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.
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.
Claim(s) 1 - 4, and 7 - 14 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Qian, U.S. Patent Publication No. 2017/0187504 in view of Ranjbar, et. al., Cell-Free MMIMO support in the O-RAN architecture: A PHY layer perspective for 5G and Beyond Networks (hereinafter, Ranjbar).
Qian teaches a method of reducing interference in a wireless communications network. Qian does not teach an O-RAN architecture. Ranjbar teaches utilizing an O-RAN architecture. It would have been obvious to one skilled in the art at the time of filing to modify the teachings of Qian to incorporate the known technique of utilizing an O-RAN architecture as taught by Ranjbar in order to obtain the predictable result of utilizing a modern network design.
The combination teaches:
1. A control device that functions as a RAN Intelligent Controller (RIC) in an Open-Radio Access Network (O-RAN) (in O-RAN architecture, the next generation radio access network (NG-RAN) is disaggregated into O-RAN central unit (O-CU), O-RAN distributed unit (O-DU) and O-RAN radio unit (O-RU), multiple O-CUs and O-Dus are connected to the near-real time ran intelligent controller (Near-RT RIC) for centralized NG-RAN performance control (Ranjbar, p.3), the control device comprising:
one or more processors; and
one or more memories that store a computer-readable instruction for causing, when executed by the one or more processors (central node provides pilot pattern information on multiple cell partitions included in a cell, preferably the central node is a management device for managing multiple cells, [0064], Qian), the one or more processors to function as:
an identification unit configured to identify a plurality of antennas that are expected to receive a signal transmitted from a terminal device with at least a predetermined power, based on a location of the terminal device (an apparatus for wireless communication comprising a location determining unit to determine a cell partition corresponding to a geographical location of a communication device wherein each cell comprises a plurality of cell partitions, claim 1, Qian); and
a notification unit configured to notify, among O-RAN Distributed Units (O-DUs) connected to the plurality of antennas, a first O-DU that executes communication processing for the terminal device and a second O-DU that executes communication processing for another terminal device interfered by a signal transmitted from the terminal device of setting information regarding pilot symbols transmitted from the terminal device (a pilot determining unit configured to determine an uplink pilot sequence corresponding to the cell partition as an uplink pilot sequence of the communications device, a receiving unit configured to receive information indicating the geographical location transmitted by the communication device, a transmitting unit configured to transmit indicating information of the uplink pilot sequence to the communication device via a dedicated control signaling to allocate the uplink pilot sequence to the communication device wherein adjacent cell partitions are corresponding to different uplink pilot sequences, the receiving unit is further configured to receive a signal carrying a first uplink pilot sequence, claims 1 – 3, Qian).
2. The control device according to claim 1, wherein the setting information includes information that makes it possible to identify a pilot symbol sequence transmitted from the terminal device (claims 1 – 3, Qian).
3. The control device according to claim 2, wherein the setting information includes information that makes it possible to identify frequency and time resources used when the pilot symbol sequence is transmitted from the terminal device (pilot pattern generating unit regenerates a pilot pattern in a case that the dividing for the cell changes, [0105], Qian).
4. The control device according to claim 2, wherein the setting information includes information that makes it possible to identify transmission power at a time when the pilot symbol sequence is transmitted from the terminal device (this is inherent in the system for measuring interference as described by Ranjbar).
7. A processing device that functions as an O-RAN Distributed Unit (O-DU) connected to one or more antennas to perform radio communication with a terminal device in an Open-Radio Access Network (O-RAN) (in O-RAN architecture, the next generation radio access network (NG-RAN) is disaggregated into O-RAN central unit (O-CU), O-RAN distributed unit (O-DU) and O-RAN radio unit (O-RU), multiple O-CUs and O-Dus are connected to the near-real time ran intelligent controller (Near-RT RIC) for centralized NG-RAN performance control (Ranjbar, p.3), the processing device comprising:
one or more processors; and
one or more memories that store a computer-readable instruction for causing, when executed by the one or more processors, the one or more processors to function as:
a receiving unit configured to receive setting information regarding pilot symbols transmitted from the terminal device from a control device that functions as a RAN Intelligent Controller (RIC) (central node provides pilot pattern information on multiple cell partitions included in a cell, preferably the central node is a management device for managing multiple cells, [0064], Qian);
an estimation unit configured to estimate a transmission path between the terminal device and at least a portion of the one or more antennas based on the received setting information (an apparatus for wireless communication comprising a location determining unit to determine a cell partition corresponding to a geographical location of a communication device wherein each cell comprises a plurality of cell partitions, claim 1, Qian); and
an execution unit configured to execute communication processing for a terminal device other than the terminal device by using a result of the transmission path estimation (a pilot determining unit configured to determine an uplink pilot sequence corresponding to the cell partition as an uplink pilot sequence of the communications device, a receiving unit configured to receive information indicating the geographical location transmitted by the communication device, a transmitting unit configured to transmit indicating information of the uplink pilot sequence to the communication device via a dedicated control signaling to allocate the uplink pilot sequence to the communication device wherein adjacent cell partitions are corresponding to different uplink pilot sequences, the receiving unit is further configured to receive a signal carrying a first uplink pilot sequence, claims 1 – 3, Qian).
