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 .
DETAILED ACTION
Response to Amendment
This is a reply to the application filed on 6/8/2026, in which, claim(s) 1-16 is/are pending.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 7/1/2026, has been reviewed. The submission is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the examiner is considering the information disclosure statement.
Response to Arguments
Claim Rejections - 35 U.S.C. § 102 and 35 U.S.C. § 103:
Applicants argues the prior art Kim-Gao combination teaches the TCW PUSCH is for DMRS and PCRS and not for the amendment uplink PTRS (See pg. 7-8 of Remarks filed on 6/8/2026).
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claim(s) 1-16 have been considered but are moot because the new ground of rejection does not rely on any reference applied in the prior rejection of record for any teaching or matter specifically challenged in the argument.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claims 1-16 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
The claims usage of “if” is considered indefinite as it is unclear that the limitation actually occurs. The Examiner suggested to change “if” to “when” to clarify the claimed invention.
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, 6-7, 9-13 and 15 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kim et al. (US 20190393937 A1; hereinafter Kim) in view of Gao et al. (US 20220312334 A1; hereinafter Gao) further in view of Liu et al. (US 20200244415 A1; hereinafter Liu).
Regarding claims 1 and 9, Kim discloses a method performed by a user equipment (UE) in a wireless communication system, the method comprising:
receiving, from a base station (BS), downlink control information (DCI) scheduling [[a physical uplink shared channel (PUSCH)]] of two codewords (CWs), the DCI including information on an association between a phase tracking reference signal (PTRS) and a demodulation reference signal (DMRS) (the base station transmits, to the terminal, DCI including the following information. The DCI is for transmission using a single antenna port and includes one antenna port of each of DMRS and PCRS allocated to the terminal, and information indicating whether the same precoding is applied to both reference signals, DMRS and PCRS ports. The base station performs scrambling and modulation mapping for a codeword or each of two codewords, performs RE mapping of a modulated symbol of one layer associated with an antenna port, perform OFDM signal generation and transmits the OFDM signal. At this time, the base station transmits DMRS and PCRS together with the data, and both reference signals are transmitted with antenna port numbers indicated by the DCI. The antenna port numbers of both reference signals may be the same [Kim; ¶134-138; Claim 1; Figs. 4s, 9s and associated texts]).
Kim discloses transmitting and receiving a phase compensation reference signal (PCRS) to compensate for phase noise using DCI with PTRS port. Kim does not explicilty discloses a physical uplink shared channel (PUSCH); however, in a related and analogous art, Liu teaches this feature.
In particular, Gao teaches the first PTRS may be associated to the data signaling and/or control signaling and/or communication signaling of the first signaling. The second PTRS may be associated to the data signaling and/or control signaling and/or communication signaling of the second signaling. The payload of the first and second signaling may be the same in some variants, e.g. when scheduled with a single DCI, and/or may be associated to the same channel or channel type, e.g. data channel or control channel, e.g. PDSCH or PUSCH or PUCCH or PDCCH, when scheduled with one codeword, the PT-RS antenna port is associated with the lowest indexed DM-RS antenna port among the DM-RS antenna ports assigned for the PDSCH. If a UE is scheduled with two codewords (two independent transmissions), the PT-RS antenna port is associated with the lowest indexed DM-RS antenna port among the DM-RS antenna ports assigned for the codeword with the higher MCS. If the MCS indices of the two codewords are the same, the PT-RS antenna port is associated with the lowest indexed DM-RS antenna port assigned for codeword 0. [Gao; ¶31, 54-56]). It would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Kim in view of Gao PUSCH of two codewords with the motivation to reduced power consumption and preventing overlapping [Gao; ¶11-12].
identifying a PTRS port based on the information (identifying a number of a PTRS antenna port associated with uplink based on the DCI [Kim; ¶134-138; Claim 1; Figs. 4s, 9s and associated texts]); and
transmitting, to the BS, the PUSCH and the PTRS for the PUSCH, wherein the PTRS is transmitted on the PTRS port (transmitting, to the base station, a DMRS and a PTRS based on the DMRS antenna port associated with uplink and the PTRS antenna port associated with uplink [Kim; ¶43, 134-138; Claim 1; Figs. 4s, 9s and associated texts]).
Kim-Gao combination DCI scheduling for PTRS and DMRS. Although the combination does not explicilty specify the PTRS is an uplink PTRS; however, in a related and analogous, Liu teaches this feature.
In particular, Liu teaches CWs association between the DMRS and PTRS, which is used for both downlink communication and uplink channel [Liu; ¶66-76, 87-90, 114-116; Figs. 3, 6, 11 and associated texts]. It would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Kim-Gao combination in view of Liu uplink PTRS with the motivation to help suppressed noise and phase error on downlink/uplink.
