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
Applicant’s claim for the benefit of a prior-filed application, Provisional Application 63526919 filed 7-14-23, under 35 U.S.C. 119(e) or under 35 U.S.C. 120, 121, 365(c), or 386(c) is acknowledged.
Information Disclosure Statement
These information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 3-5-24. The submission is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
Drawings
The drawings were received on 3-5-23. These drawings are acceptable.
Specification
The lengthy specification has not been checked to the extent necessary to determine the presence of all possible minor errors. Applicant’s cooperation is requested in correcting any errors of which applicant may become aware in the specification.
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.
(a)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claim(s) 1-3, 8-10 & 15-17 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1-2) as being anticipated by Zhou (US 2022/0029680 A1).
Regarding Claim 1.
A method comprising:
Step (a) — determining a beam measurement periodicity for beam reporting by a UE for use in beam tracking (Zhou discloses configuring and determining beam management/reporting periodicities (e.g., P1/P2/P3 and reporting schedules) for beam training, tracking, and CSI/SSB reporting. See ¶¶ [0052]-[0055], [0060]-[0063], [0096]-[0100], [0135]-[0139], describing beam management parameters and periodicities, including configurable reporting schedules and periodic measurement/reporting behavior );
Step (b) — performing beam tracking according to the beam measurement periodicity (Zhou teaches performing beam tracking and beam refinement (e.g., periodic CSI-RS/SSB measurements and associated beam selection/refinement operations) according to the configured periodicities. See Zhou ¶¶ [0097]-[0100], [0108]-[0110], [0167]);
Step (c) — adaptively increasing or decreasing the beam measurement periodicity based on information related to at least one of a UE measurement report, a current network state, a UE state, or previously observed network behavior (UE measurement report: Zhou uses UE-measured metrics (e.g., RSRP, SNR, best beam indices, and related reports) to drive beam management and reporting behavior (see ¶¶ [0096], [0138], [0167], [0171]). For UE state: Zhou discloses using UE mobility/power/motion-related state (e.g., speed/Doppler/movement profile/dwell time) to select faster or slower measurement/reporting periodicities (Zhou ¶¶ [0095], [0097]-[0100], [0171]). For previously observed network behavior: Zhou describes use of time-based traces such as Best SSB Time (BST), state residence time and/or historical statistics/site-specific learning to inform periodicity selection (Zhou ¶¶ [0102]-[0105], [0169]-[0171]). For current network state: Zhou describes configuring periodicity and reporting schedules in view of system overhead and load considerations and supports dynamic or event-triggered reporting (See ¶¶ [0052]-[0055], [0135]-[0139]). The claim requires adaptation based on at least one of the listed categories; Zhou supplies multiple categories (UE reports, UE state, observed behavior)); and
Step (d) — performing additional beam tracking according to the adaptively increased or decreased beam measurement periodicity (Zhou explicitly teaches continuing beam measurement, reporting and tracking operations after adjusting periodicities, i.e., operating beam tracking at the newly configured periodicity (See ¶¶ [0097]-[0100], [0112]-[0115], [0167], [0171])).
Regarding Claim 2. The method of claim 1, wherein the current network state comprises at least one of: current and previous RSRP measurement reports; a number of UEs on the network; and a traffic load on the network {For current network state: Zhou describes configuring periodicity and reporting schedules in view of system overhead and load considerations and supports dynamic or event-triggered reporting (See ¶¶ [0052]-[0055], [0135]-[0139])}.
Regarding Claim 3. The method of claim 1, wherein the UE state comprises at least one of: current and previous RSRP measurement reports of the UE; a UE battery level; a maximum UE power consumption level; an application type, a traffic demand, or a reliability requirement of an application executed by the UE; and a location, an orientation, a translational speed, or a rotational speed of the UE {For UE state: Zhou discloses using UE mobility/power/motion-related state (e.g., speed/Doppler/movement profile/dwell time) to select faster or slower measurement/reporting periodicities (Zhou ¶¶ [0095], [0097]-[0100], [0171])}.
Regarding Claim 8.
