DETAILED ACTION
Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status
The present application is being examined under the pre-AIA first to invent provisions.
This office action is in response to the Applicant’s communication filed on 09/11/2024. In virtue of this communication, claims 1 – 6 are pending in this application.
Specification
The disclosure is objected to because of the following informalities: Formula (1) on page 10 and formula (3) on page 12 of the specification appear to be missing some operands.
Appropriate correction is required.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
The following is a quotation of pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 103(a) which forms the basis for all obviousness rejections set forth in this Office action:
(a) A patent may not be obtained though the invention is not identically disclosed or described as set forth in section 102, if the differences between the subject matter sought to be patented and the prior art are such that the subject matter as a whole would have been obvious at the time the invention was made to a person having ordinary skill in the art to which said subject matter pertains. Patentability shall not be negatived by the manner in which the invention was made.
Claims 1 – 6 are rejected under pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 103(a) as being unpatentable over US 20070025464 (Perlman).
Regarding claims 2 (and 1), Perlman teaches “A first communications apparatus (shown in FIG 5, 6, 8 and 9 as base station 500, 600, 800 and 900, respectively) comprising:
two or more transmit antennas (FIG 5, 6, 8: plurality of antennas 505, 605, 802, respectively);
a receiver configured to receive (paragraph 0062: each of the plurality of transceivers 504 for receiving transmissions), from a second communications apparatus (mapped to client device 1 506 in FIG 5, to client device 1 606 in FIG 6, to client device 804 in FIG 8 and 908 in FIG 9), a first indicator (paragraph 0063: the Coding, Modulation and Signal Processing subsystem 503 of Base Station 500 receives the 1x3 column 513 from Client Device 1 506. Paragraph 0039: the received parameter H is channel characterization data. Each individual matrix element Hij is the channel characterization of the training signal transmission of transmit antenna 104i as received by the receive antenna 105j. This also represents recited by the claim “a first indicator” of the channel between a particular antenna of the base station and particular Client Device, in this case Client Device 1);
a storage configured to store a table corresponding to the first indicator (paragraph 0063: various memories to store the matrix 516/616, as shown in FIG 5 and 6, including “the first indicator” (Hi1 (i=1 … 3) as shown in FIG). Although disclosed as storing the matrix 516/616, FIG 5/6 clearly show that it is stored also as “a table”);
a processor (paragraphs 0064 – 0065: the Coding, Modulation and Signal Processing subsystem 603 including signal precoding logic 630) configured to:
determine a matrix of coefficients for the second communications apparatus based on the first indicator (paragraph 0063: As the Coding, Modulation and Signal Processing subsystem 503 of Base Station 500 receives the 1x3 column 513-515, from each Client Device 506-508, it stores it in a 3x3 H matrix 516 with the resultant matrix shown in Fig. 6 as 616. In other words, the matrix 616 shown in FIG 6 is “determined”, and it is based, in part, on the 1x3 column 513 from Client Device 1 506, as the claim requires. Thus, recited in this limitation “a matrix of coefficients” is mapped to the matrix 616 in FIG 6 which is for all client devices 1 – 3 thus including “for the second communications apparatus” Client Device 1), wherein:
each of the coefficients for the second communications apparatus is determined independently from a second indicator which is transmitted from a third communications apparatus to the first communications apparatus (First mapping of the limitation “a second indicator which is transmitted from a third communications apparatus to the first communications apparatus”. This is mapped to the 1x3 column 514 of Hij transmitted from Client Device 2 507 to the base station 500 shown in FIG 5. As may be seen from FIG 6, in the matrix 616 “each of the coefficients for the second communications apparatus” comprising the first column of Hij “is determined independently from a second indicator” comprising the second column of Hij. Indeed, the first column of Hij from Client Device 1 506 and comprising “coefficients for the second communications apparatus” in the matrix was received independently from the reception of the second column of Hij from Client Device 2 507, which is also “a second indicator”.
Alternative, second mapping of this particular limitation. This is mapped to the embodiments shown in FIG 8 and 9 with corresponding description in paragraphs 0074 – 0075 and 0078 – 0079, in which, at the first point in time the base station initially communicates with the first group of client devices including “second communication apparatus” 804/908 to which “the first signal” is transmitted. At a later point in time the base station communicates with the second group of client devices including “third communication apparatus” 807/907 to which “the second signal” is generated and transmitted based on corresponding “a second indicator which is transmitted from a third communications apparatus to the first communications apparatus”. In other words, “a third communication apparatus” is mapped to the client device 807/907 in the second group of devices 811/910. As is disclosed with respect to the group of client devices 506-508 (or 606-608 in FIG 6), which would correspond to the first group of client devices 810 in FIG 8 or 911 in FIG 9, each device in the second group of client devices 811 in FIG 8 or 910 in FIG 9 also sends respective 1x3 column 514 of Hij. Thus, the client device 807/907 in the second group of devices 811/910 (“the third communication apparatus”) transmits “a second indicator” to the base station.
