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 .
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
In the event the determination of the status of the application as subject to AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103 (or as subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103) is incorrect, any correction of the statutory basis (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) for the rejection will not be considered a new ground of rejection if the prior art relied upon, and the rationale supporting the rejection, would be the same under either status.
The following is a quotation of the appropriate paragraphs of 35 U.S.C. 102 that form the basis for the rejections under this section made in this Office action:
A person shall be entitled to a patent unless –
(a)(1) the claimed invention was patented, described in a printed publication, or in public use, on sale, or otherwise available to the public before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claim(s) 11-13,17 and 18 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Wang et al. (WO 2022/187801 A1).
The claimed invention reads on Wang et al. as follows:
Regarding claim 11, Wang et al. discloses a method (fig. 16) for controlling a reflective surface (adaptive phase- changing device-enabled (APD-enabled) (fig. 6 A) that reflects a beam formed by a base station (fig. 6a number 120) (abstract, P:0016-P:0017 and P:0136-P:0144) , the method comprising: receiving beam configuration information from the base station (P:0092); transmitting the beam configuration information to a signal measuring device (UE)(fig. 6a number 110 and P:0092); receiving beam quality information from the signal measuring device (i.e. , the UE 110 can identify and measure signal quality parameters for reflections or LoS downlink reference signals that reach the UE, which in turn provides information (e.g., CSI) to the base station)(P:0092) the beam quality information including a beam index (beam sweeping index) for each beam formed by the base station (i.e. the base station 120 can start a beam sweeping process with a broad beam downlink beam based on an estimated position of the UE 110. From the broad beam downlink and/or reflection sweeps, the base station 120 may perform subsequent downlink reflection beam sweeps with narrower beams based on the success of previous downlink beam or reflection sweeps. In the context of the example 1000, the base station 120 sends a beam sweeping index 620 (BS index 620 “42”) to the APD 180 over the APD control channel 610 and synchronizes the downlink transmission of broad beam 1042 (e.g., CSI-RSs) with timing information of the APD beam sweep. Although not shown in detail, signal rays of the broad beam 1042 may reach both the APD 180 and the UE 110 directly (P:0086-P:0089 line 2) and signal quality information of a reflected beam obtained by reflecting the corresponding beam by the reflective surface (i.e. the base station 121 determines a surface configuration for the APD 180 to reflect downlink communications or uplink communications between the base stations 120 and the UE 110. Alternatively or additionally, the base station 121 determines a configuration for the APD 180 based on identifiers and/or signal quality of reflections of wireless signals received by the UE 110 on the downlink (P:0017); and transmitting the received beam quality information to the base station (i.e. the UE 110 can identify and measure signal quality parameters for reflections or LoS downlink reference signals that reach the UE, which in turn provides information (e.g., CSI) to the base station via the DL signal report for analysis of the downlink beams and APD vectors (P:0092).
Regarding claim 12, Wang et al. discloses transmitting reflective surface information including information on a location and an area of the reflective surface to the base station (i.e. the base station 121 beamforms a downlink wireless signal intended for the UE 110. A first ray of the downlink wireless signal (e.g. , signal ray 190) propagates toward the UE 110 in a line-of-sight (LoS) manner and a second ray of the downlink wireless signal (e.g., signal ray 191) propagates toward the APD 180. The signal ray 191 strikes the surface (i.e. ray 191 reflects off the bottom area of the reflective surface of the APD 180) (fig. 5 numbers 191 and 192) of the APD 180 and transforms into signal ray 192 (e.g., a reflection of wireless signal 191) that propagates toward the UE 110 (P:0016), Alternatively or additionally, the base station 121 determines a configuration for the APD 180 based on identifiers and/or signal quality of reflections of wireless signals received by the UE 110 on the downlink (e.g. , UE reported information) (P:0017 and P:0022).
Regarding claim 13, Wang et al. discloses setting an initial angle of incidence of the reflective surface based on the received beam configuration information (i.e. the base station 121 communicates direction information (e.g., a UE-to-BS communication direction or a BS-to-UE communication direction) with the surface configuration such that the APD 180 configures the RIS to reflect a wireless signal in the indicated direction (e.g., by determining or using reciprocal reflection angles) (P:0017 and P:0033).
Regarding claim 17, Wang et al. discloses the beam (i.e. beam identifiers) includes an SSB beam, the beam is formed by SSB beam sweeping, and the beam index includes an SSB index (P:0022 and P:0032).
Regarding claim 18, Wang et al. discloses the beam includes a CSI-RS beam, and the beam index includes a CSI-RS index (P:0022).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 14-16 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.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter: Regarding claim 14, the prior art of record fails to teach or suggest alone, or in combination instructing the signal measuring device to measure beam quality; and adjusting the angle of incidence of the reflective surface based on the received beam quality information, wherein the receiving step includes storing the received beam quality information in association with a currently set angle of incidence, and the instructing step, the receiving step, and the adjusting step are repeated until beam quality information for a plurality of angles of incidence is obtained.
Claims 1-10 and 19 are allowed.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter: Regarding claim 1, the prior art of record fails to teach or suggest alone, or in combination determining a beam parameter including at least one of beamwidth, beam steering direction, and beam transmission power, based on at least one of a location and an area of a reflective surface; generating beam configuration information including at least one beam based on the determined beam parameter and transmitting the beam configuration information to a controller controlling the reflective surface; forming the at least one beam according to the beam parameter and the beam configuration information; receiving beam quality information from the controller, the beam quality information including a beam index for each of the formed at least one beam and signal quality information of a reflected beam obtained by reflecting the corresponding beam by the reflective surface; and adjusting beam formation based on the received beam quality information.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Kim et al. (US 2024/0129870) discloses an apparatus and method for performing beam sweeping using RIS Pattern in wireless communication system.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to KEITH FERGUSON whose telephone number is (571)272-7865. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 7 am -3 pm.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Wesley L Kim can be reached at (571) 272-7867. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/KEITH FERGUSON/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2648
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