US Patent 7310537, titled "Communication on multiple beams between stations," has the following details:

• Assignee: Integral Wireless Technologies LLC (Current Assignee) (Original Assignee: Nokia Inc)
• Inventors: Risto Wichman, Olav Tirkkonen, Rinat Kashaev
• Filing Date: 2003-08-13
• Issue Date: 2007-12-18
• Abstract: The patent describes a method and communication system for wireless communication between stations using multiple beams. The method involves including beam identity information into signals transmitted on multiple beams from a first station, a second station receiving these signals, identifying the beams based on the identity information, and then selecting at least one beam for transmission on the wireless interface between the stations. The system includes an antenna array providing distinguishable multiple beams, a controller for identifying beams, and means for selecting beams based on the identified beam information. A station configured for this communication includes antenna means for receiving signals on multiple beams and a controller for identifying beams based on associated beam identity information.

Plain-Language Overview of Independent Claims:

• Independent Claim 1 (Method): This claim describes a method for two stations to communicate wirelessly using multiple beams. The first station sends signals on various beams, and each beam's signal includes unique "beam identity information." The second station receives these signals and uses this identity information to figure out which beams it received signals through. Crucially, the method then involves selecting one or more beams for future communication between the stations, specifically choosing a group of beams that are "geometrically distinguished" from each other.

• Independent Claim 20 (Communication System): This claim outlines a communication system designed to enable two stations to communicate wirelessly using multiple beams. The system includes an antenna array at the first station that generates multiple beams, where each beam can be uniquely identified by "beam identity information." It also has a controller that identifies the beams from which the second station received signals, based on this identity information. Finally, a "selecting unit" chooses at least one beam for transmission between the stations, specifically selecting a set of beams that are "geometrically distinguished" from each other.

• Independent Claim 26 (Station): This claim describes a station (either the first or second station in the communication) that includes an antenna unit to receive signals transmitted from another station on multiple beams. It also has a controller that identifies these beams based on the "beam identity information" associated with the received signals. The claim specifies that a set of "geometrically distinguished" beams is then selected for signal transmission between the two stations, based on the identified beam information.

• Independent Claim 29 (Apparatus): This claim is substantially similar to Claim 20, describing an apparatus (likely at the first station) that includes an antenna array providing multiple beams with identity information. It also has a controller for identifying received beams based on this information and a selecting means for choosing at least one beam for transmission, with the selection specifically involving a set of geometrically distinguished beams.

• Independent Claim 30 (Station): This claim is substantially similar to Claim 26, describing a station with antenna means for receiving multiple beams and a controller for identifying beams based on identity information. It further specifies that a set of geometrically distinguished beams is selected for transmission based on this identified beam information.

CAFC 2026 Dockets:

As of April 26, 2026, no specific dockets related to US patent 7310537 for the year 2026 were found in the provided search results for the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit (CAFC). The search provided general information about accessing CAFC case information and scheduled cases for upcoming months (May, June, July 2026), but did not identify any direct litigation involving this patent number.

As of April 26, 2026, the following litigation involving US Patent 7310537 is known:

• Jurisdiction: Texas Western District Court

  • Case Status: Critical (Litigation)
  • Source: District Court
  • URL: https://portal.unifiedpatents.com/litigation/Texas%20Western%20District%20Court/case/1%3A25-cv-00833

• Jurisdiction: Texas Eastern District Court

  • Case Status: Litigation
  • Source: District Court
  • URL: https://portal.unifiedpatents.com/litigation/Texas%20Eastern%20District%20Court/case/2%3A26-cv-00263

• Jurisdiction: Texas Eastern District Court

  • Case Status: Litigation
  • Source: District Court
  • URL: https://portal.unifiedpatents.com/litigation/Texas%20Eastern%20District%20Court/case/2%3A25-cv-00798

Note on Plaintiff(s), Defendant(s), Filing Date, and Outcome:
The provided search results from Unified Patents indicate the jurisdictions and case statuses but do not directly list the plaintiffs, defendants, specific filing dates, or outcomes for these cases. To obtain this detailed information, it would typically be necessary to access the individual court dockets through services like PACER (Public Access to Court Electronic Records). PACER allows for nationwide searches of federal court cases, including appellate, bankruptcy, and district courts, but requires a registered account and may involve fees for accessing detailed documents. While the patent has current assignee Integral Wireless Technologies LLC, the specific parties involved in these litigations are not explicitly stated in the provided snippets.

