Office Action 2: Notice of Allowance (2025-05-01)

CLAIMS:
Listing of Claims

The following listing of claims represents the claims as previously presented and is provided as a courtesy for the examiner:

1-31. (Cancelled)230

32\. (Currently Amended) An apparatus, comprising:at least one processor; and
at least one non-transitory memory storing instructions that, when executed with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to perform:
sending, with a network node in a wireless network, a request of one or more settings useable with a reconfigurable reflecting surface for adjusting elements of the reconfigurable reflecting surface for one or more positioning reference signal transmissions from a base station toward a user equipment;
receiving, with the network node, one or more measurements taken with the user equipment for the one or more positioning reference signal transmissions, wherein the one or more positioning reference signal transmissions have a direct path between the base station and the user equipment and a reflection path that reflects off the reconfigurable reflecting surface; and
calculating, with the network node, a position coordinate corresponding to the user equipment using the one or more measurements with knowledge of a location of the reconfigurable reflecting surface;
wherein the calculating further comprises performing the calculation using a database, the database comprising positioning of user equipment and corresponding measurements and corresponding settings applied with the reconfigurable reflecting surface, that was constructed prior

to the sending, receiving, and calculating.

33\. (Cancelled)

34-35. (Cancelled)

36\. (Previously presented) The apparatus of claim 32, wherein the calculating further comprises the network node performing a procedure for separating components from the direct path and the reflected path in the one or more measurement results provided by the user equipment.

37\. (Previously presented) The apparatus of claim 32, wherein the calculating further comprises the network node performing a procedure for extracting channel state information from the direct path and the reflected path in the one or more measurement results provided by the user equipment.

38\. (Previously presented) The apparatus of claim 32, wherein the network node comprises a location management function that performs at least the calculating, wherein the network node is one of separate from the base station or is the base station.

39\. (Previously presented) The apparatus of claim 32, wherein the request of one or more settings of the reconfigurable reflecting surface is to modify one or more properties of its elements for the corresponding one or more positioning reference signal transmissions, wherein the one or more properties comprise one or more of signal switching on or off, signal phase, group delay, or signal amplitude.

40\. (Currently Amended) An apparatus, comprising:at least one processor; and
at least one non-transitory memory storing instructions that, when executed with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to perform:sending, with a base station in a wireless network and toward both a reconfigurable reflecting surface and a user equipment, a configuration usable with the reconfigurable reflecting surface for adjusting elements of the reconfigurable reflecting surface, the configuration to be used for one or more positioning reference signal transmissions from the base station toward the user equipment, wherein the one or more positioning reference signal transmissions have a direct path between the base station and the user equipment and a reflection path that reflects off the reconfigurable reflecting surface;
sending, with the base station, a second configuration to the user equipment to cause the user equipment to perform one or more measurements for the one or more positioning reference signal transmissions;
performing, with the base station, the one or more positioning reference signal transmissions with the user equipment; and
receiving, with the base stations one or more measurement reports comprising indication of the one or more measurements;
wherein the configuration comprises one or more of signal switching on or off, signal phase, group delay, or signal amplitude.

41\. (Cancelled)

42\. (Previously presented) The apparatus of claim 40, wherein: sending the second configuration to Page 4 of 10

the user equipment further comprises sending the second configuration requesting the user equipment to perform one or more of reference signal received power measurement, channel estimation measurement, or precoder information determination; and performing the one or more positioning reference signal transmissions with the user equipment further comprises sending, with the base station and toward the user equipment, positioning reference signals in the one or more positioning reference signal transmissions.

43\. (Previously presented) The apparatus of claim 42, wherein:sending the configuration to be applied with the reconfigurable reflecting surface to adjust elements of the surface comprises sending indication of a value for signal phase to be applied with the reconfigurable reflecting surface to adjust elements of the surface; and
sending the second configuration to the user equipment further comprises sending the second configuration requesting the user equipment to measure one or more of precoder information or channel estimation.

44\. (Previously presented) The apparatus of claim 42, wherein the base station repeats the sending of the configuration with indications of multiple values of signal phase to obtain multiple measurements corresponding to the multiple values.

