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 .
Continued Examination Under 37 CFR 1.114
A request for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, including the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e), was filed in this application after final rejection. Since this application is eligible for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114. Applicant's submission filed on 3/17/2026 has been entered.
Specification
The specification is objected to as failing to provide proper antecedent basis for the claimed subject matter. See 37 CFR 1.75(d)(1) and MPEP § 608.01(o). Correction of the following is required: The claim recites “wherein in response to the DAI field value being 1 the HARQ-ACK information is transmitted in entire slots of the more than two slots being consecutive slots over which the PUSCH is scheduled”. The specification lacks antecedent basis for this limitation. The specification mentions consecutive 2 times; however, it is not in relation to HARQ feedback being transmit when DAI is 1.
Appropriate correction required.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of the first paragraph of 35 U.S.C. 112(a):
(a) IN GENERAL.—The specification shall contain a written description of the invention, and of the manner and process of making and using it, in such full, clear, concise, and exact terms as to enable any person skilled in the art to which it pertains, or with which it is most nearly connected, to make and use the same, and shall set forth the best mode contemplated by the inventor or joint inventor of carrying out the invention.
The following is a quotation of the first paragraph of pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112:
The specification shall contain a written description of the invention, and of the manner and process of making and using it, in such full, clear, concise, and exact terms as to enable any person skilled in the art to which it pertains, or with which it is most nearly connected, to make and use the same, and shall set forth the best mode contemplated by the inventor of carrying out his invention.
Claims 7, 10, 11, 15, 16 rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(a) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), first paragraph, as failing to comply with the written description requirement. The claim(s) contains subject matter which was not described in the specification in such a way as to reasonably convey to one skilled in the relevant art that the inventor or a joint inventor, or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the inventor(s), at the time the application was filed, had possession of the claimed invention.
The claims recite “wherein in response to the DAI field value being 1 the HARQ-ACK information is transmitted in entire slots of the more than two slots being consecutive slots over which the PUSCH is scheduled”; however, there does not appear to be support for this limitation. On 11/17/2025, Applicant stated support for this is found in published paragraph 50; however, paragraph 50 does not mention anything to do with consecutive slots let alone the HARQ-ACK being transmit over more than two slots being consecutive. Figures 1-9 show the HARQ-ACK feedback messages being transmit when DAI is 1; however, the feedback information is never transmit in consecutive PUSCH slots. At best, one feedback is sent in PUSCH 0 and another in PUSCH 2, thus slots are not consecutive.
Appropriate correction required.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claim(s) 7, 10, 11, 15, 16 have been considered but are moot because the new ground of rejection does not rely on any reference applied in the prior rejection of record for any teaching or matter specifically challenged in the argument.
The claims require HARQ-ACK to be transmitted in entire slots of the more than two slots being consecutive slots over which the PUSCH is scheduled. Applicant’s specification and figures do not appear to support feedback being sent in consecutive slots where PUSCH is scheduled. Figures 1, 4, 5, 8, and 9 all show the feedback being sent in PUSCH 0 and PUSCH 2 which are not consecutive slots.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to BRANDON M RENNER whose telephone number is (571)270-3621. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 7am-5pm EST.
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/BRANDON M RENNER/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2411
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