Regarding claims 2 and 10, Kim-Gao-Liu combination discloses wherein a number of the PTRS port is configured by information on a maximum number of PTRS ports, and wherein the information on the association between the PTRS and the DMRS includes 2 bits, in case that the number of PTRS port is one, and includes 4 bits, in case that the number of PTRS port is two (Using one bit contained in the DCI, the base station may indicate that the same precoding is applied to the associated DMRS and PCRS ports allocated by the corresponding DCI, up to m-th bit [Kim; ¶112-118], if the associated DMRS port changes, multiplexing of data and PTRS may change from PRB to PRB. For example, in PTRS bearing PRB 0, PTRS port 0 may be associated with DMRS port 0, and multiplexed with data layer 0, and in PTRS bearing PRB 1, PTRS port 0 may be associated with DMRS port 1, and multiplexed with data layer 1. In certain embodiments, if always associated with DMRS port 0, PTRS may always be multiplexed with data layer 0. In some embodiments, precoder column permutation may be used to result in the largest SINR for DMRS port 0. MCS and/or CQI swapping at the transmitter side and UE side operation may also be used. As may be appreciated, the various embodiments described herein may be used for DL and/or UL [Liu; ¶66-76, 87-90, 114-116; Figs. 3, 6, 11 and associated texts]. The motivation to help suppressed noise and phase error on downlink/uplink.
Regarding claims 3 and 11, Kim-Gao-Liu combination discloses wherein, if the number of PTRS ports is one, identifying the PTRS port comprises:
if modulation and coding scheme (MCS) values for the two CWs are different, identifying a CW with a higher MCS value among the two CWs; if the MCS values for the two CWs are same, identifying a first CW among the two CWs; and identifying a DMRS port of the identified CW for the PTRS port based on the information (Through the RRC signaling or the MAC CE setting, the terminal may know which DMRS port group includes each of the DMRS ports. If a modulation and coding scheme (MCS) level of a physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH) allocated through the DCI is greater than a specific threshold value, the terminal may know PCRS allocation information according to the following methods even through the DCI has no allocation information for the PCRS port. The threshold value of the MCS level of the PDSCH may be set in advance in the terminal by the base station through the RRC signaling or the MAC CE. In the following description, it is presumed that the MCS level of the PDSCH allocated by the DCI is greater than a specific threshold value [Kim; ¶124], the PT-RS antenna port is associated with the lowest indexed DM-RS antenna port among the DM-RS antenna ports assigned for the codeword with the higher MCS. If the MCS indices of the two codewords are the same, the PT-RS antenna port is associated with the lowest indexed DM-RS antenna port assigned for codeword 0. [Gao; ¶31, 54-56]). The motivation to reduced power consumption and preventing overlapping [Gao; ¶11-12].
Regarding claims 4 and 12, Kim-Gao-Liu combination discloses method of claim 2, wherein, if the number of PTRS port is two, identifying the PTRS ports comprises: identifying a first DMRS port for a first PTRS port based on two most signification bits (MSBs) of the information; and identifying a second DMRS port for a second PTRS port based on two least significant bits (LSBs) of the information (using value to indicates “0” for PTRS port and “1” for DMRS port. Alternatively, such an indication may be applied in reverse. [Kim; ¶112-117].
Regarding claims 6 and 14, Kim discloses a method performed by a base station (BS) in a wireless communication system, the method comprising:
transmitting, to a user equipment (UE), downlink control information (DCI) scheduling [[a physical uplink shared channel (PUSCH)]] of two codewords (CWs), the DCI including information on an association between a phase tracking reference signal (PTRS) and a demodulation reference signal (DMRS) (the base station transmits, to the terminal, DCI including the following information. The DCI is for transmission using a single antenna port and includes one antenna port of each of DMRS and PCRS allocated to the terminal, and information indicating whether the same precoding is applied to both reference signals, DMRS and PCRS ports. The base station performs scrambling and modulation mapping for a codeword or each of two codewords, performs RE mapping of a modulated symbol of one layer associated with an antenna port, perform OFDM signal generation and transmits the OFDM signal. At this time, the base station transmits DMRS and PCRS together with the data, and both reference signals are transmitted with antenna port numbers indicated by the DCI. The antenna port numbers of both reference signals may be the same [Kim; ¶134-138; Claim 2; Figs. 4s, 9s and associated texts]).
Kim discloses transmitting and receiving a phase compensation reference signal (PCRS) to compensate for phase noise using DCI with PTRS port. Kim does not explicilty discloses a physical uplink shared channel (PUSCH); however, in a related and analogous art, Gao teaches this feature.
