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 Objections
Claim 12 is objected to because of the following informalities: “log 2 (K DS)” in line 3 should be replaced with “log2(KDS)” and “K DS” in line 3 should be replaced with “KDS”, see specification [0094] in page 19. Appropriate correction is required.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claim 12 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
Claim 12 recites the limitation "the CRI report" in line 1. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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 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.
Claims 1 and 14-16 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Kwak et al. (US Pub. 2018/0287682).
Regarding claims 1 and 14-16, Kwak teaches a method performed by a user equipment (UE), the method comprising: receiving a medium access control (MAC) control element (CE) to activate or deactivate resource (s) configured for the UE for channel measurement (“signaling for activation and deactivation of a CSI-RS resource subgroup through MAC CE” in [0058]); and determining channel state information reference signal resource indicator (CRI) or secondary synchronization signal/physical broadcast channel block resource indicator (SSBRI) values that are not allowed to be reported in a channel state information (CSI) report according to the resource (s) deactivated by the MAC CE (The report is based on the actually activated CSI-RS, see “receiving an actually activated resource among the CSI-RS resources set through MAC CE … and prepares to report a CSI-RS measurement value” in [0399] and the deactivated resource will not be included/allowed to be reported in the report, see “CRI report does not include a CSI-RS resource in which the terminal is not measured or in which channel state information is not generated when selecting a CRI and of selecting a CRI based on a CSI-RS resource in which channel state information is generated” and “a CSI-RS resource that is not measured or in which channel state information is not generated may be excluded when selecting a CRI” in [0263], see also “a CSI-RS resource in a form of a CSI-RS resource indicator (CRI)” in [0258]).
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 2-4 and 17-19 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kwak et al. in view of Zhang et al. (US Pub. 2022/0094510).
Regarding claims 2 and 17, Kwak teaches the limitations in claims 1 and 14 as shown above. Kwak, however, does not teach the MAC CE contains a CSI reporting setting identifier (ID) field indicating a CSI reporting setting for the CSI report; and the resources are configured in a resource setting for channel measurement associated with the CSI reporting setting for the CSI report. Zhang teaches the MAC CE contains a CSI reporting setting identifier (ID) field indicating a CSI reporting setting for the CSI report (“the MAC-CE command may carry a CSI reporting index corresponding to the uplink control channel, and the CSI reporting index may be a CSI-Reportsettig index” in [0082]); and the resources are configured in a resource setting for channel measurement associated with the CSI reporting setting for the CSI report (see “spatial relationship information of the uplink control channel resource in an uplink control channel resource list corresponding to the CSI-Reportsettig index notified in the MAC-CE command is updated” in [0082] and “CSI-Report setting indexes corresponding to the PUCCH resources” in [0083]). It would have been obvious to one skilled in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Kwak to have the MAC CE contains a CSI reporting setting identifier (ID) field indicating a CSI reporting setting for the CSI report; and the resources are configured in a resource setting for channel measurement associated with the CSI reporting setting for the CSI report as taught by Zhang in order to update spatial relationship information of the uplink control channel resource [0082].
Regarding claims 3 and 18, Kwak teaches the MAC CE further contains a bitmap to indicate the activation or deactivation status of the resources or resource sets or resource subsets configured in the resource setting for channel measurement (“a two-dimensional bitmap of the subgroup number. For example, a first dimension of a bitmap may indicate selection of the K number of CSI-RS resources set to an RRC, as in embodiment 3-1, and a second dimension of a bitmap may indicate selection of the N number of CSI-RS resource subgroups activated or deactivated with the MAC CE” in [0417]).
Regarding claims 4 and 19, Kwak teaches if one or more resource sets, each of which contains a plurality of resources, are configured in the resource setting for channel measurement for the CSI report that is a periodic or semi-persistent CSI report (“report channel state information to the terminal by a periodic CSI-RS” in [0355]), each bit of the bitmap indicates the activation or deactivation status of a different resource within the one or more resource sets (“activation or deactivation signaling of the K number of CSI-RS resources through a bit map consisting of the K number of bits” in [0441]); and a length of the bitmap is determined by a number of resources within the one or more resource sets (see K in 4550 in Figure 45B).
