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 .
DETAILED ACTION
Status of Application
This Office Action is a response to Applicant’s communication (or preliminary’s amendment) filed on 02/20/2024. In virtue of this communication, claims 1-20 are currently presented in the instant application.
Priority
Acknowledgement is made of applicant’s claim for foreign priority under 35 U.S.C. 119(a)-(d). A certified copy of the priority documents received on 04/01/2024.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement(s) (IDS) submitted on 03/26/2026 in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is considered by the examiner.
If applicant is aware of any prior art or any other co-pending application not already of record, he/she is reminded of his/her duty under 37 CFR 1.97 to disclose the same.
Drawings
The drawings submitted on 02/20/2024 are accepted as part of the formal application.
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 1-20 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 pre-AIA the applicant regards as the invention.
Regarding claim 1,
The recitation “an amplifier” in line 8 is considered vague because it is confused with “an amplifier” in line 1. Clarification is required.
The recitation “an amplifier” in line 9 is considered vague because it is confused with “an amplifier” in line 1. Clarification is required.
The recitation “the input beam” in line 9 is considered indefinite because it does not have an antecedent basis. Clarification is required.
The recitation “the amplified beam” in line 9 is considered indefinite because it does not have an antecedent basis. Clarification is required.
Regarding claim 11,
The recitation “an amplifier” in line 3 is considered vague because it is confused with “an amplifier” in line 1. Clarification is required.
The recitation “the amplification module” in line 7 is considered indefinite because it does not have an antecedent basis. Clarification is required.
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.
Claims 1-3, 6-13 and 16-20, as best understood, are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Duan et al (US 20240094325), hereinafter Duan.
Regarding claim 1,
Duan discloses a reconfigurable reflector (a reconfigurable intelligent surface RIS1, Fig 11) combined with an amplifier for wireless communication, comprising:
an amplification module (a relay UE, Fig 11);
a controller (a serving gNB (SgNB), Fig 11; paragraph [0116]) configured to control the reconfigurable reflector (Fig 11); and
the reconfigurable reflector configured to reflect an output beam (a sidelink reference signal for positioning (SL-RS-P) 1104, Fig 11) of the amplification module,
Duan does not explicitly teach the amplification module includes,
a first antenna configured to receive a beam and transmit the beam to an amplifier,
an amplifier configured to amplify the input beam and transmit the amplified beam to a second antenna, and
the second antenna configured to receive the amplified beam and transmit the amplified beam to the reconfigurable reflector, and
an output of the second antenna is output to a predetermined position of the reconfigurable reflector.
However, it is well known in the art that a mobile phone UE comprises antennas and a transceiver to receive a signal from a base station and transmit the signal to an RF structure.
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to use a relay UE being an amplification module including a first antenna configured to receive a beam and transmit the beam to an amplifier, the amplifier being configured to amplify an input beam and transmit an amplified beam to a second antenna, and the second antenna being configured to receive the amplified beam and transmit the amplified beam to a reconfigurable reflector, and an output of the second antenna being output to a predetermined position of the reconfigurable reflector in Duan, in order to enhance signaling efficiencies and reduce signaling latency.
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Regarding claim 2,
Duan as modified discloses the claimed invention, as discussed in claim 1.
Duan does not explicitly teach a beam distribution of the second antenna is adjusted to cover the entire area of the reconfigurable reflector.
However, Duan teaches sidelink reference signals for positioning (SL-RS-P) 1104, 1102 and 1108 to the reconfigurable intelligent surfaces RIS1 and RIS2 (Fig 11).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to use a beam distribution of a second antenna being adjusted to cover an entire area of a reconfigurable reflector in Duan as modified, in order to enhance signaling efficiencies and reduce signaling latency.
Regarding claim 3,
Duan as modified discloses the claimed invention, as discussed in claim 2.
Duan does not explicitly teach a size and a location of the second antenna are predetermined to cover the entire area of the reconfigurable reflector.
However, Duan teaches that with transmit beamforming, a network node determines where a given target device (e.g., a UE) is located (relative to the transmitting network node), and a network node may use an array of antennas (referred to as a “phased array” or an “antenna array”) that creates a beam of RF waves that can be “steered” to point in different directions, without actually moving the antennas (paragraph [0043]).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to use a size and a location of a second antenna being predetermined to cover the entire area of a reconfigurable reflector in Duan as modified, in order to enhance signaling efficiencies and reduce signaling latency.
Regarding claim 6,
Duan as modified discloses the claimed invention, as discussed in claim 1.
Duan does not explicitly teach an output of the reconfigurable reflector increases a non-line of sight (NLOS) transmission for blocking mitigation and expands coverage.
