DETAILED ACTION
1. The following Office Action is based on the preliminary amendment filed on 10 January 2024, having claims 1-7, 11-13, 17-21, 23-24, 27, and 30-31 (claims 8-10, 14-16, 22, 25-26, 28-29, and 32 were cancelled) and drawing figures 1-16.
Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status
2. The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
Drawings
3. The drawings are objected to because of the following informalities: (1) the word “eference” recited in S110 of Figure 4 must be correctly spelled “reference,” and (2) The word “radnom” must be correctly spelled “random” in S114 of Figure 4. Corrected drawing sheets in compliance with 37 CFR 1.121(d) are required in reply to the Office action to avoid abandonment of the application. Any amended replacement drawing sheet should include all of the figures appearing on the immediate prior version of the sheet, even if only one figure is being amended. The figure or figure number of an amended drawing should not be labeled as “amended.” If a drawing figure is to be canceled, the appropriate figure must be removed from the replacement sheet, and where necessary, the remaining figures must be renumbered and appropriate changes made to the brief description of the several views of the drawings for consistency. Additional replacement sheets may be necessary to show the renumbering of the remaining figures. Each drawing sheet submitted after the filing date of an application must be labeled in the top margin as either “Replacement Sheet” or “New Sheet” pursuant to 37 CFR 1.121(d). If the changes are not accepted by the examiner, the applicant will be notified and informed of any required corrective action in the next Office action. The objection to the drawings will not be held in abeyance.
In addition to Replacement Sheets containing the corrected drawing figure(s), applicant is required to submit a marked-up copy of each Replacement Sheet including annotations indicating the changes made to the previous version. The marked-up copy must be clearly labeled as “Annotated Sheets” and must be presented in the amendment or remarks section that explains the change(s) to the drawings. See 37 CFR 1.121(d)(1). Failure to timely submit the proposed drawing and marked-up copy will result in the abandonment of the application.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
4. 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)(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.
Claims 1-7, 11-13, 17-21, 23-24, 27, and 30-31 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Gaal et al. (US 2024/0187078 A1).
For claims 1, 24, and 30, Gaal discloses a method for transmitting reference signals via a meta-surface (Fig 7, surface 702), the method being performed by a network node (Fig 7, scheduling entity 704), the network node serving user equipment (Fig 7, scheduled entity or UE 718) via at least one meta-surface over a radio propagation channel ([0094] base station 704 serves UE 718 via radio signals and the controllable reflective meta-surface 702), the method comprising:
defining a set of reference signal indices based on number of beams in which a reference signal is to be transmitted and number of meta-surface configurations applicable to the at least one meta-surface ([0099] scheduling entity transmits control signals (reference signals) to the meta-surface 702 via surface controller 722, wherein the control signals indicate configuration for each antenna element 722 and a mapping to one or more directional beams [0100]), wherein each of the meta-surface configurations represents a respective set of phase shifts as applied at the at least one meta-surface;
defining a mapping between the reference signal indices and the beams ([0101] the scheduling entity or network nodes defines a known association or mapping between the directional beams and the meta-surface configurations), wherein the mapping defines which of the reference signal indices to be transmitted in which of the beams ([0101] this mapping or association determines which control signals (reference signals) are transmitted in the set of directional beams); and transmitting, in the beams, and according to the mapping, the reference signal with the reference signal indices over the radio propagation channel ([0099] scheduling entity transmits control signals (reference signals) to the meta-surface 702 via surface controller 722, wherein the control signals indicate configuration for each antenna element 722 and a mapping to one or more directional beams [0100]).
For claim 2, Gaal discloses obtaining information about which meta-surface configurations are applicable to the meta-surface ([0096] the surface controller communicates the configurations of the reflective surface to the scheduling entity).
For claim 3, Gaal discloses signaling the reference signal indices towards the user equipment ([0094] last 6 lines, the scheduling entity communicates with the scheduled entity or UE via the controllable reflective surface).
For claim 4, Gaal discloses signaling, to a meta-surface controller of the at least one meta-surface and prior to transmitting the reference signal, at least one of: the set of reference signal indices and the mapping ([0099] scheduling entity transmits control signals (reference signals) to the meta-surface 702 via surface controller 722, wherein the control signals indicate configuration for each antenna element 722 and a mapping to one or more directional beams [0100]).
For claim 5, Gaal discloses the reference signal is repeatedly transmitted for all reference signal indices mapped to one of the beams before the reference signal is repeatedly transmitted for all reference signal indices mapped to another one of the beams ([0101] this mapping or association determines which control signals (reference signals) are transmitted in the set of directional beams).
For claim 6, Gaal discloses the at least one meta-surface only is reachable by a subset of the beams ([0094] a subset of beams (beam 710, beam 712, and beam 714) are configured by the scheduling entity), wherein the set of reference signal indices only are defined based on number of beams in the subset and number of meta-surface configurations applicable to the at least one meta-surface ([0101] this mapping or association determines which control signals (reference signals) are transmitted in the set of directional beams), wherein the mapping only is defined for the beams in the subset, and wherein the reference signal only is transmitted in the beams in the subset ([0099] scheduling entity transmits control signals (reference signals) to the meta-surface 702 via surface controller 722, wherein the control signals indicate configuration for each antenna element 722 and a mapping to one or more directional beams [0100]).