-Claim 8 is rejected with the same reasons as set forth in claim 1, and further as following:
A device {Zhou: Device 1005-Fig.10} comprising:
a transceiver {Zhou: Transceiver 1020-Fig.10}; and
a processor {Zhou: Processor 1040-Fig.10} operably connected to the transceiver, the processor configured to:
determine a beam measurement periodicity for beam reporting by a user equipment (UE) for use in beam tracking;
perform beam tracking according to the beam measurement periodicity;
adaptively increase or decrease the beam measurement periodicity based on information related to at least one of a UE measurement report, a current network state, a UE state, or a previously observed network behavior; and
perform additional beam tracking according to the adaptively increased or decreased beam measurement periodicity.
Regarding Claim 9. The device of claim 8, wherein the current network state comprises at least one of: current and previous RSRP measurement reports; a number of UEs on the network; and a traffic load on the network.
-Claim 9 is rejected with the same reasons as set forth in claims 1-2 & 8.
Regarding Claim 10. The device of claim 8, wherein the UE state comprises at least one of: current and previous RSRP measurement reports of the UE; a UE battery level; a maximum UE power consumption level; an application type, a traffic demand, or a reliability requirement of an application executed by the UE; and a location, an orientation, a translational speed, or a rotational speed of the UE.
-Claim 10 is rejected with the same reasons as set forth in claims 1, 3 & 8.
Regarding Claim 15.
-Claim 15 is rejected with the same reasons as set forth in claims 1 & 8, and further as following:
A non-transitory computer readable medium {Zhou: Memory 1030-Fig.10 & ¶0148-¶0150, e.g. ¶0149 wherein “The processor 1040 may be configured to execute computer-readable instructions stored in a memory (e.g., the memory 1030) to cause the device 1005 to perform various functions (e.g., functions or tasks supporting beam switch related information feedback in wireless communications)”} comprising program code that, when executed by a processor of a device, causes the device to:
determine a beam measurement periodicity for beam reporting by a user equipment (UE) for use in beam tracking; perform beam tracking according to the beam measurement periodicity;
adaptively increase or decrease the beam measurement periodicity based on information related to at least one of a UE measurement report, a current network state, a UE state, or a previously observed network behavior; and
perform additional beam tracking according to the adaptively increased or decreased beam measurement periodicity.
Regarding Claim 16. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 15, wherein the current network state comprises at least one of: current and previous RSRP measurement reports; a number of UEs on the network; and a traffic load on the network.
-Claim 16 is rejected with the same reasons as set forth in claims 1-2, 8-9 & 15.
Regarding Claim 17. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 15, wherein the UE state comprises at least one of: current and previous RSRP measurement reports of the UE; a UE battery level; a maximum UE power consumption level; an application type, a traffic demand, or a reliability requirement of an application executed by the UE; and a location, an orientation, a translational speed, or a rotational speed of the UE.
-Claim 17 is rejected with the same reasons as set forth in claims 1, 3, 8, 10 & 15.
Claim(s) 1, 3, 8, 10 & 15, 17 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1-2) as being anticipated by Zhu (US 2025/0203420 A1).
Regarding Claim 1.
A method comprising:
Determining a beam measurement periodicity for beam reporting by a UE for use in beam tracking (Zhu discloses selecting and configuring the measurement/reporting rate (periodicity) for beam measurement and beam tracking. Zhu describes mechanisms by which the UE (or network) changes measurement/reporting periodicity in response to detected conditions and configures the UE to perform measurements at the selected rate. See Zhu ¶¶ [0060]–[0066], which describe selecting measurement rates and switching to a fastest rate upon motion detection, and ¶¶ [0110]–[0115] describing configuration of measurement/reporting behavior;
Performing beam tracking according to the beam measurement periodicity (Zhu teaches performing beam measurement and tracking operations at the selected periodicity. The reference describes that, after selecting a measurement rate, the device conducts beam measurements (e.g., reference-signal based or other beam-quality measures) and uses those measurements to perform beam selection/tracking. See Zhu ¶¶ [0063]–[0066], [0112]–[0115]);
Adaptively increasing or decreasing the beam measurement periodicity based on information related to at least one of a UE measurement report, a current network state, a UE state, or a previously observed network behavior (UE measurement report: Zhu uses beam measurement values and the dynamics of those measurements (e.g., measured signal metrics, rate of change) to guide adjustments to measurement/reporting periodicity. See Zhu ¶¶ [0063]–[0066], [0122]. UE state: Zhu explicitly uses UE motion/IMU-based motion detection (i.e., UE state information) to switch measurement periodicity: when motion is detected the system switches to faster periodicity; when stable the system reduces measurement rate. See Zhu ¶¶ [0060]–[0066], [0069]–[0071]. Previously observed network/measurement behavior: Zhu teaches using the rate-of-change or past dynamics of beam measurements to converge or adjust the measurement periodicity, effectively relying on previously observed measurement behavior to adapt periodicity. See Zhu ¶¶ [0063]–[0066], [0122]]); and
Performing additional beam tracking according to the adaptively increased or decreased beam measurement periodicity (Zhu discloses continuing beam measurement/tracking after changing the measurement/reporting periodicity, i.e., the measurement schedule and tracking are performed at the new selected periodicity. See Zhu ¶¶ [0063]–[0066], [0112]–[0115]).
