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 Objections
Claims 1, 12 and 17 objected to because of the following informalities: Claims 1 and 17 recite “SRS” which is an acronym that needs to be spelled out. Claim 12 recites “A sounding reference signal SRS resource….”. Examiner suggest to put SRS in parenthesis.
Appropriate correction is required.
Double Patenting
The nonstatutory double patenting rejection is based on a judicially created doctrine grounded in public policy (a policy reflected in the statute) so as to prevent the unjustified or improper timewise extension of the “right to exclude” granted by a patent and to prevent possible harassment by multiple assignees. A nonstatutory double patenting rejection is appropriate where the conflicting claims are not identical, but at least one examined application claim is not patentably distinct from the reference claim(s) because the examined application claim is either anticipated by, or would have been obvious over, the reference claim(s). See, e.g., In re Berg, 140 F.3d 1428, 46 USPQ2d 1226 (Fed. Cir. 1998); In re Goodman, 11 F.3d 1046, 29 USPQ2d 2010 (Fed. Cir. 1993); In re Longi, 759 F.2d 887, 225 USPQ 645 (Fed. Cir. 1985); In re Van Ornum, 686 F.2d 937, 214 USPQ 761 (CCPA 1982); In re Vogel, 422 F.2d 438, 164 USPQ 619 (CCPA 1970); In re Thorington, 418 F.2d 528, 163 USPQ 644 (CCPA 1969).
A timely filed terminal disclaimer in compliance with 37 CFR 1.321(c) or 1.321(d) may be used to overcome an actual or provisional rejection based on nonstatutory double patenting provided the reference application or patent either is shown to be commonly owned with the examined application, or claims an invention made as a result of activities undertaken within the scope of a joint research agreement. See MPEP § 717.02 for applications subject to examination under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA as explained in MPEP § 2159. See MPEP § 2146 et seq. for applications not subject to examination under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA . A terminal disclaimer must be signed in compliance with 37 CFR 1.321(b).
The filing of a terminal disclaimer by itself is not a complete reply to a nonstatutory double patenting (NSDP) rejection. A complete reply requires that the terminal disclaimer be accompanied by a reply requesting reconsideration of the prior Office action. Even where the NSDP rejection is provisional the reply must be complete. See MPEP § 804, subsection I.B.1. For a reply to a non-final Office action, see 37 CFR 1.111(a). For a reply to final Office action, see 37 CFR 1.113(c). A request for reconsideration while not provided for in 37 CFR 1.113(c) may be filed after final for consideration. See MPEP §§ 706.07(e) and 714.13.
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Claims 1-13, 16-18 rejected on the ground of nonstatutory double patenting as being unpatentable over claims 1-20 of U.S. Patent No. 12,081,474. Although the claims at issue are not identical, they are not patentably distinct from each other because they are just change of claim format from method to computer-readable medium for claims 1-11, change of claim format from a network device to a method for claims 12-13, 16 and change of claim format from a network device to computer-readable medium for claims 17-18. Please refer to comparison table below.
Instant Application 18/787,010
US Patent No. 12,081,474
1. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium, comprising a computer program stored thereon; wherein the computer program, when executed by a processor of a terminal, causes the terminal to perform: receiving first configuration information sent by a network device, wherein the first configuration information is used to configure a pattern of an SRS resource, the SRS resource is distributed at equal intervals in frequency domain, an interval is M subcarriers, and M is an integer greater than 4; wherein the first configuration information is further used to configure a cyclic shift value of the SRS resource; wherein a comb structure corresponding to M subcarriers distributed at equal intervals in frequency domain is comb-M, and M is 6, 8, or 12; in a case that the first configuration information satisfies a first preset condition, the computer program, when executed by the processor of the terminal, causes the terminal to perform a preset operation; and in a case that the first configuration information does not satisfy the first preset condition, the computer program, when executed by the processor of the terminal, causes the terminal to send the SRS resource; wherein the first preset condition comprises any one of the following: M=6, the bandwidth information of the SRS resource is 8 Resource Blocks (RBs), 16 RBs, or 32 RBs; and M=12, the bandwidth information of the SRS resource is 4 RBs, 8 RBs, 16 RBs, 20 RBs, 28 RBs, or 32 RBs; wherein the preset operation comprises: skipping sending the SRS resource; or truncating a generated sequence of the SRS resource and sending a truncated sequence.
