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 statements submitted on December 4, 2025 and February 4, 2026 have been considered by the Examiner and made of record in the application.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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 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 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 of this title, 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.
This application currently names joint inventors. In considering patentability of the claims the examiner presumes that the subject matter of the various claims was commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the claimed invention(s) absent any evidence to the contrary. Applicant is advised of the obligation under 37 CFR 1.56 to point out the inventor and effective filing dates of each claim that was not commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the later invention in order for the examiner to consider the applicability of 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(2)(C) for any potential 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) prior art against the later invention.
The factual inquiries set forth in Graham v. John Deere Co., 383 U.S. 1, 148 USPQ 459 (1966), that are applied 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 1-3, 5-13, and 15-19 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over SOMASHEKAR et al. (hereinafter Somashekar) (U.S. Patent Application Publication # 2024/0405851 A1) in view of SAYED HASSAN et al. (hereinafter Sayed) (U.S. Patent Application Publication # 2025/0056299 A1).
Regarding claim 1, Somashekar teaches and discloses a method for mitigating non-terrestrial network (NTN) downlink co-channel interference on a terrestrial network (TN) downlink, the method comprising:
predicting, based on ephemeris data for the NTN, a location and orientation for a satellite of the NTN at a designated time ([0106]; [0108]; teaches projecting the trajectory path and the location and orientation for a satellite based on ephemeris data for the satellite network at a specific time period);
computing a set of beam coverage areas corresponding to a set of beams being projected by the satellite at the designated time based on the predicted location and orientation ([0106]; [0108]; teaches determining the plurality of coverage areas related to the set of beams associated with the satellite along the projected trajectory path);
determining a set of interference conditions for the designated time, such that each interference condition corresponds to an instance in which a frequency range assigned to the one of the set of beam coverage areas overlaps with a frequency range of the implicated cell to form one or more implicated sub-bands ([0099]; [0108]; [0115]; teaches determining an interference conditions for the specific time period, such that the interference corresponds to an overlap of frequencies and the coverage area); and
scheduling TN bandwidth resources to deactivate communications in the one or more implicated sub-band in the implicated cell in the designated time (abstract; “…mitigating uplink degradation, noise, and/or other interference experienced between a user device and a satellite by blanking of physical resource blocks that are being used on the same or an overlapping radio frequency spectrum by user devices communicating with terrestrial base stations via a telecommunications network…”; [0099]; [0109]; [0111]; teaches blanking one or more physical resource blocks in the overlapping radio frequency spectrum during the specific time period).
However, Somashekar may not explicitly disclose determining a set of interference conditions for the designated time, such that each interference condition corresponds to an instance in which a cell coverage area of an implicated cell of a plurality of cells of the TN is overlapped by one or more of the set of beam coverage areas.
Nonetheless, in the same field of endeavor, Sayed teaches and suggests determining a set of interference conditions for the designated time, such that each interference condition corresponds to an instance in which a cell coverage area of an implicated cell of a plurality of cells of the TN is overlapped by one or more of the set of beam coverage areas and in which a frequency range assigned to the one of the set of beam coverage areas overlaps with a frequency range of the implicated cell to form one or more implicated sub-bands ([0094]; [0108]; teaches determining interference conditions corresponding to an overlap in cell coverage area and footprint of a NTN beam coverage area and an overlap in frequency band).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to incorporate determining interference conditions corresponding to an overlap in cell coverage area and footprint of a NTN beam coverage area and an overlap in frequency band as taught by Sayed with method mitigating interference based on the projected location of satellites and one or more physical resource blocks in the overlapping radio frequency spectrum during the specific time period as disclosed by Somashekar for the purpose of reducing interference and enhance capability of wireless communication networks, as suggested by Sayed.
