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 .
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, 5, 6, 7 and 11-13 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over U.S. Patent Application Publication 2024/0154657 to Elshafie et al. in view of U.S. Patent Application Publication 2010/0265901 to Koo et al.
Elshafie et al. ‘657 disclose:
As concerns claim 1, a reconfigurable intelligent surface (RIS), comprising:
a plurality of elements (Fig. 4, RIS element; 0038), each of the plurality of elements configured to receive and/or transmit signals (abstract-antennas; Fig. 5A, 104 RIS); and
a controller (Fig. 8, 103 RIS Controller) configured to: receive a first feedback (Fig. 8, 808-feedback), the first feedback comprising channel quality information (0045-0046-feedback, parameters; 0047-reference signals, metrics) associated with a wireless channel (0035-wireless communication) between the RIS (Fig. 4, RIS element; Fig. 8) and at least one other device (0037-communcation device; Fig. 8; 0045);
determine routing information (0038-active RIS element; 0045; 0060-scheduling) for the plurality of elements of the RIS based on (Fig. 8, 810-configure precoding weights based on feedback) the first feedback, wherein the routing information comprises a mapping (0038-re-radiate beams in certain direction from a transmitter toward a receiver, beamforming; 0045-the RIS 104 may be configured with a codebook for precoding one or more elements thereon (referred to as MS elements) to allow a beam from one of the BS 110a and UE 120a (e.g., a transmitter) to be re-radiated off the MS to reach the other one of the BS 110a and UE 120a (e.g., a receiver); 0060-scheduling) of ingress signals from each of the plurality of elements to egress signals (0038-re-radiate beams in certain direction from a transmitter toward a receiver, beamforming; 0045-codebook for one or more elements to allow a beam from one transmitter to reach a receiver) from each of the other elements of the plurality of elements, wherein the mapping is based on an off-diagonal beamforming matrix;
receive a first signal (0045-a received radio signal) via a first element of the plurality of elements;
route (0033-signal communicated, beamformed in a particular direction; 0038-re-radiate beams in certain direction from a transmitter to a receiver; 0069-scheduler) the first signal to at least a second element of the plurality of elements based on the determined routing information, wherein a phase shift (0033-phase shift value; 0038-phase shift) is applied to the first signal; and
transmit the phase shifted first signal via the second element (0033; 0038-from transmitter to a receiver; 0045).
Elshafie et al. ‘657 do not disclose:
wherein the mapping is based on an off-diagonal beamforming matrix.
Koo et al. ‘901 teach:
wherein the mapping is based on an off-diagonal beamforming matrix (0022-mapping component corresponding to off-diagonal elements in a matrix; 0009-matrix of receiving and transmitting antennas).
Koo et al. ‘901 further teach:
As concerns claim 12, wherein the determined routing information comprises the off-diagonal beamforming matrix (0022-mapping component corresponding to off-diagonal elements in a matrix; 0009-matrix of receiving and transmitting antennas).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to provide the system of Elshafie et al. ‘657 with mapping based on an off-diagonal beamforming matrix, as taught by Koo et al. ‘901 in order to provide accurate and efficient transmissions (0023).
Elshafie et al. ‘657 further disclose:
As concerns claim 5, the RIS of claim 1,wherein the first element and the second element are a same element (Fig. 4, RIS element; 0038; antenna).
As concerns claim 6, the RIS of claim 1,wherein the first feedback is received from a wireless transmit/receive unit (WTRU) (Fig. 8, BS 110 is a “node” in the network; 0047-0048; 0050-base station or network node).
As concerns claim 7, the RIS of claim 1,wherein the first feedback is received from a network node (BRI: “node” is a broad term; Fig. 8, BS 110 is a “node” in the network; 0047-0048; 0050-base station or network node).
As concerns claim 11, the RIS of claim 1,wherein the phase shifted first signal is transmitted via the second element towards a plurality of receivers (0044-UE with multiple transmission configurations, antenna arrays, panels).
As concerns claim 13, the RIS of claim 1,wherein the phase shifted first signal is beamformed (0033) via the second element towards a receiver (0033-beamformed in particular direction; 0038-towards a receiver).
Claim 2 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over U.S. Patent Application Publication 2024/0154657 to Elshafie et al. and U.S. Patent Application Publication 2010/0265901 to Koo et al.in view of U.S. Patent No. 5,343,173 to Balodis.
Elshafie et al. ‘657 as modified do not disclose:
As concerns claim 2, the RIS of claim 1 wherein each element of the RIS is connected to each of the other elements of the RIS via a load impedance network, the load impedance network being configured to provide multi-directional connections between each of the plurality of elements.
Balodis ‘173 teach:
As concerns claim 2, the RIS of claim 1 wherein each element of the RIS is connected to each of the other elements of the RIS via a load impedance network, the load impedance network being configured to provide multi-directional connections between each of the plurality of elements (Col. 5, lines 4-24-antenna elements, impedance matching, load impedance of network, antenna connections).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to provide the system of Elshafie et al. ‘657 as modified with a load impedance network, as taught by Balodis ‘173, in order to provide signal processing reducing power loss and signal distortion.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 3, 4 and 8-10 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.
Claims 14-17 are allowed.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments filed June 8, 2026 are moot in view of the new grounds of rejection necessitated by the newly amended claims. The applicant’s arguments are directed to newly amended claim limitations that have been addressed in the rejections cited above.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to JOHN B WALSH whose telephone number is (571)272-7063. The examiner can normally be reached 7:30-3:30 pm.
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/JOHN B WALSH/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2451
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