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`UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
`United States Patent and TrademarkOffice
`Address; COMMISSIONER FOR PATENTS
`P.O. Box 1450
`Alexandria, Virginia 22313-1450
`
`16/631,174
`
`01/15/2020
`
`SHOTARO MAKI
`
`731456.562USPC
`
`9707
`
`Seed IP Law Group LLP/Panasonic (PIPCA)
`701 5th Avenue, Suite 5400
`Seattle, WA 98104
`
`LUGO, DAVID B
`
`PAPER NUMBER
`
`ART UNIT
`
`2631
`
`NOTIFICATION DATE
`
`DELIVERY MODE
`
`06/17/2021
`
`ELECTRONIC
`
`Please find below and/or attached an Office communication concerning this application or proceeding.
`
`The time period for reply, if any, is set in the attached communication.
`
`Notice of the Office communication was sent electronically on above-indicated "Notification Date" to the
`following e-mail address(es):
`USPTOeAction @ SeedIP.com
`
`pairlinkdktg @seedip.com
`
`PTOL-90A (Rev. 04/07)
`
`

`

`
`
`Disposition of Claims*
`1-7 is/are pending in the application.
`)
`Claim(s)
`5a) Of the above claim(s) ___ is/are withdrawn from consideration.
`C} Claim(s)
`is/are allowed.
`Claim(s) 1-7 is/are rejected.
`S)
`) © Claim(s)____is/are objected to.
`Cj) Claim(s
`are subjectto restriction and/or election requirement
`)
`S)
`* If any claims have been determined allowable, you maybeeligible to benefit from the Patent Prosecution Highway program at a
`participating intellectual property office for the corresponding application. For more information, please see
`http://www.uspto.gov/patents/init_events/pph/index.jsp or send an inquiry to PPHfeedback@uspto.gov.
`
`) )
`
`Application Papers
`10)(] The specification is objected to by the Examiner.
`11) The drawing(s)filed on 15 January 2020 is/are: a)f¥) accepted or b)() objected to by the Examiner.
`Applicant may not request that any objection to the drawing(s) be held in abeyance. See 37 CFR 1.85(a).
`Replacement drawing sheet(s) including the correction is required if the drawing(s) is objected to. See 37 CFR 1.121 (d).
`
`Priority under 35 U.S.C. § 119
`12) Acknowledgment is made of a claim for foreign priority under 35 U.S.C. § 119(a)-(d)or (f).
`Certified copies:
`_—_c)L) None ofthe:
`b)L) Some**
`a)¥) All
`1.2 Certified copies of the priority documents have been received.
`2.2) Certified copies of the priority documents have been received in Application No.
`3.4 Copies of the certified copies of the priority documents have been receivedin this National Stage
`application from the International Bureau (PCT Rule 17.2(a)).
`* See the attached detailed Office action for a list of the certified copies not received.
`
`Attachment(s)
`
`1)
`
`Notice of References Cited (PTO-892)
`
`Information Disclosure Statement(s) (PTO/SB/08a and/or PTO/SB/08b)
`2)
`Paper No(s)/Mail Date 1/15/20.
`U.S. Patent and Trademark Office
`
`3) (J Interview Summary (PTO-413)
`Paper No(s)/Mail Date
`(Qj Other:
`
`4)
`
`PTOL-326 (Rev. 11-13)
`
`Office Action Summary
`
`Part of Paper No./Mail Date 20210609
`
`Application No.
`Applicant(s)
`16/631,174
`MAKI etal.
`
`Office Action Summary Art Unit|AIA (FITF) StatusExaminer
`David B Lugo
`2631
`Yes
`
`
`
`-- The MAILING DATEofthis communication appears on the cover sheet with the correspondence address --
`Period for Reply
`
`A SHORTENED STATUTORY PERIOD FOR REPLYIS SET TO EXPIRE 3 MONTHS FROM THE MAILING
`DATE OF THIS COMMUNICATION.
`Extensions of time may be available underthe provisions of 37 CFR 1.136(a). In no event, however, may a reply betimely filed after SIX (6) MONTHSfrom the mailing
`date of this communication.
`If NO period for reply is specified above, the maximum statutory period will apply and will expire SIX (6) MONTHSfrom the mailing date of this communication.
`-
`- Failure to reply within the set or extended period for reply will, by statute, cause the application to become ABANDONED (35 U.S.C. § 133}.
`Any reply received by the Office later than three months after the mailing date of this communication, evenif timely filed, may reduce any earned patent term
`adjustment. See 37 CFR 1.704(b).
`
`Status
`
`1) Responsive to communication(s)filed on 15 January 2020.
`C} A declaration(s)/affidavit(s) under 37 CFR 1.130(b) was/werefiled on
`
`2a)L) This action is FINAL. 2b)¥)This action is non-final.
`3)02 An election was madeby the applicant in responseto a restriction requirement set forth during the interview
`on
`; the restriction requirement and election have been incorporated into this action.
`4\0) Since this application is in condition for allowance except for formal matters, prosecution as to the merits is
`closed in accordance with the practice under Exparte Quayle, 1935 C.D. 11, 453 O.G. 213.
`
`

