DETAILED ACTION
Claim(s) 1-20 are presented for examination.
Claim 1 is amended.
Claim(s) 2-20 are new.
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 .
Priority
As required by M.P.E.P.201.14(c), acknowledgement is made to applicant’s claim for priority based on application(s) PCT/CN2022/073591 submitted on January 24th, 2022.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement(s) (IDS) submitted on May 13th, 2024; January 17th, 2025; July 31st, 2025; and November 11th, 2025 follow the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
Claim Rejections - 35 U.S.C. § 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, 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 set forth in Graham v. John Deere Co., 383 U.S. 1, 148 USPQ 459 (1966), that are applied 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) 1-10, 12 and 14-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. § 103 as being unpatentable over HE et al. (US 2023/0284251 A1) hereinafter “He” in view of CHENG et al. (US 2023/0370820 A1) hereinafter “Cheng”.
Regarding Claim 1,
He discloses a wireless communication method [see fig. 7, pg. 9, ¶139 lines 1-16, a schematic interaction diagram of a sensing signal transmission method] comprising:
performing [see fig. 7, pg. 9, ¶139 lines 1-16, starting or periodically sending], by a network node [see fig. 7, pg. 9, ¶139 lines 1-16, from a pan terminal], a sensing operation to acquire a sensing result of the sensing operation [see fig. 7, pg. 9, ¶139 lines 1-16, a sensing status control word (including: … environment sensing result information such as channel information and/or interference information that has been obtained by the communication or the sensing; and whether the interference information includes offensive interference information) by using a communication resource]; and
transmitting [see fig. 7, pg. 9, ¶139 lines 1-16; ¶140 lines 1-5, the sensing status control word is sent by using a first message], by the network node [see fig. 7, pg. 9, ¶139 lines 1-16; ¶140 lines 1-5, from the pan terminal], the sensing result or information of one or more actions corresponding to the sensing result [see fig. 7, pg. 9, ¶139 lines 1-16; ¶140 lines 1-5, the environment sensing result information such as channel information and/or interference information that has been obtained by the communication or the sensing; and whether the interference information includes offensive interference information].
Although He discloses transmitting, by the network node, the sensing result or information of one or more actions corresponding to the sensing result, He does not explicitly teach the sensing result or information transmitted “to a wireless communication node”.
However Cheng discloses performing [see fig. 20: Step “2005”, pg. 25, ¶276 lines 1-11, receiving, from a base station, a sensing configuration associated with a sensing mode], by a network node [see fig. 20: Step “2005”, pg. 25, ¶276 lines 1-11, by a UE], a sensing operation to acquire a sensing result of the sensing operation [see fig. 20: Step “2005”, pg. 25, ¶276 lines 1-11, the sensing configuration indicating one or more parameter values that the UE is to use to perform sensing of objects within a detectable range of the UE, and the sensing configurating further indicating a format for providing a sensing report according to the sensing mode]; and
transmitting [see fig. 20: Step “2015”, pg. 25, ¶278 lines 1-8, transmitting], by the network node to a wireless communication node [see fig. 20: Step “2015”, pg. 25, ¶278 lines 1-8, by the UE, to the base station according to the sensing mode], the sensing result or information of one or more actions corresponding to the sensing result [see fig. 20: Step “2015”, pg. 25, ¶278 lines 1-8, a sensing report indicating information associated with the one or more sensing waveforms].
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to provide the sensing result or information transmitted “to a wireless communication node” as taught by Cheng in the system of He for allowing a UE to perform sensing operations according to a sensing configuration in an efficient manner [see Cheng, Abstract lines 1-13].
Regarding Claim 2,
The combined system of He and Cheng discloses the wireless communication method of claim 1.
He further discloses wherein the sensing operation is performed according to at least:
periodicity information [see fig. 7, pg. 9, ¶139 lines 1-16, the sensing status control word includes one or more types of the following information: whether the pan terminal has or enables a sensing function; a sensing function type, for example, one or more of a frequency band, a range, a transmit power, or a period].
