DETAILED ACTION
Applicant’s amendment and arguments filed July 21, 2025 is acknowledged.
Claims 1, 17, 21, and 29 have been amended.
Claims 2, 3, 9-14, 19, and 20 are cancelled as previously indicated.
Claims 1, 4-8, 15-18, and 21-30 are currently pending.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
In the event the determination of the status of the application as subject to AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103 (or as subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103) is incorrect, any correction of the statutory basis for the rejection will not be considered a new ground of rejection if the prior art relied upon, and the rationale supporting the rejection, would be the same under either status.
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 text of those sections of Title 35, U.S. Code not included in this action can be found in a prior Office action.
This application currently names joint inventors. In considering patentability of the claims the examiner presumes that the subject matter of the various claims was commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the claimed invention(s) absent any evidence to the contrary. Applicant is advised of the obligation under 37 CFR 1.56 to point out the inventor and effective filing dates of each claim that was not commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the later invention in order for the examiner to consider the applicability of 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(2)(C) for any potential 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) prior art against the later invention.
The factual inquiries set forth in Graham v. John Deere Co., 383 U.S. 1, 148 USPQ 459 (1966), that are applied 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, 7, 8, 17, 18, 21, 25, 26, 29, and 30 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over BALDEMAIR et al. (hereinafter Baldemair) (U.S. Patent Application Publication # 2020/0136750 A1) in view of YI (U.S. Patent Application Publication # 2020/0067676 A1), and further in view of KUANG et al. (hereinafter Kuang) (U.S. Patent Application Publication # 2023/0037510 A1).
Regarding claims 1 and 21, Baldemair teaches and discloses a wireless device and method comprising: receiving, by a wireless device (UE, figure 3), one or more messages (DCI/UL grants) comprising: configuration parameters (control/format information) of a plurality of logical channels being mapped to a plurality of transmission time interval (TTI) duration ([0014]; “…A control information format may generally indicate a format of the control information, and/or corresponding signaling. A format may generally indicate and/or define one or more parameters for transmission, and/or for preparing the transmission…The format may indicate and/or define how the control information…are mapped to resources for transmission, e.g. by puncturing or rate-matching, in particular in the context of multiplexing the control information transmission with other transmission, e.g. data transmission…”; [0015]; [0058]; [0061]; teaches the UE receives a DCI or UL grant which include control information format information of one or more channels, such as uplink shared channel);
a first TTI duration for a multiplexing process ([0023]; [0025]; teaches the parameters related to size of transmission and time duration of the transmission; [0096]); determining uplink data from one or more logical channels, of the plurality of logical channels, for transmission in a transport block, wherein the one or more logical channels are mapped to a TTI duration of the plurality of TTI durations ([0014]; [0046]-[0049]; “…PUCCH (Physical Uplink Control Channel), occurring either at the end of the slot interval or during the slot interval…multiplexed with data and transmitted on PUSCH (“UCI on PUSCH”, PUSCH being an example of a shared channel)…slot or slot interval represent transmission timing structures for NR…Multiplexing of UCI and data (on PUSCH) may be performed in different ways, e.g. by puncturing or rate matching…”; [0069]; [0137]; teaches determining and multiplexing uplink data for transmission in transport block wherein the uplink channels are mapped to slot interval and transmission timing);
selecting rate matching or puncturing as the multiplexing process (puncturing or rate matching) for multiplexing uplink control information with the transport block comprising the uplink data of the one or more logical channels ([0014]; [0015]; [0049]; teaches the UE selects either puncturing or rate-matching for transmitting UCI via an uplink channel); wherein the selecting is based on the configuration parameters ([0015]; [0049]; [0058]; [0073]; teaches transmitting data in the transport block and selecting to puncture or rate-match based on the received control information format information);
multiplexing, in an uplink channel and employing the multiplexing process, the uplink control information with the transport block comprising the data; and transmitting the transport block and the uplink control information via the uplink channel ([0025]; [0030]; [0049]; [0056]; transport block; [0058]; teaches multiplexing the UCI employing either puncturing or rate-matching and transmitting the data and control/format information on the uplink channel).
However, Baldemair does not explicitly disclose one or more radio resource control (RRC) messages; selecting, in response to a first numerology indicated by a first profile indicated by a first downlink control information (DCI) being one of one or more RRC configured numerologies, rate matching or puncturing (although Baldemair does teach and suggest selecting to puncture or rate-match based on the received control information format information; [0049]; [0058]).