`

`Application/Control Number: 16/631,174
`Art Unit: 2631
`
`Page 2
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`DETAILED ACTION
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`Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status
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`1.
`
`The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined underthe
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`first inventor to file provisions of the AJA.
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`Priority
`
`2.
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`Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55.
`
`Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
`
`3.
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`The following is a quotation of the appropriate paragraphs of 35 U.S.C. 102 that form the
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`basis for the rejections under this section madein this Office action:
`
`A personshall be entitled to a patent unless —
`
`(a)(2) the claimed invention wasdescribed 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, namesanother inventor and waseffectively filed before the effective filing date of the
`claimed invention.
`
`4,
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`Claims 1-7 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Sunet al. U.S.
`
`Patent App. Pub. No. 2020/0076557.
`
`Regarding claims 1 and 5, Sun discloses a transmitter (see Figs. 11-12) performing a
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`method comprising an assignmentcircuit (i.e. determining unit 510/processor 610) that maps a
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`phase tracking reference signal onto a subset of antenna ports of antenna ports each included in
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`at least one group into which a plurality of antenna ports have been grouped,the group being
`
`determined on the basis of a measured value of phase noise measuredfor each ofthe plurality of
`
`antenna ports, as Sun discloses that a terminal device provides information indicating whether
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`phase errors estimated on PTRS ports are the same ({ [0094]), and it is determined if one or more
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`DMRSports corresponding to the PTRS port have a samephasenoise ({ [0100]), if a phase error
`
`detected on a first PTRSport is the sameas a phase error on a second PTRSport, the quantity of
`
`

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`Application/Control Number: 16/631,174
`Art Unit: 2631
`
`Page 3
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`to be used PTRSports is reduced ({ [0124]), and an uplink signal includes grouping information
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`including correspondence between the DMRSport group and the PTRSport ({{[ [0100]-[0101]),
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`such that the terminal device sends the PTRS and DMRSto a network device based on the
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`correspondence between the PTRS port and DMRSport ({| [0016]), where the terminal device
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`may estimate phase noise on the PTRSpoint to determine DMRSports having the same phase
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`noise as one DMRSport group ({{ [[0099-[0100]]), so that the network device doesnot to
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`configure different PTRS ports for DMRSports to avoid configuring excess PTRSports, saving
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`PTRSport resources (see abstract, { [0032]), and a transmitting circuit (i.e. sending unit
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`520/transceiver 630) which transmits a data signal and the phase tracking reference signal (see J]
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`[0040], [0081]-[0082]; Fig. 7).
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`Regarding claim 2, Sun discloses that antenna ports equal having the same phase noise
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`are reported as one port group ({ [0019]), where there are a numberof port groups ({| [0024]).
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`Regarding claim 3, Sun discloses transmitting information indicating an association
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`between the antenna ports that belong to the group ({ [0022]).
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`Regarding claims 4 and 6, Sun discloses a receiver(i.e. Figs. 13-14) performing a method
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`comprising a receiving circuit (i.e. receiving unit 710/transceiver 830) that receives a data signal
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`and a phasetracking reference signal transmitted from a subset of antenna ports of antenna ports
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`each included in at least one group into which a plurality of antenna ports of a transmitter have
`
`been grouped, the group being determined on the basis of a measured value of a phase noise
`
`measured for each of the plurality of antenna ports, as Sun discloses grouping one or more
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`DMRSports corresponding to a PTRS port on the basis of a same measured phase noise (see {{{
`
`[0099]-[0102]), and where data is also received (see Fig. 7), a demodulating circuit (i.e. part of
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`receiving unit 710/processor 810) that demodulates the data signal by using a phase noise
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`

