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 .
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed 7/20/26 have been fully considered and they are persuasive. However, upon review the prior art of record, a new ground(s) of rejection is made.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
In the event the determination of the status of the application as subject to AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103 (or as subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103) is incorrect, any correction of the statutory basis (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) for the rejection will not be considered a new ground of rejection if the prior art relied upon, and the rationale supporting the rejection, would be the same under either status.
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.
Claims 1, 3-15 and 18-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Wang et al (US 2023/0050730). a) Regarding claim 1, Wang et al disclose a reference signal sending method, comprising:
obtaining, by a terminal (604 in Fig. 6A), first information (RRC signaling and DCI messages; Pub [0156-0157]); and
sending, by the terminal and on M first bandwidth parts, a sounding reference signal for positioning with frequency hopping based on the first information (SRS resources), wherein the frequency hopping comprises N hops, each hop corresponds to a different narrowband, and M and N are positive integers (Pub [0158-0159]; hops to FSB1…FSB15),
wherein the first information comprises at least one of the following:
frequency hopping information for indicating the frequency hopping (Pub [0155], frequency hopping pattern);
first indication information, wherein the first indication information is used to indicate configuration information of L first bandwidth parts; or (the underlined portion is optional, thus not given any patentable weight)
first activation information, wherein the first activation information is used to indicate activation information of the M first bandwidth parts, (the underlined portion is optional, thus not given any patentable weight)
wherein L=1 and M=1. b) Regarding claim 18, Wang et al disclose a reference signal sending method, comprising:
obtaining, by a network side device (602 in Fig. 6A), first information (RRC signaling and DCI messages; Pub [0156-0157]); and
measuring, by the network side device and on M first bandwidth parts, a sounding reference signal for positioning with frequency hopping based on the first information to obtain a positioning measurement result of a terminal (SRS resources), wherein the frequency hopping comprises N hops, each hop corresponds to a different narrowband, and M and N are positive integers (Pub [0158-0159]; hops to FSB1…FSB15),
wherein the first information comprises at least one of the following:
frequency hopping information for indicating the frequency hopping (Pub [0155], frequency hopping pattern);
first indication information, wherein the first indication information is used to indicate configuration information of L first bandwidth parts; or (the underlined portion is optional, thus not given any patentable weight)
first activation information, wherein the first activation information is used to indicate activation information of the M first bandwidth parts, (the underlined portion is optional, thus not given any patentable weight)
wherein L=1 and M=1. c) Regarding claim 19, Wang et al disclose a terminal (604 in Fig. 6A), comprising a processor and a memory (359 and 360 in Fig. 3), wherein the memory stores a program or instructions runnable on the processor, and the program or instructions, when executed by the processor (Pub [0137]), implement a reference signal sending method comprising:
obtaining first information (RRC signaling and DCI messages; Pub [0156-0157]); and
sending, on M first bandwidth parts, a sounding reference signal for positioning with frequency hopping based on the first information (SRS resources), wherein the frequency hopping comprises N hops, each hop corresponds to a different narrowband, and M and N are positive integers (Pub [0158-0159]; hops to FSB1…FSB15),
wherein the first information comprises at least one of the following:
frequency hopping information for indicating the frequency hopping (Pub [0155], frequency hopping pattern);
first indication information, wherein the first indication information is used to indicate configuration information of L first bandwidth parts; or (the underlined portion is optional, thus not given any patentable weight)
first activation information, wherein the first activation information is used to indicate activation information of the M first bandwidth parts, (the underlined portion is optional, thus not given any patentable weight)
wherein L=1 and M=1. d) Regarding claim 20, Wang et al disclose a network side device (602 in Fig. 6A), comprising a processor and a memory (375 and 376 in Fig. 3), wherein the memory stores a program or instructions runnable on the processor, and the program or instructions, when executed by the processor, implement the steps of the reference signal sending method according to claim 18 (Pub [0134]). e) Regarding claim 3, Wang et al disclose wherein in a case that multiple hops correspond to a first bandwidth part, the first indication information comprises at least one of the following: frequency domain position information and/or bandwidth information of the first bandwidth part; or configuration information of the multiple hops corresponding to the first bandwidth part. (the underlined portion corresponds to the optional limitation in claim 1, thus not given any patentable weight)
f) Regarding claim 4, Wang et al disclose the method according to claim3, wherein the configuration information of the multiple hops corresponding to the first bandwidth part comprises at least one of the following: frequency domain position information and/or bandwidth information of each of the multiple hops corresponding to the first bandwidth part; common frequency domain position information of the multiple hops corresponding to the first bandwidth part; a frequency domain position offset between adjacent hops in frequency domain among the multiple hops corresponding to the first bandwidth part; an overlapping bandwidth between adjacent hops in frequency domain among the multiple hops corresponding to the first bandwidth part; or the number of the multiple hops corresponding to the first bandwidth part. (the underlined portion corresponds to the optional limitation and dependent of claim 3, thus not given any patentable weight) g) Regarding claim 5, Wang et al disclose the method according to claim 4, wherein the frequency domain position information and/or bandwidth information of each of the multiple hops corresponding to the first bandwidth part satisfies at least one of the following: frequency domain positions of each of the multiple hops corresponding to the first bandwidth part are the same or different; bandwidth of each hop among the multiple hops corresponding to the first bandwidth part is the same; a minimum frequency domain offset between adjacent hops in frequency domain among the multiple hops corresponding to the first bandwidth part is the same; a frequency domain offset between adjacent hops in frequency domain among the multiple hops corresponding to the first bandwidth part is the same; or a total bandwidth of the multiple hops corresponding to the first bandwidth part is less than or equal to the first bandwidth threshold. (the underlined portion corresponds to the optional limitation and dependent of claim 4, thus not given any patentable weight)
