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 .
Applicant amended claims 3-4 and added claims 7-9 in the preliminary amendment filed on 09/09/2024.
The claims 1-9 are pending.
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)(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.
Claims 1-3 and 5-7 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Fang et al (WO 2021/102045 A1).
With respect to claim 1, Fang teaches a wireless relay device (relay node 100) comprising: a control unit (MCU) configured to estimate a direction of a transmission source of a downlink wireless signal by searching for a signal transmitted from the transmission source
(paragraph 0052; 0061; Fig. 12 disclose the estimation of the direction of a BS, i.e., a transmission source, transmitting a signal is performed by implementing a Rx beam sweeping procedure, i.e., an UL beam sweeping, that searches for the directed beam with the signal sent from the BS based on the signal strength of the receive beam belonging to the beam sweeping procedure); and a communication unit (relay node with antenna) configured to relay the downlink wireless signal to a target direction, based on the estimated direction of the transmission source (paragraph 0052; 0053; Fig. 12 disclose the RN, i.e., the relay device, relays the signal received from the BS to the user area according to a transmit beam, i.e., a target direction, and based on locking the direction of the BS estimated through a Rx beam sweeping procedure, i.e., an UL beam sweeping, that searches for the directed beam with the signal sent from the BS based on the signal strength of the receive beam belonging to the beam sweeping procedure).
With respect to claim 2, Fang teaches wherein the control unit determines the direction of the transmission source of the downlink wireless signal by using a mobile station function of an uplink beam search ( paragraph 0052; 0061; Fig. 12 disclose the estimation of the direction of a BS, i.e., a transmission source, transmitting a DL signal is performed by implementing a Rx beam sweeping procedure, i.e., an UL beam sweeping, that searches for the directed beam with the signal sent from the BS based on the signal strength of the receive beams belonging to the Rx beam sweeping procedure).
With respect to claim 3, Fang teaches a reception unit configured to receive information indicating a location or direction of the transmission source of the downlink wireless signal, wherein the control unit estimates the direction of the transmission source of the downlink wireless signal based on the received information indicating a location or direction of the transmission source of the downlink wireless signal (paragraph 0049-0052; 0061; Fig. 11-12 disclose an SSB signal, i.e., information indication, is sent from the BS to the RN, i.e., the relay device, in order to assist the RN when estimating the direction of the BS, i.e., a transmission source, by implementing a Rx beam sweeping procedure, i.e., an UL beam sweeping, that, based on the signal strength of the receive beams associated with the Rx beam sweeping procedure, searches for the directed and received beam with the SSB signal).
The limitations of claim 5 are rejected in the analysis of claim 1 above, and the claim
is rejected on that basis.
The limitations of claim 6 are rejected in the analysis of claim 1 above, and the claim
is rejected on that basis.
The limitations of claim 7 are rejected in the analysis of claim 3 above, and the claim
is rejected on that basis.
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 4, 8, and 9 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Fang et al (WO 2021/102045 A1) in view of Abedini et al (US Patent Publication No. 2021/0235501 A1).
With respect to claim 4, Fang teaches the claimed subject matter as discussed above except a transmission unit configured to transmit capability information indicating whether or not to support a function of estimating the direction of the transmission source of the downlink wireless signal.
However, Abedini teaches a transmission unit configured to transmit capability information indicating whether or not to support a function of estimating the direction of the transmission source of the downlink wireless signal (paragraph 0096 discloses the beam sweep capabilities of one or more MMW repeater in use by a gNB, the selected format of a RACH message 1, and/or a number of MMW repeaters in use by the gNB, may be indicated to the network device (e.g., a gNB) determining the two or more different RX beam sweep configurations, and the network device (e.g., a gNB) may determine the two or more different RX beam sweep configurations based at least in part on one or more of the beam sweep capabilities of one or more MMW repeater in use by a gNB, the selected format of a RACH message 1, and/or a number of MMW repeaters in use by the gNB) in order to determine the communication parameters of a signal sent through a relay network. Therefore, based on Fang in view of Abedini, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to utilize the teaching of Abedini to the system of Fang in order to determine the communication parameters of a signal sent through a relay network.
The limitations of claim 8 are rejected in the analysis of claim 4 above, and the claim
is rejected on that basis.
The limitations of claim 9 are rejected in the analysis of claim 4 above, and the claim
is rejected on that basis.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to CHEIKH T NDIAYE whose telephone number is (571)270-3914. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 8:00am-5:30pm.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, JOON H HWANG can be reached at 571-272-4036. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/CHEIKH T NDIAYE/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2447
8/21/2026
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