Regarding Claim 3. The method of claim 1, wherein the UE state comprises at least one of: current and previous RSRP measurement reports of the UE; a UE battery level; a maximum UE power consumption level; an application type, a traffic demand, or a reliability requirement of an application executed by the UE; and a location, an orientation, a translational speed, or a rotational speed of the UE {For UE state: Zhu explicitly uses UE motion/IMU-based motion detection (i.e., UE state information) to switch measurement periodicity: when motion is detected the system switches to faster periodicity; when stable the system reduces measurement rate. See Zhu ¶¶ [0060]–[0066], [0069]–[0071]}.
Regarding Claim 8.
-Claim 8 is rejected with the same reasons as set forth in claim 1, and further as following:
A device {Zhu: Device 805-Fig.8} comprising:
a transceiver {Zhu: Transceiver 815-Fig.8}; and
a processor {Zhu: Processor 840-Fig.8} operably connected to the transceiver, the processor configured to:
determine a beam measurement periodicity for beam reporting by a user equipment (UE) for use in beam tracking;
perform beam tracking according to the beam measurement periodicity;
adaptively increase or decrease the beam measurement periodicity based on information related to at least one of a UE measurement report, a current network state, a UE state, or a previously observed network behavior; and
perform additional beam tracking according to the adaptively increased or decreased beam measurement periodicity.
Regarding Claim 10. The device of claim 8, wherein the UE state comprises at least one of: current and previous RSRP measurement reports of the UE; a UE battery level; a maximum UE power consumption level; an application type, a traffic demand, or a reliability requirement of an application executed by the UE; and a location, an orientation, a translational speed, or a rotational speed of the UE.
-Claim 10 is rejected with the same reasons as set forth in claims 1, 3 & 8.
Regarding Claim 15.
-Claim 15 is rejected with the same reasons as set forth in claims 1 & 8, and further as following:
A non-transitory computer readable medium {Zhu: Memory 830-Fig.8 & ¶0095-¶0096 & ¶0099, e.g. ¶0096 wherein “The processor 840 may be configured to execute computer-readable instructions stored in a memory (e.g., the memory 830) to cause the device 805 to perform various functions (e.g., functions or tasks supporting beam switch related information feedback in wireless communications)”} comprising program code that, when executed by a processor of a device, causes the device to:
determine a beam measurement periodicity for beam reporting by a user equipment (UE) for use in beam tracking; perform beam tracking according to the beam measurement periodicity;
adaptively increase or decrease the beam measurement periodicity based on information related to at least one of a UE measurement report, a current network state, a UE state, or a previously observed network behavior; and
perform additional beam tracking according to the adaptively increased or decreased beam measurement periodicity.
Regarding Claim 17. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 15, wherein the UE state comprises at least one of: current and previous RSRP measurement reports of the UE; a UE battery level; a maximum UE power consumption level; an application type, a traffic demand, or a reliability requirement of an application executed by the UE; and a location, an orientation, a translational speed, or a rotational speed of the UE.
-Claim 17 is rejected with the same reasons as set forth in claims 1, 3, 8, 10 & 15.
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.
