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 .
1. Claims 30-40 and 43-51 are pending. Claims 1-29 and 41-42 are canceled.
Information Disclosure Statement
2. The Information Disclosure Statement dated 01/29/2024 is acknowledged by the Examiner.
Response to Arguments
3. Claims 23-29 and 41-42 are withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b) as being drawn to a nonelected invention, there being no allowable generic or linking claim. Election was made without traverse in the reply filed on 05/15/2026.
Specification
4. The title of the invention is not descriptive. A new title is required that is clearly indicative of the invention to which the claims are directed. The Examiner suggests a new title includes terms such as: channel state information reference signals, beams, radiation patterns and/or time division duplexed.
Claim Objections
5. Claim 30 is objected to because of the following informalities: Claim 30 recites
“An apparatus comprising at least one processor and at least one memory including computer code for one or more programs, the at least one memory and the computer code configured, with the at least one processor, to cause the apparatus at least to:”
The preamble recites an apparatus however the body of the claims recite steps of a method. Claim 30 should be amended to insert a colon “:” so that the structure for the apparatus is recited in the body of the claims.
“An apparatus comprising: at least one processor and at least one memory including computer code for one or more programs, the at least one memory and the computer code configured, with the at least one processor, to cause the apparatus at least to:” Appropriate correction is required.
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.
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.
6. Claim(s) 30-31, 35-36, 43-44 and 48-49 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Li et al., US 2020/0366363 hereafter Li in view of Kusashima et al., US 2024/0022315 hereafter Kusashima.
As for claims 30 and 43, Li discloses:
An apparatus (FIG. 7, 140, The repeater) comprising at least one processor and at least one memory including computer code for one or more programs, the at least one memory and the computer code configured ([0011] a millimeter wave repeater for wireless communication may include memory and one or more processors operatively coupled to the memory.), with the at least one processor, to cause the apparatus at least to:
receive, from a base station, a plurality of channel state information reference signals sent using a plurality of channel state information reference signal beams at the base station (FIG. 7, [0098] Receive from, the base station 110 one or more downlink reference signals (e.g., one or more CSI-RSs) via a corresponding one or more beams (e.g., using one beam for each downlink reference signal) according to the configuration.),
use a plurality of channel state information reference signal beams at the apparatus to repeat and amplify the plurality of channel state information reference signals ([0081] the repeater 140a may relay each received reference signal via multiple Tx beams of the repeater 140a (e.g., using TDM). As used herein, relaying a received signal may refer to transmitting the received signal (e.g., after amplifying the received signal) without decoding the received signal and/or without modifying information carried in the received signal. [0045] In some aspects, a millimeter wave (mmW) repeater 140 may receive a millimeter wave signal (e.g., an analog millimeter wave signal) from a base station 110, may amplify the millimeter wave signal, and may transmit the amplified millimeter wave signal to one or more UEs 120 (e.g., shown as UE 120f). In some aspects, the mmW repeater 140 may be an analog mmW repeater, sometimes also referred to as a layer 1 mmW repeater.).
Li does not explicitly disclose wherein the plurality of channel state information reference signal beams at the base station have a same radiation pattern and are time division duplexed… use a plurality of channel state information reference signal beams at the apparatus mapped to the plurality of channel state information reference signal beams at the base station,…wherein the plurality of channel state information reference signal beams at the apparatus have different radiation patterns.
