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 .
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
2. 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.
3. This application currently names joint inventors. In considering patentability of the claims the examiner presumes that the subject matter of the various claims was commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the claimed invention(s) absent any evidence to the contrary. Applicant is advised of the obligation under 37 CFR 1.56 to point out the inventor and effective filing dates of each claim that was not commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the later invention in order for the examiner to consider the applicability of 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(2)(C) for any potential 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) prior art against the later invention.
4. Claims 1-7, 9, 10, 12, 14, 16, 17, 20 and 23-25 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over NILSSON et al. (US Pub. No: 2021/0195605 A1) in view of YANG (US Pub. No: 2023/0262506 A1).
Regarding claim 1, NILSSON et al. teach a method for beam management, applied to a transmitting apparatus (see Abstract and Figures 9/12 & 16/Base station), comprising: configuring reference signal resources in at least part of all beam transmission directions to obtain a plurality of target test beams (see Fig.9 and para [0048] wherein in step s902, base station 802 configuring UE 804 with an aperiodic P2 beam sweep, is mentioned and also in step s902, base station 802 transmitting to UE 804 a Radio Resource Control (RRC) message 902 (e.g., RRC Reconfiguration message) that comprises measurement configuration information that configures the UE with a CSI-RS resource set for beam management, is mentioned and also see Fig.12, step s1206 & para [0084] wherein base station 802 transmitting the CSI-RS resources in different TRP TX beams, is mentioned);
transmitting the plurality of target test beams to a receiving apparatus (see para [0054] wherein in step s906, base station 802 transmitting the CSI-RS resources in different TRP TX beams, is mentioned and also see Fig.12, step s1206 & para [0084] wherein base station 802 transmitting the CSI-RS resources in different TRP TX beams, is mentioned);
receiving beam measurement information transmitted by the receiving apparatus, wherein the beam measurement information is obtained by measuring the reference signal resources by the receiving apparatus (see para [0055] wherein the UE/receiving apparatus performing RSRP measurements on the transmitted CSI-RS resources (CSI-RS reference signals) and transmitting to base station 802 a beam report 908 that identifies the best TRP TX beam(s) (e.g., the CSI-RS resource index (CRI) with highest RSRP value) and contains the corresponding RSRP value(s), is mentioned).
NILSSON et al. is silent in teaching the above method for beam management comprising predicting an optimal beam result according to the beam measurement information and transmitting optimal Receiving Mode Information (RMI) to the receiving apparatus according to the optimal beam result, wherein the optimal RMI corresponds to the optimal beam result.
However, YANG teaches a method for beam management (see Abstract and Figures 1 & 4) comprising predicting an optimal beam result according to the beam measurement information (see Fig.4 and para [0184] wherein the second device receiving a first beam measurement report, where the first beam measurement report includes N pieces of first information, is mentioned and see para [0185] wherein inputting the N pieces of first information into an artificial intelligence AI network to obtain/predict beam information, is mentioned and also see para [0165]) and transmitting optimal Receiving Mode Information (RMI) to the receiving apparatus according to the optimal beam result, wherein the optimal RMI corresponds to the optimal beam result (see para [0165] wherein the target object being represented by the first information ( that includes optimal Receiving Mode Information) and being determined according to an indication/transmission of a network device, is mentioned, also see para [0167] wherein the target configuration indicates that the second device obtaining/transmitting beam quality of a sub-band by using the first information (that includes optimal Receiving Mode Information), is mentioned and also see para [0240]).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skills in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the above method of NILSSON et al. to include both predicting an optimal beam result according to the beam measurement information and transmitting optimal Receiving Mode Information (RMI) to the receiving apparatus according to the optimal beam result, wherein the optimal RMI corresponds to the optimal beam result, disclosed by YANG in order to provide an effective mechanism of a wireless device for efficiently providing both optimum beam reporting and determining beam information to other wireless device in wireless communication system.
Regarding claim 2, NILSSON et al. and YANG together teach the method of claim 1.
NILSSON et al. further teach the method of claim 1, wherein the reference signal resources comprise at least one of: Channel State Information Reference Signal (CSI-RS) resources or Synchronization Signal and Physical Broadcast Channel (PBCH) Block (SSB) resources (see para [0020] wherein beam management mainly using aperiodic and/or semi-persistent CSI-RS resources, is mentioned and also see para [0048]).
