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 .
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statements (IDS) submitted on 01/29/2026 has been placed in record and considered by the examiner.
NOTICE for all US Patent Applications filed on or after March 16, 2013
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 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.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
The following is a quotation of the appropriate paragraphs of pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 that form the basis for the rejections under this section made in this Office action:
A person shall be entitled to a patent unless -
(a)(1) the claimed invention was patented, described in a printed publication, or in public use, on sale or otherwise available to the public before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claims 1-5, 7-11, 13-17 and 19-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102 (a)(1) as anticipated by Ren et al. (EP 3584975 A1, of IDS, hereinafter ‘REN’).
Regarding claim 1, REN teaches a demodulation reference signal (DMRS) port information indication method (
Fig. 6, [0155] FIG. 6 shows a DMRS transmission method provided in this application), comprising:
receiving, by a terminal (Fig. 6 Receive end,
[0162] If the technical solution is applied to a downlink transmission scenario, the transmit end may be a base station, and the receive end may be a terminal.), target indication information (
Fig. 6 S103,
[0156] A transmit end determines, from a plurality of groups of demodulation reference signal DMRS configuration information, DMRS configuration information corresponding to a current DMRS transmission scheme, and obtains DMRS indication information based on the DMRS configuration information, where each group of DMRS configuration information includes a plurality of pieces of DMRS configuration information.
[0158] S102. The transmit end sends the DMRS indication information on a time-frequency resource.
[0159] S103. A receive end receives the DMRS indication information.); wherein the target indication information is used to indicate a target value item of X value items in a target indication table, the target value item corresponds to information of a DMRS port used by the terminal (
[0168] ….. the DMRS configuration information is configured for different DMRS patterns. Usually, one DMRS pattern corresponds to one MIMO scenario that supports a maximum supported orthogonal-port quantity or a maximum supported orthogonal-transmission-layer quantity. The DMRS pattern shows a quantity of orthogonal port groups supported by the MIMO scenario and a quantity of resource units included in each orthogonal port group. Therefore, configuring different DMRS configuration information for different DMRS patterns can also enable the receive end to know an orthogonal DMRS port number, a sequence configuration, a multiplexing mode, and the like that can be used by the receive end, thereby correctly decoding data.
[0169] In an implementation of the first aspect, the DMRS configuration information may be presented by a protocol-agreed table, and a specific implementation form thereof may be a downlink control information (downlink control information, DCI) table (table). A plurality of DCI tables include at least one type of different DMRS configuration information. The DMRS transmission scheme corresponding to the DMRS configuration information is sent by …… Radio Resource Control (radio resource control, RRC) signaling. ….. the DMRS indication information can be sent by using DCI signaling or a …. MAC CE).
[0170] During specific implementation, each DMRS configuration information table corresponds to a different maximum supported orthogonal-port quantity (port). For example, the maximum supported orthogonal-port quantity may be at least two of {4, 6, 8, 12}.
[0174] The DMRS configuration information further includes indication information of a total quantity of orthogonal ports, and the indication information may indicate a quantity of all orthogonal ports that are possibly actually presented or a quantized value of a quantity of all orthogonal ports that are possibly actually presented. The quantized value of the quantity of all the orthogonal ports may be information about a quantity of orthogonal DMRS layers, indication information of an orthogonal DMRS antenna port set, CDM group information of an orthogonal DMRS antenna port, or information generated based on a CDM size. It should be understood that the total quantity of orthogonal ports is the same as a total quantity of orthogonal DMRS transmission layers.
[0186] …. the DMRS configuration information table is a DMRS configuration information table designed based on a maximum supported orthogonal-port quantity of a single terminal (UE) being 6 in SU-MIMO or MU-MIMO. (See TABLE 2)
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[0187] Indication information or an index of DMRS configuration information is represented by using a value. For example, when the value of the indication information of the DMRS configuration information is 0, it indicates that the terminal supports one transmission layer (Rank), and an orthogonal port index (port index) corresponding to the value 0 is 0. When the value of the indication information of the DMRS configuration information is 10, it indicates that the terminal supports three transmission layers (Rank), and orthogonal port indexes (port index) corresponding to the value 10 are 3 to 5.
(Construed that the value 0 or 10 indicates the indication information of the DMRS configuration information corresponding to a target value item of X value items of 0-16 as the quantized value in a target indication table corresponding to TABLE 2, the target value item 0 or 10 corresponds to information of a DMRS port 0 or DMRS ports 3-5 to use by the terminal)), the DMRS port used by the terminal comprises a first-type port and/or a second-type port, and X is a positive integer (
See TABLE 2, X value items 0-16 totals 17, a positive integer.