In particular, Gao teaches the first PTRS may be associated to the data signaling and/or control signaling and/or communication signaling of the first signaling. The second PTRS may be associated to the data signaling and/or control signaling and/or communication signaling of the second signaling. The payload of the first and second signaling may be the same in some variants, e.g. when scheduled with a single DCI, and/or may be associated to the same channel or channel type, e.g. data channel or control channel, e.g. PDSCH or PUSCH or PUCCH or PDCCH, when scheduled with one codeword, the PT-RS antenna port is associated with the lowest indexed DM-RS antenna port among the DM-RS antenna ports assigned for the PDSCH. If a UE is scheduled with two codewords (two independent transmissions), the PT-RS antenna port is associated with the lowest indexed DM-RS antenna port among the DM-RS antenna ports assigned for the codeword with the higher MCS. If the MCS indices of the two codewords are the same, the PT-RS antenna port is associated with the lowest indexed DM-RS antenna port assigned for codeword 0. [Gao; ¶31, 54-56]). It would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Kim in view of Gao PUSCH of two codewords with the motivation to reduced power consumption and preventing overlapping [Gao; ¶11-12].
receiving, from the UE, the PUSCH and the PTRS for the PUSCH, wherein the PTRS is received on a PTRS port which is based on the information (receiving, from the terminal, a DMRS and a PTRS based on a DMRS antenna port associated with uplink and a PTRS antenna port associated with uplink, wherein a number of the PTRS antenna port associated with uplink is identified based on the DCI, the DMRS antenna port associated with uplink is identified based on the DCI, and, and the PTRS antenna port associated with uplink is identified based on the DCI and the number of the PTRS antenna port [Kim; ¶134-138; Claim 2; Figs. 4s, 9s and associated texts]).
Kim-Gao combination DCI scheduling for PTRS and DMRS. Although the combination does not explicilty specify the PTRS is an uplink PTRS; however, in a related and analogous, Liu teaches this feature.
In particular, Liu teaches CWs association between the DMRS and PTRS, which is used for both downlink communication and uplink channel [Liu; ¶66-76, 87-90, 114-116; Figs. 3, 6, 11 and associated texts]. It would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Kim-Gao combination in view of Liu uplink PTRS with the motivation to help suppressed noise and phase error on downlink/uplink.
Regarding claims 7 and 15, Kim-Gao-Liu combination discloses wherein a number of PTRS port is configured according to information for a maximum number of PTRS ports configured by higher layer signaling, and wherein the information related to the association between the PTRS and the DMRS port is 2 bits size for one PTRS port or 4 bits size for two PTRS ports (Using one bit contained in the DCI, the base station may indicate that the same precoding is applied to the associated DMRS and PCRS ports allocated by the corresponding DCI, up to m-th bit [Kim; ¶112-118]).
Claim(s) 5, 8, 14 and 16 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kim-Gao-Liu combination in view of Huang et al. (US 20240056254 A1; hereinafter Huang).
Regarding claims 5, 8, 14 and 16, Kim-Gao-Liu combination discloses wherein, if the plurality of antenna port is [[8 antenna ports based on the DCI, antenna ports of 1000, 1001, 1004, and 1005 are associated with a first PTRS port and antenna ports of 1002, 1003, 1006, and 1007 are associated with a second PTRS port]] (the information related to the association between the PTRS and the DMRS port [Kim; ¶112-118]). Kim does not explicilty discloses the plurality of antenna port is 8 antenna ports based on the DCI, antenna ports of 1000, 1001, 1004, and 1005 are associated with a first PTRS port and antenna ports of 1002, 1003, 1006, and 1007 are associated with a second PTRS port; however, in a related and analogous art, Huang teaches this feature.
In particular, Huang teaches a most significant bit (MSB) of the DCI field of the field in the DCI may indicate that PTRS antenna port 0 is associated with either PUSCH, DMRS, or SRS, while a least significant bit (LSB) of the same field in the DCI may indicate whether the PTRS antenna port 1 is associated with the PUSCH, DMRS, or SRS. PTRS antenna port (e.g., antenna port 0, port 1, port 2, and port 3) and eight antenna ports for PUSCH, SRS, or DMRS transmissions (e.g., antenna port 1000, antenna port 1002, antenna port 1001, antenna port 1003, antenna port 1004, antenna port 1006, antenna port 1005, and antenna port 1007) [Huang; ¶124-129; Fig. 4 and associated text]. It would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Kim-Gao-Liu combination in view of Huang port mapping with the motivation to supports eight transmit chains for faster uplink shared channels and preventing overlapping.
Internet Communications
Applicant is encouraged to submit a written authorization for Internet communications (PTO/SB/439, http://www.uspto.gov/sites/default/files/documents/sb0439.pdf) in the instant patent application to authorize the examiner to communicate with the applicant via email. The authorization will allow the examiner to better practice compact prosecution. The written authorization can be submitted via one of the following methods only: (1) Central Fax which can be found in the Conclusion section of this Office action; (2) regular postal mail; (3) EFS WEB; or (4) the service window on the Alexandria campus. EFS web is the recommended way to submit the form since this allows the form to be entered into the file wrapper within the same day (system dependent). Written authorization submitted via other methods, such as direct fax to the examiner or email, will not be accepted. See MPEP § 502.03.
Conclusion
Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any extension fee pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the date of this final action.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to DAO Q HO whose telephone number is (571)270-5998. The examiner can normally be reached on 7:00am - 5:00pm.
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/DAO Q HO/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2432
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