DETAILED ACTION
Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status
1. 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
2. Acknowledgment is made of Applicant’s submission of information disclosure statement (IDS), dated on August 1, 2024. The submission is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
Examiner's Notes
3. Applicant is encouraged to submit a written authorization for Internet communications (PTO/SB/439, http://www.uspto.gov/sites/default/files/documents/sb0439.pdf) in the instant patent application to authorize the examiner to communicate with the applicant via email. The authorization will allow the examiner to better practice compact prosecution. The written authorization can be submitted via one of the following methods only: (1) Central Fax which can be found in the Conclusion section of this Office action; (2) regular postal mail; (3) EFS WEB; or (4) the service window on the Alexandria campus. EFS web is the recommended way to submit the form since this allows the form to be entered into the file wrapper within the same day (system dependent). Written authorization submitted via other methods, such as direct fax to the examiner or email, will not be accepted. See MPEP § 502.03.
Preliminary Amendment
4. Acknowledgment is made of Applicant’s submission of the preliminary amendment, dated August 1, 2024. Claims 3 and 4 have been amended; claims 7-9 are new.
Upon entering the amendment, claims 1-9 are pending. This communication is considered fully responsive and sets forth below.
Specification
5. The title of the invention is not descriptive.
The title of this application is “TERMINAL, RADIO COMMUNICATION METHOD, AND BASE STATION.” The examiner objects the usage of this title as it is not clearly indicative of the invention to which the claims are directed.
A substitution of a new title is anticipated.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
6. The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
7. Claims 3, 7, and 9 rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b).
Regarding claim 3, it recites, “The terminal according to claim 1, wherein the information related to the parameter is included in at least one of a higher layer parameter related to a CSI report configuration, the higher layer parameter related to a CSI trigger state, downlink control information for triggering the report of the encoded CSI, and a MAC CE for activating the report of the encoded CSI.”
The term "higher layer" indicated in italics in the wherein clause is a relative term which renders the claim indefinite.
The term "higher layer" is not defined by the claim, the specification does not provide a standard for ascertaining the requisite degree, and one of ordinary skill in the art would not be reasonably apprised of the scope of the invention. The term "higher layer" appears in multiple parts of the specification, e.g., paragraphs 0015, 0032, etc., in reference to "higher layer parameter." While example parameters are provided, the metes and bounds of "higher" in the context of layers (i.e., the layer which the "higher layer" would be higher than) is not evident based on review of the claims and specification. Therefore, the claim is found to be indefinite.
Same rationale applies to claim 7.
Claim 9 is rejected by virtue of dependency on claim 3.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
8. 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.
9. 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.
(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.
10. Claims 1-9 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Park et al. (US 2024/0298202).
Regarding claim 1, Park et al. teach the terminal comprising (paragraph [0380] lines 1-12; Examiner’s Notes: both the terminal depicted in FIG. 20 and second device 200 depicted in FIG. 23 in the prior art teaches the limitation of “terminal” in the instant application):
a receiving section (paragraph [0380] lines 1-12; Examiner’s Notes: transceiver 206 in terminal/second device 200 depicted in FIG. 23 in the prior art teaches the limitation of “a receiving section” in the instant application) that
receives information related to a parameter to be applied to a report of encoded channel state information (CSI) (paragraphs [0376] lines 1-9 & [0418] lines 1-8; Examiner’s Notes: encoding the CSI report in the prior art teaches the limitation of “a report of encoded channel state information (CSI);”
in fact, receiving information/parameter, e.g., CSI reporting-related control information as illustrated in step S2030 in FIG. 20, for encoding the CSI report in the prior art teaches the limitation of “receives information related to a parameter to be applied to a report of encoded channel state information (CSI)” in the instant application); and
a control section (paragraph [0380] lines 1-12; Examiner’s Notes: processor/controller 202 in terminal/second device 200 depicted in FIG. 23 in the prior art teaches the limitation of “a control section” in the instant application) that
controls the report of the encoded CSI, based on the information related to the parameter (paragraphs [0376] lines 1-9; Examiner’s Notes: controlling/encoding the CSI report based on the information/parameter, as illustrated in step S2050 in FIG. 20 in the prior art teaches the limitation of “controls the report of the encoded CSI, based on the information related to the parameter” in the instant application).
Regarding claim 2, Park et al. further teach the terminal, wherein when the information related to the parameter is configured for a CSI report (paragraphs [0376] lines 1-9 & [0418] lines 1-8; Examiner’s Notes: the information/parameter, e.g., CSI reporting-related configuration information for encoding the CSI report, as illustrated in step S2020 in FIG. 20, in the prior art teaches the limitation of “wherein when the information related to the parameter is configured for a CSI report” in the instant application),
the control section controls to perform the report of the encoded CSI (paragraphs [0376] lines 1-9; Examiner’s Notes: controlling/encoding the CSI report, as illustrated in step S2050 in FIG. 20 in the prior art teaches the limitation of “the control section controls to perform the report of the encoded CSI” in the instant application).
