Prior art

U.S. Patent 8,411,557, titled "Mobile station apparatus and random access method," was filed on December 21, 2011, and granted on April 2, 2013. The original assignee was Panasonic Corp, and the current assignee is Optis Wireless Technology LLC.

The patent describes a mobile station apparatus that efficiently reports control information in the Random Access Channel (RACH). It achieves this by using a selecting unit to choose a code sequence from a plurality of sequences, where these sequences are grouped and associated with different amounts of data or reception qualities. The grouping is based on sequences generated from the same base sequence having different cyclic shifts, arranged in increasing order. The position at which the sequences are partitioned into groups, and the number of sequences in each group, can vary based on the control information.

Here's an analysis of potentially relevant prior art cited within US8411557B2:

Prior Art Analysis

1. WO2001005050A1: Channel assignment apparatus and method for common packet channel in a WCDMA mobile communication system

• Full Citation: WO2001005050A1 ([[Samsung Electronics Co.](/litigations/by-defendant/Samsung%20Electronics%20Co.), Ltd.](/litigations/by-plaintiff/Samsung%20Electronics%20Co.%2C%20Ltd.))
• Publication/Filing Date: Priority date: July 7, 1999. Publication date: January 18, 2001.
• Brief Description: This patent describes a channel assignment apparatus and method for a common packet channel in a WCDMA mobile communication system. It focuses on efficiently assigning common packet channels using signature sequences.
• Potential Anticipated Claims: This document broadly relates to using sequences for channel assignment in a mobile communication system, which could potentially anticipate aspects of claims 1 and 10 concerning the general concept of transmitting selected sequences in a random access channel for communication. However, it may not detail the specific grouping and variable allocation based on control information as claimed in US8411557B2.

2. US20020041578A1: Method for selecting RACH in a CDMA mobile communication system

• Full Citation: US20020041578A1 (Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.)
• Publication/Filing Date: Priority date: June 2, 2000. Publication date: April 11, 2002.
• Brief Description: This reference discusses a method for selecting a Random Access Channel (RACH) in a CDMA mobile communication system. It likely deals with how mobile stations access the network, which often involves transmitting preambles or signatures.
• Potential Anticipated Claims: This patent could potentially anticipate claims 1 and 10 of US8411557B2 in the general context of RACH selection and transmission of sequences. However, it might not explicitly disclose the specific details of grouping sequences based on derived code sequences with cyclic shifts, or the dynamic variation of group sizes based on control information (e.g., amount of data or reception quality) as defined in US8411557B2.

3. US6519462B1: Method and apparatus for multi-user resource management in wireless communication systems

• Full Citation: US6519462B1 (Lucent Technologies Inc.)
• Publication/Filing Date: Priority date: May 11, 2000. Publication date: February 11, 2003.
• Brief Description: This patent describes a method and apparatus for multi-user resource management in wireless communication systems. Resource management often involves allocating codes or sequences for different users to access a shared channel.
• Potential Anticipated Claims: This reference might broadly anticipate claims 1 and 10 related to the concept of resource management and allocation of sequences for multiple users in a wireless communication system. However, it may lack the specific details of associating groups of sequences with control information like "amounts of data or reception qualities" and varying the number of sequences within these groups as taught by US8411557B2.

4. WO2006019710A1: Efficient signaling over access channel

• Full Citation: WO2006019710A1 (Qualcomm Incorporated)
• Publication/Filing Date: Priority date: July 21, 2004. Publication date: February 23, 2006.
• Brief Description: This document focuses on efficient signaling over an access channel. Efficient signaling in this context could involve optimizing the use of signatures or preambles for various access purposes.
• Potential Anticipated Claims: This could potentially anticipate aspects of claims 1 and 10 concerning efficient signaling via the random access channel using sequences. The key distinguishing features of US8411557B2, such as the specific grouping based on cyclic shifts and dynamic group sizing linked to control information, would need to be carefully compared against the details of this reference.