45-46. (Cancelled)

47\. (Previously presented) The apparatus of claim 40, wherein sending the configuration to be applied with the reconfigurable reflecting surface to adjust elements of the surface further comprises sending, with the base station via one or more of a wireless control channel, a wired control channel, Page 5 of 10

or a dedicated channel, one or more setting parameters for adjusting the elements of the reconfigurable reflecting surface.

48\. (Original) The apparatus of claim 47, wherein the one or more setting parameters comprise indications of one or more of signal switching on or off, signal phase, group delay, or signal amplitude.

49\. (Previously presented) The apparatus of claim 47, wherein the base station connects, using a positioning protocol, to the reconfigurable reflecting surface through radio resource control for a static control of the setting parameters, or through downlink control information for dynamic control of the setting parameters, or through a wired link for one or both of static or dynamic control of the setting parameters.

50\. (Previously presented) The apparatus of claim of claim 40, further comprising the base station sending the indication of the one or more measurements toward a network node for use with the network node to calculate a position coordinate corresponding to the user equipment using the one or more measurements with knowledge of a location of the reconfigurable reflecting surface, wherein indication of the one or more measurements comprises an indication of whether corresponding measurements are time of arrival, angle of arrival, or reference signal received power measurements.

51\. (Previously presented) The apparatus of claim of claim 40, further comprising the base station calculating a position coordinate corresponding to the user equipment using the one or more measurements with knowledge of a location of the reconfigurable reflecting surface.

52\. (Currently Amended) An apparatus, comprising:at least one processor; and
at least one non-transitory memory storing instructions that, when executed with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to perform:
receiving, with a user equipment and from a base station in a wireless network, a configuration useable with a reconfigurable reflecting surface for adjusting elements of the reconfigurable reflecting surface, the configuration to be used for one or more positioning reference signal transmissions with the base station toward the user equipment, wherein the one or more positioning reference signal transmissions have a direct path between the base station and the user equipment and a reflection path that reflects off the reconfigurable reflecting surface;
receiving, with the user equipment and from the network node, a second configuration to cause the user equipment to perform one or more measurements for the one or more positioning reference signal transmissions; receiving, with the user equipment and from the network node, the one or more positioning reference signal transmissions;
performing the one or more measurements on signals received during the one or more positioning reference signal transmissions;
sending, with the user equipment and toward the network node, one or more measurement reports comprising indication of the one or more measurements; and
resolving a reflector path signal for the reflection path with using the configuration useable with the reconfigurable reflecting surface; wherein:
receiving, with the user equipment and from the network node, the one or more positioning reference signal transmissions further comprises receiving a superposed received signal from the base station with a switching on of the elements in the reconfigurable reflecting surface and receives a direct path signal with a switching off of the elements in the reconfigurable reflecting surface;

resolving a reflector path signal further comprises subtracting the direct path signal from the superposed received signal.

53\. (Cancelled)

54\. (Cancelled)

55\. (Currently Amended) The apparatus of claim \[\[54\]\] 52, wherein the receiving the second configuration to cause the user equipment to perform one or more measurements for the one or more positioning reference signal transmissions comprises a request to perform the one or more measurements on the resolved signal.

56-63. (Cancelled)5762

OFFICE ACTION:
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 .
Allowable Subject Matter
The following is an examiner’s statement of reasons for allowance:  Regarding claims 32, 40, and 52, claims 32, 40, and 52 are allowed over applicant’s amendments to the claims and remarks filed on 4/17/2025.
The prior art of record fails to teach the claimed subject matter as claimed and substantially connected in claims 32 and 36-39, 40, 42-44, and 47-51, and 52 and 55.
Any comments considered necessary by applicant must be submitted no later than the payment of the issue fee and, to avoid processing delays, should preferably accompany the issue fee.  Such submissions should be clearly labeled “Comments on Statement of Reasons for Allowance.”
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.  Papadopoulos discloses an apparatus for user localization and tracking using radio signals reflected by reconfigurable smart surfaces.  Theofanopoulos discloses a single switch per bit topology for reconfigurable reflective surfaces.

