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 .
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on January 18, 2024 is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statements are being considered by the examiner.
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.
Claims 1-3, 5, 6, 15-17, 19, 20, 27-29 and 30 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Huang et al, U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 20190260453 A1 (hereinafter Lee, included in Applicant’s Information Disclosure Statement (IDS)).
Regarding Claim 1, Huang discloses a method for wireless communications at a user equipment (UE) (e.g., FIGS. 1-3, 7, user equipment communicating with network device) comprising: receiving an indication of one or more channel state information reference signal resources for a channel state information reference signal (e.g., ¶ [0074] In an example, the network device may allocate one or more CSI-RS resources to each user equipment, and the CSI-RS resources may be corresponding to different PMI reporting manners. The network device may dynamically notify the user equipment of a CSI-RS resource configuration) transmitted using a total number of antenna ports on a plurality of antenna panels at a base station (e.g., ¶ [0075] In an example, one CSI-RS resource may include at least one antenna port and a time-frequency domain resource used on the antenna port. When one CSI-RS resource includes a plurality of antenna ports, these antenna ports may be antenna ports in a same polarization direction or different polarization directions, or may be distributed on a same antenna panel or different antenna panels), wherein a first antenna panel of the plurality of antenna panels includes a first number of antenna ports (e.g., ¶ [0075] plurality of antenna ports… distributed on a same antenna panel or different antenna panels), and a second antenna panel of the plurality of antenna panels includes a second number of antenna ports (e.g., ¶ [0075] plurality of antenna ports… distributed on a same antenna panel or different antenna panels), the first number and the second number being different (e.g., ¶ [0116] In the embodiment corresponding to FIG. 9, an example in which the network device configures two CSI-RS resources for the user equipment is used for description. In addition, it is assumed that the network device includes N (N≥1) antenna panels, each antenna panel includes M (M≥1) CSI-RS antenna ports; e.g., ¶ [0120] In still another example, the CSI-RS resource 1 may include N′ (N′≤N) CSI-RS resources, the N′ CSI-RS resources include a non-precoded CSI-RS resource and/or a precoded CSI-RS resource, and the N′ CSI-RS resources include CSI-RS antenna ports from N′ antenna panels. To be specific, one of the N′ CSI-RS resources includes M′ (M′≤M) CSI-RS antenna ports that come from one antenna panel, and CSI-RS antenna ports of different CSI-RS resources come from different antenna panels. In this case, the user equipment separately determines N′ first PMIs in the first codebook C.sub.1 by using the N′ CSI-RS resources of the CSI-RS resource 1 [Examiner’s interpretation is that one antenna panel has M ports and another antenna panel has M’ ports]); generating a codebook (e.g.,¶ [0063] the indication information includes a PMI reporting manner corresponding to at least one reference signal resource; e.g.,¶ [0064] corresponding to different scenarios, different codebook combinations may be selected for use) based at least in part on the total number of antenna ports (e.g., ¶ [0057] A reference signal resource described in this application is an antenna port configured to send a reference signal and a time-frequency resource used on the antenna port. One reference signal resource includes at least one antenna port and a time-frequency resource used on the at least one antenna port), a plurality of precoders corresponding to the plurality of antenna panels (e.g., ¶ [0072] when the CSI-RS resource includes antenna ports on different panels, in other words, when beams may come from different antenna panels, the network device may also instruct the user equipment to use a codebook used for inter-beam amplitude and/or phase compensation, so as to perform difference compensation between the beams from the different panels), the one or more channel state information reference signal resources (e.g., ¶ [0057] A reference signal resource described in this application is an antenna port configured to send a reference signal and a time-frequency resource used on the antenna port. One reference signal resource includes at least one antenna port and a time-frequency resource used on the at least one antenna port), and a set of inter-panel co-phasing parameters (e.g., ¶ [0022] The codebook used for inter-beam amplitude and/or phase compensation may support application of a dual polarization antenna array and/or a multi-panel antenna array); and transmitting a channel state information report including one or more sets of channel state information parameters based at least in part on the codebook (e.g., FIG. 2, step 202, ¶ [0069] The user equipment determines, according to the PMI reporting manner indicated in the indication information, the codebook that needs to be used and the PMI, and reports the PMI. For example, if the network device indicates, to the user equipment, that the first codebook and a second codebook need to be used or the first PMI and a second PMI need to be reported, specific to a reference signal resource, the user equipment determines and reports, specific to the reference signal resource, the first PMI and the second PMI by using the first codebook and the second codebook; e.g., FIG. 3, step 306, ¶ [0079] The user equipment reports the PMI; e.g., FIG. 9, steps 906, 911, ¶ [0133][0134] the user equipment reports the first PMI to the network device).