Nonetheless, in the same field of endeavor, Yi teaches and suggests one or more radio resource control (RRC) messages ([0450]; “…the UE may be configured to distinguish a resource in which a PUSCH is mapped or not mapped based on L1 signaling by a UE-specific RRC signaling…”); selecting, in response to a first numerology indicated by a first profile indicated by a first downlink control information (DCI) being one of one or more RRC configured numerologies, rate matching or puncturing ([0174]; “…When a dynamic rate matching pattern and the indication therefor are provided, an actual rate matching may be performed in the scheduled slot. In the case of UL transmission…a puncturing may be performed instead of the rate matching on the indicated rate matching pattern. In addition, even in the case that the UE acquires the rate matching pattern, the UE may not perform the rate matching according to the UE processing capability. Accordingly, in this case, a puncturing may be performed, or the dynamic rate matching pattern may be transmitted through UE-specific DCI only…a puncturing may be performed instead of the rate matching…”; [0176]; “…A part of the RS pattern may indicate the entire symbols to process the case of different numerologies between data and RS transmission…”; [0224]; [0488]; “…Common Framework for an Indication of the Rate Matching Resource Set A resource configured for a physical resource mapping of a PDSCH transmission may include…a resource using different numerologies…a DCI indication for the rate matching resource set may be used for a plurality of uses…”; [0494]; “…the plurality of rate matching patterns may be configured based on the numerology which is used for each BWP…”; teaches information indicated through the DCI, including a numerology among a plurality of RRC numerologies and performing rate matching or puncturing based on the information indicated through the DCI, including the numerology among the plurality of different numerologies).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to incorporate information indicated through the DCI, including a numerology among a plurality of RRC numerologies and performing rate matching or puncturing based on the information indicated through the DCI, including the numerology among the plurality of different numerologies as taught by Yi with the method of multiplexing UCI in TBs as disclosed by Baldemair for the purpose of efficiently allocating resources according to the different numerologies for performing rate matching or puncturing in an NR network, as suggested by Yi.
However, Baldemair, as modified by Yi, may not explicitly disclose wherein the puncturing is selected in response to the first numerology being the one of the one or more RRC configured numerologies, and the rate matching is selected in response to the first numerology being not the one of the one or more RRC configured numerologies.
Nonetheless, in the same field of endeavor, Kuang teaches and suggests wherein the puncturing is selected in response to the first numerology being the one of the one or more RRC configured numerologies, and the rate matching is selected in response to the first numerology being not the one of the one or more RRC configured numerologies ([0077]; [0081]; “…dedicated RRC messages can be used to transport that information from the radio base station to the UE(s)…”; [0087]; “…One option would be to puncture radio resources of the other numerology schemes at those radio resources that are suddenly being allocated to the numerology scheme 3 for the URLLC traffic…”; [0088]; “…rate matching may be used for accommodating the allocation of radio resources for the URLLC traffic…rate matching is performed for the remaining transmission according to numerology schemes 1 and 2, thereby achieving to transmit the overwritten data in the remaining resources available for the numerology schemes 1 and 2…”; teaches selecting puncturing or rate matching based on the determined numerology information, such as puncturing when numerology scheme 3 and rate matching when not numerology scheme 3).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to incorporate selecting puncturing or rate matching based on the determined numerology information as taught by Kuang with the method of multiplexing UCI in TBs as disclosed by Baldemair, as modified by Yi, for the purpose of efficiently allocated for the various services according to the different numerologies, as suggested by Kuang.
Regarding claims 7 and 25, Baldemair, as modified by Yi and Kuang, further teaches and discloses wherein the uplink control information comprise one or more hybrid automatic repeat request feedback ([0044]; [0062]; [0088]; UCI comprises HARQ feedback).
Regarding claims 8 and 26, Baldemair, as modified by Yi and Kuang, further teaches and discloses receiving a second DCI indicating transmission parameters of the transport block ([0061]; [0073]; teaches receiving a DCI/UL grant with transport block parameters).
Regarding claims 17 and 29, Baldemair, as modified by Yi and Kuang, further teaches and discloses wherein: the second DCI indicates a numerology of the uplink channel; and the configuration parameters of the one or more logical channels indicate that data of the one or more logical channels can be transmitted via a transmission duration corresponding to the numerology ([0034]; [0096]; [0142]; teaches the DCI indicates the numerology and timing structure corresponding to the numerology).
