DETAILED ACTION
Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status
1. The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
Status of Claims
2. Claims 1-30 are pending wherein claims 1, 15, 29, and 30 are in independent form.
3. Claims 1-3, 7, 15-17, 21, 29, and 30 have been amended.
Response to Arguments
4. Applicant’s arguments with respect to claim(s) 1, 15, 29, and 30 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 § 103
5. 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.
6. Claims 1-2, 7, 14-16, 21, 28-30 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Barzegar Khalilsarai et al (US 20250192847, hereinafter referred to as Barzegar) in view of Faxer et al (US 20200136682, hereinafter referred to as Faxer).
Re claim 1, Barzegar teaches a user equipment (UE) (Fig. 1, Fig. 13), comprising:
(i) one or more memories storing processor-executable code (memory 1304, Fig. 13) (Par 0248, Par 0250); and
(ii) one or more processors (Processor, 1302, Fig. 13) coupled with the one or more memories (memory 1304, Fig. 13) and individually or collectively operable to execute the code (Par 0248-0252) to cause the UE to:
(iii) receive, from a network entity (network equipment 102, Fig. 1, Fig. 15), a set of channel state information reference signals (receiving CSI-RS over CSI-RS resources/resource set) associated with a plurality of channel state information-reference signal antenna ports (a number of CSI-RS ports configured for measuring and reporting CSI based on the received CSI-RS) (Fig. 7-9, Fig. 16-17, Par 0117-0118, Par 0155-0158, Par 0193, Par 0241-0244, Par 0254);
(iv) generate a channel state information report (CSI report) according to a first type of codebook (configured codebook type, Par 0057, Par 0157-0158, Par 0160-0163, Par 0238-0240, Par 0262-0263, Fig. 18), wherein the channel state information report (CSI report) includes an indication of a set of one or more beams (spatial beam associated with a set of layers indicated in the CSI report) associated with a precoding matrix (CSI report includes PMI corresponding to a set of layers with each layer associated with a spatial beam) (Fig. 16-17, Par 0058, Par 0206, Par 0253-0256, Par 0259, Par 0262-0263, Par 0309-0310), and
(v) wherein the indication of the set of one or more beams (spatial beam associated with a set of layers) is based at least in part on a rank indicator being greater than at least two layers (subsets/groups of layers are determined based on Rank Indicator being greater than two, beam to layer mapping, table 12-14, Par0206-0208, Par 0223, Par 0254-0255, Par 0258, Par 0280, Par 0292); and
(vi) transmit the channel state information report to the network entity (transmit the CSI report to a network entity, Fig. 16-18, Par 0310, Par 0313, Par 0316).
Barzegar discloses that the CSI report includes PMI values for each of the plurality of PMI subbands (Par 0007, Par 0016, Par 0131-0132, Par 0224-0232, Par 0255). The PMI value for each subband requires more than a single bit to indicate a corresponding codebook index (for example, 16 CQI index requires 4 bits, Table 4 and So, plurality of indices for subband PMI reporting requires more than a single bit, Par 0225-0233). Even though it is evident that the subband PMI value in the CSI report contains more than a single bit, Barzegar does not explicitly disclose that the PMI value for each subband in the CSI report comprises a plurality of bits.
Faxer teaches that the PMI value for each subband in the CSI report comprises a plurality of bits (Table 2-3, Par 0104-0105, Par 0145, Par 0152, Par 0155, Par 0164, Par 0172-0175, Par 0187).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Barzegar by including the feature that the PMI value for each subband in the CSI report comprises a plurality of bits, as taught by Faxer for the purpose of providing accurate and reliable multi-beam Channel State Information (CSI) reporting, as taught by Faxer (Par 0002, Par 0031).
Therefore, Barzegar in view of Faxer is capable of providing the channel state information report comprising a respective plurality of bits for each subband precoder of the first type of codebook and it would have been obvious to do so to provide an accurate and reliable CSI report.
Claim 29 recites a method performing the functions recited in claim 1 and thereby, is rejected for the reasons discussed above with respect to claim 1.
Claim 29 recites a method performing the functions recited in claim 1 and thereby, is rejected for the reasons discussed above with respect to claim 1.
Re claims 2, 16, Barzegar teaches that the rank indicator comprises three layers or four layers (Rank indicator greater than one, Rank indicator greater than two) (Abstract, Par 0005-0007, Par 0013-0016, Par 0255, Par 0280).
Re claims 7, 21, Barzegar teaches that the plurality of channel state information-reference signal antenna ports comprises a quantity that is greater than 32 channel state information-reference signal antenna ports (CSI-RS ports greater than 32) (Par 0057-0061), and the one or more processors are individually or collectively further operable to execute the code to cause the UE to: select at least one beam of the set of one or more beams, wherein a direction of the at least one beam is based at least in part on a pair of discrete Fourier transform (DFT) oversampling factors selected from a set of DFT oversampling factor pairs, and wherein at least one DFT oversampling pair comprises both a first DFT oversampling factor associated with a vertical antenna polarization and a second DFT oversampling factor associated with a horizontal antenna polarization (antenna ports subject to vertical polarization, antenna ports subject to horizontal polarization) (Par 0022, Par 0026, Par 0078-0080, Par 0094, Par 0201-0202, Par 0260-0265).