Claims 5 and 20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kwak et al. in view of Zhang et al. and further in view of Babaei et al. (US Pub. 2019/0207737).
Regarding claims 5 and 20, Kwak in view of Zhang teaches the limitations in claim 3 and 18 as shown above. Kwak also teaches if multiple resource sets (“N number of CSI-RS resource subgroups” in [0417]), each of which contains a plurality of resources, are configured in the resource setting for channel measurement for the CSI report that is an aperiodic CSI report (“The report method may include an aperiodic report” in [0367]), each bit indicates the activation or deactivation status for a different resource within one or more resource sets among the multiple resource sets (“For example, when K=8, 1 byte signaling 4160, 4165, and 4170 may be used for representing activation or deactivation of a CSI-RS resource for the first, second, and the N-th CSI-RS subgroups, respectively” in [0421]); and a length of the bitmap is determined by a number of resources within the one or more resource sets (when K=8, see the 8 bits in 4160 in Figure 41B). Kwak in view of Zhang, however, does not teach the MAC CE further contains an Aperiodic Trigger State identifier (ID) field indicating the one or more resource sets. Babaei teaches the MAC CE further contains an Aperiodic Trigger State identifier (ID) field indicating the one or more resource sets (“‘ResourceConfigType set to ‘aperiodic’, trigger states for Reporting Setting(s) and/or Resource Set(s) for channel and/or interference measurement on one or more component carriers may be configured using the higher layer parameter AperiodicReportTrigger” in [0428]). It would have been obvious to one skilled in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Kwak in view of Zhang to have the MAC CE further contains an Aperiodic Trigger State identifier (ID) field indicating the one or more resource set as taught by Babaei in order to use configured set of CSI triggering states [0428].
Claims 6, 7 and 21 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kwak et al. in view of Zhang et al. and further in view of Zhu et al. (US Pub. 2022/0322361).
Regarding claims 6 and 21, Kwak in view of Zhang teaches the limitations in claim 3 and 18 as shown above. Kwak in view of Zhang, however, does not teach if multiple resource sets, each of which contains a plurality of resources, are configured in the resource setting for channel measurement, each bit of the bitmap indicates the activation or deactivation status of all resources within a different resource set; and a length of the bitmap is determined by a number of the multiple resource sets. Zhu teaches if multiple resource sets, each of which contains a plurality of resources, are configured in the resource setting for channel measurement, each bit of the bitmap indicates the activation or deactivation status of all resources within a different resource set (see “each bit in the bitmap corresponding to a CSI-RS resource subset” in [0091] and “a MAC-CE command selecting/activating one or more CSI-RS resource subsets” in [0093]); and a length of the bitmap is determined by a number of the multiple resource sets (see “Ms CSI-RS resource subsets” in [0085] and “a bitmap of length Ms” in [0091]). It would have been obvious to one skilled in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Kwak in view of Zhang to have if multiple resource sets, each of which contains a plurality of resources, are configured in the resource setting for channel measurement, each bit of the bitmap indicates the activation or deactivation status of all resources within a different resource set; and a length of the bitmap is determined by a number of the multiple resource sets as taught by Zhu in order to configure multiple CSI-RS resource subsets in a single CSI resource setting [0083].
Regarding claim 7, Kwak in view of Zhang teaches the limitations in claim 3 as shown above. Kwak also teaches channel measurement for the CSI report that is a periodic or semi-persistent CSI report (“report channel state information to the terminal by a periodic CSI-RS” in [0355]). Kwak in view of Zhang, however, does not teach if one or more resource sets, each of which contains multiple subsets each of which contains a plurality of resources, are configured in the resource setting for channel measurement, each bit of the bitmap indicates the activation or deactivation status of all resources within a different subset; and a length of the bitmap is determined by a number of the subsets within the one or more resource sets. Zhu teaches if one or more resource sets, each of which contains multiple subsets each of which contains a plurality of resources, are configured in the resource setting for channel measurement, each bit of the bitmap indicates the activation or deactivation status of all resources within a different subset (see “each bit in the bitmap corresponding to a CSI-RS resource subset” in [0091] and “a MAC-CE command selecting/activating one or more CSI-RS resource subsets” in [0093]); and a length of the bitmap is determined by a number of the subsets within the one or more resource sets (see “Ms CSI-RS resource subsets” in [0085] and “a bitmap of length Ms” in [0091]). It would have been obvious to one skilled in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Kwak in view of Zhang to have if one or more resource sets, each of which contains multiple subsets each of which contains a plurality of resources, are configured in the resource setting for channel measurement, each bit of the bitmap indicates the activation or deactivation status of all resources within a different subset; and a length of the bitmap is determined by a number of the subsets within the one or more resource sets as taught by Zhu in order to configure multiple CSI-RS resource subsets in a single CSI resource setting [0083].