Regarding claims 2, 10, and 17, Somashekar, as modified by Sayed, further teaches and suggests wherein the scheduling comprises: determining a set of physical resource blocks of the TN bandwidth resources that corresponds to the one or more implicated sub-band; and blanking the set of physical resource blocks for the implicated cell in the designated time (abstract; “…mitigating uplink degradation, noise, and/or other interference experienced between a user device and a satellite by blanking of physical resource blocks that are being used on the same or an overlapping radio frequency spectrum by user devices communicating with terrestrial base stations via a telecommunications network…”; [0099]; [0109]; [0111]; teaches blanking one or more physical resource blocks in the overlapping radio frequency spectrum during the specific time period).
Regarding claims 3, 13, and 19, Somashekar discloses determining an interference conditions for the specific time period, such that the interference corresponds to an overlap of frequencies and the coverage area, but may not explicitly disclose wherein the determining the set of interference conditions comprises: first determining a plurality of candidate interference conditions, such that each candidate interference condition corresponds to an instance in which a cell coverage area of an implicated cell of a plurality of cells of the TN is overlapped by at least one of the set of beam coverage areas.
Nonetheless, in the same field of endeavor, Sayed teaches and suggests wherein the determining the set of interference conditions comprises: first determining a plurality of candidate interference conditions, such that each candidate interference condition corresponds to an instance in which a cell coverage area of an implicated cell of a plurality of cells of the TN is overlapped by at least one of the set of beam coverage areas ([0094]; [0108]; teaches determining interference conditions corresponding to an overlap in cell coverage area and footprint of a NTN beam coverage area and an overlap in frequency band).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to incorporate determining interference conditions corresponding to an overlap in cell coverage area and footprint of a NTN beam coverage area and an overlap in frequency band as taught by Sayed with method mitigating interference based on the projected location of satellites and one or more physical resource blocks in the overlapping radio frequency spectrum during the specific time period as disclosed by Somashekar, as modified by Sayed, for the purpose of reducing interference and enhance capability of wireless communication networks, as suggested by Sayed.
Regarding claim 5, Somashekar teaches and discloses wherein: the satellite is one of a plurality of satellites of the NTN; the predicting comprises predicting, based on the ephemeris data for the NTN, respective locations and orientations for each of the plurality of satellites at the designated time ([0106]; [0108]; teaches projecting the trajectory path and the location and orientation for a satellite based on ephemeris data for the satellite network at a specific time period); the computing comprises computing a plurality of beam coverage areas corresponding to a plurality of beams being projected by the plurality of satellites at the designated time based on the predicted respective locations and orientations ([0106]; [0108]; teaches determining the plurality of coverage areas related to the set of beams associated with the satellite along the projected trajectory path); and the determining the interference conditions comprises determining a plurality of interference conditions for the designated time, such that each interference condition corresponds to an instance in which a cell coverage area of an implicated cell of the plurality of cells is overlapped by one or more of the plurality of beam coverage areas and in which a frequency range assigned to the one or more of the plurality of beam coverage areas overlaps with a frequency range of the implicated cell to form an implicated sub-band ([0099]; [0108]; [0115]; teaches determining an interference conditions for the specific time period, such that the interference corresponds to an overlap of frequencies and the coverage area), but may not explicitly disclose each interference condition corresponds to an instance in which a cell coverage area of an implicated cell of the plurality of cells is overlapped by one or more of the plurality of beam coverage areas.
However, Somashekar may not explicitly disclose each interference condition corresponds to an instance in which a cell coverage area of an implicated cell of the plurality of cells is overlapped by one or more of the plurality of beam coverage areas.
Nonetheless, in the same field of endeavor, Sayed teaches and suggests disclose each interference condition corresponds to an instance in which a cell coverage area of an implicated cell of the plurality of cells is overlapped by one or more of the plurality of beam coverage areas ([0094]; [0108]; teaches determining interference conditions corresponding to an overlap in cell coverage area and footprint of a NTN beam coverage area and an overlap in frequency band).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to incorporate determining interference conditions corresponding to an overlap in cell coverage area and footprint of a NTN beam coverage area and an overlap in frequency band as taught by Sayed with method mitigating interference based on the projected location of satellites and one or more physical resource blocks in the overlapping radio frequency spectrum during the specific time period as disclosed by Somashekar, as modified by Sayed, for the purpose of reducing interference and enhance capability of wireless communication networks, as suggested by Sayed.
