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 .
This action is in response to Applicant’s amendment filed on March 17, 2026. Claims 1-4, 6, 7, 11, 12, 14, 15, 17-19, 21-25, 27-38 are still pending in the present application. This action is made FINAL.
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed March 17, 2026 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive.
The argument features Pawar fails to disclose or suggest “reporting an indication of the table to a position estimation entity.”
The examiner respectfully disagrees with the applicant’s statement and asserts that the independent claims are broadly written. Using the broadest reasonable interpretation, Pawar discloses “… eNodeB could include or have access to a table that maps various antenna radiation patterns to corresponding radiation pattern parameters…” (col. 5, lines 61-63). “…eNodeB could transmit a DCI message to UE using a radiation pattern…” (col. 6, lines 8-9). By using a radiation pattern from the table for the transmission to the UE, the eNodeB is “reporting an indication of the table” to the UE. As is currently claimed, only “an indication of the table” is required. Pawar discloses this. The applicant will need to further amend the independent claims to clearly indicate the patentable subject matter.
The argument features Pawar fails to disclose or suggest “reporting an indication of the antenna configuration to the position estimation entity.”
The examiner respectfully disagrees with the applicant’s statement and asserts that the independent claims are broadly written. Using the broadest reasonable interpretation, as disclosed above, Pawar discloses “… eNodeB could include or have access to a table that maps various antenna radiation patterns to corresponding radiation pattern parameters…” (col. 5, lines 61-63). “…eNodeB could transmit a DCI message to UE using a radiation pattern…” (col. 6, lines 8-9). By using a radiation pattern for the transmission to the UE, the eNodeB is “reporting an indication of the antenna configuration to the position estimation entity.” As is currently claimed, only “an indication of the antenna configuration” is required. Pawar discloses this as an antenna pattern. The applicant will need to further amend the independent claims to clearly indicate the patentable subject matter.
In view of the above, the rejection using Pawar is maintained as repeated below.
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 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 1-3, 6, 7, 11, 12, 14, 17-19 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being unpatentable by Pawar et al. (U.S. Patent Number: 10,440,716).
Consider claim 1; Pawar discloses a method of operating a network component, comprising:
determining an antenna configuration associated with the network component [e.g. eNodeB (col. 5, lines 47-59)];
determining a table that maps each antenna element of a set of antenna elements associated with the antenna configuration to a phase shift, or an amplitude shift, or a combination thereof (col.5, lines 51-59, 61-66);
reporting an indication of the table (col.5, lines 51-59, 61-66) to a position estimation entity (e.g. UE) [e.g. via a DCI (col 6, lines 3-10)]; and
reporting an indication of the antenna configuration (col. 5, lines 47-59) to the position estimation entity (e.g. UE) [e.g. via a DCI (col 6, lines 3-10)].
Consider claim 2; Pawar discloses the table maps the set of antenna elements per antenna element (col. 5, line 61 – col. 6, line 2), or wherein the table maps the set of antenna elements per group of antenna elements that are associated with a same phase shift, or a same amplitude shift, or wherein the indication of the table further specifies, for at least one antenna element, an association with one or more positioning reference signal (PRS) resources, or wherein the indication of the table and the indication of the antenna configuration are reported via a single measurement report, or wherein the indication of the table and the indication of the antenna configuration are reported via multiple measurement reports, or wherein the indication of the table is reported via location assistance data, or wherein the indication of the table is reported on-demand, or any combination thereof.
Consider claim 3; Pawar discloses the antenna configuration includes a number of antenna elements among the set of antenna elements (col. 5, lines 47-59), an antenna spacing associated with the set of antenna elements, or a combination thereof.
Consider claim 6; Pawar discloses the table maps each antenna element of the set of antenna elements to at least the phase shift (col. 5, lines 51-59, 61-66).
Consider claim 7; Pawar discloses the table maps at least one antenna element of the set of antenna elements to both the phase shift and the amplitude shift (col. 5, lines 51-59, 61-66).
Consider claim 11; Pawar discloses a method of operating a position estimation entity, comprising:
receiving (col. 7, lines 46-54), from a network component (e.g. UE) (col. 7, lines 46-54), an indication of an antenna configuration associated with the network component (col. 5, lines 47-59; col. 7, lines 46-54);
receiving (col. 7, lines 46-54), from the network component (e.g. UE) (col. 7, lines 46-54), an indication of a table that maps each antenna element of a set of antenna elements associated with the antenna configuration to a phase shift, or an amplitude shift, or a combination thereof (col. 5, lines 47-59, 61-66; col. 7, lines 46-54); and
determining beam shape (e.g. beamforming) information one or more antenna elements based on the indication of the antenna configuration and the indication of the table (col. 5, lines 47-59, 61-66; col. 7, lines 46-54).
