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 .
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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, 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 factual inquiries 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 1-3, 5-6, 8-12, 14, 16-17, 19-22, 24-25, 27 and 29-35 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Xu et al. (US 2020/0412515) in view of Zhang et al. (US 2022/0304037), and further in view of Jung et al. (US 2021/0058113).
Regarding claim 1, Xu discloses a method of wireless communication performed by a user equipment (UE) (Xu, paragraph [0002]. Wireless communication devices), comprising:
a UE capability to support time domain (TD) control channel element (CCE) phase continuity for a defined duration in a TD CCE bundle (Xu, paragraph [0064], UE monitors PDCCH candidates; paragraph [0065], PDCCH transmitted in phase continuous elements for transmission; paragraph [0066], PDCCCH DMRS time domain bundling comprises transmitting PDCCCH DMRS over search space set occasions with phase continuity; paragraph [0100], PDCCH bundling of PDCCH CCE locations; paragraph [0110]-[0111], configuration which identifies the CCE allocation and pattern involved in PDCCH DMRS bundling);
receiving, from the base station and based at least in part on the indication of the UE capability, a configuration for the time domain (TD) control channel element (CCE) bundle (Xu, paragraph [0083], PDCCH is transmitted in a number L of CCEs, where L is the Aggregation Level; paragraph [0100], PDCCH bundling of PDCCH CCE locations; paragraph [0110]-[0111], configuration which identifies the CCE allocation and pattern involved in PDCCH DMRS bundling) that is non-contiguous in time (Xu, paragraph [0119], cases where REG bundles of a PDCCH are not contiguous), that includes at least one TD CCE for single carrier waveforms (Xu, paragraph [0032], PDCCH SC-FDMA),
wherein the configuration indicates a quantity of the one or more TD CCEs (Xu, paragraph [0063], REG bundle size; paragraph [0110]-[0111], configuration which identifies the CCE allocation and pattern involved in PDCCH DMRS bundling),
wherein the TD CCE phase continuity is assumed for the defined duration of the TD CCE bundle (Xu, paragraph [0065], PDCCH transmitted in phase continuous elements for transmission; paragraph [0066], PDCCCH DMRS time domain bundling comprises transmitting PDCCCH DMRS over search space set occasions with phase continuity); and
wherein the configuration is associated with a same shared demodulation reference signal (DMRS) within the TD CCE bundle (Xu, Figs. 5A, 5B, 6B; paragraph [0099], Fig. 5B illustrates PDCCH DMRS bundling, PDCCH transmission and corresponding DMRS transmissions; paragraph [0110]-[0111], configuration which identifies the CCE allocation and pattern involved in PDCCH DMRS bundling);
receiving, from the base station, a second configuration comprising an indication of a TD aggregation of the TD CCE bundle (Xu, paragraph [0083], PDCCH is transmitted in a number L of CCEs, where L is the Aggregation Level; paragraph [0110]-[0111], reconfigurable reference signaled and modified by configuration message); and
performing a channel estimation using the TD CCE bundle based at least in part on the phase continuity, the same shared DMRS within the TD CCE bundle, and the TD aggregation for the duration of the TD CCE bundle (Xu, paragraph [0061], DMRS time domain bundling to improve channel estimation; paragraph [0083], PDCCH is transmitted in a number L of CCEs, where L is the Aggregation Level; paragraph [0110]-[0111], configuration which identifies the CCE allocation and pattern involved in PDCCH DMRS bundling).
Xu does not explicitly disclose transmitting, to the base station, an indication of a UE capability.
