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 .
Double Patenting
The nonstatutory double patenting rejection is based on a judicially created doctrine grounded in public policy (a policy reflected in the statute) so as to prevent the unjustified or improper timewise extension of the “right to exclude” granted by a patent and to prevent possible harassment by multiple assignees. A nonstatutory double patenting rejection is appropriate where the conflicting claims are not identical, but at least one examined application claim is not patentably distinct from the reference claim(s) because the examined application claim is either anticipated by, or would have been obvious over, the reference claim(s). See, e.g., In re Berg, 140 F.3d 1428, 46 USPQ2d 1226 (Fed. Cir. 1998); In re Goodman, 11 F.3d 1046, 29 USPQ2d 2010 (Fed. Cir. 1993); In re Longi, 759 F.2d 887, 225 USPQ 645 (Fed. Cir. 1985); In re Van Ornum, 686 F.2d 937, 214 USPQ 761 (CCPA 1982); In re Vogel, 422 F.2d 438, 164 USPQ 619 (CCPA 1970); In re Thorington, 418 F.2d 528, 163 USPQ 644 (CCPA 1969).
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Claim 3-14 are rejected on the ground of nonstatutory double patenting as being unpatentable over claim 1 of U.S. Patent No. 10,587,327 B2 in view of Ouchi et al. (US 2014/0105322 A1).
Claim
Instant Application
Claim
US Patent 10,587,327 B2
3
A transmission apparatus, comprising:
a signal processor, which, in operation, generates a symbol sequence to which a first phase change before precoding is applied, an amount of the first phase change before precoding being cyclically switched, and,
in operation, performs precoding on the symbol sequence to generate a first precoded signal and a second precoded signal, wherein a second phase change is applied to the second precoded signal, an amount of the second phase change being cyclically switched; and
a transmitter, which, in operation, transmits the first precoded signal and the second precoded signal.
1
A transmission apparatus, comprising:
a modulation mapper, which, in operation,
when a phase change before precoding is enabled, modulates a bit sequence to generate a symbol sequence to which a first phase change before precoding is applied, an amount of the first phase change before precoding being cyclically switched; and
when a phase change before precoding is not enabled, modulates a bit sequence to generate a first symbol sequence and a second symbol sequence; a precoder, which, in operation,
when the modulation mapper outputs the symbol sequence to which the first phase change before precoding is applied, performs precoding on the symbol sequence to generate a first precoded signal and a second precoded signal, wherein a second phase change is applied to the second precoded signal; and
when the modulation mapper outputs the first symbol sequence and the second symbol sequence, performs precoding on the first symbol sequence and the second symbol sequence to generate a third precoded signal and a fourth precoded signal, to which a third phase change and a fourth phase change are applied, respectively; and
a transmitter, which, in operation, transmits the first precoded signal and the second precoded signal or transmits the third precoded signal and the fourth precoded signal.
4
The transmission apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the amount of the first phase change before precoding is switched symbol by symbol.
5
The transmission apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the signal processor, which, in operation, generates a first symbol sequence and a second symbol sequence that carry the same data and the precoding is performed on the first symbol sequence and the second symbol sequence to generate the first precoded signal and the second precoded signal.
1
when a phase change before precoding is not enabled, modulates a bit sequence to generate a first symbol sequence and a second symbol sequence; a precoder, which, in operation,
when the modulation mapper outputs the symbol sequence to which the first phase change before precoding is applied, performs precoding on the symbol sequence to generate a first precoded signal and a second precoded signal, wherein a second phase change is applied to the second precoded signal; and
when the modulation mapper outputs the first symbol sequence and the second symbol sequence, performs precoding on the first symbol sequence and the second symbol sequence
6
The transmission apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the second phase change is not applied to the first precoded signal.
7
The transmission apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the transmitter uses at least one of a first orthogonal frequency-division multiplexing (OFDM) transmission mode and another transmission mode different from the first OFDM transmission mode.
