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 .
Application, submitted on 08/07/2024, has been received, entered, and made of record. Currently, claims 1-20 remain pending in the application.
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)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claims 1-2, 4-6, 8-9, 11-13, 15-17, and 19-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Hakola et al. (hereinafter referred to as Hakola, US 2024/0292318 A1).
Referring to claim 1, Hakola discloses network entity (fig.1, user equipment apparatus (UE) 150), comprising: a processing system (fig.2) configured to:
perform, in accordance with a synchronization raster, a search operation associated with a cell, wherein the synchronization raster indicates an unequal frequency domain spacing between groups of raster points of the synchronization raster ([0134], [0050], [0052], [0058], and [0066]) (Note: the UE performs an initial cell search of one or more cells on a network, including scanning for a plurality of synchronization signal blocks (SSB) transmissions corresponding to a plurality of synchronization raster points; wherein the synchronization raster defines the set of frequencies at which each SSB 300 may be transmitted by a network system and the synchronization raster points are offset differently from the synchronization raster reference points (unequal frequency domain spacing between groups of raster points)); and
receive, based on the search operation, one or more synchronization signal blocks (SSBs) associated with the cell ([0134]) (Note: based on the search operation associated with the cell, the UE receives an SSB transmission of the plurality of SSB transmissions, where the SSB transmission is associated with a synchronization raster point of the plurality of synchronization raster points).
Referring to claim 2, Hakola discloses the network entity of claim 1, wherein the synchronization raster is associated with a first frequency domain spacing between a first set of groups of raster points and a second frequency domain spacing between a second set of groups of raster points ([0062]-[0063]) (Note: the reference discloses an example of synchronization raster points 732 and 742; wherein the synchronization raster points may include a +90 kHz offset synchronization raster point 732 or a-90 kHz offset synchronization raster point 742 from the channel raster point 710).
Referring to claim 4, Hakola discloses the network entity of claim 1, wherein the unequal frequency domain spacing is based on an integer value of a subcarrier size ([0053]-[0054] and [0059]) (Note: the reference discloses a subcarrier spacing value).
Referring to claim 5, Hakola discloses the network entity of claim 1, wherein the unequal frequency domain spacing is based on a frequency step size and multiple offset values, wherein the multiple offset values are applicable to respective groups of raster points ([0056], and [0065]-[0066]) (Note: the unequal frequency domain spacing is based on a spacing (frequency step size) and multiple offset values, wherein the multiple offset values are applicable to respective groups of raster points (synchronization raster points 832, 842, 852, 862)).
Referring to claim 6, Hakola discloses the network entity of claim 5, wherein the synchronization raster is a first synchronization raster, and wherein the frequency step size is based on an equal frequency domain spacing between groups of raster points of a second synchronization raster ([0051], [0056], and [0058]) (Note: the reference discloses synchronization raster reference points may be spaced 100 kHz apart).
Referring to claim 8, Hakola discloses a network entity (fig.1, network system 100), comprising: a processing system (fig.2) configured to:
transmit, in accordance with a synchronization raster, one or more synchronization signal blocks (SSBs) associated with a cell, wherein the synchronization raster indicates an unequal frequency domain spacing between groups of raster points of the synchronization raster ([0048]-[0052] and [0134]) (Note: based on the search operation associated with the cell, the UE receives an SSB transmission of the plurality of SSB transmissions, wherein the SSB transmission is associated with a synchronization raster point of the plurality of synchronization raster points and the synchronization raster defines the set of frequencies at which each SSB 300 transmitted by a network system); and
receive one or more communications associated with the one or more SSBs ([0048]) (Note: The SSBs are used by a UE for acquiring time and frequency synchronization with a network system and may be used for reference signal received power (RSRP) and reference signal received quality (RSRQ) measurements).
Referring to claim 9, the same ground of rejection provided for claim 2 is applicable herein.
Referring to claim 11, the same ground of rejection provided for claim 4 is applicable herein.
Referring to claim 12, the same ground of rejection provided for claim 5 is applicable herein.
Referring to claim 13, the same ground of rejection provided for claim 6 is applicable herein.
Referring to claim 15, Hakola discloses the network entity of claim 8, wherein the processing system, to transmit the one or more SSBs, is configured to: transmit the one or more SSBs using frequency domain resources indicated by the synchronization raster ([0134]) (Note: SSBs are transmitted by the network system using frequency domain resources indicated by the synchronization raster).
Referring to claim 16, the same ground of rejection provided for claim 1 is applicable herein.
Referring to claim 17, the same ground of rejection provided for claim 2 is applicable herein.
Referring to claim 19, the same ground of rejection provided for claim 4 is applicable herein.
Referring to claim 20, the same ground of rejection provided for claim 5 is applicable herein.
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.
Claims 3, 10 and 18 are rejected under 35 U.S.C.103 as being unpatentable over Hakola in view of LY et al. (hereinafter referred to as LY, US 2019/0082402 A1).
Referring to claim 3, Hakola discloses the network entity of claim 2, except wherein the first set of groups of raster points are associated with even values of a parameter associated with the synchronization raster and the second set of groups of raster points are associated with odd values of the parameter.
However, in the same field of endeavor, LY discloses a concept wherein the first set of groups of raster points are associated with even values of a parameter associated with the synchronization raster and the second set of groups of raster points are associated with odd values of the parameter ([0066]) (Note: In that case, odd frequency locations may include f+d, f+3d, f+5d, and so on, wherein d is the synchronization raster of the band. Similarly, even frequency locations may include f, f+2d, f+4d, and so on).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention by the applicant to modify the network entity of Hakola with the concept of LY to obtain the claimed invention. The suggestion/motivation for doing so would have been for an accelerated initial system acquisition and a scan efficiency.
Referring to claim 10, the same ground of rejection provided for claim 3 is applicable herein.
Referring to claim 18, the same ground of rejection provided for claim 3 is applicable herein.
Claims 7 and 14 are rejected under 35 U.S.C.103 as being unpatentable over Hakola in view of NG et al. (hereinafter referred to as NG, US 2025/0056391 A1).
Referring to claim 7, Hakola discloses the network entity of claim 5, except wherein the multiple offset values are based on an integer multiple of a subcarrier size.
However, in the same field of endeavor, NG discloses a concept wherein the multiple offset values are based on an integer multiple of a subcarrier size ([0070]-[0072]) (Note: the reference discloses offsets that multiple of the 15 kHz SCS (subcarrier spacing) (subcarrier size)).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention by the applicant to modify the network entity of Hakola with the concept of NG to obtain the claimed invention. The suggestion/motivation for doing so would have been to prevent inter-carrier interference, and enable scalable bandwidth.
Referring to claim 14, the same ground of rejection provided for claim 7 is applicable herein.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to MOUSTAPHA DIABY whose telephone number is (571)270-1669. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday: 9AM-6PM.
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/MOUSTAPHA DIABY/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2683
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