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 .
Election/Restrictions
Claims 8-10 12 are withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b), as being drawn to a nonelected species, there being no allowable generic or linking claim. Applicant timely traversed the restriction (election) requirement in the reply filed on 07/23/2026.
Claims 19-20 are referential claims, merely placing the claims in the environment of a mobile device and a computer readable medium with no scope change otherwise and are therefore included as requested by applicant.
Applicants’ election with traverse of 1-7 11 13-20 in the reply filed on 07/23/2026 is acknowledged. The traversal is on the ground(s) that there is significant overlap and no search burden. This is not found persuasive because claims 8-10 and 12 establish a second species where a maximum transmit power is based on distance or a region identifier, requiring separate search and consideration.
The requirement is still deemed proper and is therefore made FINAL.
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.
Claims 2-7, 11 and 14-16 are 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 4 recites the limitation "offset" in the claim. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim. Claim 2, the parent claim, recites three separate offsets, and they are alternatively claimed, so there is no proper antecedent basis for this feature.
Claims 2-7 and 14-16 are rejected under 112(b) for undue multiplicity, which states that applicant must clearly claim one invention, and this claim presents multiple options with further dependent claims presenting further alternatives creating an exponential growth in the number of optional features to be considered.
Claim 11 recites the limitation "offset" in the claim. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim. Claim 2, the parent claim, recites three separate offsets, and they are alternatively claimed, so there is no proper antecedent basis for this feature.
Claim 11 recites the limitation ""the first power reduction factor" and the second power reduction factor” in the claim. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim. Alternative language in the base claim does not provide clear antecedent basis.
Claim 15 recites the limitation "offset" in the claim. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim. Claim 13, the parent claim, recites three separate offsets, and they are alternatively claimed, so there is no proper antecedent basis for this feature.
Claim 15 recites the limitation "the first power reduction factor" and the second power reduction factor” in the claim. 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.
(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.
Claim(s) 1 and 17-20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Athalye (US 2009/0191910 A1)
Regarding claim 1, Athalye discloses a power determination method, the method being applied by a first communication node and comprising: receiving configuration information for indicating N power reduction parameter sets of transmit power; [0011] and determining transmit power corresponding to the first communication node according to at least one power reduction parameter in the N power reduction parameter sets. [0014]
17. (Currently amended) A communication device, comprising a communication module, a memory and at least one processor; wherein the communication module is configured to perform communication interaction between a first terminal, a second terminal in a terminal group and a second communication node; the memory is configured to store at least one program; and when executed by the at least one processor, the at least one program causes the at least one processor to perform the following steps: receiving configuration information for indicating N power reduction parameter sets of transmit power; and determining transmit power corresponding to the first communication node according to at least one power reduction parameter in the N power reduction parameter sets. [0011-0014]
18. (Currently amended) A non-transitory storage medium, which stores a computer program which, when executed by a processor, causes the processor to perform the power determination method of claim 1. [0011-0014]
19. (New) A communication device, comprising a communication module, a memory and at least one processor; wherein the communication module is configured to perform communication interaction between a first terminal, a second terminal in a terminal group and a second communication node; the memory is configured to store at least one program; and when executed by the at least one processor, the at least one program causes the at least one processor to perform the power determination method of claim 13. [0011-0014]
20. (New) A non-transitory storage medium, which stores a computer program which, when executed by a processor, causes the processor to perform the power determination method of claim 13. [0011-0014]
Claim(s) 1-7 and 13-20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Lee (US 2023/0247564 A1)
Regarding claim 1, Lee discloses a power determination method, the method being applied by a first communication node and comprising: receiving configuration information for indicating N power reduction parameter sets of transmit power; [0149-0151; 0159, 0161, various power control parameters are determined and received]
and determining transmit power corresponding to the first communication node according to at least one power reduction parameter in the N power reduction parameter sets. [0173]
2. Lee discloses the method of claim 1, wherein the N power reduction parameter sets comprise at least one of the following parameters: a first power reduction factor associated with a received signal quality, a second power reduction factor associated with a received signal quality, a power reduction amount associated with a received signal quality, an offset of a first power reduction factor associated with a position of a first terminal relative to a terminal group, an offset of a second power reduction factor associated with a position of a first terminal relative to a terminal group, or an offset of a power reduction amount associated with a position of a first terminal relative to a terminal group. [features are claimed in the alternative only one must be met to read on the claim] [0176 pathloss and interference are taken into account meaning power may be reduced associated with signal quality]
Regarding claim 3, Lee discloses the method of claim 1, wherein an upper limit of maximum transmit power of the first communication node for determining the transmit power is determined in one of the following manners: determining the upper limit of the maximum transmit power of the first communication node according to a current positioning position of the first communication node and a pre- configured mapping relationship between upper limits of maximum transmit power and positioning heights of the first communication node; determining the upper limit of the maximum transmit power of the first communication node according to a resource pool where the maximum transmit power is located and a pre-configured mapping relationship between upper limits of maximum transmit power and different resource pools; determining the upper limit of the maximum transmit power of the first communication node according to an offset of the maximum transmit power and pre-configured maximum transmit power; or determining the upper limit of the maximum transmit power of the first communication node according to pre-configured maximum transmit power.
[features are claimed in the alternative only one must be met to read on the claim]
[0127 the maximum transmit power may be preconfigured.]