1. A sounding reference signal (SRS) resource configuration method, comprising:
receiving, by a terminal, first configuration information sent by a network device, wherein the first configuration information is used to configure a pattern of an SRS resource, the SRS resource is distributed at equal intervals in frequency domain, an interval is M subcarriers, and M is an integer greater than 4; wherein the first configuration information is further used to configure a cyclic shift value of the SRS resource; wherein a comb structure corresponding to M subcarriers distributed at equal intervals in frequency domain is comb-M, and M is 6, 8, or 12; in a case that the first configuration information satisfies a first preset condition, the terminal performs a preset operation; and
in a case that the first configuration information does not satisfy the first preset condition, the terminal sends the SRS resource; wherein the first preset condition comprises any one of the following: M=6, the bandwidth information of the SRS resource is 8 Resource Blocks (RBs), 16 RBs, or 32 RBs; and M=12, the bandwidth information of the SRS resource is 4 RBs, 8 RBs, 16 RBs, 20 RBs, 28 RBs, or 32 RBs; wherein the preset operation comprises: skipping sending the SRS resource; or truncating a generated sequence of the SRS resource and sending a truncated sequence.
2. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 1, wherein when M is 8, the pattern of the SRS resource comprises two consecutive resource blocks RBs; or, wherein the first RB is any odd-numbered RB or even-numbered RB in the SRS resource.
2. The method according to claim 1, wherein when M is 8, the pattern of the SRS resource comprises two consecutive resource blocks RBs; or, wherein the first RB is any odd-numbered RB or even-numbered RB in the SRS resource.
3. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 2, wherein the first configuration information is further used to configure a frequency domain shift of a comb structure of the SRS resource, that is, a comb offset, and the comb offset is used to indicate the lowest resource element (RE) location of the last symbol of the SRS resource in a first RB; or, wherein the first configuration information is further used to configure a comb offset of the SRS resource, and the comb offset is used to indicate the lowest RE location of the last symbol of the SRS resource in an RB.
3. The method according to claim 2, wherein the first configuration information is further used to configure a frequency domain shift of a comb structure of the SRS resource, that is, a comb offset, and the comb offset is used to indicate the lowest resource element (RE) location of the last symbol of the SRS resource in a first RB; or, wherein the first configuration information is further used to configure a comb offset of the SRS resource, and the comb offset is used to indicate the lowest RE location of the last symbol of the SRS resource in an RB.
4. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 1, wherein the SRS resource occupies N consecutive symbols; wherein when M=6, N is 1, 2, 4, 6, or an integer greater than 6; when M=8, N is 1, 2, 4, 8, or an integer greater than 8; and when M=12, N is 1, 2, 4, 6, 8, 12, or an integer greater than 12.
4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the SRS resource occupies N consecutive symbols; wherein when M=6, N is 1, 2, 4, 6, or an integer greater than 6; when M=8, N is 1, 2, 4, 8, or an integer greater than 8; and when M=12, N is 1, 2, 4, 6, 8, 12, or an integer greater than 12.
5. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 1, wherein the consecutive N symbols occupied by the SRS resource are the first N symbols, or the last N symbols, or N symbols at any middle locations in a slot.
5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the consecutive N symbols occupied by the SRS resource are the first N symbols, or the last N symbols, or N symbols at any middle locations in a slot.
6. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 1, wherein when M=6, the cyclic shift value is a natural number less than 8; when M=8, the cyclic shift value is a natural number less than 6; and when M=12, the cyclic shift value is a natural number less than 4.
6. The method according to claim 1, wherein when M=6, the cyclic shift value is a natural number less than 8; when M=8, the cyclic shift value is a natural number less than 6; and when M=12, the cyclic shift value is a natural number less than 4.
7. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 1, wherein the first configuration information is further used to configure a repetition factor of the SRS resource; when M=6, the repetition factor is 1, 2, 4, or 6; when M=8, the repetition factor is 1, 2, 4, or 8; and when M=12, the repetition factor is 1, 2, 4, 6, or 12; or, wherein the first configuration information is further used to configure an RE shift between adjacent symbols of the SRS resource; when M=6, the RE shift is 1, 2, or 3; when M=8, the RE shift is 1, 2, or 4; and when M=12, the RE shift is 1, 2, 3, 4, or 6.
7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the first configuration information is further used to configure a repetition factor of the SRS resource;
when M=6, the repetition factor is 1, 2, 4, or 6;
when M=8, the repetition factor is 1, 2, 4, or 8; and when M=12, the repetition factor is 1, 2, 4, 6, or 12; or, wherein the first configuration information is further used to configure an RE shift between adjacent symbols of the SRS resource; when M=6, the RE shift is 1, 2, or 3;
when M=8, the RE shift is 1, 2, or 4; and
when M=12, the RE shift is 1, 2, 3, 4, or 6.
8. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 1, wherein the SRS resource is used for positioning.
8. The method according to claim 1, wherein the SRS resource is used for positioning.
9. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 1, wherein when a number N of symbols occupied by the SRS resource is greater than M, a frequency domain location of the (M+Y)th symbol from the last of the SRS resource is the same as a frequency domain location of the Yth symbol from the last, M+Y is less than or equal to N, and Y is a positive integer.
9. The method according to claim 1, wherein when a number N of symbols occupied by the SRS resource is greater than M, a frequency domain location of the (M+Y)th symbol from the last of the SRS resource is the same as a frequency domain location of the Yth symbol from the last, M+Y is less than or equal to N, and Y is a positive integer.
10. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 1, wherein the computer program, when executed by the processor of the terminal, causes the terminal to perform: receiving first indication information sent by the network device, wherein the first indication information is used to indicate bandwidth information of the SRS resource.
10. The method according to claim 1, further comprising: receiving first indication information sent by the network device, wherein the first indication information is used to indicate bandwidth information of the SRS resource.
11. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 1, wherein the first configuration information is not associated with an uplink bandwidth part (UL BWP) configuration.
11. The method according to claim 1, wherein the first configuration information is not associated with an uplink bandwidth part (UL BWP) configuration.
12. A sounding reference signal SRS resource configuration method, applied to a network device, comprising: sending first configuration information to a terminal, wherein the first configuration information is used to configure a pattern of a sounding reference signal SRS resource, the SRS resource is distributed at equal intervals in frequency domain, an interval is M subcarriers, and M is an integer greater than 4; wherein a comb structure corresponding to M subcarriers distributed at equal intervals in frequency domain is comb-M, and M is 6, 8, or 12, wherein the first configuration information is further used to configure a cyclic shift value of the SRS resource, wherein in a case that the first configuration information satisfies a first preset condition, the first configuration information is further used to instruct the terminal to perform a preset operation; wherein the first preset condition comprises any one of the following: M=6, the bandwidth information of the SRS resource is 8 Resource Blocks (RBs), 16 RBs, or 32 RBs; and M=12, the bandwidth information of the SRS resource is 4 RBs, 8 RBs, 16 RBs, 20 RBs, 28 RBs, or 32 RBs, wherein the preset operation comprises: skipping sending the SRS resource; or truncating a generated sequence of the SRS resource and sending a truncated sequence.