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`Application/Control Number: 16/631,174
`Art Unit: 2631
`
`Page 4
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`estimate value estimated from the phase tracking reference signal (see {| [0113]), wherein the
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`demodulating circuit uses as a phase noise estimate value for other antenna ports included in the
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`group excluding the subset of antenna ports, the phase noise estimate value for the subset of
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`antenna ports, as Sun discloses that a same phase error estimated on the PTRSport is used to
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`perform data demodulation for a plurality of the DMRSports ({ [0113]).
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`Regarding claim 7, Sun discloses a communication method comprising measuring a
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`measured value of phase noise for each of a plurality of antenna ports of a transmitter, as Sun
`
`discloses estimating phase noise on PTRSports ({| [0082]), grouping the plurality of antenna
`
`ports into at least one group onthe basis of the measured value of phase noise ({{{[ [0094],
`
`[0100]-[0101]), mapping a phase tracking reference signal onto a subset of antenna ports of
`
`antenna ports each included in the at least one group, as Sun disclosesthat if a phase error
`
`detected on a first PTRSport is the sameas a phase error on a second PTRSport, the quantity of
`
`to be used PTRSports is reduced ({ [0124]), and an uplink signal includes grouping information
`
`including correspondence between the DMRSport group and the PTRSport ({{[ [0100]-[0101]),
`
`such that the terminal device sends the PTRS and DMRSto a network device based on the
`
`correspondence between the PTRS port and DMRSport ({| [0016]), where the terminal device
`
`may estimate phase noise on the PTRSpoint to determine DMRSports having the same phase
`
`noise as one DMRSport group ({{ [[0099-[0100]]), so that the network device doesnot to
`
`configure different PTRS ports for DMRSports to avoid configuring excess PTRSports, saving
`
`PTRSport resources (see abstract, { [0032]), transmitting a data signal and the phase tracking
`
`signal (see {| [0040], [0081]-[0082]; Fig. 7), receiving the data signal and the phasetracking
`
`reference signal transmitted from the subset of antenna ports included the group, as Sun discloses
`
`grouping one or more DMRSports corresponding to a PTRSport on the basis of a same
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`

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`Application/Control Number: 16/631,174
`Art Unit: 2631
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`Page 5
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`measured phase noise (see {[{[ [0099]-[0102]), data also being received (see Fig. 7), demodulating
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`the data signal by using a phase noise estimate value estimated from the phase tracking reference
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`signal (see { [0113]), wherein in demodulating the data signal, the phase noise estimate value for
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`the subset of antenna ports is used as a phase noise estimate value for other antenna ports
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`included in the group excluding the subset of antenna ports, as Sun discloses that a same phase
`
`error estimated on the PTRS port is used to perform data demodulation for a plurality of the
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`DMRSports ({ [0113)]).
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`Conclusion
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`5.
`
`Theprior art made of record and notrelied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's
`
`disclosure:
`
`Kim et al. U.S. Patent App. Pub. No. 2018/0041259 disclose a method for transmitting
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`and receiving phase compensation referencesignals.
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`Akkarakaran et al. U.S. Patent App. Pub. No. 2018/0091350 disclose a phase-noise
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`compensation reference signal design.
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`Kundargiet al. U.S. Patent App. Pub. No. 2018/0287759 disclose a system that performs
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`measurement based selection of PTRSports.
`
`Li et al. U.S. Patent App. Pub. No. 2019/0326964 disclose a method for transmitting a
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`reference signal and determining phase noise.
`
`Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the
`
`examinershould be directed to David B. Lugo whose telephone numberis 571-272-3043. The
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`examiner can normally be reached on M-F,9-6.
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`

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`Application/Control Number: 16/631,174
`Art Unit: 2631
`
`Page 6
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`Examinerinterviews are available via telephone and video conferencing using a USPTO
`
`supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use
`
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`
`If attempts to reach the examinerby telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s
`
`supervisor, Shuwang Liu can be reached on 571-272-3036. The fax phone numberfor the
`
`organization wherethis application or proceedingis assigned is 571-273-8300.
`
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`
`/DAVID B LUGO/
`Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2631
`6/14/2021
`
`