Proceedings overview

There are no AIA trial proceedings on file for US Patent 7310537 in the USPTO Open Data Portal as of the most recent ingest, and no such proceedings were surfaced by web search. This indicates that the patent has not been subjected to inter partes review (IPR), post-grant review (PGR), or covered business method (CBM) review. For a defendant, this means the patent's claims are entirely untested at the PTAB, and an IPR or PGR could be a viable defensive strategy if appropriate prior art is available.

Strategic summary

Currently, all claims of US7310537 are UNTESTED at the Patent Trial and Appeal Board. The patent has not been challenged in an IPR, PGR, or CBM proceeding. This means there is no estoppel landscape from prior PTAB decisions, and all prior-art grounds remain available for a potential petitioner. The absence of PTAB activity suggests that the patent has not yet been aggressively asserted in a manner that would typically provoke such challenges, or that potential petitioners have not yet found compelling prior art or strategic reasons to file.

Recommended next steps

Since no PTAB activity exists for US7310537, a potential defendant facing assertion of this patent should consider the following:

• Prior Art Search: Conduct a thorough prior art search to identify potential grounds for an IPR or PGR. This is crucial for evaluating the strength of the patent's claims and the feasibility of a PTAB challenge.
• Validity Analysis: Perform a detailed validity analysis of all asserted claims against any newly discovered or known prior art.
• Petition Feasibility: If strong prior art is found, assess the feasibility of filing an IPR or PGR petition, considering the statutory deadlines and the specific requirements for institution.
• Monitor for Activity: Continue to monitor for any newly filed PTAB proceedings related to US7310537, as the absence of activity could change. The USPTO's Patent Trial and Appeal Case Tracking System (P-TACTS) (https://www.uspto.gov/patents/ptab/patent-trial-and-appeal-case-tracking-system-p-tacts) can be used to track such cases.

Inventors

• Risto Wichman (Nokia Inc.)
• Olav Tirkkonen (Nokia Inc.)
• Rinat Kashaev (Nokia Inc.)

It is assumed the inventors were employed by Nokia Inc. at the time of filing, as Nokia Inc. was the applicant.

Original assignee

The original assignee, as indicated by the application filing, was Nokia Inc.
At the time of filing (2003), Nokia Inc. was a significant player in mobile phone manufacturing and telecommunications infrastructure. They shipped numerous products embodying wireless communication claims, including popular mobile phone models like the Nokia 1100, 6230, and 6600, which featured relevant technologies such as 3G and Bluetooth.

Nokia Corporation, the parent company, has since undergone a significant business transformation. Its mobile phone business was sold to Microsoft in 2014, and the company now primarily focuses on telecommunications infrastructure (e.g., 5G), network equipment, and patent licensing. Thus, Nokia Corporation currently operates as a telecommunications equipment and technology licensing company, rather than a consumer mobile phone manufacturer.

Assignment timeline

• 2004-01-08 (executed) / recorded 2004-01-08 — Reel 014869/0551

  • Conveyance: Assignment
  • Assignor: Risto Wichman, Olav Tirkkonen, Rinat Kashaev (Inventors)
  • Assignee: NOKIA CORPORATION, FINLAND
  • Correspondent: Not recorded in text
  • Context: Transfer from inventors to the parent company, Nokia Corporation, after application by Nokia Inc.

• 2009-10-09 (executed) / recorded 2009-11-13 — Reel 023510/0836

  • Conveyance: Assignment
  • Assignor: NOKIA CORPORATION
  • Assignee: AMOSMET INVESTMENTS LLC, DELAWARE
  • Correspondent: Not recorded in text
  • Context: Transfer from an operating company (Nokia Corporation) to a potentially licensing-focused entity.