Regarding Claim 2, Huang discloses all the limitations of the method of claim 1.
Huang discloses wherein receiving the indication comprises: receiving the indication of a single channel state information reference signal resource associated with the total number of antenna ports on the plurality of antenna panels (e.g., ¶ [0075] When one CSI-RS resource includes a plurality of antenna ports, these antenna ports may be antenna ports in a same polarization direction or different polarization directions, or may be distributed on a same antenna panel or different antenna panels).
Regarding Claim 3, Huang discloses all the limitations of the method of claim 2.
Huang discloses further comprising: determining a single set of channel state information parameters based at least in part on the codebook (e.g., FIG. 3, step 305, ¶ [0078] The user equipment determines the first PMI from the first codebook based on the indication information of part 903 by using the CSI-RS received on the CSI-RS resource [which corresponds to different PMI reporting manners]).
Regarding Claim 5, Huang discloses all the limitations of the method of claim 1.
Huang discloses wherein receiving the indication comprises: receiving the indication of a plurality of channel state information reference signal resources corresponding to a number of antenna panels in the plurality of antenna panels (e.g., ¶ [0072] when the CSI-RS resource includes antenna ports on different panels, in other words, when beams may come from different antenna panels, the network device may also instruct the user equipment to use a codebook used for inter-beam amplitude and/or phase compensation, so as to perform difference compensation between the beams from the different panels).
Regarding Claim 6, Huang discloses all the limitations of the method of claim 5.
Huang discloses further comprising: determining a set of channel state information parameters for each antenna panel of the plurality of antenna panels based at least in part on the codebook (e.g., e.g., FIG. 9, steps 905, 910, ¶ [0132] The user equipment determines the first PMI from the first codebook based on the indication information of part 903 by using the CSI-RS received on the CSI-RS resource 1).
Regarding Claim 15, Huang discloses a method for wireless communications at a base station (e.g., FIGS. 1-3, 7, user equipment communicating with network device), comprising: transmitting, to a user equipment (UE), an indication of one or more channel state information reference signal resources for a channel state information reference signal transmitted using a total number of antenna ports on a plurality of antenna panels at the base station (e.g., ¶ [0074] the network device may allocate one or more CSI-RS resources to each user equipment, and the CSI-RS resources may be corresponding to different PMI reporting manners. The network device may dynamically notify the user equipment of a CSI-RS resource configuration; e.g., ¶ [0075] one CSI-RS resource may include at least one antenna port and a time-frequency domain resource used on the antenna port. When one CSI-RS resource includes a plurality of antenna ports, these antenna ports may be antenna ports in a same polarization direction or different polarization directions, or may be distributed on a same antenna panel or different antenna panels), wherein a first antenna panel of the plurality of antenna panels includes a first number of antenna ports, and a second antenna panel of the plurality of antenna panels includes a second number of antenna ports, the first number and the second number being different (e.g., ¶ [0075] plurality of antenna ports… distributed on a same antenna panel or different antenna panels; e.g., FIG. 9, ¶ [0116] the network device configures two CSI-RS resources for the user equipment… it is assumed that the network device includes N (N≥1) antenna panels, each antenna panel includes M (M≥1) CSI-RS antenna ports; e.g., ¶ [0120] the CSI-RS resource 1 may include N′ (N′≤N) CSI-RS resources, the N′ CSI-RS resources include a non-precoded CSI-RS resource and/or a precoded CSI-RS resource, and the N′ CSI-RS resources include CSI-RS antenna ports from N′ antenna panels… one of the N′ CSI-RS resources includes M′ (M′≤M) CSI-RS antenna ports that come from one