However, Kusashima discloses wherein the plurality of channel state information reference signal beams at the base station have a same radiation pattern ([0076] The base station transmits a predetermined signal including NZP CSI-RS. A plurality of the NZP CSI-RS resources are set. The CSI-RS ports in different CSI-RS resources may be transmitted by different transmission beams. The Examiner interprets “resources are set” to correspond to a same radiation pattern. [0293]) and are time division duplexed (FIG. 8, [0378]-[0380], In another example, the downlink physical signal/physical channel reception timing in the Fronthaul link is timing at which downlink is indicated in the TDD configuration in the Fronthaul link.) …use a plurality of channel state information reference signal beams at the apparatus mapped to the plurality of channel state information reference signal beams at the base station (Kusashima, FIG. 12, [0420] the base station 20 sets beam pattern information for the repeater device 30 by the RRC signaling [0098] Association between each transmission beam of the smart repeater and each SSB/CSI-RS is desirably performed by RRC signaling. In other words, information (e.g., Information Element (IE)) indicating Association between one or a plurality of transmission beams of the smart repeater and the SSB/CSI-RS can be included in an RRC message (e.g., RRC Reconfiguration message and RRC Setup message). Note that the association between the transmission beams of the smart repeater and the SSB/CSI-RSs may be set as fixed patterns, upon installation or maintenance of the smart repeater.),…wherein the plurality of channel state information reference signal beams at the apparatus have different radiation patterns (Kusashima, [0420] the base station 20 sets beam pattern information for the repeater device 30 by the RRC signaling (System Information Block (SIB) or dedicated RRC signaling), MAC CE, and/or DCI. The repeater device 30 controls the access link beam in the repeater device 30 on the basis of the set beam pattern information. Here, the beam pattern includes a plurality of beams arranged on a time axis, and the beam pattern information is a set of beam information about the plurality of beams. [0098], the association between the transmission beams of the smart repeater and the SSB/CSI-RSs may be set as fixed patterns, upon installation or maintenance of the smart repeater.)
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine the teachings of Li with wherein the plurality of channel state information reference signal beams at the base station have a same radiation pattern and are time division duplexed… use a plurality of channel state information reference signal beams at the apparatus mapped to the plurality of channel state information reference signal beams at the base station,…wherein the plurality of channel state information reference signal beams at the apparatus have different radiation patterns as taught by Kusashima to provide improves the performance of communication relay between the base station and the terminal device (Kusashima, [0466]).
As for claims 31 and 44, LI discloses:
wherein a number of the plurality of channel state information reference signal beams at the base station is smaller than or equal to a number of the plurality of channel state information reference signal beams at the apparatus ([0084] FIG. 6 illustrates an example 600 of two beam pair links between a base station 110 and a millimeter wave repeater 140 and two beam pair links between a millimeter wave repeater 140 and a UE 120).
As for claims 35 and 48, Li discloses a channel state information reference signal beam identifier for each channel state information reference signal beam of the plurality of channel state information reference signal beams at the base station ([0097] the base station 110 may identify a first beam pair and a second beam pair based at least in part on transmitting the configuration. [0006], identifying a first beam pair and a second beam pair based at least in part on the one or more reference signals received and/or relayed in accordance with the configuration).
As for claims 36 and 49, Li discloses:
wherein the at least one memory and the computer code are configured, with the at least one processor, to cause the apparatus at least to: receive a synchronization signal block sent using a serving synchronization signal block beam at the base station ([0116], the repeater receives one or more reference signals (e.g., SSBs); and use a synchronization signal block beam at the apparatus to repeat and amplify ([0081] the repeater 140a may relay each received reference signal via multiple Tx beams of the repeater 140a (e.g., using TDM). As used herein, relaying a received signal may refer to transmitting the received signal (e.g., after amplifying the received signal) the synchronization signal block ([0116], the base station 110 may transmit one or more reference signals (e.g., SSBs) to the repeater 140 via the first set of resources. The repeater 140 may relay the reference signal(s), and a UE 120 may transmit a RACH message (e.g., a RACH preamble and/or the like) based at least in part on receiving a reference signal.)
7. Claims 37-40 and 50-51 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Li in view of Kusashima as applied to claims 30 and 42 above, and further in view of Abedini et al., US 2021/0235501 hereafter ‘5501.
As for claims 37 and 50, the combination Li and Kusashima does not explicitly disclose use the synchronization signal block beam at the apparatus to repeat and amplify the synchronization signal block with an omnidirectional radiation pattern.
