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 § 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 25 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 101 because claim 25 is claiming “a computer readable medium” and the specification does not limit the computer readable medium to non-transitory embodiments only as it is open-ended and exemplary in nature. Any suitable tangible computer readable medium may be utilized including hard disks, CD-ROMs, electronic storage devices, optical storage devices, or magnetic storage devices – specification paragraph 0112, and therefore does not fall within one of the four statutory classes of § 101. Because the full scope of the claim as properly read in light of the disclosure encompasses non-statutory subject matter, the claim as a whole is non-statutory.
An amendment to this claim adding “non-transitory” would overcome this rejection.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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 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.
This application currently names joint inventors. In considering patentability of the claims the examiner presumes that the subject matter of the various claims was commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the claimed invention(s) absent any evidence to the contrary. Applicant is advised of the obligation under 37 CFR 1.56 to point out the inventor and effective filing dates of each claim that was not commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the later invention in order for the examiner to consider the applicability of 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(2)(C) for any potential 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) prior art against the later invention.
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 – 4, 8, 12 – 16 and 25 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over
Hammarwall US PGPub: US 2011/0243272 A1 Oct. 6, 2011 and in view of
Eriksson US PGPub: US 2012/0039207 A1 Feb. 16, 2012.
Regarding claim 1, Hammarwall discloses,
a network node (a network node 100 that communicates with another node of a network over an effective channel that includes the actual propagation channel, transmit filters and receive filters – Fig. 1/100, paragraph 0031. A network node 300 such as a base station in communication with the network node 100 – Fig. 3/300, paragraph 0051), comprising:
processing circuitry (control and processing circuits – Figs. 1/100, 3/300. A precoder for an effective channel linking a wireless receiver to a wireless transmitter includes a precoder report and a precoder update report, the effective channel including a propagation channel, transmit filters and receive filters. A structured frequency-selectivity of the effective channel is determined, the structured frequency-selectivity being induced by one or more long term and/or persistent parameters of the effective channel – ABSTRACT, Figs. 1 – 5, paragraphs 0016 - 0021) configured to:
determine a precoder (a precoding processor/TX control circuit 320 of the network node 300 determines a transmission operation based on the precoder report and the precoder update report and transmits data to the wireless receiver in accordance with the transmission operation. This way, new precoders may be used for transmission which are based on both the precoder report and the precoder update report – Fig. 4, paragraph 0052. Removing the degrading effects of structured frequency-selectivity in this way enables the network node 100 to recommend a higher transmission format to the wireless transmitter – paragraph 0049) using one of
wideband (the precoder report and the precoder update report are generated for an OFDM system with reporting for wideband precoding – paragraphs 0034, 0056) channel state information (generating a precoder report for the effective channel based on channel state information determined for the effective channel – paragraphs 0017 – 0020, 0052) and
frequency-dependent channel state information (generating a precoder update report based on the structured frequency-selectivity, the precoder update report including frequency-dependent phase compensation which accounts for the structured frequency-selectivity, generating a precoder report for the effective channel based on channel state information determined for the effective channel – paragraph 0017) and
cause transmission to a wireless device using the determined precoder (transmitting the precoder report and the precoder update report to the wireless transmitter – paragraph 0017. Transmits data to the wireless receiver in accordance with the transmission operation – Fig. 4/420, paragraph 0052),
but, does not disclose, frequency-dependent channel state information “based on at least one mobility estimate”.
Eriksson teaches, link adaptation with ageing of Channel Quality Indicators CQIs feedback based on channel variability, where reported channel quality information, as used for controlling one or more aspects of wireless transmission, is compensated according to an aging function that depends on channel variability (ABSTRACT, Figs. 1 – 4, 9, paragraphs 0010 – 0016).