Regarding claim 3, Park et al. further teach the terminal, wherein the information related to the parameter is included in at least one of a higher layer parameter related to a CSI report configuration, the higher layer parameter related to a CSI trigger state, downlink control information for triggering the report of the encoded CSI, and a MAC CE for activating the report of the encoded CSI (paragraphs [0191] lines 1-12; Examiner’s Notes: the higher layer parameter/configuration regards to the CSI report configuration in the prior art teaches the limitation of “a higher layer parameter related to a CSI report configuration” in the instant application;
in fact, the higher layer parameter/configuration regards to the CSI report configuration in the prior art teaches the limitation of “wherein the information related to the parameter is included in at least one of a higher layer parameter related to a CSI report configuration, the higher layer parameter related to a CSI trigger state, downlink control information for triggering the report of the encoded CSI, and a MAC CE for activating the report of the encoded CSI” in the instant application as well).
Same rejection applies to claim 7.
Regarding claim 4, Park et al. further teach the terminal, wherein the report of the encoded CSI is supported in only at least one of a specific time domain behavior property and a specific uplink channel (paragraphs [0178] lines 1-7; Examiner’s Notes: the time domain behavior related to the encoded CSI report in the prior art teaches the limitation of “a specific time domain behavior property” in the instant application;
in fact, the time domain behavior related to the encoded CSI report in the prior art teaches the limitation of “wherein the report of the encoded CSI is supported in only at least one of a specific time domain behavior property and a specific uplink channel” in the instant application as well).
Same rejection applies to claims 8 and 9.
Regarding claim 5, Park et al. teach the radio communication method for a terminal (paragraph [0380] lines 1-12; Examiner’s Notes: both the terminal depicted in FIG. 20 and second device 200 depicted in FIG. 23 in the prior art teaches the limitation of “terminal” in the instant application), the radio communication method comprising:
receiving information related to a parameter to be applied to a report of encoded channel state information (CSI) (paragraphs [0376] lines 1-9 & [0418] lines 1-8; Examiner’s Notes: encoding the CSI report in the prior art teaches the limitation of “a report of encoded channel state information (CSI);”
in fact, receiving information/parameter, e.g., CSI reporting-related control information as illustrated in step S2030 in FIG. 20, for encoding the CSI report in the prior art teaches the limitation of “receiving information related to a parameter to be applied to a report of encoded channel state information (CSI)” in the instant application); and
controlling the report of the encoded CSI, based on the information related to the parameter (paragraphs [0376] lines 1-9; Examiner’s Notes: controlling/encoding the CSI report based on the information/parameter, as illustrated in step S2050 in FIG. 20 in the prior art teaches the limitation of “controlling the report of the encoded CSI, based on the information related to the parameter” in the instant application).
Regarding claim 6, Park et al. teach the base station comprising (paragraph [0380] lines 1-12; Examiner’s Notes: both the base station depicted in FIG. 20 and first device 100 depicted in FIG. 23 in the prior art teaches the limitation of “base station” in the instant application):
a transmitting section (paragraph [0380] lines 1-12; Examiner’s Notes: transceiver 106 in base station/first device 100 depicted in FIG. 23 in the prior art teaches the limitation of “a transmitting section” in the instant application)that
transmits information related to a parameter to be applied to a report of encoded channel state information (CSI) to a terminal (paragraphs [0376] lines 1-9 & [0418] lines 1-8; Examiner’s Notes: encoding the CSI report in the prior art teaches the limitation of “a report of encoded channel state information (CSI);”
in fact, transmitting, to a terminal, information/parameter, e.g., CSI reporting-related control information as illustrated in step S2030 in FIG. 20, for encoding the CSI report in the prior art teaches the limitation of “transmits information related to a parameter to be applied to a report of encoded channel state information (CSI) to a terminal” in the instant application); and
a control section (paragraph [0380] lines 1-12; Examiner’s Notes: processor/controller 102 in base station/first device 100 depicted in FIG. 23 in the prior art teaches the limitation of “a control section” in the instant application) that
controls reception of the report of the encoded CSI transmitted from the terminal based on the information related to the parameter (paragraphs [0376] lines 1-9; Examiner’s Notes: controlling/receiving the encoded CSI report from the terminal based on the information/parameter, as illustrated in step S2050 in FIG. 20 in the prior art teaches the limitation of “controls reception of the report of the encoded CSI transmitted from the terminal based on the information related to the parameter” in the instant application).
Conclusion
11. The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure:
Etemad et al. (US 9,572,063) is cited to show the radio resource control (RRC) signaling for configuring the user equipment to obtain and report channel state information for the downlink channels so that a target user equipment experiences enhanced signal reception and reduced interference.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to WEI ZHAO whose telephone number is (571)270-5672. The examiner can normally be reached from 8:00AM to 5:00PM Monday through Friday.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, JAE Y LEE can be reached on (571) 270-3936. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/WEI ZHAO/ Primary Examiner
Art Unit 2479
Prosecution Insights