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 .
DETAILED ACTION
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)(1) the claimed invention was patented, described in a printed publication, or in public use, on sale, or otherwise available to the public before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claim(s) 1, 3-4, 6-9, 25, 29-30 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by REIAL et al. (US 2021/0360429 A1), hereinafter “REIAL.”
Regarding claim 1, REIAL discloses an apparatus (WCD 14) for wireless communication at a receiving device, comprising: a memory; and one or more processors, coupled to the memory, the memory and the one or more processors configured to:
receive, from a transmitting device, an aggregated signal including a plurality of frequency division multiplexed (FDM) signals corresponding to a plurality of beams, each of the plurality of FDM signals comprising a waveform associated with a respective inverse fast Fourier transform (iFFT) component of a plurality of iFFT components (WCD receiving antenna-received signal having frequency-dependent recover signals 0 through K-1, along with the application of and Inverse Fast Fourier Transform (iFFT), see ¶ 0094): and
decode the plurality of FDM signals based at least in part on at least one of (WC: a geographical location, ephemeris information, or beam coverage information (the WCD decoding the received signals based on beam sweeping information, see ¶ 0040).
Regarding claim 3, REIAL discloses wherein the memory and the one or more processors are further configured to determine the plurality of FDM signals based at least in part on at least one of a plurality of respective carrier frequencies corresponding to the plurality of FDM signals or a plurality of respective polarizations corresponding to the plurality of FDM signals (allocation of a carrier frequency, see ¶ 0042).
Regarding claim 4, REIAL discloses the plurality of FDM signals comprises at least one of a physical layer downlink channel communication, a physical layer uplink channel communication, or a reference signal (the transmitter in the above examples may also be a WCD 14 and, correspondingly, the receiver may be a network node, such as a TRP 22. In such a case, the transmitted signal may e.g. be a sounding reference signal (SRS), see ¶ 0125).
Regarding claim 6, REIAL discloses receive system information; and obtain, from the system information, at least one of the ephemeris information or the beam coverage information (the PSS/SSS enable a WCD 14 to synchronize with the TRP 22 that transmits the SSB, and thereby obtain the PBCHs, which in turn allow the WCD 14 to receive “system information” regarding the resources to use for system access, etc, see ¶ 0096).
Regarding claim 7, REIAL discloses the beam coverage information comprises at least one beam-specific parameter that indicates at least one of: a carrier frequency (the term “resource” denotes time resources, or frequency resources, or code/ID resources (e.g., beam identifiers or beam-specific sequences), or any combination thereof, see ¶ 0048), a number of iFFT points, a bandwidth, a subcarrier spacing, an indication of at least one of a portion of a zero-tail of a discrete Fourier transform-spread-orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (DFT-s-OFDM) waveform to be considered or a portion of a zero-head of the DFT-s-OFDM waveform to be considered, a guard interval (GI) sequence to generate a GI in a time domain for a GI-DFT-s-OFDM waveform to be considered, at least a portion of the GI of the GI-DFT-s-OFDM waveform to be considered, or polarization information.
Regarding claim 8, REIAL discloses the beam coverage information comprises at least one of user equipment (UE)-specific beam coverage information or UE-group-specific beam coverage information (each TRP 22 may adapt its transmission beamforming configuration for the CSI-RS transmissions to account for the directional reception property/properties reported by the WCD 14. The indication of the beam sweeping property of the WCD 14 may be sent by the WCD 14 at the time of registration to the network 12 without presupposing any previous communication, see ¶ 0099).
Regarding claim 9, REIAL discloses wherein the memory and the one or more processors are further configured to receive the beam coverage information via at least one of a: radio resource control message, a medium access control (MAC) control element (MAC CE), or a downlink control information transmission (the indication may be signaled unsolicited, as a part of the regular procedure, or it may be sent on request from the network 12, as an optional part of the procedure. Alternatively, the WCD 14 sends updated information, reflecting a changed capability or preference. The WCD 14 may use RRC signaling for such purposes, see ¶ 0099).