3
The transmission apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the transmitter uses at least one of a first orthogonal frequency-division multiplexing (OFDM) transmission mode and another transmission mode different from the first OFDM transmission mode.
8
The transmission apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the transmitter comprises a plurality of antenna ports and each of the plurality of antenna ports transmits at least one of the first precoded signal and the second precoded signal.
8
The transmission apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the transmitter comprises a plurality of antenna ports and each of the plurality of antenna ports transmits at least one of the first precoded signal and the second precoded signal or at least one of the third precoded signal and the fourth precoded signal.
9
A transmission method, comprising:
generating a symbol sequence to which a first phase change before precoding is applied, an amount of the first phase change before precoding being cyclically switched;
performing precoding on the symbol sequence to generate a first precoded signal and a second precoded signal, wherein a second phase change is applied to the second precoded signal, an amount of the second phase change being cyclically switched; and
transmitting the first precoded signal and the second precoded signal.
1
A transmission apparatus, comprising:
a modulation mapper, which, in operation,
when a phase change before precoding is enabled, modulates a bit sequence to generate a symbol sequence to which a first phase change before precoding is applied, an amount of the first phase change before precoding being cyclically switched; and
when a phase change before precoding is not enabled, modulates a bit sequence to generate a first symbol sequence and a second symbol sequence; a precoder, which, in operation,
when the modulation mapper outputs the symbol sequence to which the first phase change before precoding is applied, performs precoding on the symbol sequence to generate a first precoded signal and a second precoded signal, wherein a second phase change is applied to the second precoded signal; and
when the modulation mapper outputs the first symbol sequence and the second symbol sequence, performs precoding on the first symbol sequence and the second symbol sequence to generate a third precoded signal and a fourth precoded signal, to which a third phase change and a fourth phase change are applied, respectively; and
a transmitter, which, in operation, transmits the first precoded signal and the second precoded signal or transmits the third precoded signal and the fourth precoded signal.
10
The transmission method according to claim 9, wherein the amount of the first phase change before precoding is switched symbol by symbol.
11
The transmission method according to claim 9, comprising:
generating a first symbol sequence and a second symbol sequence that carry the same data, wherein the precoding is performed on the first symbol sequence and the second symbol sequence to generate the first precoded signal and the second precoded signal.
1
when a phase change before precoding is not enabled, modulates a bit sequence to generate a first symbol sequence and a second symbol sequence; a precoder, which, in operation,
when the modulation mapper outputs the symbol sequence to which the first phase change before precoding is applied, performs precoding on the symbol sequence to generate a first precoded signal and a second precoded signal, wherein a second phase change is applied to the second precoded signal; and
when the modulation mapper outputs the first symbol sequence and the second symbol sequence, performs precoding on the first symbol sequence and the second symbol sequence
12
The transmission method according to claim 9, wherein the second phase change is not applied to the first precoded signal.
13
The transmission method according to claim 9, wherein the transmitting uses at least one of a first orthogonal frequency-division multiplexing (OFDM) transmission mode and another transmission mode different from the first OFDM transmission mode.
3
The transmission apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the transmitter uses at least one of a first orthogonal frequency-division multiplexing (OFDM) transmission mode and another transmission mode different from the first OFDM transmission mode.
14
The transmission method according to claim 9. wherein the transmitting comprises use of a plurality of antenna ports and each of the plurality of antenna ports transmits at least one of the first precoded signal and the second precoded signal.
8
The transmission apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the transmitter comprises a plurality of antenna ports and each of the plurality of antenna ports transmits at least one of the first precoded signal and the second precoded signal or at least one of the third precoded signal and the fourth precoded signal.
(1) Regarding claim 1:
Claim 1 of US Patent 10,587,327 B2 discloses all subject matter of claim 1, except a second phase change is applied to the second precoded signal, an amount of the second phase change being cyclically switched.
However, in the same field of endeavor, Ouchi discloses a transmitter in figure 3 with a phase changer 317B takes weighted signal 316B (precoded signal, para. 0258) and the signal processing method information 315 as input, then regularly changes the phase of the signal 316B for output. This regular change is a change of phase performed according to a predetermined phase changing pattern having a predetermined period (cycle) (e.g., every n symbols (n being an integer, n≥1) or at a predetermined interval), para. 0247.