Regarding claim 6, Somashekar, as modified by Sayed, further teaches and suggests wherein the designated time is one of a plurality of designated times, and further comprising: performing the predicting the location and orientation, the computing the set of beam coverage areas, the determining the set of interference conditions, and the scheduling the TN bandwidth resources for each of the plurality of designated times ([0106]; [0108]; teaches the specific date and time for determining the location and trajectory of the satellite, and determining the interference conditions, and the blanking of physical resource block for the respective date and times).
Regarding claim 7, Somashekar teaches and discloses a terrestrial network (TN) scheduler (104, figures 1-2) for mitigating non-terrestrial network (NTN) downlink co-channel interference on a terrestrial network (TN) downlink, the TN scheduler comprising: an interference prediction engine (104/102, figures 1-2) configured, for each of a plurality of designated times, to: predict a location and orientation for a satellite of the NTN at the designated time; compute a set of beam coverage areas corresponding to a set of beams being projected by the satellite at the designated time based on the predicted location and orientation ([0106]; [0108]; teaches projecting the trajectory path and the location and orientation for a satellite based on ephemeris data for the satellite network at a specific time period and determining the plurality of coverage areas related to the set of beams associated with the satellite along the projected trajectory path); and
determine a set of interference conditions for the designated time, such that each interference condition corresponds to an instance in which a frequency range assigned to the one of the set of beam coverage areas overlaps with a frequency range of the implicated cell to form one or more implicated sub-bands ([0099]; [0108]; [0115]; teaches determining an interference conditions for the specific time period, such that the interference corresponds to an overlap of frequencies and the coverage area); and
a spectrum blanking engine (104/102, figures 1-2) configured to schedule TN bandwidth resources to deactivate communications in the one or more implicated sub-bands in the implicated cell in the designated time (abstract; “…mitigating uplink degradation, noise, and/or other interference experienced between a user device and a satellite by blanking of physical resource blocks that are being used on the same or an overlapping radio frequency spectrum by user devices communicating with terrestrial base stations via a telecommunications network…”; [0099]; [0109]; [0111]; teaches blanking one or more physical resource blocks in the overlapping radio frequency spectrum during the specific time period).
However, Somashekar may not explicitly disclose determine a set of interference conditions for the designated time, such that each interference condition corresponds to an instance in which a cell coverage area of an implicated cell of a plurality of cells of the TN is overlapped by one or more of the set of beam coverage areas.
Nonetheless, in the same field of endeavor, Sayed teaches and suggests determine a set of interference conditions for the designated time, such that each interference condition corresponds to an instance in which a cell coverage area of an implicated cell of a plurality of cells of the TN is overlapped by one or more of the set of beam coverage areas and in which a frequency range assigned to the one of the set of beam coverage areas overlaps with a frequency range of the implicated cell to form one or more implicated sub-bands ([0094]; [0108]; teaches determining interference conditions corresponding to an overlap in cell coverage area and footprint of a NTN beam coverage area and an overlap in frequency band).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to incorporate determining interference conditions corresponding to an overlap in cell coverage area and footprint of a NTN beam coverage area and an overlap in frequency band as taught by Sayed with method mitigating interference based on the projected location of satellites and one or more physical resource blocks in the overlapping radio frequency spectrum during the specific time period as disclosed by Somashekar for the purpose of reducing interference and enhance capability of wireless communication networks, as suggested by Sayed.
Regarding claims 8 and 16, Somashekar, as modified by Sayed, further teaches and suggests wherein: the interference prediction engine is communicatively coupled with a non-transitory memory (database, 120, figures 1-2) having stored, ephemeris data, beam data, and cell data; the interference prediction engine is configured to predict the location and orientation based on the ephemeris data; and the interference prediction engine is configured to determine the set of interference conditions based on the beam data and the cell data ([0106]; [0108]; teaches projecting the trajectory path and the location and orientation for a satellite based on ephemeris data and beam/cell data for the satellite network at a specific time period and determining the plurality of coverage areas related to the set of beams associated with the satellite along the projected trajectory path).
