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 .
Response to Amendment
This is in response to an amendment/response filed on June 23, 2026.
Claims 1,2,9-16 have been amended.
Claim 3 has been cancelled.
No Claims have been added.
Claims 1-2, and 4-16 are currently pending.
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed on June 23, 2026 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive.
As disclosed on [0080] Li363 discloses a timing information associated with a beam pattern to be used as claimed by the instant application. Rofougaran et al. (US Application 2020/0403689, hereinafter Rofougaran) further teaches at least one processor(Fig. 8b, item 812); and at least one memory (Fig. 8, item 822) storing instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, causing the at least one processor to: configured the downlink control information further includes timing information that designates a timing in which a beam pattern is to be used(Figs. 1D, 1F, [0079]-[0080],[0084]-[0085]).
Based on the disclosure above and others, the combination of Li363 and Rofougaran discloses teaches at least one processor; and at least one memory storing instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, causing the at least one processor to: configured the downlink control information further includes timing information that designates a timing in which a beam pattern is to be used.
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.
Claim(s) 1-2,4-7, and 9-16 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Li et al (US Application 2020/0366363, hereinafter Li363) in view of Rofougaran et al. (US Application 2020/0403689, hereinafter Rofougaran).
Regarding claims 1,11,14, Li363 discloses a method, a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium and a base station apparatus (Figs. 2, 7-8,item #110 ) that communicates with a user apparatus (120) by a signal being relayed by a repeater apparatus(140), the base station apparatus comprising
transmitting unit(220,232,238244) configured to transmit, to the repeater apparatus(140), downlink control information (configuration information transmitting by the base station to the repeater as described on [0092],[0098]) including an instruction indicating a beam pattern the repeater apparatus should form([0092]-[0098], which recites a base station 110 may transmit a configuration that indicates a resource set to be used by a millimeter wave repeater 140 for beam management(beam pattern). The base station 110 may identify a first beam pair and a second beam pair (beam pattern form) based at least in part on transmitting the configuration. As shown by reference number 725, the first beam pair may be between the millimeter wave repeater 140 and the first node (e.g., the base station 110 in example 700) );
Li363 suggests wherein the downlink control information further includes timing information that designates a timing in which a beam pattern is to be used([0080]).
Li363 does not explicitly disclose at least one processor; and at least one memory storing instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, causing the at least one processor to: configured the downlink control information further includes timing information that designates a timing in which a beam pattern is to be used.
However, Rofougaran teaches at least one processor(Fig. 8b, item 812); and at least one memory (Fig. 8, item 822) storing instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, causing the at least one processor to: configured the downlink control information further includes timing information that designates a timing in which a beam pattern is to be used(Figs. 1D, 1F, [0079]-[0080],[0084]-[0085]).
Therefore, it would have been obvious for one with ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to combine the teaching of Rofougaran with the teaching of Li363 by using the above features such as at least one processor; and at least one memory storing instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, causing the at least one processor to: configured the downlink control information further includes timing information that designates a timing in which a beam pattern is to be used as taught by Rofougaran for the purpose of having beam widening to communicate with a plurality of user equipment and a repeater device for 5G New Radio (NR) communication([0004]).
Regarding claims 9, 12, 15,Li363 discloses a method, a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium and a repeater apparatus (Figs. 2, 3,7-8,item #140 ) that relays communication between a base station apparatus (110) and a user apparatus (120) , the repeater apparatus comprising:
receiving unit (310) configured to receive downlink control information(configuration information received by the repeater as described on [0092]) including an instruction indicating a beam pattern to be formed by the repeater apparatus([0092]-[0097], which the repeater received a configuration that indicates a resource set to be used for beam management(beam pattern). The base station 110 may identify a first beam pair and a second beam pair (beam patter form) based at least in part on transmitting the configuration. As shown by reference number 725, the first beam pair may be between the millimeter wave repeater 140 and the first node (e.g., the base station 110 in example 700) ). ; and
controlling unit (330) configured to control a beam pattern, based on the downlink
control information received by the receiving unit([0062],[0093], which recites the controller 330 may control an antenna array 310 by controlling a beamforming configuration for the antenna array 310 (e.g., one or more phase values for the antenna array 310, one or more phase offsets for the antenna array 310, one or more power parameters for the antenna array 310, one or more beamforming parameters for the antenna array 310, a TX beamforming configuration, an RX beamforming configuration, and/or the like). The repeater 140 may transmit the received reference signal via multiple beams. In some aspects, the first set of resources and the second set of resources are over a same time interval. In this case, the repeater 140 may relay a signal (e.g., using multiple beams) in the same time interval in which the signal is received ).
Li363 suggests wherein the downlink control information further includes timing information that designates a timing in which a beam pattern is to be used([0080]).
Li363 does not explicitly disclose at least one processor; and at least one memory storing instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, causing the at least one processor to: configured the downlink control information further includes timing information that designates a timing in which a beam pattern is to be used.
However, Rofougaran teaches at least one processor(Fig. 8b, item 812); and at least one memory (Fig. 8, item 822) storing instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, causing the at least one processor to: configured the downlink control information further includes timing information that designates a timing in which a beam pattern is to be used(Figs. 1D, 1F, [0079]-[0080],[0084]-[0085]).