See also [0187] the value of the indication information …. is 0, it indicates that the terminal supports one transmission layer (Rank), and an orthogonal port index (port index) corresponding to the value 0 is 0.
(Construed as the DMRS port used by the terminal comprises a first-type port)
[0187] When the value of the indication information …. is 10, it indicates that the terminal supports three transmission layers (Rank), and orthogonal port indexes (port index) corresponding to the value 10 are 3 to 5.
(Construed as the DMRS port used by the terminal comprises a second-type port, )
See also Table 6,
[0206] As shown in Table 6 and Table 7, division is performed based on a quantity of
transmission layers (RANK) of UE
(Construed indication include either a first-type port or a second-type port.
In the above the port type is based on Rank)
See also different DMRS type variation in Tables 8-1 and Table 8-2 for DMRS configuration type 1 and type 2 based on symbol quantities.
[0211] the DMRS configuration information table may include symbol information of a front-loaded (Front-loaded, FL) DMRS, for example, a symbol quantity of the DMRS, where
[0212] Table 8-1 corresponds to an FL DMRS configuration type 1, and Table 8-2 corresponds to an FL DMRS configuration type 2. In other words, each table corresponds to a different FL DMRS type. In addition, the table may further include state information of a CDM group (State of CDM group), and the state information of the CDM group may be used as rate matching information.
See also one more DMRS type variation in-
[242] To facilitate scheduling by the base station, in an MU-MIMO scenario, for a particular receive end, the DMRS port is first scheduled from one CDM group, and then scheduled across CDM groups. Such a scheduling rule may be referred to as a CDM-first scheduling rule. Considering that a DMRS port indicates that a table includes both an SU state and an MU state, particularly, for scheduling in SU-MIMO, different scheduling rules have different benefits. The following provides examples for specific descriptions. The following port mapping orders are considered:
for a 1-symbol DMRS type 1, ports included in a CDM group 1 are {0, 1}, and ports included in a CDM group 2 are {2, 3};
for a 2-symbol DMRS type 1, ports included in a CDM group 1 are {0, 1, 4, 5}, and ports included in a CDM group 2 are {2, 3, 6, 7};
for a 1-symbol DMRS type 2, ports included in a CDM group 1 are {0, 1}, ports included in a CDM group 2 are {2, 3}, and ports included in a CDM group 3 are {4, 5}; and
for a 2-symbol DMRS type 2, ports included in a CDM group 1 are {0, 1, 6, 7}, ports included in a CDM group 2 are {2, 3, 8, 9}, and ports included in a CDM group 3 are {4, 5, 10, 11}.); and
sending, by the terminal, data or receiving data according to the information of the DMRS port (
Fig. 6 S104,
[0160] S104. The receive end performs channel estimation or assists in demodulating data, based on the received DMRS indication information.
See also [0241] When receiving a value indicating the DMRS indication information, the receive end demodulates a reference signal on a corresponding time-frequency resource location based on a quantity of orthogonal transmission layers or an orthogonal port number that is indicated by the value, or based on a resource that is not occupied by a DMRS.).
Regarding claim 2, REN teaches the method according to claim 1, wherein the first-type port and the second-type port satisfy that:
a port index of the second-type port is greater than or equal to a port index of the first-type port (
See TABLE 2, X value items 0-16 totals 17, a positive integer.
See also [0187] the value of the indication information …. is 0, it indicates that the terminal supports one transmission layer (Rank), and an orthogonal port index (port index) corresponding to the value 0 is 0.
(Construed as the DMRS port used by the terminal comprises a first-type port)
[0187] When the value of the indication information …. is 10, it indicates that the terminal supports three transmission layers (Rank), and orthogonal port indexes (port index) corresponding to the value 10 are 3 to 5.
(Construed as the DMRS port used by the terminal comprises a second-type port, and port index 10 indicating ports 3-5 is greater that the first-type port index 0 indicating port 0)).
Regarding claim 3, REN teaches the method according to claim 1, wherein the target indication table comprises one of the following:
a first indication table, wherein X value items in the first indication table correspond to information of the first-type port (
See Table 6,
[0206] As shown in Table 6 and Table 7, division is performed based on a quantity of
transmission layers (RANK) of UE.);
a third indication table, wherein M of X value items in the third indication table correspond to information of the first-type port, P value items correspond to information of the second-type port, X-M-P value items correspond to information of the first-type port and the second-type port, M and P are positive integers, and X is greater than a sum of M and P (
Construed TABLE 2 as a third indication table.
see TABLE 2 cited for claim 1.
X = 0-16, Total 17
M = 0-5, sub-total 6
P = 6-11, sub-total 5
X > M+P).
