DETAILED ACTION
This communication is responsive to Application No. #18/801,901 filed on August 13, 2024. Claims 1-20 are subject to examination.
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 .
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 §§ 706.02(l)(1) - 706.02(l)(3) 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).
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Claims 1, 9, 14, and 18 are rejected on the ground of nonstatutory double patenting as being unpatentable over claims 1, 8, 11, and 18, respectively, of U.S. Patent No. 12096423. Although the claims at issue are not identical, they are not patentably distinct from each other because they are obvious variants of each other.
Independent claims 9, 14, and 18 recite similar features to independent claim 1; the compared table below (i.e. underlined claim elements) shows only an example (sample) of how claim 1 is anticipated and mapped by claims such as claim 1 of the U.S. Patent No. 12096423.
Instant Application No. 18801901
U.S. Patent No. 12096423
A method comprising:
receiving configuration information comprising an association between a first reference signal and a second reference signal;
receiving the first reference signal; and
determining channel state information (CSI) based on the first reference signal and the second reference signal, wherein reception of the first reference signal is affected by the second reference signal.
1. A method for use by a user equipment (UE) side device comprising:
receiving configuration information comprising an identification of at least one reference signal to be used for determining full-duplex channel state information (FD CSI) and providing information regarding reporting FD CSI;
receiving the at least one reference signal to be used for determining FD CSI according to the configuration information;
determining FD CSI resulting from the received at least one reference signal for FD CSI from a base station, wherein reception of the at least one reference signal is affected by uplink (UL) transmission interference from the UE side device with at least one assumed UL pre-coding scheme, where the UL transmission interference is derived based on at least one reference signal for self-interfering channel estimation, which is associated with the at least one reference signal for FD CSI and the UL pre-coding scheme assumed by the UE side device, and wherein the at least one assumed UL pre-coding scheme is a particular uplink (UL) transmit rank indicator (TRI) applied onto a self-interfering channel obtained from the at least one reference signal for self-interfering channel estimation; and
transmitting information pertaining to the FD CSI according to the information regarding reporting FD CSI.
Regarding pending claim 1, U.S. Patent No. 12096423 (hereinafter, “Zhang”) does not recite all the limitations.
However, in the same analogous art, Huang et.al. (US Patent Application Publication, 20230179279, hereinafter, “Huang”) discloses receiving configuration information comprising an association between a first reference signal and a second reference signal (Huang: [0089] At block 400, a UE receives a CSI report configuration message including at least a TCI state and a QCL type indicator, wherein the TCI state includes identification of at least a downlink reference signal resource and an uplink reference signal resource and the QCL type indicator indicates a spatial relationship between the downlink reference signal resource and the uplink reference signal resource ... Fig. 4).
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 the invention Zhang to include the features as taught by Huang above in order to provide improved transmission configuration indicator (TCI) states for channel state information (CSI) reporting in full-duplex system. (Huang, ¶ [0001]).
Claim Objections
Claim 8 is objected to because of the following informalities:
Regarding claim 8, acronyms “RI”, “CQI”, and “PMI” are undefined. For purposes of examination, the Examiner has interpreted the limitation to read, “rank indicator (RI); channel quality indicator (CQI); preceding matrix indicator (PMI)” per the specification of the instant application.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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 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, 6, 8-10, 14, and 17-18 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Huang et.al. (US Patent Application Publication, 20230179279, hereinafter, “Huang”).
Regarding claim 1, Huang teaches:
A method comprising (Huang: [0088] FIG. 4 is a block diagram illustrating example blocks executed to implement one aspect of the present disclosure …):
receiving configuration information comprising an association between a first reference signal and a second reference signal (Huang: [0089] At block 400, a UE receives a CSI report configuration message including at least a TCI state and a QCL type indicator, wherein the TCI state includes identification of at least a downlink reference signal resource and an uplink reference signal resource and the QCL type indicator indicates a spatial relationship between the downlink reference signal resource and the uplink reference signal resource ... Fig. 4);
receiving the first reference signal (Huang: [0091] At block 401, the UE determines a receive beam for receipt of a downlink reference signal via the downlink reference signal resource ... Fig. 4); and
determining channel state information (CSI) based on the first reference signal and the second reference signal, wherein reception of the first reference signal is affected by the second reference signal (Huang: [0092] At block 402, the UE determines CSI based on the receipt of the downlink reference signal using the receive beam and an interference measurement of the uplink reference signal resource ... The CSI parameters are measured on the data channel on which the downlink reference signal was received. The CSI parameters may further take into account the interference observed from the interference channel of the uplink reference signal. Fig. 4).