APPLICANT REBUTTAL: REMARKSThe above-identified application has been reviewed considering the February 27, 2025 Non-Final Office Action. By this amendment, claims 32-33, 36-44 and 47-55 are pending, of which claims 32, 40 and 52 are independent.Claims 33, 41 and 53-54 are canceled. Claims 1-31, 34-35, 45-46 and 56-63 were previously canceled. Claims 32, 40, 52 and 55 are currently amended.In view of the submission of this response which includes the afore-mentioned claim amendments and the following remarks, Applicant respectfully submits that all pending claims are in condition for allowance and respectfully requests reconsideration and allowance of all pending claims.Claim Reiections Under 35 U.S.C. § 103 In the Office Action claims 32-33, 36-38, 40 and 50-53 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. § 103 as being unpatentable over Bayesteh (US 2021/0302561) and further in view of Kumar et al.(US 2020/0145977). Claims 47 and 49 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. § 103 as being unpatentable over Bayesteh and further in view of Kumar et al. and further in view of Sun et al (US 2021/0377932). In response, allowable claim 33 is incorporated into claim 32, and claim 33 is cancelled, allowable claim 41 is incorporated into claim 40 and claim 41 is cancelled, and claim 53 and allowable claim 54 are incorporated into claim 52 and claims 53 and 54 are cancelled, thereby rendering the rejection of claims 32-33, 36-38, 40, 47, 49 and 50-53 under 35 U.S.C. § 103 moot.Allowable Subject Matter Applicant gratefully acknowledges the indication in the Office Action that claims 33, 39, 41-44, 48 and 54-55 would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.Conclusion In view of the foregoing amendments and remarks, Applicant respectfully submits that the claims of the present application are in condition for allowance. Favorable and early reconsideration of this application is respectfully requested.Should the Examiner believe that a telephone interview may facilitate prosecution of this application, the Examiner is respectfully requested to contact Applicant's representative at the number indicated below.Please charge any deficiency as well as any other fees that may become due under 37 C.F.R. § 1.16 and/or 1.17 at any time during the pendency of this application, or credit any overpayment of such fees, to Deposit Account No. 50-2140.Dated: April 17, 2025


