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
Acknowledgment is made of applicant's claim for foreign priority based on an application filed in China on 11/30/23. It is noted, however, that applicant has not filed a certified copy of the foreign application as required by 37 CFR 1.55.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 101
35 U.S.C. 101 reads as follows:
Whoever invents or discovers any new and useful process, machine, manufacture, or composition of matter, or any new and useful improvement thereof, may obtain a patent therefor, subject to the conditions and requirements of this title.
Claims 11-15 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 101 because the claims direct to a computer readable storage medium storing a computer program, so based on the claimed language, the computer readable storage medium may be nothing more than a data signal used to carry or store a program code, the computer readable storage medium thus being non-statutory.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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, 5, 6, 8-13 and 15 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Yu et al (2020/0236618).
-Regarding claim 1, Yu et al teaches a control method, performed a UE (“UE 10”, [0026]), comprising:
determining/knowing, via a programmable controller (“data processor 16-1”, [0032]), a target operating mode (being an access mode for accessing a communication system (“first communication system”, [0028}), in response to a target instruction (“software”, [0032]), in a target scenario (represented by the target operating mode) (see [0028, 0032, 0092]) ; and
controlling, via the controller, a target antenna (comprising antenna modules (11, 12, 13, 14), figure 1)) in the target operating mode to receive a first radiated signal (represented by a receive carrier frequency “carrier frequency used for reception”, [0040]) at a first frequency (being the receive carrier frequency) and transmit a second radiated signal (represented by a transmit carrier signal (“carrier frequency used for transmission”, [0040]) at a second frequency (being the transmit carrier signal), the first frequency and the second frequency inherently belonging to a same frequency band (being any certain frequency band including the first frequency and the second frequency) (see [0040]);
wherein: the target operating mode (indicated by operations of the target antenna over time (TIME)) (see figure 4) includes a plurality of different antenna operating modes (indicated by respective operations of antenna modules (11, 12, 13) over the time ;
wherein (see figure 4) under two of the antenna operating modes (indicated by respective operations of 2 antenna modules (11 and 12) over the time of the plurality of different antenna operating modes, the second radiated signal at the second frequency is transmitted at different target powers (which corresponds to, and thus is indicated by, temperatures of the respective antenna modules (11 and 12)) to cause transmission powers the respective antenna modules (11 and 12) of the plurality of different operating modes to be equal to or approach a power limit (indicated by a threshold temperature (TTH1)) of the target scenario; and the target power represents a power (being a transmit power of the UE) of a radio frequency path between an antenna port (being the antenna module (11 or 12)) of the target antenna and a transceiver (being a base station (“base station”, [0025]) (see [0003, 0025, 0026, 0045, 0047]) .
-Regarding claim 2, Yu et al teaches that different target scenarios correspond to 2 different target operating modes (being 2 different access modes for accessing 2 different communication systems (“first communication system”, [0028}) and “second communication system”, [0028})), e.g., being a 5G (mmWave) system and a LTE (RF) system having different frequency bands (see [0028]), and the different target scenarios correspond to different power limits (as higher frequency band requires higher power for not being easily attenuated, see “a signal having a high frequency band such as the mmWave frequency band may be easily attenuated. High transmission power may be required for such a signal having a high frequency band that may be easily attenuated”, [0003]).
-Regarding claim 3, Yu et al teaches that the method comprises:
obtaining a target parameter ((T1 and/or Q1), figure 5) in response to the target antenna being in a first antenna operating mode (indicated by operations of the antenna module (11) over time shown in figure 4) of the target operating mode (see figure 5 and [0046, 0051, 0052]); and
switching from the first antenna operating mode to a second antenna operating mode (indicated by operations of the antenna module (12) over time shown in figure 4) in response to the target parameter satisfying a switching condition (see (OP24, YES) and/or (OP28, NO) shown in figure 5) (see 0051-0055]);
wherein: in the first antenna operating mode, the second radiated signal at the second frequency is transmitted with a first target power (being a transmit power (indicated by corresponding temperature over time shown in figure 4) of the antenna module (11)); and in the second antenna operating mode, the second radiated signal at the second frequency is transmitted with a second target power (being a transmit power (indicated by corresponding temperature over time shown in figure 4) of the antenna module (12)), and the first target power and the second target power are different (see figure 4, and [0003, 0042, 0043]).
