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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
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, 2, 4-7, 9-12, 14-17 and 19-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Wang et al. (US 2024/0155637 A1, hereinafter referred as “Wang”) in view of Khan et al. (WO 2022/155250 A1, hereinafter referred as “Khan”).
Regarding claim 1, Wang teaches a method performed by a terminal in a wireless communication system (Wang discloses a UE configured for operation in a 5G NR wireless communication system. Wang describes UEs communicating with a radio access network and RAN nodes/base stations in a wireless communication system. See Wang ¶¶21, 25, 36–47, 62, and Examples 25–32. Khan also discloses a method performed by a wireless transmit/receive unit (WTRU) in a multi-TRP wireless system. See Khan claim 1), the method comprising: receiving, from a base station, first configuration information on a sounding reference signal (SRS) resource (Wang discloses SRS resource set and SRS resource configuration. Wang states that different types of SRS resource sets are supported and that an SRS resource set is configured with a “usage” parameter, including beam Management, codebook, no Codebook, or antenna Switching. Wang further states that the SRS resource set configured for antenna Switching is used to acquire DL CSI using SRS measurements by leveraging reciprocity in TDD systems. See Wang ¶64. Wang also discloses that when an SRS resource set is configured as aperiodic, the SRS-resource set includes a slot offset and trigger states, including aperiodic SRS resourceTrigger and aperiodic SRS-Resource TriggerList. See Wang ¶65. Wang further discloses that aperiodic SRS may be triggered via an SRS Request field in DCI. See Wang ¶66. Wang additionally discloses that DCI may reconfigure SRS transmission parameters, including frequency resource allocation, time resource allocation, SRS power control parameters, slot offset, usage of the SRS resource set, and TCI state. See Wang ¶¶141–162. Thus, Wang teaches receiving first configuration information on an SRS resource from a base station/gNB); receiving, from the base station, second configuration information for a channel state information (CSI) report (Wang discloses that a DCI format may trigger a CSI request including at least one of a CSI-RS operation, CSI-IM, and CSI report transmission. Wang further discloses that one or more DCI fields may be interpreted as additional information or parameters for the triggered CSI request. See Wang ¶¶21–24. Wang explains that, to improve flexibility for aperiodic CSI-RS/CSI-IM transmission and/or aperiodic CSI reporting, aperiodic CSI-RS/CSI-IM and/or aperiodic CSI report may be triggered by DCI format 0_1/0_2 without scheduling UL-SCH. See Wang ¶100. Wang further discloses that unused DCI fields may be repurposed to dynamically configure CSI-RS/CSI-IM and/or CSI report parameters to facilitate aperiodic CSI-RS/CSI-IM and/or CSI report transmission. See Wang ¶¶101–104. Wang also discloses that unused DCI fields may reconfigure parameters for triggered CSI-RS, including CSI-RS resource mapping, frequency-domain allocation, number of ports, OFDM symbol locations, CDM type, density, frequency band, BWP ID, and power control offsets. See Wang ¶¶105–119. Thus, Wang teaches receiving second configuration information for a CSI report from the base station); transmitting, to the base station, an SRS for a first channel between a first transmission and reception point (TRP) and the terminal based on the first configuration information (Wang discloses transmitting aperiodic SRS triggered by DCI. Wang states that aperiodic SRS may be triggered via an SRS Request field in DCI. See Wang ¶66. Wang also discloses improving flexibility for aperiodic SRS transmission by triggering SRS via DCI without scheduling data. See Wang ¶68. Wang further discloses scenarios in which DCI triggers aperiodic SRS and unused fields may configure SRS parameters and/or beam indication. See Wang ¶¶83–96 and ¶¶138–163. Regarding the claimed first TRP, Wang discloses multi-TRP operation in