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 .
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.
Claim(s) 1-4, 12 and 16 -19 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by US 202230170952 A1 herein Yu.
Claim 1, Yu discloses a codebook-based uplink channel transmission method, performed by a terminal (Claim 1, determining, by a terminal device from a first codebook…generating data to be sent…; 0113-0116), comprising:
determining a codebook set matching a number of antenna ports of the terminal for an uplink channel transmission (0136, 0138, 0156-0157, quantity of antenna ports is 8 and the terminal device transmits one stream (rank 1) … codebook set used by the terminal), wherein a maximum number of antenna ports of the uplink channel is 8 (0136, 8 antenna ports);
receiving indication information sent by a network device (0114, terminal device receives first precoding indication information sent from a network device);
determining a corresponding precoding matrix from the codebook set according to the indication information (0116, terminal device determines a precoding matrix from a codebook based on a transmitted indication);
precoding the uplink channel by using the precoding matrix, the uplink channel supporting at most 8-layer codebook-based uplink data transmission (0156-0157, device with 8 antenna ports transmits 8 streams, i.e. rank8 thus 8-layer transmission, a precoding matrix from a codebook); and
sending a pre-coded uplink data channel to the network device (0171, terminal device applies the first precoding matrix to data mapping and transmits generated data on each port).
Claim 2, Yu discloses the method according to claim 1, wherein the codebook set is one of the following: the codebook set comprising at least one precoding matrix, wherein each precoding matrix has a same rank; the codebook set comprising at least two precoding matrices, wherein the at least two precoding matrices have at least two ranks; or the codebook set comprising a plurality of precoding matrices, wherein the plurality of precoding matrices have eight ranks (0136, 0156-0157, multiple ranks with the precoding matrices).
Claim 3, Yu discloses the method according to claim 1, wherein the indication information comprises at least one of: a transmission precoding matrix indicator (TPMI) and/or a sounding reference signal resource index (SRI) (0105, TPMI).
Claim 4, Yu discloses the method according to claim 1, wherein determining the codebook of the terminal comprises: predefining an antenna array configuration (0009, codebook configuration information); determining codebook configuration parameters according to the antenna array configuration (0009, codebook configuration information preconfigured by terminal device or received from network based on antenna ports); generating a precoding matrix set for a full coherent transmission according to the codebook configuration parameters (0180-0181, generating codebook set from the configuration information will all non-zero entries for the 8 ports); and determining at least one precoding matrix from the precoding matrix set as a codeword for the full coherent transmission in the codebook (0163, TPMI indexed codeword from precoding matrices).
Claim 12, as analyzed with respect to the limitations as discussed in claim 1. Yu discloses a codebook-based uplink channel transmission method, performed by a network device (0162).
Claim 16, as analyzed with respect to the limitations as discussed in claim 1. Yu discloses a terminal (Claim 11), comprising: a processor (claim 11, processor); and a memory having a computer program stored thereon (claim 11, memory storing programming instructions).
Claim 17, as analyzed with respect to the limitations as discussed in claim 1. Yu discloses a codebook-based uplink channel transmission apparatus, applied to a network device (Fig. 12, network device), comprising: a processor (Fig. 12: 1220); and a memory having a computer program stored thereon (Fig. 12: 1230; 0222, memory with program instructions).
Claim 18, as analyzed with respect to the limitations as discussed in claim 1. Yu discloses a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium, configured to store instructions (0234, computer readable storage medium).
Claim 19 as analyzed with respect to the limitations as discussed in claim 1. Yu discloses a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium (0234, computer readable storage medium).
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.
The factual inquiries for establishing a background for determining obviousness under 35 U.S.C. 103 are summarized as follows:
1. Determining the scope and contents of the prior art.
2. Ascertaining the differences between the prior art and the claims at issue.
3. Resolving the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art.
4. Considering objective evidence present in the application indicating obviousness or nonobviousness.
Claim(s) 5, 6, 11, 13, 14 and 20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Yu in view of US 20230148388 A1 herein Rahman.
