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 .
Priority
Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statements (IDSs), submitted on 17 October 2024, 10 February 2025, and 20 April 2026, were filed after the mailing date of the patent application on 17 October 2024. The submission is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
Drawings
The drawings, received on 17 October 2024, are acceptable for examination.
Specification
The lengthy specification has not been checked to the extent necessary to determine the presence of all possible minor errors. Applicant’s cooperation is requested in correcting any errors of which applicant may become aware in the specification.
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, 11, and 13 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Gao et al. (US 20210306123 A1; hereinafter referred to as “Gao”).
Regarding Claim 1, Claim 1 is rejected on the same basis as Claim 11.
Regarding Claim 3, Claim 3 is rejected on the same basis as Claim 13.
Regarding Claim 11, Gao discloses a user equipment (UE) in a wireless communication system, the UE comprising:
a transceiver (¶111-114 & Fig. 8, Gao discloses a user equipment (UE) comprising a suitable transmitter (TX) and receiver (RX) 840); and
a controller coupled with the transceiver (¶111-114 & Fig. 8, Guo discloses the UE further comprising a processor 810 coupled to the suitable transmitter (TX) and receiver (RX) 840) and configured to:
receive, from each of at least one first transmission/reception point (TRP), a first channel state information reference signal (CSI-RS) (¶87 & Fig. 6 (610), Gao discloses receiving, by the UE from a first transmission/reception point (TRP), a first channel state information reference signal (CSI-RS)),
receive, from a second TRP, a second CSI-RS (¶87 & Fig. 6 (610), Gao discloses receiving, by the UE from a second TRP, a second CSI-RS),
estimate at least one first phase value of each of the first CSI-RS received from each of the at least one first TRP, based on the first CSI-RS received from each of the at least one first TRP (¶88 & Fig. 6 (620), Gao discloses estimating, by the UE, a first precoding information corresponding to the first CSI-RS from the first TRP),
estimate a second phase value based on the second CSI-RS (¶88 & Fig. 6 (620), Gao discloses estimating, by the UE, a second precoding information corresponding to the second CSI-RS from the second TRP), and
transmit, to each of the at least one first TRP, a first sounding reference signal (SRS) (¶90 & Fig. 6 (640), Gao discloses transmitting, to the first TRP, a first sounding reference signal (SRS)) and a second SRS (¶90 & Fig. 6 (640), Gao discloses transmitting, to the second TRP, a second SRS) on different adjacent symbols, respectively (¶59, Gao discloses that the first SRS and the second SRS are transmitted on P symbols with an interval between two adjacent symbols not exceeding T slots/symbols. Here, if P=2 and T=0, then the two slots would be different adjacent symbols), based on a phase shift using the at least one first phase value and the second phase value (¶90 & Fig. 6 (630->640) & ¶5, Gao discloses that the transmission of the first SRS to the first TRP and transmission of the second SRS to the second TRP are based upon at least one of the first precoding information, the second precoding information, or the third precoding information where the third precoding information is based upon, or selected from, the first precoding information and the second precoding information).
Regarding Claim 13, Gao discloses the UE of claim 11.
Gao further discloses wherein the phase shift includes the at least one first phase value and the second phase value (¶90 & Fig. 6 (630->640) & ¶5, Gao discloses that he third precoding information is based upon, or selected from, the first precoding information and the second precoding information), wherein the first SRS includes SRS to which the second phase value is applied (¶90 & Fig. 6 (630->640) & ¶5, Gao discloses that the transmission of the first SRS to the first TRP includes SRS where at least one of the first precoding information, the second precoding information, or the third precoding information are applied), and wherein the second SRS includes SRS to which each of the at least one first phase value is applied (¶90 & Fig. 6 (630->640) & ¶5, Gao discloses that the transmission of the second SRS to the second TRP includes SRS where at least one of the first precoding information, the second precoding information, or the third precoding information are applied).
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.
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.
Claims 4, 6, 14, and 16 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Gao in view of Huang et al. (US 20250183941 A1; hereinafter referred to as “Huang”).
Regarding Claim 4, Claim 4 is rejected on the same basis as Claim 14.
Regarding Claim 6, Claim 6 is rejected on the same basis as Claim 16.
Regarding Claim 14, Gao discloses the UE of claim 11.
However, Gao does not disclose wherein the controller is further configured to: receive, from each of the at least one first TRP, a first downlink data, and receive, from the second TRP, a second downlink data, and wherein a phase compensation between each of the at least one first TRP and the second TRP using the first SRS and the second SRS transmitted based on the phase shift using the at least one first phase value and the second phase value is applied to each of the first downlink data received from each of the at least one first TRP.