antenna panel, and CSI-RS antenna ports of different CSI-RS resources come from different antenna panels. In this case, the user equipment separately determines N′ first PMIs in the first codebook C.sub.1 by using the N′ CSI-RS resources of the CSI-RS resource 1 [i.e., one antenna panel has M ports and another antenna panel has M’ ports]); receiving a channel state information report including one or more sets of channel state information parameters based at least in part on a codebook generated at the UE (e.g., FIG. 2, step 202, ¶ [0069] The user equipment… reports the PMI [after determining PMI and the codebook that needs to be used]… the user equipment determines and reports, specific to the reference signal resource, the first PMI and the second PMI by using the first codebook and the second codebook; e.g., FIG. 3, step 306; e.g., FIG. 9, steps 906, 911, ¶ [0133][0134]).
Regarding Claim 16, Huang discloses all the limitations of the method of claim 15.
Huang discloses wherein transmitting the indication comprises: transmitting the indication of a single channel state information reference signal resource associated with the total number of antenna ports on the plurality of antenna panels (e.g., ¶ [0075] When one CSI-RS resource includes a plurality of antenna ports, these antenna ports may be antenna ports in a same polarization direction or different polarization directions, or may be distributed on a same antenna panel or different antenna panels).
Regarding Claim 17, Huang discloses all the limitations of the method of claim 15.
Huang discloses wherein receiving the channel state information report comprises: receiving the channel state information report including a single set of channel state information parameters (e.g., ¶ [0075] When one CSI-RS resource includes a plurality of antenna ports, these antenna ports may be antenna ports in a same polarization direction or different polarization directions, or may be distributed on a same antenna panel or different antenna panels).
Regarding Claim 19, Huang discloses all the limitations of the method of claim 15.
Huang discloses wherein transmitting the indication comprises: transmitting the indication of a plurality of channel state information reference signal resources corresponding to a number of antenna panels in the plurality of antenna panels (e.g., ¶ [0072] when the CSI-RS resource includes antenna ports on different panels, in other words, when beams may come from different antenna panels, the network device may also instruct the user equipment to use a codebook used for inter-beam amplitude and/or phase compensation, so as to perform difference compensation between the beams from the different panels).
Regarding Claim 20, Huang discloses all the limitations of the method of claim 19.
Huang discloses wherein receiving the channel state information report comprises: receiving a set of channel state information parameters for each antenna panel of the plurality of antenna panels (e.g., e.g., FIG. 9, steps 906, 911, ¶ [0133] [0134] user equipment determines PMI based on an indication in the indication information by using the CSI-RS received on the CSI-RS resource and the precoding matrix in the second codebook, and reports the PMI to the network device).
Regarding Claim 27, Huang discloses an apparatus for wireless communications at a user equipment (UE), comprising: a processor; memory coupled with the processor; and instructions stored in the memory and executable by the processor (e.g., FIG. 7, user equipment, processor 703, memory 704; e.g., ¶ [0167] When the functions described in this application are implemented by software, the functions may be stored in a computer readable medium or transmitted as one or more instructions or code in the computer readable medium. The computer readable medium includes a computer storage medium and a communications medium, where the communications medium includes any medium that enables a computer program to be transmitted from one place to another place) to cause the apparatus to perform operations that are functionally similar to the method of claim 1. Therefore, the reasoning used in the examination of claim 1 shall be applied to claim 27.
Regarding Claim 28, Huang discloses all the limitations of the apparatus of claim 27.