Claim 5, Yu discloses the method according to claim 1. Yu may not explicitly disclose wherein the codebook further comprises at least one precoding matrix for an incoherent transmission and at least one precoding matrix for a partial coherent transmission determined according to an antenna correlation classification of the terminal.
Rahman discloses wherein the codebook further comprises at least one precoding matrix for an incoherent transmission and at least one precoding matrix for a partial coherent transmission determined according to an antenna correlation classification of the terminal (0150-0151, UL codebook comprises partial coherent precoding matrices, i.e. partial coherent because the columns of the precoding matrices contain zero and non-zero entries; 0166, non-coherent precoding matrices). 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 Yu to include as taught by Rahman so as to provide efficient uplink operations.
Claim 6, Yu discloses the method according to claim 4. Yu may not explicitly disclose wherein antennas of the terminal are a single-front antenna array, and the antenna array configuration is configured to indicate array arrangement information of the single-front antenna array.
Rahman discloses wherein antennas of the terminal are a single-front antenna array (0115, collocated antenna ports thus belonging to a single antenna panel), and the antenna array configuration is configured to indicate array arrangement information of the single-front antenna array (0115-0116, N1 and N2 antenna ports with same polarization). 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 Yu to include as taught by Rahman so as to provide efficient uplink operations.
Claim 11, Yu discloses the method according to claim 4. Yu may not explicitly disclose wherein generating a precoding matrix set for a full coherent transmission according to the codebook configuration parameters comprises: generating the precoding matrix set for the full coherent transmission based on a constant modulus DFT vector according to the codebook configuration parameters.
Rahman discloses wherein generating a precoding matrix set for a full coherent transmission according to the codebook configuration parameters comprises: generating the precoding matrix set for the full coherent transmission based on a constant modulus DFT vector according to the codebook configuration parameters (0117-0119, Table 11, oversampled DFT vectors, thus constant modulus DFT vector). 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 Yu to include as taught by Rahman so as to provide efficient uplink operations.
Claim 13, Yu in view of Rahman discloses the method according to claim 11, wherein the codebook set is one of the following: the codebook set comprising at least one precoding matrix, wherein each precoding matrix has a same rank; the codebook set comprising at least two precoding matrices, wherein the at least two precoding matrices have at least two ranks; or the codebook set comprising a plurality of precoding matrices, wherein the plurality of precoding matrices have eight ranks (0156-0157).
Claim 14, Yu in view of Rahman disclose the method according to claim 11, wherein the indication information comprises at least one of: a transmission precoding matrix indicator (TPMI) and/or a sounding reference signal resource index (SRI) (0002; 0167).
Claim 20, as analyzed with respect to the limitations as discussed in claim 5.
Claim(s) 7-9 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Yu in view of US 20240162950 A1 herein Mei.
Claim 7, Yu discloses the method according to claim 4. Yu may not explicitly disclose wherein antennas of the terminal are a multi-front antenna array, and the antenna array configuration is configured to indicate array arrangement information of a single-front antenna array obtained from a combination of multiple fronts of the multi-front antenna array.
Mei discloses wherein antennas of the terminal are a multi-front antenna array (Figs. 3A-3D; 0041, multiple ports in one panel, multiple pots in two panels) and the antenna array configuration is configured to indicate array arrangement information of a single-front antenna array obtained from a combination of multiple fronts of the multi-front antenna array (0073, fully coherent codebook is achieved based on the phase of two groups of antenna ports with the same polarized directions). 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 Yu to include multiple paneled antennas as taught by Mei so as to allow user equipment to support more antenna ports without creating a new codebook (0035).
