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 in response to the Applicants' communication filed on 7/17/2024. In virtue of this communication, claims 1-30 are currently presented in the instant application.
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 use the word “means” or “step” but are nonetheless not being interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph because the claim limitation(s) recite(s) sufficient structure, materials, or acts to entirely perform the recited function. Such claim limitation(s) is/are: “means for determining…” and “means for communicating…” in claim 30.
Because this/these claim limitation(s) is/are not being interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph, it/they is/are not being interpreted to cover only the corresponding structure, material, or acts described in the specification as performing the claimed function, and equivalents thereof.
If applicant intends 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 remove the structure, materials, or acts that performs the claimed function; or (2) present a sufficient showing that the claim limitation(s) does/do not recite sufficient structure, materials, or acts to perform the claimed function.
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.
Claim limitation “means for determining…” and “means for communicating…” in claim 30 invokes 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph. However, the written description fails to disclose the corresponding structure, material, or acts for performing the entire claimed function and to clearly link the structure, material, or acts to the function. Because the disclosure is devoid of any structure that performs the function in the claim, the structure described in the specification does not perform the entire function in the claim, and no association between the structure and the function can be found in the specification. Therefore, the claim is indefinite and is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, second paragraph.
Applicant may:
(a) Amend the claim so that the claim limitation will no longer be interpreted as a limitation under 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph;
(b) Amend the written description of the specification such that it expressly recites what structure, material, or acts perform the entire claimed function, without introducing any new matter (35 U.S.C. 132(a)); or
(c) Amend the written description of the specification such that it clearly links the structure, material, or acts disclosed therein to the function recited in the claim, without introducing any new matter (35 U.S.C. 132(a)).
If applicant is of the opinion that the written description of the specification already implicitly or inherently discloses the corresponding structure, material, or acts and clearly links them to the function so that one of ordinary skill in the art would recognize what structure, material, or acts perform the claimed function, applicant should clarify the record by either:
(a) Amending the written description of the specification such that it expressly recites the corresponding structure, material, or acts for performing the claimed function and clearly links or associates the structure, material, or acts to the claimed function, without introducing any new matter (35 U.S.C. 132(a)); or
(b) Stating on the record what the corresponding structure, material, or acts, which are implicitly or inherently set forth in the written description of the specification, perform the claimed function. For more information, see 37 CFR 1.75(d) and MPEP §§ 608.01(o) and 2181.
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.
Claims 1-4, 18, 29, 30 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over US Patent Application Publication 20170127411 (hereinafter referred to as Miao) in view of US Patent Application Publication 20230254886 (hereinafter referred to as Gupta).
Consider claim 1, Miao discloses a method for wireless communication by a first communications device, comprising:
determining a first cyclic prefix (CP) length for communicating with a second communications device based on at least one of:
an energy charging requirement of the first communications device or the second communications device; or
a security requirement for communications between the first communications device and the second communications device; and
communicating, with the second communications device, a first signal over a first symbol, wherein the first signal comprises a first CP having the first CP length (see at least ¶ [0023], “…CP transmission for downlink signaling between an enhanced Node B (eNB) and user equipment (UE) with a selected cyclic prefix (CP) for the UE…” and see at least ¶ [0026], “…the eNB can decide the actual (e.g., optimal or selected) CP length to be transmitted in a particular TTI, or group of TTIs, for the UE data packet, and the selected CP length can be the CP length that is fed back from the UE…” and further see at least ¶ [0038], “…The one or more processors and memory can be configured to communicate the estimated delay spread from the UE to the eNB to enable the eNB to determine a selected cyclic prefix (CP) length for downlink signaling, as in block 520. The one or more processors and memory can be configured to receive the selected CP length from the eNB for a transmission time interval (TTI), as in block 530. The one or more processors and memory can be configured to process received downlink data for the TTI using the selected CP length, as in block 540…”).