Regarding claim 25, REIAL discloses an apparatus for wireless communication at a transmitting device, comprising: a memory: and one or more processors, coupled to the memory, the memory and the one or more processors configured to:
generate, using a plurality of inverse fast Fourier transform (iFFT) components, an aggregated signal including a plurality of frequency division multiplexed (FDM) signals corresponding to a plurality of beams, each of the plurality of FDM signals comprising a waveform associated with a respective iFFT component of the plurality of iFFT components (WCD receiving antenna-received signal having frequency-dependent recover signals 0 through K-1, along with the application of and Inverse Fast Fourier Transform (iFFT), see ¶ 0094); and
transmit the aggregated signal to a receiving device based at least in part on at least one of a geographical location, ephemeris information, or beam coverage information (the WCD decoding the received signals based on beam sweeping information, see ¶ 0040).
Regarding claim 29, REIAL discloses a method of wireless communication performed by a receiving device, comprising:
receiving, from a transmitting device, an aggregated signal including a plurality of frequency division multiplexed (FDM) signals corresponding to a plurality of beams, each of the plurality of FDM signals comprising a waveform associated with a respective inverse fast Fourier transform (iFFT) component of a plurality of iFFT components (WCD receiving antenna-received signal having frequency-dependent recover signals 0 through K-1, along with the application of and Inverse Fast Fourier Transform (iFFT), see ¶ 0094): and
decoding the plurality of FDM signals based at least in part on at least one of (WC: a geographical location, ephemeris information, or beam coverage information (the WCD decoding the received signals based on beam sweeping information, see ¶ 0040).
Regarding claim 30, REIAL discloses a method of wireless communication performed by a transmitting device, comprising:
generating, using a plurality of inverse fast Fourier transform (iFFT) components, an aggregated signal including a plurality of frequency division multiplexed (FDM) signals corresponding to a plurality of beams, each of the plurality of FDM signals comprising a waveform associated with a respective iFFT component of the plurality of iFFT components (WCD receiving antenna-received signal having frequency-dependent recover signals 0 through K-1, along with the application of and Inverse Fast Fourier Transform (iFFT), see ¶ 0094); and
transmitting the aggregated signal to a receiving device based at least in part on at least one of a geographical location, ephemeris information, or beam coverage information (the WCD decoding the received signals based on beam sweeping information, see ¶ 0040).
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.
Claim(s) 2, is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over REIAL in view of CURRAS et al. (US 2023/0273283 A1), hereinafter CURRAS.
Regarding claim 2, REIAL fails to disclose the waveform comprises a discrete Fourier transform-spread-orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (DFT-s-OFDM) waveform.
In the same field of endeavor, CURRAS discloses it is well known in the art that the wireless communication system may be any single-tone or multicarrier system using frequency-division multiplexing, like orthogonal frequency-division multiplexing, OFDM, or orthogonal frequency-division multiple access, OFDMA, or any other IFFT-based signal with or without CP, e.g. DFT-s-OFDM (see ¶ 0005).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to implement CURRAS’s teaching in the network taught by REIAL for operating in widely used network such as the LTE-Advanced pro standard, or the 5G or NR, New Radio, standard, or the NR-U, New Radio Unlicensed, standard.
Claim(s) 10, is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over REIAL in view of SCOTT et al. (US 10,594,430 B1), hereinafter SCOTT.
Regarding claim 10, REIAL fails to disclose the memory and the one or more processors are further configured to hop between the plurality of beams.
In the same field of endeavor, SCOTT discloses hopped beams utilize beams of different frequency bands in different places at different times. For hopped beams, different cells are energized at different points in time. Beam hopping provides for increased system capacity by giving different users different access to the system at different times according to a spatial permutation. Instead of having a multiple fully-energized beams according to a non-hopped beam system, which may or may not be used at different times, hopped beam system utilize frequency division multiplexing (FDM) that gets mapped to the TDM. The TDM is used to multiplex traffic up onto different optical wavelengths, and the beam hopping uses FDM that splits the spectrum up into different channels, then hops among those channels (see col. 5 lines 33-49).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to implement SCOTT’s teaching the network taught by REIAL for beam hopping allows for servicing dynamic demands in an efficient way. Hopping can be intelligent, or known pattern, based on what the customers say they will need.