Regarding claim 9, Somashekar, as modified by Sayed, further teaches and suggests wherein: the interference prediction engine is configured to compute the set of beam coverage areas based on the beam data ([0106]; [0108]; teaches projecting the trajectory path and the location and orientation for a satellite based on ephemeris data and beam/cell data for the satellite network at a specific time period and determining the plurality of coverage areas related to the set of beams associated with the satellite along the projected trajectory path).
Regarding claim 11, Somashekar, as modified by Sayed, further teaches and suggests wherein the blanking comprises: directing one or more centralized units (CUs) (CU of base stations; [0024]) of a terrestrial radio access network (T-RAN) not to use the set of physical resource blocks for any transmissions in the implicated cell in the designated time (abstract; “…mitigating uplink degradation, noise, and/or other interference experienced between a user device and a satellite by blanking of physical resource blocks that are being used on the same or an overlapping radio frequency spectrum by user devices communicating with terrestrial base stations via a telecommunications network…”; [0099]; [0109]; [0111]; teaches blanking one or more physical resource blocks of the base station of the terrestrial network in the overlapping radio frequency spectrum during the specific time period).
Regarding claim 12, Somashekar, as modified by Sayed, further teaches and suggests wherein the blanking comprises: directing one or more distributed units (DUs) (DU of base stations; [0025]) of a terrestrial radio access network (T-RAN) not to use the set of physical resource blocks for any transmissions in the implicated cell in the designated time (abstract; “…mitigating uplink degradation, noise, and/or other interference experienced between a user device and a satellite by blanking of physical resource blocks that are being used on the same or an overlapping radio frequency spectrum by user devices communicating with terrestrial base stations via a telecommunications network…”; [0099]; [0109]; [0111]; teaches blanking one or more physical resource blocks of the base station of the terrestrial network in the overlapping radio frequency spectrum during the specific time period).
Regarding claim 15, Somashekar teaches and discloses a system (system, figures 1-2) for mitigating non-terrestrial network (NTN) downlink co-channel interference on a terrestrial network (TN) downlink, the system comprising: one or more processors (processor, figure 6); a non-transitory database (database, 120, figures 1-2) having stored thereon ephemeris data, beam data, and cell data; and a non-transitory processor-readable medium having instructions stored thereon which, when executed, cause the one or more processors to perform steps comprising, for each of a plurality of designated times:
predicting a location and orientation for a satellite of the NTN at the designated time ([0106]; [0108]; teaches projecting the trajectory path and the location and orientation for a satellite based on ephemeris data for the satellite network at a specific time period);
computing a set of beam coverage areas corresponding to a set of beams being projected by the satellite at the designated time based on the predicted location and orientation ([0106]; [0108]; teaches determining the plurality of coverage areas related to the set of beams associated with the satellite along the projected trajectory path);
determining a set of interference conditions for the designated time, such that each interference condition corresponds to an instance in which a frequency range assigned to the one of the set of beam coverage areas overlaps with a frequency range of the implicated cell to form one or more implicated sub-bands ([0099]; [0108]; [0115]; teaches determining an interference conditions for the specific time period, such that the interference corresponds to an overlap of frequencies and the coverage area); and
scheduling TN bandwidth resources to deactivate communications in the one or more implicated sub-bands in the implicated cell in the designated time (abstract; “…mitigating uplink degradation, noise, and/or other interference experienced between a user device and a satellite by blanking of physical resource blocks that are being used on the same or an overlapping radio frequency spectrum by user devices communicating with terrestrial base stations via a telecommunications network…”; [0099]; [0109]; [0111]; teaches blanking one or more physical resource blocks in the overlapping radio frequency spectrum during the specific time period).