• 2015-08-27 (executed) / recorded 2015-09-25 — Reel 036687/0605

  • Conveyance: Merger
  • Assignor: AMOSMET INVESTMENTS LLC
  • Assignee: CALLAHAN CELLULAR L.L.C., DELAWARE
  • Correspondent: Not recorded in text
  • Context: Transfer between entities, likely an internal restructuring or aggregation within a patent monetization firm.

• 2024-10-10 (executed) / recorded 2024-10-10 — Reel 068867/0468

  • Conveyance: Assignment
  • Assignor: CALLAHAN CELLULAR L.L.C.
  • Assignee: INTELLECTUAL VENTURES ASSETS 194 LLC, DELAWARE
  • Correspondent: Not recorded in text
  • Context: Transfer to a known patent assertion entity (Intellectual Ventures).

• 2024-10-15 (executed) / recorded 2024-10-16 — Reel 068920/0014

  • Conveyance: Assignment
  • Assignor: INTELLECTUAL VENTURES ASSETS 194 LLC
  • Assignee: INTEGRAL WIRELESS TECHNOLOGIES LLC, TEXAS
  • Correspondent: Not recorded in text
  • Context: Transfer from a known patent assertion entity (Intellectual Ventures) to another entity associated with patent monetization (Integral Wireless Technologies LLC, linked to Empire IP LLC).

Timeline diagram

timeline
    title Ownership of US 7310537
    2003 : Patent filed by Nokia Inc
    2004 : Assigned to Nokia Corporation
    2007 : Patent granted
    2009 : Assigned to Amosmet Investments LLC
    2015 : Assigned to Callahan Cellular LLC
    2024 : Assigned to Intellectual Ventures Assets 194 LLC
         : Assigned to Integral Wireless Technologies LLC
    2025 : First infringement suit filed

NPE / troll-pattern signals

1. Shell-entity transfer — Present.

   • AMOSMET INVESTMENTS LLC, DELAWARE (assigned 2009-11-13, Reel 023510/0836). The name "Investments LLC" is indicative of a holding or licensing entity.
   • CALLAHAN CELLULAR L.L.C., DELAWARE (assigned 2015-09-25, Reel 036687/0605). The "L.L.C." structure and "Cellular" focus suggest a patent holding company.
   • INTELLECTUAL VENTURES ASSETS 194 LLC, DELAWARE (assigned 2024-10-10, Reel 068867/0468). This is explicitly a shell entity used by Intellectual Ventures.
   • INTEGRAL WIRELESS TECHNOLOGIES LLC, TEXAS (assigned 2024-10-16, Reel 068920/0014). This entity is identified as a plaintiff associated with Texas monetization firm Empire IP LLC, which does not appear to produce products.

2. Known asserter in the chain — Present.

   • INTELLECTUAL VENTURES ASSETS 194 LLC (assigned 2024-10-10, Reel 068867/0468). Intellectual Ventures is a widely recognized patent assertion entity (NPE).
   • INTEGRAL WIRELESS TECHNOLOGIES LLC (current assignee, assigned 2024-10-16, Reel 068920/0014). This entity is identified by RPX as a "plaintiff associated with Texas monetization firm Empire IP LLC" and has filed multiple infringement lawsuits.

3. Repeat correspondent across the chain — Unclear. Correspondent information for the assignments is not recorded in the provided patent text.

4. Cascading transfers — Present.

   • The patent was transferred from CALLAHAN CELLULAR L.L.C. to INTELLECTUAL VENTURES ASSETS 194 LLC on 2024-10-10 (Reel 068867/0468), and then just six days later, from INTELLECTUAL VENTURES ASSETS 194 LLC to INTEGRAL WIRELESS TECHNOLOGIES LLC on 2024-10-16 (Reel 068920/0014). This rapid succession of transfers (two within a week) is a strong indicator of patent monetization activity.

5. Pre-litigation transfer — Present.

   • The transfers to Intellectual Ventures Assets 194 LLC (2024-10-10, Reel 068867/0468) and Integral Wireless Technologies LLC (2024-10-16, Reel 068920/0014) occurred within six months of the first reported infringement lawsuit involving Integral Wireless Technologies LLC, which was filed in June 2025 (e.g., against Social Mobile, 2:25-cv-00644). RPX further reports that Integral Wireless Technologies LLC was created on September 30, 2024, and almost immediately began litigating patents it received from Intellectual Ventures.