Regarding Claim 3,
The combined system of He and Cheng discloses the wireless communication method of claim 1.
He further discloses wherein the sensing operation is performed periodically [see fig. 7, pg. 9, ¶139 lines 1-16, the sensing status control word includes one or more types of the following information: whether the pan terminal has or enables a sensing function; a sensing function type, for example, one or more of a frequency band, a range, a transmit power, or a period].
Regarding Claim 4,
The combined system of He and Cheng discloses the wireless communication method of claim 1.
He further discloses wherein the sensing operation is performed to sense a reference signal to obtain a cell identification and an interference level according to the reference signal [see fig. 7, pg. 9, ¶139 lines 1-16, the sensing status control word includes one or more types of the following information: … environment sensing result information such as channel information and/or interference information that has been obtained by the communication or the sensing …].
Regarding Claim 5,
He discloses the wireless communication method of claim 1.
He does not explicitly teach the sensing operation is performed to sense at least one of: “a Synchronization Signal/PBCH block (SSB), a Channel Status Information Reference Signal (CSI-RS) or a Sounding Reference Signal (SRS)”.
However Cheng discloses the sensing operation is performed to sense at least:
a Channel Status Information Reference Signal (CSI-RS) [see pg. 9, ¶99 lines 10-13, the base station “105” transmits a reference signal (e.g., a cell-specific reference signal (CRS), a channel state information reference signal (CSI-RS)), which is precoded or unprecoded].
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to provide the sensing operation is performed to sense at least one of: “a Synchronization Signal/PBCH block (SSB), a Channel Status Information Reference Signal (CSI-RS) or a Sounding Reference Signal (SRS)” as taught by Cheng in the system of He for the same motivation as set forth in claim 1.
Regarding Claim 6,
The combined system of He and Cheng discloses the wireless communication method of claim 1.
He further discloses wherein the sensing operation is an energy-based sensing operation [see fig. 7, pg. 9, ¶141 lines 1-9, after receiving the sensing status control word of the pan terminal, a sensing resource management center calculates collected information, for example, calculate transmit power suitable for a pan terminal to transmit a sensing signal …].
Regarding Claim 7,
The combined system of He and Cheng discloses the wireless communication method of claim 6.
He further discloses wherein the energy-based sensing is directional or omni-directional [see fig. 7, pg. 9, ¶144 lines 1-9, in a process of performing the environment sensing, the pan terminal receives the sensing signal in a monostatic, bistatic, or distributed networking mode].
Regarding Claim 8,
The combined system of He and Cheng discloses the wireless communication method of claim 1.
He further discloses wherein the sensing result comprises of:
an interference level [see fig. 7, pg. 9, ¶139 lines 1-16, a sensing status control word (including: … environment sensing result information such as channel information and/or interference information)].
Regarding Claim 9,
He discloses the wireless communication method of claim 1.
He does not explicitly teach “comparing, by the network node, the sensing result with one or more thresholds”; and “performing, by the network node, one or more actions according to the comparison result”.
However Cheng discloses comparing [see fig. 21: Step “2115”, pg. 25, ¶282 lines 1-4, determining], by the network node [see fig. 21: Step “2115”, pg. 25, ¶282 lines 1-4, by the UE], the sensing result with one or more thresholds [see fig. 21: Step “2115”, pg. 25, ¶282 lines 1-4, based on the one or more sensing waveforms, radio frequency signal metrics associated with an object]; and
performing [see fig. 21: Step “2120”, pg. 26, ¶283 lines 1-10, determining], by the network node [see fig. 21: Step “2120”, pg. 26, ¶283 lines 1-10, by the UE], one or more actions according to the comparison result [see fig. 21: Step “2120”, pg. 26, ¶283 lines 1-10, based on the radio frequency signal metrics associated with the object, one or more properties of the object, where the information associated with the one or more sensing waveforms indicated in the sensing report includes an indication of the one or more properties associated with the object].
