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
This office action is a response to application no. 18/703,494 filed on 04/22/2024.
Claims 1 – 11 are pending and ready for examination.
Priority
This application is a U.S. National Phase application of International Application No. PCT/CN2022/121432, filed on September 26, 2022, and claims priority to Chinese Patent Application No. 202111 l5511 l95.5, filed on December 1 7, 2021.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statements (IDSs) submitted on 08/08/2024, 07/31/2025 and 11/06/2025 are in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statements are being considered by the examiner.
Claim Interpretation
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(f):
(f) Element in Claim for a Combination. – An element in a claim for a combination may be expressed as a means or step for performing a specified function without the recital of structure, material, or acts in support thereof, and such claim shall be construed to cover the corresponding structure, material, or acts described in the specification and equivalents thereof.
The following is a quotation of pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph:
An element in a claim for a combination may be expressed as a means or step for performing a specified function without the recital of structure, material, or acts in support thereof, and such claim shall be construed to cover the corresponding structure, material, or acts described in the specification and equivalents thereof.
The claims in this application are given their broadest reasonable interpretation using the plain meaning of the claim language in light of the specification as it would be understood by one of ordinary skill in the art. The broadest reasonable interpretation of a claim element (also commonly referred to as a claim limitation) is limited by the description in the specification when 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph, is invoked.
As explained in MPEP § 2181, subsection I, claim limitations that meet the following three-prong test will be interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph:
(A) the claim limitation uses the term “means” or “step” or a term used as a substitute for “means” that is a generic placeholder (also called a nonce term or a non-structural term having no specific structural meaning) for performing the claimed function;
(B) the term “means” or “step” or the generic placeholder is modified by functional language, typically, but not always linked by the transition word “for” (e.g., “means for”) or another linking word or phrase, such as “configured to” or “so that”; and
(C) the term “means” or “step” or the generic placeholder is not modified by sufficient structure, material, or acts for performing the claimed function.
Use of the word “means” (or “step”) in a claim with functional language creates a rebuttable presumption that the claim limitation is to be treated in accordance with 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph. The presumption that the claim limitation is interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph, is rebutted when the claim limitation recites sufficient structure, material, or acts to entirely perform the recited function.
Absence of the word “means” (or “step”) in a claim creates a rebuttable presumption that the claim limitation is not to be treated in accordance with 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph. The presumption that the claim limitation is not interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph, is rebutted when the claim limitation recites function without reciting sufficient structure, material or acts to entirely perform the recited function.
Claim limitations in this application that use the word “means” (or “step”) are being interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph, except as otherwise indicated in an Office action. Conversely, claim limitations in this application that do not use the word “means” (or “step”) are not being interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph, except as otherwise indicated in an Office action.
This application includes one or more claim limitations that do not use the word “means,” but are nonetheless being interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph, because the claim limitation(s) uses a generic placeholder that is coupled with functional language without reciting sufficient structure to perform the recited function and the generic placeholder is not preceded by a structural modifier. Such claim limitations are: a first obtaining module, a second obtaining module and a strategy determination module in claim 9.
Because this/these claim limitation(s) is/are being interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph, it/they is/are being interpreted to cover the corresponding structure described in the specification as performing the claimed function, and equivalents thereof.
If applicant does not intend to have this/these limitation(s) interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph, applicant may: (1) amend the claim limitation(s) to avoid it/them being interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph (e.g., by reciting sufficient structure to perform the claimed function); or (2) present a sufficient showing that the claim limitation(s) recite(s) sufficient structure to perform the claimed function so as to avoid it/them being interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph.
Review of the specification provides that Fig. 9 along with specification ¶ [0065] – ¶ [0071] describe the limitations, “first obtaining module”, “second obtaining module” and “strategy determination module” and properly support the function as recited in the claim.
Claim Objections
Claims 2, 4, 6 and 7 are objected to because of the following informalities:
Claims 2 and 6 recite 4G, 5G. Description of the acronyms is required for the first time use in a claim.
Claims 4 and 7 recite, DSUUU, DDDSU. Description of the acronyms is required for the first time use in a claim.
