DETAILED ACTION
Specification
Applicant is reminded of the proper language and format for an abstract of the disclosure.
The abstract should be in narrative form and generally limited to a single paragraph on a separate sheet within the range of 50 to 150 words in length. The abstract should describe the disclosure sufficiently to assist readers in deciding whether there is a need for consulting the full patent text for details.
The language should be clear and concise and should not repeat information given in the title. It should avoid using phrases which can be implied, such as, “The disclosure concerns,” “The disclosure defined by this invention,” “The disclosure describes,” etc. In addition, the form and legal phraseology often used in patent claims, such as “means” and “said,” should be avoided.
The abstract of the disclosure is objected to because it is longer than 150 words. A corrected abstract of the disclosure is required and must be presented on a separate sheet, apart from any other text. See MPEP § 608.01(b).
The lengthy specification has not been checked to the extent necessary to determine the presence of all possible minor errors. Applicant’s cooperation is requested in correcting any errors of which applicant may become aware in the specification.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 101
35 U.S.C. 101 reads as follows:
Whoever invents or discovers any new and useful process, machine, manufacture, or composition of matter, or any new and useful improvement thereof, may obtain a patent therefor, subject to the conditions and requirements of this title.
Claim 36 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 101 because the claimed invention is directed to non-statutory subject matter. The claim does not fall within at least one of the four categories of patent eligible subject matter because a computer-readable storage medium typically covers forms of non-transitory tangible media and transitory propagating signals per se, particularly when the specification is silent. When the broadest reasonable interpretation of a claim covers a signal per se, the claims are rejected under 35 U.S.C. § 101 as covering non-statutory subject matter. It is suggested that the claims be amended to narrow the claim to cover only statutory embodiments to avoid a rejection under 35 U.S.C. § 101 by adding the limitation “non-transitory” to the claim. Such an amendment would typically not raise the issue of new matter, even when the specification is silent because the broadest reasonable interpretation relies on the ordinary and customary meaning that includes signals per se.
The specification defines a “computer-readable storage medium” as “an ROM, a random-access memory (RAM), a CD-ROM, a magnetic tape, a floppy disc, an optical data storage device, and the like” (pages 30-31, para 202), which are only examples of computer-readable storage media and is therefore non-limiting. In the broadest reasonable interpretation of the claim, there is a possibility that the computer-readable storage medium can include a transitory signal, which is non-statutory subject matter.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
The following is a quotation of the appropriate paragraphs of 35 U.S.C. 102 that form the basis for the rejections under this section made in this Office action:
A person shall be entitled to a patent unless –
(a)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claims 1-3, 8-13, 16, 32, 33, 36 and 38 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Zhang et al. (US-PGPUB 2022/0022073).
Regarding claim 1, Zhang teaches an interference measurement method, performed by a first terminal device and comprising: receiving an inter user equipment interference management reference signal (UE-IM-RS) [Abstract, receives SRS signal which can be used to manage multiple parameters including interference]; and determining a second terminal device that sends the UE-IM-RS and determining an interference measurement result of the second terminal device according to the UE-IM-RS [Abstract, determines interference caused by second device using cross-link interference measurement results].
Regarding claims 2 and 10, Zhang teaches a time-frequency resource for receiving/sending the UE-IM-RS is configured by a network device, or is selected from a time-frequency resource pool configured by the network device [Para 333, time-frequency resource is configured by a network device].
Regarding claim 3, Zhang teaches parsing the UE-IM-RS to obtain a terminal device identifier [Para 197, identifier is obtained from the SRS information]; and determining a terminal device corresponding to the terminal device identifier as the second terminal device that sends the UE-IM-RS [Para 197, device is identified based on the identifier].
Regarding claim 8, Zhang teaches among time-frequency resources for the first terminal device to receive signals and time-frequency resources for the second terminal device to send signals, resources with a same time and a same frequency exist [Para 333, resources are within same time-frequency resources].
Regarding claim 9, Zhang teaches an interference measurement method, performed by a second terminal device and comprising: generating an inter user equipment interference management reference signal (UE-IM-RS) according to an identifier of the second terminal device [Abstract]; and sending the UE-IM-RS [Abstract].
Regarding claim 11, Zhang teaches among time-frequency resources for a first terminal device that receives the UE-IM-RS to receive signals and time-frequency resources for the second terminal device to send signals, resources with a same time and a same frequency exist [Para 333].
Regarding claim 12, Zhang teaches an interference processing method, performed by a network device and comprising: receiving a terminal device identifier of a second terminal device and measurement data from a first terminal device [Para 197]; wherein the second terminal device belongs to an interference terminal device to be reported by the first terminal device [Abstract]; and the measurement data are measurement data of an inter user equipment interference management reference signal (UE-IM- RS) sent by the second terminal device to the first terminal device [Abstract]; and determining a scheduling strategy of the first terminal device and the second terminal device according to the measurement data [Para 333].
Regarding claim 13, Zhang teaches performing grouping processing on the first terminal device and the second terminal device according to the measurement data and a specified grouping strategy to obtain a grouping result [Para 320]; and determining the scheduling strategy of the first terminal device and the second terminal device according to the grouping result [Para 320].
Regarding claim 16, Zhang teaches configuring a time-frequency resource for communicating the UE-IM-RS [Para 333]; or configuring a time-frequency resource pool for selecting a time-frequency resource for communicating the UE-IM-RS.
Regarding claims 32, 33 and 38, Zhang teaches an interference measurement device, comprising: a processor [Fig. 2, 201]; and a memory having stored therein a computer program, wherein the processor executes the computer program stored in the memory, to cause the device to implement the method according to claims 1, 12 and 9 [Fig. 2, 203].
Regarding claim 36, Zhang teaches a computer-readable storage medium having stored therein instructions that, when executed, cause the method according to claim 1 [Fig. 2, 203].
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 4-7, 14 and 15 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.
Chen (USPN 11,190,323) teaches receiving first information and second information from a network device by a terminal device. The terminal device is triggered by first information to feedback non-periodic multiple channel state information (CSI), and a physical uplink shared channel (PUSCH) resource when the CSI is fed back.
Wu et al. (USPN 11,153,774) teaches transmitting first information sent by a first device to a second device, where the first information is used for indicating a reference signal resource. The reference signal resource for interference measurement and channel measurement is determined by the second device.
Gao et al. (US-PGPUB 2021/0153043) teaches receiving a configuration indication for the interference measurement resource. The type of resource is identified for reference signals to determine whether to perform interference measurement. The interference measurement is performed with interference measurement resource, where the interference measurement resource is a subset of resources for reference signal.
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/Chandrahas B Patel/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2464