The one or more base station processing circuits 30 are configured to associate different communication modes with different predefined values or degrees of variability in channel quality. the processing circuits 30 estimate the channel variability - i.e., the variability in channel quality - for each mobile terminal 20 based at least in part on a current communication mode of the mobile terminal 20. For example, closed-loop MIMO is sensitive to mobile speed, because it aims at following multipath fading, while open-loop MIMO does not and average out multipath variations. For the same mobile terminal 20 at a given mobile speed, the closed-loop MIMO will result in a higher CQI variability than open-loop (paragraph 0060).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to modify the network node 100 that communicates with another node of a network over an effective channel that includes the actual propagation channel, transmit filters and receive filters of Hammarwall (Hammarwall, Fig. 1/100 - 5, paragraphs 0017, 0031, 0049, 0052) wherein the system of Hammarwall, would have incorporated, the one or more base station processing circuits 30 are configured to associate different communication modes with different predefined values or degrees of variability in channel quality and speed of the mobile of Eriksson (Eriksson, paragraph 0060) for dynamically switch between open- and closed-loop it is an advantage to separate their variability estimates (Eriksson, paragraph 0060).
Regarding claim 2, Hammarwall discloses,
the network node of Claim 1, wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to determine the precoder by selecting, based on the at least one mobility estimate, one of a wideband precoder based on wideband (the precoder report and the precoder update report are generated for an OFDM system with reporting for wideband precoding – paragraphs 0034, 0056) channel state information (generating a precoder report for the effective channel based on channel state information determined for the effective channel – paragraphs 0017 – 0020, 0052) and
a narrow-band precoder based on frequency-dependent channel state information.
but, does not disclose, determine the precoder by selecting, based on the at least one mobility estimate.
Eriksson teaches, link adaptation with ageing of Channel Quality Indicators CQIs feedback based on channel variability, where reported channel quality information, as used for controlling one or more aspects of wireless transmission, is compensated according to an aging function that depends on channel variability (ABSTRACT, Figs. 1 – 4, 9, paragraphs 0010 – 0016).
The one or more base station processing circuits 30 are configured to associate different communication modes with different predefined values or degrees of variability in channel quality. the processing circuits 30 estimate the channel variability - i.e., the variability in channel quality - for each mobile terminal 20 based at least in part on a current communication mode of the mobile terminal 20. For example, closed-loop MIMO is sensitive to mobile speed, because it aims at following multipath fading, while open-loop MIMO does not and average out multipath variations. For the same mobile terminal 20 at a given mobile speed, the closed-loop MIMO will result in a higher CQI variability than open-loop (paragraph 0060).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to modify the network node 100 that communicates with another node of a network over an effective channel that includes the actual propagation channel, transmit filters and receive filters of Hammarwall (Hammarwall, Fig. 1/100 - 5, paragraphs 0017, 0031, 0049, 0052) wherein the system of Hammarwall, would have incorporated, the one or more base station processing circuits 30 are configured to associate different communication modes with different predefined values or degrees of variability in channel quality and speed of the mobile of Eriksson (Eriksson, paragraph 0060) for dynamically switch between open- and closed-loop it is an advantage to separate their variability estimates (Eriksson, paragraph 0060).
Regarding claim 3, Hammarwall discloses,
the network node of Claim 2, wherein the at least one mobility estimate includes a channel variation coefficient CVC estimate, the CVC estimate being based at least on a plurality of uplink reference signals (incoming signals - Fig. 1. The network node 100 includes signal quality/channel estimation circuit(s) 120 that determines channel state information for the effective channel e.g. by modeling the effective channel as H.sub.eff(f)=H.sub.Rx(f)H.sub.RP(f)H.sub.Tx(f), where H.sub.Rx(f) and H.sub.Tx(f) are the frequency responses of the wireless receiver and the wireless transmitter – Fig. 2/200, paragraph 0032).
Regarding claim 4, Hammarwall discloses,
the network node of Claim 3, wherein the wideband precoder is selected based at least on the CVC estimate being above a threshold (incoming signals - Fig. 1. The network node 100 includes signal quality/channel estimation circuit(s) 120 that determines channel state information for the effective channel e.g. by modeling the effective channel as H.sub.eff(f)=H.sub.Rx(f)H.sub.RP(f)H.sub.Tx(f), where H.sub.Rx(f) and H.sub.Tx(f) are the frequency responses of the wireless receiver and the wireless transmitter. Here, signal quality/channel estimation obviously has a threshold – Fig. 2/200, paragraph 0032).
Regarding claim 8, Hammarwall discloses,
the network node of Claim 3, wherein the narrow- band precoder is selected based at least on the CVC estimate being less than a threshold (incoming signals - Fig. 1. The network node 100 includes signal quality/channel estimation circuit(s) 120 that determines channel state information for the effective channel e.g. by modeling the effective channel as H.sub.eff(f)=H.sub.Rx(f)H.sub.RP(f)H.sub.Tx(f), where H.sub.Rx(f) and H.sub.Tx(f) are the frequency responses of the wireless receiver and the wireless transmitter. Here, signal quality/channel estimation obviously has a threshold – Fig. 2/200, paragraph 0032).