However, Duan teaches a system 700 wherein the first UE 104a can bounce an UL signal to the first BS 102a using the RIS 702 and thus get around the obstacle 704 (Fig 7).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to use an output of a reconfigurable reflector increasing a non-line of sight (NLOS) transmission for blocking mitigation and expanding coverage in Duan as modified, in order to enhance signaling efficiencies and reduce signaling latency.
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Regarding claim 7,
Duan as modified discloses the claimed invention, as discussed in claim 1.
Duan does not explicitly teach the amplification module is disposed in a center of a wireless link.
However, Duan teaches that the relay UE is directly disposed in a SgNB 1116 (Fig 11).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to use an amplification module being disposed in a center of a wireless link in Duan as modified, in order to enhance signaling efficiencies and reduce signaling latency.
Regarding claim 8,
Duan as modified discloses the claimed invention, as discussed in claim 1.
Duan does not explicitly teach the amplification module includes a THz relay.
However, Duan teaches the wireless communications system 100 may further include a millimeter wave (mmW) base station 180 that may operate in mmW frequencies and/or near mmW frequencies in communication with a UE 182. Extremely high frequency (EHF) is part of the RF in the electromagnetic spectrum. EHF has a range of 30 GHz to 300 GHz and a wavelength between 1 millimeter and 10 millimeters (paragraph [0042]).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to use an amplification module including a THz relay in Duan as modified, in order to enhance signaling efficiencies and reduce signaling latency.
Regarding claim 9,
Duan as modified discloses the claimed invention, as discussed in claim 8.
Duan does not explicitly teach when the THz relay is present, BER and Tx power measured from a 100 Gb/s 16 quadrature amplitude modulation (QAM) signal satisfies soft decision forward error correction (SD-FEC) threshold.
However, it is well known in the art that BER and Tx power measured from a 100 Gb/s 16 quadrature amplitude modulation (QAM) signal satisfies soft decision forward error correction (SD-FEC) threshold in a THz relay.
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to use a THz relay being present, BER and Tx power measured from a 100 Gb/s 16 quadrature amplitude modulation (QAM) signal satisfying soft decision forward error correction (SD-FEC) threshold in Duan as modified, in order to enhance signaling efficiencies and reduce signaling latency.
Regarding claim 10,
Duan as modified discloses the claimed invention, as discussed in claim 2.
Duan does not explicitly teach the controller controls a direction and a shape of the beam.
However, Duan teaches a system 700 wherein the BS 102a may bounce a signal off the RIS 702 into the dead zone in order to provide coverage to devices which may be there (Fig 7; paragraph [0118]).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to use a controller controlling a direction and a shape of a beam in Duan as modified, in order to enhance signaling efficiencies and reduce signaling latency.
Regarding claim 11,
Duan discloses an operation method for a reconfigurable reflector (a reconfigurable intelligent surface RIS1, Fig 11) combined with an amplifier for wireless communication, the operation method comprising:
an amplification module (a relay UE, Fig 11);
the reconfigurable reflector is controlled by a controller (a serving gNB (SgNB), Fig 11; paragraph [0116]), the reconfigurable reflector reflects an output beam (a sidelink reference signal for positioning (SL-RS-P) 1104, Fig 11) of the amplification module, and
an output of the second antenna is output to a predetermined position of the reconfigurable reflector.
Duan does not explicitly teach:
transmitting a beam received from a first antenna to an amplifier;
amplifying the beam input from the amplifier and transmitting the amplified beam to a second antenna; and
transmitting the amplified beam from the second antenna to the reconfigurable reflector,
the amplification module includes the first antenna, the amplifier, and the second antenna
an output of the second antenna is output to a predetermined position of the reconfigurable reflector.
However, it is well known in the art that a mobile phone UE comprises antennas and a transceiver to receive a signal from a base station and transmit the signal to an RF structure.
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to use transmitting a beam received from a first antenna to an amplifier, amplifying the beam input from the amplifier and transmitting an amplified beam to a second antenna, and transmitting the amplified beam from the second antenna to a reconfigurable reflector, an amplification module including the first antenna, the amplifier, and the second antenna, an output of the second antenna being output to a predetermined position of the reconfigurable reflector in Duan, in order to enhance signaling efficiencies and reduce signaling latency.
Regarding claim 12,
Duan as modified discloses the claimed invention, as discussed in claim 11.
Duan does not explicitly teach a beam distribution of the second antenna is adjusted to cover the entire area of the reconfigurable reflector.
However, Duan teaches sidelink reference signals for positioning (SL-RS-P) 1104, 1102 and 1108 to the reconfigurable intelligent surfaces RIS1 and RIS2 (Fig 11).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to use a beam distribution of a second antenna being adjusted to cover an entire area of a reconfigurable reflector in Duan as modified, in order to enhance signaling efficiencies and reduce signaling latency.
Regarding claim 13,
Duan as modified discloses the claimed invention, as discussed in claim 12.