Re claims 14, 28, Barzegar teaches that the plurality of channel state information-reference signal antenna ports comprises a quantity that is greater than 32 channel state information-reference signal antenna ports (CSI-RS ports greater than 32) (Par 0057-0061).
Re claim 15, Barzegar teaches a network entity (Network entity, Fig. 15, Par 0285), comprising:
(i) one or more memories storing processor-executable code (memory 1504, Fig. 15) (Par 0285, Par 0287); and
(ii) one or more processors (Processor, 1502, Fig. 15) coupled with the one or more memories (memory 1504, Fig. 15) and individually or collectively operable to execute the code (Par 0285-0289) to cause the network entity to:
(iii) output a set of channel state information reference signals (CSI-RS transmitted over CSI-RS resources/resource set) via a plurality of channel state information-reference signal antenna ports at the network entity (a number of CSI-RS ports used for transmitting CSI-RS) (Fig. 7-9, Fig. 16-17, Par 0117-0118, Par 0155-0158, Par 0193, Par 0241-0244, Par 0254, Par 0312-0313);
(iv) receive a channel state information report (CSI report) according to a first type of codebook (configured codebook type, Par 0057, Par 0157-0158, Par 0160-0163, Par 0238-0240, Par 0262-0263, Fig. 18), wherein the channel state information report (CSI report) includes an indication of a set of one or more beams (spatial beam associated with a set of layers indicated in the CSI report) associated with a precoding matrix (CSI report includes PMI corresponding to a set of layers with each layer associated with a spatial beam) (Fig. 16-17, Fig. 19, Par 0058, Par 0206, Par 0253-0256, Par 0259, Par 0262-0263, Par 0309-0310, Par 0312-0313, Par 0318-0319), and
(v) wherein the indication of the set of one or more beams (spatial beam associated with a set of layers) is based at least in part on a rank indicator being greater than at least two layers (subsets/groups of layers are determined based on Rank Indicator being greater than two, beam to layer mapping, table 12-14, Par0206-0208, Par 0223, Par 0254-0255, Par 0258, Par 0280, Par 0292).
Barzegar discloses that the CSI report includes PMI values for each of the plurality of PMI subbands (Par 0007, Par 0016, Par 0131-0132, Par 0224-0232, Par 0255). The PMI value for each subband requires more than a single bit to indicate a corresponding codebook index (for example, 16 CQI index requires 4 bits, Table 4 and So, plurality of indices for subband PMI reporting requires more than a single bit, Par 0225-0233). Even though it is evident that the subband PMI value in the CSI report contains more than a single bit, Barzegar does not explicitly disclose that the PMI value for each subband in the CSI report comprises a plurality of bits.
Faxer teaches that the PMI value for each subband in the CSI report comprises a plurality of bits (Table 2-3, Par 0104-0105, Par 0145, Par 0152, Par 0155, Par 0164, Par 0172-0175, Par 0187).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Barzegar by including the feature that the PMI value for each subband in the CSI report comprises a plurality of bits, as taught by Faxer for the purpose of providing accurate and reliable multi-beam Channel State Information (CSI) reporting, as taught by Faxer (Par 0002, Par 0031).
Therefore, Barzegar in view of Faxer is capable of providing the channel state information report comprising a respective plurality of bits for each subband precoder of the first type of codebook and it would have been obvious to do so to provide an accurate and reliable CSI report.
Claim 30 recites a method performing the functions recited in claim 15 and thereby, is rejected for the reasons discussed above with respect to claim 15.
7. Claims 5-6, 10-13, 19-20, and 24-27 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Barzegar and Faxer as applied to claim 2 and further in view of Lee et al (US 20250274173, hereinafter referred to as Lee).
Re claims 5, 19, Barzegar does not explicitly disclose that the indication of the set of one or more beams is based at least in part on a scaling factor of one over a square root of a quantity of three times a value of the plurality of channel state information-reference signal antenna ports.
Lee teaches that the indication of the set of one or more beams is based at least in part on a scaling factor of one over a square root of a quantity of three times a value of the plurality of channel state information-reference signal antenna ports (3 PCSI-RS) (Par 0221-0222, Par 0265-0267, Par 0305-0306, Par 0370-0378).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Barzegar by including the step that the indication of the set of one or more beams is based at least in part on a scaling factor of one over a square root of a quantity of three times a value of the plurality of channel state information-reference signal antenna ports, as taught by Lee for the purpose of improving CSI reporting for a large number of antenna ports, as taught by Lee (Par 0116-0119).
Re claims 6, 20, Barzegar does not explicitly disclose that the indication of the set of one or more beams is based at least in part on a scaling factor of one over a square root of a quantity of four times a value of the plurality of channel state information-reference signal antenna ports.