Regarding claims 18 and 30, Baldemair, as modified by Yi and Kuang, further teaches and discloses wherein: the second DCI indicates a time domain resource assignment; and a transmission time of the transport block is based on the time domain resource assignment and a numerology of the uplink channel ([0034]; [0096]; [0142]; teaches the DCI indicates the numerology and timing structure corresponding to the numerology).
Claims 4-6, 15, 16, 22-24, and 27-28 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over BALDEMAIR et al. (hereinafter Baldemair) (U.S. Patent Application Publication # 2020/0136750 A1) in view of YI (U.S. Patent Application Publication # 2020/0067676 A1) and KUANG et al. (hereinafter Kuang) (U.S. Patent Application Publication # 2023/0037510 A1), and further in view of Kim et al. (hereinafter Kim2) (U.S. Patent Application Publication # 2019/0356446 A1).
Regarding claims 4 and 22, Baldemair, as modified by Yi and Kuang, discloses the multiplexing the UCI employing either puncturing or rate-matching and transmitting the data and control/format information on the uplink channel, but does not explicitly disclose wherein the configuration parameters of the one or more logical channels comprise one or more logical channel identifiers.
Nonetheless, in the same field of endeavor, Kim2 teaches and discloses wherein the configuration parameters of the one or more logical channels comprise one or more logical channel identifiers ([0346]; teaches using parameter such as logical channel identification, LCID).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to incorporate using parameter such as logical channel identification, LCID, as taught by Kim2 with the method as disclosed by Baldemair, as modified by Yi and Kuang, for the purpose of effectively and efficiently providing configuration for communicating UCI using transport block in an uplink channel.
Regarding claims 5 and 23, Baldemair, as modified by Yi and Kuang, discloses the multiplexing the UCI employing either puncturing or rate-matching and transmitting the data and control/format information on the uplink channel, but does not explicitly disclose wherein the configuration parameters of the one or more logical channels indicate one or more priorities.
Nonetheless, in the same field of endeavor, Kim2 further teaches and suggests wherein the configuration parameters of the one or more logical channels indicate one or more priorities ([0346]; teaches using parameter of LCHs such as priority).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to incorporate using parameter of LCHs such as priority as taught by Kim2 with the method of multiplexing UCI in TBs as disclosed by Baldemair, as modified by Yi and Kuang, for the purpose of effectively and efficiently providing configuration for communicating UCI using transport block in an uplink channel.
Regarding claims 6 and 24, Baldemair, as modified by Yi and Kuang, discloses the multiplexing the UCI employing either puncturing or rate-matching and transmitting the data and control/format information on the uplink channel, but does not explicitly disclose wherein the one or more logical channels correspond to one or more service types.
Nonetheless, in the same field of endeavor, Kim2 further teaches and suggests wherein the one or more logical channels correspond to one or more service types ([0026]; [0028]; teaches corresponding to service type).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to incorporate corresponding to service type as taught by Kim2 with the method of multiplexing UCI in TBs as disclosed by Baldemair, as modified by Yi and Kuang, for the purpose of providing configuration for communicating UCI using transport block in an uplink channel.
Regarding claims 15 and 27, Baldemair, as modified by Yi, Kuang, and Kim2, further teaches and discloses wherein the uplink control information comprise one or more hybrid automatic repeat request feedback ([0044]; [0062]; [0088]; UCI comprises HARQ feedback).
Regarding claims 16 and 28, Baldemair, as modified by Yi and Kuang, discloses the multiplexing the UCI employing either puncturing or rate-matching and transmitting the data and control/format information on the uplink channel, but does not explicitly disclose wherein the one or more service types comprise ultra-reliable low-latency communications.
Nonetheless, in the same field of endeavor, Kim2 further teaches and suggests wherein the one or more service types comprise ultra-reliable low-latency communications ([0028]; [0380]; teaches corresponding to service type including URLLC).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to incorporate corresponding to service type as taught by Kim2 with the method of multiplexing UCI in TBs as disclosed by Baldemair, as modified by Yi, Kuang, and Kim2, for the purpose of providing configuration for communicating UCI using transport block in an uplink channel.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments, filed August 20, 2025, with respect to the rejection(s) of claim(s) 1, 4-8, 15-18, and 21-30 have been fully considered and are persuasive. Therefore, the rejection has been withdrawn. However, upon further consideration, a new ground(s) of rejection is made in view of YI (U.S. Patent Application Publication # 2020/0067676 A1) and KUANG et al. (U.S. Patent Application Publication # 2023/0037510 A1).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to Applicant’s disclosure.
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/Suk Jin Kang/
Examiner, Art Unit 2477
November 5, 2025