Appropriate corrections are required.
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 – 11 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.
Claims 1 and 9 recite the limitations "next cycle”, “first cycle" and “second cycle”. These limitations are not defined/ described and the claims do not provide any description of how these cycles are related to “optimizing strategy” and “cells”. Therefore, the claim limitations are not clear. Claims 2 – 11 depend on claim 1; therefore, same rational applies to them. Accordingly, claims 1 – 11 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b).
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 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 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.
Claims 1 and 9 – 11 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over WU et al. (WU hereinafter referred to WU) (CN 107438264 A) in view of CHUAI et al. (CHUAI hereinafter referred to CHUAI) (CN 106028371 A) (End. Translations of both foreign ref. are attached).
Regarding claim 1, WU teaches (Title, Cell Performance Analysis Method And Device) an interference coordination method of a cell (Pg.7: 1st para, cell relation matrix obtained by bidirectional overlap cover relationship among cells, is used to analyze cell of handover and interference resistance), comprising:
obtaining a strategy information table (Pg.7: last line – Pg.8: 1st line, the cell relation matrix to record reflects the relation matrix table of target cell and neighbor cell relation value. Here, the relation matrix table is a strategy information table) of a target cell in a next cycle (Pg.11: 4th para, calculated by the analysis performance matrix capable of generating the target cell and its neighbor cell as the performance matrix of the target cell, the performance matrix to combine to generate the target cell and the adjacent interval of the two relation matrix. Here, the adjacent interval is considered as a next cycle. Since, the performance matrix of the target cell is for the adjacent interval; therefore, the relation matrix/ performance matrix/ strategy information table is for the next cycle), wherein the strategy information table comprises a first cycle optimizing strategy of the target cell and a second cycle optimizing strategy of each coherent cell of the target cell (Pg.8: 1st para and Pg.15: last para, the cell relation matrix according to certain time period received key measurement information; Pg.9: 3rd para, The cell performance analysis method of generating cell relation matrix table of the target cell and the adjacent cell relation value; Pg.8: last para – Pg.9: 1st para, the invention cell relation matrix, it is found that the mutual influence relation between any two cells, whole-cell by the relation matrix of two represents the relationship between these two, so as to accurately judge an overlapping coverage area, the specific coverage problem caused by several cells, so as to provide accurate and efficient analysis information is network optimization personnel. Here, the adjacent/ neighbor cells are coherent cells. Since, the relation matrix of the two cells optimizes network performance; therefore, it is obvious that the strategy information table comprises optimizing strategy of the target cell and the coherent cells. Further, the measurements are done in certain time period for the cell relation matrix/ strategy information table; therefore, it is obvious to consider as a first cycle optimizing strategy of the target cell and a second cycle optimizing strategy of each coherent cell of the target cell);
and
determining an interference coordination strategy of the target cell in the next cycle according to the first cycle optimizing strategy (Pg.5: 3rd last para, performing classification of the superposed cell, obtaining the classification information, the classification information is overlapped to cover the active interfering cell overlapping covering passive interference, overlapping coverage cells inter-cell interference; Pg.6: 1st para, the cell relation matrix is used to analyze cell of handover and interference resistance; the method by generating a cell matrix, can accurately judge the overlapped coverage area of the cell, providing precise effective for analyzing cell performance information and expands the application range of the cell performance analysis method).
WU does not specifically teach
obtaining a cluster state of the target cell according to the first cycle optimizing strategy and each second cycle optimizing strategy; and
determining an interference coordination strategy of the target cell according to the cluster state.