which two TCI states may be indicated, each associated with a different TRP, with the first TCI state corresponding to a first TRP and the second TCI state corresponding to a second TRP. See Wang ¶90. Wang further discloses that when an SRS resource set or multiple SRS resource sets are triggered, which TCI state is applied for the SRS resource set may be indicated by an implicit or explicit association between the SRS resource set and TRP. Wang states that the association between SRS resource set and TRP may be implicitly indicated by the configured/indicated SRS power control adjustment state, or explicit association between SRS and TRP may be configured/indicated to the SRS resource set. See Wang ¶91. Wang also teaches that SRS resource sets configured for antennaSwitching may be used to acquire DL CSI using SRS measurements by leveraging reciprocity of the channel in TDD systems. See Wang ¶64. Thus, Wang teaches or at least suggests transmitting an SRS to the base station based on SRS resource configuration, where the SRS resource set is associated with a first TRP and is used for channel acquisition/measurement, corresponding to an SRS for a first channel between the first TRP and the terminal); and transmitting, to the base station, the CSI report based on the second configuration information (Wang discloses CSI report transmission as part of a triggered CSI request. Wang states that a CSI request may include CSI-RS operation, CSI-IM, and CSI report transmission. See Wang ¶¶21–24. Wang further discloses that unused DCI fields may be repurposed to dynamically configure CSI-RS/CSI-IM and/or CSI report parameters to facilitate aperiodic CSI-RS/CSI-IM and/or CSI report transmission. See Wang ¶¶100–104. Wang also discloses multi-TRP operation for CSI-RS. Wang states that, in multi-TRP operation, two TCI states may be indicated, each associated with a different TRP, with the first TCI state corresponding to the first TRP and the second TCI state corresponding to the second TRP. See Wang ¶129. Wang further discloses that when a CSI-RS resource set or multiple CSI-RS resource sets are triggered, which TCI state is applied for the CSI-RS resource set may be indicated by implicit or explicit association between the CSI-RS resource set and TRP. See Wang ¶130). However, Wang does not expressly state that the CSI report includes a measurement result of a second channel between a second TRP and the terminal. In the same field of endeavor, Khan discloses a WTRU method in which the WTRU receives one or more first CSI-RSs from each of a first TRP and a second TRP, determines CSI quantities associated with each of the first TRP and the second TRP, and selects one of the first TRP or second TRP as a primary TRP and the remaining one as a secondary TRP. See Khan claim 1. Khan further discloses receiving third CSI-RSs from the secondary TRP, determining a second CSI quantity associated with the secondary TRP based on the third CSI-RSs received from the secondary TRP, determining a second PMI for the secondary TRP, and reporting information indicating the determined second PMI for the secondary TRP. See Khan claim 1. Because Khan’s reported second PMI and CSI quantity are determined based on CSI-RSs received from the secondary/second TRP, Khan teaches reporting CSI information that includes a measurement result of a channel between the second TRP and the WTRU/terminal. Therefore, Khan teaches transmitting a CSI report including a measurement result of a second channel between a second TRP and the terminal based on second configuration information for CSI reporting. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine Khan’s multi-TRP CSI measurement and secondary-TRP CSI/PMI reporting with Wang’s multi-TRP SRS/CSI-RS/CSI report configuration framework because both references address CSI acquisition and reporting in multi-TRP wireless communication systems. The combination would have predictably provided TRP-specific channel information for multi-TRP beamforming, precoding, and scheduling by using Wang’s SRS/CSI-RS resource configuration and TRP association with Khan’s CSI/PMI reporting for a second TRP.
