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 § 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.
Claims 1-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Rahman et al. (US 20210075487 A1) in view of Huang et al. (US 20230071931 A1)
Regarding claims 1, 8 and 15 Rahman discloses:
calculating a respective priority for each of a plurality of non-zero entries of a precoding matrix indicator (PMI), one or more of respective layer indices, spatial basis indices, and frequency basis indices associated with the respective non-zero entries of the PMI; (Figure 17, paragraph [0349], “the UE determines priority values for the sub-components of the some of the PMI components.” And paragraph [0358], “a mapping order of the bit-widths of the PMI components in uplink control information (UCI) that carries the CSI report is as follows:… are mapped from left to right, where: left and right correspond to most and least significant bits, respectively, (i.sub.1,1, i.sub.1,2) indicates L spatial domain (SD) basis vectors, (i.sub.1,5, i.sub.2,4,l) indicates M FD basis vectors for layer l, i.sub.1,8,l indicates an index (i, m) of the strongest coefficient for layer l, i.sub.2,3,l indicates a reference amplitude for layer l, i.sub.1,7,l comprises 2LM sub-components, each indicating an index (i, m) of a non-zero coefficient for layer l…” Figure 17 discloses priority associated with each non-zero coefficient entry of PMI.)
and providing channel station information (CSI) comprising the PMI to a base station, wherein providing the CSI to the base station comprises omitting entries of the PMI with priorities lower than a predetermined threshold. (Figure 17 and paragraph [0080], “UL signals can include data signals conveying data information, control signals conveying UL control information (UCI), and UL RS…A UE transmits SRS to provide an eNodeB with an UL CSI.” And paragraph [0350], “the UE partitions the second CSI part into Group 0, Group 1, and Group 2 such that the sub-components of the some of the plurality of PMI components are divided into Group 1 and Group 2 based on their determined priority values.” And paragraph [0351], “the UE transmits, over an uplink (UL) channel, the first CSI part and Group 0 or (Group 0, Group 1) or (Group 0, Group 1, Group 2) of the second CSI part based on a resource allocation for the CSI report.” The UE provides CSI that comprising a PMI resulting from omitted entries determined by priority. There also must be a threshold in which to determine this priority.)
Rahman does not disclose:
wherein the PMI is to be provided to a base station for a multi-transmission reception point (multi-TRP) coherent joint transmission (CJT), wherein the respective priorities are determined based at least in part on respective transmission reception point (TRP) indices associated with respective non-zero entries of the PMI and
Huang discloses:
wherein the PMI is to be provided to a base station for a multi-transmission reception point (multi-TRP) coherent joint transmission (CJT), wherein the respective priorities are determined based at least in part on respective transmission reception point (TRP) indices associated with respective non-zero entries of the PMI (Figure 5 and paragraph [0094], “the base station 502 and the UE 504 are operating in a multiple-TRP communication mode in which the base station 502 is connected to two or more TRPs and messages may be communicated between the base station 502 and the UE 504 using one or more of the TRPs.” And paragraph [0095], “the TRPs 506a, 506b may correspond to TRPs that facilitate coherent joint transmissions” and paragraph [0120], “ for each TRP (or TRP group), the PMI may be divided and grouped, and the respective groups of PMI information may be prioritized. For example, the PMI may correspond to PMI with frequency-compression or may correspond to PMI without frequency-compression. For PMI with frequency-compression, the PMI information may include wideband PMI information, sub-band PMI information for even sub-bands, or sub-band PMI information for odd sub-bands. For PMI without frequency-compression, the PMI information may include spatial-domain basis information, higher-priority coefficients and frequency-domain basis information, or lower-priority coefficients and frequency-domain basis information.” And paragraphs [0123-0125] discloses prioritization of each PMI group for each TRP indices.)
Therefore it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified Rahman’s PMI CSI reporting with Huang’s multiple-TRP CJT. One would have been motivated to do this to improve the spatial efficiency and received signal strength.