12. A network device, comprising: a memory, a processor, and a program stored in the memory and executable on the processor, wherein when the program is executed by the processor, steps of the sounding reference signal (SRS) resource configuration method, wherein the method comprises: sending first configuration information to a terminal, wherein the first configuration information is used to configure a pattern of a sounding reference signal SRS resource, the SRS resource is distributed at equal intervals in frequency domain, an interval is M subcarriers, and M is an integer greater than 4;
wherein a comb structure corresponding to M subcarriers distributed at equal intervals in frequency domain is comb-M, and M is 6, 8, or 12, wherein the first configuration information is further used to configure a cyclic shift value of the SRS resource, wherein in a case that the first configuration information satisfies a first preset condition, the first configuration information is further used to instruct the terminal to perform a preset operation; wherein the first preset condition comprises any one of the following:
M=6, the bandwidth information of the SRS resource is 8 Resource Blocks (RBs), 16 RBs, or 32 RBs; and M=12, the bandwidth information of the SRS resource is 4 RBs, 8 RBs, 16 RBs, 20 RBs, 28 RBs, or 32 RBs, wherein the preset operation comprises: skipping sending the SRS resource; or
truncating a generated sequence of the SRS resource and sending a truncated sequence.
13. The method according to claim 12, wherein when M=6, the cyclic shift value is a natural number less than 8; when M=8, the cyclic shift value is a natural number less than 6; and when M=12, the cyclic shift value is a natural number less than 4; or, wherein the first configuration information is further used to configure a repetition factor of the SRS resource; when M=6, the repetition factor is 1, 2, 4, or 6; when M=8, the repetition factor is 1, 2, 4, or 8; and when M=12, the repetition factor is 1, 2, 4, 6, or 12; or, wherein the first configuration information is further used to configure an RE shift between adjacent symbols of the SRS resource; when M=6, the RE shift is 1, 2, or 3; when M=8, the RE shift is 1, 2, or 4; and when M=12, the RE shift is 1, 2, 3, 4, or 6.
13. The network device according to claim 12, wherein when M=6, the cyclic shift value is a natural number less than 8; when M=8, the cyclic shift value is a natural number less than 6; and when M=12, the cyclic shift value is a natural number less than 4; or, wherein the first configuration information is further used to configure a repetition factor of the SRS resource; when M=6, the repetition factor is 1, 2, 4, or 6; when M=8, the repetition factor is 1, 2, 4, or 8; and when M=12, the repetition factor is 1, 2, 4, 6, or 12; or, wherein the first configuration information is further used to configure an RE shift between adjacent symbols of the SRS resource; when M=6, the RE shift is 1, 2, or 3; when M=8, the RE shift is 1, 2, or 4; and
when M=12, the RE shift is 1, 2, 3, 4, or 6.
14. The method according to claim 13, wherein the RE shift is used to calculate a frequency domain location of the SRS resource, and in a case that the frequency domain location of the SRS resource calculated according to the RE shift exceeds a preset frequency domain range, the frequency domain location of the SRS resource is: a location obtained after a modulo operation is performed on the frequency domain location according to a specific value.
15. The method according to claim 14, wherein when M is 6 or 12, the preset frequency domain range is 1 RB, and the specific value is 12; and when M is 8, the preset frequency domain range is 2 RBs, and the specific value is 24.
16. The method according to claim 12, wherein the SRS resource is used for positioning.
20. The terminal according to claim 14, wherein the SRS resource is used for positioning.
17. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium, comprising: a computer program stored thereon; wherein the computer program, when executed by a processor of a network device, causes the network device to perform: sending first configuration information to a terminal, wherein the first configuration information is used to configure a pattern of a sounding reference signal SRS resource, the SRS resource is distributed at equal intervals in frequency domain, an interval is M subcarriers, and M is an integer greater than 4; wherein a comb structure corresponding to M subcarriers distributed at equal intervals in frequency domain is comb-M, and M is 6, 8, or 12, wherein the first configuration information is further used to configure a cyclic shift value of the SRS resource, wherein in a case that the first configuration information satisfies a first preset condition, the first configuration information is further used to instruct the terminal to perform a preset operation; wherein the first preset condition comprises any one of the following: M=6, the bandwidth information of the SRS resource is 8 Resource Blocks (RBs), 16 RBs, or 32 RBs; and M=12, the bandwidth information of the SRS resource is 4 RBs, 8 RBs, 16 RBs, 20 RBs, 28 RBs, or 32 RBs, wherein the preset operation comprises: skipping sending the SRS resource; or truncating a generated sequence of the SRS resource and sending a truncated sequence.