Regarding claim 2, Wang teaches that information for a first TRP-associated channel is based on SRS. Specifically, Wang discloses that an SRS resource set configured for antennaSwitching is used to acquire DL CSI using SRS measurements by leveraging reciprocity of the channel in TDD systems. See Wang ¶64. Wang further discloses that an SRS resource set may be associated with a TRP, either implicitly or explicitly. See Wang ¶91. Thus, Wang teaches or suggests that information for a first channel between a first TRP and a UE is based on the SRS. Khan teaches that information for a second TRP-associated channel is based on a CSI report. Khan discloses receiving CSI-RSs from a secondary TRP, determining a CSI quantity associated with the secondary TRP, determining a PMI for the secondary TRP, and reporting information indicating the determined PMI for the secondary TRP. See Khan claim 1. Thus, Khan teaches that information for the second channel between the second TRP and the terminal is based on the CSI report. Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to use Wang’s SRS-based channel acquisition for one TRP together with Khan’s CSI/PMI reporting for another TRP in Wang’s multi-TRP framework, because both references address acquiring TRP-specific channel information for multi-TRP transmission and beamforming.
Regarding claim 4, Wang further wherein the SRS resource includes a first SRS resource for the first TRP and a second SRS resource for the second TRP, or wherein the SRS resource includes common resources for the first TRP and the second TRP. Specifically, Wang teaches that the SRS resource includes a first SRS resource for the first TRP and a second SRS resource for the second TRP. Specifically, Wang discloses SRS resource set and SRS resource configuration, including different types of SRS resource sets and SRS resource set usage. See Wang ¶64. Wang further discloses that aperiodic SRS resource sets include slot offset and trigger states and may be triggered by an SRS Request field in DCI. See Wang ¶¶65–66. Wang also discloses multi-TRP operation in which two TCI states may be indicated, each associated with a different TRP, with a first TCI state corresponding to a first TRP and a second TCI state corresponding to a second TRP. See Wang ¶90. Wang further discloses that when an SRS resource set or multiple SRS resource sets are triggered, which TCI state is applied for the SRS resource set may be indicated by an implicit or explicit association between the SRS resource set and TRP. Wang further states that the association between SRS resource set and TRP may be implicitly indicated by the configured/indicated SRS power control adjustment state, or explicit association between SRS and TRP may be configured/indicated to the SRS resource set. See Wang ¶91. Thus, Wang teaches or at least suggests SRS resources/resource sets respectively associated with different TRPs, including a first SRS resource for a first TRP and a second SRS resource for a second TRP.
Regarding claim 5, Wang teaches wherein the first TRP and the second TRP are included in the base station. Specifically, Wang teaches that the first TRP and the second TRP are included in the base station. Specifically, Wang discloses that access nodes in the RAN may be referred to as base stations, NodeBs, eNBs, gNBs, RAN nodes, and the like. See Wang ¶46. Wang further discloses that communication nodes may be transmission/reception points (TRPs), and that, when the communication nodes are NodeBs, e.g., eNBs or gNBs, one or more TRPs can function within the communication cell of the NodeBs. See Wang ¶46. Wang also discloses multi-TRP operation involving a first TRP and a second TRP, where first and second TCI states correspond to first and second TRPs, respectively. See Wang ¶¶90, 129. Thus, Wang teaches or at least suggests that the first and second TRPs may be included in or implemented as part of a base station/gNB. Khan is relied upon as in claim 1 for the multi-TRP CSI measurement/reporting associated with the second TRP.
Claims 6, 7 and 9-10 recite subject matter substantially corresponding to that of claims 1, 2 & 4-5, but from the perspective of the base station rather than the terminal. Accordingly, these claims are rejected for reasons substantially similar to, and corresponding with, those set forth above with respect to claims 1, 2 & 4-5.
Claims 11, 12 & 14-15, recite subject matter substantially corresponding to that of claims 1, 2 & 4-5. Accordingly, these claims are rejected for reasons substantially similar to, and corresponding with, those set forth above with respect to claims 1, 2 & 4-5.
Claims 16, 17 & 19-10, recite subject matter substantially corresponding to that of claims 1, 2 & 4-5, but from the perspective of the base station rather than the terminal. Accordingly, the claims are rejected for reasons substantially similar to, and corresponding with, those set forth above with respect to claims 1, 2 & 4-5.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 3, 8, 13, and 18 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
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