It is desirable to have a second phase change is applied to the second precoded signal, an amount of the second phase change being cyclically switched because it improves reception quality in a LOS environment. Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before effective filing date of the claimed invention to employ the teaching of Ouchi with claim 1 of US Patent 10,587,327 B2 for the benefit of improving reception quality in a LOS environment.
(2) Regarding claim 9:
Claim 1 of US Patent 10,587,327 B2 discloses all subject matter of claim 9, except a second phase change is applied to the second precoded signal, an amount of the second phase change being cyclically switched.
However, in the same field of endeavor, Ouchi discloses a transmitter in figure 3 with a phase changer 317B takes weighted signal 316B (precoded signal, para. 0258) and the signal processing method information 315 as input, then regularly changes the phase of the signal 316B for output. This regular change is a change of phase performed according to a predetermined phase changing pattern having a predetermined period (cycle) (e.g., every n symbols (n being an integer, n.gtoreq.1) or at a predetermined interval), para. 0247.
It is desirable to have a second phase change is applied to the second precoded signal, an amount of the second phase change being cyclically switched because it improves reception quality in a LOS environment. Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before effective filing date of the claimed invention to employ the teaching of Ouchi with claim 1 of US Patent 10,587,327 B2 for the benefit of improving reception quality in a LOS environment.
(3) Regarding claims 7-8 and 13-14:
Claim 1 of US Patent 10,587,327 B2 and Ouchi discloses all subject matter of claims 3 and 9, and claims 3 and 8 of US Patent 10,587,327 B2 discloses all subject matter of claims 7, 13, and 8,14 respectively as shown in above comparison.
(4) Regarding claims 6 and 12:
Claim 1 of US Patent 10,587,327 B2 and Ouchi discloses all subject matter of claims 3 and 9, and Ouchi further discloses in figure 4 that only one output from the weighting unit (precoder) (308A and 308B) Is being phase change by phase changer 317B, therefore, it satisfied the claimed limitation of the second phase change is not applied to the first precoded signal.
(5) Regarding claims 5 and 11:
Claim 1 of US Patent 10,587,327 B2 and Ouchi discloses all subject matter of claims 3 and 9, and claim 1 of US Patent 10,587,327 B2 further discloses that:
“when a phase change before precoding is not enabled, modulates a bit sequence to generate a first symbol sequence and a second symbol sequence; a precoder, which, in operation,
when the modulation mapper outputs the symbol sequence to which the first phase change before precoding is applied, performs precoding on the symbol sequence to generate a first precoded signal and a second precoded signal, wherein a second phase change is applied to the second precoded signal; and
when the modulation mapper outputs the first symbol sequence and the second symbol sequence, performs precoding on the first symbol sequence and the second symbol sequence”.
Since the first symbol sequence and the second symbol sequence are generated based on a bit sequence, therefore, the first symbol sequence and the second symbol sequence carry the same data, therefore the claimed limitation is met.
(6) Regarding claims 4 and 10:
Claim 1 of US Patent 10,587,327 B2 and Ouchi discloses all subject matter of claims 3 and 9, and the amount of the first phase change before precoding is switched symbol by symbol (This regular change is a change of phase performed according to a predetermined phase changing pattern having a predetermined period (cycle) (e.g., every n symbols (n being an integer, n≥1) or at a predetermined interval), para. 0247).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Kim et al. (US 2015/0288439 A1) discloses method and apparatus for transmitting and receiving single stream through multiple beams in wireless communication system.
Murakami et al. (US 2015/0171937 A1) discloses transmission method, reception method, transmitter, and receiver.
Murakami et al. (US 2014/0205032 A1) discloses signal generating method and signal generating device.
Murakami et al. (US 2014/0037029 A1) discloses relay method and relay device.
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/SIU M LEE/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2632 9/11/2026
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