However, Somashekar may not explicitly disclose determining a set of interference conditions for the designated time, such that each interference condition corresponds to an instance in which a cell coverage area of an implicated cell of a plurality of cells of the TN is overlapped by one or more of the set of beam coverage areas.
Nonetheless, in the same field of endeavor, Sayed teaches and suggests determining a set of interference conditions for the designated time, such that each interference condition corresponds to an instance in which a cell coverage area of an implicated cell of a plurality of cells of the TN is overlapped by one or more of the set of beam coverage areas and in which a frequency range assigned to the one of the set of beam coverage areas overlaps with a frequency range of the implicated cell to form one or more implicated sub-bands ([0094]; [0108]; teaches determining interference conditions corresponding to an overlap in cell coverage area and footprint of a NTN beam coverage area and an overlap in frequency band).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to incorporate determining interference conditions corresponding to an overlap in cell coverage area and footprint of a NTN beam coverage area and an overlap in frequency band as taught by Sayed with method mitigating interference based on the projected location of satellites and one or more physical resource blocks in the overlapping radio frequency spectrum during the specific time period as disclosed by Somashekar for the purpose of reducing interference and enhance capability of wireless communication networks, as suggested by Sayed.
Regarding claim 18, Somashekar, as modified by Sayed, further teaches and suggests wherein: the one or more processors are communicatively coupled with a terrestrial radio access network (T-RAN) of the TN; and the blanking comprises directing one or more centralized units (CUs) (CU of base stations; [0024) and/or distributed units (DUs) of the T-RAN (DU of base stations; [0025) not to use the set of physical resource blocks for any transmissions in the implicated cell in the designated time (abstract; “…mitigating uplink degradation, noise, and/or other interference experienced between a user device and a satellite by blanking of physical resource blocks that are being used on the same or an overlapping radio frequency spectrum by user devices communicating with terrestrial base stations via a telecommunications network…”; [0099]; [0109]; [0111]; teaches blanking one or more physical resource blocks of the base station of the terrestrial network in the overlapping radio frequency spectrum during the specific time period).
Claims 4, 14, and 20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over SOMASHEKAR et al. (hereinafter Somashekar) (U.S. Patent Application Publication # 2024/0405851 A1) in view of SAYED HASSAN et al. (hereinafter Sayed) (U.S. Patent Application Publication # 2025/0056299 A1), and further in view of Bhaskar et al. (hereinafter Bhaskar) (U.S. Patent Application Publication # 2025/0317195 A1).
Regarding claims 4, 14, and 20, Somashekar discloses determining an interference conditions for the specific time period, such that the interference corresponds to an overlap of frequencies and the coverage area, but may not explicitly disclose wherein the determining the set of interference conditions comprises: mapping the cell coverage areas of the plurality of cells of the TN and/or the beam coverage areas of the set of beams to a common coordinate system; and determining, for each cell of the plurality of cells, whether the cell coverage area of the cell is overlapped by any of the set of beam coverage areas in the common coordinate system based on the mapping.
Nonetheless, in the same field of endeavor, Bhaskar teaches and suggests wherein the determining the set of interference conditions comprises: mapping the cell coverage areas of the plurality of cells of the TN and/or the beam coverage areas of the set of beams to a common coordinate system; and determining, for each cell of the plurality of cells, whether the cell coverage area of the cell is overlapped by any of the set of beam coverage areas in the common coordinate system based on the mapping ([0025]; [0026]; [0051]; [0056]; teaches mapping the cell coverage of the cell to a common coordinate system and determining overlapping of satellite coverage area).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to incorporate mapping the cell coverage of the cell to a common coordinate system and determining overlapping of satellite coverage area as taught by Bhaskar with method mitigating interference based on the projected location of satellites and one or more physical resource blocks in the overlapping radio frequency spectrum during the specific time period as disclosed by Somashekar, as modified Sayed, for the purpose of preventing interference and predicting optimal frequency assignments based on beam configurations and interference patterns, as suggested by Bhaskar.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to Applicant’s disclosure.
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/Suk Jin Kang/
Examiner, Art Unit 2477
July 30, 2026
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