Summarizing, in the alternative second mapping, initially, for communication with the first group of devices 804 – 806 in FIG 8 or 904, 905 and 908 in FIG 9, the base station 800/900 receives corresponding indicators including “the first indicator” from the device 804 (or 908) and determines “a matrix of coefficients based on the first indicator”. To communicate with the second group of devices 806 – 808 in FIG 8 or 905 – 907 in FIG 9 at a later point in time, the base station 800 also separately receives indicators at least for the devices 807 and 808 (or 906 and 907) including “a second indicator which is transmitted from a third communications apparatus [807 in FIG 8 or 907 in FIG 9] to the first communications apparatus”. However, although not explicitly disclosed by Perlman, since the communication with the first group of devices 804 – 806 (or 904, 905 and 908) and communication with the second group of devices 806 – 808 (or 905 – 907) occur separately, it is either implicit that the matrix of coefficients for the first group of devices (including “the second communications apparatus” 804/908) is determined independently from the matrix of coefficients for the second group of devices (including “the third communications apparatus” 807/907), or it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was made to do so in order to be able to transmit from the base station having fewer number of antennas than the number of client devices, thus meeting the limitation “each of the coefficients for the second communications apparatus is determined independently from a second indicator”), and
each of the coefficients for the second communication apparatus (Paragraph 0039: each individual matrix element Hi,j in matrix 616 is the channel characterization of the training signal transmission of transmit antenna 104i (corresponds to “two or more antennas”) as received by the receive antenna 105j. Therefore, each individual matrix element has an index i corresponding to the transmission antennas.) corresponds to the each of the two or more transmit antennas (indeed, elements (“coefficients”) H1,1 H1,2 and H1,3 correspond to the first transmission antenna, H2,1 H2,2 and H2,3 correspond to the second transmission antenna, H3,1 H3,2 and H3,3 correspond to the third transmission antenna. Thus, each element (“coefficient”) in the matrix 616 corresponds to first, second or third (“each of the two or more”) antennas. This is virtually the same as disclosed by the applicant on page 10 of the specification as filed, lines 1 – 4, matrix M1, elements of which are coefficients); and
generate a first signal for each of the two or more transmit antennas of the first communications apparatus based on the coefficients for the second communications apparatus (paragraph 0065: signal precoding logic 630 uniquely coding the signal transmitted from each of the antennas 605 (“generate a first signal for each of the two or more antennas”) based on the signal characterization matrix 616. More specifically, the precoding logic 630 multiplies the three bit streams u1-u3 in FIG. 6 by the inverse of the H matrix 616 producing three new bit streams, u'1-u'3, which are shown in FIG 6 to be individually fed into transceivers 604 each connected to the respective antenna 605. Thus, the signal for the antennas is based on the matrix 616 and thus is at least in part “based on the coefficients for the second communications apparatus”. In other words, “a first signal” corresponds to the combination of signals u'1-u'3 fed into the transceivers or v1, v2 and v3 transmitted from all of the antennas of the device which is formed in such a way as to include the stream u1 specifically intended for the Client Device 1 606. Paragraph 0068: the transmitter (“first communications apparatus”) solves for each vi at the transmitter before the signals have been transformed by the channel. Each antenna 609 receives ui already separated from the other un-1 bit streams intended for the other antennas 609. Thus, the Client Device 1 606 receives only the stream u1. Thus, “a first signal” is generated and transmitted to all of the devices of the group, including the first device 606 in such a way that the device 606 receives only the intended stream u1 within “the first signal”. In the embodiments of FIG 8 or FIG 9, this would correspond to generation of the signal to communicate with the first group of devices 804 – 806 (or 904, 905 and 907) and particularly with “the second communications apparatus” 804/908 receiving its own stream u1),
multiplex the first signal with a second signal to be transmitted to the third communications apparatus (in the embodiment of FIG 5 and 6, as follows from the description in paragraphs 0065 – 0068, all signals to all client devices 1 – 3 are transmitted simultaneously, which means that “the first signal” transmitted to the Client Device 1 is multiplexed with “a second signal to be transmitted to the third communications apparatus” being the Client Device 2 507/607. In the embodiment of FIG 8 and FIG 9, as stated in paragraph 0074 and 0078, the Base Station 800/900 chooses a first group of three clients 810 (or 911 in FIG 9) with which to communicate. After communicating with the first group of clients 810 (or 911 in FIG 9) for a designated period of time, the Base Station then selects another group of three clients 811 (or 910 in FIG 9) with which to communicate which represents time-division multiplexing. Therefore, in both embodiments of FIG 5/6 and FIG 8/9, the signals for two different client devices are multiplexed); and