CITED REFERENCE SUMMARIES: Ref US20220247480A1: Claims:
A method for estimating a location of at least one of one or more user terminals over a target coverage area by wireless signals transmitted by one or more access points and reflected by one or more reconfigurable intelligent surface panels, the method comprising: transmission of one or more pilot signals by each of the one or more access points; reflecting, by at least one of the one or more reconfigurable intelligent surface panels, the one or more pilot signals according to one or more predetermined reflection patterns; receiving the reflections by the user terminal; extracting one or more features from the reflections; and estimating of the one or more user terminals location by a method based on a database comprising pairs of locations and the one or more features.
transmission of one or more pilot signals by each of the one or more access points;
reflecting, by at least one of the one or more reconfigurable intelligent surface panels, the one or more pilot signals according to one or more predetermined reflection patterns;
receiving the reflections by the user terminal;
extracting one or more features from the reflections; and
estimating of the one or more user terminals location by a method based on a database comprising pairs of locations and the one or more features.
The method of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the one or more reconfigurable intelligent surface panels are virtually partitioned into contiguous tiles, each tile reflecting an impinging pilot signal in a tile-dependent direction.
The method of claim 2 , wherein a reflection focal point of each tile is chosen pseudo-randomly over the target coverage area.
The method of claim 2 , wherein the reflection pattern across all tiles is pseudo-randomly changed over time.
The method of claim 2 , wherein at least one of a number and a size of the virtually partitioned tiles is changed over time.
The method of claim 1 , wherein pilots are transmitted on different beams from a single access point of the one or more access points and directed to different parts of the one or more reconfigurable intelligent surface panels.
The method of claim 5 , wherein the pilot signals have been artificially delayed with respect to one another at the one or more access points prior to their transmission.
The method of claim 1 , wherein the pilot signals transmitted by non-collocated access points have been delayed with respect to one another prior to their transmission.
The method of claim 2 , wherein the reflection pattern across a group of tiles is restricted to a given coverage area, and a focal point of each tile in the group is otherwise chosen pseudo-randomly over that area.
A method for estimating a location of at least one user terminal over a target coverage area by wireless signals transmitted by one or more user terminals and reflected by one or more reconfigurable intelligent surface panels, the method comprising: transmission of one or more pilot signals by the user terminal; reflecting, by at least one of the one or more reconfigurable intelligent surface panels, the one or more pilot signals according to one or more predetermined reflection patterns; receiving the reflections by at least one of the one or more access points; extracting one or more features from the reflections; and estimating of the one or more access points location by a method based on a database comprising pairs of locations and the one or more features.
transmission of one or more pilot signals by the user terminal;
receiving the reflections by at least one of the one or more access points;
estimating of the one or more access points location by a method based on a database comprising pairs of locations and the one or more features.
The method of claim 10 , wherein at least one of the one or more reconfigurable intelligent surface panel is virtually partitioned into contiguous tiles, each tile reflecting an impinging pilot signal in a tile-dependent direction.
The method of claim 11 , wherein a reflection focal point of each tile is chosen pseudo-randomly over the target coverage area.
The method of claim 11 , wherein the reflection pattern across all tiles is pseudo-randomly changed over time.
The method of claim 11 , wherein the reflection pattern across a group of tiles is restricted to a given coverage area, and a focal point of each tile in the group is otherwise chosen pseudo-randomly over that area.
A system for estimating a location of a user terminal over a target coverage area by wireless signals transmitted by an access point and reflected by a reconfigurable surface panel, the system comprising: an access point to transmit pilot signals; a reconfigurable surface panel that reflects the transmitted pilot signals flexibly across the coverage area, wherein the reconfigurable surface panel is placed so as to have an unobstructed view to a base station and the coverage area; and a user terminal that receives reflections from the reconfigurable surface panel and estimates a location of the user terminal by a method based on a database comprising pairs of locations and one or more features.
an access point to transmit pilot signals;
a reconfigurable surface panel that reflects the transmitted pilot signals flexibly across the coverage area, wherein the reconfigurable surface panel is placed so as to have an unobstructed view to a base station and the coverage area; and
a user terminal that receives reflections from the reconfigurable surface panel and estimates a location of the user terminal by a method based on a database comprising pairs of locations and one or more features.
The system of claim 15 , wherein the reconfigurable surface panel is placed sufficiently high with respect to the coverage area to have unobstructed view regardless of traffic.
Ref US20210359408A1: Claims:
A reconfigurable reflective antenna device, comprising: an antenna element comprising a first port, a second port, and a third port, wherein the antenna element is configured as a splitter/combiner; a first switch coupled to the first port and configured to provide a first control bit for the antenna element; a second switch coupled to the second port and configured to provide a second control bit for the antenna element; and a third switch coupled to the third port and configured to provide a third control bit for the antenna element.