Claim 8, Yu discloses the method according to claim 4. Yu may not explicitly disclose wherein antennas of the terminal are a multi- front antenna array; the antenna array configuration comprises array arrangement information of each single- front antenna array in the multi-front antenna array, wherein the array arrangement information of each single-front antenna array is configured to determine a precoding matrix set corresponding to each single-front antenna array, and determine a codebook of each single-front antenna array from the precoding matrix set corresponding to each single-front antenna array.
Mei discloses wherein antennas of the terminal are a multi- front antenna array (Figs. 3A-3D); the antenna array configuration comprises array arrangement information of each single- front antenna array in the multi-front antenna array (0086, explicit per panel antenna port arrangement), wherein the array arrangement information of each single-front antenna array is configured to determine a precoding matrix set corresponding to each single-front antenna array (0084, codebook of each antenna group (i.e. antenna ports on each panel) can be indicated independently) and determine a codebook of each single-front antenna array from the precoding matrix set corresponding to each single-front antenna array (0073, fully coherent codebook is achieved based on the phase of two groups of antenna ports with the same polarized directions). 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 Yu to include multiple paneled antennas as taught by Mei so as to allow user equipment to support more antenna ports without creating a new codebook (0035).
Claim 9, Yu in view of Mei discloses the method according to claim 8. Yu may not explicitly disclose further comprising: obtaining a compensation merging factor set among a plurality of fronts in the multi-front antenna array; and determining a multi-front antenna array codebook according to the compensation merging factor and the codebook of each single-front antenna array.
Mei discloses obtaining a compensation merging factor set among a plurality of fronts in the multi-front antenna array (0073, phase of two groups of antenna panels); and determining a multi-front antenna array codebook according to the compensation merging factor and the codebook of each single-front antenna array (0089; 0044, codebooks of the two panels is combined into one codebook). 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 Yu to include multiple paneled antennas as taught by Mei so as to allow user equipment to support more antenna ports without creating a new codebook (0035).
Claim(s) 10 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Yu in view of US 20210099214 A1 herein Ren.
Claim 10, Yu discloses the method according to claim 3. Yu discloses wherein the indication information comprises the transmission precoding matrix indicator (TPMI) (0104, transmission of the TPMI) and the sounding reference signal resource index (SRI) (0002, SRI can be transmitted to a terminal). Yu may not explicitly disclose determining a corresponding precoding matrix from the codebook set according to the indication information comprises: determining a transmission rank indication (TRI) of the terminal according to the SRI; and determining the precoding matrix according to the TRI and the TPMI.
Ren discloses determining a corresponding precoding matrix from the codebook set according to the indication information comprises: determining a transmission rank indication (TRI) of the terminal according to the SRI (0117, TRI based on SRI); and determining the precoding matrix according to the TRI and the TPMI (0117, TRI and TPMI determine the precoding matrix based on SRS ports (SRI) and the TRI, TPMI indicates a precoding matrix). 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 Yu to include TRI determination as taught by Ren so as to improve terminal performance at the edge or in bad channel conditions (0004).
Claim(s) 15 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Yu in view of Rahman in view of Ren.
Claim 15, as analyzed with respect to the limitations as discussed in claim 10.
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. US 20230336223 A1 – A method of a UE transmitting a codebook based uplink signal in a wireless communication system, the method comprising: transmitting capability information about UE capability that maintains differences between phase values applied to antenna ports for uplink signal transmission; receiving configuration information for determining a codebook subset related to the uplink signal transmission based on the capability information; receiving DCI for determining a precoding matrix applied to the uplink signal transmission; determining a precoding matrix to be applied for the uplink signal transmission, based on the DCI, from the codebook subset determined based on the configuration information: and transmitting the uplink signal, based on the determined precoding matrix, wherein, based on that the differences between phase values are maintained at some antenna ports, the codebook subset includes at least one specific precoding matrix applying different phase values to the antenna ports included in some or all of some antennas.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Mehmood B. Khan whose telephone number is (571)272-9277. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 9:30 am-6:30 pm.
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/Mehmood B. Khan/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2463
MEHMOOD B. KHAN
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