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 .
Acknowledgment
The Preliminary Amendment filed on 03/27/2024 has been received and placed of record. Accordingly, claims 6, 8-10, 15, 17, 23-27, 29-30, 33 and 35-36 have been cancelled and claims 1-5, 7, 11-14, 16, 18-22, 28, 31, 32 and 34 are pending in the instant application.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claims 1-5, 11-14, 18-22, 28, 31, 32 and 34 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Priyanto et al (US 2023/0056394).
Regarding independent claim 1, Priyanto teaches a method for transmitting line of sight/non line of sight (LOS/NLOS) indication information, comprising: transmitting, by a first device, LOS/NLOS indication information corresponding to a positioning measurement quantity to a positioning server, wherein the first device comprises at least one device of a user equipment (UE), a base station, or a transmit and receive point (TRP), the LOS/NLOS indication information is used to indicate a LOS or NLOS attribute of a radio link associated with the positioning measurement quantity, and the LOS or NLOS attribute comprises at least one of the following: a LOS, an NLOS, a probability of LOS or a probability of NLOS ([0055]: “The measurement report may comprise an indication of a quality of a determination whether the positioning measurement is performed on the LOS component of the reference signal. The quality of the determination whether the positioning measurement is performed on the LOS component may herein also be referred to as LOS quality. The LOS quality indicates a certainty of the LOS determination, e.g. a probability of the LOS determination being correct, e.g. a confidence score.” and [0056]: “The measurement report may comprise a path status field, to indicate whether a path, over which a reference signal is received, is LOS or NLOS. Furthermore, the path status field may be extended so that the wireless device can report the LOS quality.” See also [0013], [0047], [0050], and [0074]).
Regarding independent claims 19 and 32 and dependent claim 34, the claims recites similar subject matter as in claim 1. Therefore, similar rationale is applied as for claim 1.
Regarding dependent claim 2, Priyanto further teaches transmitting, by the first device, the positioning measurement quantity to the positioning server, wherein the positioning measurement quantity and the LOS/NLOS indication information corresponding to the positioning measurement quantity are used for positioning by the positioning server. See [0052] and [0072].
Regarding dependent claim 3, Priyanto further teaches wherein the transmitting, by the first device, the LOS/NLOS indication information corresponding to the positioning measurement quantity to the positioning server comprises: for one positioning measurement quantity, transmitting, by the first device, at least two pieces of LOS/NLOS indication information corresponding to the positioning measurement quantity to the positioning server, wherein the positioning measurement quantity is associated with at least two measurement objects, and each piece of LOS/NLOS indication information is associated with a radio link associated with one of the measurement objects. See [0047], [0050], [0054] and [0074].
Regarding dependent claim 4, Priyanto further teaches wherein the positioning measurement quantity is a downlink reference signal time difference (DL-RSTD) measurement quantity; and the at least two measurement objects comprise: a reference measurement object and a relative measurement object; wherein the reference measurement object is a reference TRP, and the relative measurement object is a measurement TRP; or, the reference measurement object is a reference time, and the relative measurement object is a measurement time or downlink time difference of arrival (DL-TDOA). See [0047] and [0065].
Regarding dependent claim 5, Priyanto further teaches when transmitting at least one positioning measurement quantity, transmitting LOS/NLOS indication information of a radio link associated with a same reference measurement object to the positioning server, and for each relative measurement object, transmitting one piece of LOS/NLOS indication information of a radio link associated with the relative measurement object. See [0047] and [0065].
Regarding dependent claim 11, Priyanto further teaches wherein the transmitting, by the first device, the LOS/NLOS indication information corresponding to the positioning measurement quantity to the positioning server comprises: when transmitting at least one positioning measurement quantity, generating one piece of first LOS/NLOS indication information based on LOS/NLOS indication information corresponding to the at least one positioning measurement quantity, and transmitting the same to the positioning server. See [0052] and [0072].
Regarding dependent claim 12, Priyanto further teaches wherein the generating one piece of first LOS/NLOS indication information based on the LOS/NLOS indication information corresponding to the at least one positioning measurement quantity comprises any one of the following: in a case that the LOS or NLOS attribute is the probability of LOS or the probability of NLOS, a probability indicated by the first LOS/NLOS indication information is positively correlated with a minimum value among probabilities of LOS, or is positively correlated with a maximum value among probabilities of NLOS; in a case that the LOS or NLOS attribute is the LOS or the NLOS, only when all pieces of LOS/NLOS indication information corresponding to the at least one positioning measurement quantity indicate the LOS, the first LOS/NLOS indication information indicates the LOS; otherwise, the first LOS/NLOS indication information indicates the NLOS; in a case that the LOS or NLOS attribute is the probability of LOS or the probability of NLOS, a probability indicated by the first LOS/NLOS indication information is a preset function with the LOS/NLOS indication information corresponding to the at least one positioning measurement quantity as a variable. See [0052] and [0072].
Regarding dependent claim 13, Priyanto further teaches transmitting, by the first device, first indication information to the positioning server, wherein the first indication information is used to indicate that the LOS/NLOS indication information is a hard value or a soft value, the hard value comprises that the LOS or NLOS attribute is the LOS or the NLOS, and the soft value comprises that the LOS or NLOS attribute is the probability of LOS or the probability of NLOS. See [0047] and [0065].
