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 .
DETAILED ACTION
This office action is in response to application filed on June 9, 2025. Claims 1-20 are currently pending in the application.
Drawings
The drawings filed on June 9, 2025 are acknowledged and are acceptable.
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 of this title, 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 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 1-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Parkvall et al. (U.S. Publication No. 2017/0331577) in view of Kurras et al. U.S. Publication No. 2019/0364390; hereinafter as, “Kurras”).
As per claim 1, Parkvall discloses a method performed by a wireless communications device for positioning of the wireless communications device (see e.g., Figs. 155-158; describes a UE that receives common and dedicated PRSs and performs positioning measurements. The disclosed operations are performed by the UE), comprising:
receiving one or more reference signals from a first set of network nodes of a plurality of network nodes (e.g., para. [1368]: "The network may send a mobility measurement configuration to the UE."; and para. [1706]: the positioning may begin using "common PRS transmitted by a set of nodes." The UE receives these common PRSs from multiple network nodes that participate in the positioning infrastructure);
performing initial positioning measurements on the one or more reference signals (see e.g., para. [1369]: "Typically, once the UE receives the configuration, it starts performing measurements."; para. [1370]: "The UE sends measurement reports based on the configuration provided by the network."; and para. [1706]: "Positioning can be gradually refined from crude and supported by the common PRS transmitted by a set of nodes, to accurate and supported by some beam-specific dedicated PRSs.");
receiving configuration information for transmissions of specific reference signals from a second set of network nodes of the plurality of network nodes usable for a positioning operation (see e.g., Fig. 157, para. [1711]-[1714]: "dedicated PRS configuration"; "If the UE determines that it wants to perform a high accuracy positioning using dedicated PRS signals it sends a request to the network (typically via the currently serving node that may then forwards the request to the PME node) and receives in response the information required to perform high accuracy positioning."), the specific reference signals being associated with the wireless communications device (the dedicated PRSs are associated with the particular UE seeking high-accuracy positioning);
receiving one or more specific reference signals respectively from the second set of network nodes based on the configuration information (e.g., para. [1712]: "[…] a network entity denoted Positioning management entity (PME) configures the network nodes with a time-varying dedicated PRS configuration. The network node n transmits a dedicated PRSn"; i.e., the dedicated PRSs are transmitted by configured network nodes and received by the UE); and
performing positioning measurements on the one or more specific reference signals received (e.g., para. [1713]: "UE [...] perform a high accuracy positioning using dedicated PRS").
Parkvall does not explicitly disclose the second set of network nodes are identified after the initial positioning measurements of the one or more reference signals from the first set of network nodes.
However, in the same field of endeavor, Kurras teaches: the second set of network nodes are identified after the initial positioning measurements of the one or more reference signals from the first set of network nodes (see e.g. para. [0087]: the coarse position information relating to the UE is shared with other base stations, and those base stations then transmit positioning signals toward the UE).
Parkvall teaches a two-stage positioning framework using common and dedicated PRSs. Kurras teaches that coarse position information can be used to determine which base stations/nodes should participate in a subsequent positioning stage. Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified Parkvall to incorporate the teachings of Kurras so that, after obtaining an initial coarse position estimate from common PRSs, the network could identify a subset of network nodes most suitable for transmitting dedicated PRSs. Doing so would improve positioning accuracy, reduce unnecessary positioning transmissions from irrelevant nodes, and concentrate positioning resources on nodes that are most useful for refined positioning.
As per claim 2, claim 1 is incorporated and Parkvall discloses: the method further comprising, prior to receiving the configuration information:
transmitting a measurement report to a serving network node (see e.g., para. [1370] & [1712]: "The UE sends measurement reports based on the configuration provided by the network.").
As per claim 3, claim 2 is incorporated and Parkvall discloses: the method further comprising transmitting a beam measurement request to the serving network node for transmission of the specific reference signals from the second set of network nodes identified (see e.g., para. [1414]).
As per claim 4, claim 2 is incorporated and Parkvall discloses: wherein the measurement report identifies selected transmit beams on which the wireless communications device respectively receives reference signals from the first set of network nodes, the selected transmit beams indicate preferred beams to assist configuration of the transmissions of the specific reference signals (see e.g., para. [1345]-[1365] & [1370]).
As per claim 5, claim 1 is incorporated and Parkvall discloses: wherein receiving the one or more specific reference signals further comprises receiving the one or more specific reference signals on respective sets of transmit beams from the second set of network nodes (see e.g., para. [1370] & [1706]).
As per claim 6, claim 5 is incorporated and Parkvall in view of Kurras discloses: wherein the configuration information includes an association of the respective sets of transmit beams to selected transmit beams (see Parkvall, e.g., Fig. 26, para. [0604]; Kurras, e.g., para. [0048]: "The base station eNB is configured to direct the positioning signal 124 into a direction of the coarse position 123. For example, eNB may use a beam forming technique or any other technique that allows for transmitting the positioning signal 124 into a first direction with a first, higher signal power when compared to a second direction into which the signal is transmitted with a lower signal power. For example, eNB may comprise a plurality of antennas, wherein each antenna is configured to serve a sector 127 a to 127 d of the cell 100. eNB may be configured to reduce the signal power or even to deactivate antennas serving sectors or a region in the cell 100 in which the user equipment is not located. In contrast, the eNB may be configured to activate or use antennas serving a region or a sector in which the user equipment is arranged, i.e., the eNB uses the coarse position information. When using a beamforming technique, the eNB may be configured to direct the positioning signal 124 towards a spot within the cell 100, i.e., beside an angle of transmission a range of the positioning signal may be influenced.").