Regarding claim 12, Hammarwall discloses,
the network nodeof Claim 3, wherein the precoder is a previously implemented precoder that is selected based at least on the CVC estimate being equal to a threshold (incoming signals - Fig. 1. The network node 100 includes signal quality/channel estimation circuit(s) 120 that determines channel state information for the effective channel e.g. by modeling the effective channel as H.sub.eff(f)=H.sub.Rx(f)H.sub.RP(f)H.sub.Tx(f), where H.sub.Rx(f) and H.sub.Tx(f) are the frequency responses of the wireless receiver and the wireless transmitter. Here, signal quality/channel estimation obviously has a threshold – Fig. 2/200, paragraph 0032).
Regarding claim 13, Hammarwall discloses,
a method implemented by a network node (a network node 100 that communicates with another node of a network over an effective channel that includes the actual propagation channel, transmit filters and receive filters – Fig. 1/100, paragraph 0031. A network node 300 such as a base station in communication with the network node 100 – Fig. 3/300, paragraph 0051. control and processing circuits – Figs. 1/100, 3/300. A precoder for an effective channel linking a wireless receiver to a wireless transmitter includes a precoder report and a precoder update report, the effective channel including a propagation channel, transmit filters and receive filters. A structured frequency-selectivity of the effective channel is determined, the structured frequency-selectivity being induced by one or more long term and/or persistent parameters of the effective channel – ABSTRACT, Figs. 1 – 5, paragraphs 0016 - 0021), the method comprising:
determining a precoder (a precoding processor/TX control circuit 320 of the network node 300 determines a transmission operation based on the precoder report and the precoder update report and transmits data to the wireless receiver in accordance with the transmission operation. This way, new precoders may be used for transmission which are based on both the precoder report and the precoder update report – Fig. 4, paragraph 0052. Removing the degrading effects of structured frequency-selectivity in this way enables the network node 100 to recommend a higher transmission format to the wireless transmitter – paragraph 0049) using one of
wideband (the precoder report and the precoder update report are generated for an OFDM system with reporting for wideband precoding – paragraphs 0034, 0056) channel state information (generating a precoder report for the effective channel based on channel state information determined for the effective channel – paragraphs 0017 – 0020, 0052) and
frequency-dependent channel state information (generating a precoder update report based on the structured frequency-selectivity, the precoder update report including frequency-dependent phase compensation which accounts for the structured frequency-selectivity, generating a precoder report for the effective channel based on channel state information determined for the effective channel – paragraph 0017) and
causing transmission to a wireless device using the determined precoder (transmitting the precoder report and the precoder update report to the wireless transmitter – paragraph 0017. Transmits data to the wireless receiver in accordance with the transmission operation – Fig. 4/420, paragraph 0052),
but, does not disclose, frequency-dependent channel state information “based on at least one mobility estimate”.
Eriksson teaches, link adaptation with ageing of Channel Quality Indicators CQIs feedback based on channel variability, where reported channel quality information, as used for controlling one or more aspects of wireless transmission, is compensated according to an aging function that depends on channel variability (ABSTRACT, Figs. 1 – 4, 9, paragraphs 0010 – 0016).
The one or more base station processing circuits 30 are configured to associate different communication modes with different predefined values or degrees of variability in channel quality. the processing circuits 30 estimate the channel variability - i.e., the variability in channel quality - for each mobile terminal 20 based at least in part on a current communication mode of the mobile terminal 20. For example, closed-loop MIMO is sensitive to mobile speed, because it aims at following multipath fading, while open-loop MIMO does not and average out multipath variations. For the same mobile terminal 20 at a given mobile speed, the closed-loop MIMO will result in a higher CQI variability than open-loop (paragraph 0060).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to modify the network node 100 that communicates with another node of a network over an effective channel that includes the actual propagation channel, transmit filters and receive filters of Hammarwall (Hammarwall, Fig. 1/100 - 5, paragraphs 0017, 0031, 0049, 0052) wherein the system of Hammarwall, would have incorporated, the one or more base station processing circuits 30 are configured to associate different communication modes with different predefined values or degrees of variability in channel quality and speed of the mobile of Eriksson (Eriksson, paragraph 0060) for dynamically switch between open- and closed-loop it is an advantage to separate their variability estimates (Eriksson, paragraph 0060).