Miao disclose all the subject matters of the claimed invention concept. However, Miao does not particularly disclose an energy charging requirement. In an analogous field of endeavor, attention is directed to Gupta, which teaches an energy charging requirement (see Gupta, at least ¶ [0105], “…wireless device 205-b may transmit backscattered energy 215 in examples in which an energy level of wireless device 205-b is above the predefined threshold and may refrain from transmitting backscattered energy 215…, …wireless device 205-a may transmit EH resources 220 to UE 115-b and may transmit EH signal 225 over the indicated EH resources 220. …, an amount of energy of backscattered energy 215 may be used by wireless device 205-a to determine whether or not the energy level of wireless device 205-b is below the predefined threshold …” and further see at least ¶ [0113], “…RF element 320-b may pass the signal to diode element 335-b and diode element 335-b may pass the signal to energy harvester 365, which may harvest energy for supplying energy to rechargeable battery 380, which may charge the rechargeable battery…”).
Therefore, it would have been obvious a finding that one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention could have combined the elements as claimed by the know method, and that in combination. Each element merely performs the same function as it does separately; Miao disclosed invention, and have an energy charging requirement, as taught by Gupta, thereby, to provide the wireless device may receive a first signal scheduling resources for harvesting energy and may also receive a second signal over such resources from which the wireless device may harvest energy, as discussed by Gupta, (see at least ¶ [0003]).
Consider claim 18, Miao discloses a first communications device configured for wireless communications, comprising: a memory comprising computer-executable instructions (see at least ¶ [0038], “…one or more processors and memory can be configured to communicate the estimated delay spread from the UE to the eNB to enable the eNB to determine a selected cyclic prefix (CP) length…”); and
a processor configured to execute the computer-executable instructions and cause the first communications device to:
determine a first cyclic prefix (CP) length for communicating with a second communications device based on at least one of:
an energy charging requirement of the first communications device or the second communications device; or
a security requirement for communications between the first communications device and the second communications device; and communicate, with the second communications device, a first signal over a first symbol, wherein the first signal comprises a first CP having the first CP length (see at least ¶ [0023], “…CP transmission for downlink signaling between an enhanced Node B (eNB) and user equipment (UE) with a selected cyclic prefix (CP) for the UE…” and see at least ¶ [0026], “…the eNB can decide the actual (e.g., optimal or selected) CP length to be transmitted in a particular TTI, or group of TTIs, for the UE data packet, and the selected CP length can be the CP length that is fed back from the UE…” and further see at least ¶ [0038], “…The one or more processors and memory can be configured to communicate the estimated delay spread from the UE to the eNB to enable the eNB to determine a selected cyclic prefix (CP) length for downlink signaling, as in block 520. The one or more processors and memory can be configured to receive the selected CP length from the eNB for a transmission time interval (TTI), as in block 530. The one or more processors and memory can be configured to process received downlink data for the TTI using the selected CP length, as in block 540…”).
Miao disclose all the subject matters of the claimed invention concept. However, Miao does not particularly disclose an energy charging requirement. In an analogous field of endeavor, attention is directed to Gupta, which teaches an energy charging requirement (see Gupta, at least ¶ [0105], “…wireless device 205-b may transmit backscattered energy 215 in examples in which an energy level of wireless device 205-b is above the predefined threshold and may refrain from transmitting backscattered energy 215…, …wireless device 205-a may transmit EH resources 220 to UE 115-b and may transmit EH signal 225 over the indicated EH resources 220. …, an amount of energy of backscattered energy 215 may be used by wireless device 205-a to determine whether or not the energy level of wireless device 205-b is below the predefined threshold …” and further see at least ¶ [0113], “…RF element 320-b may pass the signal to diode element 335-b and diode element 335-b may pass the signal to energy harvester 365, which may harvest energy for supplying energy to rechargeable battery 380, which may charge the rechargeable battery…”).
Therefore, it would have been obvious a finding that one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention could have combined the elements as claimed by the know method, and that in combination. Each element merely performs the same function as it does separately; Miao disclosed invention, and have an energy charging requirement, as taught by Gupta, thereby, to provide the wireless device may receive a first signal scheduling resources for harvesting energy and may also receive a second signal over such resources from which the wireless device may harvest energy, as discussed by Gupta, (see at least ¶ [0003]).