Therefore, it would have been obvious for one with ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to combine the teaching of Rofougaran with the teaching of Li363 by using the above features such as at least one processor; and at least one memory storing instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, causing the at least one processor to: configured the downlink control information further includes timing information that designates a timing in which a beam pattern is to be used as taught by Rofougaran for the purpose of having beam widening to communicate with a plurality of user equipment and a repeater device for 5G New Radio (NR) communication([0004]).
Regarding claims 10, 13, 16, Li363 discloses a method, a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium and a wireless communication system (Figs. 2, 3,7-8, ) including:
a repeater apparatus (140) that relays communication between a base station apparatus (110) and a user apparatus(120); and the base station apparatus,
wherein the base station apparatus comprises transmitting unit (130,290,294) configured to transmit, to the repeater apparatus, downlink control information (configuration information transmitting by the base station to the repeater as described on [0092]) including an instruction indicating a beam pattern the repeater apparatus should form([0092]-[0097], which recites a base station 110 may transmit a configuration that indicates a resource set to be used by a millimeter wave repeater 140 for beam management(beam pattern). The base station 110 may identify a first beam pair and a second beam pair (beam patter form) based at least in part on transmitting the configuration. As shown by reference number 725, the first beam pair may be between the millimeter wave repeater 140 and the first node (e.g., the base station 110 in example 700) ), and
the repeater apparatus (140) comprises controlling unit (330) configured to control a beam pattern based on the received downlink control information([0062],[0093], which recites the controller 330 may control an antenna array 310 by controlling a beamforming configuration for the antenna array 310 (e.g., one or more phase values for the antenna array 310, one or more phase offsets for the antenna array 310, one or more power parameters for the antenna array 310, one or more beamforming parameters for the antenna array 310, a TX beamforming configuration, an RX beamforming configuration, and/or the like). The repeater 140 may transmit the received reference signal via multiple beams. In some aspects, the first set of resources and the second set of resources are over a same time interval. In this case, the repeater 140 may relay a signal (e.g., using multiple beams) in the same time interval in which the signal is received ).
Li363 suggests wherein the downlink control information further includes timing information that designates a timing in which a beam pattern is to be used([0080]).
Li363 does not explicitly disclose at least one processor; and at least one memory storing instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, causing the at least one processor to: configured the downlink control information further includes timing information that designates a timing in which a beam pattern is to be used.
However, Rofougaran teaches at least one processor(Fig. 8b, item 812); and at least one memory (Fig. 8, item 822) storing instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, causing the at least one processor to: configured the downlink control information further includes timing information that designates a timing in which a beam pattern is to be used(Figs. 1D, 1F, [0079]-[0080],[0084]-[0085]).
Therefore, it would have been obvious for one with ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to combine the teaching of Rofougaran with the teaching of Li363 by using the above features such as at least one processor; and at least one memory storing instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, causing the at least one processor to: configured the downlink control information further includes timing information that designates a timing in which a beam pattern is to be used as taught by Rofougaran for the purpose of having beam widening to communicate with a plurality of user equipment and a repeater device for 5G New Radio (NR) communication([0004]).
Regarding claim 2, Li363 discloses the base station apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:
acquiring unit configured to acquire, from the user apparatus, measurement results of a plurality of measurement target signals relayed by the repeater apparatus using different beam patterns([0092]-[0097]); and
determining unit configured to determine a beam pattern the repeater apparatus should form, based on the measurement results acquired by the acquiring unit([0092]-[0097]).
Regarding claim 4, Li363 discloses the base station apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the downlink control information further includes a plurality of pieces of timing information that designate a plurality of timings in which a beam pattern is to be used([0080]).
Regarding claim 5, Li363 discloses the base station apparatus according to to claim 1, wherein the downlink control information includes beam pattern instructions for a plurality of different repeater apparatuses([0086],[0112]).
Regarding claim 6, Li363 discloses the base station apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the downlink control information is transmitted in the same search space as downlink control information transmitted to a user apparatus ([0081], [0095], [0098], [011]).
Regarding claim 7, Li363 discloses the base station apparatus according to claim 1,wherein the downlink control information is transmitted in a search space that is different from a search space for downlink control information transmitted to a user apparatus([0081], [0095], [0098], [011]).
Claim(s) 8 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Li363 and Rofougaran in view of Li et al. (US Application 2021/0037522, hereinafter Li522).
Regarding claim 8, Li363 discloses the base station apparatus according to claim 6, except wherein the downlink control information is transmitted in a state in which the downlink control information is encoded using a network identifier of the repeater apparatus.
However, Li522 teaches the downlink control information is transmitted in a state in which the downlink control information is encoded using a network identifier of the repeater apparatus([0036], [0045]).
Therefore, it would have been obvious for one with ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to combine the teaching of Li522with the teaching of Li363 by using the above features such as the downlink control information is transmitted in a state in which the downlink control information is encoded using a network identifier of the repeater apparatus as taught by Li522 for the purpose of connecting user equipment (UEs) with multiple base stations through a wireless repeater([0002]).
Conclusion
Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. 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 nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) 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 mailing date of this final action.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to DADY CHERY whose telephone number is (571)270-1207. The examiner can normally be reached M to T, 8 am to 5pm.
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/DADY CHERY/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2418
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