The functional limitations of Claim 28 are similar to claim 2. Therefore, the reasoning used in the examination of claim 2 shall be applied to claim 28.
Regarding Claim 29, Huang discloses all the limitations of the apparatus of claim 27.
The functional limitations of Claim 29 are similar to claim 5. Therefore, the reasoning used in the examination of claim 5 shall be applied to claim 29.
Regarding Claim 30, Huang discloses an apparatus for wireless communications at a base station, comprising: a processor; memory coupled with the processor; and instructions stored in the memory and executable by the processor (e.g., FIG. 8, network device, processor 802, memory 803; e.g., ¶ [0167] When the functions described in this application are implemented by software, the functions may be stored in a computer readable medium or transmitted as one or more instructions or code in the computer readable medium. The computer readable medium includes a computer storage medium and a communications medium, where the communications medium includes any medium that enables a computer program to be transmitted from one place to another place) to cause the apparatus to perform operations that are functionally similar to the method of claim 15. Therefore, the reasoning used in the examination of claim 15 shall be applied to claim 30.
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.
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.
Claims 4 and 18 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Huang in view of Lee et al, International Patent Application Publication No. WO 2018031807 A1 (hereinafter Lee, included in Applicant’s IDS).
Regarding Claim 4, Huang discloses all the limitations of the method of claim 2.
Huang discloses (e.g., ¶ [0022]) at least one codebook (PMI) used for inter-beam amplitude and/or phase compensation(e.g., at least one of amplitude compensation between beams that are in different polarization directions, phase compensation between beams that are in different polarization directions, amplitude compensation between beams from different antenna panels, or phase compensation between beams from different antenna panels.
Huang does not expressly disclose receiving an indication of a per-antenna panel quasi co-location (QCL) configuration based at least in part on the plurality of antenna panels at the base station being distributed.
Lee discloses further comprising: receiving an indication of a per-antenna panel quasi co-location (QCL) configuration based at least in part on the plurality of antenna panels at the base station being distributed (e.g., ¶ [0165] If a predefined QCL parameters are QCL-ed across panels (or across CSI-RS configurations), a panel common Wp.sup.1 may be used [W.sub.n is a panel selection vector/matrix (e.g., ¶ [0159])]; otherwise, a panel-specific Wp.sup.1 may be used).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of the filing date to combine the disclosure of configuring channel state information reference signal resources for a channel state information reference signal transmitted using a total number of antenna ports on a plurality of antenna panels, as disclosed by Huang, with the disclosure of per-antenna panel quasi co-location (QCL) configuration based at least in part on the plurality of antenna panels, as disclosed by Lee. The motivation to combine would have been to su8pport multiple panel based antenna configurations (Lee: e.g., ¶ [0007]).
Regarding Claim 18, Huang discloses all the limitations of the method of claim 16.
The functional limitations of Claim 18 are similar to claim 4. Therefore, the reasoning used in the examination of claim 4 shall be applied to claim 18.
Claims 7 and 21 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Huang in view of Muruganathan et al, U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 20230291441 A1 (hereinafter Muruganathan).
Regarding Claim 7, Huang discloses all the limitations of the method of claim 6.
Huang discloses (e.g., ¶ [0139]) network device configuring at least two CSI-RS resources for the user equipment [and notifying] the user equipment of specific usages of different CSI-RS resources or a relationship between the CSI-RS resources and CSI reporting (e.g., CSI-RS resource 1 is used to feed back a PMI and CSI-RS resource 2 is used to feed back a PMI and a channel quality indicator (CQI).