Regarding claims 2, 9 and 16 Rahman discloses:
wherein the plurality of non-zero entries of the PMI comprise entries of a W2 matrix of the PMI, wherein a first half of the plurality of non-zero entries of the PMI with priorities lower than a second half of the plurality of non-zero entries of the PMI are classified as channel state information (CSI) part 2 group 2; and wherein the second half of the plurality of non-zero entries of the PMI are classified as CSI part 2 group 1. (Figure 17 and paragraphs [0348-0358]; Paragraph [0348], “the UE determines the CSI report comprising a first CSI part and a second CSI part, the second CSI part including a precoding matrix indicator (PMI)” and “Paragraph [0350], “the UE partitions the second CSI part into Group 0, Group 1, and Group 2 such that the sub-components of the some of the plurality of PMI components are divided into Group 1 and Group 2 based on their determined priority values.” Paragraph [0355], “the K.sub.l.sup.NZ non-zero coefficients correspond to non-zero coefficients of a 2L×M coefficient matrix C.sub.l comprising 2L rows and M columns” and paragraph [0357], “based on the determined priority values of the K.sup.NZ non-zero coefficients…sub-components of {i.sub.2,4,l: l=1, . . . , v} having a lower priority are included in Group 2”. These paragraphs disclose transmission of CSI part 2 based on priority determined for each non-zero entry of the PMI. The C.sub.I matrix being a W2 matric whose entries have a determined priority classified as CSI part 2 group 0-2.)
Regarding claims 3, 10 and 17 Rahman discloses:
(NOTE: claim 17 is a combination of claims 3 & 4 and 10 & 11 and thus its portion will be addressed alongside the respective claims.)
wherein the plurality of non-zero entries of the PMI comprise entries of a W2 matrix of the PMI, (Paragraph [0355], “the some of the PMI components indicate information about a total of K.sup.NZ non-zero coefficients across v layers… the K.sub.l.sup.NZ non-zero coefficients correspond to non-zero coefficients of a 2L×M coefficient matrix C.sub.l comprising 2L rows and M columns” C.sub.I being a W2 matrix.)
Rahman does not disclose:
wherein the CSI further comprises a plurality of linear combination coefficients for a plurality of TRPs of the multi-TRP CJT, wherein the method further comprises: classifying the linear combination coefficients for the plurality of TRPs as higher priority than the entries of the W2 matrix of the PMI.
Huang discloses:
wherein the CSI further comprises a plurality of linear combination coefficients for a plurality of TRPs of the multi-TRP CJT, (paragraph [0092], “the information regarding the size may include the quantity of TRPs (or TRP groups) for which sets of CQI values are included and/or the total number of non-zero coefficients in PMI for each of the TRPs (or TRP groups). In some examples, the primary CSI report message may include information regarding the quantity of secondary CSI report messages.”)
wherein the method further comprises: classifying the linear combination coefficients for the plurality of TRPs as higher priority than the entries of the W2 matrix of the PMI. (Paragraph [0120], “for each TRP (or TRP group), the PMI may be divided and grouped, and the respective groups of PMI information may be prioritized… For PMI without frequency-compression, the PMI information may include spatial-domain basis information, higher-priority coefficients and frequency-domain basis information, or lower-priority coefficients and frequency-domain basis information.” And paragraph [0117], “the UE 504 may group and prioritize the CSI information so that high priority information is retained and transmitted… and so that low priority information may be dropped” Huang discloses the prioritization of multiple TRP information such as the coefficients over other related information in the PMI. And paragraphs [0122-0125] further goes into different priorities of the TRP group’s PMI over other information for the CSI report which would include other matrix entries.)
Therefore it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to have modified Rahman’s NZ PMI W2 entries with Huang’s multiple-trp CJT prioritization. One would have been motivated for efficient use of space for CSI reporting.
Regarding claims 4, 11 and 17 Rahman does not disclose:
wherein the linear combination coefficients are classified as channel state information (CSI) part 1 or CSI part 2 group 0.
Huang discloses:
wherein the linear combination coefficients are classified as channel state information (CSI) part 1 or CSI part 2 group 0. (Paragraph [0092], “when the UE determines that the UE is unable (or incapable) of transmitting all of the CSI information in a single CSI report message (e.g., determines to divide the CSI information into a primary part and a secondary part)… the primary part of the CSI information may also include information regarding the size of the secondary part of the CSI information. For example, the information regarding the size may include the quantity of TRPs (or TRP groups) for which sets of CQI values are included and/or the total number of non-zero coefficients in PMI for each of the TRPs (or TRP groups).” Primary part (CSI part 1) has the coefficients.)