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to provide “comparing, by the network node, the sensing result with one or more thresholds”; and “performing, by the network node, one or more actions according to the comparison result” as taught by Cheng in the system of He for the same motivation as set forth in claim 1.
Regarding Claim 10,
The combined system of He and Cheng discloses the wireless communication method of claim 1.
He further discloses receiving [see fig. 7, pg. 9, ¶142 lines 1-6, after completing the computation, receiving], by the network node from the wireless communication node [see fig. 7, pg. 9, ¶142 lines 1-6, by the pan terminal, from the sensing resource management center], one or more requested actions corresponding to the sensing result [see fig. 7, pg. 9, ¶142 lines 1-6, a sensing resource control word to the pan terminal through the communication resource, and the sensing resource control word includes information about a sensing resource allocated to the pan terminal]; and
performing [see fig. 7, pg. 9, ¶143 lines 1-7, after receiving the sensing resource control word, parsing], by the network node [see fig. 7, pg. 9, ¶143 lines 1-7, by the pan terminal], the one or more requested actions [see fig. 7, pg. 9, ¶143 lines 1-7, the information that is about the sensing resource allocated to the pan terminal and that is included in the sensing resource control word, to obtain the allocated sensing resource, and then the pan terminal performs environment sensing by using the allocated sensing resource].
Regarding Claim 12,
He discloses the wireless communication method of claim 1.
He does not explicitly teach “the sensing result or the information of one or more actions are transmitted via Uplink Control Information (UCI) in a Physical Uplink Control Channel (PUCCH) or a Physical Uplink Shared Channel (PUSCH)”.
However Cheng discloses the sensing result or the information of one or more actions are transmitted via Uplink Control Information (UCI) in a Physical Uplink Control Channel (PUCCH) or a Physical Uplink Shared Channel (PUSCH) [see pg. 19, ¶190 lines 1-9, the receiver receives information such as packets, user data, or control information associated with various information channels (e.g., control channels, data channels, and information related to sensing mode configuration for wireless sensing, etc.)].
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to provide “the sensing result or the information of one or more actions are transmitted via Uplink Control Information (UCI) in a Physical Uplink Control Channel (PUCCH) or a Physical Uplink Shared Channel (PUSCH)” as taught by Cheng in the system of He for the same motivation as set forth in claim 1.
Regarding Claim 14,
He discloses a wireless communication method [see fig. 7, pg. 9, ¶139 lines 1-16, a schematic interaction diagram of a sensing signal transmission method] comprising:
receiving [see fig. 7, pg. 9, ¶139 lines 1-16; ¶140 lines 1-5, the sensing status control word is sent by using a first message], from a network node [see fig. 7, pg. 9, ¶139 lines 1-16; ¶140 lines 1-5, from the pan terminal], a sensing result of a sensing operation or information of one or more actions corresponding to the sensing result [see fig. 7, pg. 9, ¶139 lines 1-16; ¶140 lines 1-5, the environment sensing result information such as channel information and/or interference information that has been obtained by the communication or the sensing; and whether the interference information includes offensive interference information].
Although He discloses receiving, from a network node, a sensing result of a sensing operation or information of one or more actions corresponding to the sensing result, He does not explicitly teach the sensing result or information received “by a wireless communication node”.
However Cheng discloses receiving [see fig. 20: Step “2015”, pg. 25, ¶278 lines 1-8, transmitting], by a wireless communication node from a network node [see fig. 20: Step “2015”, pg. 25, ¶278 lines 1-8, by a UE, to a base station according to a sensing mode], a sensing result of a sensing operation or information of one or more actions corresponding to the sensing result [see fig. 20: Step “2015”, pg. 25, ¶278 lines 1-8, a sensing report indicating information associated with the one or more sensing waveforms, upon the UE receiving, from the base station, a sensing configuration associated with the sensing mode].
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to provide the sensing result or information transmitted “to a wireless communication node” as taught by Cheng in the system of He for allowing a UE to perform sensing operations according to a sensing configuration in an efficient manner [see Cheng, Abstract lines 1-13].
