CTNF 18/880,025 CTNF 88173 DETAILED ACTION Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status 07-03-aia AIA 15-10-aia 1. The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA. 12-151 AIA 26-51 12-51 Status of Claims 2. This communication is responsive to Application No. 18/880,025 filed on December 30, 2024. Claims 12-16, 21, 26-27 and 29-34 have been canceled. Claims 1-11, 17-20, 22-25 and 28 have been amended. Accordingly, claims 1-11, 17-20, 22-25 and 28 are subject to examination. Claim Objections/Suggestions 3. Following claims are objected to because of the following informalities: in claims 1, 3-4 and 24, “whilst” should be replaced with “while”; in claims 2, 5, 20 and 22-24, “user equipment” should be replaced with “a user equipment”; in claim 6, “is one” should be replaced with “are one”; in claim 9, “as well as” should be replaced with “and”; and in claim 28, “estimate the phase difference the phase difference between” should be replaced with “estimate the phase difference between”. Appropriate correction is required. Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112 07-30-02 AIA 4. The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b): (b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention. The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA), second paragraph: The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention. 07-34-01 AIA 5. Claim s 1-11, 17-20, 22-25 and 28 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor, or for pre-AIA the Applicant regards as the invention. Claim 1 recites “transmitting and receiving calibration reference signals” (lines 1-2). This limitation has at least two different interpretations: i) transmitting [a] calibration reference signal and receiving [a] calibration reference signal or ii) transmitting calibration reference signals and receiving calibration reference signals. Hence, renders claim 1 and its dependent claims indefinite. Similar rejection applies to claim 25. In addition, claim 1 recites “method for one or both transmitting and receiving” (line 1), “the method comprising one or both:” (line 4) and “; and” (line 8). When “one” is selected form “one or both”, the coordinator “and” renders claim 1 and its dependent claims indefinite. Similar rejection applies to claims 11, 25 and 28. Claim 3 recites "receiving user data in the first uplink timeslot" in line 5. It is not clear whether said user data is different from or the same as "receiving user data in the first uplink timeslot" as recited in line 7 of claim 1. Claim 7 recites a limitation “ the fourth calibration reference signal and the user data” (line 5). There is insufficient antecedent basis for these limitation in the claim. Similar rejection applies to claim 8. Claim 9 recites limitations “the third calibration reference signal” (lines 7-8) and “the fourth calibration reference signal” (lines 11-12). There is insufficient antecedent basis for these limitation in the claim. In addition, claim 9 recites “user equipment” in lines 4, 8 and 12. It is not clear whether said “user equipment” in lines 8 and 12 is different form or the same as said “[a] user equipment” in line 4. Reason for Allowance 6. Regarding claims 1, 11, 25 and 28, Chen ( US 2021/0014085 A1 ) teaches a method for one or both transmitting and receiving calibration reference signals between access points, APs, in a distributed multiple input multiple output, D-MIMO, network operating in time division duplex, TDD, mode, ( Figure 1: 100 & Paragraph 4: One aspect of this disclosure is a time-division duplex (TDD) multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) system ) the method comprising one or both: transmitting, by a first AP and towards a second AP , a first calibration reference signal in a first uplink timeslot whilst the first AP refrains from receiving user data in the first uplink timeslot when transmitting the first calibration reference signal ( Figure 5C & Paragraph 137: FIG. 5C is a timing diagram illustrating time slots within an uplink time slot during which calibration reference signals can be transmitted according to an embodiment. The uplink time slot 540 is shown as being between a special slot 542 and a downlink slot 544. The uplink time slot 540 can be an uplink subframe, for example. When calibration reference signals are transmitted in an uplink time slot 540, there can be no physical uplink control channel (PUCCH) or physical uplink shared channel (PUSCH) scheduled during the uplink time slot 540. The calibration reference signals can be transmitted and received in an uplink time slot 540 without assigned uplink traffic. As shown in FIG. 5C, calibration reference signals can be transmitted and received during time slots 520 and 522 within the uplink slot 540 ); and receiving, by a third AP and from a fourth AP , a second calibration reference signal in a first downlink timeslot whilst the third AP refrains from transmitting user data in the first downlink timeslot when receiving the second calibration reference signal ( Figure 5D & Paragraph 138: FIG. 5D is a timing diagram illustrating time slots within a downlink time slot during which calibration reference signals can be transmitted according to an embodiment. The downlink time slot 550 is shown as being between an uplink time slot 552 and another downlink slot 554. Alternatively or additionally, a downlink time slot between two other downlink time slots can be used for transmitting calibration reference signals. The downlink time slot 550 can be a downlink subframe, for example. When calibration reference signals are transmitted in a downlink time slot 550, there can be no physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) or physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH) scheduled during the downlink time slot 550. The calibration reference signals can be transmitted and received in a downlink time slot 550 without assigned uplink traffic. As shown in FIG. 5D, calibration reference signals can be transmitted and received during time slots 520 and 522 within the downlink slot 550 ). Wang ( US 2019/022406 A1 ) teaches in Figure 1 calibration and phase synchronization. Zhang ( US 2018/0146506 A1 ) teaches in Figure 1 phase compensation reference signal in D-MIMO. However, the prior art of record fails to disclose transmitting by a first AP and towards a second AP a first calibration reference signal and receiving by a third AP and from a fourth AP a second calibration reference signal. Conclusion 7. Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the Examiner should be directed to SHAWKAT M. ALI whose telephone number is (571) 270-1639. The Examiner can normally be reached on Monday-Thursday 8:30AM-3:30PM ET. 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 AIR at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice. If attempts to reach the Examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the Examiner’s Supervisor, SAM K. AHN can be reached on (571) 272-3044. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300. Information regarding the status of an application may be obtained from the Patent Application Information Retrieval (PAIR) system. Status information for published applications may be obtained from either Private PAIR or Public PAIR. Status information for unpublished applications is available through Private PAIR only. For more information about the PAIR system, see http://pair-direct.uspto.gov. Should you have questions on access to the Private PAIR system, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative or access to the automated information system, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000. /SHAWKAT M ALI/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2633 Application/Control Number: 18/880,025 Page 2 Art Unit: 2633 Application/Control Number: 18/880,025 Page 3 Art Unit: 2633 Application/Control Number: 18/880,025 Page 4 Art Unit: 2633 Application/Control Number: 18/880,025 Page 5 Art Unit: 2633 Application/Control Number: 18/880,025 Page 6 Art Unit: 2633
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