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 .
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.
DETAILED ACTION
This communication is in response to Application No. 18/769,281 filed on 10 July 2024. This application claims PROV priority to 63/531,134 filed on 7 August 2023 and PROV priority to 63/528,841 filed on 25 July 2023. Claims 1-20 are presented for examination.
Claim Interpretation
Claims 2, 9, and 16 recite “a concatenated channel.” Although there is no explicit “concatenated” channel, Examiner interprets this limitation to mean a “combination of information from the list of NZP CSI-RSs.”
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, 8, and 15 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, 8, and 15 recite the limitation "transmitting the UL channel with the CSI report including the second number of CSI sub-reports based on the fourth information." There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim. Therefore, the claim is indefinite. For the purpose of this examination, Examiner interprets this limitation to mean “transmitting the UL channel with the CSI report including the second number of CSI sub-reports
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, 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 1-6, 8-13, and 15-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over US PGPUB 2024/0250728 A1 to Hindy et al and in view of US PGPUB 2023/0171623 A1 to Zeineddine et al.
Regarding Claim 1, Hindy discloses a method for a user equipment (UE) to report channel state information (CSI) (FIG. 1, remote unit 105), the method comprising: receiving: first information related to a CSI reference signal (CSI-RS) resource set including one or more non-zero power CSI-RSs (NZP CSI-RSs) on a cell (FIG. 13 step 1310, 0254, 0282, and 0342-0343 provides for receiving CSI reporting configuration comprising codebook type to Further Enhanced Type II CSI for NZP-CSI-RS resources), second information related to a CSI report including a first number of CSI report sub-configurations (0316 and 0343 provides for related to a CSI report including a value of a sub-configuration of the CSI reporting configuration), wherein: a CSI report sub-configuration provides information related to a reception of one or more NZP CSI-RSs associated with a set of active transmission reception points (TRPs) (0250 and 0316 provides for CSI reporting associated with multi-TRP), and third information related to an uplink (UL) channel for transmitting the CSI report (0273 provides for CSI-RS beamforming related to UL channel for fed back in the CSI report), and the one or more NZP CSI-RSs based on the first information (FIG. 13 step 1310, 0254, 0282, and 0342-0343 provides for receiving CSI reporting configuration comprising codebook type to Further Enhanced Type II CSI for NZP-CSI-RS resources); and transmitting the UL channel with the CSI report including the second number of CSI sub-reports (0273 provides for CSI-RS beamforming related to UL channel for fed back in the CSI report) based on the fourth information (Examiner will not consider due to 112 rejection). Hindy doesn’t explicitly disclose wherein a CSI report sub-configuration corresponds to a CSI sub-report for the set of active TRPs; and determining a second number of CSI sub-reports based on the second information, and the reception of the one or more NZP CSI-RSs associated with the set of active TRPs of the corresponding CSI report sub-configuration. Zeineddine, in a similar field of endeavor, discloses wherein a CSI report sub-configuration corresponds to a CSI sub-report for the set of active TRPs (0100 provides for CSI report configuration comprises CSI sub-reports for a multi-TRP CSI feedback); and determining a second number of CSI sub-reports based on the second information, and the reception of the one or more NZP CSI-RSs associated with the set of active TRPs of the corresponding CSI report sub-configuration (0103 and 0106 provides for CSI report setting triggers CSI resource settings indicate NZP CSI-RS in corresponding CSI reports). One of ordinary skill in the art before the effectively filed date of the claimed invention would have recognized the ability to utilize the teachings of Zeineddine for CSI sub-reports for a multi-TRP system. The CSI sub-report configuration of Zeineddine, when implemented with the NZP-CSI-RS system of the Hindy system, will allow one of ordinary skill in the art to schedule CSI reporting for multiple TRPs in order to transmit to CSI groups. Therefore, the examiner concludes it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the application to utilize the CSI sub-report configuration of Zeineddine with the NZP-CSI-RS system of the Hindy system for the desirable purpose of optimizing CSI-RS reporting configurations for a system with multiple panels.
Regarding Claim 2, the Hindy/Zeineddine system discloses the method of claim 1, wherein: the second information provides a list of NZP CSI-RSs from the CSI-RS resource set for a CSI report sub-configuration (Hindy, 0219 provides for a list where each ID in the list is a NZP CSI-RS resource), each NZP CSI-RS from the list of NZP CSI-RSs is associated with a corresponding active TRP (Zeineddine, 0146 provides for a number of TRPs correspond to a number of NZP CSI-RS resources), determination of the corresponding CSI sub-report is based on a concatenated channel from the list of NZP CSI-RSs (Zeineddine, 0106-0107 provides for multi-TRP mapping for NZP CSI-RS), and a number of antenna ports in the concatenated channel is equal to a sum of a number of antenna ports of each NZP CSI-RS in the list of NZP CSI-RSs (Hindy, 0214 provides for all antenna ports of the SRS resources are mapped to each symbol of the resource). Same motivation as claim 1.