5. US20070165567A1: Preamble sequencing for random access channel in a communication system

• Full Citation: US20070165567A1 (Motorola, Inc.)
• Publication/Filing Date: Priority date: January 17, 2006. Publication date: July 19, 2007.
• Brief Description: This reference describes preamble sequencing for a random access channel in a communication system. Preamble sequences are used by mobile stations to initiate communication and convey basic information.
• Potential Anticipated Claims: This document directly addresses preamble sequencing for RACH, making it highly relevant to claims 1, 2, and 10. The extent to which it discloses the specific grouping of sequences, their association with different amounts of data or reception qualities, and the dynamic adjustment of group sizes as specified in US8411557B2 would determine its anticipatory effect.

6. US20080192678A1: Random access structure for optimal cell coverage

• Full Citation: US20080192678A1 (Texas Instruments Incorporated)
• Publication/Filing Date: Priority date: October 24, 2006. Publication date: August 14, 2008.
• Brief Description: This patent application relates to a random access structure designed for optimal cell coverage. This implies considerations for varying propagation delays and channel conditions across a cell.
• Potential Anticipated Claims: This could potentially anticipate claims 1, 2, and 10, particularly regarding the use of random access sequences and their properties. The cyclic shift aspect of CAZAC/GCL sequences mentioned in US8411557B2 is relevant to managing propagation delays, and if this document describes similar methods for optimizing RACH based on channel conditions, it could be a strong prior art reference.

7. US20090003308A1: Methods and apparatus for generating synchronization/pilot sequences for embedding in wireless signals

• Full Citation: US20090003308A1 (General Dynamics C4 Systems, Inc.)
• Publication/Filing Date: Priority date: April 13, 2007. Publication date: January 1, 2009.
• Brief Description: This reference focuses on generating synchronization and pilot sequences for wireless signals. These sequences are fundamental for channel estimation and timing synchronization in wireless communication.
• Potential Anticipated Claims: This might broadly anticipate aspects of claim 1 and 10 regarding the generation and use of sequences in wireless communication. However, it's less likely to directly anticipate the specific mechanism of associating groups of sequences with control information like data amounts or reception qualities for RACH reporting.

8. US20100278114A1: Method for transmitting and receiving signals based on segmented access scheme and method for allocating sequence for the same

• Full Citation: US20100278114A1 (Yeong Hyeon Kwon)
• Publication/Filing Date: Priority date: September 11, 2006. Publication date: November 4, 2010.
• Brief Description: This patent describes a method for transmitting and receiving signals using a segmented access scheme and a corresponding method for allocating sequences.
• Potential Anticipated Claims: This could be relevant to claims 1 and 10, particularly the aspect of allocating sequences for an access scheme. If the "segmented access scheme" involves grouping sequences in a manner that implicitly or explicitly conveys information or adapts to varying conditions, it could be a strong anticipatory reference.

9. US20110007825A1: Method for generation of cyclic shift amount set and method for generation of random access preamble

• Full Citation: US20110007825A1 (Zte Corporation)
• Publication/Filing Date: Priority date: January 17, 2008. Publication date: January 13, 2011.
• Brief Description: This reference discloses a method for generating a cyclic shift amount set and a method for generating a random access preamble. This is highly pertinent to the technical details of sequence generation and cyclic shifts used in RACH.
• Potential Anticipated Claims: This document is highly relevant to claims 1 and 10, especially the phrase "sequences generated from the same base sequence and having different cyclic shifts are arranged in an increasing order of the cyclic shifts." It directly addresses the generation of cyclic shifts for RACH preambles. The key would be whether it further discloses the grouping of these sequences and associating them with "different amounts of data or reception qualities" where the number of sequences in each group varies.

10. US20110235529A1: Method and arrangement in a communication network system

• Full Citation: US20110235529A1 (Telefonaktiebolaget L M Ericsson (Publ))
• Publication/Filing Date: Priority date: December 5, 2008. Publication date: September 29, 2011.
• Brief Description: This patent application describes a method and arrangement in a communication network system. The abstract for US20110235529A1 broadly describes methods and arrangements related to communication network systems, which may involve various aspects of resource allocation or signaling.
• Potential Anticipated Claims: Without more specific details about the "method and arrangement" from the abstract or full text, it's difficult to pinpoint exact claims. However, it generally relates to communication network systems, potentially touching upon aspects of claims 1 and 10 if it describes methods for allocating or selecting communication resources.

