DETAILED ACTION
This communication is responsive to applicant’s response filed under 37 C.F.R §1.111 in response to a non-final office action. Claim(s) 1-2, 4, 7, 9, 12-13, 15, 18, 20, 23-26, 28, and 29 have been amended; Claims 8 and 19 have been canceled; No Claim(s) have been added. Claim(s) 1-7, 9-18, and 20-30 are subject to examination.
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 .
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claim(s) 1-30 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.
More specifically, the allowable subject matter previously disclosed in claim 8 and claim 19 respectively depended upon claim 7 and claim 19 and therefore required all the limitations of the intervening claims. As a result, the search was updated and the claims are hereby rejected below.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
The following is a quotation of the appropriate paragraphs of 35 U.S.C. 102 that form the basis for the rejections under this section made in this Office action:
A person shall be entitled to a patent unless –
(a)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claim(s) 1-5, 7, 10-16, 18, and 21-30 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by KITTICHOKECHAI et al. (US 20250141638 A1), hereby referred to as KIT (see also attached provisional application 63/187,340 para 65-68).
Claim 1:
KIT teaches A method for wireless communications at a user equipment (UE), comprising: receiving, from a network entity, control signaling scheduling the UE to transmit a plurality of uplink control channel repetitions on multiple component carriers of an uplink control channel group that includes a primary component carrier (PCC) and one or more secondary component carriers (SCCs) (KIT: FIG. 5 wherein periodic PUCCH/uplink control channel repetitions is transmitted across a group including a PCC and a SCC; FIG. 16 item 1602 (“Receive Configuration information from a network node, the configuration information indicating: a plurality of cells available for…the PUCCH…a reference cell and a designated cell…”) wherein UE receives control/configuration signal scheduling cells/component carriers for uplink control channel repetitions), wherein the uplink control channel group includes a plurality of component carrier subgroups, and wherein each component carrier subgroup of the plurality of component carrier subgroups comprises one or more component carriers of the multiple component carriers (KIT: FIG. 5 wherein each subgroup is a component carrier; subgroup 1 are the repetitions in PCell/primary component carrier and subgroup 2 are the repetitions on SCell/secondary component carrier); determining per-component carrier subgroup spatial relation information to apply to each uplink control channel repetition of the plurality of uplink control channel repetitions in accordance with a rule, on a per repetition basis (KIT: para 112 (“If a periodic PUCCH is configured with repetition, the carrier to switch to can be…the carrier for each PUCCH repetition is determined individually. Hence, the full set of PUCCH repetitions may not be transmitted on a same carrier.”) and para 125-130 (“…related to repetitions, at least 4 rules can be devised…PUCCH carrier is switched to a cell which has all required repetition…”)wherein the repetition is determined on a rule/configuration on a per repetition basis for each carrier/per component carrier subgroup), that pertains to application of spatial relation information to uplink control channel repetitions on the multiple component carriers on a per component carrier basis (KIT: para 117 (“When a PUCCH is switched from a primary cell to an alternative cell…PUCCH spatial relation info follows that of the PUCCH configuration in the alternative cell”) wherein spatial relation depends on each component carrier subgroup consisting of a cell), including the PCC and the one or more SCCs, wherein each per-component carrier subgroup spatial relation information is based on a respective first uplink control channel repetition within each component carrier subgroup (KIT: para 117 (“When a PUCCH is switched from a primary cell to an alternative cell…PUCCH spatial relation info follows that of the PUCCH configuration in the alternative cell”) wherein spatial relation depends on each component carrier subgroup consisting of a cell, either a PCell/PCC or an alternative cell/Scell/SCC, and the spatial relation remains the same as the first repetition in that subgroup); and transmitting one or more of the plurality of uplink control channel repetitions using respective per-component carrier subgroup spatial relation information in accordance with the rule (KIT: para 117 (“When a PUCCH is switched from a primary cell to an alternative cell…PUCCH spatial relation info follows that of the PUCCH configuration in the alternative cell”) wherein repetitions are based on per-component carrier subgroup spatial relation), wherein the transmitting in accordance with the rule comprises alternating uplink control channel repetitions between the PCC and the one or more SCCs of the uplink control channel group (KIT: FIG. 5 wherein the rule is to alternate/switch between carriers), and wherein, within each component carrier subgroup of the plurality of component carrier subgroups, the respective per-component carrier subgroup spatial relation information is the same as that of a respective first uplink control channel repetition in each component carrier subgroup in accordance with the rule (KIT: FIG. 5 and para 117 (“When a PUCCH is switched from a primary cell to an alternative cell…PUCCH spatial relation info follows that of the PUCCH configuration in the alternative cell”) wherein the rule to determine a different carrier to switch to per repetition and wherein all spatial relation for uplink repetitions of the carrier/component carrier subgroup are the same/based on the spatial relation information of the preceding carrier reptations, including the first repetition, and the rule is to alternate component carriers).