However, ‘5501 discloses use the synchronization signal block beam at the apparatus to repeat and amplify ([0052] A MMW repeater amplifies the power of the one or more received signals, and transmit the one or more amplified signals from one or more of its transmitter (TX) antennas based on one or more TX beamforming configurations.) the synchronization signal block with an omnidirectional radiation pattern (FIG. 7, [0106] In block 706, the processor may control one or more TX antennas of the MMW repeater according to the RACH configuration message to send the SSB. [0095] the TX beam sweep configuration may be a single (e.g., omni beam) TX beam or a very few TX beam (e.g., pseudo-omni beam) used for transmission of the SSB.)
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine the combination of the teachings of Li and Kusashima with use the synchronization signal block beam at the apparatus to repeat and amplify the synchronization signal block with an omnidirectional radiation pattern as taught by ‘5501 to provide more efficient beam determination (‘5501, [0043]).
As for claim 38, the combination Li and Kusashima does not explicitly disclose repeat and amplify random access channel occasions mapped to the synchronization signal block.
However, ‘5501 discloses repeat and amplify ([0052] A MMW repeater (e.g., relay BS 110d) may receive one or more signals on or more of its receiver (RX) antennas based on one or more RX beamforming configurations, amplify the power of the one or more received signals, and transmit the one or more amplified signals from one or more of its transmitter (TX) antennas based on one or more TX beamforming configurations.) random access channel occasions mapped to the synchronization signal block ([0040] where there may be a single RACH occurrences (ROs) associated with a single SSB (e.g., one-to-one SSB to RO mapping), and the RACH configuration message may indicate the MMW repeater is to apply all of the two or more different RX beam sweep configurations during each instance of the single RO).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine the combination of the teachings of Li and Kusashima with repeat and amplify random access channel occasions mapped to the synchronization signal block as taught by ‘5501 to provide more efficient beam determination (‘5501, [0043]).
As for claims 39 and 51, the combination Li and Kusashima does not explicitly disclose receive synchronization signal blocks sent using a synchronization signal block beam sweep by the base station;use a synchronization signal block beam at the apparatus to repeat and amplify the synchronization signal blocks; anduse the synchronization signal block beam at the apparatus to repeat and amplify the synchronization signal blocks with an omnidirectional radiation pattern.
However, ‘5501 discloses receive synchronization signal blocks sent using a synchronization signal block beam sweep by the base station (FIG. 7, 702, 704, [0104] In block 702, the processor may receive a RACH configuration message indicating two or more different RX beam sweep configurations for one or more ROs associated with an SSB. [0105] In block 704, the processor may control one or more RX antennas of the MMW repeater according to the RACH configuration message to receive the SSB.);
use a synchronization signal block beam at the apparatus to repeat (FIG. 7, [0106] In block 706, the processor may control one or more TX antennas of the MMW repeater according to the RACH configuration message to send the SSB. [0095] the TX beam sweep configuration may be a single (e.g., omni beam) TX beam or a very few TX beam (e.g., pseudo-omni beam) used for transmission of the SSB.) and amplify the synchronization signal blocks ([0052] A MMW repeater amplifies the power of the one or more received signals, and transmit the one or more amplified signals from one or more of its transmitter (TX) antennas based on one or more TX beamforming configurations.); and
use the synchronization signal block beam at the apparatus to repeat FIG. 7, [0106] In block 706, the processor may control one or more TX antennas of the MMW repeater according to the RACH configuration message to send the SSB. [0095] the TX beam sweep configuration may be a single (e.g., omni beam) TX beam or a very few TX beam (e.g., pseudo-omni beam) used for transmission of the SSB.) and amplify ([0052] A MMW repeater amplifies the power of the one or more received signals, and transmit the one or more amplified signals from one or more of its transmitter (TX) antennas based on one or more TX beamforming configurations.) the synchronization signal blocks with an omnidirectional radiation pattern ([0035], the TX beam sweep configuration may be a single (e.g., omni beam) TX beam or a very few TX beam (e.g., pseudo-omni beam) used for transmission of the SSB).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine the combination of the teachings of Li and Kusashima with receive synchronization signal blocks sent using a synchronization signal block beam sweep by the base station; use a synchronization signal block beam at the apparatus to repeat and amplify the synchronization signal blocks; and use the synchronization signal block beam at the apparatus to repeat and amplify the synchronization signal blocks with an omnidirectional radiation pattern as taught by ‘5501 to provide more efficient beam determination (‘5501, [0043]).
