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 .
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.
Claim(s) 1-23 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Farag et al. (US 2025/0324480, hereinafter “Farag”).
Regarding claims 1 and 10, Farag discloses an apparatus (user equipment UE, Fig. 3 and 22), comprising:
a transceiver which, during operation, communicates wirelessly (transceiver 310, transmits an RF signal via antennas 305, para. 0095, Fig. 3); and
a processor communicatively coupled to the transceiver such that, during operation, the processor performs operations (processor 340 executing processes and programs resident in the memory 360, para. 0097, Fig. 3) comprising:
receiving, via the transceiver, a transmission reception point reference signal (TRP-RS) (reference TRP transmits a first reference signal to the UE, Fig. 22, para. 0252);
receiving, via the transceiver, a first configuration indicating that the TRP-RS is associated with a second reference signal with a first quasi-colocation (QCL)-type (reference TRP transmits an indication to the UE a TCI state(s) for the reference TRP, the TCI state(s) include QCL Type, para. 0254); and
transmitting or receiving, via the transceiver, the second reference signal based on at least one parameter determined according to the first QCL-type (UE receives pre-compensated transmission for a TRP, where the pre-compensation is for a first set of QCL properties, para. 0255; and QCL properties include Doppler spread, Doppler shift, see para. 0111, 0130, 0256).
Regarding claims 2 and 11, Farag further discloses wherein the second reference signal comprises at least one of a physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH) demodulation reference signal (DM-RS), a physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) DM-RS, a channel state information reference signal (CSI-RS), a physical uplink shared channel (PUSCH), a physical uplink control channel (PUCCH), and a sounding reference signal (SRS), and during operation (non-reference TRP transmissions can be pre-compensated for QCL parameters, including reference signals from non-reference TRP, RS, includes CSI-RS, para. 0248-0249), the processor further performs operations comprising:
determining that the parameter comprises a Doppler shift, a Doppler spread, an average delay, and a delay spread in an event that the first QCL-type comprises a QCL-Type A (subject matter not given patentable weight, since it is a contingent limitation, see MPEP 2111.04, II, however, see para. 0130 for QCL-type A);
determining that the parameter comprises the Doppler shift and the Doppler spread in an event that the first QCL-type comprises a QCL-Type B (subject matter not given patentable weight, since it is a contingent limitation, see MPEP 2111.04, II, however, see para. 0130 for QCL-type B); and
transmitting or receiving, via the transceiver, the second reference signal based on the determined parameter (UE receives pre-compensated transmission for a TRP, where the pre-compensation is for a first set of QCL properties, para. 0255; and QCL properties include Doppler spread, Doppler shift, see para. 0111, 0130, 0256; note that this limitation is also a contingent limitation relying on the determination of “the parameter” from the previous contingent limitations, and is also not given patentable weight).
Regarding claims 3 and 12, Farag further discloses the processor further performs operations comprising:
determining that the parameter further comprises a spatial reception (Rx) parameter in an event that the first QCL-type further comprises a QCL-Type D (subject matter not given patentable weight, since it is a contingent limitation, see MPEP 2111.04, II, however, see para. 0130 for QCL-type D).
Regarding claims 4 and 13, Farag further discloses wherein the second reference signal comprises at least one of a physical uplink shared channel (PUSCH), a physical uplink control channel (PUCCH), and a sounding reference signal (SRS) (TCI state applies to sounding reference signal (SRS), para. 0132), and during operation, the processor further performs operations comprising:
determining that the parameter comprises a spatial relation for uplink (UL) transmission (TCI state can determine a spatial TX filter for transmission of uplink channels, para. 0116); and
transmitting, via the transceiver, the second reference signal based on the determined parameter (source RS transmitted by the UE as an uplink SRS, para. 0152).
Regarding claims 5 and 14, Farag further discloses the processor further performs operations comprising:
receiving, via the transceiver, a synchronization signal block (SSB) (UE receives SSB, para. 0152); and
receiving, via the transceiver, a second configuration indicating that the SSB is associated with the TRP-RS with a second QCL-type (TCI states have a source RS that directly associated through QCL with an SSB, para. 0129).
Regarding claims 6 and 15, Farag further discloses the SSB is a single frequency network (SFN)-SSB or a non-SFN-SSB (this is inherent since SFN-SSB and non-SFN-SSB includes all possible SSBs, see SSB, para. 0152).