-Regarding claim 5, Yu et al teaches that switching from the first antenna operating mode to the second antenna operating mode in response to the target parameter (Q1) satisfying the switching condition includes: in response to a first parameter (Q1) being less than a first threshold (QTH1) (referred to (OP28, NO) shown in figure 5), switching from the first antenna operating mode to the second antenna operating mode, the first parameter being less than the first threshold to indicate that reception performance of the target antenna is degraded (see figure 5 and [0003, 0052]).
-Regarding claim 6, Yu et al teaches an electronic device (being a UE (“UE 10”, [0026])), comprising:
a processor (“data processor 16-1”, [0032]) (referred to (16-1), figure 1) configured to determine/know a target operating mode (being an access mode for accessing a communication system (“first communication system”, [0028}), in response to a target instruction (“software”, [0032]), in a target scenario (represented by the target operating mode) (see [0028, 0032, 0092]; and
an antenna adjustment module ((15, 16), figure 1) communicatively connected to the processor and configured to control a target antenna (comprising antenna modules (11, 12, 13, 14), figure 1)) in the target operating mode to receive a first radiated signal (represented by a receive carrier frequency “carrier frequency used for reception”, [0040]) at a first frequency (being the receive carrier frequency) and transmit a second radiated signal (represented by a transmit carrier signal (“carrier frequency used for transmission”, [0040]) at a second frequency (being the transmit carrier signal), the first frequency and the second frequency inherently belonging to a same frequency band (being any certain frequency band including the first frequency and the second frequency) (see [0040]);
wherein: the target operating mode (indicated by operations of the target antenna over time (TIME)) (see figure 4) includes a plurality of different antenna operating modes (indicated by respective operations of antenna modules (11, 12, 13) over the time;
wherein (see figure 4) under two of the antenna operating modes (indicated by respective operations of 2 antenna modules (11 and 12) over the time of the plurality of different antenna operating modes, the second radiated signal at the second frequency is transmitted at different target powers (which corresponds to, and thus is indicated by, temperatures of the respective antenna modules (11 and 12)) to cause transmission powers the respective antenna modules (11 and 12) of the plurality of different operating modes to be equal to or approach a power limit (indicated by a threshold temperature (TTH1)) of the target scenario; and the target power represents a power (being a transmit power of the UE) of a radio frequency path between an antenna port (being the antenna module (11 or 12) of the target antenna and a transceiver (being a base station (“base station”, [0025]) (see [0003, 0025, 0026, 0045, 0047]) .
-Claim 8 is rejected with similar reasons set forth for claim 2.
-Regarding claim 9, Yu et al teaches that the device comprises: a communication module ((15, 16), figure 1), wherein: the processor is configured to obtain a target parameter ((T1 and/or Q1), figure 5) in response to the target antenna being in a first antenna operating mode (indicated by operations of the antenna module (11) over time shown in figure 4) of the target operating mode (see figure 5 and [0046, 0051, 0052]); the processor is further configured to switch from the first antenna operating mode to a second antenna operating mode (indicated by operations of the antenna module (12) over time shown in figure 4) in response to the target parameter satisfying a switching condition (see (OP24, YES) and/or (OP28, NO) shown in figure 5) (see 0051-0055];
wherein: in the first antenna operating mode, the second radiated signal at the second frequency is transmitted with a first target power (being a transmit power (indicated by corresponding temperature over time shown in figure 4) of the antenna module (11)); and in the second antenna operating mode, the second radiated signal at the second frequency is transmitted with a second target power (being a transmit power (indicated by corresponding temperature over time shown in figure 4) of the antenna module (12)), and the first target power and the second target power are different (see figure 4, and [0003, 0042, 0043]).
-Regarding claim 10, Yu et al teaches that the processor is configured to carry out the following performance: in response to a first parameter (Q1) being less than a first threshold (QTH1) (referred to (OP28, NO) shown in figure 5), switching from the first antenna operating mode to the second antenna operating mode, the first parameter being less than the first threshold to indicate that reception performance of the target antenna is degraded (see figure 5 and [0003, 0052]).
