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 .
Status of the claims
Claims 1 – 35 were originally filed in the application.
With preliminary amendment filed on October 30, 2024, Applicant have:
Amended claims 5, 7, 8, 10, 11, 23, 24, 31, and 32.
Cancelled claims 4, 9, 12 – 16, 26 – 30, and 33 – 35.
Claims 1 – 3, 5 – 8, 10, 11, 17 – 25, 31, and 32 are pending in the application.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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 (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) 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.
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.
Claim(s) 1 – 3, 5, 17 – 19, 31, and 32 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Rahman et al (US 2022/0329303) in view of Grobmann et al (US 2021/0143885).
Regarding claim 1, Rahman et al teach a method for reporting channel status information (CSI) (see figure 23), performed by a terminal, comprising: receiving downlink pilot signals transmitted by a network device at T consecutive time points (see paragraph 0005 “a CSI reference signal (CSI-RS) burst comprising B>1 time instances of CSI-RS transmission, … comprising N.sub.ST consecutive time instances” and paragraph 0178 “ UE configured to receive a burst of non-zero power (NZP) CSI-RS resource(s)” and figure 13 and 24); estimating downlink channel information at the T consecutive time points according to the downlink pilot signals at the T consecutive time points (see paragraph 0182 “UE receives the CSI-RS burst, estimates the B instances of the DL channel measurements, and uses the channel estimates ); determining CSI corresponding to the T consecutive time points according to the downlink channel information at the T consecutive time points (see paragraph 0182, 0183, figure 23, component 2306); and reporting the CSI to the network device (see figure 23, component 2308 “transmitting CSI report”); wherein, the CSI is used by the network device to calculate a precoding matrix for downlink data transmission at a time point t (see figure 23, implicitly teaches), wherein the time point t is after the T consecutive time points, and T is a positive integer (implicitly teaches since the CSI feedback is after the CSI burst is received, the downlink data is precoded after the T consecutive time points). Rahman et al does not expressly disclose using the CSI feedback to calculate the precoding matrix. However in analogous art, Grobmann et al teach using the CSI report to determine the precoding matrix (see figure 4, component 262 “multi-user precoder matrix construction” performed by the base station). Therefore, it would have been obvious to an ordinary skilled in the art at the time the invention was filed to use CSI to determine the precoding matrix. The motivation or suggestion to do so is to achieve higher spectral efficiency, better beamforming, improved data rates, and enhanced system capacity for communication system.
Regarding claim 2, which inherits the limitations of claim 1, Rahman et al in view of Grobmann et al further teach wherein the CSI comprises at least one of: spatial domain beam component indication information (see Rahman et al paragraph 0105 SD basis); frequency domain delay component indication information (see Rahman et al paragraph 0105 FD basis); time domain Doppler component indication information (see Rahman et al paragraph 0005 TD and DD components paragraph 0108); or combination coefficient indication information (see Rahman et al paragraph 0142, linear combination coefficients”); wherein, the spatial domain beam component indication information is used to indicate L spatial domain beam components selected by the terminal, the frequency domain delay component indication information is used to indicate M.sub.v frequency domain delay components selected by the terminal, the time domain Doppler component indication information is used to indicate K time domain Doppler components selected by the terminal, and the combination coefficient indication information is used to indicate a combination coefficient determined by the terminal, wherein each of parameters L, M.sub.v and K is a positive integer (see Rahman et al paragraphs 0141 - 150).
Regarding claim 3, which inherits the limitations of claim 1, Rahman et al in view of Grobmann et al further teach , wherein the CSI comprises at least one of: spatial domain beam component indication information (see Rahman et al paragraph 0105 SD basis); frequency domain delay component indication information (see Rahman et al paragraph 0105 FD basis); or combination coefficient indication information (see Rahman et al paragraph 0142, linear combination coefficients”); wherein, the spatial domain beam component indication information is used to indicate L spatial domain beam components selected by the terminal, the frequency domain delay component indication information is used to indicate M.sub.v frequency domain delay components selected by the terminal, and the combination coefficient indication information is used to indicate T groups of combination coefficients corresponding to the T consecutive time points determined by the terminal, wherein information on non-zero coefficient positions in matrices of the T groups of combination coefficients are the same, and the parameter L and the parameter M.sub.v are positive integers (see Rahman et al paragraphs 0141 - 150).
Regarding claim 5, which inherits the limitations of claim 2, Rahman et al in view of Grobmann et al further teach further comprising: in a case where the terminal determines the parameter K according to the downlink channel information, reporting the parameter K determined by the terminal to the network device (see Rahman et al paragraph 0183 and 237 0244).
