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
2. 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.
3. Claims 1, 2, 4-8, 11, 12, 15-18, 21-24 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Abedini et al. US 12004092 B2 in view of Tekgul et al US 20210203406.
4. Consider claim 24. Abedini et al teaches a wireless communications apparatus (fig 2) comprising: a memory storing a plurality of instructions (215); and at least one processor (210) configured to execute the plurality of instructions, wherein upon execution of the plurality of instructions, the at least one processor (210) is configured to cause the wireless communications apparatus (205) to: receive a signal from a first communication node (at 220) ; determine a transmission power value (power configuration parameters for example GDL in fig 5) for transmission of the signal, or a forwarding link between the forwarding node and a second communication node (depending on who the repeater is relaying the signal like another UE or base station or access point, see col 8, lines 62-col 9, line 3); and transmit the signal (PTX) to the second communication node (504) according to the transmission power value (GDL). Abedini et al, doesn’t teach where the transmit power is dependent upon a forwarding mode. However, Tekgul et al from the same field of endeavor teaches such (see 0139 where the power gain parameter is dependent on the relay mode). It would have been obvious, before the effective date, to utilize Tekgul’ s teachings in Abedini et al in order to save power at the relay. Method claim 1 is rejected for the same reasons as apparatus claim 24, since the recited elements would perform the claimed steps.
5. Consider claim 2. Abedini et al. teaches a wireless access node (one option for the UE is an access terminal see col 3, line 42) a control mode (control settings in col 14, line 6-17 reads on the control mode) in which the forwarding node communicates control information with a wireless access node.
6. Regarding claim 4, Tekgul et al teaches wherein the transmission power value (power gain parameter) is dependent on the forwarding mode, and the transmission power value (see 0125, lines 1-10) is based on a maximum transmission power (0119), a received signal power of the forwarding node (0125), and an amplification gain (0108).
7. Regarding claim 5, Abedini et al teaches (col 24, lines 21-24) wherein the transmission power value is based on a minimum of the maximum transmission power and a sum (fig 5 where the signal from 506 to 504 =PRx+GDL) of the received signal power of the forwarding node and the amplification gain.
8. Regarding claim 6, Abedini et al teaches, depending on the situation, where value for the maximum transmission power is applicable for both an uplink direction and a downlink direction (see col 19, lines 61-64).
9. Regarding claim 7, Abedini et al teaches (uplink fig 5) with the forwarding node (506), a first value (PTX)for the maximum transmission power in response to the signal comprising an uplink signal (from 502 to 506); and determining, with the forwarding node, a second value (downlink fig 6, PTX) for the maximum transmission power in response to the signal comprising a downlink signal (from 604 to 606).
10. Regarding claim 8, Abedini et al teaches (Fig 6 and col 20, lines 2-11 and col 13, lines 41-46) receiving, with the forwarding node, a value (PTX) for the maximum transmission power from a wireless access node (one option for the UE is an access terminal see col 3, line 42), wherein the first communication node or the second communication node comprises the wireless access node.
11. Regarding claim 11, Abedini et al teaches further comprising: determining, with the forwarding node, a value for the amplification gain irrespective of whether the signal comprises an uplink signal or a downlink signal (see col 8, lines 61-64 which reads on selecting the gain without processing).
12. Regarding claim 12, Abedini et al teaches (fig 5) determining, with the forwarding node (506), a first value (GDL) for the amplification gain in response to the signal (from 502 to 506) comprising an uplink signal; and determining (fig 6), with the forwarding node (606), a second value (GUL)for the amplification gain in response to the signal (from 604 to 606) comprising a downlink signal.
13. Regarding claim 15, Abedini et al teaches (fig 5) wherein the transmission power value (GDL) is dependent on the forwarding link, and the forwarding link is from the forwarding node to a wireless access node (one option for the UE is an access terminal see col 3, line 42), the first communication node or the second communication node comprising the wireless access node (one option for the UE is an access terminal see col 3, line 42).
14. Regarding claim 16, Abedini et al teaches wherein the transmission power is for a particular beam index (see col 8, lines 65-66; col 12, line 17 and col 12, line 44 where the selection of either the narrow or wide beam (and corresponding gain) based on the situation reads on the beam index stated).
15. Regarding claim 17, Abedini et al teaches wherein a value of the transmission power is based on a maximum transmission power (col 13, line 44), an expected target power (col 13, line 67) at the wireless access node (in this case the UE 504 can be a wireless access node), and a path loss (col 14, line 46) for the forwarding link.
16. Regarding claim 18, Abedini et al teaches wherein the value of the transmission power is further based on at least one of: a bandwidth value (col 20, lines 58-59) for the forwarding link, a path loss compensation factor (col 14, line 46), or a closed-loop power control value (col 15, line 18).
Regarding claim 21, Abedini et al teaches (fig 5) wherein the transmission power value (GDL) is dependent on the forwarding link (from base station 502 see col 14, lines 1-5), and the forwarding link is from the forwarding node (506) to a user device (504), the first communication node or the second communication node comprising the user device (504).