an antenna element comprising a first port, a second port, and a third port, wherein the antenna element is configured as a splitter/combiner;
a first switch coupled to the first port and configured to provide a first control bit for the antenna element;
a second switch coupled to the second port and configured to provide a second control bit for the antenna element; and
a third switch coupled to the third port and configured to provide a third control bit for the antenna element.
The reconfigurable reflective antenna device of claim 1 , further comprising a fourth switch coupled to a fourth port of the antenna element and configured to provide a fourth control bit.
The reconfigurable reflective antenna device of claim 1 , wherein each of the first control bit, the second control bit, and the third control bit provides a binary control of at least one of a phase or a magnitude of a signal impinging on the antenna element.
The reconfigurable reflective antenna device of claim 1 , wherein the first port and the second port are positioned on a first end of the antenna element.
The reconfigurable reflective antenna device of claim 4 , wherein the third port is positioned on a second end of the antenna element opposite the first end.
The reconfigurable reflective antenna device of claim 1 , further comprising: a first delay line between the first port and the first switch; a second delay line between the second port and the second switch; and a third delay line between the third port and the third switch.
a first delay line between the first port and the first switch;
a second delay line between the second port and the second switch; and
a third delay line between the third port and the third switch.
The reconfigurable reflective antenna device of claim 6 , wherein: the first delay line provides a first phase shift of a signal impinging on the antenna element when the first switch is closed; the second delay line provides a second phase shift of the signal impinging on the antenna element when the second switch is closed; and the third delay line provides a third phase shift of the signal impinging on the antenna element when the third switch is closed.
the first delay line provides a first phase shift of a signal impinging on the antenna element when the first switch is closed;
the second delay line provides a second phase shift of the signal impinging on the antenna element when the second switch is closed; and
the third delay line provides a third phase shift of the signal impinging on the antenna element when the third switch is closed.
The reconfigurable reflective antenna device of claim 7 , further comprising: a fourth switch coupled to a fourth port of the antenna element and configured to provide a fourth control bit; and a fourth delay line between the fourth port and the fourth switch, wherein the fourth delay line provides a fourth phase shift of the signal impinging on the antenna element when the fourth switch is closed.
a fourth switch coupled to a fourth port of the antenna element and configured to provide a fourth control bit; and
a fourth delay line between the fourth port and the fourth switch, wherein the fourth delay line provides a fourth phase shift of the signal impinging on the antenna element when the fourth switch is closed.
The reconfigurable reflective antenna device of claim 8 , wherein each of the first delay line, the second delay line, the third delay line, and the fourth delay line provides equispaced phase states.
The reconfigurable reflective antenna device of claim 1 , wherein each of the first switch, the second switch, and the third switch is a single-pole-single-throw (SPST) switch.
The reconfigurable reflective antenna device of claim 10 , wherein each of the first switch, the second switch, and the third switch is a PIN diode.
A multi-bit reconfigurable reflective surface, comprising: an array of unit-cells, each unit-cell comprising: a multi-port antenna element; and a plurality of switches, each switch coupled to a port of the multi-port antenna element; and a controller coupled to the array of unit-cells and configured to provide a control signal providing a single control bit per each of the plurality of switches to steer an electromagnetic wave impinging on the multi-port antenna element in each of the array of unit-cells.
an array of unit-cells, each unit-cell comprising: a multi-port antenna element; and a plurality of switches, each switch coupled to a port of the multi-port antenna element; and
a multi-port antenna element; and
a plurality of switches, each switch coupled to a port of the multi-port antenna element; and
a controller coupled to the array of unit-cells and configured to provide a control signal providing a single control bit per each of the plurality of switches to steer an electromagnetic wave impinging on the multi-port antenna element in each of the array of unit-cells.
The multi-bit reconfigurable reflective surface of claim 12 , wherein the multi-port antenna element in each of the array of unit-cells is a patch antenna.
The multi-bit reconfigurable reflective surface of claim 13 , wherein each port of the multi-port antenna element in the array of unit-cells is edge fed.
The multi-bit reconfigurable reflective surface of claim 12 , wherein each of the plurality of switches in the array of unit-cells comprises at least one of a diode, a PIN diode, a MEMS switch, a transistor, or a tunable 2-dimensional (2D) material.
The multi-bit reconfigurable reflective surface of claim 12 , wherein each unit-cell further comprises a delay line between each port of the multi-port antenna element and a corresponding switch of the plurality of switches.
The multi-bit reconfigurable reflective surface of claim 16 , wherein the control signal steers the electromagnetic wave by adjusting phase states of each multi-port antenna element in the array of unit-cells.
The multi-bit reconfigurable reflective surface of claim 17 , wherein a length of each delay line is optimized to substantially equispace the phase states of each multi-port antenna element in the array of unit-cells.
The multi-bit reconfigurable reflective surface of claim 12 , wherein the multi-bit reconfigurable surface is energy independent.
The multi-bit reconfigurable reflective surface of claim 19 , further comprising a wireless power harvesting system.