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 .
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 07/15/2024 was filed with the instant application for consideration. The submission is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
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 1-10 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.
Regarding claim 1, the phrase "communication system that includes a plurality of base station apparatuses each to constitute a cell, and a terminal apparatus to perform wireless communication with the base station apparatus" renders the claim indefinite because it is unclear whether the terminal apparatus is performing to communicate with a plurality of base station or a single base station. This finding makes the claim vague and indefinite. Therefore, claim 1 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b).
Regarding claims 7-8 are the independent claims with similar limitations as the independent claim 1. Therefore, independent claims 7 and 8 are also rejected under the same ground of rejection as stated above.
Regarding claims 2-6 and 9-10 are the dependent claims of the independent claims 1 and 8. Therefore, dependent claims 2-6 and 9-10 are also rejected under the same ground of rejection due to dependency. Hence claims 1-10 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) and necessary corrections are requested for further prosecution.
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.
The text of those sections of Title 35, U.S. Code not included in this action can be found in a prior Office action.
The factual inquiries 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 and 6-10 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Zorgui et al. (US 2025/0254629 A1), hereinafter, “Zorgui” in view of Chang et al. (US 2011/0177837 A1), hereinafter, “Chang”,
Regarding claim 1, Zorgui discloses: A control device in a communication system that includes a plurality of base station apparatuses each to constitute a cell (Zorgui: fig 1, fig 3 and fig 10, RAN intelligent Controller (RIC) 325 equivalent to “controller device”, para [0073], where, the plurality of UE 115 communicate with base station apparatus RU 340, where, each RU 340 constitute a cell), and
a terminal apparatus to perform wireless communication with the base station apparatus when the terminal apparatus is positioned in the cell (Zorgui: fig 1 and fig 3, RAN intelligent Controller (RIC) 325 equivalent to “controller device”, para [0073], where, UE 115 equivalent to terminal, where, each one or more UE positioned in the cell),
the control device controlling the base station apparatuses (Zorgui: fig 1 and fig 3, RAN intelligent Controller (RIC) 325 equivalent to “controller device” and controller 240, para [0073], where, RIC 325 control the base station), the control device comprising (Zorgui: fig 10 and fig 3, RAN intelligent Controller (RIC) 325 equivalent to “controller device”, para [0155]):
a memory (Zorgui: fig 10, para [0155]), where, the controller 240 of the Base Station 1000 includes memory 242); and
processor circuitry coupled to the memory (Zorgui: fig 10, para [0155]), where, the controller 240 of the Base Station 1000 includes memory 242 which is coupled to the plurality of processors); and configured to: acquire, from the base station apparatus, an interference value measured when a signal is received from the terminal apparatus by the base station apparatus (Zorgui: fig 9-10, para [0153]-[0155]), where, the controller 240 acquires path loss information from the Base Station 1000 which may equivalent to “interference information”); Zorgui does not explicitly teach: estimate, when a transmission power of a first terminal apparatus that communicates with a first base station apparatus of the plurality of base station apparatuses is controlled in accordance with a value of a path loss for the first base station apparatus; a maximum given interference amount which is a maximum amount, among given interferences of the first terminal apparatus for another base station apparatus other than the first base station apparatus; acquire a corrected value for correcting the transmission power of the first terminal apparatus by using the maximum given interference amount.
Chang teaches: estimate (Chang: fig step 407, para [0019], where, the Serving Base Station 110 receive the transmit path loss info from the terminal 115 in the step 405 calculate or estimate the Tx Power in step 407, fig 7), when a transmission power of a first terminal apparatus that communicates with a first base station apparatus of the plurality of base station apparatuses is controlled in accordance with a value of a path loss for the first base station apparatus (Chang: fig 4-7, para [0020] and para [0082], where, the calculator or the controller calculate the transmit power in step 705 based on the receiving path loss information in step 703 from the terminal 115),
a maximum given interference amount which is a maximum amount, among given interferences of the first terminal apparatus for another base station apparatus other than the first base station apparatus (Chang: fig 7, steps 701-711, para [0087]-[0088], where, a maximum amount of interference is calculated); and
acquire a corrected value for correcting the transmission power of the first terminal apparatus by using the maximum given interference amount (Chang: fig 7, steps 701-711, para [0087]-[0088], where, corrected Tx Power has been calculated in step 711).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skilled in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to use “estimate, when a transmission power of a first terminal apparatus that communicates with a first base station apparatus of the plurality of base station apparatuses is controlled in accordance with a value of a path loss for the first base station apparatus; a maximum given interference amount which is a maximum amount, among given interferences of the first terminal apparatus for another base station apparatus other than the first base station apparatus, acquire a corrected value for correcting the transmission power of the first terminal apparatus by using the maximum given interference amount” as taught by Chang into Zorgui in order to effectively improve the performance of wireless communication systems, the level of interference generated by the adjacent cells or the interference occurring to the adjacent cells may be properly controlled (Chang: para [0037]).