Zhang discloses further comprising: transmitting, to the base station, an indication of a UE capability to support shared TD CCE characteristics for a defined duration (Zhang, paragraph [0055], QCL CORESET ports share specific characteristics such as doppler shift, average delay, delay spread; paragraph [0094], UE signals capability to gNB of maximum number of blind detections of PDCCH transmissions; paragraph [0117], CCE aggregation level; UE capability message transmitted to the gNB from the UE); and
receiving, from the base station and based at least in part on the indication of UE capability, a configuration for a time domain control channel element (CCE) bundle (Zhang, paragraph [0038], REG bundle includes L REGs, L is defined by parameter REG-bundle-size, a CCE may be mapped to a number of REGs, such as six REGs; paragraph [0054], precoder granularity may provide the UE with an indication about a REG bundle; paragraph [0108], UE may provide an indication to a gNB as to whether the UE is capable of jointly decoding or separately decoding PDCCH repetitions, UE may be configured to jointly or separately decode PDCCH repetitions), wherein the configuration indicates a quantity of the one or more TD CCEs (Zhang, paragraph [0038], REF-bundle-size);
wherein each TD CCE of the TD CCE bundle is associated with different beams and different transmission configuration indicator (TCI) states (Zhang, paragraph [0054], precoder granularity may provide the UE with knowledge of pre-coding that the base station applies to generate a beam for the PDCCH, including of whether the same pre-coding weights are used for all resource blocks within a REG bundle; paragraph [0055]-[0056], TCI state information may provide the UE with beam-related information such as QCL’d antenna ports that share specific characteristics such as Doppler shift and delay; paragraph [0066], same or different beams applied to PDCCH repetition).
It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to transmit, to the base station, an indication of a UE capability of a TD CCE, in the invention of Xu. The motivation to combine the references would have been for the base station to ensure that a supported CCE configuration is allocated to the UE.
Xu does not explicitly disclose transmitting, to the base station, an indication of a UE capability of capability for a defined duration, wherein the indication of the capability indicates a period for which the UE assumes the TD CCE phase continuity across the one or more TD CCEs.
Jung discloses transmitting, to the base station, an indication of a UE capability of capability for a defined duration, wherein the indication of the capability indicates a period for which the UE assumes the shared TD CCE characteristics across the one or more TD CCEs in a TD CCE bundle (Jung, Table 4, reg-BundleSize; claim 5, transmitting UE capability information comprising time duration information for QCL),
wherein the configuration indicates a quantity of the one or more TD CCEs (Jung, Table 4, reg-BundleSize);
wherein each TD CCE of the TD CCE bundle is associated with different beams and different transmission configuration indicator (TCI) states (Jung, paragraph [0076], Table 4, CCE-to-REG mapping scheme and TCI-States of a CORESET; paragraph [0192], selection of beam determined by TCI field).
It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to transmit, to the base station, an indication of a UE capability for a defined duration for shared TD CCE characteristics, wherein the indication of the capability indicates the defined duration, for the shared TD CCE phase continuity characteristic disclosed in the invention of Xu. The motivation to combine the references would have been for the base station to ensure that an assigned configuration does not exceed the capabilities of the UE.
Regarding claim 2, Xu in view of Zhang, and further in view of Jung discloses the method of claim 1, wherein the TD CCE bundle spans one or more symbols (Xu, paragraph [0065], PDCCH transmitted in phase continuous elements for transmission; paragraph [0066], PDCCCH DMRS time domain bundling comprises transmitting PDCCCH DMRS over search space set occasions with phase continuity; paragraph [0077], DMRS symbols).
Regarding claim 3, Xu in view of Zhang, and further in view of Jung discloses the method of claim 1, wherein: the TD CCE bundle includes TD CCEs that are separated by a symbol or a CCE associated with another UE (Xu, paragraph [0095], PDCCH transmitted in phase continuous elements for transmission; paragraph [0119], cases where REG bundles of a PDCCH are not contiguous).
Regarding claim 5, Xu in view of Zhang, and further in view of Jung discloses the method of claim 1, wherein the configuration for the TD CCE bundle is associated with one or more control resource sets (Xu, paragraph [0060], DMRS’s transmitted with PDCCHs on CORESET basis, using CORESET configuration).