Lee teaches that the indication of the set of one or more beams is based at least in part on a scaling factor of one over a square root of a quantity of four times a value of the plurality of channel state information-reference signal antenna ports (4 PCSI-RS) (Par 0221-0222, Par 0265-0267, Par 0305-0306, Par 0389-0406).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Barzegar by including the step that the indication of the set of one or more beams is based at least in part on a scaling factor of one over a square root of a quantity of four times a value of the plurality of channel state information-reference signal antenna ports, as taught by Lee for the purpose of improving CSI reporting for a large number of antenna ports, as taught by Lee (Par 0116-0119).
Re claims 10, 24, Barzegar teaches that the plurality of channel state information-reference signal antenna ports comprise greater than 16 channel state information-reference signal antenna ports (Par 0057-0061).
Barzegar does not explicitly disclose to select at least one beam of the set of one or more beams in accordance with a unified codebook associated with the at least two layers of the precoding matrix, wherein the at least two layers of the precoding matrix comprise two layers, three layers, four layers, or any combination thereof.
Lee teaches to select at least one beam of the set of one or more beams in accordance with a unified codebook associated with the at least two layers of the precoding matrix (Codebook based on type I W2 and Type II W1, same codebook), wherein the at least two layers of the precoding matrix comprise two layers, three layers, four layers, or any combination thereof (Par 0241-0251, Par 0258-0262, Par 0270-0275, Par 0335-0343, Par 0346-0352, Par 0370-0378).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Barzegar by including the step to select at least one beam of the set of one or more beams in accordance with a unified codebook associated with the at least two layers of the precoding matrix, wherein the at least two layers of the precoding matrix comprise two layers, three layers, four layers, or any combination thereof, as taught by Lee for the purpose of improving CSI reporting for a large number of antenna ports, as taught by Lee (Par 0116-0119).
Re claims 11, 25, Barzegar does not explicitly disclose that the set of one or more beams is based at least in part on a set of respective vertically polarized antenna ports multiplied by respective discrete Fourier transform (DFT) oversampling factors in a vertical dimension and a set of respective horizontally polarized antenna ports multiplied by respective DFT oversampling factors in a horizontal dimension.
Lee teaches that the set of one or more beams is based at least in part on a set of respective vertically polarized antenna ports multiplied by respective discrete Fourier transform (DFT) oversampling factors in a vertical dimension and a set of respective horizontally polarized antenna ports multiplied by respective DFT oversampling factors in a horizontal dimension (antenna ports N1, N2 multiplied by oversampling factor O1, O2) (Par 0142, Par 0268-0276, Par 0325-0334, Par 0523, Par 0534).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Barzegar by including the step tthe set of one or more beams is based at least in part on a set of respective vertically polarized antenna ports multiplied by respective discrete Fourier transform (DFT) oversampling factors in a vertical dimension and a set of respective horizontally polarized antenna ports multiplied by respective DFT oversampling factors in a horizontal dimension, as taught by Lee for the purpose of improving CSI reporting for a large number of antenna ports, as taught by Lee (Par 0116-0119).
Re claims 12, 26, Barzegar teaches that the plurality of channel state information-reference signal antenna ports comprise at least 32 channel state information-reference signal antenna ports (Par 0057-0061) and the rank indicator comprises three layers or four layers (Rank indicator greater than one, Rank indicator greater than two (Table 12-14, Par 0206-0208, Par 0223, Par 0255).
Barzegar does not explicitly disclose that a quantity of available beam values for a vertical dimension is adjusted by one half for quantities of vertically polarized antenna ports greater than one.
Lee teaches that a quantity of available beam values for a vertical dimension is adjusted by one half for quantities of vertically polarized antenna ports greater than one (Fig. 10, Par 0103, Par 0142, Par 0241-0244, Par 0266, Par 0269, Par 0370, Par 0389, Par 0654-0657).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Barzegar by including the step that a quantity of available beam values for a vertical dimension is adjusted by one half for quantities of vertically polarized antenna ports greater than one, as taught by Lee for the purpose of improving CSI reporting for a large number of antenna ports, as taught by Lee (Par 0116-0119).
Re claims 13, 27, Barzegar does not explicitly disclose that the quantity of available beam values for the vertical dimension is adjusted by one half relative to the quantity of available beam values for a horizontal dimension.
Lee teaches that the quantity of available beam values for the vertical dimension is adjusted by one half relative to the quantity of available beam values for a horizontal dimension (Fig. 10, Par 0103, Par 0142, Par 0241-0244, Par 0266, Par 0269, Par 0654-0657).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Barzegar by including the step that the quantity of available beam values for the vertical dimension is adjusted by one half relative to the quantity of available beam values for a horizontal dimension, as taught by Lee for the purpose of improving CSI reporting for a large number of antenna ports, as taught by Lee (Par 0116-0119).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 3-4, 8-9, 17-18, 22-23 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
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 nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) 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 mailing date of this final action.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to HARUN UR R CHOWDHURY whose telephone number is (571)270-3895. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 9AM-5PM.
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/HARUN CHOWDHURY/Examiner, Art Unit 2473
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