information to locate the UE in relation to the neighboring TPs; ¶ 0233: Spatial Rx parameters may include one or more of: angle of arrival (“AoA”), Dominant AoA, average AoA, angular spread, Power Angular Spectrum (“PAS”) of AoA, angle of departure (“AoD”))
Claims 3 and 9 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. § 103 as being unpatentable over SUBRAMANIAN in view of YAN, as applied above, and further in view of US 12,095,530 (hereinafter, “GRIECO”).
Regarding claim 3, the combination of SUBRAMANIAN and YAN, as applied above, renders obvious the apparatus of claim 1. SUBRAMANIAN does not explicitly disclose:
wherein said indication is in a Medium Access Control (MAC) layer Control Element (CE).
In the same field of endeavor, however, GRIECO teaches:
wherein said indication is in a Medium Access Control (MAC) layer Control Element (CE). (Col. 24, ll. 31-33: [T]he UE may report DL beam measurement parameters, based on a beam measurement or a beam sweeping process, to the base station; col. 24, l. 66 – col. 25, l. 4: [A] UE may indicate the UL beam switching (e.g., UL beam switching to alleviate the MPE issue) to the base station. For example, the UE may indicate the UL beam switching (e.g., UL beam switching to alleviate the MPE issue) based on MAC layer signaling (e.g., using a MAC 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 SUBRAMANIAN’s beam configuration management procedures—to address maximum permissible exposure (“MPE”) conditions—to provide UE reporting of DL beam measurement parameters as taught by GRIECO related to beam sweeping processes, to indicate UL beam switching so as to alleviate the MPE issue. See GRIECO, at col. 24, l. 66 – col. 25, l. 4.
Regarding claim 9, the combination of SUBRAMANIAN and YAN, as applied above, renders obvious the method of claim 7. SUBRAMANIAN does not explicitly disclose:
wherein said indication is sent in a Medium Access Control (MAC) layer Control Element (CE).
In the same field of endeavor, however, GRIECO teaches:
wherein said indication is sent in a Medium Access Control (MAC) layer Control Element (CE). (Col. 24, ll. 31-33: [T]he UE may report DL beam measurement parameters, based on a beam measurement or a beam sweeping process, to the base station; col. 24, l. 66 – col. 25, l. 4: [A] UE may indicate the UL beam switching (e.g., UL beam switching to alleviate the MPE issue) to the base station. For example, the UE may indicate the UL beam switching (e.g., UL beam switching to alleviate the MPE issue) based on MAC layer signaling (e.g., using a MAC CE))
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the Examiner should be directed to Garth D Richmond whose telephone number is (703)756-4559. The Examiner can normally be reached M-F 8 a.m. - 5 p.m. ET.
Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, Applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
If attempts to reach the Examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the Examiner’s supervisor, Kathy Wang-Hurst can be reached at 571-270-5371. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/GARTH D RICHMOND/Examiner, Art Unit 2644
/KATHY W WANG-HURST/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2644