CTNF 18/992,866 CTNF 84815 DETAILED ACTION Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status 07-03-aia AIA 15-10-aia 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 07-20-aia AIA 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. 07-21-aia AIA 1. Claim s 21-40 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kim (US 2025/0286679) in view Haghighat (WO 2022/154925) . 2. As per claim 21, Kim teaches an apparatus to be implemented in a user equipment (UE), the apparatus comprising: a memory (Kim, ¶0167 “… memory …”) to store configuration information for a sounding reference signal (SRS) resource allocation (Kim, ¶0007 “… SRS configuration information …”. Furthermore, it’s well-known in the art to process, store, receive and/or transmit configuration information for SRS resources to improve communication performance -see Haghighat WO 2022/154925 for example ¶0007-0008), wherein the SRS resource allocation includes multiple symbols (Kim, ¶0007 “ …SRS … number of symbols …”), and wherein resource elements of the SRS resource allocation are allocated into multiple subsets (Kim, Claim 21 “ SRS … subset… “); and processor circuitry coupled to the memory, the processor circuitry to encode the SRS for transmission in the SRS resource allocation, wherein the SRS is transmitted in the different subsets using different groups of antenna ports (Kim, ¶0007 “… transmission … SRS … multiple antenna ports …”). 3. As per claim 22, Kim in view of Haghighat teaches the apparatus of claim 21, wherein the subsets each include one or more symbols of the multiple symbols (Kim, ¶0007) 4. As per claim 23, Kim in view of Haghighat teaches the apparatus of claim 22, wherein the subsets each include two or more of the symbols, and wherein the symbols of the subsets are interlaced with one another (Kim. ¶0007) 5. As per claim 24, Kim in view of Haghighat teaches the apparatus of claim 21, wherein the processor circuitry is further to equally divide a total transmit power among the group of antenna ports that is used to transmit the SRS in a symbol of the multiple symbols (Haghighat, ¶0183). 6. As per claim 25, Kim in view of Haghighat teaches the apparatus of claim 21, wherein the SRS is transmitted in the different subsets using a same set of cyclic shifts or different sets of cyclic shifts (Kim, Table 6.4.1.4.1). 6. As per claim 26, Kim in view of Haghighat teaches the apparatus of claim 21, wherein the SRS is transmitted using frequency hopping within the individual subsets (Kim, ¶0023). 7. As per claim 27, Kim in view of Haghighat teaches the apparatus of claim 21, wherein the SRS is transmitted with a total of 8 antenna ports (Kim, ¶0147). 8. As per claim 28, Kim in view of Haghighat teaches the apparatus of claim 27, wherein the multiple subsets is two subsets, and wherein the SRS is transmitted on each of the two subsets using 4 antenna ports (Kim, ¶0147). 9. As per claim 29, Kim teaches one or more non-transitory computer-readable media (NTCRM) having instructions, stored thereon, that when executed by one or more processors of a next generation Node B (gNB) configure the gNB to: encode, for transmission to a user equipment (UE), configuration information for a sounding reference signal (SRS) resource allocation (Kim, ¶0008 “…SRS configuration information …”), wherein the SRS resource allocation includes multiple symbols (Kim, ¶0008 “ …SRS … number of symbols …”), wherein resource elements of the SRS resource allocation are allocated into multiple subsets (Kim, Claim 28 “ SRS … subset… “), and wherein the UE is to transmit the SRS in the different subsets using different groups of antenna ports (Kim, ¶0008 “… transmission … SRS … multiple antenna ports …”; and identify receipt of the SRS in the SRS resource allocation (Kim, ¶0119). 10. As per claim 30, Kim in view of Haghighat teaches the one or more NTCRM of claim 29, wherein the subsets each include one or more symbols of the multiple symbols (Kim, ¶0008). 11. As per claim 31, Kim in view of Haghighat teaches the one or more NTCRM of claim 30, wherein the subsets each include two or more of the symbols, and wherein the symbols of the subsets are interlaced with one another (Kim, ¶0008). 12. As per claim 32, Kim in view of Haghighat teaches the one or more NTCRM of claim 29, wherein a total transmit power for a symbol of the multiple symbols is divided equally among the group of antenna ports that is used to transmit the SRS in the symbol (Haghighat, ¶0183). 