6. Bankruptcy fire-sale — Not present. Nokia Corporation, the initial operating company assignor, did not undergo bankruptcy proceedings during the assignment period.

7. Privateering — Present. Intellectual Ventures, a known privateering entity, transferred the patent to Integral Wireless Technologies LLC, which is clearly a patent monetization firm. RPX states that Intellectual Ventures appears to have retained an interest in the monetization of these portfolios.

8. Defensive aggregator (anti-NPE) — Not present. The current assignee, Integral Wireless Technologies LLC, is an active patent asserter, not a defensive aggregator.

Verdict

NPE — high confidence
This verdict is supported by multiple strong signals: the presence of known patent assertion entities (Intellectual Ventures Assets 194 LLC and Integral Wireless Technologies LLC) in the chain, cascading transfers within a week in October 2024 (Reel 068867/0468 and 068920/0014), and these transfers occurring immediately prior to documented litigation campaigns launched by Integral Wireless Technologies LLC in 2025 and 2026. The involvement of Empire IP LLC further solidifies the characterization of Integral Wireless Technologies LLC as a monetization firm.

Verification link: https://assignmentcenter.uspto.gov/patent/index.html (Search by patent number US7310537)

Most Relevant Prior Art for US Patent 7310537

This section identifies the prior art cited against US Patent 7310537 and assesses their potential to anticipate the independent claims under 35 U.S.C. § 102. The core inventive concept of US7310537 revolves around including "beam identity information" in signals transmitted on multiple beams, identifying received beams based on this information, and selecting a set of geometrically distinguished beams for further transmission.

The analysis below is based on the "Patent Citations (8)" section of US7310537.

Cited Prior Art Analysis

1. US5894598A

• Full Citation: US5894598A, "Radio communication system using portable mobile terminal"
• Publication/Filing Date: Priority Date: 1995-09-06, Publication Date: 1999-04-13
• Brief Description: This patent generally describes a radio communication system that uses portable mobile terminals. (A detailed abstract or description beyond the title was not readily available through the search, but typical radio communication systems of this era would involve handoff and channel selection without the explicit "beam identity information" and "geometrically distinguished beams" as a core component of selection).
• Potential Anticipation (35 U.S.C. § 102):
  • Independent Claims 1, 20, 26, 29, 30: This patent is unlikely to anticipate the core claims of US7310537, as its broad title suggests a general radio communication system. Without specific disclosure of including "beam identity information" in signals, using that information to identify received beams, and selecting a "set of geometrically distinguished beams," it does not appear to teach all elements of the independent claims.

2. US6377636B1

• Full Citation: US6377636B1, "Method and wireless communications system using coordinated transmission and training for interference mitigation"
• Publication/Filing Date: Priority Date: 1999-11-02, Publication Date: 2002-04-23
• Brief Description: This patent focuses on methods and systems for wireless communication that use coordinated transmission and training to mitigate interference. While it deals with optimizing transmission, it does not explicitly mention the use of "beam identity information" for selection of "geometrically distinguished beams."
• Potential Anticipation (35 U.S.C. § 102):
  • Independent Claims 1, 20, 26, 29, 30: Similar to US5894598A, this patent's abstract suggests a focus on interference mitigation through coordinated transmission and training. It is unlikely to disclose the specific mechanism of embedding "beam identity information" for the identification and selection of "geometrically distinguished beams" as described in the independent claims of US7310537.