Claim 2:
KIT teaches The method of claim 1, further comprising: transmitting the one or more of the plurality of uplink control channel repetitions using the same spatial relation information, wherein the rule indicates for the UE to use the same spatial relation information for each of the plurality of uplink control channel repetitions (KIT: para 117 (“When a PUCCH is switched from a primary cell to an alternative cell…PUCCH spatial relation info follows that of the PUCCH configuration in the alternative cell”) wherein the spatial relation information of the first repetition is the same for the following repetitions on the carrier/cell).
Claim 3:
KIT teaches the method of claim 2, further comprising: determining the same spatial relation information to use for the one or more of the plurality of uplink control channel repetitions based on spatial relation information for a first uplink control channel repetition of the plurality of uplink control channel repetitions (KIT: FIG. 5 and para 117 (“When a PUCCH is switched from a primary cell to an alternative cell…PUCCH spatial relation info follows that of the PUCCH configuration in the alternative cell”) wherein all spatial relation for uplink repetitions of the carrier/component carrier subgroup are the same/based on the spatial relation information of the preceding carrier repetitions, including the first repetition).
Claim 4:
KIT teaches the method of claim 1, further comprising: transmitting the one or more of the plurality of uplink control channel repetitions using per-frequency band spatial relation information (KIT: FIG. 5 and para 103 (“An orderd list of cell indices that belong to the frequency range (FR) lower than that of the primary cell…”) wherein the PCell and Scell are in different frequency bands; and para 117 (“When a PUCCH is switched from a primary cell to an alternative cell…PUCCH spatial relation info follows that of the PUCCH configuration in the alternative cell”) the spatial relation information is specific to the frequency band/cell), wherein the rule indicates for the UE to use the same spatial relation information for uplink control channel repetitions within a same frequency band (KIT: para 117 (“When a PUCCH is switched from a primary cell to an alternative cell…PUCCH spatial relation info follows that of the PUCCH configuration in the alternative cell”) the spatial relation information is specific to the frequency band/cell).
Claim 5:
KIT teaches the method of claim 4, further comprising: determining the per-frequency band spatial relation information based on a first uplink control channel repetition within each frequency band (KIT: FIG. 5, para 103 (“An orderd list of cell indices that belong to the frequency range (FR) lower than that of the primary cell…”) wherein the PCell and Scell are in different frequency bands; and para 117 (“When a PUCCH is switched from a primary cell to an alternative cell…PUCCH spatial relation info follows that of the PUCCH configuration in the alternative cell”) wherein all spatial relation for uplink repetitions of the cells of a specific frequency are the same/based on the spatial relation information of the preceding carrier repetitions, including the first repetition).
Claim 7:
KIT teaches the method of claim 1, wherein the rule indicates for the UE to use the same spatial relation information for uplink control channel repetitions within a same component carrier subgroup (KIT: para 117 (“When a PUCCH is switched from a primary cell to an alternative cell…PUCCH spatial relation info follows that of the PUCCH configuration in the alternative cell”) wherein spatial relation depends on each component carrier subgroup consisting of a cell, either a PCell/PCC or an alternative cell/Scell/SCC, and the spatial relation remains the same as the first repetition in that subgroup).
