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 § 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.
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.
1. Claims 1-2, 4, 6-7, 11-12, 14, and 16-17 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Manolakos et al (2021/041522 hereinafter D3 found in IDS 8/11/2025) in view of Zheng et al (2023/0370222).
Regarding claims 1 and 11. D3 teaches a method and an apparatus comprising: an interface for transmitting and receiving signals (Figure 3A wherein UE comprises transceiver and processor); and a processor (Figure 3A wherein UE comprises transceiver and processor) coupled to the interface and configured to cause the apparatus to perform a method comprising:
receiving, from a network device: a configuration for a sensing reference signal (0102-0103 wherein network provides assistance data to the UE which includes identifiers of eNBs, reference signal configuration parameters, reference signal identifier, reference signal bandwidth and/or other parameters for sensing reference signals), the sensing reference signal comprising a plurality of spatial domain signals (figures 4-5 show several beams); and
a configuration for identifying at least two spatial domain signals among the plurality of spatial domain signals (0110 – beam index);
receiving the at least two spatial domain signals among the plurality of sensing reference signals (0111 – receive NLOS and LOS);
estimating at least one sensing measurement parameter for each of the at least two received spatial domain signals of among the plurality of spatial domain signals each of the at least one estimated sensing measurement parameter associated with the respective received spatial domain signal based on the received configuration for the sensing reference signal (0145 and 0177 – measurement report includes RSRP, time-based measurements (e.g., ToA, RSTD, etc.) and angle-based measurements (e.g., AoA)); and
transmitting, to the network device (0143-0144 – UE provides measurement report to the network):
D3 does not explicitly teach transmitting, to the network device: an indication of the at least one estimated sensing measurement parameter of each of the at least one received spatial domain signals; and an indication for associating each of the at least one estimated sensing measurement parameter with the respective received spatial domain signal.
Zheng teaches the network (figure 9A – network component comprising transceiver, memory and processor) providing assistance information to the UE (figure 9B – UE comprises transceiver, memory and processor) which includes beam information, the identity of the reference signal, repetition index, beam index information, angle information, etc. and the UE reports multiple identities of reference signals and/or multiple repetition indices (0024, 0027-0028, 0045, 0051) enabling for more accurate position determination (Zhen at 0003).
It would have been obvious for one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to modify D3 to include beam index and other beam information in the measurement report as taught by Zheng enabling for more accurate position determination (Zhen at 0003).
Regarding claims 6 and 16. D3 teaches a method and an apparatus comprising: an interface for transmitting and receiving signals (figure 3B wherein eNB comprises transceiver and processor, figure 3C wherein network entity comprises network interfaces and processing system); and a processor (figure 3B wherein eNB comprises transceiver and processor, figure 3C wherein network entity comprises network interfaces and processing system) coupled to the interface and configured to cause the apparatus to perform a method comprising:
transmitting, to a user equipment, a configuration for a sensing reference signal (0102-0103 wherein network provides assistance data to the UE which includes identifiers of eNBs, reference signal configuration parameters, reference signal identifier, reference signal bandwidth and/or other parameters for sensing reference signals), the sensing reference signal comprising a plurality of spatial domain signals (figures 4-5 show several beams, and the configuration for identifying at least two of the spatial domain signals (0110 – beam index);
transmitting (0145 and 0177) the at least two spatial domain signals of the sensing reference signal; and
receiving, from the user equipment 0143-0144 – UE provides measurement report to the network),
D3 does not explicitly teach an indication of at least one sensing measurement parameter for each of the at least two spatial domain signals of the sensing reference signal, and an indication for associating each of the at least one estimated sensing measurement parameter with the respective spatial domain signal, each of the at least one estimated sensing measurement parameter associated with the respective spatial domain signal based on the transmitted configuration for the sensing reference signal.
Zheng teaches the network (figure 9A – network component comprising transceiver, memory and processor) providing assistance information to the UE (figure 9B – UE comprises transceiver, memory and processor) which includes beam information, the identity of the reference signal, repetition index, beam index information, angle information, etc. and the UE reports multiple identities of reference signals and/or multiple repetition indices (0024, 0027-0028, 0045, 0051) enabling for more accurate position determination (Zhen at 0003).
It would have been obvious for one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to modify D3 to include beam index and other beam information in the measurement report as taught by Zheng enabling for more accurate position determination (Zhen at 0003).