Regarding claim 14, it is similar to claim 2 above and is rejected on the same grounds.
Regarding claim 15, it is similar to claim 3 above and is rejected on the same grounds.
Regarding claim 16, it is similar to claim 4 above and is rejected on the same grounds.
Regarding claim 25, Hammarwall discloses,
a computer readable medium (a network node 100 that communicates with another node of a network over an effective channel that includes the actual propagation channel, transmit filters and receive filters – Fig. 1/100, paragraph 0031. A network node 300 such as a base station in communication with the network node 100 – Fig. 3/300, paragraph 0051) comprising processing instructions that when executed by a processor (control and processing circuits – Figs. 1/100, 3/300. A precoder for an effective channel linking a wireless receiver to a wireless transmitter includes a precoder report and a precoder update report, the effective channel including a propagation channel, transmit filters and receive filters. A structured frequency-selectivity of the effective channel is determined, the structured frequency-selectivity being induced by one or more long term and/or persistent parameters of the effective channel – ABSTRACT, Figs. 1 – 5, paragraphs 0016 – 0021), cause the processer to:
determine a precoder (a precoding processor/TX control circuit 320 of the network node 300 determines a transmission operation based on the precoder report and the precoder update report and transmits data to the wireless receiver in accordance with the transmission operation. This way, new precoders may be used for transmission which are based on both the precoder report and the precoder update report – Fig. 4, paragraph 0052. Removing the degrading effects of structured frequency-selectivity in this way enables the network node 100 to recommend a higher transmission format to the wireless transmitter – paragraph 0049) using one of
wideband (the precoder report and the precoder update report are generated for an OFDM system with reporting for wideband precoding – paragraphs 0034, 0056) channel state information (generating a precoder report for the effective channel based on channel state information determined for the effective channel – paragraphs 0017 – 0020, 0052) and
frequency-dependent channel state information (generating a precoder update report based on the structured frequency-selectivity, the precoder update report including frequency-dependent phase compensation which accounts for the structured frequency-selectivity, generating a precoder report for the effective channel based on channel state information determined for the effective channel – paragraph 0017) and
cause transmission to a wireless device using the determined precoder (transmitting the precoder report and the precoder update report to the wireless transmitter – paragraph 0017. Transmits data to the wireless receiver in accordance with the transmission operation – Fig. 4/420, paragraph 0052),
but, does not disclose, frequency-dependent channel state information “based on at least one mobility estimate”.
Eriksson teaches, link adaptation with ageing of Channel Quality Indicators CQIs feedback based on channel variability, where reported channel quality information, as used for controlling one or more aspects of wireless transmission, is compensated according to an aging function that depends on channel variability (ABSTRACT, Figs. 1 – 4, 9, paragraphs 0010 – 0016).
The one or more base station processing circuits 30 are configured to associate different communication modes with different predefined values or degrees of variability in channel quality. the processing circuits 30 estimate the channel variability - i.e., the variability in channel quality - for each mobile terminal 20 based at least in part on a current communication mode of the mobile terminal 20. For example, closed-loop MIMO is sensitive to mobile speed, because it aims at following multipath fading, while open-loop MIMO does not and average out multipath variations. For the same mobile terminal 20 at a given mobile speed, the closed-loop MIMO will result in a higher CQI variability than open-loop (paragraph 0060).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to modify the network node 100 that communicates with another node of a network over an effective channel that includes the actual propagation channel, transmit filters and receive filters of Hammarwall (Hammarwall, Fig. 1/100 - 5, paragraphs 0017, 0031, 0049, 0052) wherein the system of Hammarwall, would have incorporated, the one or more base station processing circuits 30 are configured to associate different communication modes with different predefined values or degrees of variability in channel quality and speed of the mobile of Eriksson (Eriksson, paragraph 0060) for dynamically switch between open- and closed-loop it is an advantage to separate their variability estimates (Eriksson, paragraph 0060).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 5 – 7, 9 – 11 and 17 – 19 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, along with, applicant's reply must either comply with all formal requirements or specifically traverse each requirement not complied with. See 37 CFR 1.111(b) and MPEP § 707.07(a).