Regarding claims 7 and 16, Farag further discloses the processor further performs operations comprising:
determining at least one second parameter comprising a Doppler shift and an average delay in an event that the second QCL-type comprises a QCL-Type C (subject matter not given patentable weight, since it is a contingent limitation, see MPEP 2111.04, II, however, see para. 0130 for QCL-type C); and
receiving, via the transceiver, the TRP-RS based on the determined second parameter (this limitation is also a contingent limitation relying on the determination of the “second parameter” from the previous contingent limitations, and is also not given patentable weight).
Regarding claims 8 and 17, Farag further discloses the processor further performs operations comprising:
determining that the second parameter further comprises a spatial reception (Rx) parameter in an event that the second QCL-type further comprises a QCL-Type D (subject matter not given patentable weight, since it is a contingent limitation, see MPEP 2111.04, II, however, see para. 0130 for QCL-type D).
Regarding claims 9 and 18, Farag further discloses the TRP-RS is for fine time and frequency (T/F) tracking and/or for beam measurement (BM) (UE can measure calibration coefficient related to time and frequency, para. 0240).
Regarding claim 19, Farag further discloses a method comprising:
transmitting, by a processor of a network node (processor 225 of gNB, 102, Fig. 2, corresponding to TRPs of Fig. 22), a transmission reception point reference signal (TRP-RS) to a user equipment (UE) (TRPs transmit reference signals TRS to user equipment, Fig. 22, para. 0252); and
transmitting, by the processor, a first configuration indicating that the TRP-RS is associated with a second reference signal with a first quasi-colocation (QCL) - type to the UE (reference TRP transmits an indication to the UE a TCI state(s) for the reference TRP, the TCI state(s) include QCL Type, para. 0254).
Regarding claim 20, Farag further discloses wherein:
the second reference signal comprises at least one of a physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH) demodulation reference signal (DM-RS), a physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) DM-RS, a channel state information reference signal (CSI-RS), a physical uplink shared channel (PUSCH), a physical uplink control channel (PUCCH), and a sounding reference signal (SRS), and the first QCL-type comprises a QCL-Type A (CSI-RS, para. 0248-0249, and QCL-Type A, see para. 0130);
the second reference signal comprises at least one of the PDSCH DM-RS, the PDCCH DM-RS, the CSI-RS, the PUSCH, the PUCCH, and the SRS, and the first QCL-type comprises a QCL-Type B (CSI-RS, para. 0248-0249, and QCL-Type B, see para. 0130);
the second reference signal comprises at least one of the PDSCH DM-RS, the PDCCH DM-RS, the CSI-RS, the PUSCH, the PUCCH, and the SRS, and the first QCL-type comprises the QCL-Type A and a QCL-Type D;
the second reference signal comprises at least one of the PDSCH DM-RS, the PDCCH DM-RS, the CSI-RS, the PUSCH, the PUCCH, and the SRS, and the first QCL-type comprises the QCL-Type B and the QCL-Type D; or
the second reference signal comprises at least one of the PUSCH, the PUCCH and the SRS, the first QCL-type comprises a spatial relation for uplink (UL) transmission.
Regarding claim 21, Farag further discloses:
transmitting, by the processor, a synchronization signal block (SSB) to the UE, wherein the SSB is a single frequency network (SFN) - SSB or a non-SFN-SSB (UE receives SSD, para. 0152, SFN and non-SFN SSBs include all possible SSBs, so any SSB applies); and
transmitting, by the processor, a second configuration indicating that the SSB is associated with the TRP-RS with a second QCL-type (TCI states have a source RS that directly associated through QCL with an SSB, para. 0129).
Regarding claim 22, Farag further discloses the second QCL-type comprises a QCL-Type C (QCL-Type C, see para. 0130); or
the second QCL-type comprises a QCL-Type C and a QCL-Type D.
Regarding claim 23, Farag further discloses the TRP-RS is for fine time and frequency (T/F) tracking and/or for beam measurement (BM) (UE uses reference RS to measure calibration coefficient related to time and frequency, para. 0240).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Manolakos et al. (US 2020/0374806) discloses a system including TRPs with QCL relations.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to DAVID S HUANG whose telephone number is (571)270-1798. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Friday, 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m., EST.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Hannah Wang can be reached at (571) 272-9018. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/David S Huang/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2631 9/29/2026
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