Regarding Claim 3, the Hindy/Zeineddine system discloses the method of claim 1, wherein the second information provides a list of NZP CSI-RSs from the CSI-RS resource set (Hindy, 0219 provides for a list where each ID in the list is a NZP CSI-RS resource), an antenna port subset indication (Hindy, 0214 provides for all antenna ports of the SRS resources are mapped to each symbol of the resource), and a CSI codebook configuration for a CSI report sub-configuration (Zeineddine, 0106-0107 provides for multi-TRP mapping for NZP CSI-RS). Same motivation as claim 1.
Regarding Claim 4, the Hindy/Zeineddine system discloses the method of claim 1, wherein: the first information provides (i) a set of channel measurement resource (CMR) groups, wherein each CMR group in the set includes one or more NZP CSI-RSs from the CSI-RS resource set, and (ii) a set of NZP CSI-RS pairings from respective two or more CMR groups from the set of CMR groups (Zeineddine, 0106-0107 provides for NZP CSI-RS for CSI group 1 and CSI group 2), the second information provides, for a CSI report sub-configuration, a subset of CMR groups from the set of CMR groups, wherein each CMR group in the subset is associated with a corresponding active TRP (Zeineddine, 0100 provides for NZP CSI-RS for multi-TRP for sub-CSI-reports), and determination of the corresponding CSI sub-report is based on one or more best channel selection from the CMR groups in the subset of CMR groups and a set of NZP CSI-RS pairings involving two or more NZP CSI-RSs associated with respective active TRPs (Zeineddine, 0131 provides for CSI report combination pairs). Same motivation as claim 1.
Regarding Claim 5, the Hindy/Zeineddine system discloses the method of claim 1, wherein: the first information provides a set of channel measurement resource (CMR) groups and a set of NZP CSI-RS pairings from respective two or more CMR groups from the set of CMR groups (Zeineddine, 0106-0107 provides for NZP CSI-RS for CSI group 1 and CSI group 2), and the second information provides, for a CSI report sub-configuration, a subset of CMR groups from the set of CMR groups, an antenna port subset indication, and a CSI codebook configuration for a CSI report sub-configuration (Zeineddine, 0100 provides for NZP CSI-RS for multi-TRP for sub-CSI-reports). Same motivation as claim 1.
Regarding Claim 6, the Hindy/Zeineddine system discloses the method of claim 1, wherein: the first information provides: a set of channel measurement resource (CMR) groups, one or more CMR sub-groups for each CMR group in the set of CMR groups (Zeineddine, 0106-0107 provides for NZP CSI-RS for CSI group 1 and CSI group 2), and a set of NZP CSI-RS pairings from two or more CMR sub-groups (Zeineddine, 0131 provides for CSI report combination pairs), wherein the two or more CMR sub-groups belong to respective CMR groups (Zeineddine, 0106-0107 provides for NZP CSI-RS for CSI group 1 and CSI group 2), and the second information provides, for a CSI report sub-configuration, a subset of CMR groups from the set of CMR groups and a CMR sub-group index for a corresponding CMR group in the subset of CMR groups (Zeineddine, 0100, 0113, and 0145-0146 provides for NZP CSI-RS for multi-TRP for sub-CSI-reports). Same motivation as claim 1.
Regarding Claim 8, similar rejection where the method of claim 1 teaches the user equipment of claim 8.
Regarding Claim 9, similar rejection where the method of claim 2 teaches the user equipment of claim 9.
Regarding Claim 10, similar rejection where the method of claim 3 teaches the user equipment of claim 10.
Regarding Claim 11, similar rejection where the method of claim 4 teaches the user equipment of claim 11.
Regarding Claim 12, similar rejection where the method of claim 5 teaches the user equipment of claim 12.
Regarding Claim 13, similar rejection where the method of claim 6 teaches the user equipment of claim 13.
