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
2. 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)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
3. Claims 1, 2, 6-8, 11, 13-16, 18, 20-22, 28-32, 34-38, 40-43, 46-49, 51 and 52 are is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Nilsson US 2021/0068060 A1.
4. Consider claims 1, 15, 42 and 48. Nilsson teaches a user equipment (102), network entity (104) and CRM comprising: (0007) one or more memories storing processor-executable code; and one or more processors coupled with the one or more memories and individually or collectively operable to execute the code to cause the UE to: communicate (0051) information indicating three antenna ports (A1-A3 in fig 5A) for a transmission from the UE of one or more sounding reference signals (SRSs); and transmit, based at least in part on the information indicating the three antenna ports, the one or more SRSs via the three antenna ports using one or more SRS resources (fig 5C), each of the one or more SRS resources being associated with a quantity of one or more antenna ports other than three (… Antenna 4 has been affected with a power restriction…), wherein a power for SRS transmission is distributed over the three antenna ports (…the fourth SRS port is divided equally on the three Antenna Ports 1-3…) and wherein the SRS transmission is limited to three antennas (fig 5C). Method claims 31 and 37 are rejected for the same reasons as apparatus claims 1 and 15 since the recited elements would perform the claimed steps.
5. Regarding claims 2, 16, 43 and 49. Nilsson teaches (0051 and fig 5C), wherein, to transmit the one or more SRSs, the one or more processors are individually or collectively operable to execute the code to cause the UE to: transmit the one or more SRSs (SRS1-SRS3 plus 1/3 SRS4) via the three antenna ports included in a set of four antenna ports, wherein the one or more SRS resources are associated with the set of four antenna ports (A1-A4). Method claims 32 and 38 are rejected for the same reasons as apparatus claims 2 and 16 since the recited elements would perform the claimed steps.
6. Regarding claims 6, 20, 34, 40, 45 and 51. Nilsson teaches (0049) wherein communicating the information indicating the three antenna ports comprises receiving a message indicating a configuration of four antenna ports, wherein the configuration is associated with use of the three antenna ports. Note: the reference signal in Nilsson restricts the fourth port (configuration), while mapping the remaining three ports (also reads on configuration).
7. Regarding claims 7, 21, 35 and 46. Nilsson teaches (fig 5C; SRS+1/3 each) wherein the power for the SRS transmission is distributed evenly over the three antenna ports.
8. Regarding claims 8 and 22. Nilsson teaches (Fig 5C) wherein to transmit the one or more SRSs, the one or more processors are individually or collectively operable to execute the code to cause the UE to: transmit the one or more SRSs (SRS1-SRS4 in fig 5A) via the three antenna ports (A1-A3) including a first antenna port (A1) and a set of two antenna ports (A2, A3) that includes a second antenna port and a third antenna port, wherein a first SRS resource of the one or more SRS resources is associated with the first antenna port SRS1 plus 1/3 of SRS4) and a second SRS resource of the one or more SRS resources is associated with the set of two antenna ports (SRS2+SRS3+2/3 of SRS4).
9. Regarding claims 9 and 23. Nilsson teaches (Fig 5C) wherein the one or more SRSs (SRS1-SRS4 in fig 5A) are transmitted via a first symbol (SRS1+ 1/3 SRS4)associated with the first SRS resource using the first antenna port (A1), and via a second symbol (SRS2+SRS3+2/3 of SRS4) associated with the second SRS resource using the set of two antenna ports (A2 and A3), wherein the second symbol is different from the first symbol.
10. Regarding claim 11. Nilsson teaches (Fig 5C and 0051) wherein the one or more SRSs are transmitted via the first symbol associated with the first SRS resource using the first antenna port with a first transmit power, and via the second symbol associated with the second SRS resource using the set of two antenna ports and a second transmit power that is approximately equal (SRS +1/3) to the first transmit power.
11. Regarding claims 13 and 28. Nilsson teaches (0051 and fig 5C) wherein communicating the information (via table 2) indicating the three antenna ports comprises receiving an indication of a combination of a first antenna port (A1) and a set of two antenna ports (A2, A3) that includes a second antenna port (A2) and a third antenna port (A3).
12. Regarding claim 14, 30, 36, 41, 47 and 52. Nilsson teaches (0049; 0051) wherein communicating the information indicating the three antenna ports comprises transmitting a capability (reads on reference signals) indication of the UE to transmit the SRSs via the three antenna ports or the three antennas (Fig 5C).
13. Regarding claim 18. Nilsson teaches (0051) wherein the one or more SRSs are obtained in accordance with a comb offset (reads on +1/3 in fig 5C) in a set of resource elements corresponding to each of the three antenna ports.
14. Regarding claim 29. Nilsson teaches (0051 and fig 5C) wherein the one or more processors are individually or collectively further operable to execute the code to cause the network entity to: output information indicating a set of combinations of the first antenna port(A1) and the set of two antenna ports (A2 and A3), wherein the combination is included in the set of combinations of the first antenna port (A1) and the set of two antenna ports (A2, A3).