However, CHUAI teaches (Title, A Dynamic TDD Configuration Method For Reducing Serial Interference), comprising:
obtaining a cluster state of the target cell (Abstract, target cell cluster) according to the first cycle optimizing strategy and each second cycle optimizing strategy (Pg.5: last para, searching the target cell cluster of uplink sub-frame time of the UL subframe, corresponding to the current adjacent cell cluster matching sub-frame time mode in the downlink subframe DL; Pg.12: 2nd last para, the target macro base station cluster configuration information and interference level information is sent to the target cell…); and
determining an interference coordination strategy of the target cell according to the cluster state (Pg.12: last para, combining dynamic real time measurement of the channel condition and the coupling loss model influenced by interference the maximum in one macro cell cluster as the target cluster, cells on the traditional dynamic TDD configuration technique, provided the UL-DL configuration and design the clear signaling flow to control the TDD configuration selected adjacent cell cluster, and to further reduce the interference to the target cell cluster by reducing the DL power control of the base station, reduces the serial interference between the femtocell cluster in the macro-cell coverage range. Here, interference is reduced according to the target cell cluster; therefore, an interference coordination strategy is determined according to the cluster state).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of the ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified WU as mentioned above and further incorporate the teaching of CHUAI. The motivation for doing so would have been to provide a dynamic TDD configuration for reducing cell serial interference
method, by setting downlink transmission power reduction value, and the clear signaling interaction process target cell cluster and adjacent cell cluster and reduces the inter-cell interference between clusters to improve the system performance (CHUAI, Abstract and Pg.6: 5th – 9th para).
Regarding claim 9, WU teaches (Title, Cell Performance Analysis Method And Device) an interference coordination device of a cell (Pg.5: 2nd para, a cell performance analysis device; Pg.7: 1st para, cell relation matrix obtained by bidirectional overlap cover relationship among cells, is used to analyze cell of handover and interference resistance), comprising:
a first obtaining module (Pg.5: 3rd para, generating module, used for generating cell relation matrix), configured to obtain a strategy information table (Pg.7: last line – Pg.8: 1st line, the cell relation matrix to record reflects the relation matrix table of target cell and neighbor cell relation value. Here, the relation matrix table is a strategy information table) of a target cell in a next cycle (Pg.11: 4th para, calculated by the analysis performance matrix capable of generating the target cell and its neighbor cell as the performance matrix of the target cell, the performance matrix to combine to generate the target cell and the adjacent interval of the two relation matrix. Here, the adjacent interval is considered as a next cycle. Since, the performance matrix of the target cell is for the adjacent interval; therefore, the relation matrix/ performance matrix/ strategy information table is for the next cycle), wherein the strategy information table comprises a first cycle optimizing strategy of the target cell and a second cycle optimizing strategy of each coherent cell of the target cell (Pg.8: 1st para and Pg.15: last para, the cell relation matrix according to certain time period received key measurement information; Pg.9: 3rd para, The cell performance analysis method of generating cell relation matrix table of the target cell and the adjacent cell relation value; Pg.8: last para – Pg.9: 1st para, the invention cell relation matrix, it is found that the mutual influence relation between any two cells, whole-cell by the relation matrix of two represents the relationship between these two, so as to accurately judge an overlapping coverage area, the specific coverage problem caused by several cells, so as to provide accurate and efficient analysis information is network optimization personnel. Here, the adjacent/ neighbor cells are coherent cells. Since, the relation matrix of the two cells optimizes network performance; therefore, it is obvious that the strategy information table comprises optimizing strategy of the target cell and the coherent cells. Further, the measurements are done in certain time period for the cell relation matrix/ strategy information table; therefore, it is obvious to consider as a first cycle optimizing strategy of the target cell and a second cycle optimizing strategy of each coherent cell of the target cell); and
a strategy determination module (Pg.5: 4th para, processing module), configured to determine an interference coordination strategy of the target cell in the next cycle according to the first cycle optimizing strategy (Pg.5: 3rd last para, performing classification of the superposed cell, obtaining the classification information, the classification information is overlapped to cover the active interfering cell overlapping covering passive interference, overlapping coverage cells inter-cell interference; Pg.6: 1st para, the cell relation matrix is used to analyze cell of handover and interference resistance; the method by generating a cell matrix, can accurately judge the overlapped coverage area of the cell, providing precise effective for analyzing cell performance information and expands the application range of the cell performance analysis method).
WU does not specifically teach
a second obtaining module, configured to obtain a cluster state of the target cell according to the first cycle optimizing strategy and each second cycle optimizing strategy; and
determine an interference coordination strategy of the target cell according to the cluster state.