Huang, a prior art reference in the same field of endeavor, teaches wherein the controller is further configured to:
receive, from each of the at least one first TRP, a first downlink data (¶231 & Fig. 10 (1003), Huang discloses receiving, by the UE from the first TRP, downlink data transmission), and
receive, from the second TRP, a second downlink data (¶231 & Fig. 10 (1003), Huang discloses receiving, by the UE from the second TRP, downlink data transmission), and
wherein a phase compensation between each of the at least one first TRP and the second TRP using the first SRS and the second SRS transmitted based on the phase shift using the at least one first phase value and the second phase value is applied to each of the first downlink data received from each of the at least one first TRP (¶231 & Fig. 10 (1003), Huang discloses that the downlink data transmission using coherent joint transmission where coherent joint transmission occurs when the at least two TRPs have a coherent phase).
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art prior to the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Gao by requiring that the controller is further configured to: receive, from each of the at least one first TRP, a first downlink data, and receive, from the second TRP, a second downlink data, and wherein a phase compensation between each of the at least one first TRP and the second TRP using the first SRS and the second SRS transmitted based on the phase shift using the at least one first phase value and the second phase value is applied to each of the first downlink data received from each of the at least one first TRP as taught by Huang because reception of downlink signals is improved by reducing interference on both the uplink and the downlink (Huang, Abstract & ¶4-5).
Regarding Claim 16, Gao discloses a first transmission/reception point (TRP) in a wireless communication system, the first TRP comprising:
a transceiver (¶111-114 & Fig. 8, Gao discloses a network device, such as a first transmission/reception point (TRP), comprising a suitable transmitter (TX) and receiver (RX) 840); and
a controller coupled with the transceiver (¶111-114 & Fig. 8, Gao discloses the first TRP further comprising a processor 810 coupled to the suitable transmitter (TX) and receiver (RX) 840) and configured to:
transmit, to a user equipment (UE), a first channel state information reference signal (CSI-RS) (¶87 & Fig. 6 (610), Gao discloses transmitting, by the first TRP to a user equipment (UE), a first channel state information reference signal (CSI-RS)),
receive, from the UE, a first sounding reference signal (SRS) and a second SRS (¶90 & Fig. 6 (640), Gao discloses receiving, by a first TRP, a first sounding reference signal (SRS) and receiving, by the second TRP, a second SRS) on different adjacent symbols, respectively (¶59, Gao discloses that the first SRS and the second SRS are transmitted on P symbols with an interval between two adjacent symbols not exceeding T slots/symbols. Here, if P=2 and T=0, then the two slots would be different adjacent symbols), based on a phase shift using a first phase value of the first CSI-RS estimated based on the first CSI-RS and a second phase value of a second CSI-RS estimated based on the second CSI-RS of a second TRP (¶90 & Fig. 6 (630->640) & ¶5, Gao discloses that the transmission of the first SRS to the first TRP and transmission of the second SRS to the second TRP are based upon at least one of the first precoding information, the second precoding information, or the third precoding information where the third precoding information is based upon, or selected from, the first precoding information and the second precoding information).
However, Gao does not disclose apply a phase compensation between the first TRP and the second TRP using the first SRS and the second SRS received based on the phase shift using the first phase value and the second phase value to a first downlink data, and transmit, to the UE, the first downlink data to which the phase compensation is applied.
Huang, a prior art reference in the same field of endeavor, teaches to:
apply a phase compensation between the first TRP and the second TRP using the first SRS and the second SRS received based on the phase shift using the first phase value and the second phase value to a first downlink data (¶230 & Fig. 10 (1002), Huang discloses transmitting, to the UE via at least two TRPs, an indication of joint transmission where the joint transmission includes a coherent transmission where the first TRP and the second TRP are in phase), and
transmit, to the UE, the first downlink data to which the phase compensation is applied (¶231 & Fig. 10 (1003), Huang discloses transmitting, to the UE via at least two TRPs, at least one downlink data transmission using coherent joint transmission where coherent joint transmission occurs when the at least two TRPs have a coherent phase).
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art prior to the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Gao by applying a phase compensation between the first TRP and the second TRP using the first SRS and the second SRS received based on the phase shift using the first phase value and the second phase value to a first downlink data and further transmitting, to the UE, the first downlink data to which the phase compensation is applied as taught by Huang because reception of downlink signals is improved by reducing interference on both the uplink and the downlink (Huang, Abstract & ¶4-5).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 2, 5, 7-10, 12, 15, and 17-20 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.
Internet Communications
Applicant is encouraged to submit a written authorization for Internet communications (PTO/SB/439, http://www.uspto.gov/sites/default/files/documents/sb0439.pdf) in the instant patent application to authorize the examiner to communicate with the applicant via email. The authorization will allow the examiner to better practice compact prosecution. The written authorization can be submitted via one of the following methods only: (1) Central Fax which can be found in the Conclusion section of this Office action; (2) regular postal mail; (3) EFS WEB; or (4) the service window on the Alexandria campus. EFS web is the recommended way to submit the form since this allows the form to be entered into the file wrapper within the same day (system dependent). Written authorization submitted via other methods, such as direct fax to the examiner or email, will not be accepted. See MPEP § 502.03.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ERIC NOWLIN whose telephone number is (313)446-6544. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 12:00PM-10:00PM.
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/ERIC NOWLIN/Examiner, Art Unit 2474
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