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 .
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statements (IDSs) submitted on April 19, 2024 and April 27, 2025 are in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statements are being considered by the examiner.
Priority
Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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 the appropriate paragraphs of 35 U.S.C. 102 that form the basis for the rejections under this section made in this Office action:
A person shall be entitled to a patent unless –
(a)(1) the claimed invention was patented, described in a printed publication, or in public use, on sale, or otherwise available to the public before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claim(s) 1, 7, 8 and 13-20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Choi et al. (Choi), U.S. Patent Pub. No. 2014/0341326.
Regarding claims 1, 19 and 20, Choi discloses a channel estimation method (In one configuration, a method for estimating a channel with discontinuous instances of a pilot signal is described.) (0005), comprising: receiving, by a terminal (UE) with a memory storing a program and a processor (The apparatus may include a processor, memory in electronic communication with the processor, and instructions stored in the memory. The instructions may be executable by the processor) (0017) a pilot signal sent by a network-side device (base station with a memory storing a program and a processor; see figure 9), wherein resource blocks (RBs) occupied by the pilot signal in a first time domain transmission unit (subframe) and RBs occupied by the pilot signal in a second time domain transmission unit are at least partially different (instances of a pilot signal occurring in respective first and second time periods of a TDD scheme (e.g., first and second DL subframes), which pilot signals are separated from each other by a blank period (e.g., a UL subframe), may be combined for purposes of improved channel estimation in the presence of discontinuous pilot signals. Different asymmetries in terms of the amount of resources (e.g., subframes) allocated for uplink and downlink transmission, respectively, are provided through seven different downlink/uplink configurations illustrated in FIG. 14.) (0047; see also 0064); and performing channel estimation on a third time domain transmission unit (the combined first and second instances), based on the pilot signal in the first time domain transmission unit and the pilot signal in the second time domain transmission unit (The channel estimation module 310-a may then calculate a channel estimate based at least in part on each of the combinations.) (0064).
Regarding claim 7, Choi discloses the channel estimation method according to claim 1, wherein the receiving, by a terminal, a pilot signal sent by a network-side device comprises: receiving, by the terminal, the pilot signal sent by the network-side device on a first RB in the first time domain transmission unit; and receiving, by the terminal, the pilot signal sent by the network-side device on a second RB in the second time domain transmission unit, wherein the first RB is different from the second RB, the second time domain transmission unit is a closest time domain transmission unit for sending the pilot signal after the first time domain transmission unit, and at least one time domain transmission unit is spaced between the second time domain transmission unit and the first time domain transmission unit (The pilot signal instance combination sub-module 505 may combine a first instance of a pilot signal received during a second time period with an instance of the pilot signal received during a first time period. The second time period may be subsequent to the first time period, and may be separated from the first time period by a blank period. In some cases, instances of the pilot signal may not be received during the blank period, thereby causing the instances of the pilot signal in the first and second time periods to be discontinuous.) (0069).
Regarding claim 8, Choi discloses the channel estimation method according to claim 7, wherein: a number of the first RB is even, and a number of the second RB is odd; or the number of the first RB is odd, and the number of the second RB is even (inherently even or odd) (see figures 7 and 8).
Regarding claim 13, Choi discloses the channel estimation method according to claim 1, wherein the pilot signal inherently comprises at least one of the following: a channel state information reference signal (CSI-RS), a sounding reference signal (SRS), or a demodulation reference signal (DMRS) (see figure 3, also 0086).
Regarding claim 14, Choi discloses the channel estimation method according to claim 1, wherein the time domain transmission unit comprises any one of the following: a transmission time interval (TTI), a subframe, a millisecond, a slot, or a symbol (The pilot signal identification module 305 may also identify the time periods (e.g., frames, half frames, or subframes) in which the instances of the pilot signal occur.) (0056).
Regarding claim 15, Choi discloses a channel estimation method, comprising: sending, by a network-side device, a pilot signal, wherein resource blocks (RBs) occupied by the pilot signal in a first time domain transmission unit and RBs occupied by the pilot signal in a second time domain transmission unit are at least partially different (instances of a pilot signal occurring in respective first and second time periods of a TDD scheme (e.g., first and second DL subframes), which pilot signals are separated from each other by a blank period (e.g., a UL subframe), may be combined for purposes of improved channel estimation in the presence of discontinuous pilot signals. Different asymmetries in terms of the amount of resources (e.g., subframes) allocated for uplink and downlink transmission, respectively, are provided through seven different downlink/uplink configurations illustrated in FIG. 14.) (0047; see also 0064)
Regarding claim 16, Choi discloses 16. The channel estimation method according to claim 15, wherein the sending, by a network-side device, a pilot signal comprises: sending the pilot signal on a first RB of the first time domain transmission unit; and sending the pilot signal on a second RB of the second time domain transmission unit, wherein the first RB is different from the second RB, the second time domain transmission unit is a closest time domain transmission unit for sending the pilot signal after the first time domain transmission unit, and at least one time domain transmission unit is spaced between the second time domain transmission unit and the first time domain transmission unit (The pilot signal instance combination sub-module 505 may combine a first instance of a pilot signal received during a second time period with an instance of the pilot signal received during a first time period. The second time period may be subsequent to the first time period, and may be separated from the first time period by a blank period. In some cases, instances of the pilot signal may not be received during the blank period, thereby causing the instances of the pilot signal in the first and second time periods to be discontinuous.) (0069).
Regarding claim 17, Choi discloses the channel estimation method according to claim 16, wherein a number of the first RB is even, and a number of the second RB is odd; or the number of the first RB is odd, and the number of the second RB is even (inherently even or odd) (see figures 7 and 8).
Regarding claim 18, Choi discloses the channel estimation method according to claim 15, wherein the pilot signal inherently comprises at least one of the following: a channel state information reference signal CSI-RS, a sounding reference signal SRS, and a demodulation reference signal DMRS (see figure 3; also 0086).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 2-6 and 9-12 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.
Regarding claim 2, the closest prior art of record (Choi), taken alone or in combination, fails to suggest or render obvious, as claimed as a whole, performing channel estimation, based on the pilot signal in the first time domain transmission unit, the pilot signal in the second time domain transmission unit, and a pre-trained neural network model, to obtain channels on all RBs in the third time domain transmission unit.
Regarding claim 3, the closest prior art of record (Choi), taken alone or in combination, fails to suggest or render obvious, as claimed as a whole, performing channel estimation, based on the pilot signal in the first time domain transmission unit, the pilot signal in the second time domain transmission unit, and a pre-trained neural network model, to obtain channels on all RBs in L time domain transmission units after a current time domain transmission unit, wherein L is a positive integer.
Regarding claims 4-6 and 9-12, they are indicated allowable based on their dependence from claim 2.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Zhang et al. U.S. Patent Pub. No. 2017/0170933 discloses a data sending method, channel estimation and apparatuses thereof.
Tie et al. U.S. Patent Pub. No. 2015/0063493 discloses a pilot signal transmitting method and channel estimation method, apparatus and system.
Seo et al. U.S. Patent Pub. No. 2011/0142118 discloses an apparatus and method for equalizing channel based on channel estimation.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to TEMICA M. BEAMER whose telephone number is (571)272-7797. The examiner can normally be reached Monday thru Friday; 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM.
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/TEMICA M BEAMER/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2646
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