Muruganathan discloses wherein a rank indicator and a channel quality indicator for each set of channel state information parameters and the set of inter-panel co-phasing parameters are jointly determined based at least in part on the total number of antenna ports (e.g., ¶ [0067] In Step 3, the gNB has configured the UE to measure a CSI-RS, and the UE measures the received CSI-RS ports and then determines a type II CSI including RI, PMI for each layer and CQI. The precoding matrix indicated by the PMI includes the selected beams (e.g., the precoded CSI-RS ports) and the corresponding best phase and amplitude for co-phasing the selected beams. The phase and amplitude for each beam are quantized and feed-back to the gNB).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of the filing date to combine the disclosure of configuring channel state information reference signal resources for a channel state information reference signal transmitted using a total number of antenna ports on a plurality of antenna panels, as disclosed by Huang, with the disclosure of wherein a rank indicator and a channel quality indicator for each set of channel state information parameters and the set of inter-panel co-phasing parameters are jointly determined based at least in part on the total number of antenna ports, as disclosed by Muruganathan. The motivation to combine would have been to support signaling for frequency and spatial domain bases indication to aid CSI feedback using angle and delay reciprocity (Lee: e.g., ¶ [0007]).
Regarding Claim 21, Huang discloses all the limitations of the method of claim 20.
The functional limitations of Claim 21 are similar to claim 7. Therefore, the reasoning used in the examination of claim 7 shall be applied to claim 21.
Claims 8 and 22 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Huang in view of Park et al, U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 20230061346 A1 (hereinafter Park, using the prior art date of parent Chinese application, with patent Application Publication No. CN 115485983 A).
Regarding Claim 8, Huang discloses all the limitations of the method of claim 5.
Huang discloses channel state information reference signal resources [interpreted by Examiner as a control signal] including antenna port on a plurality of antenna panels (e.g., ¶ [0072] [0106] [0116] each antenna panel includes CSI-RS antenna ports).
Huang does not expressly disclose receiving control signaling indicating to disable channel state information reporting for an antenna panel of the plurality of antenna panels.
Park discloses receiving control signaling indicating to disable channel state information reporting for an antenna panel of the plurality of antenna panels (e.g., FIG. 6, steps 630, 640, ¶ [0163]-[0167] UE receives resources of the CSI-RS resource set with repetition set to on/off in different symbols through the beam, determines its beam and skips CSI reporting if the repetition is set to “ON”).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of the filing date to combine the disclosure of configuring channel state information reference signal resources for a channel state information reference signal transmitted using a total number of antenna ports on a plurality of antenna panels, as disclosed by Huang, with the disclosure of receiving control signaling indicating to disable channel state information reporting for an antenna panel of the plurality of antenna panels, as disclosed by Park. The motivation to combine would have been to decrease downlink control information overhead (Park: e.g., ¶ [0007]).
Regarding Claim 22, Huang discloses all the limitations of the method of claim 19.
The functional limitations of Claim 22 are similar to claim 8. Therefore, the reasoning used in the examination of claim 8 shall be applied to claim 22.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 9-14, 23-25 and 26 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.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter:
Regarding Claim 9, dependent from claim 1, the prior art of record fails to disclose individually or in combination or render obvious the limitation mapping the plurality of precoders to the one or more channel state information reference signal resources based at least in part on respective channel state information reference signal indexes.
Regarding Claim 10, dependent from claim 1, and Claim 23, dependent from claim 15, the prior art of record fails to disclose individually or in combination or render obvious the limitation wherein the first antenna panel of the plurality of antenna panels has more antenna elements in a vertical direction than a horizontal direction, and the second antenna panel of the plurality of antenna panels has more antenna elements in the horizontal direction than the vertical direction.
Regarding Claim 11, dependent from claim 1, and Claim 24, dependent from claim 15, the prior art of record fails to disclose individually or in combination or render obvious the limitation indicating a single index pair for a precoding matrix indicator for the plurality of antenna panels based at least in part on the plurality of antenna panels being co-located.
Claims 12-14, dependent from claim 11, and Claims 25, 26, dependent from claim 24, are also objected.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. References considered relevant to this application are listed in the attached "Notice of References Cited” (PTO-892).
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/VLADISLAV Y AGUREYEV/Examiner, Art Unit 2471