3. US6473467B1

• Full Citation: US6473467B1, "Method and apparatus for measuring reporting channel state information in a high efficiency, high performance communications system"
• Publication/Filing Date: Priority Date: 2000-03-22, Publication Date: 2002-10-29
• Brief Description: This patent describes a method where channel state information (CSI) is used to precondition transmissions between transmitter and receiver units. It involves assigning disjoint sub-channel sets to transmit antennas and transmitting pilot symbols on a subset of these sub-channels. Receiver units determine CSI for the sub-channels carrying pilot symbols and report these CSI values back to the transmitter.
• Potential Anticipation (35 U.S.C. § 102):
  • Independent Claims 1, 20, 26, 29, 30: This patent is highly relevant. It explicitly discusses transmitting pilot symbols and receivers determining channel state information (CSI) from them, which is then reported back. This aligns with the "receiving at the second station signals transmitted from the first station" and "identifying beams via which the second station received signals from the first station based on said identity information" aspects, especially if the "pilot symbols" can be interpreted as carrying "beam identity information" and the "sub-channel sets" correlate to beams. The distinction lies in whether it teaches selecting a set of geometrically distinguished beams based on this information, rather than just using CSI for preconditioning. If the pilot symbols implicitly or explicitly identify beams and lead to selecting geometrically distinct paths, it could anticipate.

4. US6745050B1

• Full Citation: US6745050B1, "Multichannel multiuser detection"
• Publication/Filing Date: Priority Date: 2000-10-23, Publication Date: 2004-06-01
• Brief Description: This patent broadly covers multichannel multiuser detection. (Similar to earlier citations, a more specific abstract beyond the title was not readily available through search results.) This typically involves separating signals from multiple users transmitted over multiple channels.
• Potential Anticipation (35 U.S.C. § 102):
  • Independent Claims 1, 20, 26, 29, 30: While it deals with multiple channels and users, the title "Multichannel multiuser detection" does not immediately suggest the specific mechanism of beam identity information and selection of geometrically distinguished beams as claimed in US7310537. Further analysis of the full patent would be required to determine if it discloses these specific elements.

5. US6970682B2

• Full Citation: US6970682B2, "Wireless packet switched communication systems and networks using adaptively steered antenna arrays"
• Publication/Filing Date: Priority Date: 2001-04-27, Publication Date: 2005-11-29
• Brief Description: This patent describes wireless packet switched communication systems and networks that utilize adaptively steered antenna arrays. "Adaptively steered antenna arrays" inherently implies the ability to form and direct beams.
• Potential Anticipation (35 U.S.C. § 102):
  • Independent Claims 1, 20, 26, 29, 30: The use of "adaptively steered antenna arrays" to form beams is relevant to US7310537, which mentions adaptive beamforming (e.g., in claim 6). However, the critical elements of "beam identity information" embedded in signals and the subsequent selection of "geometrically distinguished beams" based on this explicit identity information are not immediately apparent from the title alone. It might involve beamforming without this specific identity-based selection mechanism.

6. US7020110B2

• Full Citation: US7020110B2, "Resource allocation for MIMO-OFDM communication systems"
• Publication/Filing Date: Priority Date: 2002-01-08, Publication Date: 2006-03-28
• Brief Description: This patent pertains to resource allocation in MIMO-OFDM communication systems. MIMO (Multiple Input/Multiple Output) systems inherently deal with multiple channels and can involve multiple beams. US7310537 also refers to MIMO specifications.
• Potential Anticipation (35 U.S.C. § 102):
  • Independent Claims 1, 20, 26, 29, 30: This patent is highly relevant due to its focus on MIMO-OFDM systems and resource allocation. MIMO systems often involve channel estimation and feedback, similar to US7310537's context. If this patent teaches explicit "beam identity information" (e.g., within reference signals or pilots) being used by a receiving station to identify specific beams and then select a set of "geometrically distinguished beams" for transmission, it could anticipate. The "resource allocation" could potentially encompass beam selection. Without deeper analysis of its claims and detailed description, it's difficult to definitively state anticipation, but it presents a strong potential overlap.

7. US6850741B2

• Full Citation: US6850741B2, "Method for selecting switched orthogonal beams for downlink diversity transmission"
• Publication/Filing Date: Priority Date: 2002-04-04, Publication Date: 2005-02-01
• Brief Description: This patent describes a method for selecting switched orthogonal beams specifically for downlink diversity transmission. The term "selecting switched orthogonal beams" directly addresses beam selection, and "downlink diversity transmission" implies multiple paths.
• Potential Anticipation (35 U.S.C. § 102):
  • Independent Claims 1, 20, 26, 29, 30: This patent is highly relevant as it explicitly discusses "selecting switched orthogonal beams" for transmission. The key question for anticipation against US7310537 is whether this selection is based on beam identity information (explicitly included in signals and used for identification) and whether the selection is specifically of a "set of geometrically distinguished beams." If the "orthogonal beams" inherently carry identifiable characteristics used for selection in a way that correlates to "geometrically distinguished," then this patent could be a very strong anticipatory reference.

