DETAILED ACTION
This Office Action is in response to the application as originally filed 11/27/2024. The detail office action to the pending claims 1-20 is as shown below.
The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
Claim Objections
The following claims are objected to because of the following informalities:
Claim 1, in line 1 recites the word “apparatusapparatus”. Said word should be amended to correct the typographical error. Appropriate correction required.
Each of claims 4, 9, 10, recite mathematical formulas, each including one or more asterisk symbols (*). The asterisk symbol servers various purposes in mathematics and adjacent fields, where its application ranges from a multiplication symbol to more specialized uses for example, as a convolution of two functions, and/or a complex conjugate of numbers. Accordingly, Applicant's cooperation is requested in defining the asterisk symbols in each claim.
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.
The factual inquiries set forth in Graham v. John Deere Co., 383 U.S. 1, 148 USPQ 459 (1966), that are applied 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 1, 2, 13, 20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over (“US2025/0260449 to Guan et al. (“Guan”) in view of US12101142 to Song (The remarks and/or references placed in the parentheses apply to the prior art)
RE claims 1 and 20, Guan discloses an apparatus (110) and a model application method (e.g. Guan, Fig. 5 and para [0025]), comprising a processor (710), configured to execute instructions (730) stored in a memory (720) to cause the apparatus to perform (e.g. paras [0006] of Guan) the following: determining first information based on a received reference signal (e.g. Guan, Paras [0115], [0217]: the terminal device determines CSI based on a measurement on a set of reference signal (RSs) from the network device), wherein the first information comprises data of m ports for the reference signal (e.g. Guan, paras [0165], [0166], [0169]-[0171]: wherein the information comprises antenna-port-domain information for the reference signal. For example, N1 number of antenna ports in a vertical antenna layout and/or N2 number of antenna ports in a horizontal antenna layout ); and mapping the data of the m ports to an input of a first model based on a correspondence between the m ports and n ports in an input dimension of the first model (e.g. Guan, paras [0091]-[0092], [0166], [0176]-[0177], [0179]: mapping a value of the spatial-domain parameter (which comprise the number of antenna ports) and at least one compression parameter value (i.e. first model) of the set of compression parameter values, based on relationship or correspondence between the compression parameter value (i.e. first model) and the spatial-domain parameter (i.e. number of antenna ports)), to obtain an output of the first model (e.g. Guan, Paras [0180], [0186], [0187], [0234]: the terminal device applies a compression method; compresses the CSI based on the compression parameter value (i.e. first model); and obtains a compression CSI feedback (i.e. an output)), wherein both m and n are integers greater than or equal to 1 and m and n are not equal (e.g. Guan, Para [0180] and Tables 13-16 illustrates number of antenna ports N1, N2 that are integers, both greater than or equal to 1 and N1 and N2 having different Ratios (i.e. not equal)).
While Guan discloses wherein the information comprises antenna-port-domain information for the reference signal, as noted above, and while it is well within the level of a person of ordinary skill in the art to recognize that antenna-port information comprise information of antenna ports, the subject matter of claims 1 and 20 differ from Guan in that Guan does not expressly recite the received reference signal include m ports information. However, Song teaches or fairly suggests, in the same technical field, said claim term. See for example, col. 7, lines 35-65, which describe that the channel state information reference signals (CSI-RSs) comprising a number of antenna ports. Hence, it would have been obvious at the time the invention was made to one of ordinary skill in the art to modify the feature/element disclosed by Guan with the knowledge generally available to one of ordinary skill in the art given the broadest reasonable interpretation in light of the specification or with Song’s teachings so that a spatial compression matrix based on the supplied information is applied (see for example, col. 7, lines 35-65 of Song). Therefore, one of ordinary skill in the art, such as an individual working in a field related to wireless communications and techniques for hybrid beamforming configuration could have combined the features/elements as claimed by known methods, and that in combination, each feature/method merely performs the same function as it does separately, with each feature/method retaining its advantageous function, yielding predictable result/s. It is for at least the aforementioned reasons that the Examiner has reached a conclusion of obviousness with respect to claims 1 and 20.