h) Regarding claim 6, Wang et al disclose the method according to claim 1, wherein the frequency hopping information comprises at least one of the following:
a number N of hops for the frequency hopping (15 frequency sub-bands [FSB1-FSB15]; Pub [0155]);
a hop identifier, wherein the hop identifier is used to indicate the hops for the frequency hopping;
first frequency domain position information, wherein the first frequency domain position information is used to indicate a frequency domain position of each hop;
first time domain location information, wherein the first time domain location information is used to indicate a time domain location of each hop;
a first period, wherein the first period is a period of the hops for the frequency hopping; or first repetition configuration information, wherein the first repetition configuration information is used to indicate a repetition configuration of the hops for the frequency hopping. (the underlined portion is optional, thus not given any patentable weight) i) Regarding claim 7, Wang et al disclose the method according to claim 6, wherein the number N of the hops is the number of narrowbands (Pub [0111], [0148]);
and/or
there is no overlap in time domain location between different hops;
and/or
there is no overlap in time domain location between the different hops, comprising that a time domain gap between different hops is greater than a first time threshold, and the first time threshold is N1 symbols or N2 slots;
and/or there is partial overlap in the frequency domain positions between the different hops. (the underlined portion is optional, thus not given any patentable weight)
j) Regarding claim 8, Wang et al disclose the method according to claim 6, wherein the first frequency domain position information comprises at least one ofthe following: a bandwidth of each hop; an initial frequency domain position of each hop; a frequency domain offset between initial frequency domain position of adjacent hops in frequency domain; or an overlapping bandwidth, wherein the overlapping bandwidth represents a bandwidth overlapping in frequency domain between adjacent hops in frequency domain. (the underlined portion corresponds to the optional limitation and dependent of claim 6, thus not given any patentable weight) k) Regarding claim 9, Wang et al disclose the method according to claim 8, wherein the bandwidth and/or the initial frequency domain position ofthe hop is determined by at least one ofthe following: a bandwidth and/or an initial frequency domain position of a first bandwidth part corresponding to the hop; joint coding information of the bandwidth and/or the initial frequency domain position of the hop; a frequency domain offset between initial frequency domain positions of adjacent hops in frequency domain; or an overlapping bandwidth, wherein the overlapping bandwidth represents a bandwidth overlapping in frequency domain between adjacent hops in frequency domain. (the underlined portion corresponds to the optional limitation and dependent of claim 8, thus not given any patentable weight) l) Regarding claim 10, Wang et al disclose the method according to claim 9, wherein the bandwidth and/or the initial frequency domain position of the hop is determined by the bandwidth and/or the initial frequency domain position of the first bandwidth part corresponding to the hop, comprising at least one of the following: the bandwidth and/or the initial frequency domain position of the hop is the bandwidth and/or the initial frequency domain position of the first bandwidth part corresponding to the hop; or the initial frequency domain position of the hop is determined relative to the initial frequency domain position of the first bandwidth part corresponding to the hop. (the underlined portion corresponds to the optional limitation and dependent of claim 9, thus not given any patentable weight) m) Regarding claim 11, Wang et al disclose the method according to claim 8, wherein the bandwidth and/or the initial frequency domain position of each hop satisfies at least one of the following: a frequency domain offset between initial frequency domain positions of adjacent hops in frequency domain position is the same; an initial frequency domain position of the hop with a lowest frequency domain position is the same as an initial frequency domain position of the sounding reference signal; or bandwidth of each hop for the hops is the same. (the underlined portion corresponds to the optional limitation and dependent of claim 8, thus not given any patentable weight) n) Regarding claim 12, Wang et al disclose the method according to claim 6, wherein the first time domain location information comprises at least one of the following: a time domain location of each hop; or a time domain location of a first hop, wherein the time domain location comprises at least one of the following: a starting time domain location; an ending time domain location; or duration. (the underlined portion corresponds to the optional limitation and dependent of claim 6, thus not given any patentable weight) o) Regarding claim 13, Wang et al disclose the method according to claim 1, wherein the first indication information or the first activation information comprises time domain candidate window information, and the time domain candidate window information is used to indicate a candidate time domain location corresponding to each hop or each first bandwidth part, wherein the time domain candidate window information comprises at least one of the following: duration; a periodicity; or a staring time domain location. (the underlined portion corresponds to the optional limitation in claim 1, thus not given any patentable weight)
p) Regarding claim 14, Wang et al disclose the method according to claim 1, wherein the first activation information is further used to indicate switching from a currently activated bandwidth part to the first bandwidth part. (the underlined portion corresponds to the optional limitation in claim 1, thus not given any patentable weight) r) Regarding claim 15, Wang et al disclose the method according to claim 14, wherein the switching from a currently activated bandwidth part to the first bandwidth part comprises: switching from the currently activated bandwidth part to a first bandwidth part nearest in frequency domain position, or a first bandwidth part indicated by the first activation information, or a first bandwidth part determined by a protocol and agreement. (the underlined portion corresponds to the optional limitation and dependent of claim 14, thus not given any patentable weight)
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 16 and 17 are 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 Eva Y Puente whose telephone number is 571-272-3049. The examiner can normally be reached on M-F, 7:30 AM to 5:00 PM.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Chieh Fan can be reached on 571-272-3042. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300. Information regarding the status of an application may be obtained from the Patent Application Information Retrieval (PAIR) system. Status information for published applications may be obtained from either Private PAIR or Public PAIR. Status information for unpublished applications is available through Private PAIR only. For more information about the PAIR system, see http://pair-direct.uspto.gov. Should you have questions on access to the Private PAIR system, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free).
October 13, 2026
/EVA Y PUENTE/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2632