Regarding claim 4, REN teaches the method according to claim 3, wherein the method further comprises: receiving, by the terminal, first configuration information, wherein the first configuration information is used to instruct the terminal to use the target indication table (
[0159] S103. A receive end receives the DMRS indication information.
[0169] In an implementation of the first aspect, the DMRS configuration information may be presented by a protocol-agreed table, and a specific implementation form thereof may be a downlink control information (downlink control information, DCI) table (table). A plurality of DCI tables include at least one type of different DMRS configuration information. The DMRS transmission scheme corresponding to the DMRS configuration information is sent by …… Radio Resource Control (radio resource control, RRC) signaling. ….. the DMRS indication information can be sent by using DCI signaling or a …. MAC CE.
[0202] a plurality of DMRS configuration information tables are designed. The plurality of DMRS configuration information tables may also be different DMRS configuration information tables designed for DMRS pattern configuration types, which are briefly referred to as DMRS configuration types (configuration type). Before transmission, based on different configuration type information, a DMRS configuration information table is selected or switching is performed between different information tables.)), or to instruct the terminal to switch the target indication table (
See [0202] …. a DMRS configuration information table is selected or switching is performed between different DMRS configuration information tables.).
Regarding claim 5, REN teaches the method according to claim 4,, wherein the switching the target indication table comprises:
switching between the first indication table and the third indication table (
[0202] a plurality of DMRS configuration information tables are designed. The plurality of DMRS configuration information tables may also be different DMRS configuration information tables designed for DMRS pattern configuration types, which are briefly referred to as DMRS configuration types (configuration type). Before transmission, based on different configuration type information, a DMRS configuration information table is selected or switching is performed between different information tables.
[0203] There are two configuration types, and DMRS configuration information tables corresponding to the two configuration types are respectively Table 3 in which a maximum of eight ports are shown (configuration type 1) and Table 4 in which a maximum of 12 ports (configuration type 2) are shown. The two tables are the same, and details are not described herein again. The DMRS configuration information tables shown in Table 1 to Table 4 correspond to different DMRS patterns, or correspond to maximum supported orthogonal-port quantities that are supported by a system, or correspond to different DMRS configuration types. The patterns, the maximum supported orthogonal-port quantities 4, 6, 8, and 12, the DMRS configuration types, or the like that correspond to the DMRS configuration information tables may be indicated by using explicit signaling such as RRC, a MAC CE, or DCI …..).
Regarding claim 7, REN teaches a DMRS port information indication method (
Fig. 6, [0155] FIG. 6 shows a DMRS transmission method provided in this application), comprising:
sending, by a network-side device, target indication information (
Fig. 6 Transmit end,
[0162] If the technical solution is applied to a downlink transmission scenario, the transmit end may be a base station, and the receive end may be a terminal.)
Further, claims 7 is interpreted mutatis mutandis of claim 1, and rejected for the same reason as set forth for claim 1.
Regarding claim 8, the claim is interpreted and rejected for the same reason as set forth for claim 2.
Regarding claim 9, the claim is interpreted and rejected for the same reason as set forth for claim 3.
Regarding claim 10, the claim is interpreted and rejected for the same reason as set forth for claim 4.Regarding claim 16, the claim is interpreted and rejected for the same reason as set forth for claim 4.
Regarding claim 11, the claim is interpreted and rejected for the same reason as set forth for claim 5.
Regarding claim 13, REN teaches a terminal (
Fig. 5 terminal 200,
Fig. 6 Receive end,
[0162] If the technical solution is applied to a downlink transmission scenario, the transmit end may be a base station, and the receive end may be a terminal.), comprising a processor and a memory, wherein the memory stores a program or an instruction executable on the processor, and the program or instruction, when executed by the processor, causes the terminal to perform (
Fig. 5, Terminal 200 including Processor 180, memory 120,
[0151] That the terminal 200 is a mobile phone is used as an example to describe a universal hardware architecture of the mobile phone. ):
Further, claims 13 is interpreted mutatis mutandis of claim 1, and rejected for the same reason as set forth for claim 1.
Regarding claim 14, the claim is interpreted and rejected for the same reason as set forth for claim 2.
Regarding claim 15, the claim is interpreted and rejected for the same reason as set forth for claim 3.
Regarding claim 16, the claim is interpreted and rejected for the same reason as set forth for claim 4.
Regarding claim 17, the claim is interpreted and rejected for the same reason as set forth for claim 5.