12. A network device, comprising: a memory, a processor, and a program stored in the memory and executable on the processor, wherein when the program is executed by the processor, steps of the sounding reference signal (SRS) resource configuration method, wherein the method comprises: sending first configuration information to a terminal, wherein the first configuration information is used to configure a pattern of a sounding reference signal SRS resource, the SRS resource is distributed at equal intervals in frequency domain, an interval is M subcarriers, and M is an integer greater than 4;
wherein a comb structure corresponding to M subcarriers distributed at equal intervals in frequency domain is comb-M, and M is 6, 8, or 12, wherein the first configuration information is further used to configure a cyclic shift value of the SRS resource, wherein in a case that the first configuration information satisfies a first preset condition, the first configuration information is further used to instruct the terminal to perform a preset operation; wherein the first preset condition comprises any one of the following:
M=6, the bandwidth information of the SRS resource is 8 Resource Blocks (RBs), 16 RBs, or 32 RBs; and M=12, the bandwidth information of the SRS resource is 4 RBs, 8 RBs, 16 RBs, 20 RBs, 28 RBs, or 32 RBs, wherein the preset operation comprises: skipping sending the SRS resource; or
truncating a generated sequence of the SRS resource and sending a truncated sequence.
18. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 17, wherein when M=6, the cyclic shift value is a natural number less than 8; when M=8, the cyclic shift value is a natural number less than 6; and when M=12, the cyclic shift value is a natural number less than 4; or, wherein the first configuration information is further used to configure a repetition factor of the SRS resource; when M=6, the repetition factor is 1, 2, 4, or 6; when M=8, the repetition factor is 1, 2, 4, or 8; and when M=12, the repetition factor is 1, 2, 4, 6, or 12; or, wherein the first configuration information is further used to configure an RE shift between adjacent symbols of the SRS resource; when M=6, the RE shift is 1, 2, or 3; when M=8, the RE shift is 1, 2, or 4; and when M=12, the RE shift is 1, 2, 3, 4, or 6.
13. The network device according to claim 12, wherein when M=6, the cyclic shift value is a natural number less than 8; when M=8, the cyclic shift value is a natural number less than 6; and when M=12, the cyclic shift value is a natural number less than 4; or, wherein the first configuration information is further used to configure a repetition factor of the SRS resource; when M=6, the repetition factor is 1, 2, 4, or 6; when M=8, the repetition factor is 1, 2, 4, or 8; and when M=12, the repetition factor is 1, 2, 4, 6, or 12; or, wherein the first configuration information is further used to configure an RE shift between adjacent symbols of the SRS resource; when M=6, the RE shift is 1, 2, or 3; when M=8, the RE shift is 1, 2, or 4; and
when M=12, the RE shift is 1, 2, 3, 4, or 6.
19. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 18, wherein the RE shift is used to calculate a frequency domain location of the SRS resource, and in a case that the frequency domain location of the SRS resource calculated according to the RE shift exceeds a preset frequency domain range, the frequency domain location of the SRS resource is: a location obtained after a modulo operation is performed on the frequency domain location according to a specific value.
20. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 19, wherein when M is 6 or 12, the preset frequency domain range is 1 RB, and the specific value is 12; and when M is 8, the preset frequency domain range is 2 RBs, and the specific value is 24.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 14, 15, 19, 20 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 and if they overcome the double patenting rejection.
The following is an examiner’s statement of reasons for allowance: claims 14, 15, 19, 20 would be allowable because the closest prior arts listed above either alone or in combination, fail to anticipate or render obvious, the claimed invention of “wherein the RE shift is used to calculate a frequency domain location of the SRS resource, and in a case that the frequency domain location of the SRS resource calculated according to the RE shift exceeds a preset frequency domain range, the frequency domain location of the SRS resource is: a location obtained after a modulo operation is performed on the frequency domain location according to a specific value”, in combination with all other limitations in the claim(s) above as defined by applicant.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to CHAE S LEE whose telephone number is (571)272-8236. The examiner can normally be reached 8:30AM - 5:00PM.
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/CHAE S LEE/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2415
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