Claim 10:
KIT teaches the method of claim 1, further comprising: transmitting the one or more of the plurality of uplink control channel repetitions using different spatial relation information for each of the one or more of the plurality of uplink control channel repetitions, wherein the rule indicates for the UE to use the different spatial relation information (KIT: para 117 (“When a PUCCH is switched from a primary cell to an alternative cell…PUCCH spatial relation info follows that of the PUCCH configuration in the alternative cell”) the spatial relation information is specific to the frequency band/cell and therefore changes based on the rule that the repetitions will alternate).
Claim 11:
KIT teaches The method of claim 10, further comprising: receiving, from the network entity, an indication of spatial relation information for each of the one or more of the plurality of uplink control channel repetitions (KIT: para 73 (“All configurations regarding configured cells…may be transmitted by a gNB and may be received by a user equipment via configuration information…”)).
Claim 12:
KIT teaches a method for wireless communications at a network entity, comprising: transmitting control signaling scheduling a user equipment (UE) to transmit a plurality of uplink control channel repetitions on multiple component carriers of an uplink control channel group that includes a primary component carrier (PCC) and one or more secondary component carriers (SCCs) (KIT: FIG. 5 wherein periodic PUCCH/uplink control channel repetitions is transmitted across a group including a PCC and a SCC; FIG. 16 item 1602 (“Receive Configuration information from a network node, the configuration information indicating: a plurality of cells available for…the PUCCH…a reference cell and a designated cell…”) wherein UE receives control/configuration signal scheduling cells/component carriers for uplink control channel repetitions), wherein the uplink control channel group includes a plurality of component carrier subgroups, and wherein each component carrier subgroup of the plurality of component carrier subgroups comprises one or more component carriers of the multiple component carriers (KIT: FIG. 5 wherein each subgroup is a component carrier; subgroup 1 are the repetitions in PCell/primary component carrier and subgroup 2 are the repetitions on SCell/secondary component carrier); determining per-component carrier subgroup spatial relation information to apply to reception of each uplink control channel repetition of the plurality of uplink control channel repetitions in accordance with a rule, on a per repetition basis, that pertains to application of spatial relation information to uplink control channel repetitions on the multiple component carriers on a per component carrier basis (KIT: para 112 (“If a periodic PUCCH is configured with repetition, the carrier to switch to can be…the carrier for each PUCCH repetition is determined individually. Hence, the full set of PUCCH repetitions may not be transmitted on a same carrier.”) and para 125-130 (“…related to repetitions, at least 4 rules can be devised…PUCCH carrier is switched to a cell which has all required repetition…”)wherein the repetition is determined on a rule/configuration on a per repetition basis for each carrier/per component carrier subgroup), including the PCC and the one or more SCCs, wherein each per-component carrier subgroup spatial relation information is based on a respective first uplink control channel repetition within each component carrier subgroup; and receiving one or more of the plurality of uplink control channel repetitions using respective per-component carrier subgroupspatial relation information in accordance with the rule (KIT: para 117 (“When a PUCCH is switched from a primary cell to an alternative cell…PUCCH spatial relation info follows that of the PUCCH configuration in the alternative cell”) wherein spatial relation depends on each component carrier subgroup consisting of a cell, either a PCell/PCC or an alternative cell/Scell/SCC, and the spatial relation remains the same as the first repetition in that subgroup), wherein the receiving in accordance with the rule comprises alternating uplink control channel repetitions between the PCC and the one or more SCCs of the uplink control channel group (KIT: FIG. 5 wherein the rule is to alternate/switch between carriers), and wherein, within each component carrier subgroup of the plurality of component carrier subgroups, the respective per-component carrier subgroup spatial relation information is the same as that of a respective first uplink control channel repetition in each component carrier subgroup in accordance with the rule (KIT: FIG. 5 and para 117 (“When a PUCCH is switched from a primary cell to an alternative cell…PUCCH spatial relation info follows that of the PUCCH configuration in the alternative cell”) wherein the rule to determine a different carrier to switch to per repetition and wherein all spatial relation for uplink repetitions of the carrier/component carrier subgroup are the same/based on the spatial relation information of the preceding carrier reptations, including the first repetition, and the rule is to alternate component carriers).