Regarding claim 3, NILSSON et al. and YANG together teach the method of claim 1.
NILSSON et al. further teach the method of claim 1, wherein the beam measurement information comprises at least one of: index information of the reference signal resources; parameter information of the target test beams or RMI about the reference signal resources (see para[0048] wherein the measurement information may include, among other things, a trigger state information element (IE) (an IE is a data structure containing data and/or a set of one or more other IEs) that contains an associated report IE that contains a pointer (i.e., an index) to a particular CSI-RS resource set contained in a report setting identified by an identifier included in the associated report IE, is mentioned and also see para [0055]).
Regarding claim 4, NILSSON et al. and YANG together teach the method of claim 3.
NILSSON et al. further teach the method of claim 3, wherein in response to an inclusion of the parameter information of the target test beams within the beam measurement information, the parameter information of the target test beams comprises at least one of: Reference Signal Receiving Power (RSRP), Reference Signal Receiving Quality (RSRQ), receiving signals of the reference signal resources; Signal to Noise Ratio (SNR), Signal to Interference plus Noise Ratio (SINR) or Channel State Information (CSI) (see para [0055] wherein the UE performing RSRP measurements on the transmitted CSI-RS resources (CSI-RS reference signals) and transmitting to base station 802 a beam report 908 that identifies the best TRP TX beam(s) (e.g., the CSI-RS resource index (CRI) with highest RSRP value) and containing the corresponding RSRP value(s), is mentioned).
Regarding claim 5, NILSSON et al. and YANG together teach the method of claim 3.
YANG further teach the method of claim 3, wherein in response to an inclusion of the RMI about the reference signal resources within the beam measurement information, the RMI about the reference signal resources comprises at least one of: receiving beam index information corresponding to the plurality of target test beams, absolute receiving beam direction information corresponding to the plurality of target test beams, relative receiving beam direction information corresponding to the plurality of target test beams or receiving beam pattern information corresponding to the plurality of target test beams (see para [0089] wherein the RS identifier being a beam identifier, for example, may be represented by using an index or an identifier of an RS, is mentioned and also the beam quality being as at least one of an L1-RSRP, L1-RSRQ, or an L1-SINR, is mentioned and also see para [0168]) (and the same motivation is maintained as in claim 1).
Regarding claim 6, NILSSON et al. and YANG together teach the method of claim 1.
YANG further teach the method of claim 1, wherein the optimal beam result comprises at least one of: at least one optimal beam pair or at least one beam pair adjacent to the at least one optimal beam pair (see para [0184] wherein the second device receiving a first beam measurement report, where the first beam measurement report includes N pieces of first information, is mentioned and also see paragraphs [0199] & [0207]) (and the same motivation is maintained as in claim 1).
Regarding claim 7, NILSSON et al. and YANG together teach the method of claim 1.
YANG further teach the method of claim 1, wherein transmitting the optimal RMI to the receiving apparatus according to the optimal beam result comprises: configuring a first downlink signal with the optimal RMI according to the optimal beam result and transmitting the optimal RMI to the receiving apparatus through the first downlink signal (see para [0165] wherein the target object being represented by the first information ( that includes optimal Receiving Mode Information) and being determined according to an indication/transmission of a network device, is mentioned, also see paragraphs [0061] & [0167]) (and the same motivation is maintained as in claim 1).
Regarding claim 9, NILSSON et al. and YANG together teach the method of claim 1.
YANG further teach the method of claim 1, wherein in response to an inclusion of the RMI about the reference signal resource within the beam measurement information, receiving the beam measurement information transmitted by the receiving apparatus comprises at least one of: receiving CSI transmitted by the receiving apparatus, wherein the CSI comprises the RMI about the reference signal resources, receiving CSI transmitted by the receiving apparatus, wherein the CSI comprises timestamp information of the reference signal resources, and the timestamp information of the reference signal resource corresponds to the RMI about the reference signal resources, receiving CSI transmitted by the receiving apparatus, wherein the CSI comprises index information of the reference signal resources and the index information of the reference signal resources corresponds to the RMI about the reference signal resources, receiving CSI transmitted by the receiving apparatus, wherein the CSI comprises index information of a resource set where the reference signal resources are located and the index information of the resource set where the reference signal resources are located corresponds to the RMI about the reference signal resources, receiving CSI transmitted by the receiving apparatus, wherein the CSI comprises Transmission Configuration Indicator (TCI) information of the reference signal resources, and the TCI information of the reference signal resources corresponds to the RMI about the reference signal resources, receiving CSI transmitted by the receiving apparatus, wherein the CSI comprises remaining source signals quasi-co-located with the reference signal resources, and the remaining source signals quasi-co-located with the reference signal resources correspond to the RMI about the reference signal resources, receiving CSI transmitted by the receiving apparatus, wherein the CSI comprises Sounding Reference Signal (SRS) resource, and the SRS resource corresponds to the RMI about the reference signal resources or receiving CSI transmitted by the receiving apparatus, wherein the CSI comprises SRS Resource Indicator (SRI) information, and the SRI information corresponds to the RMI about the reference signal resources (see para [0165] wherein the target object being represented by the first information (that includes optimal Receiving Mode Information) and being determined according to an indication/transmission of a network device, is mentioned, also see para [0181]) (and the same motivation is maintained as in claim 1).