Consider claim 12; Pawar discloses the indication of the table is received via location assistance data, or wherein the indication of the table is received on-demand, or wherein the table maps the set of antenna elements per antenna element (col. 5, line 61 – col. 6, line 2), or wherein the table maps the set of antenna elements per group of antenna elements that are associated with a same phase shift, or a same amplitude shift, or any combination thereof.
Consider claim 14; Pawar discloses the antenna configuration includes a number of antenna elements among the set of antenna elements (col. 5, lines 47-59), an antenna spacing associated with the set of antenna elements, or a combination thereof.
Consider claim 17; Pawar discloses the table maps each antenna element of the set of antenna elements to at least the phase shift (col. 5, lines 51-59, 61-66).
Consider claim 18; Pawar discloses the table maps at least one antenna element of the set of antenna elements to both the phase shift and the amplitude shift (col. 5, lines 51-59, 61-66).
Consider claim 19; Pawar discloses the indication of the table further specifies, for at least one antenna element, an association with one or more positioning reference signal (PRS) resources (col. 5, line 61 – col. 6, line 2; col.7, lines 58-60), or wherein the indication of the table and the indication of the antenna configuration are reported via a single measurement report, or wherein the indication of the table and the indication of the antenna configuration are reported via multiple measurement reports, or any combination thereof.
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 of this title, if the differences between the claimed invention and the prior art are such that the claimed invention as a whole would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a person having ordinary skill in the art to which the claimed invention pertains. Patentability shall not be negated by the manner in which the invention was made.
Claim 4, 15 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Pawar et al. (U.S. Patent Number: 10,440,716) in view of Noh et al. (U.S. Patent Application Number: 2016/0191133).
Consider claim 4, as applied in claim 3; Pawar discloses the claimed invention except: the number of antenna elements comprises a number of vertical antenna elements, a number of horizontal antenna elements, or a combination thereof or wherein the antenna spacing comprises vertical antenna spacing, horizontal antenna spacing, or a combination thereof.
In an analogous art Noh discloses the number of antenna elements comprises a number of vertical antenna elements, a number of horizontal antenna elements, or a combination thereof (par. 53) or wherein the antenna spacing comprises vertical antenna spacing, horizontal antenna spacing, or a combination thereof.
It is an object of Pawar’s invention to provide a method of controlling wireless communication. It is an object of Noh’s invention to provide a method for improving performance and resource usage efficiency. Therefore, 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 teaching of Pawar by including horizontal and vertical antenna elements, as taught by Noh, for the purpose of effectively managing communication in a wireless network.
Consider claim 15, as applied in claim 14; Pawar discloses the claimed invention except: the number of antenna elements comprises a number of vertical antenna elements, a number of horizontal antenna elements, or a combination thereof or wherein the antenna spacing comprises vertical antenna spacing, horizontal antenna spacing, or a combination thereof.
In an analogous art Noh discloses the number of antenna elements comprises a number of vertical antenna elements, a number of horizontal antenna elements, or a combination thereof (par. 53) or wherein the antenna spacing comprises vertical antenna spacing, horizontal antenna spacing, or a combination thereof.
It is an object of Pawar’s invention to provide a method of controlling wireless communication. It is an object of Noh’s invention to provide a method for improving performance and resource usage efficiency. Therefore, 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 teaching of Pawar by including horizontal and vertical antenna elements, as taught by Noh, for the purpose of effectively managing communication in a wireless network.
Manchanda is another reference that discloses the limitations above.
Allowable Subject Matter
Independent claims 21 and 30 contain patentable subject matter. However, regarding independent claim 21, what is the network component? What is the position estimation entity? How is the first beam shape determined? How is the second beam shape determined? Who performs the transforming step? How is the transforming performed in a novel way? What is the purpose, in a novel way, of reporting the transformation to the “position estimation entity” that needs to be identified?
Regarding independent claim 30, what is the network component? What is the position estimation entity? Why does the “position estimation entity” receive the transformation information from the “network component”? How does the “position estimation entity” determine the second beam shape in a novel way? What does the “position estimation entity” do with the second beam shape in a novel way?
Further amendments to the independent claims will be needed to clearly indicate the patentable subject matter.
Conclusion
Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE
MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within
TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not
mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the
shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any
extension fee pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the date of this final action.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the
Examiner should be directed to Joel Ajayi whose telephone number is (571) 270-1091. The Examiner can normally be reached on Monday-Thursday from 7:30am to 5:00pm and Friday 7:30am to 4:00 pm.
If attempts to reach the Examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the Examiner’s supervisor, Jeanette Parker can be reached on (571) 270-3647. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is (571) 273-8300.
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/JOEL AJAYI/
Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2646
Prosecution Insights