Regarding claim 8, Huang discloses on the features with respect to claim 1 as outlined above.
Huang further teaches:
wherein the CSI includes at least one of:
RI;
CQI;
PMI (Huang: [0092] At block 402, the UE determines CSI based on the receipt of the downlink reference signal using the receive beam and an interference measurement of the uplink reference signal resource. Within the execution environment of measurement logic 704, UE 115 measures the appropriate CSI parameters (RI, PMI, CQI) for reporting to the serving base station ... Fig. 4).
Regarding claim 9, Huang teaches:
An apparatus comprising (Huang: [0071] FIG. 2 shows a block diagram of a design of a base station 105 and a UE 115 ... Fig. 2):
a processor:
a computer-readable medium, having stored thereon computer executable instructions, that when executed cause the apparatus to (Huang: xxx. Fig. 7):
receive configuration information comprising an association between a first reference signal and a second reference signal (Huang: [0089] At block 400, a UE receives a CSI report configuration message including at least a TCI state and a QCL type indicator, wherein the TCI state includes identification of at least a downlink reference signal resource and an uplink reference signal resource and the QCL type indicator indicates a spatial relationship between the downlink reference signal resource and the uplink reference signal resource ... Fig. 4);
receive the first reference signal (Huang: [0091] At block 401, the UE determines a receive beam for receipt of a downlink reference signal via the downlink reference signal resource ... Fig. 4); and
determine channel state information (CSI) based on the first reference signal and the second reference signal, wherein reception of the first reference signal is affected by the second reference signal (Huang: [0092] At block 402, the UE determines CSI based on the receipt of the downlink reference signal using the receive beam and an interference measurement of the uplink reference signal resource ... The CSI parameters are measured on the data channel on which the downlink reference signal was received. The CSI parameters may further take into account the interference observed from the interference channel of the uplink reference signal. Fig. 4).
Regarding claim 14, Huang teaches:
A method comprising (Huang: [0088] FIG. 4 is a block diagram illustrating example blocks executed to implement one aspect of the present disclosure …):
transmitting configuration information comprising an association between a first reference signal and a second reference signal (Huang: [0089] At block 400, a UE receives a CSI report configuration message [from base station 105, see Figs. 1, 2] including at least a TCI state and a QCL type indicator, wherein the TCI state includes identification of at least a downlink reference signal resource and an uplink reference signal resource and the QCL type indicator indicates a spatial relationship between the downlink reference signal resource and the uplink reference signal resource ... Fig. 4); and
receiving information pertaining to CSI (Huang: [0093] At block 403, the UE transmits a CSI report including the CSI to a serving base station ... Fig. 4) obtained based on the first reference signal and the second reference signal, wherein communication of the first signal is affected by the second reference signal (Huang: [0092] At block 402, the UE determines CSI based on the receipt of the downlink reference signal using the receive beam and an interference measurement of the uplink reference signal resource ... The CSI parameters are measured on the data channel on which the downlink reference signal was received. The CSI parameters may further take into account the interference observed from the interference channel of the uplink reference signal. Fig. 4).
Regarding claim 18, Huang teaches:
An apparatus comprising (Huang: [0071] FIG. 2 shows a block diagram of a design of a base station 105 and a UE 115 ... Fig. 2):
a processor:
a computer-readable medium, having stored thereon computer executable instructions, that when executed cause the apparatus to (Huang: [0071] … At base station 105, a transmit processor 220 may receive data from a data source 212 and control information from a controller/processor 240 ... Fig. 2):
transmitting configuration information comprising an association between a first reference signal and a second reference signal (Huang: [0089] At block 400, a UE receives a CSI report configuration message [from base station 105, see Figs. 1, 2] including at least a TCI state and a QCL type indicator, wherein the TCI state includes identification of at least a downlink reference signal resource and an uplink reference signal resource and the QCL type indicator indicates a spatial relationship between the downlink reference signal resource and the uplink reference signal resource ... Fig. 4); and
receiving information pertaining to CSI (Huang: [0093] At block 403, the UE transmits a CSI report including the CSI to a serving base station ... Fig. 4) obtained based on the first reference signal and the second reference signal, wherein communication of the first signal is affected by the second reference signal (Huang: [0092] At block 402, the UE determines CSI based on the receipt of the downlink reference signal using the receive beam and an interference measurement of the uplink reference signal resource ... The CSI parameters are measured on the data channel on which the downlink reference signal was received. The CSI parameters may further take into account the interference observed from the interference channel of the uplink reference signal. Fig. 4).