Therefore it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to have modified Rahman’s NZ PMI with Huang’s multiple-trp coefficients in PMI. One would have been motivated to do this to improve the throughput and spectral efficiency.
Regarding claims 5, 12 and 18 Rahman does not disclose:
wherein in calculating the respective priorities for each of the plurality of non-zero entries of the PMI, one or more of the layer indices, the spatial basis indices, and the frequency basis indices are granted a higher consideration than the TRP indices.
Huang discloses:
wherein in calculating the respective priorities for each of the plurality of non-zero entries of the PMI, one or more of the layer indices, the spatial basis indices, and the frequency basis indices are granted a higher consideration than the TRP indices. (Figure 5, Paragraph [0119], “It may be beneficial to prioritize the information included in the secondary part of the CSI information if, for example, the UE 504 determines that the available uplink resources are insufficient to transmit all of the information included in the secondary part of the CSI information. In some such examples, the UE 504 may group and prioritize the information included in the secondary part of the CSI information so that relatively lower priority information may be dropped (or discarded).” And paragraph [0121], “the UE 504 may divide and group the PMI information into three groups. For example, a first grouping (e.g., a PMI group zero) may include wideband PMI information of PMI without frequency-compression or spatial-domain basis information of PMI with frequency-compression. A second grouping (e.g., a PMI group one) may include sub-band PMI information for even sub-bands of PMI without frequency-compression or higher-priority coefficients and frequency-domain basis information of PMI without frequency-compression. A third grouping (e.g., a PMI group two) may include sub-band PMI information for odd sub-bands of PMI without frequency-compression or lower-priority coefficients and frequency-domain basis information.” And paragraph [0125], “the PMI group zero of each TRP may have the highest priority, followed by the remaining PMI groups of a first TRP…” As available UL resources are insufficient prioritizing the NZ entries of the PMI (spatial and frequency basis) takes precedence over which TRP it belongs in. Each entry for PMI is considered higher as it is directly used for prioritization. )
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to have modified the teachings of Rahman’s NZ PMI with Huang’s multiple-TRP PMI prioritization. One would have been motivated to do this to improve the throughput and spectral efficiency in case “available uplink resources are insufficient” (Huang [0119]).
Regarding claims 6, 13 and 19 Rahman discloses:
wherein providing the CSI to the base station further comprises omitting null entries of the PMI. (Figure 12, paragraph [0120], “CQI, RI, and (N.sub.0,1, N.sub.0,2) are multiplexed and encoded together in part 1, where N.sub.0,1 and N.sub.0,2 respectively indicate the number of reported WB amplitudes that are non-zero for layer 1 and layer 2 respectively” and paragraph [0123], “ Based on the value of the reported (N.sub.0,1, N.sub.0,2) in part 1, the CSI reporting payload (bits) for part 2 is determined. In particular, the components of the second PMI i.sub.2 are reported only for the coefficients whose corresponding reported WB amplitudes are non-zero.” Paragraphs of figure 12 [0119-0123] discloses transmission of CSI by reporting the coefficients of the PMI and having non-zero amplitude thus omitting the null entries.
Regarding claims 7, 14 and 20 Rahman discloses:
wherein the predetermined threshold is determined by both the UE and the base station based on an available uplink control information (UCI) payload that is carriable by a physical uplink shared channel (PUSCH) or physical uplink control channel (PUCCH). (Paragraph [0123], “Based on the value of the reported (N.sub.0,1, N.sub.0,2) in part 1, the CSI reporting payload (bits) for part 2 is determined. In particular, the components of the second PMI i.sub.2 are reported only for the coefficients whose corresponding reported WB amplitudes are non-zero.” And paragraph [0350], “the UE partitions the second CSI part into Group 0, Group 1, and Group 2 such that the sub-components of the some of the plurality of PMI components are divided into Group 1 and Group 2 based on their determined priority values.” And paragraph [0351], “the UE transmits, over an uplink (UL) channel, the first CSI part and Group 0 or (Group 0, Group 1) or (Group 0, Group 1, Group 2) of the second CSI part based on a resource allocation for the CSI report.” The UE partitions the second CSI part based on the priority value (threshold) and resource allocated (available payload) and transmit over an UL channel (PUSCH/PUCCH).)
Conclusion
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/NAM P. CAO/Examiner, Art Unit 2479 /JAE Y LEE/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2479
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