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
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) 1-3, 9-14, 19 and 20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Zhang et al. (US 2022/0014344).
Regarding claims 1 and 19, Zhang et al. disclose an information transmission method and a terminal (Figures 2 and 6C UE 120/620), comprising a processor and a memory (Figure 2, controller/processor 280 and memory 282), wherein the memory stores a program or an instruction executable by the processor (Paragraph 48, memory 282 may include a non-transitory computer-readable medium storing one or more instructions (e.g., code and/or program code) for wireless communication. For example, the one or more instructions, when executed (e.g., directly, or after compiling, converting, and/or interpreting) by one or more processors of the…UE 120), causes the terminal to perform the method comprising:
reporting, by a terminal, a beam report to a network side device (Figure 6C and paragraph 82, by reference number 622, the UE [terminal] may transmit, and the base station [network side device] may receive, a mobility report [beam report] indicating one or more candidate TRPs that satisfy criteria to be paired in the full-duplex communication mode or the simultaneous half-duplex mTRP mode) based on a beam measurement result (Paragraphs 83, 85-87, 91, 92, mobility report based on beam measurement), wherein the beam report is used to determine N pieces of beam information (Paragraphs 87, 88, 90, mobility report includes assistance information [N pieces of information] that the base station uses to determine appropriate communication mode to enable for the UE) of uplink signals that the terminal is capable of simultaneously sending (Paragraph 85, the UE may transmit the mobility report based at least in part on the candidate TRP(s) indicating a capability to support the full-duplex communication mode and/or simultaneous half-duplex communication mode; Paragraph 87, UE configured for simultaneous mTRP communication mode (e.g., simultaneous uplink transmission to paired TRPs)); and
receiving, by the terminal, first indication information from the network side device, wherein the first indication information is used to indicate the terminal to simultaneously send uplink signals (Figure 6C and paragraph 87, by reference number 624, the base station may transmit, and the UE may receive, configuration information [first indication information] enabling…the simultaneous mTRP communication mode (e.g., simultaneous uplink transmission to paired TRPs or simultaneous downlink reception from paired TRPs)) by using the N pieces of beam information (Paragraphs 87, 88, 90, mobility report includes assistance information [N pieces of information] that the base station uses to determine appropriate communication mode to enable for the UE; Based on the assistance information, the base station determines the communication mode. Thus, the simultaneous uplink signals are sent using the assistance information [N pieces of information]), wherein
N is a positive integer greater than or equal to 2 (Paragraphs 87, 88, 90 describe a plurality of assistance information [e.g., identifier, RSRP measurement, communication direction recommendation, beam recommendation, and SINR/CQI of a respective beam] that equates to N pieces of information being greater than or equal to 2).
Regarding claim 2, Zhang et al. disclose wherein the beam report comprises at least one of the following:
a reference signal resource indicator (Paragraph 90, SSB beam);
a first index corresponding to the reference signal resource indicator, wherein the first index is used to indicate first information of the terminal;
beam link quality information corresponding to the reference signal resource indicator (Paragraph 90, the assistance information included in the mobility report may include signal-to-interference-plus-noise ratios (SINRs) and/or CQIs that are calculated using respective SSB beams [reference signal resource indicator]); or
second indication information corresponding to the reference signal resource indicator, wherein the second indication information is used to indicate whether the reference signal resource indicator corresponding to a plurality of pieces of beam link quality information is used to determine the N pieces of beam information of uplink signals that the terminal is capable of simultaneously sending, wherein
the first information is any one of the following:
panel identification information of the terminal;
capability value information of the terminal (Paragraph 85, the UE may transmit the mobility report based at least in part on the candidate TRP(s) indicating a capability to support the full-duplex communication mode and/or simultaneous half-duplex communication mode; Paragraph 87, UE configured for simultaneous mTRP communication mode (e.g., simultaneous uplink transmission to paired TRPs)); and
capability value set information of the terminal.