Claim(s) 5, 18-24, 26-28 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over REIAL in view of KUANG et al. (US 2023/0179294 A1), hereinafter KUANG.
Regarding claims 5, 18-19, 24, 26-27, REIAL fails to disclose to obtain the geographical location from a global navigation satellite system or wherein the receiving device comprises a user equipment (UE) or non-terrestrial device, the UE comprising a transceiver, wherein the aggregated signal is based at least in part on hopping based uplink beam switching; wherein the geographical location comprises a geographical location of the UE, and wherein the ephemeris information comprises ephemeris information associated with the transmitting device.
In the same field of endeavor, KUANG discloses a user equipment comprising a transceiver which, in operation receives coverage area information indicating a coverage area of at least one candidate satellite beam relative to a satellite location of at least one satellite transmitting, respectively, the at least one candidate satellite beam; and circuitry which, in operation, determines, based on the received coverage area information, ephemeris data of the at least one satellite transmitting the at least one candidate satellite beam, and a location of the user equipment, a target satellite beam for switching out of the at least one candidate satellite beam and a switching timing for switching to the target satellite beam, and controls the transceiver to perform switching to the determined target satellite beam at the determined switching timing.
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to implement KUANG’s teaching in the network taught by REIAL to provides increased directional gain and improved signal quality while reducing interference compared to traditional omnidirectional antennas for high performance.
Regarding claim 20, REIAL discloses the hopping based uplink beam switching uses at least one of a frequency resource or a polarization, wherein the at least one of the frequency resource or the polarization is based at least in part on at least one frequency resource or polarization associated with the aggregated signal (the WCD decoding the received signals based on beam sweeping information, see ¶ 0040).
Regarding claim 21, REIAL discloses wherein the at least one of the frequency resource or the polarization is based at least in part on at least one of a beam switching configuration or a wireless communication standard (5G network under 3GPP standard, see ¶ 0002).
Regarding claims 22 and 28, REIAL discloses the hopping based uplink beam switching uses at least one of a frequency resource or a polarization, wherein the at least one of the frequency resource or the polarization is based at least in part on at least one of: the geographical location of the transmitting device, the ephemeris information associated with the transmitting device, or the beam coverage information (the WCD decoding the received signals based on beam sweeping information, see ¶ 0040).
Regarding claim 23, REIAL discloses the aggregated signal comprises at least one uplink retuning gap (the network node 10 may allocate a number of time units for uplink reception in correspondence to the number of beams used by the WCD 14 to cover the relevant directions, see ¶ 0107).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 11-17 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 11-16 are considered allowable over the prior art of record since the prior art of record fails to show or fairly suggest the aggregated signal comprises at least one retuning gap, and wherein the memory and the one or more processors, to hop between the plurality of beams, are configured to switch from a first beam of the plurality of beams to a second beam of the plurality of beams during the at least one retuning gap.
Claim 17 is considered allowable over the prior art of record since the prior art of record fails to show or fairly suggest wherein the one or more processors, to hop between the plurality of beams, are configured to perform a bandwidth part (BWP) switch from a first active BWP to a second active BWP, and wherein each of the first active BWP and the second active BWP has an associated set of parameters that indicates at least one of: a carrier frequency, a number of iFFT points, a bandwidth, a subcarrier spacing, an indication of at least one of a portion of a zero-tail of a discrete Fourier transform-spread-orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (DFT-s-OFDM) waveform to be considered or a portion of a zero-head of the DFT-s-OFDM waveform to be considered, a guard interval (GI) sequence to generate a GI in a time domain for a GI-DFT-s-OFDM waveform to be considered, at least a portion of the GI of the GI-DFT-s-OFDM waveform to be considered, or polarization information.
Conclusion
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Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Bob A. Phunkulh whose telephone number is (571) 272-3083. The examiner can normally be reached on Monday-Thursday from 8:00 A.M. to 5:00 P.M. (first week of the bi-week) and Monday-Friday (for second week of the bi-week).
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor CHARLES C. JIANG can be reach on (571) 270-7191.
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/BOB A PHUNKULH/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2412
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