Regarding claim 17, Rahman et al teach a method for determining a precoding matrix, performed by a network device (see figure 24), comprising: transmitting downlink pilot signals to a terminal at T consecutive time points (see figure 24, component 2406 “transmitting CSI_RS burst” see paragraph 0005 “a CSI reference signal (CSI-RS) burst comprising B>1 time instances of CSI-RS transmission, … comprising N.sub.ST consecutive time instances”) ; receiving CSI corresponding to the T consecutive time points reported by the terminal (see figure 24, Receiving CSI report); and calculating a precoding matrix for downlink data transmission at a time point t according to the CSI; wherein the CSI is determined by the terminal according to the downlink pilot signals, the time point t is after the T consecutive time points, and T is a positive integer (implicitly teaches since the CSI feedback is after the CSI burst is received, the downlink data is precoded after the T consecutive time points). Rahman et al does not expressly disclose using the CSI feedback to calculate the precoding matrix. However in analogous art, Grobmann et al teach using the CSI report to determine the precoding matrix (see figure 4, component 262 “multi-user precoder matrix construction” performed by the base station). Therefore, it would have been obvious to an ordinary skilled in the art at the time the invention was filed to use CSI to determine the precoding matrix. The motivation or suggestion to do so is to achieve higher spectral efficiency, better beamforming, improved data rates, and enhanced system capacity for communication system.
Regarding claim 18, which inherits the limitations of claim 17, Rahman et al in view of Grobmann et al further teach wherein the CSI comprises at least one of: spatial domain beam component indication information (see Rahman et al paragraph 0105 SD basis); frequency domain delay component indication information (see Rahman et al paragraph 0105 FD basis); time domain Doppler component indication information (see Rahman et al paragraph 0005 TD and DD components paragraph 0108); or combination coefficient indication information (see Rahman et al paragraph 0142, linear combination coefficients”); wherein, the spatial domain beam component indication information is used to indicate L spatial domain beam components selected by the terminal, the frequency domain delay component indication information is used to indicate M.sub.v frequency domain delay components selected by the terminal, the time domain Doppler component indication information is used to indicate K time domain Doppler components selected by the terminal, and the combination coefficient indication information is used to indicate a combination coefficient determined by the terminal, wherein each of parameters L, M.sub.v and K is a positive integer (see Rahman et al paragraphs 0141 - .150).
Regarding claim 19, which inherits the limitations of claim 17, Rahman et al in view of Grobmann et al further teach , wherein the CSI comprises at least one of: spatial domain beam component indication information (see Rahman et al paragraph 0105 SD basis); frequency domain delay component indication information (see Rahman et al paragraph 0105 FD basis); or combination coefficient indication information (see Rahman et al paragraph 0142, linear combination coefficients”); wherein, the spatial domain beam component indication information is used to indicate L spatial domain beam components selected by the terminal, the frequency domain delay component indication information is used to indicate M.sub.v frequency domain delay components selected by the terminal, and the combination coefficient indication information is used to indicate T groups of combination coefficients corresponding to the T consecutive time points determined by the terminal, wherein information on non-zero coefficient positions in matrices of the T groups of combination coefficients are the same, and the parameter L and the parameter M.sub.v are positive integers (see Rahman et al paragraphs 0141 - .150).
Regarding claim 31, Rahman et al teach a terminal (see figure 3), wherein, comprising: a processor (see figure 3, component 340); a transceiver coupled to the processor (see figure 3, component 305 “RF Transceiver”); a memory for storing executable instructions for the processor (see figure 3, component 360 “Memory”); wherein the processor is configured to: receive downlink pilot signals transmitted by a network device at T consecutive time points (see paragraph 0005 “a CSI reference signal (CSI-RS) burst comprising B>1 time instances of CSI-RS transmission, … comprising N.sub.ST consecutive time instances” and paragraph 0178 “ UE configured to receive a burst of non-zero power (NZP) CSI-RS resource(s)” and figure 13 and 24); estimate downlink channel information at the T consecutive time points according to the downlink pilot signals at the T consecutive time points (see paragraph 0182 “UE receives the CSI-RS burst, estimates the B instances of the DL channel measurements, and uses the channel estimates ); determine CSI corresponding to the T consecutive time points according to the downlink channel information at the T consecutive time points (see paragraph 0182, 0183, figure 23, component 2306); and reporting the CSI to the network device (see figure 23, component 2308 “transmitting CSI report”); wherein, the CSI is used by the network device to calculate a precoding matrix for downlink data transmission at a time point t (see figure 23, implicitly teaches ), wherein the time point t is after the T consecutive time points, and T is a positive integer (implicitly teaches since the CSI feedback is after the CSI burst is received, the downlink data is precoded after the T consecutive time points). Rahman et al does not expressly disclose using the CSI feedback to calculate the precoding matrix. However in analogous art, Grobmann et al teach using the CSI report to determine the precoding matrix (see figure 4, component 262 “multi-user precoder matrix construction” performed by the base station). Therefore, it would have been obvious to an ordinary skilled in the art at the time the invention was filed to use CSI to determine the precoding matrix. The motivation or suggestion to do so is to achieve higher spectral efficiency, better beamforming, improved data rates, and enhanced system capacity for communication system.
Regarding claim 32, Rahman et al teach a network device (see figure 2), comprising: a processor(see figure 2, component 225 “processor”); a transceiver coupled to the processor (see figure 2, component 205a – 205n “RF transceiver”); a memory for storing executable instructions for the processor (see figure 2, component 230 “memory”); wherein the processor is configured to load and execute the executable instructions to perform the method for determining a precoding matrix according to claim 17 ( the claimed network device including the features corresponds to subject matter mentioned above in the rejection of claim 1 is applicable hereto).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 6 – 8, 10, 11, and 20 – 25 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
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JAISON . JOSEPH
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 2633
/JAISON JOSEPH/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2633