13. As per claim 33, Kim in view of Haghighat teaches the one or more NTCRM of claim 29, wherein the SRSs in the different subsets use a same set of cyclic shifts or different sets of cyclic shifts (Kim, Table 6.4.1.4.1). 14. As per claim 34, Kim in view of Haghighat teaches the one or more NTCRM claim 29, wherein the SRS is received using frequency hopping within the individual subsets (Kim, ¶0023). 15. As per claim 35, Kim in view of Haghighat teaches the one or more NTCRM of claim 29, wherein the SRS is transmitted with a total of 8 antenna ports (Kim, ¶0147). 16. As per claim 36, Kim in view of Haghighat teaches the one or more NTCRM of claim 35, wherein the multiple subsets is two subsets, and wherein the SRS is transmitted on each of the two subsets using 4 antenna ports (Kim, ¶0147). 17. As per claim 37, Kim teaches one or more non-transitory computer-readable media (NTCRM) having instructions, stored thereon, that when executed by one or more processors of a user equipment (UE) configure the UE to: receive configuration information for a sounding reference signal (SRS) resource allocation (Kim, ¶0007 “ … receiving … SRS configuration information …”), wherein the SRS resource allocation includes a first subset of symbols that are allocated to a first group of antenna ports and a second subset of symbols that are allocated to a second group of antenna ports (Kim, ¶0147), wherein the first and second subsets of symbols are non-overlapping (Kim, ¶0007 “ … do not overlap …”); and transmit the SRS in the first subset of symbols using the first group of antenna ports and in the second subset of symbols using the second group of antenna ports (Kim, ¶0147), While Kim doesn’t mention explicitly, Haghighat teaches wherein a total transmit power for the SRS in a respective symbol of the first or second subset of symbols is divided equally among the antenna ports that are used to transmit the SRS in the respective symbol (Haghighat, ¶0183). Therefore, taking the combined teaching of Kim and Haghighat as a whole, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time of the invention to implement the instant limitation for the benefit of avoiding power imbalance. 18. As per claim 38, Kim in view of Haghighat teaches the one or more NTCRM of claim 37, wherein the first and second subsets of symbols are interlaced with one another within a slot (Kim, ¶0147). 19. As per claim 39, Kim in view of Haghighat teaches the one or more NTCRM of claim 37, wherein the SRS is transmitted in the second subset of symbols using a same set of cyclic shifts or a different set of cyclic shifts than in the first subset of symbols (Kim, Table 6.4.1.4.1). 20. As per claim 40, Kim in view of Haghighat teaches the one or more NTCRM of claim 37, wherein the first and second groups of antenna ports each include four antenna ports (Kim, ¶0147). Conclusion Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ZEWDU A KASSA whose telephone number is (571)270-5253. The examiner can normally be reached 9-5:30. Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice. If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, David Payne can be reached at 5712723024. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300. Information regarding the status of published or unpublished applications may be obtained from Patent Center. Unpublished application information in Patent Center is available to registered users. To file and manage patent submissions in Patent Center, visit: https://patentcenter.uspto.gov. Visit https://www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/patent-center for more information about Patent Center and https://www.uspto.gov/patents/docx for information about filing in DOCX format. For additional questions, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000. ZEWDU A. KASSA Examiner Art Unit 2637 /ZEWDU A KASSA/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2635 Application/Control Number: 18/992,866 Page 2 Art Unit: 2635 Application/Control Number: 18/992,866 Page 3 Art Unit: 2635 Application/Control Number: 18/992,866 Page 4 Art Unit: 2635 Application/Control Number: 18/992,866 Page 5 Art Unit: 2635 Application/Control Number: 18/992,866 Page 6 Art Unit: 2635 Application/Control Number: 18/992,866 Page 7 Art Unit: 2635
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