15. Regarding claim 32. Nilsson (0051 and fig 5C) teaches wherein transmitting the one or more SRSs comprises: transmitting the one or more SRSs via (SRS1-SRS3) the three antenna ports (A1-A3) included in a set of four antenna ports (A1-A4), wherein the one or more SRS resources are associated with the set of four antenna ports.
16. Regarding claim 38. Nilsson teaches (0051 and fig 5C) wherein obtaining the one or more SRSs comprises: obtaining the one or more SRSs (SRS1-SRS4) via the three antenna ports (A1-A3) included in a set of four antenna ports (A1-A4), wherein the one or more SRS resources (SRS1-SRS4) are associated with the set of four antenna ports.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
17. 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.
18. Claims 3, 17, 33, 39, 44 and 50 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Nilsson US 2021/0068060 A1 in view of Wang et al US 2023/0239863 A1.
19. Consider claims 3, 17, 33, 39, 44 and 50. Nilsson fails to teach wherein: each of the three antenna ports included in the set of four antenna ports is mapped to a set of resource elements in accordance with a respective cyclic shift, and one cyclic shift associated with one of the set of four antenna ports is unused or muted for the SRS transmission, and the one or more SRSs are transmitted via the set of resource elements and the three antenna ports. However, from the same field of endeavor Wang et al teaches such (see 0147 and Table 3 which supports three ports). Note also that the “muted” port reads on the one antenna effected by the power restriction in Nilsson. It would have been obvious, before the effective date, to use the codebook mapping as taught by Wang in Nilsson in order to more effectively disperse the power amongst the remaining antenna ports.
20. Claims 10 and 24 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Nilsson US 2021/0068060 A1 in view of Examiners Official Notice.
21. Regarding claims 10 and 24. Nilsson teaches (0051 and Fig 5C) wherein the one or more SRSs are transmitted (SRS1) via the first symbol associated with the first SRS resource using the first antenna port (A1) with a first transmit power (V11-V14 +1/3*(V41-V44)), and via the second symbol associated with the second SRS resource (SRS2, SRS3) using the set of two antenna ports (A2, A3) and a second transmit power (V21-V24+ V31-V24+1/3*(V41-V44). Nilsson fails to state that the second transmit power is greater than the first transmit power. However, the examiner takes official notice that different power levels amongst usable antenna ports (the shared one being greater) is well known in the art. It would have been obvious, before the effective date to utilize this well-known teaching in Nisson in order to conserve power to the ports when using the minimum number of antennas.
Allowable Subject Matter
22. Claims 4, 5, 12, 19 and 25-27 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.
Consider claims 4, 12 and 27. The prior art of record fails to teach or make obvious wherein each of the three antenna ports is mapped, in accordance with a comb offset, to the set of resource elements with the respective cyclic shift, and the one or more SRSs are transmitted in accordance with the comb offset via the set of resource elements and the three antenna ports. Dependent
Regarding claims 5, 19 and 26. The prior art of record fails to teach or make obvious a first antenna port of the three antenna ports is mapped, in accordance with a first comb offset, to the set of resource elements and a second antenna port of the three antenna ports is mapped, in accordance with a second comb offset, to the set of resource elements, wherein the second comb offset is different from the first comb offset, and the one or more SRSs are transmitted in accordance with the first comb offset and the second comb offset via the set of resource elements and the three antenna ports.
Regarding claim 25. The prior art of record fails to teach or make obvious wherein the one or more processors are individually or collectively further operable to execute the code to cause the network entity to: measure at least one of the one or more SRSs that are obtained via the first symbol associated with the first SRS resource and the first antenna port to generate a first measurement; measure at least one of the one or more SRSs that are obtained via the second symbol associated with the second SRS resource and the set of two antenna ports to generate a second measurement; and increase the second measurement relative to the first measurement.
23. The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Huang et al US 2025/0192951 A1 teaches a four-port SRS resource may be reused for three-port SRS transmission. In some examples, a two-port SRS resource and a one-port SRS resource may be utilized for a three-port SRS transmission. Several aspects of SRS improvements may be provided to support uplink transmissions with three antenna ports. For instance, a coherent or non-coherent uplink codebook may be specified to facilitate three-antenna-port codebook-based transmissions. Some of the approaches may manage uplink transmission power or SRS resource signaling. For example, some of the techniques may provide SRS port to cyclic shift mapping or SRS power control.
Conclusion
24. Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to CURTIS A KUNTZ whose telephone number is (571)272-7499. The examiner can normally be reached on M-Th from 530am to 330pm and Fri from 530am to 10am.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Matthew D Anderson, can be reached at telephone number 5712724177. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/CURTIS A KUNTZ/Primary examiner, Art Unit 2646
