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
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.
Claim(s) 1-5, 10, 14-17, 23-24 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Blakenship (2016/0255593).
Regarding claim 1 and 14, Blakenship discloses a communication method (Fig. 15), comprising: receiving power configuration information ([0124], "These static fractions, which are denoted as VMeNB and VMeNB above, may be assigned in any suitable manner (e.g., defined by the wireless device 12 or configured by the MeNB 14"; [0122], YMeNB+YSeNB⁻¹ ; [0132], powers semi-statically signaled via RRC); determining a first transmit power (P_MeNB,max and P_SeNB,max) of each signal of N signals based on the power configuration information ([0122]; [0124]), wherein the first transmit power of the signal of the N signals is a maximum transmit power of the signal when the N signals are transmitted simultaneously (P_MeNB,max and P_SeNB,max, [0124], "the wireless device 12 determines the maximum transmit power levels {circumflex over (P)}MeNB,max and {circumflex over (P)}SeNB,max for the simultaneous links to the MeNB 14 and the SeNB 16 (step 100)."), and N is an integer greater than 1 (N=2, two links, on two carriers to MeNB and SeNB); and transmitting the N signals simultaneously based on the first transmit powers of the N signals ([0124], "The wireless device 12 transmits uplink transmissions on the MeNB link and the SeNB link according to the maximum transmit power levels {circumflex over (P)}MeNB,max and {circumflex over (P)}SeNB,max, respectively (step 102)"), wherein a transmit power of each signal is not greater than the first transmit power of the signal when the N signals are transmitted. Blankenship also discloses the power split may also be semi-static or dynamic following appropriate semi-static or dynamic configuration (see [0130]-[0132], [0144]-[0150]) and that communications are between a network and terminal device (para 46)
Regarding claim 23, Blankenship discloses a terminal device (UE Figure 35) comprising a memory (40) and a processor (38), wherein the memory stores therein a computer program product executable on the processor, and the processor when executing the program is configured to: receive power configuration information ([0124], "These static fractions, which are denoted as VMeNB and VMeNB above, may be assigned in any suitable manner (e.g., defined by the wireless device 12 or configured by the MeNB 14"; [0122], YMeNB+YSeNB⁻¹ ; [0132], powers semi-statically signaled via RRC); determine a first transmit power (P_MeNB,max and P_SeNB,max) of each signal of N signals based on the power configuration information ([0122]; [0124]), wherein the first transmit power of the signal of the N signals is a maximum transmit power of the signal when the N signals are transmitted simultaneously (P_MeNB,max and P_SeNB,max, [0124], "the wireless device 12 determines the maximum transmit power levels {circumflex over (P)}MeNB,max and {circumflex over (P)}SeNB,max for the simultaneous links to the MeNB 14 and the SeNB 16 (step 100)."), and N is an integer greater than 1 (N=2, two links, on two carriers to MeNB and SeNB); and transmit the N signals simultaneously based on the first transmit powers of the N signals ([0124], "The wireless device 12 transmits uplink transmissions on the MeNB link and the SeNB link according to the maximum transmit power levels {circumflex over (P)}MeNB,max and {circumflex over (P)}SeNB,max, respectively (step 102)"), wherein a transmit power of each signal is not greater than the first transmit power of the signal when the N signals are transmitted. Blankenship also discloses the power split may also be semi-static or dynamic following appropriate semi-static or dynamic configuration (see [0130]-[0132], [0144]-[0150]).
Regarding claim 24, Blankenship discloses a network device (Figure 34) comprising a memory (24) and a processor (22), wherein the memory stores therein a computer program executable on the processor, and the processor, when executing the computer program implements the steps of the communication method of claim 14 and is rejected given the same reasoning as in the rejection of claim 14 above.
Regarding claims 2-3 and 15, Blankenship further discloses wherein the power configuration information comprises a first power of at least one of the N signals, and the first power of the N signals is a configured maximum transmit power of the signal in the case the N signal are transmitted simultaneously, and wherein the first transmit power is the first configuration power of the signal (para 120 and 124, either via fractions/percentage or static power).
Regarding claims 4-5 and 16-17, Blankenship further discloses wherein the power configuration comprises a maximum combined transmit power of the N signals (PCmax, para 122) or maximum combined transmit power being a sum of transmit powers of the N signals on one or more carriers (use of both MeNB and SeNB para 120, also abstract, simultaneous transmission of 2 carriers an Figure 21).
Regarding claim 10, Blankenship discloses a power configuration information further comprises a second configuration power of at least one of the N signals (Figure 26, a second power level for the subframe based on the signals).
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.
Claim(s) 6-7, 11-12, 18 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Blankenship in view of Forrester (2012/0021707).
Regarding claims 6-7 and 11-12, 18, Blankenship discloses the use of a second transmit power (Figure 26, second power level for the subframe based on the transmitted signals) and the transmission of a PUCCH when no overlap between MeNB and SeNB ensues, using PCMAX as maximum power. Priority is addressed in D1([0149]; [0152]; [0157]-[0166]; [0180]-[0208]), but doesn’t disclose where the N signals are not transmitted simultaneously.
However, Forrester teaches in an analogous art, the use of power adjustment in transmitters in which the transmission of signals does not happen simultaneously (Figure 5, note near simultaneous transmission is not simultaneous). Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to include non-simultaneous power control in order to allow for variations in signal propagation, as taught by Forrester.
Claim(s) 8 and 13 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Blakenship in view of Park (2021/0389444).
Regarding claims 8 and 13, Blankenship fails to disclose sensing signals. However, Park teaches (Fig. 11, [0114]-[0116]) discloses the use of different power schemes in a UE depending on whether data signals are transmitted, sensing signals for object detection are transmitted, or even both sensing and data signals are transmitted - A communication method (Fig. 11), comprising: receiving power configuration information ([0116], "maximum transmission value permitted for the UE"); determining a first transmit power of each signal of N signals ([0114], "At 1120, the wireless node (e.g., wireless communications device 330, transmitter antenna array 334, etc.) transmits a second set of RF signals at least for object detection in accordance with a second power control scheme. In some designs, the second set of RF signals may comprise RF signals configured for object detection (or sensing) only, without traffic data that is targeted to another communications device. In other designs, the second set of RF signals may comprise RF signals configured for both communication (e.g., including traffic data targeted to another communications device) as well as for object detection (or sensing).") based on the power configuration information ([0116], "based on the maximum transmission value permitted for the UE"), wherein the first transmit power of the signal of the N signals is a maximum transmit power of the signal when the N signals are transmitted simultaneously, and N is an integer greater than 1; and transmitting the N signals simultaneously based on the first transmit powers of the N signals ([0114]), wherein a transmit power of each signal is not greater than the first transmit power of the signal when the N signals are transmitted. Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to include detection via sensing signals to provide flexibility in power allocation.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Yu (9282523) discloses power configuration in simultaneous carrier aggregation.
Shi (2022/0174614) discloses power configuration based on maximum power in a cell group.
Abedini (11477795) discloses backhaul power configuration based on minimum and maximum power levels.
Gao (2026/0019957) discloses a power head room report which allows a maximum power level on an uplink for simultaneous transmission of signals.
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WILLIAM GEORGE TROST IV
Primary Patent Examiner
Art Unit 2641
/WILLIAM G TROST IV/Primary Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2641
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