17. Regarding claim 22, Abedini et al teaches (fig 5)wherein the forwarding link comprises a first forwarding link (from base station 502 see col14, lines 1-5), and wherein the transmission power value is based on a maximum transmission power(col 13, line 44), for the first forwarding link, a received signal power of the forwarding node for a second forwarding link (Fig 6) from a wireless access node (one option for the UE is an access terminal see col 3, line 42) to the forwarding node, and an amplification gain, wherein the transmission power value (col 24, lines 21-24) is based on a minimum of the maximum transmission power and a sum of the received signal power and the amplification gain (fig 5 where PL2=PRx+GDL).
18. Regarding claim 23, Abedini et al teaches (fig 5) wherein the forwarding link (from base station 502 see col 14, lines 1-5), comprises a first forwarding link (PL1) , and wherein the transmission power value (GDL) is based on a maximum transmission power (col 13, line 44) for the first forwarding link, a received signal power (PRx)of the forwarding node (506) for a second forwarding link (fig 6) from a wireless access node (one option for the UE is an access terminal see col 3, line 42) to the forwarding node (506), a bandwidth value (col 20, lines 58-59) for the first forwarding link, and a path loss (col 14, line 46), for the second forwarding link, wherein the transmission power value (GUL) is further based on a path loss compensation factor (PL2) for the first forwarding link (col 15, line 18).
19. Claims 3 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Abedini et al. US 12004092 B2 in view of Tekgul et al US 20210203406 further in view of Tekgul WO 2021046140-A1.
20. Regarding claim 3. The combination of Abedini et al and Tekgul et al fail to teach wherein the forwarding link comprises a plurality of forwarding links further comprising a second forwarding link between the forwarding node and the first communication node. However, Tekgul et al WO 2021046140-A1, from the same field of endeavor teaches such (see if fig 6 forward signals 603, 605…. between relay (602) and base 604 to set up the relay gain). It would have been obvious, before the effective date to use multiple uplink signal to more effectively set up the relay link and save power.
21. Claims 9 and 13 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.
Consider claim 9. The prior art of record does not teach or make obvious receiving, with the forwarding node, a forwarding direction flag from the wireless access node, the forwarding direction flag indicating whether the value for the maximum transmission power is for an uplink direction or a downlink direction; and wherein receiving the value for the maximum transmission power comprises receiving, with the forwarding node, the value for the maximum transmission power from the wireless access node in response to the signal comprising a downlink signal, the method further comprising: determining, with the forwarding node, that the value for the maximum transmission power is a value of a maximum transmission power for a control link between the forwarding node and the wireless access node in response to the signal comprising an uplink signal.
Consider claim 13. The prior art of record does not teach of make obvious receiving, with the forwarding node, a value for the amplification gain from a wireless access node, wherein the first communication node or the second communication node comprises the wireless access node; and receiving, with the forwarding node, a forwarding direction flag from the wireless access node, the forwarding direction flag indicating whether the value for the amplification gain is for an uplink direction or a downlink direction.
22. The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Larsson et al US 8750786 B2 teaches a relay or repeater node (21) for use in a wireless communications system said node comprising a receive antenna (23) for receiving a signal through a wireless connection, an amplifier (30) for amplifying the signal and a transmit antenna (27) for forwarding the amplified signal, said node further comprising a mode switching unit (31) for switching between at least a first and a second mode of operation of the node in dependence of an amplification gain requirement. This enables optimization of the node for varying conditions in the network.
Bangolae WO-2016182597-A1 teaches (fig 7) a relay user equipment (UE) operable to act as a relay between a remote UE and an eNodeB, the apparatus comprising one or more processors and memory configured to: receive, from the eNodeB, a relay configuration message that includes one or more relay configuration parameters; identify relay UE information associated with one or more relay parameters of the relay UE; determine, at the relay UE, to act as the relay for the remote UE based on the one or more relay configuration parameters and the relay UE information; and transmit, from the relay UE, a discovery message to the remote UE in order to establish a direct connection between the relay UE and the remote UE, wherein the relay UE is configured to relay data from the eNodeB to the remote UE via the direct connection between the relay UE and the remote UE.
Chaudhuri US 20230113861 A1 teaches a method (1400) involves transmitting (1405) a mode switch message to a base station that indicates a request to switch from a mode to an interference management mode based on detection that a received signal strength measurement for a signal satisfies a signal strength threshold. An egress signal that is an amplified version of a beamformed ingress signal is transmitted (1410) in accordance with the interference mode, based on the message. The message is transmitted as a beacon signal. A mode switch response message that instructs a repeater to operate in the management mode is received from the base station based on message.
Conclusion
23. Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to CURTIS A KUNTZ whose telephone number is (571)272-7499. The examiner can normally be reached on M-Th from 530am to 300pm and Fri from 530am to 10am.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Matthew D Anderson, can be reached at telephone number 5712724177. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/CURTIS A KUNTZ/Primary examiner, Art Unit 2646