Regarding claim 6, Xu in view of Zhang, and further in view of Jung discloses the method of claim 1, wherein the configuration for the TD CCE bundle indicates a distribution of the TD CCE bundle that indicates whether gaps are present in the TD CCE bundle (Xu, Figs. 5A, 5B, 6B; paragraph [0063], REG bundle size; paragraph [0083], PDCCH is transmitted in a number L of CCEs, where L is the Aggregation Level; paragraph [0099], Fig. 5B illustrates PDCCH DMRS bundling, PDCCH transmission and corresponding DMRS transmissions; paragraph [0110]-[0111], configuration which identifies the CCE allocation and pattern involved in PDCCH DMRS bundling).
Regarding claim 8, Xu in view of Zhang discloses the method of claim 1, wherein: the channel estimation is associated with a plurality of TD-aggregated TD CCEs, or different channel estimations are associated with different groups within the plurality of TD-aggregated TD CCEs; or the channel estimation is per TD CCE bundle associated with the TD aggregation (Xu, paragraph [0061], DMRS time domain bundling to improve channel estimation).
Regarding claim 9, Xu in view of Zhang, and further in view of Jung discloses the method of claim 1, wherein: the TD aggregation is associated with non-contiguous TD control elements, and wherein a same channel estimation is associated with the non-contiguous TD control elements or different channel estimations are associated with different non-contiguous 0097-2691692103075 TD control elements, and
wherein a same shared DMRS is shared when the same channel estimation is used (Xu, paragraph [0061], DMRS time domain bundling to improve channel estimation; paragraph [0095], PDCCH transmitted in phase continuous elements for transmission; paragraph [0119], cases where REG bundles of a PDCCH are not contiguous).
Regarding claim 10, Xu in view of Zhang, and further in view of Jung discloses the method of claim 1, wherein: TD CCE bundles associated with the TD aggregation are associated with a same bundle size; or TD CCE bundles associated with the TD aggregation are associated with different bundle sizes (Xu, paragraph [0083], PDCCH is transmitted in a number L of CCEs, where L is the Aggregation Level).
Regarding claim 11, Xu in view of Zhang, and further in view of Jung discloses the method of claim 1, wherein: TD control elements associated with the TD aggregation are associated with a same TD control resource set (CORESET) or different TD CORESETs; or TD control elements associated with the TD aggregation are associated with a same TD symbol or different TD symbols (Xu, paragraph [0060], DMRS’s transmitted with PDCCHs on CORESET basis, using CORESET configuration; paragraph [0065], PDCCH transmitted in SS set occasions with the same CORESET using phase continuous elements; paragraph [0083], PDCCH is transmitted in a number L of CCEs, where L is the Aggregation Level).
Regarding claim 12, Xu in view of Zhang, and further in view of Jung discloses the method of claim 1, wherein each TD CCE of the TD CCE bundle is associated with a same control resource set (CORESET) or different CORESETs, a same aggregated TD CCE or different aggregated TD CCEs, or a same TD symbol or different TD symbols (Xu, paragraph [0060], DMRS’s transmitted with PDCCHs on CORESET basis, using C99ORESET configuration; paragraph [0065], PDCCH transmitted in SS set occasions with the same CORESET using phase continuous elements; paragraph [0083], PDCCH is transmitted in a number L of CCEs, where L is the Aggregation Level).
Regarding claim 14, Xu in view of Zhang, and further in view of Jung discloses the method of claim 12, wherein each TD CCE associated with the different beams and the different TCI states is spatial division multiplexed (Xu, paragraph [0051], spatial precoding), wherein TD CCEs or TD CCE bundles use a same bandwidth or different bandwidths based at least in part on a second UE capability (Xu, paragraph [0046], narrowband UE; paragraph [0060], narrowband or wideband configuration).
Regarding claim 16, Xu in view of Zhang, and further in view of Jung discloses the method of claim 12, wherein each TD CCE associated with the different beams is associated with separate channel estimations (Xu, paragraph [0059], estimates of the channel determined based on DMRSs in different time instants).
Claims 17 and 19-21 are rejected under substantially the same rationale as claims 1, 2, 3 and 6, respectively.
Claims 22 and 24-25 are rejected under substantially the same rationale as claims 1 and 5-6, respectively. Xu additionally discloses a memory; and one or more processors, coupled to the memory (Xu, paragraph [0497], memory connected to the processor).