Regarding Claim 15,
He discloses a wireless communication node [see fig. 15, pg. 14, ¶226 lines 1-11, a sensing signal transmission apparatus], comprising:
a communication unit [see fig. 15, pg. 14, ¶226 lines 1-11, a transceiver]; and
a processor configured to [see fig. 15, pg. 14, ¶226 lines 1-11, a processor implemented to]:
perform a sensing operation to acquire a sensing result of the sensing operation [see fig. 7, pg. 9, ¶139 lines 1-16, a pan terminal starting or periodically sending a sensing status control word (including: … environment sensing result information such as channel information and/or interference information that has been obtained by the communication or the sensing; and whether the interference information includes offensive interference information) by using a communication resource]; and
control the communication unit to transmit [see fig. 7, pg. 9, ¶139 lines 1-16; ¶140 lines 1-5, the sensing status control word is sent by using a first message], the sensing result or information of one or more actions corresponding to the sensing result [see fig. 7, pg. 9, ¶139 lines 1-16; ¶140 lines 1-5, the environment sensing result information such as channel information and/or interference information that has been obtained by the communication or the sensing; and whether the interference information includes offensive interference information].
Although He discloses transmitting, by the network node, the sensing result or information of one or more actions corresponding to the sensing result, He does not explicitly teach the sensing result or information transmitted “to a wireless communication node”.
However Cheng discloses perform a sensing operation to acquire a sensing result of the sensing operation [see fig. 20: Step “2005”, pg. 25, ¶276 lines 1-11, receiving, by a UE, from a base station, a sensing configuration associated with a sensing mode the sensing configuration indicating one or more parameter values that the UE is to use to perform sensing of objects within a detectable range of the UE, and the sensing configurating further indicating a format for providing a sensing report according to the sensing mode]; and
control the communication unit to transmit [see fig. 20: Step “2015”, pg. 25, ¶278 lines 1-8, transmitting], to a wireless communication node [see fig. 20: Step “2015”, pg. 25, ¶278 lines 1-8, by the UE, to the base station according to the sensing mode], the sensing result or information of one or more actions corresponding to the sensing result [see fig. 20: Step “2015”, pg. 25, ¶278 lines 1-8, a sensing report indicating information associated with the one or more sensing waveforms].
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to provide the sensing result or information transmitted “to a wireless communication node” as taught by Cheng in the system of He for allowing a UE to perform sensing operations according to a sensing configuration in an efficient manner [see Cheng, Abstract lines 1-13].
Regarding Claim 16,
The combined system of He and Cheng discloses the wireless communication node of claim 15.
He further discloses wherein the processor is configured to perform the sensing operation according to at least:
periodicity information [see fig. 7, pg. 9, ¶139 lines 1-16, the sensing status control word includes one or more types of the following information: whether the pan terminal has or enables a sensing function; a sensing function type, for example, one or more of a frequency band, a range, a transmit power, or a period].
Regarding Claim 17,
The combined system of He and Cheng discloses the wireless communication node of claim 15.
He further discloses wherein the processor is configured to perform the sensing operation periodically [see fig. 7, pg. 9, ¶139 lines 1-16, the sensing status control word includes one or more types of the following information: whether the pan terminal has or enables a sensing function; a sensing function type, for example, one or more of a frequency band, a range, a transmit power, or a period].
Regarding Claim 18,
The combined system of He and Cheng discloses the wireless communication node of claim 15.
He further discloses wherein the processor is configured to perform the sensing operation to sense a reference signal to obtain a cell identification and an interference level according to the reference signal [see fig. 7, pg. 9, ¶139 lines 1-16, the sensing status control word includes one or more types of the following information: … environment sensing result information such as channel information and/or interference information that has been obtained by the communication or the sensing …].
Regarding Claim 19,
He discloses the wireless communication node of claim 15.
He does not explicitly teach the processor is configured to perform the sensing operation to sense at least one of: “a Synchronization Signal/PBCH block (SSB), a Channel Status Information Reference Signal (CSI-RS) or a Sounding Reference Signal (SRS)”.