4. (Original) The method of claim 2, wherein the first power reduction factor and the offset of the first power reduction factor are used for indicating a reduction coefficient of a target power value at a receiving end; the second power reduction factor and the offset of the second power reduction factor are used for indicating a reduction coefficient of an estimated downlink path loss; and the power reduction amount and the offset of the power reduction amount are used for indicating a reduction amount of a transmit power control portion. [0152 the power control parameter may be a weight value (coefficient) base on DL pathloss]
5. (Original) The method of claim 2, wherein the received signal quality comprises at least one of reference signal received power (RSRP), a path loss (PL) or a signal-to-interference- plus-noise ratio (SINR). [0123 pathloss]
6. (Original) The method of claim 2, wherein signaling carrying the N power reduction parameter sets comprises one of a system information block (SIB), downlink control information (DCI) or radio resource control (RRC) signaling. [0161, transmit power information may be sent by predefined signaling including RRC or SIB]
7. (Original) The method of claim 2, wherein the power reduction parameter is determined in one of the following manners:
in a case where the power reduction parameter is the first power reduction factor, determining a first power reduction factor of the first communication node according to a detected received signal quality and a pre-configured mapping relationship between received signal qualities and first power reduction factors;
in a case where the power reduction parameter is the second power reduction factor, determining a second power reduction factor of the first communication node according to a detected received signal quality and a pre-configured mapping relationship between received signal qualities and second power reduction factors;
in a case where the power reduction parameter is the power reduction amount, determining a power reduction amount of the first communication node according to a detected received signal quality and a pre-configured mapping relationship between received signal qualities and power reduction amounts;
in a case where the power reduction parameter is the offset of the first power reduction factor, determining an offset of a first power reduction factor of the first communication node according to a position of the first terminal relative to the terminal group and a pre-configured mapping relationship between positions of the first terminal relative to the terminal group and offsets of the first power reduction factor;
in a case where the power reduction parameter is the offset of the second power reduction factor, determining an offset of a second power reduction factor of the first communication node according to a position of the first terminal relative to the terminal group and a pre-configured mapping relationship between positions of the first terminal relative to the terminal group and offsets of the second power reduction factor;
or in a case where the power reduction parameter is the offset of the power reduction amount, determining an offset of a power reduction amount of the first communication node according to a position of the first terminal relative to the terminal group and a pre-configured mapping relationship between positions of the first terminal relative to the terminal group and offsets of the power reduction amount.
[0152-0153 maximum power control parameters are mapped/predetermined and based on path loss from the base station]
Regarding claim 13, Lee discloses a power determination method, the method being applied by a second communication node and comprising: pre-configuring configuration information for indicating N power reduction parameter sets of transmit power; and sending the configuration information to a first communication node so that the first communication node determines transmit power corresponding to the first communication node. . [0149-0151; 0159, 0161, various power control parameters are determined and received; 0173]
14. Lee discloses the method of claim 13, wherein the N power reduction parameter sets comprise at least one of the following parameters: a first power reduction factor associated with a received signal quality, a second power reduction factor associated with a received signal quality, a power reduction amount associated with a received signal quality, an offset of a first power reduction factor associated with a position of a first terminal relative to a terminal group, an offset of a second power reduction factor associated with a position of a first terminal relative to a terminal group, or an offset of a power reduction amount associated with a position of a first terminal relative to a terminal group. [features are claimed in the alternative only one must be met to read on the claim] [0176 pathloss and interference are taken into account meaning power may be reduced associated with signal quality]
15. Lee discloses the method of claim 14, wherein the first power reduction factor and the offset of the first power reduction factor are used for indicating a reduction coefficient of a target power value at a receiving end; the second power reduction factor and the offset of the second power reduction factor are used for indicating a reduction coefficient of an estimated downlink path loss; and the power reduction amount and the offset of the power reduction amount are used for indicating a reduction amount of a transmit power control portion. [0152 the power control parameter may be a weight value (coefficient) base on DL pathloss]
16. Lee discloses the method of claim 14, wherein signaling carrying the N power reduction parameter sets comprises one of a system information block (SIB), downlink control information (DCI) or radio resource control (RRC) signaling. [0161, transmit power information may be sent by predefined signaling including RRC or SIB]
17. Lee discloses a communication device, comprising a communication module, a memory and at least one processor; wherein the communication module is configured to perform communication interaction between a first terminal, a second terminal in a terminal group and a second communication node; the memory is configured to store at least one program; and when executed by the at least one processor, the at least one program causes the at least one processor to perform the following steps: receiving configuration information for indicating N power reduction parameter sets of transmit power; and determining transmit power corresponding to the first communication node according to at least one power reduction parameter in the N power reduction parameter sets. [0149-0151; 0159, 0161, various power control parameters are determined and received; 0173]
18. Lee discloses a non-transitory storage medium, which stores a computer program which, when executed by a processor, causes the processor to perform the power determination method of claim 1. . [0149-0151; 0159, 0161, various power control parameters are determined and received; 0173]
19. Lee discloses a communication device, comprising a communication module, a memory and at least one processor; wherein the communication module is configured to perform communication interaction between a first terminal, a second terminal in a terminal group and a second communication node; the memory is configured to store at least one program; and when executed by the at least one processor, the at least one program causes the at least one processor to perform the power determination method of claim 13. . [0149-0151; 0159, 0161, various power control parameters are determined and received; 0173]
20. Lee discloses a non-transitory storage medium, which stores a computer program which, when executed by a processor, causes the processor to perform the power determination method of claim 13. [0149-0151; 0159, 0161, various power control parameters are determined and received; 0173]
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. See the attached PTO-892 for further state of art references, specifically there are multiple references that relate to the generic concept of receiving power control parameters, as well as art related to maximum power determination and power control implementation.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to LEWIS G WEST whose telephone number is (571)272-7859. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday, 8:00-4:00.
Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, George Eng can be reached at (571) 272-7495. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/LEWIS G WEST/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2699
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