Regarding claim 3, Zhang et al. disclose wherein the N pieces of beam information of uplink signals that the terminal is capable of simultaneously sending are determined by at least one of the following:
reference signal resource indicators corresponding to N different first indexes;
the reference signal resource indicator corresponding to the plurality of pieces of beam link quality information (Paragraph 90, the assistance information included in the mobility report may include signal-to-interference-plus-noise ratios (SINRs) and/or CQIs that are calculated using respective SSB beams [reference signal resource indicator]);
the second indication information corresponding to the reference signal resource indicator; or
an arrangement order or a position of the reference signal resource indicator in the beam report.
Regarding claim 9, Zhang et al. disclose wherein each of the N pieces of beam information corresponds to any one of the following:
panel identification information of the terminal;
capability value information of the terminal (Paragraph 85, the UE may transmit the mobility report based at least in part on the candidate TRP(s) indicating a capability to support the full-duplex communication mode and/or simultaneous half-duplex communication mode; Paragraph 87, UE configured for simultaneous mTRP communication mode (e.g., simultaneous uplink transmission to paired TRPs)); and
capability value set information of the terminal.
Regarding claim 10, Zhang et al. disclose wherein the reference signal resource indicator comprises at least one of the following: a synchronization signal block resource indicator (Paragraph 90, SSB beam); or a channel state information reference signal resource indicator (Paragraph 91, CSI-RS beams).
Regarding claim 11, Zhang et al. disclose wherein the beam link quality information comprises at least one of the following: a layer 1 reference signal received power (Paragraph 46, 72, 79, 81-87, RSRP reporting); or a layer 1 signal-to-noise and interference ratio (Paragraphs 90-91, SINR and/or CQI).
Regarding claims 12 and 20, Zhang et al. disclose an information transmission method and a network side device (Figures 2 and 6C, base station 200), comprising a processor and a memory (Figure 2, controller/processor 240 and memory 242), wherein the memory stores a program or an instruction executable on the processor (Paragraph 48, memory 242…may include a non-transitory computer-readable medium storing one or more instructions (e.g., code and/or program code) for wireless communication. For example, the one or more instructions, when executed (e.g., directly, or after compiling, converting, and/or interpreting) by one or more processors of the base station 110), and the program or the instruction executed by the processor to implement the steps of the information transmission method comprising:
receiving, by a network side device, a beam report from a terminal (Figure 6C and paragraph 82, by reference number 622, the UE [terminal] may transmit, and the base station [network side device] may receive, a mobility report [beam report] indicating one or more candidate TRPs that satisfy criteria to be paired in the full-duplex communication mode or the simultaneous half-duplex mTRP mode);
determining, by the network side device, based on the beam report, N pieces of beam information (Paragraphs 87, 88, 90, mobility report includes assistance information [N pieces of information] that the base station uses to determine appropriate communication mode to enable for the UE) of uplink signals that the terminal is capable of simultaneously sending (Paragraph 85, the UE may transmit the mobility report based at least in part on the candidate TRP(s) indicating a capability to support the full-duplex communication mode and/or simultaneous half-duplex communication mode; Paragraph 87, UE configured for simultaneous mTRP communication mode (e.g., simultaneous uplink transmission to paired TRPs)); and
sending, by the network side device, first indication information to the terminal, wherein the first indication information is used to indicate the terminal to simultaneously send uplink signals (Figure 6C and paragraph 87, by reference number 624, the base station may transmit, and the UE may receive, configuration information [first indication information] enabling…the simultaneous mTRP communication mode (e.g., simultaneous uplink transmission to paired TRPs or simultaneous downlink reception from paired TRPs)) by using the N pieces of beam information (Paragraphs 87, 88, 90, mobility report includes assistance information [N pieces of information] that the base station uses to determine appropriate communication mode to enable for the UE; Based on the assistance information, the base station determines the communication mode. Thus, the simultaneous uplink signals are sent using the assistance information [N pieces of information]), wherein
N is a positive integer greater than or equal to 2 (Paragraphs 87, 88, 90 describe a plurality of assistance information [e.g., identifier, RSRP measurement, communication direction recommendation, beam recommendation, and SINR/CQI of a respective beam] that equates to N pieces of information being greater than or equal to 2).