Claim 8 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kwak et al. in view of Zhang et al. and Zhu et al. and further in view of Babaei et al..
Regarding claim 8, Kwak in view of Zhang teaches the limitations in claim 3 as shown above. Kwak also teaches channel measurement for the CSI report that is an aperiodic CSI report (“The report method may include an aperiodic report” in [0367]). Kwak in view of Zhang, however, does not teach if multiple resource sets each of which contains multiple subsets each of which contains a plurality of resources are configured in the resource setting for channel measurement, each bit of the bitmap indicates the activation or deactivation status of all resources within a different subset within one or more resource sets among the multiple resource sets, and; the MAC CE further contains an Aperiodic Trigger State identifier (ID) field indicating the one or more resource sets; and a length of the bitmap is determined by a number of the subsets within the one or more resource sets. Zhu teaches if multiple resource sets each of which contains multiple subsets each of which contains a plurality of resources are configured in the resource setting for channel measurement, each bit of the bitmap indicates the activation or deactivation status of all resources within a different subset within one or more resource sets among the multiple resource sets (see “each bit in the bitmap corresponding to a CSI-RS resource subset” in [0091] and “a MAC-CE command selecting/activating one or more CSI-RS resource subsets” in [0093]) and a length of the bitmap is determined by a number of the subsets within the one or more resource sets (see “Ms CSI-RS resource subsets” in [0085] and “a bitmap of length Ms” in [0091]). It would have been obvious to one skilled in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Kwak in view of Zhang to have if multiple resource sets each of which contains multiple subsets each of which contains a plurality of resources are configured in the resource setting for channel measurement, each bit of the bitmap indicates the activation or deactivation status of all resources within a different subset within one or more resource sets among the multiple resource sets and a length of the bitmap is determined by a number of the subsets within the one or more resource sets as taught by Zhu in order to configure multiple CSI-RS resource subsets in a single CSI resource setting [0083]. Kwak in view of Zhang and Zhu, however, does not teach the MAC CE further contains an Aperiodic Trigger State identifier (ID) field indicating the one or more resource sets. Babaei teaches the MAC CE further contains an Aperiodic Trigger State identifier (ID) field indicating the one or more resource sets (“‘ResourceConfigType set to ‘aperiodic’, trigger states for Reporting Setting(s) and/or Resource Set(s) for channel and/or interference measurement on one or more component carriers may be configured using the higher layer parameter AperiodicReportTrigger” in [0428]). It would have been obvious to one skilled in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Kwak in view of Zhang and Zhu to have the MAC CE further contains an Aperiodic Trigger State identifier (ID) field indicating the one or more resource sets as taught by Babaei in order to use configured set of CSI triggering states [0428].
Claim 9 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kwak et al. in view of Matsumura et al. (US Pub. 2024/0237124).
Regarding claim 9, Kwak teaches the limitations in claim 1 as shown above. Kwak also teaches the MAC CE contains a bitmap [0417]. Kwak, however, does not teach each bit of the bitmap indicates the activation or deactivation status of all resources associated with a different non-serving physical cell identifier (PCID). Matsumura teaches each bit of the bitmap indicates the activation or deactivation status of all resources associated with a different non-serving physical cell identifier (PCID) (The activation or deactivation is done for each none-serving cell, see “Bitmap indicating activation/deactivation of each non-serving cell. A size (the number of bits) of the bitmap may be the same as the number of non-serving cells” and “Non-serving cell ID used for activation” in [0104] and “MAC CE used for activation/deactivation of a non-serving cell” in [0102]). It would have been obvious to one skilled in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Kwak to have each bit of the bitmap indicates the activation or deactivation status of all resources associated with a different non-serving physical cell identifier (PCID) as taught by Matsumura in order to indicate activation/deactivation of a non-serving cell is appropriately by a MAC CE [0111].