Duan does not explicitly teach a size and a location of the second antenna are predetermined to cover the entire area of the reconfigurable reflector.
However, Duan teaches that with transmit beamforming, a network node determines where a given target device (e.g., a UE) is located (relative to the transmitting network node), and a network node may use an array of antennas (referred to as a “phased array” or an “antenna array”) that creates a beam of RF waves that can be “steered” to point in different directions, without actually moving the antennas (paragraph [0043]).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to use a size and a location of a second antenna being predetermined to cover the entire area of a reconfigurable reflector in Duan as modified, in order to enhance signaling efficiencies and reduce signaling latency.
Regarding claim 16,
Duan as modified discloses the claimed invention, as discussed in claim 11.
Duan does not explicitly teach an output of the reconfigurable reflector increases a non-line of sight (NLOS) transmission for blocking mitigation and expands coverage.
However, Duan teaches a system 700 wherein the first UE 104a can bounce an UL signal to the first BS 102a using the RIS 702 and thus get around the obstacle 704 (Fig 7).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to use an output of a reconfigurable reflector increasing a non-line of sight (NLOS) transmission for blocking mitigation and expanding coverage in Duan as modified, in order to enhance signaling efficiencies and reduce signaling latency.
Regarding claim 17,
Duan as modified discloses the claimed invention, as discussed in claim 11.
Duan does not explicitly teach the amplification module is disposed in a center of a wireless link.
However, Duan teaches that the relay UE is directly disposed in a SgNB 1116 (Fig 11).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to use an amplification module being disposed in a center of a wireless link in Duan as modified, in order to enhance signaling efficiencies and reduce signaling latency.
Regarding claim 18,
Duan as modified discloses the claimed invention, as discussed in claim 11.
Duan does not explicitly teach the amplification module includes a THz relay.
However, Duan teaches the wireless communications system 100 may further include a millimeter wave (mmW) base station 180 that may operate in mmW frequencies and/or near mmW frequencies in communication with a UE 182. Extremely high frequency (EHF) is part of the RF in the electromagnetic spectrum. EHF has a range of 30 GHz to 300 GHz and a wavelength between 1 millimeter and 10 millimeters (paragraph [0042]).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to use an amplification module including a THz relay in Duan as modified, in order to enhance signaling efficiencies and reduce signaling latency.
Regarding claim 19,
Duan as modified discloses the claimed invention, as discussed in claim 18.
Duan does not explicitly teach when the THz relay is present, BER and Tx power measured from a 100 Gb/s 16 quadrature amplitude modulation (QAM) signal satisfies soft decision forward error correction (SD-FEC) threshold.
However, it is well known in the art that BER and Tx power measured from a 100 Gb/s 16 quadrature amplitude modulation (QAM) signal satisfies soft decision forward error correction (SD-FEC) threshold in a THz relay.
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to use a THz relay being present, BER and Tx power measured from a 100 Gb/s 16 quadrature amplitude modulation (QAM) signal satisfying soft decision forward error correction (SD-FEC) threshold in Duan as modified, in order to enhance signaling efficiencies and reduce signaling latency.
Regarding claim 20,
Duan as modified discloses the claimed invention, as discussed in claim 11.
Duan does not explicitly teach the controller controls a direction and a shape of the beam.
However, Duan teaches a system 700 wherein the BS 102a may bounce a signal off the RIS 702 into the dead zone in order to provide coverage to devices which may be there (Fig 7; paragraph [0118]).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to use a controller controlling a direction and a shape of a beam in Duan as modified, in order to enhance signaling efficiencies and reduce signaling latency.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 4-5 and 14-15 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.
Regarding claim 4, prior art of record or most closely prior art fails to disclose, “the amplification module is fixed by a support at the front of the reconfigurable reflector”.
Dependent claim 5 is considered to be allowable by virtue of its/their dependency/dependencies on claim 4.
Regarding claim 14, prior art of record or most closely prior art fails to disclose, “the amplification module is fixed by a support at the front of the reconfigurable reflector”.
Dependent claim 15 is considered to be allowable by virtue of its/their dependency/dependencies on claim 14.
Conclusion
The Examiner has pointed out particular references contained in the prior art of record within the body of this action for the convenience of the Applicant. Although the specified citations are representative of the teachings in the art and are applied to the specific limitations within the individual claim, other passages and figures may apply.
Applicant, in preparing the response, should consider fully the entire reference aspotentially teaching all or part of the claimed invention, as well as the context of thepassage as taught by the prior art or disclosed by the Examiner.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Hai Tran whose telephone number is (571) 270-7650. The examiner can normally be reached on Monday-Thursday 7:30 am-6:00pm.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Dimary Lopez can be reached on (571) 270-7893. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/HAI V TRAN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2845
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