Regarding claim 13, Zhang et al. disclose wherein the beam report comprises at least one of the following:
a reference signal resource indicator (Paragraph 90, SSB beam);
a first index corresponding to the reference signal resource indicator, wherein the first index is used to indicate first information of the terminal;
beam link quality information corresponding to the reference signal resource indicator (Paragraph 90, the assistance information included in the mobility report may include signal-to-interference-plus-noise ratios (SINRs) and/or CQIs that are calculated using respective SSB beams [reference signal resource indicator]); or
second indication information corresponding to the reference signal resource indicator, wherein the second indication information is used to indicate whether the reference signal resource indicator corresponding to a plurality of pieces of beam link quality information is used to determine the N pieces of beam information of uplink signals that the terminal is capable of simultaneously sending, wherein
the first information is any one of the following:
panel identification information of the terminal;
capability value information of the terminal (Paragraph 85, the UE may transmit the mobility report based at least in part on the candidate TRP(s) indicating a capability to support the full-duplex communication mode and/or simultaneous half-duplex communication mode; Paragraph 87, UE configured for simultaneous mTRP communication mode (e.g., simultaneous uplink transmission to paired TRPs)); and
capability value set information of the terminal.
Regarding claim 14, Zhang et al. disclose wherein the N pieces of beam information of uplink signals that the terminal is capable of simultaneously sending are determined by at least one of the following:
reference signal resource indicators corresponding to N different first indexes;
the reference signal resource indicator corresponding to the plurality of pieces of beam link quality information (Paragraph 90, the assistance information included in the mobility report may include signal-to-interference-plus-noise ratios (SINRs) and/or CQIs that are calculated using respective SSB beams [reference signal resource indicator]);
the second indication information corresponding to the reference signal resource indicator; or
an arrangement order or a position of the reference signal resource indicator in the beam report.
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 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.
Claim(s) 4-8 and 15-18 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Zhang et al. as applied to claims 1-3, 12 and 13 above, and further in view of Zhang et al. (US 2019/0306924, herein after referred to as Zhang II).
Regarding claims 4 and 15, Zhang et al. disclose the claimed invention above but do not disclose the following limitations that are disclosed by Zhang II: wherein before the reporting a beam report to a network side device, the method further comprises: receiving/sending, by the terminal/network side device, third indication information from/to the network side device/terminal, wherein the third indication information is used to indicate that the beam report to be reported by the terminal comprises a non-group-based beam report (Zhang II, Paragraphs 208-209, UE configured for either non-group-based beam reporting or group-based beam reporting or both).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Zhang et al. with the cited disclosure from Zhang II in order to define reporting content for interference aware beam reporting (Zhang II, Paragraphs 199, 207-209).
Regarding claims 5 and 16, Zhang et al. disclose the claimed invention above as well as wherein the first information is any one of the following: panel identification information of the terminal; capability value information of the terminal (Zhang et al., Paragraph 85, the UE may transmit the mobility report based at least in part on the candidate TRP(s) indicating a capability to support the full-duplex communication mode and/or simultaneous half-duplex communication mode; Paragraph 87, UE configured for simultaneous mTRP communication mode (e.g., simultaneous uplink transmission to paired TRPs)); and capability value set information of the terminal.