Regarding claim 10, NILSSON et al. and YANG together teach the method of claim 1.
NILSSON et al. further teach the method of claim 1, wherein in response to configuring the reference signal sources in part of all the beam transmission directions, configuring reference signal resources in at least part of all beam transmission directions to obtain the plurality of target test beams comprises: obtaining, from all the beam transmission directions, target transmission directions by one of uniform sampling, non-uniform sampling, or random sampling (see para [0007] wherein base station 102 transmitting a burst of reference signals using one narrow beam 207 (e.g., the narrow TRP TX beam selected as a result of the P2 procedure) in aperiodic manner (that includes non-uniform sampling), is mentioned and also see para [0048]) and configuring the reference signal resources in the target transmission directions to obtain the plurality of target test beams (para [0048] wherein in step s902, base station 802 configuring UE 804 with an aperiodic P2 beam sweep, is mentioned).
Regarding claim 12, NILSSON et al. teach a method for beam management, applied to a receiving apparatus (see Abstract and Figures 9/12 & 17/UE), comprising: receiving a plurality of target test beams and Transmission Mode Information (TMI) about reference signal resources transmitted by a transmitting apparatus (see Fig.9 and para [0048] wherein in step s902, base station 802 configuring UE 804 with an aperiodic P2 beam sweep, is mentioned and also in step s902, base station 802 transmitting to UE 804 a Radio Resource Control (RRC) message 902 (e.g., RRC Reconfiguration message) that comprises measurement configuration information that configures the UE with a CSI-RS resource set for beam management, is mentioned, also see para [0054] wherein in step s906, base station 802 transmitting the CSI-RS resources in different TRP TX beams to UE, is mentioned and also see Fig.12, step s1206 & para [0084] wherein base station 802/transmitting apparatus transmitting the CSI-RS resources in different TRP TX beams to be received by UE, is mentioned), wherein the plurality of target test beams are obtained by configuring the reference signal resources in at least part of all beam transmission directions by the transmitting apparatus (see Fig.9 and para [0048] wherein in step s902, base station 802 configuring UE 804 with an aperiodic P2 beam sweep, is mentioned and also in step s902, base station 802 transmitting to UE 804 a Radio Resource Control (RRC) message 902 (e.g., RRC Reconfiguration message) that comprises measurement configuration information that configures the UE with a CSI-RS resource set for beam management, is mentioned and also see Fig.12, step s1206 & para [0084]);
measuring, according to the TMI about the reference signal resources, the reference signal resources to obtain beam measurement information (see para [0055] wherein the UE/receiving apparatus performing RSRP measurements on the transmitted CSI-RS resources (CSI-RS reference signals) and transmitting to base station 802 a beam report 908 that identifies the best TRP TX beam(s) (e.g., the CSI-RS resource index (CRI) with highest RSRP value) and contains the corresponding RSRP value(s), is mentioned).
NILSSON et al. is silent in teaching the above method for beam management comprising predicting an optimal beam result according to the beam measurement information and transmitting optimal parameter information to the transmitting apparatus according to the optimal beam result, wherein the optimal parameter information corresponds to the optimal beam result.