-Regarding claim 11, Yu et al teaches a control method, performed a UE (“UE 10”, [0026]), comprising:
determining/knowing, via a programmable controller (“data processor 16-1”, [0032]), a target operating mode (being an access mode for accessing a communication system (“first communication system”, [0028}), in response to a target instruction (“software”, [0032]), in a target scenario (represented by the target operating mode (see [0028, 0032, 0092]) ; and
controlling, via the controller, a target antenna (comprising antenna modules (11, 12, 13, 14), figure 1)) in the target operating mode to receive a first radiated signal (represented by a receive carrier frequency “carrier frequency used for reception”, [0040]) at a first frequency (being the receive carrier frequency) and transmit a second radiated signal (represented by a transmit carrier signal (“carrier frequency used for transmission”, [0040]) at a second frequency (being the transmit carrier signal), the first frequency and the second frequency inherently belonging to a same frequency band (being any certain frequency band including the first frequency and the second frequency) (see [0040]);
wherein: the target operating mode (indicated by operations of the target antenna over time (TIME)) (see figure 4) includes a plurality of different antenna operating modes (indicated by respective operations of antenna modules (11, 12, 13) over the time ;
wherein (see figure 4) under two of the antenna operating modes (indicated by respective operations of 2 antenna modules (11 and 12) over the time of the plurality of different antenna operating modes, the second radiated signal at the second frequency is transmitted at different target powers (which corresponds to, and thus is indicated by, temperatures of the respective antenna modules (11 and 12) to cause transmission powers the respective antenna modules (11 and 12) of the plurality of different operating modes to be equal to or approach a power limit (indicated by a threshold temperature (TTH1)) of the target scenario; and the target power represents a power (being a transmit power of the UE) of a radio frequency path between an antenna port (being the antenna module (11 or 12) of the target antenna and a transceiver (being a base station (“base station”, [0025]) (see [0003, 0025, 0026, 0045, 0047]) .
Yu et al further teaches that the UE comprises a computer readable storage medium (“main memory 149”, [0092]) storing a computer program (“instructions”, [0092]) that, when executed by one or more processors (“maim processor 147”, [0092]), causes the one or more processors to perform the method (see [0092]).
-Claim 12 is rejected with similar reasons set forth for claim 2.
-Claims 13 is rejected with similar reasons set forth for claim 3.
-Claim 15 is rejected with similar reasons set forth for claim 5.
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 4 and 14 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Yu et al, or in view of Yu et al in view of Jung et al (2018/0069606).
-Regarding claim 4, Yu et al teaches that the target parameter (QTH1) indicates/represents quality performance (referred “RSRP”, “RSSI”, “RSRQ” and/or “SINR”, [0052], measured at the UE) of the target antenna and the radio frequency path of the target antenna between the UE and the base station, as a channel state information of the path , wherein the target parameter is generated at the UE, (see [0027, 0028, 0052]) .
Yu et al does not teach whether the target parameter is generated in response to request information received from a base station, and is sent to the base station, as claimed.
It is well-known in the art, as evidenced by Jung et al, that a base station (680) can send to a UE (630) a measurement configuration (referred to (MEASUREMENT CONFIGURATION INFORMATION, 1210)) on channel state information of a communication path between them, as a request , and that upon reception of the request, the UE measures and generates a channel state of the path and sends to the base station the generated channel state, as channel state information of the path (referred to (MEASURMENT REPORT, 1230)) (see figure 12A and [0026-0231]) ; and the examiner takes Official Notice on other prior art teaching the well-known feature.
For application, it would have been obvious for one skilled in the art, at the time the invention was made, to implement Yu et al, as taught by Jung et al, in such a way that the UE would generate the target parameter, representing a channel state information of the communication path, in response to request information received from the base station, and send it to the base station, so that with the implementation, the base station would be enhanced with capability of receiving the channel state information of the communication path, reported from the UE.
-Claim 14 is rejected with similar reasons set forth for claim 4.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claim 7 is 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
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to PHUONG M PHU whose telephone number is (571)272-3009. The examiner can normally be reached 8:00-16:00.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Chieh Fan can be reached at 571-272-3042. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/PHUONG PHU/
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 2632