Consider claim 29, Miao discloses a non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising computer-executable instructions that, when executed by a processor of a first communications device (see at least ¶ [0038], “…one or more processors and memory can be configured to communicate the estimated delay spread from the UE to the eNB to enable the eNB to determine a selected cyclic prefix (CP) length…”), cause the first communications device to perform a method comprising:
determining a first cyclic prefix (CP) length for communicating with a second communications device based on at least one of:
an energy charging requirement of the first communications device or the second communications device; or
a security requirement for communications between the first communications device and the second communications device; and communicating, with the second communications device, a first signal over a first symbol, wherein the first signal comprises a first CP having the first CP length (see at least ¶ [0023], “…CP transmission for downlink signaling between an enhanced Node B (eNB) and user equipment (UE) with a selected cyclic prefix (CP) for the UE…” and see at least ¶ [0026], “…the eNB can decide the actual (e.g., optimal or selected) CP length to be transmitted in a particular TTI, or group of TTIs, for the UE data packet, and the selected CP length can be the CP length that is fed back from the UE…” and further see at least ¶ [0038], “…The one or more processors and memory can be configured to communicate the estimated delay spread from the UE to the eNB to enable the eNB to determine a selected cyclic prefix (CP) length for downlink signaling, as in block 520. The one or more processors and memory can be configured to receive the selected CP length from the eNB for a transmission time interval (TTI), as in block 530. The one or more processors and memory can be configured to process received downlink data for the TTI using the selected CP length, as in block 540…”).
Miao disclose all the subject matters of the claimed invention concept. However, Miao does not particularly disclose an energy charging requirement. In an analogous field of endeavor, attention is directed to Gupta, which teaches an energy charging requirement (see Gupta, at least ¶ [0105], “…wireless device 205-b may transmit backscattered energy 215 in examples in which an energy level of wireless device 205-b is above the predefined threshold and may refrain from transmitting backscattered energy 215…, …wireless device 205-a may transmit EH resources 220 to UE 115-b and may transmit EH signal 225 over the indicated EH resources 220. …, an amount of energy of backscattered energy 215 may be used by wireless device 205-a to determine whether or not the energy level of wireless device 205-b is below the predefined threshold …” and further see at least ¶ [0113], “…RF element 320-b may pass the signal to diode element 335-b and diode element 335-b may pass the signal to energy harvester 365, which may harvest energy for supplying energy to rechargeable battery 380, which may charge the rechargeable battery…”).
Therefore, it would have been obvious a finding that one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention could have combined the elements as claimed by the know method, and that in combination. Each element merely performs the same function as it does separately; Miao disclosed invention, and have an energy charging requirement, as taught by Gupta, thereby, to provide the wireless device may receive a first signal scheduling resources for harvesting energy and may also receive a second signal over such resources from which the wireless device may harvest energy, as discussed by Gupta, (see at least ¶ [0003]).
Consider claim 30, Miao discloses a first communications device configured for wireless communications, comprising:
means for determining a first cyclic prefix (CP) length for communicating with a second communications device based on at least one of:
an energy charging requirement of the first communications device or the second communications device; or
a security requirement for communications between the first communications device and the second communications device; and
means for communicating, with the second communications device, a first signal over a first symbol, wherein the first signal comprises a first CP having the first CP length (see at least ¶ [0023], “…CP transmission for downlink signaling between an enhanced Node B (eNB) and user equipment (UE) with a selected cyclic prefix (CP) for the UE…” and see at least ¶ [0026], “…the eNB can decide the actual (e.g., optimal or selected) CP length to be transmitted in a particular TTI, or group of TTIs, for the UE data packet, and the selected CP length can be the CP length that is fed back from the UE…” and further see at least ¶ [0038], “…The one or more processors and memory can be configured to communicate the estimated delay spread from the UE to the eNB to enable the eNB to determine a selected cyclic prefix (CP) length for downlink signaling, as in block 520. The one or more processors and memory can be configured to receive the selected CP length from the eNB for a transmission time interval (TTI), as in block 530. The one or more processors and memory can be configured to process received downlink data for the TTI using the selected CP length, as in block 540…”).