Zhang et al. do not disclose the following limitations that are disclosed by Zhang II: wherein the beam report further comprises at least one of the following:
a group comprising at least one reference signal resource indicator (Zhang II, Paragraph 199, how to let the UE know it should measure the SSB/CSI-RS [reference signal resource indicator] based on L1-RSRP or L1-RSRQ/L1-SINR; how to report the L1-SINR/L1-RSRQ for both group-based and non-group based beam reporting);
beam link quality information respectively corresponding to a reference signal resource indicator comprised in the group (Zhang II, Paragraph 199, how to let the UE know it should measure the SSB/CSI-RS based on L1-RSRP or L1-RSRQ/L1-SINR; how to report the L1-SINR/L1-RSRQ for both group-based and non-group based beam reporting);
a first index respectively corresponding to a reference signal resource indicator comprised in the group, wherein the first index is used to indicate first information of the terminal; or
fourth indication information corresponding to the group, wherein the fourth indication information is used to indicate at least one of the following:
determining whether N pieces of beam information corresponding to a reference signal resource indicator comprised in the group are the N pieces of beam information of uplink signals that the terminal is capable of simultaneously sending;
determining whether N pieces of beam information corresponding to the reference signal resource indicator comprised in the group are N pieces of beam information of downlink signals that the terminal is capable of simultaneously receiving;
a quantity of spatial filters used by the terminal when measuring a first reference signal comprised in the group; or
a quantity of panels used by the terminal when measuring the first reference signal comprised in the group.
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Zhang et al. with the cited disclosure from Zhang II in order to define reporting content for interference aware beam reporting (Zhang II, Paragraphs 199, 207-209).
Regarding claims 6 and 17, Zhang et al. disclose the claimed invention above as well as wherein the N pieces of beam information of uplink signals that the terminal is capable of simultaneously sending are determined by at least one of the following:
a reference signal resource indicator (Zhang et al., Paragraph 90, SSB beams [reference signal resource indicator]);
reference signal resource indicators that correspond to different first indexes;
a reference signal resource indicator that corresponds to the plurality of pieces of beam link quality information (Zhang et al., Paragraph 90, the assistance information included in the mobility report may include signal-to-interference-plus-noise ratios (SINRs) and/or CQIs that are calculated using respective SSB beams [reference signal resource indicator]);
the fourth indication information; or
an arrangement order or a position in the beam report.
Zhang et al. do not disclose reference signal resource indicator(s) that is(are) comprised in the group. However, Zhang II discloses group-based beam reporting of SSBs comprised in the group (Zhang II, Paragraph 199, how to let the UE know it should measure the SSB/CSI-RS based on L1-RSRP or L1-RSRQ/L1-SINR; how to report the L1-SINR/L1-RSRQ for both group-based and non-group based beam reporting; Paragraph 207, UE reporting SSB index for group based reporting configuration).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Zhang et al. with the cited disclosure from Zhang II in order to define reporting content for interference aware beam reporting (Zhang II, Paragraphs 199, 207-209).
Regarding claims 7 and 18, Zhang II discloses wherein before the reporting a beam report to a network side device, the method further comprises: receiving/sending, by the terminal/network side device, fifth indication information from/to the network side device/terminal, wherein the fifth indication information is used to indicate that the beam report to be reported by the terminal comprises a group-based beam report (Zhang II, Paragraphs 208-209, UE configured for either non-group-based beam reporting or group-based beam reporting or both).
Regarding claim 8, Zhang et al. disclose the claimed invention above but do not disclose the following limitations that are disclosed by Zhang II: wherein a reference signal indicated by the reference signal resource indicator is used as a source reference signal of beam information (Zhang II, Paragraph 228, the source reference signal index may be an SSB index only or may be either an SSB index or a channel state information reference signal (CSI-RS) resource index; Paragraph 232, the source reference signal index may be either an SSB index or a channel state information reference signal (CSI-RS) resource index).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Zhang et al. with the cited disclosure from Zhang II in order to define reporting content for interference aware beam reporting (Zhang II, Paragraphs 199, 207-209).
Conclusion
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/OTIS L THOMPSON, JR/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2477
June 1, 2026
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