However, YANG teaches a method for beam management (see Abstract and Figure 1/terminal & Fig.3) comprising predicting an optimal beam result according to the beam measurement information (see Fig.3, steps 301 & 302 and paragraphs [0079] wherein after receiving the beam measurement configuration, the terminal may perform beam measurement or the beam measurement result based on the corresponding reference signal according to the beam measurement configuration, is mentioned and also see para [0081] wherein inputting the beam measurement result into an artificial intelligence AI network to obtain N pieces of first information, where N is a positive integer, is mentioned and also see paragraph [0082] wherein the beam measurement result may be used as an input of the AI network to obtain the N pieces of first information, is mentioned and see paragraphs [0103] & [0110]) and transmitting optimal parameter information to the transmitting apparatus according to the optimal beam result, wherein the optimal parameter information corresponds to the optimal beam result (see para [0084] wherein UE sending a first beam measurement report to a second device/BS, where the first beam measurement report includes the N pieces of first information, and the first information is used to determine beam information, is mentioned).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skills in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the above method of NILSSON et al. to include both predicting an optimal beam result according to the beam measurement information and transmitting optimal parameter information to the transmitting apparatus according to the optimal beam result, wherein the optimal parameter information corresponds to the optimal beam result, disclosed by YANG in order to provide an effective mechanism of a wireless device for efficiently providing both optimum beam reporting and determining beam information to other wireless device in wireless communication system.
Regarding claim 14, NILSSON et al. and YANG together teach the method of claim 12.
NILSSON et al. further teach the method of claim 12, wherein the TMI about the reference signal resources comprises at least one of: transmitting beam index information corresponding to the plurality of target test beams, absolute transmitting beam direction information corresponding to the plurality of target test beams, relative transmitting beam direction information corresponding to the plurality of target test beams or transmitting beam pattern information corresponding to the plurality of target test beams (see para [0061] wherein UE 804 uses a filter function and determines a filtered RSRP value for respective TRP TX beam, determines which TRP beam that has the highest filtered RSRP value and reports back the beam index (CRI) to the TRP together with the filtered RSRP value for that TRP beam, is mentioned).
Regarding claim 16, NILSSON et al. and YANG together teach the method of claim 12.
NILSSON et al. further teach the method of claim 12, wherein the optimal parameter information comprises at least one of: index information of a target signal resource corresponding to the optimal beam result, parameter information of the optimal beam result or TMI about the target signal resource (see para[0048] wherein the measurement information may include, among other things, a trigger state information element (IE) (an IE is a data structure containing data and/or a set of one or more other IEs) that contains an associated report IE that contains a pointer (i.e., an index) to a particular CSI-RS resource set contained in a report setting identified by an identifier included in the associated report IE, is mentioned and also see para [0055]).
Regarding claim 17, NILSSON et al. and YANG together teach the method of 16.
NILSSON et al. further teach the method of claim 16, wherein in response to an inclusion of the parameter information of the optimal beam result within the optimal parameter information, the parameter information of the optimal beam result comprises at least one of: Reference Signal Receiving Power (RSRP), Reference Signal Receiving Quality (RSRQ); receiving signals of the reference signal resources; Signal to Noise Ratio (SNR), Signal to Interference plus Noise Ratio (SINR) or Channel State Information (CSI) (see para [0055] wherein the UE performing RSRP measurements on the transmitted CSI-RS resources (CSI-RS reference signals) and transmitting to base station 802 a beam report 908 that identifies the best TRP TX beam(s) (e.g., the CSI-RS resource index (CRI) with highest RSRP value) and containing the corresponding RSRP value(s), is mentioned).
Regarding claim 20, NILSSON et al. and YANG together teach the method of claim 20.
NILSSON et al. further teach the method of claim 12, wherein receiving the TMI about the reference signal resources transmitted by the transmitting apparatus comprises: receiving the TMI about the reference signal resources transmitted by the transmitting apparatus through a second downlink signal, wherein the second downlink signal is configured with the TMI about the reference signal resources (see para [0048] wherein base station 802 configuring UE 804 with an aperiodic P2 beam sweep, is mentioned and also in step s902, base station 802 transmitting to UE 804 a Radio Resource Control (RRC) message 902 (e.g., RRC Reconfiguration message) that comprises measurement configuration information that configures the UE with a CSI-RS resource set for beam management, is mentioned, also see para [0054]).