Claims 27 and 29-30 are rejected under substantially the same rationale as claims 17 and 19-20, respectively. Xu additionally discloses a memory; and one or more processors, coupled to the memory (Xu, paragraph [0497], memory connected to the processor).
Claims 31-32 are rejected under substantially the same rationale as claims 2-3, respectively.
Regarding claim 33, Xu in view of Zhang, and further in view of Jung discloses the method of claim 1, wherein: the TD aggregation corresponds to a quantity of the TD control elements, wherein the TD control elements correspond to the same shared DMRS a same demodulation reference signal of the one or more demodulation reference signals (Xu, paragraph [0061], DMRS time domain bundling to improve channel estimation; paragraph [0083], PDCCH is transmitted in a number L of CCEs, where L is the Aggregation Level; paragraph [0110]-[0111], configuration which identifies the CCE allocation and pattern involved in PDCCH DMRS bundling).
Claims 34-35 are rejected under substantially the same rationale as claim 33.
Claim(s) 13 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Xu in view of Zhang, , and further in view of Jung ,and further in view of Jo et al. (US 2020/0119839).
Regarding claim 13, Xu in view of Zhang, and further in view of Jung discloses the method of claim 12, wherein each TD CCE associated with the different beams and the different TCI states is time division multiplexed.
Xu does not explicitly disclose, but Jo discloses wherein a beam switching gap is inserted between each TD CCE associated with the different beams when a cyclic prefix length is not sufficient to include a beam switching delay (Jo, paragraph [0034], OFDM symbols in a slot varies according to cyclic prefix; paragraph [0097], gap for beam switching may be given).
It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, for a beam switching gap to be inserted between TD CCEs or TD CCE bundles associated with the different beams when a cyclic prefix length is not sufficient to include a beam switching delay, in the invention of Xu. The motivation to combine the references would have been for the base station to ensure that beam switching is completed prior to communication taking place on a new beam.
Claim(s) 15 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Xu in view of Zhang, , and further in view of Jung ,and further in view of Sun et al. (US 2020/0112484).
Regarding claim 15, Xu in view of Zhang, and further in view of Jung discloses the method of claim 12, wherein each TD CCE associated with the different beams and the different TCI states is frequency division multiplexed (Xu, paragraph [0059], allocation of CCEs across downlink bandwidth; paragraph [0062], OFDM), wherein TD CCEs or TD CCE bundles use a same bandwidth or different bandwidths based at least in part on a second UE capability (Xu, paragraph [0046], narrowband UE; paragraph [0060], narrowband or wideband configuration).
Xu does not explicitly disclose wherein guard band is inserted between the TD CCEs or the TD CCE bundles.
Sun discloses wherein guard band is inserted between the TD CCEs or the TD CCE bundles (Sun, Fig. 3).
It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, for a guard band to be inserted between the TD CCEs or the TD CCE bundles, in the invention of Xu. The motivation to combine the references would have been for the base station to prevent interference between frequency division multiplexed CCEs.
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed January 9, 2026 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive.
Applicant asserts that the claims are patentable because the cited references allegedly do not disclose wherein each TD CCE of the TD CCE bundle is associated with different beams and different transmission configuration indicator (TCI) states. However, this is incorrect.
The limitation “wherein each TD CCE of the TD CCE bundle is associated with different beams and different transmission configuration indicator (TCI) states” does not explicitly recite what the associated different beams and different TCI states are DIFFERENT FROM. However, in the Arguments filed by the Applicant on September 8, 2025, Applicant asserted that the above claim limitation was supported by paragraphs [0131] to [0135] of Applicant’s Specification, which describe Fig. 10 of Applicant’s Specification. Fig. 10 of Applicant’s Specification discloses that CCEs within a same TD CCE bundle have the SAME TCI state, and CCEs within different bundles have different TCI states. Further, paragraphs [0131] to [0135] and Fig. 10 of Applicant’s Specification DO NOT disclose that CCEs within a same TD CCE bundle have the different TCI states that are different from each other TD CCE within the same TD CCE bundle. In fact, Applicant’s Specification DOES NOT disclose, at all, that CCEs within a same TD CCE bundle may have the different TCI states that are different from each other TD CCE within the same TD CCE bundle. Further still, Applicant’s Specification and claims define that a CCE bundle has a phase continuity, but Applicant’s Specification does not disclose how two different associated beams could have a continuous phase.