Claim 10 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kwak et al. in view of Matsumura et al. and further in view of Zhang et al..
Regarding claim 10, Kwak in view of Matsumura teaches the limitations in claim 9 as shown above. Kwak in view of Matsumura, however, does not teach the MAC CE further contains a CSI Reporting setting identifier (ID) field indicating a CSI reporting setting for the CSI report; and the resources are configured in a resource setting for channel measurement associated with the CSI reporting setting for the CSI report. Zhang teaches the MAC CE further contains a CSI Reporting setting identifier (ID) field indicating a CSI reporting setting for the CSI report (“the MAC-CE command may carry a CSI reporting index corresponding to the uplink control channel, and the CSI reporting index may be a CSI-Reportsettig index” in [0082]); and the resources are configured in a resource setting for channel measurement associated with the CSI reporting setting for the CSI report (“CSI-Report setting indexes corresponding to the PUCCH resources” in [0083]). It would have been obvious to one skilled in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Kwak in view of Matsumura to have the MAC CE further contains a CSI Reporting setting identifier (ID) field indicating a CSI reporting setting for the CSI report; and the resources are configured in a resource setting for channel measurement associated with the CSI reporting setting for the CSI report as taught by Zhang in order to update spatial relationship information of the uplink control channel resource [0082].
Claim 11 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kwak et al. in view of Wei et al. (US Pub. 2018/0375560).
Regarding claim 11, Kwak teaches the limitations in claim 1 as shown above. Kwak, however, does not teach the resource (s) configured for the UE for interference measurement, each of which is one-by-one associated with one resource configured for the UE for channel measurement, are also activated or deactivated by the MAC CE. Wei teaches the resource (s) configured for the UE for interference measurement (“Interference measurement in class A reporting may include one CSI-interference measurement (IM) resource per CSI process” in [0048]), each of which is one-by-one associated with one resource configured for the UE for channel measurement (“Multiple CSI-IM per CSI process is also possible, with one-to-one linkage to each NZP CSI-RS resource” in [0051]), are also activated or deactivated by the MAC CE (“For each CSI process, at least one CSI-RS resource may be activated for CSI reporting based on either a MAC CE … If an NZP CSI-RS resource is activated, the associated CSI-IM resource will also be activated for interference measurement” in [0071]). It would have been obvious to one skilled in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Kwak to have the resource (s) configured for the UE for interference measurement, each of which is one-by-one associated with one resource configured for the UE for channel measurement, are also activated or deactivated by the MAC CE as taught by Wei in order to improve MIMO system capacity and signal quality by interference avoidance [0045].
Claim 12 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kwak et al. in view of Gao et al. (US Pub. 2021/0258060).
Regarding claim 12, Kwak teaches the limitations in claim 1 as shown above. Kwak also teaches the report based on the actually activated CSI-RS (see “receiving an actually activated resource among the CSI-RS resources set through MAC CE … and prepares to report a CSI-RS measurement value” in [0399]). Kwak, however, does not teach a bit width of the CRI report or SSBRI in the CSI report is determined by the smallest integer that is equal to or larger than log 2 (K DS), in which K DS is a number of reported resources. Gao teaches a bit width of the CRI report or SSBRI in the CSI report is determined by the smallest integer that is equal to or larger than log 2 (K DS) (“the number of bits for CRI report in each CSI report is ceil (log 2(N))” in [0079]), in which K DS is a number of reported resources (“the number of CSI-RS resources in one CSI-RS resource set (for example, denoted as N)” in [0067]). It would have been obvious to one skilled in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Kwak to have a bit width of the CRI report or SSBRI in the CSI report is determined by the smallest integer that is equal to or larger than log 2 (K DS), in which K DS is a number of reported resources as taught by Gao in order to use CSI report structure in NR system (see CRI with bitwidth
log
2
K
s
C
S
I
-
R
S
in Table 1 in [0051]).
Conclusion
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/CLEMENCE S HAN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2414