Miao disclose all the subject matters of the claimed invention concept. However, Miao does not particularly disclose an energy charging requirement. In an analogous field of endeavor, attention is directed to Gupta, which teaches an energy charging requirement (see Gupta, at least ¶ [0105], “…wireless device 205-b may transmit backscattered energy 215 in examples in which an energy level of wireless device 205-b is above the predefined threshold and may refrain from transmitting backscattered energy 215…, …wireless device 205-a may transmit EH resources 220 to UE 115-b and may transmit EH signal 225 over the indicated EH resources 220. …, an amount of energy of backscattered energy 215 may be used by wireless device 205-a to determine whether or not the energy level of wireless device 205-b is below the predefined threshold …” and further see at least ¶ [0113], “…RF element 320-b may pass the signal to diode element 335-b and diode element 335-b may pass the signal to energy harvester 365, which may harvest energy for supplying energy to rechargeable battery 380, which may charge the rechargeable battery…”).
Therefore, it would have been obvious a finding that one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention could have combined the elements as claimed by the know method, and that in combination. Each element merely performs the same function as it does separately; Miao disclosed invention, and have an energy charging requirement, as taught by Gupta, thereby, to provide the wireless device may receive a first signal scheduling resources for harvesting energy and may also receive a second signal over such resources from which the wireless device may harvest energy, as discussed by Gupta, (see at least ¶ [0003]).
Consider claim 2 (depends on at least claim 1), Miao in view of Gupta discloses the limitations of claim 1 as applied to claim rejection 1 above and further discloses:
Miao teaches determining the first CP length is further based on a delay spread between the first communications device and the second communications device (see at least ¶ [0021], “…a UE can estimate a delay spread for a corresponding channel between the eNB and the UE. The UE can communicate the estimated delay spread from the UE to the eNB to enable the eNB to determine a selected cyclic prefix (CP) length for downlink signaling…”).
Consider claims 3, 20 (depends on at least claims 1, 18), Miao in view of Gupta discloses the limitations of claims 1, 18 as applied to claim rejection 1, 18 above and further discloses:
Miao teaches communicating, with the second communications device, an indication of the delay spread (see at least ¶ [0036], “…the eNB can set the CP length to 0. In this case, the DCI for the UE1 can require the addition of one new bit indicating the CP length within the configured set of possible CP lengths…”).
Consider claims 4, 21 (depends on at least claims 1, 18), Miao in view of Gupta discloses the limitations of claims 1, 18 as applied to claim rejection 1, 18 above and further discloses:
Miao disclose all the subject matters of the claimed invention concept. However, Miao does not particularly disclose communicating, with the second communications device, an indication of the at least one of the energy charging requirement or the security requirement. In an analogous field of endeavor, attention is directed to Gupta, which teaches communicating, with the second communications device, an indication of the at least one of the energy charging requirement or the security requirement (see Gupta, at least ¶ [0105], “…wireless device 205-b may transmit backscattered energy 215 in examples in which an energy level of wireless device 205-b is above the predefined threshold and may refrain from transmitting backscattered energy 215…, …wireless device 205-a may transmit EH resources 220 to UE 115-b and may transmit EH signal 225 over the indicated EH resources 220. …, an amount of energy of backscattered energy 215 may be used by wireless device 205-a to determine whether or not the energy level of wireless device 205-b is below the predefined threshold …” and further see at least ¶ [0113], “…RF element 320-b may pass the signal to diode element 335-b and diode element 335-b may pass the signal to energy harvester 365, which may harvest energy for supplying energy to rechargeable battery 380, which may charge the rechargeable battery…” and see at least ¶ [0078], “…remote security sensing, physical access control, and transaction-based business charging…”).
Therefore, it would have been obvious a finding that one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention could have combined the elements as claimed by the know method, and that in combination. Each element merely performs the same function as it does separately; Miao disclosed invention, and have communicating, with the second communications device, an indication of the at least one of the energy charging requirement or the security requirement, as taught by Gupta, thereby, to provide the wireless device may receive a first signal scheduling resources for harvesting energy and may also receive a second signal over such resources from which the wireless device may harvest energy, as discussed by Gupta, (see at least ¶ [0003]).
