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 .
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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)(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.
Claims 1, 3-4, 6, 8-9, 13, 15, 17, and 19 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Lee et al. (US 2009/0307562 A1; hereinafter Lee).
Regarding claims 1, 6, and 19, Lee teaches a method performed by a receiving device of a communication system (Fig. 4B, element 50 receiver; ¶ [0002] Receiving transmission on a radio channel in a wireless communication system.; ¶ [0053] The receiver comprises an antenna receiving signals.),
the method comprising:
obtaining, by the receiving device, a first sequence (read as data sequence) based on a received signal (Fig. 4B, element 53 digital demodulation module; ¶ [0053] The receiver comprises an antenna receiving signals and a digital demodulation module recovering data sequence by demapping the symbols.);
comparing, by the receiving device, a length of the first sequence with an operating unit (¶ [0058] The received data sequence of 5 bits are a’1, a’3, a’5, a’6, a’11. The repetition/puncturing module of the receiver recovers the original 12 bits of data sequence.);
when the length of the first sequence is less than the operating unit, generating, by the receiving device, a second sequence based on the first sequence (¶ [0058] Recovers the original 12 bits of data sequence by filling the punctured position with ‘0’.); and
performing, by the receiving device, decoding based on the second sequence, wherein the length of the second sequence (read as recovered 12-bit sequence) is greater than or equal to the operating unit (Fig. 4B; element 54 repetition/puncturing recovery module, element 55 LDPC decoding module; ¶ [0058] Recovers the original 12 bits of data sequence. The LDPC decoding module decodes the data sequence outputted from the repetition/puncturing recovery module.).
Regarding claims 3 and 8, Lee teaches wherein the length of the second sequence is a multiple of a modulation order, being greater than or equal to the operating unit (¶ [0014] Radio resources necessary for data transmission are allocated in the unit of a sub-channel.; ¶ [0016] The ‘n’ which is the size of a codeword to be transmitted should be integer times of the size of the sub-channel.; ¶ [0017] The size of data to be transmitted on one sub-channel is (the number of sub-channelsx2) in case of QPSK, (the number of sub-channelsx4) in case of 16-QAM, and (the number of sub-channelsx6) in case of 64-QAM.).
Regarding claims 4 and 9, Lee teaches wherein the second sequence is generated to further include a predetermined number of elements having a value of 0 in elements of the first sequence (¶ [0058] The bottom seven bits will be punctured. The receiver recovers the original 12 bits of data sequence by filling the punctured position with ‘0’.), and
wherein the predetermined number of elements is a difference between the length of the second sequence and the length of the first sequence (¶ [0048] When the size of the codeword is ‘n’ bits and the size of the transmission channel is ‘t’ bits where n>t. Puncturing (n-t) number of bits.).
Regarding claims 11 and 15, Lee teaches a method performed by a transmitting device of a communication system (Fig. 4A, element 40 transmitter; ¶ [0002] A transmitting side performs a channel coding process for data to be transmitted to a received side for diminishing loss or distortion during transmission on a radio channel in a wireless communication system.; ¶ [0037] The transmitter.),
the method comprising:
identifying, by the transmitting device, a length of a bit sequence for performing transmission (¶ [0041] The size of the transmission channel means a data size which can be transmitted at a time and can be determined based on a digital modulation scheme used in the OFDM system, the number of allocated sub-channels.);
comparing, by the transmitting device, the length of the bit sequence for performing the transmission with an operating unit (¶ [0040] When the size of the codeword is smaller than the size of the transmission channel and when the size of the codeword is greater than the size of the transmission channel.);
when the length of the bit sequence for performing the transmission is less than the operating unit, generating, by the transmitting device, a second bit sequence (read as n bit codeword) having a length greater than or equal to the operating unit (¶ [0037] LDPC coding module encoding source data by using LDPC coding, a repetition/puncturing module adjusting size of codeword outputted from the LDPC coding module to be matched to a size of a transmission channel.; ¶ [0040] Adjusts ‘n’ bits of the codeword outputted from the LDPC coding module when the size of the codeword is smaller or greater than the size of the transmission channel.);
generating, by the transmitting device, a first bit sequence having the length of the bit sequence for performing the transmission, based on the second bit sequence (¶ [0048] Where n>t, the size should be adjusted to be matched to the size of the transmission channel.); and
transmitting, by the transmitting device, a signal based on the first bit sequence (¶ [0037] A digital modulation module mapping data bits outputted form the repetition/puncturing module.