The prior arts made of record and not relied upon are considered pertinent to applicants disclosure.
Guo US PGPub: US 2022/0302978 A1 Sep. 22, 2022.
A method performed by a base station for adaptive Channel State Information (CSI) reporting configuration and/or Physical Resource Block (PRB) bundling and corresponding embodiments of a base station are disclosed. In some embodiments, a method performed by a base station comprises obtaining one or more parameters comprising one or more measurements of channel dispersiveness of a wireless channel between the base station and a User Equipment (UE), an uplink (UL) power-limited status of the UE, and/or an allocation bandwidth for the UE. The method further comprises selecting, based on the one or more parameters, a CSI report configuration for the UE and/or a PRB bundling configuration for the UE. The method further comprises transmitting, to the UE, information that indicates the selected CSI report configuration and/or information that indicates the selected PRB bundling configuration.
Faxer US PGPub: US 2020/0213053 A1 Jul. 2, 2020.
Precoding and multi-layer transmission using reference signal resource subsets.
The method includes at least one of: receiving an indication of an aggregation of N reference signal (RS) resources, the N RS resources each comprising a number of RS ports P1 and being selected from a group of M RS resources, N being at least 1, and M being at least 2, Determining a number of RS ports, P2, as a number of RS ports in the aggregation of RS resources, according to the indication of the aggregation of N RS resources, where P2 is greater than or equal to P1, receiving an indication of a precoder to be applied to a physical channel, optionally, the precoder being for use in a P2 port transmission of the physical channel; and transmitting the physical channel using the indicated precoder.
Hao US PGPub: US 2020/0358493 A1 Nov. 12, 2020.
One or more reference signals may be transmitted by a user equipment (UE) that may be used by a base station for channel estimation and determination of one or more parameters to be used for subsequent uplink transmission of the UE. The base station may transmit an indication of uplink transmission parameters in an uplink grant that is transmitted to the UE. The UE may modify one or more subsequent reference signal transmissions based on the uplink grant received from the base station and a timing of the uplink grant relative to the one or more subsequent reference signal transmissions. The base station may determine a timing for the uplink grant based on a timing associated with the reference signal transmissions from the UE.
Zhang US PGPub: US 2020/0274603 A1 Aug. 27, 2020.
A channel state information feedback method and an apparatus. The method includes: generating first frequency domain indication information and M.sub.1 pieces of first precoding indication information, where the first frequency domain indication information is used to indicate L.sub.1 frequency domain subbands in T frequency domain subbands, the T frequency domain subbands are a system bandwidth or a part of the system bandwidth, 1≤L.sub.1<T, the T frequency domain subbands are in a one-to-one correspondence with T precoding matrices, and a precoding matrix w.sup.k corresponding to a k.sup.th frequency domain subband satisfies: W.sup.k=W.sub.1×W.sub.2.sup.k, where w.sub.1 represents a matrix with N.sub.t rows and R columns, and W.sub.2.sup.k represents a matrix with R rows and S columns; and w.sub.1 represents a matrix with N.sub.t rows and R columns, and W.sub.2.sup.k represents a matrix with R rows and S columns.
Frenne US PGPub: US 2018/0006700 A1 Jan. 4, 2018.
A method for providing channel state feedback related to a wireless link between a transmitter having multiple transmit antennas and a receiver having at least one receive antenna. The method comprises determining (S1) channel estimates for at least a subset of the effective channels between the transmitter and the receiver, each effective channel including a propagation channel, and signal paths in the transmitter and the receiver. The method also comprises determining (S2) frequency-independent and/or inter-antenna-independent channel state information associated with phase relaxation of at least the subset of the effective channels based on the channel estimates, and generating (S3) channel state feedback including at least a representation of the frequency-independent and/or inter-antenna-independent channel state information associated with the phase relaxation. The method further comprises transmitting (S4) the channel state feedback to the transmitter.
Kwak US PGPub: US 2018/0145809 A1 May 24, 2018.
The BS may support wideband precoding. When PRB bundling is configured based on wideband precoding, the terminal may perform estimation under the assumption that the same precoding is applied to the entire bandwidth assigned to the terminal.
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/NIMESH PATEL/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2642