However, CHUAI teaches (Title, A Dynamic TDD Configuration Method For Reducing Serial Interference) an interference coordination device of a cell (Abstract, The invention claims for reducing cell serial interference, belonging to the field of mobile communication. Therefore, it is obvious to have an interference coordination device to perform the method), comprising:
a second obtaining module (It is obvious that the device comprises module to perform the method), configured to obtain a cluster state of the target cell (Abstract, target cell cluster) according to the first cycle optimizing strategy and each second cycle optimizing strategy (Pg.5: last para, searching the target cell cluster of uplink sub-frame time of the UL subframe, corresponding to the current adjacent cell cluster matching sub-frame time mode in the downlink subframe DL; Pg.12: 2nd last para, the target macro base station cluster configuration information and interference level information is sent to the target cell…); and
determine an interference coordination strategy of the target cell according to the cluster state (Pg.12: last para, combining dynamic real time measurement of the channel condition and the coupling loss model influenced by interference the maximum in one macro cell cluster as the target cluster, cells on the traditional dynamic TDD configuration technique, provided the UL-DL configuration and design the clear signaling flow to control the TDD configuration selected adjacent cell cluster, and to further reduce the interference to the target cell cluster by reducing the DL power control of the base station, reduces the serial interference between the femtocell cluster in the macro-cell coverage range. Here, interference is reduced according to the target cell cluster; therefore, an interference coordination strategy is determined according to the cluster state).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of the ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified WU as mentioned above and further incorporate the teaching of CHUAI. The motivation for doing so would have been to provide a dynamic TDD configuration for reducing cell serial interference
method, by setting downlink transmission power reduction value, and the clear signaling interaction process target cell cluster and adjacent cell cluster and reduces the inter-cell interference between clusters to improve the system performance (CHUAI, Abstract and Pg.6: 5th – 9th para).
Regarding claim 10, combination of WU and CHUAI teaches all the features with respect to claim 1 as outlined above.
WU further teaches
a server (Pg.18: 4th para, device (system)), comprising:
at least one processor (Pg.18: 2nd para, microprocessor (MPU), a digital signal processor (DSP)); and
a memory (Pg.18: 3rd para, a disk memory, an optical memory) communicatively connected to the at least one processor; wherein, the memory is configured to store an instruction executable by the at least one processor, and the instruction is executed by the at least one processor so that the at least one processor executes the interference coordination method of the cell according to claim 1 (Pg.18: 5th para, a computer readable memory capable of directing the computer or the other programmable data processing device to operate in a specific manner so that the instructions stored in computer readable memory, the computer-readable instructions in the memory produce an article of manufacture including instruction means, the instruction device in the flow a flow or a plurality of flows and/or blocks in a processor or a processor functions specified).
Regarding claim 11, combination of WU and CHUAI teaches all the features with respect to claim 1 as outlined above.
WU further teaches
non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing a computer program (Pg.18: 3rd para, one or more computer useable storage mediums in which computer useable program codes in the form of a computer program product), wherein when the computer program is executed by a processor, the interference coordination method of the cell according to claim 1 is implemented (Pg.18: 4th para, a computer program instruction to the universal computer, special computer, an embedded processor or processor of the other a programed data processing device to produce ..).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 2 – 8 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
The prior arts made of record and not relied upon are considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
ZHOU et al. (Pub. No. US 2016/0345168 A1) – “PHYSICAL CELL IDENTIFIER ALLOCATION METHOD AND APPARATUS” discloses a physical cell identifier allocation method and an apparatus. In a scheme, when allocating a physical cell identifier, first determining a degree of interference of each type of an adjacent cell to a main cell for which a physical cell identifier needs to be allocated, and then performing allocation for the main cell based on a remainder value corresponding to a minimum degree of interference, thus implementing effective reduction of reference signal interference and improving effectiveness of reducing reference signal interference.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ROWNAK ISLAM whose telephone number is (571)272-8009. The examiner can normally be reached on Monday - Friday 8:30 am - 6 pm (EST).
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Michael Thier can be reached on 571-272-2832. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/ROWNAK ISLAM/
Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2474
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