Regarding dependent claim 18, Priyanto further teaches wherein the LOS/NLOS indication information is associated with all positioning measurement quantities of one UE-TRP pair, and the UE-TRP pair comprises one UE and one TRP. See [0052], [0072] and [0076].
Regarding dependent claim 20, Priyanto further teaches receiving, by the positioning server, the positioning measurement quantity transmitted by the first device; and performing positioning, by the positioning server, according to the positioning measurement quantity and the LOS/NLOS indication information corresponding to the positioning measurement quantity. See [0052] and [0072].
Regarding dependent claim 21, Priyanto further teaches wherein the receiving the LOS/NLOS indication information corresponding to the positioning measurement quantity transmitted by the first device comprises: receiving at least two pieces of LOS/NLOS indication information corresponding to one positioning measurement quantity transmitted by the first device for the positioning measurement quantity, wherein the positioning measurement quantity is associated with at least two measurement objects, and each piece of LOS/NLOS indication information is associated with a radio link associated with one of the measurement objects. See [0047], [0050], [0054] and [0074].
Regarding dependent claim 22, Priyanto further teaches wherein the positioning measurement quantity is a downlink reference signal time difference (DL-RSTD) measurement quantity; and the at least two measurement objects comprise: a reference measurement object and a relative measurement object; wherein the reference measurement object is a reference TRP, and the relative measurement object is a measurement TRP; or, the reference measurement object is a reference time, and the relative measurement object is a measurement time or downlink time difference of arrival (DL-TDOA);wherein the receiving the LOS/NLOS indication information corresponding to the positioning measurement quantity transmitted by the first device further comprises: when receiving at least one positioning measurement quantity, receiving, from the first device, LOS/NLOS indication information of a radio link associated with a same reference measurement object, and receiving, from the first device for each relative measurement object, one piece of LOS/NLOS indication information of a radio link associated with the relative measurement object. See [0047] and [0065].
Regarding dependent claim 28, Priyanto further teaches wherein the receiving the LOS/NLOS indication information corresponding to the positioning measurement quantity transmitted by the first device comprises: receiving first LOS/NLOS indication information transmitted by the first device when receiving at least one positioning measurement quantity, wherein the first LOS/NLOS indication information is generated based on LOS/NLOS indication information corresponding to the at least one positioning measurement quantity; and/or, wherein the method further comprises: receiving first indication information transmitted by the first device, wherein the first indication information is used to indicate that the LOS/NLOS indication information is a hard value or a soft value, the hard value comprises that the LOS or NLOS attribute is the LOS or the NLOS, and the soft value comprises that the LOS or NLOS attribute is the probability of LOS or the probability of NLOS. See [0052] and [0072].
Regarding dependent claim 31, Priyanto further teaches wherein the LOS/NLOS indication information is associated with all positioning measurement quantities of one UE-TRP pair, and the UE-TRP pair comprises one UE and one TRP. See [0052], [0072] and [0076].
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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 of this title, 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 set forth in Graham v. John Deere Co., 383 U.S. 1, 148 USPQ 459 (1966), that are applied 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.
This application currently names joint inventors. In considering patentability of the claims the examiner presumes that the subject matter of the various claims was commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the claimed invention(s) absent any evidence to the contrary. Applicant is advised of the obligation under 37 CFR 1.56 to point out the inventor and effective filing dates of each claim that was not commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the later invention in order for the examiner to consider the applicability of 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(2)(C) for any potential 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) prior art against the later invention.
Claims 14 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Priyanto et al (US 20230056394) in view of Choi et al (US 2023/0089198).
Regarding dependent claim 14, Priyanto teaches all subject matter claimed except to further teach wherein a value range of the LOS/NLOS indication information comprises: at least one of 0, 1, or null, wherein 0 indicates the LOS and 1 indicates the NLOS, or, 0 indicates the NLOS and 1 indicates the LOS; the null indicates that the LOS or NLOS attribute is unknown. However, assigning one of the logical value such as “0”, “1” or null is notoriously well-known in the art of digital communications. For example, Choi, from the same field of endeavor, teaches assigning logical value to the LOS and NLOS information. See [0116]. Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the invention of Priyanto by employing the teachings as taught by Choi in order to arrive at the claimed invention.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 7 and 16 is 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
Examiner's note: Examiner has cited particular columns and line numbers in the references as applied to the claims above for the convenience of the applicant. Although the specified citations are representative of the teachings of the art and are applied to the specific limitations within the individual claim, other passages and figures may apply as well. It is respectfully requested from the applicant, in preparing responses, to fully consider the references in entirety as potentially teaching all or part of the claimed invention, as well as the context of the passage as taught by the prior art or disclosed by the Examiner.
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. References Jen (US 2010/0323718), Siomina et al (US 2014/0126530), Li et al (US 2024/0023056) and Hao et al (US 2024/0057028) are cited because they are pertinent to the method and apparatus for transmitting/receiving LOS/NLOS indication information. However, none of the cited references teaches or suggests the further arrangements as recited in the dependent claims 7 and 16.
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/DON N VO/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2634