8. US6754475B1

• Full Citation: US6754475B1, "Transmission performance measurement and use thereof"
• Publication/Filing Date: Priority Date: 2002-06-28, Publication Date: 2004-06-22
• Brief Description: This patent is directed to methods and apparatus for transmission performance measurement and the use of such measurements. (A more detailed abstract or description beyond the title was not readily available through the search.) This often involves feedback mechanisms to optimize transmission.
• Potential Anticipation (35 U.S.C. § 102):
  • Independent Claims 1, 20, 26, 29, 30: While "transmission performance measurement" can be related to channel quality and signal reception, it does not explicitly teach the inclusion of "beam identity information" in signals for identification and the subsequent selection of "geometrically distinguished beams." More information on the specific measurements and their use would be needed to assess anticipation accurately, but based on the title, it appears less specific to the unique beam selection mechanism of US7310537 than some other cited patents.

Summary of Most Relevant Prior Art:

Based on the titles and available abstracts, US6473467B1 ("Method and apparatus for measuring reporting channel state information..."), US7020110B2 ("Resource allocation for MIMO-OFDM communication systems"), and US6850741B2 ("Method for selecting switched orthogonal beams for downlink diversity transmission") appear to be the most relevant prior art. These patents delve into areas directly related to multi-antenna communication, channel state information, and beam selection. The degree to which they anticipate US7310537 depends specifically on whether they disclose the explicit inclusion of "beam identity information" in signals and the subsequent selection of "geometrically distinguished beams" based on that identity information. The other patents seem more general in their scope concerning multi-beam communication or focus on different aspects that are less directly aligned with the specific inventive step of US7310537's independent claims.

Obviousness Analysis under 35 U.S.C. § 103

To determine the obviousness of US Patent 7310537, we must consider whether the claimed invention, as a whole, would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art (POSA) at the time of the invention (i.e., before the filing date of August 13, 2003), given the prior art. This involves identifying potential combinations of prior art references and explaining the motivation a POSA would have had to combine them, with a reasonable expectation of success.

The independent claims of US7310537 revolve around a method and system for multi-beam wireless communication where:

1. Beam identity information is included in signals transmitted on multiple beams from a first station.
2. A second station receives these signals and identifies the beams based on the identity information.
3. At least one beam is selected for transmission, specifically a set of "geometrically distinguished" beams.

Identified Prior Art References (from the patent document):

The patent US7310537 itself cites the following prior art documents:

• US5894598A: Radio communication system using portable mobile terminal
• US6377636B1: Method and wireless communications system using coordinated transmission and training for interference mitigation
• US6473467B1: Method and apparatus for measuring reporting channel state information in a high efficiency, high performance communications system
• US6745050B1: Multichannel multiuser detection
• US6754475B1: Transmission performance measurement and use thereof
• US6850741B2: Method for selecting switched orthogonal beams for downlink diversity transmission
• US6970682B2: Wireless packet switched communication systems and networks using adaptively steered antenna arrays
• US7020110B2: Resource allocation for MIMO-OFDM communication systems

Motivation to Combine Prior Art References

A person having ordinary skill in the art (POSA) in wireless communication systems, particularly those involving multi-antenna or multi-beam technologies, would be motivated to improve spectral efficiency, reduce interference, and enhance link capacity. The "Background of the Invention" section of US7310537 explicitly outlines these problems, stating that conventional fixed multiple beam arrangements suffer from issues like neighboring beam interference and difficulty in distinguishing between different signal propagation paths based solely on power measurements.

The motivation to combine elements from various prior art references would stem from the desire to overcome these known problems in multi-beam communication systems, particularly to achieve more intelligent and efficient beam selection.

Potential Obviousness Combinations:

Let's consider how a POSA might combine some of the cited prior art to arrive at the independent claims of US7310537.