Consider claims 9, 26 (depends on at least claims 1, 18), Miao in view of Gupta discloses the limitations of claims 1, 18 as applied to claim rejection 1, 18 above and further discloses:
Miao teaches communicating, with the second communications device, an indication to use a second CP length, for communication between the first communications device and the second communications device, in response to a change in one or more of a transmit precoder mode or transmitting parameters of the first communications device or the second communications device (see at least ¶ [0023], “…CP transmission for downlink signaling between an enhanced Node B (eNB) and user equipment (UE) with a selected cyclic prefix (CP) for the UE…” and see at least ¶ [0092], “…communicating the estimated delay spread from the UE to the eNB to enable the eNB to determine a selected cyclic prefix (CP) length for downlink signaling…” and see at least ¶ [0123], “…precoding, and/or constellation mapping/demapping functionality…”).
Consider claims 10, 27 (depends on at least claims 1, 18), Miao in view of Gupta discloses the limitations of claims 1, 18 as applied to claim rejection 1, 18 above and further discloses:
Miao teaches communicating, with the second communications device, an indication to use a second CP length for communication between the first communications device and the second communications device; and communicating with the second communications device using the second CP length after waiting at least a first time period after communicating the first signal (see at least ¶ [0036], “…the eNB can set the CP length to 0. In this case, the DCI for the UE1 can require the addition of one new bit indicating the CP length within the configured set of possible CP lengths…” and see at least ¶ [0066], “…communicating the estimated delay spread from the UE to the eNB to enable the eNB to determine a selected cyclic prefix (CP) length for downlink signaling…”).
Consider claim 12 (depends on at least claim 1), Miao in view of Gupta discloses the limitations of claim 1 as applied to claim rejection 1 above and further discloses:
Miao teaches communicating, with the second communications device, an indication of the first CP length via at least one of downlink control information (DCI), a medium access control (MAC) control element (CE), a physical downlink control channel (PDCCH), a physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH), or radio resource control (RRC) signaling (see at least ¶ [0035], “…The data channel can use a different CP than the cell specific CP. The downlink control information (DCI) can contain the information regarding to the CP length of the data channel…”).
Consider claim 13 (depends on at least claim 1), Miao in view of Gupta discloses the limitations of claim 1 as applied to claim rejection 1 above and further discloses:
Miao teaches wherein the indication comprises an absolute value of the first CP length (see at least ¶ [0019], “…the actual adopted CP length applied during a particular transmit time internal (TTI) may not be necessarily the same as the one estimated, proposed, and/or reported by the UE. Moreover, many common channels, such as system information and synchronization signals targeting for all the UEs in the cell, which potentially have various delay spreads, will adopt the same CP length which corresponds to the worst possible DS to be experienced by an UE in the cell…”).
Consider claim 14 (depends on at least claim 1), Miao in view of Gupta discloses the limitations of claim 1 as applied to claim rejection 1 above and further discloses:
Miao teaches wherein the indication comprises a difference in value of the first CP length from a previous CP length used for communication between the first communications device and the second communications device (see at least ¶ [0019], “…the actual adopted CP length applied during a particular transmit time internal (TTI) may not be necessarily the same as the one estimated, proposed, and/or reported by the UE. Moreover, many common channels, such as system information and synchronization signals targeting for all the UEs in the cell, which potentially have various delay spreads, will adopt the same CP length which corresponds to the worst possible DS to be experienced by an UE in the cell…”).
Consider claim 19 (depends on at least claim 18), Miao in view of Gupta discloses the limitations of claim 18 as applied to claim rejection 18 above and further discloses:
Miao the processor is configured to execute the computer-executable instructions and cause the first communications device to determine the first CP length further based on a delay spread between the first communications device and the second communications device (see at least ¶ [0021], “…a UE can estimate a delay spread for a corresponding channel between the eNB and the UE. The UE can communicate the estimated delay spread from the UE to the eNB to enable the eNB to determine a selected cyclic prefix (CP) length for downlink signaling…”).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 5-8, 11, 15-17, 22-25, 28 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
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to CHUONG A NGO whose telephone number is (571)270-7264. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Thursday from 5:30AM-3:30PM.
Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Anthony S Addy can be reached at (571) 272-7795. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
Information regarding the status of published or unpublished applications may be obtained from Patent Center. Unpublished application information in Patent Center is available to registered users. To file and manage patent submissions in Patent Center, visit: https://patentcenter.uspto.gov. Visit https://www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/patent-center for more information about Patent Center and https://www.uspto.gov/patents/docx for information about filing in DOCX format. For additional questions, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000.
/CHUONG A NGO/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2645