Regarding claim 7, the claim includes features identical to the subject matter mentioned in the rejection to claim 1 above. The claims are mere reformulation of claim 1 in order to define the corresponding packet classification method, and the rejection to claim 1 is applied hereto.
Regarding claim 8, the claim includes features identical to the subject matter mentioned in the rejection to claim 1 above. The claims are mere reformulation of claim 1 in order to define the corresponding information processing apparatus, and the rejection to claim 1 is applied hereto. Additionally, the claim includes a memory and a processor. However, Zorgui discloses the memory and the processor.
Regarding claim 2, Zorgui modified by Chang disclose: The control device according to claim 1 (Zorgui: fig 3, RAN Intelligent Controller (RIC) 325, para [0073]), wherein the processor circuitry is configured to regard, when the maximum given interference amount is a given interference for a second base station apparatus (Chang: fig 4, steps 403-409, para [0055], where, “a serving BS calculates transmission power of a terminal, which can maximize an uplink sum rate of the entire network, or maximize an uplink sum log rate of the entire network”, where, Adjacent BSS equivalent to “second base station”), a total sum of given interferences for the second base station apparatus as the maximum given interference amount (Chang: fig 4, steps 403-409, para [0059], where, “determining transmission power of a terminal taking into account NI values of adjacent cells to which the terminal gives interference, and a path loss of the terminal”), acquire a total sum of path losses for the second base station apparatus from the total sum of given interferences for the second base station apparatus, and acquire the corrected value by using the total sum of path losses (Chang: fig 7, steps 701-711, para [0087]-[0088], where, corrected Tx Power has been calculated in step 711).
Regarding claim 3, Zorgui modified by Chang disclose: The control device according to claim 1, wherein the communication system is defined by an open interface (Zorgui: fig 3, para [0078], where, “an open eNB (O-eNB) 311, via an O1 interface”), and wherein the processor circuitry is configured to include a near-real time RAN intelligent controller (RIC) .
Regarding claim 4, Zorgui modified by Chang disclose: The control device according to claim 1, wherein the communication system is defined by an open interface, and wherein the processor circuitry is configured to include a non-real time RAN intelligent controller (RIC) (Zorgui: fig 3, include Near-Real Time RAN Intelligent Controller (RIC) 325, para [0073]).
Regarding claim 6, Zorgui modified by Chang disclose: The control device according to claim 3, wherein, in the open interface, the communication between the base station apparatus and the control device is performed by using any one of an E2 interface (Zorgui: fig 3, interface E2, the interface between RIC 325 and CU310, para [0079]), an O1 interface, and an A1 interface (Zorgui: fig 3, para [0078], where, “an open eNB (O-eNB) 311, via an O1 interface”).
Regarding claim 9, Zorgui modified by Chang disclose: The base station apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the measurement data includes a received power of the signal and a signal-to-interference noise ratio calculated from the received power (Zorgui: fig 4, para [0085], where, “a received signal or waveform, measurement information 406 may include or indicate an error rate, a reference signal received power (RSRP), a received signal strength (RSS), a received signal strength indicator (RSSI), a reference signal received quality (RSRQ), or a combination thereof”).
Regarding claim 10, Zorgui modified by Chang disclose: The base station apparatus according to claim 9 (Zorgui: fig 1, Base Station 105), wherein, in the estimating, the processor circuitry is configured to calculate an interference amount by using a thermal noise power, and estimate the total sum of path losses by using the calculated interference amount (Chang: fig 4-7, para [0059], where, “The power control method of maximizing the uplink sum rate of the entire network is a method of determining transmission power of a terminal taking into account NI values of adjacent cells to which the terminal gives interference, and a path loss of the terminal”) and para [0082], where, the calculator or the controller calculate the transmit power in step 705 based on the receiving path loss information in step 703 from the terminal 115).
Claims 5 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Zorgui et al. (US 20250254629 A1), hereinafter, “Zorgui” in view of Chang et al. (US 2011/0177837 A1), hereinafter, “Chang” further in view of Gaal et al. (US 2013/0084913 A1), hereinafter, “Gaal”,
Regarding claim 5, Zorgui modified by Chang disclose: The control device according to claim 1 (Zorgui: fig 3, include Near-Real Time RAN Intelligent Controller (RIC) 325, para [0073]), however, neither Zorgui nor Chang explicitly teach: wherein the transmission power is controlled by using open-loop transmission power control (OLTPC).
Gaal teaches: wherein the transmission power is controlled by using open-loop transmission power control (OLTPC) (Gaal: fig 11, para [0074], where, “For UL PUSCH transmissions, it is possible to disable open loop power control using the existing standards. However, there is no standard approach for disabling open loop power control for the PUCCH”).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skilled in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to use “wherein the transmission power is controlled by using open-loop transmission power control” as taught by Gaal into the system of Chang and Zorgui in order to have efficient UL operation (Gaal: para [0070]).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to NIZAM U AHMED whose telephone number is (571)272-9561. The examiner can normally be reached Mon-Fry, 7:00 AM-6:00 PM PST.
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/NIZAM U AHMED/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2461
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