As per claim 7, claim 1 is incorporated and Parkvall discloses: wherein the configuration information includes at least respective resource information for the one or more specific reference signals respectively transmitted by the second set of network nodes (see e.g., para. [0846]-[0847] & [1150]).
As per claim 8, Parkvall discloses a method for facilitating positioning of a wireless communications device performed by a network node (e.g. Figs. 155-158), comprising:
transmitting a reference signal via a first set of transmit beams (e.g. para. [1368]: "The network may send a mobility measurement configuration to the UE."; also see para. [1706]: the positioning may begin using "common PRS transmitted by a set of nodes."); and
transmitting a specific reference signal associated with the wireless communications device via a second set of transmit beams (see e.g., Fig. 157, para. [1711]-[1714]: "If the UE determines that it wants to perform a high accuracy positioning using dedicated PRS signals it sends a request to the network (typically via the currently serving node that may then forwards the request to the PME node) and receives in response the information required to perform high accuracy positioning."; the dedicated PRSs are associated with the particular UE seeking high-accuracy positioning), wherein transmitting the specific reference signal is based at least in part on initial positioning measurements reported by the wireless communications device after receiving the reference signal and includes transmitting the specific reference signal with specific reference signals Typically, once the UE receives the configuration, it starts performing measurements."; para. [1370]: "The UE sends measurement reports based on the configuration provided by the network."; and para. [1706]: “Positioning can be gradually refined from crude and supported by the common PRS transmitted by a set of nodes, to accurate and supported by some beam-specific dedicated PRSs.”), wherein the specific reference signal enables the wireless communications device to perform refined positioning measurements to produce a more accurate positioning estimate (see e.g., para. [1713]: "UE [...] perform a high accuracy positioning using dedicated PRS").
Parkvall does not explicitly disclose transmitting the specific reference signal with specific reference signals transmitted by a set of neighbor network nodes identified after the initial positioning measurements reported by the wireless communications device after receiving the reference signal.
However, in the same field of endeavor, Kurras teaches: transmitting the specific reference signal with specific reference signals transmitted by a set of neighbor network nodes identified after the initial positioning measurements reported by the wireless communications device after receiving the reference signal (see e.g. para. [0087]: the coarse position information relating to the UE is shared with other base stations, and those base stations then transmit positioning signals toward the UE).
Parkvall teaches a two-stage positioning framework using common and dedicated PRSs. Kurras teaches that coarse position information can be used to determine which base stations/nodes should participate in a subsequent positioning stage. Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified Parkvall to incorporate the teachings of Kurras so that, after obtaining an initial coarse position estimate from common PRSs, the network could identify a set of neighbor network nodes most suitable for transmitting dedicated PRSs. Doing so would improve positioning accuracy, reduce unnecessary positioning transmissions from irrelevant nodes, and concentrate positioning resources on nodes that are most useful for refined positioning.
As per claim 9, claim 8 is incorporated and Parkvall discloses: wherein the initial positioning measurements reported by the wireless communications device indicates a selected beam from the first set of transmit beams, and wherein the second set of transmit beams include transmit beams that are determined based on the selected beam (see e.g., para. [1345] & [1733]-[1734]).
As per claim 10, claim 8 is incorporated and Parkvall discloses: the method further comprising receiving a request to transmit the specific reference signal following transmission of the reference signal (see e.g., para. [1706] & [1712]-[1713]).
As per claim 11, claim 8 is incorporated and Parkvall in view of Kurras discloses: wherein the network node is a serving network node and the method further comprises:
receiving a measurement report from the wireless communications device based on reference signal received by the wireless communications device; determining resources for transmitting the specific reference signal to the wireless communications device based at least in part on the measurement report (see Parkvall, e.g., para. [1370] & [1712]: "The UE sends measurement reports based on the configuration provided by the network."); and
requesting the set of neighbor network nodes to transmit specific reference signals to the wireless communications device based at least in part on the measurement report (see Parkvall, e.g., para. [1285], [1296], [1353]-[1365], [1706] & [1734]: neighbor nodes selection; also see Kurras, e.g. para. [0048] & [0087]).
As per claim 12, claim 11 is incorporated and Parkvall discloses: wherein the serving network node further performs the steps of:
negotiating resources for transmission of specific reference signals by the set of neighbor network nodes; and transmitting configuration information to the wireless communications device that indicates at least resources determined for transmissions of specific reference signals by the serving network node and the set of neighbor network nodes (see e.g., para. [1709] & [1712]).
As per claim 13, claim 11 is incorporated and Parkvall discloses: the method further comprising selecting the set of neighbor network nodes based at least in part on the measurement report (see e.g., para. [1709] & [1712]-[1713]).
Apparatus claims 14-20 are drawn to the apparatus corresponding to the method of using same as claimed in claims 1-7. Therefore, apparatus claims 14-20 correspond to method claims 1-7, and are rejected for the same reasons of obviousness as used above.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Refer to PTO-892, Notice of References Cited for a listing of analogous art.
Siomina (U.S. Publication No. 2014/0120947) discloses networks and devices performing positioning of devices based on measurements of radio transmissions.
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/ADNAN AZIZ/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2685 adnan.aziz@uspto.gov
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