Regarding Claim 15, Hindy discloses a base station (BS) (FIG. 12, network apparatus 1200), comprising: a transceiver (FIG. 12, transceiver 1225) configured to: transmit: first information related to a channel state information-reference signal (CSI-RS) resource set including one or more non-zero power CSI-RSs (NZP CSI-RSs) on a cell (FIG. 13 step 1310, 0254, 0282, and 0342-0343 provides for receiving CSI reporting configuration comprising codebook type to Further Enhanced Type II CSI for NZP-CSI-RS resources), second information related to a CSI report including a first number of CSI report sub-configurations (0316 and 0343 provides for related to a CSI report including a value of a sub-configuration of the CSI reporting configuration), wherein: a CSI report sub-configuration provides information related to a transmission of one or more NZP CSI-RSs associated with a set of active transmission reception points (TRPs) (0250 and 0316 provides for CSI reporting associated with multi-TRP), and third information related to an uplink (UL) channel for the CSI report (0273 provides for CSI-RS beamforming related to UL channel for fed back in the CSI report), and the one or more NZP CSI-RSs (FIG. 13 step 1310, 0254, 0282, and 0342-0343 provides for receiving CSI reporting configuration comprising codebook type to Further Enhanced Type II CSI for NZP-CSI-RS resources), and receive the UL channel with the CSI report including a second number of CSI sub-reports (0273 provides for CSI-RS beamforming related to UL channel for fed back in the CSI report) based on the fourth information (Examiner will not consider this part due to the 112 rejection). Hindy doesn’t explicitly disclose wherein a CSI report sub-configuration corresponds to a CSI sub-report for the set of active TRPs; and wherein the second number of CSI sub-reports is based on the second information and the transmission of the one or more NZP CSI-RSs associated with the set of active TRPs of the corresponding CSI report sub-configuration. Zeineddine, in a similar field of endeavor, discloses wherein a CSI report sub-configuration corresponds to a CSI sub-report for the set of active TRPs (0100 provides for CSI report configuration comprises CSI sub-reports for a multi-TRP CSI feedback); wherein the second number of CSI sub-reports is based on the second information (0103 and 0106 provides for CSI report setting triggers CSI resource settings indicate NZP CSI-RS in corresponding CSI reports); and wherein the transmission of the one or more NZP CSI-RSs associated with the set of active TRPs of the corresponding CSI report sub-configuration (0103 and 0106 provides for CSI report setting triggers CSI resource settings indicate NZP CSI-RS in corresponding CSI reports). Same motivation as claim 1.
Regarding Claim 16, similar rejection where the method of claim 2 teaches the base station of claim 16.
Regarding Claim 17, similar rejection where the method of claim 3 teaches the base station of claim 17.
Regarding Claim 18, similar rejection where the method of claim 4 teaches the base station of claim 18.
Regarding Claim 19, similar rejection where the method of claim 5 teaches the base station of claim 19.
Regarding Claim 20, similar rejection where the method of claim 6 teaches the base station of claim 20.
Claims 7 and 14 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over the Hindy/Zeineddine system as applied to claims 1 and 14 above, and further in view of US PGPUB 2026/0088962 A1 to Jiang et al.
Regarding Claim 7, the Hindy/Zeineddine system discloses the method of claim 1. The Hindy/Zeineddine system doesn’t explicitly disclose the second information provides, for a CSI report sub-configuration, parameters related to physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH) resource element (RE) to NZP CSI-RS RE power offset, and the parameter is commonly provided and applied to the set of active TRPs or separately provided and applied to respective TRPs in the set of active TRPs. Jiang, in a similar field of endeavor, discloses the second information provides, for a CSI report sub-configuration, parameters related to physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH) resource element (RE) to NZP CSI-RS RE power offset (0082, 0092, and Table 2 provides for Sub-Spatial NZP-CSI-RS), and the parameter is commonly provided and applied to the set of active TRPs (0059 provides for a CSI for Multi-Transmission and Reception Point (M-TRP) reporting) or separately provided and applied to respective TRPs in the set of active TRPs. One of ordinary skill in the art before the effectively filed date of the claimed invention would have recognized the ability to utilize the teachings of Jiang for power control offset instructions from a network-side device. The power offset configuration of Jiang, when implemented with the NZP-CSI-RS system of the Hindy/Zeineddine system, will allow one of ordinary skill in the art to reporting group for multiple sub-configurations in order to apply different power offsets for different resource sets. Therefore, the examiner concludes it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the application to utilize the power offset configuration of Jiang with the NZP-CSI-RS system of the Hindy/Zeineddine system for the desirable purpose of optimizing CSI-RS reporting configurations for groups of multiple panels.
Regarding Claim 14, similar rejection where the method of claim 7 teaches the user equipment of claim 14.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
US PGPUB 2024/0414652 A1 to Hindy et al discloses aperiodic NZP CSI-RS resource set for channel measurement.
US PGPUB 2026/0066972 A1 to Ma et al discloses power “Control Offset SS” command is the assumed ratio of Non-zero power CSI-RS EPRE.
US PGPUB 2025/0167848 A1 to Sun et al discloses a number of NZP CSI-RS resources for a second TRP in multiple TRPs.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to SCHQUITA GOODWIN whose telephone number is (571)272-5477. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 9am - 5pm EST.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Tonia Dollinger can be reached on (571) 272-4170. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/SCHQUITA D GOODWIN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2459
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