RE claim 2, Guan discloses the apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the reference signal is a downlink reference signal (e.g. Guan, paras [0087], [0088], [0115]: is a downlink reference signal), the output of the first model is for determining second information (e.g. Guan, paras [0186], [0189], [0190], [0193]: is for determining second information at the network device), and the apparatus further comprises: sending the second information to a network device (e.g. Guan, Fig. 3, paras [0088], [0201], [0230]: transmits the compression method (i.e. output of the model) including information related to the number of antenna panels).
RE claim 13, Guan discloses an apparatus (120), comprising a processor (710), configured to execute instructions (730) stored in a memory (720) to cause the apparatus to perform (e.g. para [0007] of Guan) the following: receiving second information from a terminal device (e.g. Guan, Step 340 of Fig. 1 and paras [0201], [0246]: the network device receives compressed CSI from the terminal device); determining third information based on a second model and the second information (e.g. Guan, paras [0195], [0247]: upon receiving the compression CSI form the terminal, the network device determines a
compression method applied for the compressed CSI based on the compressed CSI configuration form the terminal, wherein the compression method may be an AI/ML based model); and processing the third information based on a correspondence between m ports for a downlink reference signal and x ports in an output dimension of the second model (e.g. Guan, paras [0193], [0195], the network device may update the antenna-port domain configuration based on the reported compression method and the spatial-domain (i.e. antenna ports) information) , to determine first information, wherein the first information comprises data of the m ports (e.g. Guan, para [0256], [0257]: the network device may determine the compression method by determining a set of compression parameter values based on mapping between the spatial-domain parameter (which comprise the number of antenna ports) and at least one compression parameter value in the set of compression parameter values, or a mapping among at least two compression parameter values in the set of compression parameter values), both m and x are integers greater than or equal to 13, and m and x are not equal (e.g. Guan, Para [0180] and Tables 13-16 illustrates number of antenna ports N1, N2 that are integers, both greater than or equal to 1 and N1 and N2 having different Ratios (i.e. not equal)). While Guan discloses wherein the information comprises antenna-port-domain information for the reference signal, as noted above, and while it is well within the level of a person of ordinary skill in the art to recognize that antenna-port information comprise information of antenna ports, the subject matter of claim 1 differs from Guan in that Guan does not expressly recite the received reference signal include m ports information. However, Song teaches or fairly suggests, in the same technical field, said claim term. See for example, col. 7, lines 35-65, which describe that the channel state information reference signals (CSI-RSs) comprising a number of antenna ports. Hence, it would have been obvious at the time the invention was made to one of ordinary skill in the art to modify the feature/element disclosed by Guan with the knowledge generally available to one of ordinary skill in the art given the broadest reasonable interpretation in light of the specification or with Song’s teachings so that a spatial compression matrix based on the supplied information is applied (see for example, col. 7, lines 35-65 of Song). Therefore one of ordinary skill in the art, such as an individual working in a field related to wireless communications and techniques for hybrid beamforming configuration could have combined the features/elements as claimed by known methods, and that in combination, each feature/method merely performs the same function as it does separately, with each feature/method retaining its advantageous function, yielding predictable result/s. It is for at least the aforementioned reasons that the Examiner has reached a conclusion of obviousness with respect to claim 13.
Objected but Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 3-12, 14-19 are objected to as being dependent upon rejected base claims, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of their respective base claims and any intervening claims.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure are (See the attached Notice of References Cited (PTO-892)). These prior arts are considered pertinent because they relate generally to the field of communication technologies, and in particular, to model application methods and an apparatus’ utilizing Artificial intelligence (AI) or Machine learning capabilities.
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/BERHANU TADESE/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2632