a transmitter (each of the plurality transceivers 604 shown in FIG 6) configured to transmit the first signal to the second communications apparatus code-multiplexed with the second signal to be transmitted to the third communications apparatus (paragraph 0065: The three precoded bit streams are then converted to analog by D/A converters and simultaneously transmitted as RF by Transceivers 604 and antennas 605 as combination of v1, v2 and v3 to all Client Devices 1 – 3 606 – 608, which inherently includes the stream u1 specifically intended for the Client Device 1 606 being “the second communications apparatus” the signal being “multiplexed with the second signal to be transmitted to the third communications apparatus” such as Client Device 2 607. In the embodiment of FIG 8 and FIG 9, see paragraph 0074, this would correspond to generation of the signals to communicate with the first group of devices 804 – 806 and particularly a respective bitstream “to the second communications apparatus” 804 (or 904, 905 and 907 and particularly a respective bitstream “to the second communications apparatus” 908 in FIG 9). After communicating with the first group of clients 810 (or 911), the Base Station then selects another group of three clients 811 (or 910) with which to communicate, including transmitting “the second signal” to “third communications apparatus”, such as 807 or 907. As was shown above, this corresponds to the time-division multiplexing. With respect to the requirement that it is “code-multiplexed”, see paragraph 0079: the Base Station 900 communicates with both Client Devices 907 (previously mapped to “the third communications apparatus”) and 908 (previously mapped to “the second communications apparatus”) concurrently, but multiplexes the communication channel using known channel multiplexing techniques, such as code division multiple access ("CDMA") technique to divide the single, spatially-correlated signal between Client Devices 907 and 908. It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art at the effective filing date of the application to also implement CDMA technique to the embodiment of FIG 5/6 and 8 as well. Doing so would have allowed to use the system disclosed by Perlman for CDMA networks thus expanding the usage of the disclosed system);
[The following limitation is only for claim 1] wherein the first signal to be transmitted to the second communications apparatus (this is applicable to the embodiment of FIG 8 and 9. As was explained above, the signal (“the first signal”) transmitted from the base station 800/900 to plurality of the devices in the first group of devices 810/911 includes the bitstream u1 “to the second communications apparatus” 804/908) is independent form a second indicator which is transmitted from a third communications apparatus to the first communications apparatus (indeed, as was explained above, it is either implicit, or it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was made that transmission to the first group of devices 810 in FIG 8 (or 910 in FIG 9), including u1 (“the first signal”) to “the second communications apparatus” 804/908 within the first group, is not based (“is independent”) on any indicators transmitted from device 807/907 (“a second indicator which is transmitted from a third communications apparatus”) in the second group of devices 811 (or 910 in FIG 9)).”
Regarding claim 3 and 5, Perlman teaches or fairly suggests “wherein a second signal is generated based on coefficients for the third communications apparatus (For the embodiment of FIG 5 – 6, the signal u2 received by the Client Device 2 507/607 inherently depends on the coefficients in the second column of the matrix/table 616 transmitted from the Client Device 2 507/607 (“the third communications apparatus”). For the embodiment in FIG 8 and FIG 9 and paragraphs 0074 – 0075 and 0078 – 0079, where the base station initially communicates with the first group of client devices including “second communication apparatus” 804/908 to which “the first signal” including bitstream u1 is transmitted. At a later point in time, or simultaneously using CDMA technique, the base station communicates with the second group of client devices including “third communication apparatus” 807 in FIG 8 or 907 in FIG 9 to which “the second signal” is generated and transmitted based on corresponding “coefficients for the third communications apparatus”.).”
Regarding claim 4 and 6, Perlman teaches or fairly suggests “wherein the coefficients for the third communications apparatus are determined based on the second indicator (indeed, just as in the case of coefficients for “the second communications apparatus” (Client Device 1 506/606) being included in “the first indicator” 513 in FIG 5, the coefficients for “the third communications apparatus” (Device 807 in FIG 8 or 907 in FIG 9) are included in “the second indicator” transmitted from the device 807/907).”
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to GENNADIY TSVEY whose telephone number is (571)270-3198. The examiner can normally be reached Mon-Fri 9-5:30.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Wesley Kim can be reached on 571-272-7867. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/GENNADIY TSVEY/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2648
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