Claim 13:
KIT teaches the method of claim 12, further comprising: receiving the one or more of the plurality of uplink control channel repetitions using the same spatial relation information, wherein the rule indicates for the UE to use the same spatial relation information for each of the plurality of uplink control channel repetitions. (KIT: para 117 (“When a PUCCH is switched from a primary cell to an alternative cell…PUCCH spatial relation info follows that of the PUCCH configuration in the alternative cell”) wherein the spatial relation information of the first repetition is the same for the following repetitions on the carrier/cell).
Claim 14:
KIT teaches the method of claim 12, further comprising: receiving the one or more of the plurality of uplink control channel repetitions using the same spatial relation information, wherein the rule indicates for the UE to use the same spatial relation information for each of the plurality of uplink control channel repetitions. (KIT: FIG. 5 and para 117 (“When a PUCCH is switched from a primary cell to an alternative cell…PUCCH spatial relation info follows that of the PUCCH configuration in the alternative cell”) wherein all spatial relation for uplink repetitions of the carrier/component carrier subgroup are the same/based on the spatial relation information of the preceding carrier repetitions, including the first repetition).
Claim 15:
KIT teaches the method of claim 12, further comprising: receiving the one or more of the plurality of uplink control channel repetitions using per-frequency band spatial relation information (KIT: FIG. 5 and para 103 (“An orderd list of cell indices that belong to the frequency range (FR) lower than that of the primary cell…”) wherein the PCell and Scell are in different frequency bands; and para 117 (“When a PUCCH is switched from a primary cell to an alternative cell…PUCCH spatial relation info follows that of the PUCCH configuration in the alternative cell”) the spatial relation information is specific to the frequency band/cell), wherein the rule indicates for the UE to use the same spatial relation information for uplink control channel repetitions within a same frequency band (KIT: para 117 (“When a PUCCH is switched from a primary cell to an alternative cell…PUCCH spatial relation info follows that of the PUCCH configuration in the alternative cell”) the spatial relation information is specific to the frequency band/cell).
Claim 16:
KIT teaches the method of claim 15, further comprising: determining the per-frequency band spatial relation information based on a first uplink control channel repetition within each frequency band (KIT: FIG. 5, para 103 (“An orderd list of cell indices that belong to the frequency range (FR) lower than that of the primary cell…”) wherein the PCell and Scell are in different frequency bands; and para 117 (“When a PUCCH is switched from a primary cell to an alternative cell…PUCCH spatial relation info follows that of the PUCCH configuration in the alternative cell”) wherein all spatial relation for uplink repetitions of the cells of a specific frequency are the same/based on the spatial relation information of the preceding carrier repetitions, including the first repetition).
Claim 18:
KIT teaches the method of claim 12, further comprising wherein the rule indicates for the UE to use the same spatial relation information for uplink control channel repetitions within a same component carrier subgroup (KIT: para 117 (“When a PUCCH is switched from a primary cell to an alternative cell…PUCCH spatial relation info follows that of the PUCCH configuration in the alternative cell”) wherein spatial relation depends on each component carrier subgroup consisting of a cell, either a PCell/PCC or an alternative cell/Scell/SCC, and the spatial relation remains the same as the first repetition in that subgroup).
Claim 21:
KIT teaches the method of claim 12, further comprising: receiving the one or more of the plurality of uplink control channel repetitions using different spatial relation information for each of the one or more of the plurality of uplink control channel repetitions, wherein the rule indicates for the UE to use the different spatial relation information (KIT: para 117 (“When a PUCCH is switched from a primary cell to an alternative cell…PUCCH spatial relation info follows that of the PUCCH configuration in the alternative cell”) the spatial relation information is specific to the frequency band/cell and therefore changes based on the rule that the repetitions will alternate).
Claim 22:
KIT teaches The method of claim 21, further comprising: transmitting, to the UE, an indication of spatial relation information for each of the one or more of the plurality of uplink control channel repetitions (KIT: para 73 (“All configurations regarding configured cells…may be transmitted by a gNB and may be received by a user equipment via configuration information…”)).
Claim 23:
KIT teaches An apparatus for wireless communications, comprising: one or more processors; one or more memories coupled with the one or more processors; and instructions stored in the one or more memories and executable by the one or more processors (KIT: FIG. 11 item 1102 (“Processing Circuitry”) the processor and item 1110 (“Memory”) the memory with instructions).