11. US20110310940A1: Random access channel for OFDMA-MIMO system

• Full Citation: US20110310940A1 (Interdigital Technology Corporation)
• Publication/Filing Date: Priority date: May 9, 2006. Publication date: December 22, 2011.
• Brief Description: This patent focuses on a random access channel for an OFDMA-MIMO (Orthogonal Frequency-Division Multiple Access - Multiple-Input Multiple-Output) system. This indicates a more advanced wireless communication context.
• Potential Anticipated Claims: This is highly relevant to claims 1, 2, and 10 as it specifically addresses RACH in an OFDMA-MIMO system. The specific mechanisms for utilizing the RACH, including preamble selection and information conveyance, would need to be examined to determine if it anticipates the unique grouping and variable allocation features of US8411557B2.

12. US20120079330A1: Test device and test method for resistive random access memory and resistive random access memory device

• Full Citation: US20120079330A1 (Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba)
• Publication/Filing Date: Priority date: July 23, 2009. Publication date: March 29, 2012.
• Brief Description: This patent describes a test device and method for resistive random access memory (RRAM) and the RRAM device itself.
• Potential Anticipated Claims: This document is not relevant to US8411557B2. The term "random access" in this context refers to memory access, which is entirely different from the "Random Access Channel" in wireless communication that US8411557B2 addresses. It does not anticipate any claims of US8411557B2.

Non-Patent Documents (cited in the description of US8411557B2):

The description of US8411557B2 also references several non-patent documents, which are critical for prior art assessment.

• Non-patent Document 1: 3GPP TSG-RAN WG1 LTE Ad Hoc Meeting, R1-060047, NTT DoCoMo, NEC, Sharp, "Random Access Transmission in E-UTRA Uplink," Helsinki, Finland, 23-25 Jan., 2006.

  • Brief Description: This document discusses random access transmission in E-UTRA Uplink (a precursor to LTE), which would cover fundamental aspects of RACH procedures.
  • Potential Anticipated Claims: Likely anticipates the general concept of random access and RACH transmission as in claims 1, 2, and 10. The details of how information is conveyed or sequences are grouped would need to be scrutinized against the claims of US8411557B2.

• Non-patent Document 2: 3GPP TSG-RAN WG1 LTE Ad Hoc Meeting, R1-060046, NTT DoCoMo, NEC, Sharp, "Orthogonal Pilot Channel Structure in E-UTRA Uplink," Helsinki, Finland, 23-25 Jan., 2006.

  • Brief Description: This document addresses the orthogonal pilot channel structure in E-UTRA Uplink, mentioning the use of CAZAC sequences for their low cross-correlation and high autocorrelation properties.
  • Potential Anticipated Claims: Highly relevant to the technical basis of claims 1 and 10, specifically the use of CAZAC sequences (or GCL sequences, as CAZAC is a type of GCL) and their properties. It establishes the known characteristics of these sequences, but may not delve into the novel grouping and variable allocation scheme of US8411557B2.

• Non-patent Document 3: 3GPP TSG-RAN WG1 LTE Ad Hoc Meeting, R1-060480, Qualcomm, "Principles of RACH," Denver, USA, 13-17 Feb., 2006.

  • Brief Description: This document outlines the principles of RACH, including the idea of reporting control information (like mobile station ID, reason for RACH, bandwidth allocation request, and downlink received quality) in the RACH.
  • Potential Anticipated Claims: This non-patent document is very significant. It explicitly states the ongoing studies to report "control information including the mobile station ID, the reason for RACH transmission, bandwidth allocation request information (QoS information, the amount of data, and so on), and downlink received quality information" in the RACH. This directly impacts claims 1 and 10 regarding the association of sequences with "different amounts of data or reception qualities" or other control information. The distinction would lie in how US8411557B2 achieves this reporting efficiently through its specific grouping and variable group size mechanisms.