Regarding claims 2 and 10, Huang discloses on the features with respect to claims 1 and 9 as outlined above.
Huang further teaches:
transmitting the CSI (Huang: [0093] At block 403, the UE transmits a CSI report including the CSI to a serving base station ... Fig. 4).
Regarding claims 6 and 17, Huang discloses on the features with respect to claims 1 and 14 as outlined above.
Huang further teaches:
wherein the first reference signal corresponds to an identification comprising at least one of:
identification of a channel state information reference signal (CSI-RS) associated with the corresponding second reference signal (Huang: [0089] At block 400, a UE receives a CSI report configuration message including at least a TCI state and a QCL type indicator, wherein the TCI state includes identification of at least a downlink reference signal resource and an uplink reference signal resource and the QCL type indicator indicates a spatial relationship between the downlink reference signal resource and the uplink reference signal resource … [0091] … UE 115 sweeps each of the candidate receive beams to measure the respective signal power of the data channel of the downlink reference signal (e.g., SSB, CSI-RS) at the downlink reference signal resource. UE 115 also sweeps the candidate receive beams to measure the respective signal power of the interference channel of the uplink reference signal (e.g., SRS, DMRS, PTRS) at the uplink reference signal resource ... Fig. 4).
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, 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 3-4, 7, 11-12, 15-16, and 19-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Huang in view of Huang et.al. (US Patent Application Publication, 20220329308, hereinafter, “Huang ‘308”).
Regarding claims 3, 11, 15, and 19, Huang discloses on the features with respect to claims 1, 9, 14, and 18 as outlined above.
Huang does not explicitly teach:
wherein the CSI corresponds to a respective uplink (UL) transmit rank indicator (TRI) or a respective UL transmit precoding matrix indicator (TPMI).
However, in the same field of endeavor, Huang ‘308 teaches:
wherein the CSI corresponds to a respective uplink (UL) transmit rank indicator (TRI) or a respective UL transmit precoding matrix indicator (TPMI) (Huang ‘308: [0125] In some cases, the UE 115-e may determine a list of pairs of CSI and uplink precoding matrices (e.g., a list of CSI-TMPI/SRI pairs) . For each pair in the list of pairs, the CSI value is conditioned to the precoding matrix value (e.g., the TPMI/SRI value) . Thus, the self-interference to the received signal is generated by adopting the precoding matrix (e.g., the TPMI/SRI value) in the concurrent uplink transmission. Fig. 5).
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 the invention of Huang to include the features as taught by Huang ‘308 above in order to mitigate self-interference at a full-duplex UE. (Huang ‘308, ¶ [0004]).
Regarding claims 4 and 12, Huang-Huang ‘308 discloses on the features with respect to claims 3 and 11 as outlined above.
Huang ‘308 further teaches:
receiving scheduling information (Huang ‘308: [0135] At 535, base station 105-d may provide a downlink and uplink grant to the UE 115-e. In some cases, the uplink grant (containing selected uplink precoding matrix) and associated downlink grant (containing downlink transport format) is sent from base station 105-d to the UE 115-e, to trigger the bi-directional self-FD communication with the UE 115-e. Fig. 5) including the respective UL TRI or the respective UL TPMI (Huang ‘308: [0126] … the UE 115-e may sort all possible precoding matrices (e.g., all available TPMI/SRI values) according to their self-interference strengths from low to high, and then select the first number of precoding matrices whose self-interference strengths are the lowest. In some cases, the UE may calculate a respective matched CSI value (including PMI, RI, CQI) for each selected precoding matrix ... [0127] At 520, the UE 115-e may transmit the CSI report, including the determined downlink precoding matrix and the subset of uplink precoding matrices ... Fig. 5).