Regarding claims 2, 7, 12 and 17. D3 teaches an arrival direction vector corresponding to an angle of arrival of the respective spatial domain signal; and a time of arrival of the respective spatial domain signal (0100, 0120, 0145, 0147 – AoA and ToA).
Zhen also teaches AoA (0025-0026, 0028) and ToA (0042).
Regarding claims 4 and 14. D3 teaches wherein estimating the at least one sensing measurement parameter comprises measuring a respective at least one parameter of the respective spatial domain signal (0048 – estimate the spatial receive parameter of the reference signal, 0074-0075, 0078 – channel estimates, 0096, 0099 – UE reports estimate time, the serving cell ID).
Zhen teaches wherein estimating the at least one sensing measurement parameter comprises measuring a respective at least one parameter of the respective spatial domain signal (0042).
2. Claims 3, 5, 8-9, 13, 15, 18 and 19 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over D3 in view of Zheng further in view of Aoyama et al (2002/0154616).
Regarding claims 3, 8, 13 and 18. D3 in view of Zheng do not teach wherein the at least one sensing measurement parameter comprises at least one of: a radial Doppler frequency for the arrival direction vector; and a complex coefficient for the arrival direction vector.
Aoyama teaches estimating the received radio wave direction of arrival and calculating a complex coefficient (hereinafter referred to as “weight”) for generating directionality for the received signals, and performing complex multiplication of weights (0086) and changes in the propagation environment tend to occur suddenly, and it is highly necessary to compensate for data-part phase shift using a dedicated pilot signal. The speed of movement of a UE can be estimated by measuring the maximum Doppler frequency (0108, 0114).
It would have been obvious for one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to modify D3 in view of Zheng use a complex coefficient and Doppler frequency as taught by Aoyama in order to provide for more accurate UE location determination.
Regarding claims 5, 9, 15 and 19. D3 in view of Zheng do not teach wherein the sensing reference signal comprises the plurality of spatial domain signals multiplexed in a code domain or multiplexed in a time domain.
Aoyama teaches estimating the received radio wave direction of arrival and calculating a complex coefficient (hereinafter referred to as “weight”) for generating directionality for the received signals, and performing complex multiplication of weights (0086) and changes in the propagation environment tend to occur suddenly, and it is highly necessary to compensate for data-part phase shift using a dedicated pilot signal. The speed of movement of a UE can be estimated by measuring the maximum Doppler frequency (0108, 0114).
Aoyama further teaches using a code multiplexer (abstract, 0005) and common pilot signal is embedded in each sub-slot by time multiplexing (0004). The eNB uses one of the 16 code-multiplexed data items as a dedicated pilot signal using a code multiplexer (0044) and by performing a path search using the dedicated pilot signal code-multiplexed in the data part, it is possible to prevent erroneous path detection (0050), as we as, to adequately compensate for phase shift of the data part even when a change of phase between the common pilot signal section and the data signal section is sudden (0053).
It would have been obvious for one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to modify D3 in view of Zheng use a code multiplexer as taught by Aoyama in order to prevent erroneous path detection thereby improving location determination, as we as, to adequately compensate for phase shift of the data part even when a change of phase between the common pilot signal section and the data signal section is sudden.
3. Claims 10 and 20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over D3 in view of Zheng further in view of Michalopoulos et al (2022/0173857).
Regarding claims 10 and 20. D3 in view of Zheng do not teach performing the method further comprising obtaining, based on a radio frequency map of the environment, a subspace for sensing the user equipment, the subspace comprising the at least two spatial domain signals of the plurality of spatial domain signals.
Michalopoulos teaches a radio map to subspace (figure 15, 0084) which enable for positioning-specific assistance measurements, and reporting the measurements to the network (0017) and in some examples, it may be possible to provide indication of, e.g., TRP index and indicate that the signal transmitted from a specific TRP index (0062).
It would have been obvious for one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective date to modify D3 in view of Zhen to use RF map to subspace as taught by Michalopoulos in order to provide for accurate UE location determination.
Conclusion
4. The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
---(2023/0319772) Alawich et al teaches UE measures and reports the measurements back to the network wherein the measurement report includes RSRP and beach indices (0061).
5. Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to BARRY W TAYLOR whose telephone number is (571)272-7509. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Thursday: 7-5.
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/BARRY W TAYLOR/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2646