The Figures and written description of Applicant’s Specification describe that unbundled TD CCEs may be associated different TCI states, and that different TD CCE bundles may be associated with different TCI states. Applicant’s Specification DOES NOT disclose, at all, that CCEs within a same TD CCE bundle may have the different TCI states.
Accordingly, the Examiner interprets that the scope of the limitation “wherein each TD CCE of the TD CCE bundle is associated with different beams and different transmission configuration indicator (TCI) states” comprises the embodiment disclosed in paragraphs [0131] to [0135] and Fig. 10 of Applicant’s Specification, in which CCEs within a same TD CCE bundle have the SAME TCI state, and CCEs within different bundles have different TCI states from TD CCEs within other bundles.
Zhang discloses, for example in paragraph [0054], precoder granularity may provide the UE with knowledge of pre-coding that the base station applies to generate a beam for the PDCCH, including of whether the same pre-coding weights are used for all resource blocks within a REG bundle; paragraph [0055]-[0056], TCI state information may provide the UE with beam-related information such as QCL’d antenna ports that share specific characteristics such as Doppler shift and delay; paragraph [0066], same or different beams applied to PDCCH repetition. Therefore, Zhang discloses information of whether or not a same beam is used for all resource blocks within a REG bundle, and that TCI state information indicates the beam(s) used. Accordingly, Zhang discloses that different beams (and TCI states) may be used for all resource blocks within a REG bundle, and Zhang also discloses that a same beam (and TCI state) may be used for all resource blocks within a REG bundle, and Zhang also discloses that different beams (and TCI states) may be used for resource blocks within different REG bundles.
Additionally, Jung discloses, for example in paragraph [0076], Table 4, CCE-to-REG mapping scheme and TCI-States of a CORESET; and in paragraph [0192], selection of beam is determined by TCI field. Accordingly, Jung also discloses that different beams and TCI states may be associated with different CCEs, and that a plurality of CCEs may be within a same bundle or may be in different bundles.
Applicant further asserts that paragraph [0054] of Zhang discloses only an indication of whether the same pre-coding weights are used, but not whether different beams are used. However, this is incorrect. As discussed above, information of same/different pre-coding weights is information about same/different beams and TCI states. Further, information of whether pre-coding weights are the same is also information about whether pre-coding weights are different.
Jung further discloses transmitting, to the base station, an indication of a UE capability of capability for a defined duration, wherein the indication of the capability indicates a period for which the UE assumes the shared TD CCE characteristics across the one or more TD CCEs in a TD CCE bundle (Jung, Table 4, reg-BundleSize; claim 5, transmitting UE capability information comprising time duration information for QCL).
Applicant’s arguments filed on January 9, 2026 further assert that the claims are patentable because the cited references allegedly do not disclose” wherein each TD CCE of the TD CCE bundle is associated with different beams and different transmission configuration indicator (TCI) states,” because the cited references allegedly do not disclose that each TD CCE of the TD CCE bundle is associated with different beams and different transmission configuration indicator (TCI) states from each other TD CCE within the same TD CCE bundle. However, as discussed above, Applicant’s original Specification does not disclose that each TD CCE of the TD CCE bundle is associated with different beams and different transmission configuration indicator (TCI) states that are different from each other TD CCE within the same TD CCE bundle. Rather, Applicant’s original Specification discloses, for example in Figs. 9 and 10, that CCEs within a same TD CCE bundle have the SAME TCI state, and CCEs within different bundles have different TCI states from CCEs within other bundles. As discussed above, this limitation is disclosed by the cited references.
Conclusion
THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
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/ALAN L LINDENBAUM/ Examiner, Art Unit 2466
/Nishant Divecha/ Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2419