Combination 1: US6970682B2 + US6377636B1 + General Knowledge of Beam Identification

• US6970682B2 (Vivato, Inc.): This patent describes "Wireless packet switched communication systems and networks using adaptively steered antenna arrays." This reference would teach the use of multiple beams (adaptively steered antenna arrays) for wireless communication between stations. It implicitly involves the transmission of signals on these multiple beams.
• US6377636B1 (Iospan Wirless, Inc.): This patent describes a "Method and wireless communications system using coordinated transmission and training for interference mitigation." This reference teaches methods for coordinating transmissions and using training sequences (e.g., pilot signals) to mitigate interference. A POSA would understand that training sequences or pilot signals can carry identifying information.
• Motivation to Combine: A POSA, observing the problems of interference and inefficient beam selection in multi-beam systems (as articulated in the background of US7310537), would be motivated to improve the process of identifying and selecting beams. By combining the adaptively steered beams of US6970682B2 with the training/coordination aspects of US6377636B1, a POSA would naturally consider embedding identifying information within the pilot signals or training sequences of each beam. This beam identity information would help distinguish individual beams, especially in systems with overlapping beams or complex propagation environments, addressing the "difficulty in determining whether the signals propagate as shown in FIG. 5 or as shown in FIG. 6" problem highlighted by US7310537. The selection of "geometrically distinguished beams" would follow logically from the desire to optimize performance and mitigate interference by selecting beams corresponding to distinct propagation paths, a known goal in multi-beam systems.

Combination 2: US6850741B2 + US6473467B1 + US6754475B1

• US6850741B2 (Agency For Science, Technology And Research): This patent details a "Method for selecting switched orthogonal beams for downlink diversity transmission." This directly teaches selecting beams for transmission, and the concept of "orthogonal beams" suggests a desire to distinguish between them for diversity.
• US6473467B1 (Qualcomm Incorporated): This patent describes a "Method and apparatus for measuring reporting channel state information in a high efficiency, high performance communications system." This reference teaches measuring and reporting channel state information (CSI), which often includes information about signal quality and characteristics that could be used for beam selection.
• US6754475B1 (Motorola, Inc.): This patent describes "Transmission performance measurement and use thereof." This reinforces the concept of measuring performance and using that information, which could be related to channel characteristics or beam quality.
• Motivation to Combine: A POSA seeking to optimize beam selection (as in US6850741B2) would recognize that more granular information about each beam's characteristics would be beneficial. By integrating the channel state information (US6473467B1) or transmission performance measurements (US6754475B1) with the beam selection process, a POSA would be motivated to associate unique identifiers with each beam to enable precise reporting and selection. The idea of "geometrically distinguished beams" would be an inherent consideration when dealing with diversity transmission and optimizing channel usage, as different geometries naturally lead to different channel characteristics that would be measured and reported. Encoding identity information into pilot signals (a common practice, also generally known in the art and mentioned in US7310537) would be a straightforward way to enable the receiving station to distinguish these beams and report back appropriate selection information.

General Considerations for Obviousness:

• Known Problem: The problems of interference from neighboring beams and the difficulty of distinguishing signal paths in multi-beam systems were known in the art prior to the filing date of US7310537. The patent itself articulates these problems, which provides a strong motivation for a POSA to seek solutions.
• Finite Number of Identifiers: The use of "beam identity information" is a straightforward solution to distinguish between multiple beams, especially in the context of pilot signals. This is analogous to using different spreading codes for different channels in CDMA or different time slots in TDMA, which were well-established techniques for differentiation in wireless communication systems.
• "Geometrically Distinguished Beams": The concept of geometrically distinguished paths is fundamental to understanding radio propagation and multi-path environments. Selecting beams based on their geometric distinction would be an intuitive step for a POSA aiming to maximize diversity gain, minimize interference, and improve overall system performance in a multi-beam system. This isn't necessarily a novel concept but rather an application of known principles to optimize beam selection.

Based on the above, a POSA, motivated by the recognized problems in multi-beam wireless communication, would have found it obvious to combine existing teachings of multi-beam transmission, training sequences/pilot signals, channel state information, and beam selection strategies with the straightforward idea of associating unique identifiers with individual beams to enable more intelligent and efficient selection of geometrically distinguished beams.