Regarding claim 23, NILSSON et al. teach a base station (see Abstract and Figures 9/12 & 16/Base station), comprising: at least one processor (see Fig. 16, block 1602 and para [0125]); and at least one memory configured to store at least one program (see Fig. 16,block 1608 and para [0125]); wherein at least one program, when executed by the at least one processor, causes the at least one processor to perform a method for beam management, applied to the base station (see para [0125]), comprising: configuring reference signal resources in at least part of all beam transmission directions to obtain a plurality of target test beams (see Fig.9 and para [0048] wherein in step s902, base station 802 configuring UE 804 with an aperiodic P2 beam sweep, is mentioned and also in step s902, base station 802 transmitting to UE 804 a Radio Resource Control (RRC) message 902 (e.g., RRC Reconfiguration message) that comprises measurement configuration information that configures the UE with a CSI-RS resource set for beam management, is mentioned and also see Fig.12, step s1206 & para [0084] wherein base station 802 transmitting the CSI-RS resources in different TRP TX beams, is mentioned);
transmitting the plurality of target test beams to a receiving apparatus (see para [0054] wherein in step s906, base station 802 transmitting the CSI-RS resources in different TRP TX beams, is mentioned and also see Fig.12, step s1206 & para [0084] wherein base station 802 transmitting the CSI-RS resources in different TRP TX beams, is mentioned);
receiving beam measurement information transmitted by the receiving apparatus, wherein the beam measurement information is obtained by measuring the reference signal resources by the receiving apparatus (see para [0055] wherein the UE/receiving apparatus performing RSRP measurements on the transmitted CSI-RS resources (CSI-RS reference signals) and transmitting to base station 802 a beam report 908 that identifies the best TRP TX beam(s) (e.g., the CSI-RS resource index (CRI) with highest RSRP value) and contains the corresponding RSRP value(s), is mentioned).
NILSSON et al. is silent in teaching the above base station comprising predicting an optimal beam result according to the beam measurement information and transmitting optimal Receiving Mode Information (RMI) to the receiving apparatus according to the optimal beam result, wherein the optimal RMI corresponds to the optimal beam result.
However, YANG teaches a base station (see Abstract and Figures 1 & 4) comprising predicting an optimal beam result according to the beam measurement information (see Fig.4 and para [0184] wherein the second device receiving a first beam measurement report, where the first beam measurement report includes N pieces of first information, is mentioned and see para [0185] wherein inputting the N pieces of first information into an artificial intelligence AI network to obtain/predict beam information, is mentioned and also see para [0165]) and transmitting optimal Receiving Mode Information (RMI) to the receiving apparatus according to the optimal beam result, wherein the optimal RMI corresponds to the optimal beam result (see para [0165] wherein the target object being represented by the first information ( that includes optimal Receiving Mode Information) and being determined according to an indication/transmission of a network device, is mentioned, also see para [0167] wherein the target configuration indicates that the second device obtaining/transmitting beam quality of a sub-band by using the first information (that includes optimal Receiving Mode Information), is mentioned and also see para [0240]).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skills in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the above base station of NILSSON et al. to include both predicting an optimal beam result according to the beam measurement information and transmitting optimal Receiving Mode Information (RMI) to the receiving apparatus according to the optimal beam result, wherein the optimal RMI corresponds to the optimal beam result, disclosed by YANG in order to provide an effective mechanism of a wireless device for efficiently providing both optimum beam reporting and determining beam information to other wireless device in wireless communication system.
Regarding claim 24, NILSSON et al. teach a user apparatus (see Abstract and Figures 9/12 & 17/UE), comprising: at least one processor (see Fig.17, block 1702 and para [0126]); and at least one memory configured to store at least one program (see Fig.17, block 1708 and para [0126]); wherein the at least one program, when executed by the at least one processor, causes the at least one processor (see para [0126]) to perform the method of a claim 12 (see the above combined teaching of NILSSON et al. and YANG of claim 12).
Regarding claim 25, NILSSON et al. teach a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium, storing a processor-executable program (see Abstract and Figures 9/12 & 16/Base station, block 1608 and para [0125]) which, when executed by a processor, causes the processor to perform (see para [0125]) the method of claim 1 (see the above combined teaching of NILSSON et al. and YANG of claim 1).
Allowable Subject Matter
5. Claims 8, 11 and 21 are objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
Conclusion
6. The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Zheng et al. (US Pub. No: 2024/0063883 A1) disclose mechanisms relating to a terminal configured to receive first information transmitted via a plurality of first beams in wireless communication system.
KIM (US Pub. No: 2021/0352499 A1) disclose mechanisms relating to a beam management technique for ensuring terminal mobility in wireless communication system.
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/SRINIVASA R REDDIVALAM/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2477 10/03/2026