However Cheng discloses the sensing operation is performed to sense at least:
a Channel Status Information Reference Signal (CSI-RS) [see pg. 9, ¶99 lines 10-13, the base station “105” transmits a reference signal (e.g., a cell-specific reference signal (CRS), a channel state information reference signal (CSI-RS)), which is precoded or unprecoded].
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to provide the sensing operation is performed to sense at least one of: “a Synchronization Signal/PBCH block (SSB), a Channel Status Information Reference Signal (CSI-RS) or a Sounding Reference Signal (SRS)” as taught by Cheng in the system of He for the same motivation as set forth in claim 15.
Regarding Claim 20,
He discloses a non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising a program code stored thereupon [see fig. 15, pg. 14, ¶226 lines 1-11, a memory], the program code [see fig. 15, pg. 14, ¶226 lines 1-11, configured to store instructions], when executed by at least one processor [see fig. 15, pg. 14, ¶226 lines 1-11, during an implementation by a processor], causing the at least one processor to implement a wireless communication method [see fig. 7, pg. 9, ¶139 lines 1-16, of a sensing signal transmission method] comprising:
performing [see fig. 7, pg. 9, ¶139 lines 1-16, starting or periodically sending], in a network node [see fig. 7, pg. 9, ¶139 lines 1-16, from a pan terminal], a sensing operation to acquire a sensing result of the sensing operation [see fig. 7, pg. 9, ¶139 lines 1-16, a sensing status control word (including: … environment sensing result information such as channel information and/or interference information that has been obtained by the communication or the sensing; and whether the interference information includes offensive interference information) by using a communication resource]; and
transmitting [see fig. 7, pg. 9, ¶139 lines 1-16; ¶140 lines 1-5, the sensing status control word is sent by using a first message], from the network node [see fig. 7, pg. 9, ¶139 lines 1-16; ¶140 lines 1-5, from the pan terminal], the sensing result or information of one or more actions corresponding to the sensing result [see fig. 7, pg. 9, ¶139 lines 1-16; ¶140 lines 1-5, the environment sensing result information such as channel information and/or interference information that has been obtained by the communication or the sensing; and whether the interference information includes offensive interference information].
Although He discloses transmitting, from the network node, the sensing result or information of one or more actions corresponding to the sensing result, He does not explicitly teach the sensing result or information transmitted “to a wireless communication node”.
However Cheng discloses performing [see fig. 20: Step “2005”, pg. 25, ¶276 lines 1-11, receiving, from a base station, a sensing configuration associated with a sensing mode], in a network node [see fig. 20: Step “2005”, pg. 25, ¶276 lines 1-11, by a UE], a sensing operation to acquire a sensing result of the sensing operation [see fig. 20: Step “2005”, pg. 25, ¶276 lines 1-11, the sensing configuration indicating one or more parameter values that the UE is to use to perform sensing of objects within a detectable range of the UE, and the sensing configurating further indicating a format for providing a sensing report according to the sensing mode]; and
transmitting [see fig. 20: Step “2015”, pg. 25, ¶278 lines 1-8, transmitting], from the network node to a wireless communication node [see fig. 20: Step “2015”, pg. 25, ¶278 lines 1-8, by the UE, to the base station according to the sensing mode], the sensing result or information of one or more actions corresponding to the sensing result [see fig. 20: Step “2015”, pg. 25, ¶278 lines 1-8, a sensing report indicating information associated with the one or more sensing waveforms].
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to provide the sensing result or information transmitted “to a wireless communication node” as taught by Cheng in the system of He for allowing a UE to perform sensing operations according to a sensing configuration in an efficient manner [see Cheng, Abstract lines 1-13].
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 11 and 13 is/are objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
United States Patent Application Publication: TONG et al. (US 2024/0022927 A1); see fig. 24, pgs. 41-43, ¶619-¶645.
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/RUSHIL P. SAMPAT/Primary Examiner- TC 2400, Art Unit 2469