Regarding claim 19, REN teaches a network-side device (
Fig. 6 Transmit end,
[0162] If the technical solution is applied to a downlink transmission scenario, the transmit end may be a base station, and the receive end may be a terminal.), comprising a processor and a memory, wherein the memory stores a program or an instruction executable on the processor, and when the program or instruction is executed by the processor (
Fig. 41 Transmit end 350 with Processing unit 3501,
[0435] The transmit end 350 may be the base station 100.
Fig, 43 Apparatus 490 with Processor 3901 and Memory 3902,
[0438] the transmit end 350 … is implemented in a structure shown in FIG. 43.
[0439] As shown in FIG. 43, an apparatus 390 may include a memory 3901, a processor 3902, and a communications interface 3903. The memory 3902 is configured to store a computer executable instruction. When the apparatus 390 runs, the processor 3901 executes the computer executable instruction stored in the memory 3902, so that the apparatus 390 performs the information transmission method provided in the embodiments of this application.).
Further, claims 19 is interpreted mutatis mutandis of claim 7 or claim 1, and rejected for the same reason as set forth for claim 7 or claim 1.
Regarding claim 20, the claim is interpreted and rejected for the same reason as set forth for claim 8 or claim 2.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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 of this title, 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.
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.
Claims 6, 12 and 18 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Ren et al. (EP 3584975 A1, of IDS, hereinafter ‘REN’) in view of Manolakos et al. (US20140169155, hereinafter ‘MANO’).
Regarding claim 6, REN teaches the method according to claim 3.
REN does not explicitly disclose wherein the method further comprises: reporting, by the terminal, first capability information, wherein the first capability information is used to indicate whether the terminal supports the second-type port.
In an analogous art, MANO teaches wherein the method further comprises: reporting, by the terminal, first capability information, wherein the first capability information is used to indicate whether the terminal supports the second-type port (
Fig. 3, [0096] The first DMRS structure 300-a illustrates configuration types of DMRS based on a mapping type of its associated data channel. The first DMRS structure 300-a illustrates two slots 305-a and 305-b having a plurality of symbols 310. The first slot 305-a may include a data channel 315 that may be configured using a first mapping type (e.g., mapping type A).
[0097] The second slot 305-b of the first DMRS structure 300-a may include a data channel 325 that may be configured using a second mapping type (e.g., mapping type B). A DMRS associated with a data channel mapping type A may have a configuration type 1 and a DMRS associated with a data channel having a mapping type B may have a configuration type 2.
Fig. 9, DMRS Port sets 915, 925, [0134] When such cases occur, the UE 115 may configure at least one of the DMRSs 915, 925 to include the first set of ports associated with the first data channel 910 and the second set of ports associated with the second data channel 920. For example, the second DMRS 925 may be configured to include the first port P0 code division multiplexed with the second port P1 and the third port P2 code division multiplexed with the fourth port P3. In this specific example, the second DMRS 925 may be used for channel estimation for both the first data channel 910 and the second data channel 920, but the first DMRS 915 may only be used for channel estimation of the first data channel 910.
Fig. 10 Reporting message,
[0137] At block 1005, the UE 115-b may optionally identify a UE capability for jointly configuring DMRSs across multiple data channels. The UE 115-b may optionally report these capabilities in a reporting message 1010 transmitted to the base station 105-b.
[0167] Capability manager 1360 may identify a capability of a UE to have different DMRS configuration types across channels with different mapping types, enable DMRS sharing or DMRS bundling based on identifying the capability of the UE …… and transmit a message to a base station including the capability of the UE.).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to take the technique capability of supporting different DMRS configuration type reporting by UE of MANO to the system of DMRS indicating and receiving REN in order to take the advantage of method for configuring DMRS for reducing amount of computations needed to perform the enhanced channel quality estimation (MANO: [0106]).
Regarding claim 12, the claim is interpreted and rejected for the same reason as set forth for claim 6.
Regarding claim 18, the claim is interpreted and rejected for the same reason as set forth for claim 6.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure:
GAO; Xueyuan (US 20250219784 A1), describing DMRS PORT INDICATION METHOD AND APPARATUS THEREFOR
Jang et al. (US 20250193911 A1), describing METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR TRANSMITTING AND RECEIVING DATA AND REFERENCE SIGNALS IN WIRELESS COMMUNICATION SYSTEM
Shin et al. (US 20230344596 A1), describing METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR CONFIGURING DEMODULATION REFERENCE SIGNAL INFORMATION IN WIRELESS CELLULAR COMMUNICATION SYSTEM
Frenne et al. (US 20220158805 A1), describing Code-Division Multiplexing (CDM) Groups For Multi-Source Transmission
Noh et al. (US 20210014931 A1), describing METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR PERFORMING COMMUNICATION IN WIRELESS COMMUNICATION SYSTEM
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/SHAH M RAHMAN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2413
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