Claim(s) 2, 9 & 16 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Zhu (US 20250203420 A1) in view of Zhou (US 20220029680 A1).
Regarding Claim 2. With the same reasons as set forth in the method of claim 1, Zhu does not explicitly disclose wherein the current network state comprises at least one of: current and previous RSRP measurement reports; a number of UEs on the network; and a traffic load on the network.
However, in the same field of endeavor, Zhou (US 20220029680 A1) disclose wherein the current network state comprises at least one of: current and previous RSRP measurement reports; a number of UEs on the network; and a traffic load on the network {For current network state: Zhou describes configuring periodicity and reporting schedules in view of system overhead and load considerations and supports dynamic or event-triggered reporting (See ¶¶ [0052]-[0055], [0135]-[0139])}. Therefore, it would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a person having ordinary skill in the art to Zhou’s teaching to Zhu’s system with the motivation being to “allow the base station to provide beam management periodicity that supports a beam switch periodicity of the UE”{Zhou: ¶0053} and to “allow the base station to more quickly adapt the beam management periodicity so beam switching can be performed”{Zhou: ¶0054}.
Regarding Claim 9. The device of claim 8, wherein the current network state comprises at least one of: current and previous RSRP measurement reports; a number of UEs on the network; and a traffic load on the network.
-Claim 9 is rejected with the same reasons as set forth in claims 1-2 & 8.
Regarding Claim 16. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 15, wherein the current network state comprises at least one of: current and previous RSRP measurement reports; a number of UEs on the network; and a traffic load on the network.
-Claim 16 is rejected with the same reasons as set forth in claims 1-2, 8-9 & 15.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 4-7, 11-14 & 18-20 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 prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Khan Beigi (US 20250300799 A1) discloses procedures, methods, architectures, apparatuses, systems, devices, and computer program products for joint beam management. A first wireless transmit-receive unit, WTRU, may be subject to radio signal interference caused by a second WTRU. The first WTRU may receive, from a network node, information relative to measurement configuration and measurement configuration and reporting configuration for at least one channel quality reference signal received by the first WTRU from the second WTRU. The first WTRU may determine channel quality per WTRU panel/beam index and per the at least one channel quality reference signal received by the first WTRU from the second WTRU according to the measurement configuration received. The first WTRU may report, to the network node, channel state information based on the determined channel quality, according to the reporting configuration received. The network node may then instruct, for example, the second WTRU to avoid transmitting in the direction of the first WTRU {Figs.1-14}.
Yuan (US 20240187079 A1) discloses wireless communication. In some aspects, a user equipment (UE) may receive an indication that beam switching without an explicit beam indication or activation is allowed. The UE may transmit a channel state information (CSI) report identifying a selected beam. The UE may selectively switch to the selected beam in accordance with the indication {Figs.1-7}.
Yoo (US 20170033854 A1, same assignee) discloses a method and an apparatus for tracking an uplink beam in a beamforming-based cellular system are disclosed. A method for a terminal comprises the steps of: transmitting, to a serving base station, a measurement report containing signal qualities of the serving base station and neighboring base stations; receiving, from the serving base station, uplink beam tracking information of at least one beam tracking target base station; transmitting an uplink beam training signal for the beam tracking target base station, on the basis of the uplink beam tracking information; and receiving, from the serving base station, information on an optimum terminal transmission beam of the beam tracking target base station, and storing the received information {Claims 1-18}.
Wang (CN 121367525 A) provides a communication method. The device and system, relating to the technical field of communication, the terminal device can predict the obtained behaviour state of the terminal device and/or the suggested candidate transmission beam information under the behaviour state, realizing the beam management of the terminal device and the network device, so as to save time frequency resource and signalling overhead. The invention improves the frequency spectrum efficiency and reduces the time delay. The method is applied to a terminal device, and comprises: predicting to obtain the first information. The first information is used to indicate at least one of the following: a target behaviour state in which the terminal device is located, and a candidate transmission beam suggested by the terminal device in the target behaviour state; the target behaviour state comprises habitual behaviour state or non-habitual behaviour state. The first information is sent to the network device {Figs.1-13}.
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/PHUONGCHAU BA NGUYEN/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2464