As for claim 40, the combination Li and Kusashima does not explicitly disclose repeat and amplify all random access channel occasions mapped to all synchronization signal blocks.
However, ‘5501 discloses repeat and amplify ([0052] A MMW repeater amplifies the power of the one or more received signals, and transmit the one or more amplified signals from one or more of its transmitter (TX) antennas based on one or more TX beamforming configurations.) all random access channel occasions mapped to all synchronization signal blocks ([0040]-[0041], In various embodiments where there may be a single RO associated with a single SSB (e.g., one-to-one SSB to RO mapping), and the RACH configuration message may indicate the MMW repeater is to apply all of the two or more different RX beam sweep configurations during each instance of the single RO. In various embodiments where there may be two or more ROs associated with a single SSB (e.g., one-to-many SSB to RO mapping), and the RACH configuration message may indicate a selected one of the two or more different RX beam sweep configurations the MMW repeater is to apply at each of the respective two or more ROs.)
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine the combination of the teachings of Li and Kusashima with repeat and amplify all random access channel occasions mapped to all synchronization signal blocks as taught by ‘5501 to provide more efficient beam determination (‘5501, [0043]).
8. Claims 34 and 47 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Li in view of Kusashima as applied to claims 30 and 42 above, and further in view of Abedini et al., US 2022/0053433 hereafter ‘3433.
As for claims 34 and 47, the combination Li and Kusashima does not explicitly disclose send, to the base station, an identifier of the apparatus and
receive configuration information from the base station via dedicated signalling sent using the identifier of the apparatus.
However, ‘3433 discloses send, to the base station, an identifier of the apparatus ([0444] a repeater device may send an indication of its identity in a lower-layer signal (e.g., a MAC-CE, UCI) to a DU of a network access node); and
receive configuration information from the base station via dedicated signalling sent using the identifier of the apparatus ([0444], a repeater device may use a dedicated RACH configuration for repeater devices [0443] At 4006 of FIG. 40, the network access node 4002 may broadcast dedicated RACH configuration information (e.g., Dedicated RACH config) that may be used for a dedicated RACH procedure for a repeater device. For example, the dedicated RACH configuration may indicate RACH occasions that are dedicated for repeater devices.)
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine the combination of the teachings of Li and Kusashima with send, to the base station, an identifier of the apparatus and
receive configuration information from the base station via dedicated signalling sent using the identifier of the apparatus as taught by ‘3433 to improve the performance and flexibility of wireless communication networks (‘3433, [0346]).
Allowable Subject Matter
9. Claims 32-33 and 45-46 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
10. The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure:
Gan et al., US 2011/0064006 discloses: [0060] In situations where channel reciprocity exists (e.g., a time division duplex (TDD) system), repeater 110 may obtain CSI, or at least channel statistic information (i.e., statistics of a second hop channel), of the second hop based on channel reciprocity and [0003], The repeater may amplify a received transmission and forward the transmission to another device.
Abedini et al., US 2021/0235283 [0101] In block 602, the processor may receive a RACH message 1 relayed from an MMW repeater. The RACH message 1 may be relayed by the MMW repeater from a UE computing device. The UE computing device may have sent the RACH message 1 in response to an SSB sent by the gNB and relayed by the MMW repeater to the UE computing device. The MMW repeater may have relayed the SSB to the UE computing device using a beam form (e.g., a TX beam form), such as an omni-directional or pseudo-omni directional beam, and may have received an RACH message 1 in response from the UE computing device using a beam form (e.g., a receive (RX) beam form), such as the same omni-directional or pseudo-omni directional beam used to relay the SSB.
11. Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to JENEE HOLLAND whose telephone number is (571)270-7196. The examiner can normally be reached 8:30 AM - 5:00 PM.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, IAN MOORE can be reached at (571)272-3085. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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JENEE HOLLAND
Examiner
Art Unit 2469
/JENEE HOLLAND/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2469
Prosecution Insights