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 § 102
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 the appropriate paragraphs of 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, 3, 9, 10, 12, 18 and 19 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Sun et al. (US 20160056936 A1), hereinafter, Sun.
Regarding claim 1:
Sun discloses a signal transmission method, comprising:
determining, by a transmit end, a plurality of reference signals (Paragraphs [0049]-[0058], sending end is claimed transmit end, which determines a plurality of first reference signals xj (claimed plurality of reference signals)) based on a combined reference signal (Paragraph [0056], summation is combined reference signal), a combination manner (Paragraph [0056], predefined processing method is claimed combination manner), and an interference coefficient between different reference signals (Paragraph [0051], internet coefficient), wherein the combined reference signal is obtained by combining the plurality of reference signals (Paragraph [0056], weighted combination), and the combination manner comprises at least one processing manner of performing summation or difference calculation on the plurality of reference signals (Paragraph [0056], summation); and sending, by the transmit end, the plurality of reference signals, wherein the plurality of reference signals comprises a reference signal at a real signal position and a reference signal at an imaginary signal position (Paragraphs [0049] and [0068], position of a carrier are used to generate the first reference signals, each carrier inherently has a real signal position and an imaginary signal position, thus plurality of reference signals comprises a reference signal at a real signal position and a reference signal at an imaginary signal position as claimed).
Regarding claim 3:
Sun discloses the method, wherein the plurality of reference signals belongs to a same reference signal block comprising consecutively placed reference signals, or adjacent reference signal (Paragraph [0051], xj with j= (0,1,2…} i.e. consecutively placed).
Regarding claim 9:
Sun discloses the method according, wherein the plurality of reference signals are offset quadrature amplitude modulation signals (Paragraphs [0005], [0068]).
Regarding claim 10:
Sun discloses a signal transmission method, comprising:
receiving, by a receive end (Paragraph [0063]), a plurality of reference signals (Paragraph [0063], first reference signals xj are claimed plurality of reference signals), wherein the plurality of reference signals are determined based on a combined reference signal (Paragraph [0056], summation is combined reference signal), a combination manner (Paragraph [0056], predefined processing method is claimed combination manner), and an interference coefficient between different reference signals (Paragraph [0051], internet coefficient), the combined reference signal is obtained by combining the plurality of reference signals (Paragraph [0056], weighted combination), and the combination manner comprises at least one processing manner of performing summation or difference calculation on the plurality of reference signals (Paragraph [0056], summation); and
processing, by the receive end, the plurality of reference signals based on the combination manner, to obtain the combined reference signal (Paragraph [0064]).
Regarding claim 12:
Sun discloses the method, wherein the plurality of reference signals belongs to a same reference signal block comprising consecutively placed reference signals, or adjacent reference signal (Paragraph [0051], xj with j= (0,1,2…} i.e. consecutively placed).
Regarding claim 18:
Sun discloses the method according, wherein the plurality of reference signals are offset quadrature amplitude modulation signals (Paragraphs [0005], [0068]).
Regarding claim 19:
Sun discloses a communication apparatus (Figs. 10, 11, paragraphs [0118]-[0123]), comprising: at least one processor (Paragraph [0024] ), configured to determine a plurality of reference signals based on a combined reference signal,
(Paragraphs [0049]-[0058], sending end is claimed transmit end, which determines a plurality of first reference signals xj (claimed plurality of reference signals)) based on a combined reference signal (Paragraph [0056], summation is combined reference signal), a combination manner (Paragraph [0056], predefined processing method is claimed combination manner), and an interference coefficient between different reference signals (Paragraph [0051], internet coefficient), wherein the combined reference signal is obtained by combining the plurality of reference signals (Paragraph [0056], weighted combination), and the combination manner comprises at least one processing manner of performing summation or difference calculation on the plurality of reference signals (Paragraph [0056], summation); and
a transceiver (Fig. 10, 11 together are transceiver), configured to send the plurality of reference signals (device of Fig. 10 is configured to send) (See paragraphs [0118]-[0123]), wherein the plurality of reference signals comprises a reference signal at a real signal position and a reference signal at an imaginary signal position (Paragraphs [0049] and [0068], position of a carrier are used to generate the first reference signals, each carrier inherently has a real signal position and an imaginary signal position, thus plurality of reference signals comprises a reference signal at a real signal position and a reference signal at an imaginary signal position as claimed).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 2, 4-8, 11, 13-17 and 20 are 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
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure:
Yang et al. (US 20210044372 A1) discloses transmitting reference signals including phase tracking reference signal and estimating phase noise at the receiver.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to VINEETA S PANWALKAR whose telephone number is (571)272-8561. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 9:00am-5pm. 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, David C. Payne can be reached at 571-272-3024. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300. Information regarding the status of published or unpublished applications may be obtained from Patent Center. Unpublished application information in Patent Center is available to registered users. To file and manage patent submissions in Patent Center, visit: https://patentcenter.uspto.gov. Visit https://www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/patent-center for more information about Patent Center and https://www.uspto.gov/patents/docx for information about filing in DOCX format. For additional questions, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000.
/VINEETA S PANWALKAR/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2635
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