The rationale and motivation for adding this teaching of Huang ‘308 is the same as the rationale and motivation for claims 3 and 11.
Regarding claim 7, Huang discloses on the features with respect to claim 2 as outlined above.
Huang does not explicitly teach:
wherein the determining the CSI is performed assuming at least one of:
self-interference resulting from a particular UL TRI applied onto a self-interfering channel obtained from the second reference signal; or
a particular UL TPMI applied onto the self-interfering channel obtained from the second reference signal.
However, in the same field of endeavor, Huang ‘308 teaches:
wherein the determining the CSI is performed assuming at least one of:
a particular UL TPMI applied onto the self-interfering channel obtained from the second reference signal (Huang ‘308: [0125] In some cases, the UE 115-e may determine a list of pairs of CSI and uplink precoding matrices (e.g., a list of CSI-TMPI/SRI pairs) . For each pair in the list of pairs, the CSI value is conditioned to the precoding matrix value (e.g., the TPMI/SRI value) . Thus, the self-interference to the received signal is generated by adopting the precoding matrix (e.g., the TPMI/SRI value) in the concurrent uplink transmission. Fig. 5).
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 the invention of Huang to include the features as taught by Huang ‘308 above in order to mitigate self-interference at a full-duplex UE. (Huang ‘308, ¶ [0004]).
Regarding claims 16 and 20, Huang discloses on the features with respect to claims 14 and 18 as outlined above.
Huang does not explicitly teach:
receiving scheduling information; or
wherein the configuration information comprises the respective UL TRI or the respective UL TPMI.
However, in the same field of endeavor, Huang ‘308 teaches:
receiving scheduling information (Huang ‘308: [0135] At 535, base station 105-d may provide a downlink and uplink grant to the UE 115-e. In some cases, the uplink grant (containing selected uplink precoding matrix) and associated downlink grant (containing downlink transport format) is sent from base station 105-d to the UE 115-e, to trigger the bi-directional self-FD communication with the UE 115-e. Fig. 5) including the respective UL TRI or the respective UL TPMI (Huang ‘308: [0126] … the UE 115-e may sort all possible precoding matrices (e.g., all available TPMI/SRI values) according to their self-interference strengths from low to high, and then select the first number of precoding matrices whose self-interference strengths are the lowest. In some cases, the UE may calculate a respective matched CSI value (including PMI, RI, CQI) for each selected precoding matrix ... [0127] At 520, the UE 115-e may transmit the CSI report, including the determined downlink precoding matrix and the subset of uplink precoding matrices ... Fig. 5).
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 the invention of Huang to include the features as taught by Huang ‘308 above in order to mitigate self-interference at a full-duplex UE. (Huang ‘308, ¶ [0004]).
Claims 5 and 13 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Huang in view of Huang et.al. (US Patent Application Publication, 20230118279, hereinafter, “Huang ‘279”.
Regarding claims 5 and 13, Huang discloses on the features with respect to claims 1 and 9 as outlined above.
Huang does not explicitly teach:
wherein the first reference signal is for determining the CSI for full-duplex (FD), and/or the second reference signal is for self-interfering channel estimation.
However, in the same field of endeavor, Huang ‘279 teaches:
wherein the first reference signal is for determining the CSI for full-duplex (FD), and/or the second reference signal is for self-interfering channel estimation (Huang ‘279: [0081] … To measure self-interference, a full-duplex UE or node may transmit a signal while measuring the downlink channel quality by receiving a reference signal (e.g., a channel state information reference signal (CSI-RS)). A full-duplex UE may transmit a signal to emulate the self-interference from an uplink signal (e.g., … a sounding reference signal (SRS), a physical random access channel (PRACH), and/or the like) to a downlink signal [i.e., reference signal for self-interfering channel estimation, which is associated with the at least one reference signal for FD CSI] ... Figs. 6, 7).
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 the invention of Huang to include the features as taught by Huang ‘279 above in order to increase aggregated downlink/uplink throughput. (Huang ‘279, ¶ [0079]).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to LIEM H NGUYEN whose telephone number is (408) 918-7636. The examiner can normally be reached on Monday-Friday, 8:30AM-5:00PM PT.
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/LIEM H. NGUYEN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2416
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