Regarding claims 13 and 17, Lee teaches wherein the length of the second bit sequence is a multiple of a modulation order, being greater than or equal to the operating unit (¶ [0014] Allocated in the unit of a sub-channel.; ¶ [0016] Integer times of the size of the sub-channel.; ¶ [0017] The size of data to be transmitted on one sub-channel is (the number of sub-channelsx2) in case of QPSK, (the number of sub-channelsx4) in case of 16-QAM, and (the number of sub-channelsx6) in case of 64-QAM.).
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, 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.
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 2, 7, 12, 16, and 20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Lee in view of Kim et al. (US 2019/0229751 A1; hereinafter Kim).
Regarding claims 2 and 7, Lee does not explicitly teach wherein the operating unit is determined based on a lifting size.
In analogous art, Kim teaches wherein the operating unit is determined based on a lifting size (¶ [0111] After interleaving in a unit of a lifting size Q is performed for a parity block.).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine LDPC code rate matching taught by Kim with matching codeword size as taught by Lee. One would have been motivated to do so in order to improve reliability and resource utilization by selecting and rate-matching LDPC codewords using Kim’s lifting size based processing while applying Lee’s codeword size matching to ensure the transmitted sequence length aligns with the required operating unit (Kim: ¶¶ [0006]-[0008] and ¶ [0010]).
Regarding claims 12 and 16, Lee does not explicitly teach wherein the generating of the second bit sequence comprises: performing rate-matching based on the length of the second bit sequence; and performing bit interleaving based on the length of the second bit sequence.
In analogous art, Kim teaches wherein the generating of the second bit sequence comprises:
performing rate-matching based on the length of the second bit sequence (¶ [0167] The interleaved parity block may be punctured until it reaches the target codeword length or the target code rate.); and
performing bit interleaving based on the length of the second bit sequence (¶ [0164] The first lifting value may be determined based on a length of a target code block.; ¶ [0167] The parity block may be interleaved in a unit corresponding to the first lifting value.).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine LDPC code rate matching taught by Kim with matching codeword size as taught by Lee. One would have been motivated to do so in order to improve reliability and resource utilization by selecting and rate-matching LDPC codewords using Kim’s lifting size based processing while applying Lee’s codeword size matching to ensure the transmitted sequence length aligns with the required operating unit (Kim: ¶¶ [0006]-[0008] and ¶ [0010]).
Regarding claim 20, Lee teaches wherein the length of the second sequence is a multiple of a modulation order, being greater than or equal to the operating unit (¶ [0014] Radio resources necessary for data transmission are allocated in the unit of a sub-channel.; ¶ [0016] The ‘n’ which is the size of a codeword to be transmitted should be integer times of the size of the sub-channel.; ¶ [0017] The size of data to be transmitted on one sub-channel is (the number of sub-channelsx2) in case of QPSK, (the number of sub-channelsx4) in case of 16-QAM, and (the number of sub-channelsx6) in case of 64-QAM.),
wherein the second sequence is generated to further include a predetermined number of elements having a value of 0 in elements of the first sequence (¶ [0058] The bottom seven bits will be punctured. The receiver recovers the original 12 bits of data sequence by filling the punctured position with ‘0’.), and
wherein the predetermined number of elements is a difference between the length of the second sequence and the length of the first sequence (¶ [0048] When the size of the codeword is ‘n’ bits and the size of the transmission channel is ‘t’ bits where n>t. Puncturing (n-t) number of bits.).
Lee does not explicitly teach wherein the operating unit is determined based on a lifting size.
In analogous art, Kim teaches wherein the operating unit is determined based on a lifting size (¶ [0111] After interleaving in a unit of a lifting size Q is performed for a parity block.).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine LDPC code rate matching taught by Kim with matching codeword size as taught by Lee. One would have been motivated to do so in order to improve reliability and resource utilization by selecting and rate-matching LDPC codewords using Kim’s lifting size based processing while applying Lee’s codeword size matching to ensure the transmitted sequence length aligns with the required operating unit (Kim: ¶¶ [0006]-[0008] and ¶ [0010]).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 5, 10, 14, and 18 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.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Jang et al. (EP 3625887 B1) discloses “Method and Apparatus of Rate-Matching for Communication and Broadcasting Systems”
Li et al. (US 2020/0212937 A1) discloses “Methods and Apparatus for Processing LDPC Coded Data”
Ma et al. (US 2020/0403636 A1) discloses “Method and Apparatus for Low Density Parity Check Channel Coding in Wireless Communication System”
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to DAVID M KAYAL whose telephone number is (703)756-4576. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 8:30-5:30 ET.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Ricky Ngo can be reached at 571-272-3139. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/D.M.K./Examiner, Art Unit 2464
/RICKY Q NGO/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2464