For further limitations, see rejection for claim 1 above.
Claim 24:
KIT teaches the apparatus of claim 23. For further limitations, see rejection for claim 2 above.
Claim 25:
KIT teaches the apparatus of claim 23. For further limitations, see rejection for claim 4 above.
Claim 26:
KIT teaches the apparatus of claim 23. For further limitations, see rejection for claim 7 above.
Claim 27:
KIT teaches the apparatus of claim 23. For further limitations, see rejection for claim 10 above.
Claim 28:
KIT teaches an apparatus for wireless communications, comprising: one or more processors; one or more memories coupled with the one or more processors; and instructions stored in the one or more memories and executable by the one or more processors (KIT: FIG. 12 item 1202 (“Processing Circuitry”) the processors and item 1204 (“Memory”) the memory holding instructions).
For further limitations, see rejection for claim 12 above.
Claim 29:
KIT teaches the apparatus of claim 28. For further limitations, see rejection for claim 13 above.
Claim 30:
KIT teaches the apparatus of claim 21. For further limitations, see rejection for claim above.
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.
Claim(s) 6, 9, 17, and 20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over KIT in view of MATSUMURA et al. (US 20230011465 A1) (see 892 06/23/2023), hereby referred to as MATSUMURA.
Claim 6:
KIT teaches the method of claim 5, wherein the same frequency band is based at least in part on an intra-band carrier aggregation and includes one or more of the primary component carrier and the one or more secondary component carriers (KIT: [0102] An ordered list of cell indices that belong to the same frequency range (FR) as the primary cell.) wherein the same can be applied to intra-band carrier aggregation).
However, KIT does not explicitly disclose repetitions using per-frequency band spatial relation information in the same frequency band.
MATSUMURA, in the same field of endeavor, teaches (MATSUMURA: para 66 (“A parameter…used to transmit a PUCCH may be configured to the UE…The PUCCH configuration information may be configured per partial band…”) and para 67 (“The PUCCH configuration information may include a PUCCH…spatial relation information…list.”) where the same partial band uses the same configuration/spatial relation information).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date, to have modified KIT with MATSUMURA for the benefit of appropriate transmission of UL transmission (MATSUMURA: para 9).
Claim 9:
KIT teaches the method of claim 1, further comprising: transmitting, to the network entity and prior to the transmitting of the one or more of the plurality of uplink control channel repetitions, an indication of the same component carrier subgroup (KIT: para 73 (“All configurations regarding configured cells…may be transmitted by a gNB and may be received by a user equipment via configuration information…”)), but does not explicitly disclose based at least in part on a UE capability.
MATSUMURA, in the same field of endeavor, teaches based at least in part on a UE capability (MATSUMURA: para 140 (“…reports by a UE capability signaling…UE supports a default spatial relation operation…”)).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date, to have modified KIT with MATSUMURA for the benefit of appropriate transmission of UL transmission (MATSUMURA: para 9).
Claim 17:
KIT teaches the method of claim 16. For further limitations, see rejection for claim 6 above.
Claim 20:
KIT teaches the method of claim 12, further comprising: further comprising: receiving, from the UE and prior to the receiving of the one or more of the plurality of uplink control channel repetitions, an indication of the same component carrier subgroup (KIT: para 73 (“All configurations regarding configured cells…may be transmitted by a gNB and may be received by a user equipment via configuration information…”)), but does not explicitly disclose based at least in part on a UE capability.
MATSUMURA, in the same field of endeavor, teaches based at least in part on a UE capability (MATSUMURA: para 140 (“…reports by a UE capability signaling…UE supports a default spatial relation operation…”)).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date, to have modified KIT with MATSUMURA for the benefit of appropriate transmission of UL transmission (MATSUMURA: para 9).
Conclusion
Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). 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.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ANGELIE T NGO whose telephone number is (571)272-0180. The examiner can normally be reached Mon - Thur: 8am - 5pm; 2nd Fri: 8am - 3pm.
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/A.T.N./Examiner, Art Unit 2416
/NOEL R BEHARRY/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2416