8. The processing device according to claim 7, wherein the setting information includes information that makes it possible to identify a pilot symbol sequence transmitted from the terminal device (claims 1 – 3, Qian).
9. The processing device according to claim 8, wherein the setting information includes information that makes it possible to identify frequency and time resources used when the pilot symbol sequence is transmitted from the terminal device (pilot pattern generating unit regenerates a pilot pattern in a case that the dividing for the cell changes, [0105], Qian).
10. The processing device according to claim 8, wherein the setting information includes information that makes it possible to identify transmission power at a time when the pilot symbol sequence is transmitted from the terminal device (this is inherent in the system for measuring interference as described by Ranjbar).
11. A control method to be executed by a control device that functions as a RAN Intelligent Controller (RIC) in an Open-Radio Access Network (O-RAN) (in O-RAN architecture, the next generation radio access network (NG-RAN) is disaggregated into O-RAN central unit (O-CU), O-RAN distributed unit (O-DU) and O-RAN radio unit (O-RU), multiple O-CUs and O-Dus are connected to the near-real time ran intelligent controller (Near-RT RIC) for centralized NG-RAN performance control (Ranjbar, p.3), the method comprising:
identifying a plurality of antennas that are expected to receive a signal transmitted from a terminal device with at least a predetermined power, based on a location of the terminal device (central node provides pilot pattern information on multiple cell partitions included in a cell, preferably the central node is a management device for managing multiple cells, [0064], Qian); and
notifying, among O-RAN Distributed Units (O-DUs) connected to the plurality of antennas, a first O-DU that executes communication processing for the terminal device (an apparatus for wireless communication comprising a location determining unit to determine a cell partition corresponding to a geographical location of a communication device wherein each cell comprises a plurality of cell partitions, claim 1, Qian) and a second O-DU that executes communication processing for another terminal device interfered by a signal transmitted from the terminal device of setting information regarding pilot symbols transmitted from the terminal device (a pilot determining unit configured to determine an uplink pilot sequence corresponding to the cell partition as an uplink pilot sequence of the communications device, a receiving unit configured to receive information indicating the geographical location transmitted by the communication device, a transmitting unit configured to transmit indicating information of the uplink pilot sequence to the communication device via a dedicated control signaling to allocate the uplink pilot sequence to the communication device wherein adjacent cell partitions are corresponding to different uplink pilot sequences, the receiving unit is further configured to receive a signal carrying a first uplink pilot sequence, claims 1 – 3, Qian).
12. A processing method to be executed by a processing device that functions as an O-RAN Distributed Unit (O-DU) connected to one or more antennas to perform radio communication with a terminal device in an Open-Radio Access Network (O-RAN) (in O-RAN architecture, the next generation radio access network (NG-RAN) is disaggregated into O-RAN central unit (O-CU), O-RAN distributed unit (O-DU) and O-RAN radio unit (O-RU), multiple O-CUs and O-Dus are connected to the near-real time ran intelligent controller (Near-RT RIC) for centralized NG-RAN performance control, Ranjbar, p.3), the method comprising:
receiving setting information regarding pilot symbols transmitted from the terminal device from a control device that functions as a RAN Intelligent Controller (RIC) (an apparatus for wireless communication comprising a location determining unit to determine a cell partition corresponding to a geographical location of a communication device wherein each cell comprises a plurality of cell partitions, claim 1, Qian);
estimating a transmission path between the terminal device and at least a portion of the one or more antennas based on the received setting information (an apparatus for wireless communication comprising a location determining unit to determine a cell partition corresponding to a geographical location of a communication device wherein each cell comprises a plurality of cell partitions, claim 1, Qian); and
executing communication processing for a terminal device other than the terminal device by using a result of the transmission path estimation (a pilot determining unit configured to determine an uplink pilot sequence corresponding to the cell partition as an uplink pilot sequence of the communications device, a receiving unit configured to receive information indicating the geographical location transmitted by the communication device, a transmitting unit configured to transmit indicating information of the uplink pilot sequence to the communication device via a dedicated control signaling to allocate the uplink pilot sequence to the communication device wherein adjacent cell partitions are corresponding to different uplink pilot sequences, the receiving unit is further configured to receive a signal carrying a first uplink pilot sequence, claims 1 – 3, Qian).
13. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium that stores a program for causing a computer included in a control device, which functions as a RAN Intelligent Controller (RIC) in an Open-Radio Access Network (O-RAN) (in O-RAN architecture, the next generation radio access network (NG-RAN) is disaggregated into O-RAN central unit (O-CU), O-RAN distributed unit (O-DU) and O-RAN radio unit (O-RU), multiple O-CUs and O-Dus are connected to the near-real time ran intelligent controller (Near-RT RIC) for centralized NG-RAN performance control, Ranjbar, p.3), to:
identify a plurality of antennas that are expected to receive a signal transmitted from a terminal device with at least a predetermined power, based on a location of the terminal device (central node provides pilot pattern information on multiple cell partitions included in a cell, preferably the central node is a management device for managing multiple cells, [0064], Qian); and
notify, among O-RAN Distributed Units (O-DUs) connected to the plurality of antennas, a first O-DU that executes communication processing for the terminal device (an apparatus for wireless communication comprising a location determining unit to determine a cell partition corresponding to a geographical location of a communication device wherein each cell comprises a plurality of cell partitions, claim 1, Qian) and a second O-DU that executes communication processing for another terminal device interfered by a signal transmitted from the terminal device of setting information regarding pilot symbols transmitted from the terminal device (a pilot determining unit configured to determine an uplink pilot sequence corresponding to the cell partition as an uplink pilot sequence of the communications device, a receiving unit configured to receive information indicating the geographical location transmitted by the communication device, a transmitting unit configured to transmit indicating information of the uplink pilot sequence to the communication device via a dedicated control signaling to allocate the uplink pilot sequence to the communication device wherein adjacent cell partitions are corresponding to different uplink pilot sequences, the receiving unit is further configured to receive a signal carrying a first uplink pilot sequence, claims 1 – 3, Qian).
14. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium that stores a program for causing a computer included in a processing device, which functions as an O-RAN Distributed Unit (O-DU) connected to one or more antennas to perform radio communication with a terminal device in an Open-Radio Access Network (O-RAN) (in O-RAN architecture, the next generation radio access network (NG-RAN) is disaggregated into O-RAN central unit (O-CU), O-RAN distributed unit (O-DU) and O-RAN radio unit (O-RU), multiple O-CUs and O-Dus are connected to the near-real time ran intelligent controller (Near-RT RIC) for centralized NG-RAN performance control, Ranjbar, p.3), to:
receive setting information regarding pilot symbols transmitted from the terminal device from a control device that functions as a RAN Intelligent Controller (RIC) (an apparatus for wireless communication comprising a location determining unit to determine a cell partition corresponding to a geographical location of a communication device wherein each cell comprises a plurality of cell partitions, claim 1, Qian);
estimate a transmission path between the terminal device and at least a portion of the one or more antennas based on the received setting information (an apparatus for wireless communication comprising a location determining unit to determine a cell partition corresponding to a geographical location of a communication device wherein each cell comprises a plurality of cell partitions, claim 1, Qian); and
execute communication processing for a terminal device other than the terminal device by using a result of the transmission path estimation (a pilot determining unit configured to determine an uplink pilot sequence corresponding to the cell partition as an uplink pilot sequence of the communications device, a receiving unit configured to receive information indicating the geographical location transmitted by the communication device, a transmitting unit configured to transmit indicating information of the uplink pilot sequence to the communication device via a dedicated control signaling to allocate the uplink pilot sequence to the communication device wherein adjacent cell partitions are corresponding to different uplink pilot sequences, the receiving unit is further configured to receive a signal carrying a first uplink pilot sequence, claims 1 – 3, Qian).
Claim(s) 5 and 6 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Qian in view of Ranjbar as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of Ashikhmin, U.S. Patent Publication No. 2016/0227577.
Qian in view of Ranjbar teaches a method of reducing interference in a modern wireless communications method. The combination does not teach manipulating a pilot sequence. However, Ashikhmin teaches manipulating a pilot sequence. It would have been obvious to one skilled in the art of the time of the filing to modify the combination of Qian in view of Ranjbar in order to obtain the predictable result of appropriate pilot signals as taught by Ashikhmin.
The combination teaches:
5. The control device according to claim 1,
wherein the control device is a Non Real Time (Non-RT) RIC that performs long period control, and
the computer-readable instruction further causes, when executed by the one or more processors, the one or more processors to function as a second notification unit configured to notify an O-DU or a Near Real Time (Near-RT) RIC that performs short period control of a sequence length of a pilot symbol sequence used by a terminal device for which the O-DU executes communication processing, the sequence length being determined based on a density of terminal devices in an area in which a communication service is provided via an antenna connected to the O-DU (present invention relates generally to wireless communication systems and more particularly to pilot sequence assignment in a cell free massive MIMO systems, [0001], Ashikhmin, as the number of access terminals increases, the length of the pilot sequences would have to increase to maintain orthogonality, [0023], Ashikhmin).
6. The control device according to claim 1,
wherein the control device is a Near Real Time (Near-RT) RIC that performs short period control, and
the computer-readable instruction further causes, when executed by the one or more processors, the one or more processors to function as a second notification unit configured to notify the O-DUs of the setting information to be used by each of a plurality of terminal devices so that the plurality of terminal devices do not use the same setting information when signals transmitted from the plurality of terminal devices are expected to be received by a common antenna, based on locations of the plurality of terminal devices (present invention relates generally to wireless communication systems and more particularly to pilot sequence assignment in a cell free massive MIMO systems, [0001], Ashikhmin, as the number of access terminals increases, the length of the pilot sequences would have to increase to maintain orthogonality, [0023], Ashikhmin).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to PETER G SOLINSKY whose telephone number is (571)270-7216. The examiner can normally be reached M - Th, 6:30 A - 5:00 P.
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PETER G. SOLINSKY
Examiner
Art Unit 2463
/Peter G Solinsky/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2463