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. The information disclosure statements (IDSs) submitted on 02/18/2025 and 05/29/2025 are in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
2. 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.
Please note: Examiner has cited particular columns, line numbers, and figures in the references as applied to the claims below for the convenience of the applicant. Although the specified citations are representative of the teaching of the art and are applied to the specific limitations within the individual claim, other passages and figures may apply as well.
Applicants are reminded that MPEP 2141.02 states:
A prior art reference must be considered in its entirety, i.e., as a whole, including portions that would lead away from the claimed invention. W.L. Gore & Associates, Inc. v. Garlock, Inc., 721 F.2d 1540, 220 USPQ 303 (Fed. Cir. 1983), cert. denied, 469 U.S. 851 (1984).
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
3. 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.
4. 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.
5. Claims 16-27 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Hoang et al. (US 20250151010) (hereinafter Hoang) in view of PENG et al. (US 20240345201) (hereinafter PENG).
Regarding claims 16 and 25:
As shown in figures 1-24, Hoang discloses a UE (user equipment) (see UE in figure 1) comprising:
a radio frequency (RF) transceiver (120 in figure 1B); and
a processor (118 in figure 1B) connected to the RF transceiver (120 in figure 1B), wherein the processor (118 in figure 1B) is configured to:
receive configuration information related to a position measurement from a network (see step 2302 in figure 23, par 0357);
measure phase information related to a reference measurement frequency based on the configuration information (see step 2310 in figure 23, par 0357); and
report a measurement result including the phase information (see step 2314 in figure 23, par 0357), wherein the configuration information includes information that configures a frequency band related to the positioning (figures 3-11 show the configuration information includes information that configures a frequency band related to the positioning. See par 0106-0146).
Hoang discloses all of the subject matter as described above except for specifically teaching wherein the reference measurement frequency is a center frequency of the frequency band configured by the configuration information.
However, PENG in the same field of endeavor teaches wherein the reference measurement frequency is a center frequency of the frequency band configured by the configuration information (par 0099, 0176, 0246). Therefore, it would have been obvious to one ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to use phase measurement methodology as taught by PENG to modify the system and method of Hoang in order to measure the reference signal for positioning (par 0099) (See KSR Rationale: Combining prior art elements according to known methods to yield predictable results).
Regarding claim 26:
As shown in figures 1-24, Hoang discloses a method comprising:
transmitting (see step 2302 in figure 23), by a network (see LMF in figure 23), configuration information related to positioning (par 0357);
receiving (see step 2314-2316 in figure 23), by the network (see LMF in figure 23), a measurement result measured by a UE (user equipment) (see WTRU in figure 23) based on the configuration information and a reference measurement frequency (see steps 2302-2316 in figure 23) (par 0357),
wherein the configuration information includes information that configures a frequency band related to the positioning (See par 0106-0146).
Hoang discloses all of the subject matter as described above except for specifically teaching wherein the reference measurement frequency is a center frequency of the frequency band configured by the configuration information.
However, PENG in the same field of endeavor teaches wherein the reference measurement frequency is a center frequency of the frequency band configured by the configuration information (par 0099, 0176, 0246). Therefore, it would have been obvious to one ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to use phase measurement methodology as taught by PENG to modify the system and method of Hoang in order to measure the reference signal for positioning (par 0099) (See KSR Rationale: Combining prior art elements according to known methods to yield predictable results).
Regarding claim 17:
Hoang further discloses wherein the configuration information includes a plurality of measurement frequency offsets for specifying a plurality of measurement frequencies for a CPP (Carrier Phase positioning) (par 0137-0138) wherein the plurality of measurement frequencies are specified the reference measurement frequency and the plurality of measurement frequency offsets indicated based on the configuration information (par 0137-0138, 0142-0144).
Regarding claim 18:
Hoang further discloses wherein the reference measurement frequency is specified based on the starting PRB (Physical Resource Block) of a PRS (Positioning Reference Signal) and a PRS bandwidth included in the configuration information (par 0103, 0107).
Regarding claim 19:
Hoang further discloses wherein the measurement result include the phase information measured for the reference measurement frequency (par 0357).
Regarding claim 20:
Hoang further discloses wherein the reference measurement frequency is determined based on an index located in indexes of REs (resource elements) included in a PRS (Positioning Reference Signal) configuration included in the configuration information (par 0097, 0103-0105, 0135, 0138-0140).
Regarding claim 21:
Hoang further discloses a non-transitory computer-readable medium recording a program code for performing the method according to claim 16 (par 0451, 0456).
Regarding claim 22:
Hoang further discloses wherein, based on the plurality of measurement frequencies that are not included in the active downlink BWP, the measurement result is determined the phase information measured for a predefined measurement frequency other than the plurality of measurement frequencies (par 0103, 0108-0128, 0141-0144).
Regarding claim 23:
Hoang further discloses wherein the predefined measurement frequency is a frequency that is an integer multiple of any one of the plurality of measurement frequencies within the active downlink BWP (par 0103, 0108-0128, 0141-0144) or a frequency that is closest to the plurality of measurement frequencies within the active downlink BWP.
Regarding claim 24:
Hoang further discloses wherein the predefined measurement frequency is the lowest frequency within the active downlink BWP (par 0103, 0108-0128, 0141-0144) or the highest frequency within the active downlink BWP.
Regarding claim 27:
Hoang further discloses wherein the network configures an active downlink BWP (Bandwidth Part) for the UE so as to include the above multiple measurement frequencies (par 0097, 0103-0105, 0135, 0138-0140).
Conclusion
6. The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
BAO et al. (US 20230046045) disclose a method of providing positioning reference signal information includes: transmitting wirelessly, from an apparatus, a positioning reference signal comprising a carrier signal with a carrier phase; and transmitting, from the apparatus, an indication of a reference carrier phase of the positioning reference signal, comprising a phase of the carrier signal of the positioning reference signal at a reference time of transmission of the positioning reference signal.
7. Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to KABIR A TIMORY whose telephone number is (571)270-1674. The examiner can normally be reached Mon-Fri 7:00 AM-3:00 PM.
Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Hannah S Wang can be reached at 571-272-9018. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/KABIR A TIMORY/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2631
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