For claim 7, Gaal discloses there are at least two meta-surfaces ([0111] meta-surface 850 and meta-surface 702), wherein each of the at least two meta-surfaces is reachable by a respective subset of the beams, and wherein a respective set of reference signal indices is defined for each of the at least two meta-surfaces ([0108] two scheduling entities may communicate control/reference signals with the one or more meta-surfaces using the directional beams).
For claim 11, Gaal discloses the reference signal is transmitted as part of an initial access procedure being performed by the network node linked ([0101] the network node transmits directional beams during beam sweep during RACH occasions), and the method further comprises:
receiving, from the user equipment, a random access preamble in one of the random access resources, wherein the random access resource is linked to one of the reference signal indices ([0100] UE performs RACH procedure with the scheduling entity based on linked control signals and directional beam(s));
adapting transmission/reception of data with the user equipment based on to which one of the reference signal indices the random access resource is linked ([0101] the network node transmit directional beams based on feedback from uplink signals sent by UE).
For claim 12, Gaal discloses the reference signal is transmitted as part of an initial access procedure being performed by the network node ([0100] UE performs RACH procedure with the scheduling entity based on linked control signals and directional beam(s)); and the method further comprises:
receiving, from the user equipment, a random access preamble in one of the random access resources, wherein the random access resource is linked to one of the reference signal indices ([0100] UE performs RACH procedure based on linked control signals and directional beam(s));
estimating location of the user equipment based on to which one of the reference signal indices the random access resource is linked ([0101] the network node performs beam sweep during RACH occasions toward distinct directions/locations).
For claim 13, Gaal discloses the reference signal is transmitted as part of a beam management procedure being performed by the network node ([0094] the scheduling entity or network node configures a set of beams as directional beams in a beam management procedure).
For claim 17, Gaal discloses reflective elements (Fig 7, antenna elements 720) having a respective phase shift value, and wherein each meta-surface configuration of the meta-surface is defined by a respective phase matrix, and wherein the phase matrix for a given meta-surface configuration is formed by the phase shift values of each reflecting element for said given meta-surface configuration ([0095] the surface controller controls the properties of the antenna elements including adjusting its phase shift value (or amplitude or frequency) to redirect the beams in a particular direction).
For claims 18, 27, and 31, Gaal discloses a method for transmitting reference signals via a meta-surface (Fig 7, controllable reflective surface 702), the method being performed by a meta-surface controller of the meta-surface, the method comprising:
controlling, at the meta-surface, reflection of a reference signal as received at the meta-surface from the network node over a radio propagation channel in accordance with meta-surface configurations applicable to the meta-surface, wherein each of the meta-surface configurations represents a respective set of phase shifts as applied at the meta-surface for controlling the reflection ([0095] the surface controller controls the properties of the antenna elements of the meta-surface including adjusting its phase shift value (or amplitude or frequency) to redirect the beams in a particular direction), and wherein which meta-surface configuration to apply is defined by information obtained from the network node ([0099] scheduling entity (network node) transmits control signals (reference signals) to the meta-surface 702 via meta-surface controller 722, wherein the control signals indicate configuration for each antenna element 722 and a mapping to one or more directional beams [0100]).
For claim 19, Gaal discloses receiving, from the network node and prior to controlling forwarding of the reference signal, the information ([0099] scheduling entity transmits control signals (reference signals) to the meta-surface 702 via surface controller 722, wherein the control signals indicate configuration for each antenna element 722 and a mapping to one or more directional beams [0100]).
For claim 20, Gaal discloses the information comprises a set of reference signal indices based on number of beams in which the reference signal is to be transmitted and number of meta-surface configurations applicable to the meta-surface ([0099] scheduling entity transmits control signals (reference signals) to the meta-surface 702 via surface controller 722, wherein the control signals indicate configuration for each antenna element 722 and a mapping to one or more directional beams [0100]).
For claim 21, Gaal discloses the information comprises a mapping between the reference signal indices and the beams, and wherein the mapping defines which of the reference signal indices to be transmitted in which of the beams ([0099] scheduling entity transmits control signals (reference signals) to the meta-surface 702 via surface controller 722, wherein the control signals indicate configuration for each antenna element 722 and a mapping to one or more directional beams [0100]), and the method further comprises: providing information to the network node about which meta-surface configurations are applicable ([0096] the surface controller communicates the configurations of the reflective surface to the scheduling entity).
For claim 23, Gaal discloses the meta-surface comprises reflective elements (Fig 7, antenna elements 720) having a respective phase shift value, and wherein each meta-surface configuration of the meta-surface is defined by a respective phase matrix, and wherein the phase matrix for a given meta-surface configuration is formed by the phase shift values of each reflecting element for said given meta-surface configuration ([0095] the surface controller controls the properties of the antenna elements including adjusting its phase shift value (or amplitude or frequency) to redirect the beams in a particular direction).
Conclusion
5. The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. See PTO-892 form.
6. Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Elisabeth B Magloire whose telephone number is (571)272-5601. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 8 AM-5 PM ET.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Sujoy K Kundu can be reached at 571-272-8586. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/ELISABETH BENOIT MAGLOIRE/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2471